The New Bus for London and the Standard Wright Bus Compared
I travelled today from Victoria to Piccadilly on a New Bus for London or NBfL and then an hour or so later, I went from Bank to my home on a 2009-vintage standard Wright Bus or SWB.
So how do they compare and are there any features of the new bus could be fitted in the next generation of buses?
- The sculptured seats of the NBfL are a lot more comfortable and after a quick look under the seats of both buses, it would appear that something similar could be fitted to the SWB. I suspect though that they are a bit more expensive.
- The stairs seem to the top deck easier on the NBfL than the SWB and because there are two sets it gives you a choice when you get on and off. Remember that the two staircases on the NBfL are used to hide the engine and the batteries. Hybrid bus designers will get more and more ingenious about where they hide the drive train, which will reduce weight and make the buses more fuel efficient.
- The ride is much better in the NBfL in my opinion as I said here and lessons learned in the design, might well be able to be employed to improve the ride of the SWB.
- Everybody seems to like the conductor or are they now a Bus Captain? I’ll always remember the look on the faces of an elderly couple as they got on a NBfL at the rear in the Balls Pond Road.
- I think too, that the Bus Captains enjoy their new role. But then responsibility is always a great motivator to everybody.
- I also like the colours of the NBfL better, as they are calming and seem to bring out the best in everybody. You can definitely have too much yellow.
But I suppose the biggest difference, is that a NBfL has a presence, that makes it stand out from the crowd. I thought today with its curved front and the TfL roundel on the front, that it reminded me of the trolleybuses of my childhood. The SWB may be a nice bus, but they don’t stand out.
The only definite thing we can say, is that in ten years time, buses will be more stylish, passenger and crew-friendly and of course more fuel-efficent and quieter than they are today. Let’s hope that those buses are still designed and made in the UK.
First Time on a Bus in Years
Not me, but an old friend of mine, who came to visit last week.
After an hour or so of pleasant conversation and a couple of drinks, he needed to get to Ealing and I wanted to go to the Olympic site to have a look.
So it was a walk to the 141 bus and from there to Bank, where he got the tube to Ealing and I got the DLR.
From the look on his face, I think he quite enjoyed the experience. He did remark that he was surprised at the comfort.
So buses must be getting better.
Not the Best of Days
Yesterday, I went to the football at Ipswich.
Before I left, I checked on TfL’s excellent Countdown system to see how long I’d have to wait for a 21 or 141 bus and it said that there would be three within the next five minutes and then a ten minute wait. I just missed the last of the three and so I thought I’d text the bus stop to find out how long I’d have to wait. But of course, I now had my Blackberry, instead of my Nokia 6310i and I couldn’t send the simple message of just 5 digits. Another reason for chucking the sodding F*ckberry. So no information. The first 141 was obviously in a hurry and drove straight past, despite five of us flagging it down. I then walked to the next stop, where other buses for Liverpool Street also depart. In the end, I caught another 141 and the driver apologised for his colleague.
One of the pleasures of going to Portman Road by train, is that if you pick your trains right, you get a Norwich train, with comfortable Mk. 3 coaches and a real engine to push you all the way. But today, no trains were running to Norwich, so it was one of the old multiple units, with no tables or arm-rests.
So by the time I got to Ipswich my left arm was really giving me gip, as there was no place to rest it.
Ipswich did win a rather scrappy game by the only goal of the game, which was the highpoint of the day.
But going home was a repeat of the journey down in an old dirty train. I needed to go to the toilet and the conductor apologised before I went. It was one of the dirtiest I’d ever seen on a train.
At least, I got back to Liverpool Street on time and then I walkked through to Moorgate to get a 141 home. Because of Crossrail, the area is in total chaos and I had to walk a long way, as the normal bus stop was closed.
TfL should have thought out how they do the buses in that area better! The chaos will go on for years.
At least I was able to have a decent drink in the Northgate.
The first thing I did when I got home, was to put my Sim-card back into the Nokia 6310i
The Toddler On The Bus
I went into Islington on the bus yesterday to get my supper and the bus was rather empty on the lower deck, except for a guy sitting in front of me, who had a little girl about two, sitting in a buggy in front of him.
He was eating some sort of odious processed meat pie and feeding small scraps of it to the child. I thought of telling him off, but then I restrained myself, as I didn’t want a fist in my face.
No wonder children are getting unhealthier and more obese.
By the time I got off the bus, I’d just about had enpough of the smell of that pie. So let’s tax them to the hilt for the sake of all our health!
Everybody Talks on the New Buses for London
It’s true! I’ve been on one three times now and every time, I’ve had deep conversations with complete strangers.
Poeople discuss the merits of hybrid drive, the style of the seats and the joys of old Routemasters.
This can only be good, as it’s not just the past-it like me, but young kids with a life in front of them.
I think it is true to say, that the old Routemaster and the silver tube trains of the 1960s generated the same enthusiasm.
So long live good design! Or even valiant attempts at it!
Laughing All the Way to the Angel
The proposed fuel strike doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, as someone who can’t drive because of a stroke and has lost two of his nearest and dearest family in the last few years to cancer, I could claim that all of the bad news is being shared out a bit.
The strike does bring out the worst in people.
I do hope that no-one near me has stored a lethal amount of petrol in his front room and then decides to have a fag.
I’ve got a litre of goat’s milk in the fridge, which will last me three weeks. If things get tight, I can walk all the way to the Angel and because too many politicians live in Islington, the shops will be open.
My only problem is that I have a dental appointment in Notting Hill on the 4th and if the Underground runs out of electricity or the buses out of diesel, I won’t get there. But then, if that happens the country will be in total chaos, with tanker drivers the focus of everyone’s anger.
We live in interesting times.
Standing on a New Bus for London
Coming back from the Angel today, I got a New Bus for London. And it was totally packed and so I had to stand.
As I didn’t have a measure with me, I can’t be sure, but it struck me that the central aisle on the lower deck was wider. Or perhaps those with large cases and packages had got a seat.
So I stood all the way to the stop where I got off.
I can’t say I do this often, but I felt it was easier to stand than on a normal London bus. The handrails were in the right place and it struck me that the dynamics of the bus are better. This could be because the bus is longer and slightly wider, but it might be that the placing of the hybrid drive train is better. It could also be that as all the seats were full and the design placed them in the right position for balance, that the passengers were making the bus more stable.
Of course all of these points could apply to any new bus design. So I think it is true to say, that on the subject of ride and vehicle dynamics, there is a lot to be squeezed out. As I’ve said before there is a war out there and it’s the passengers, who’ll win.
As I stood there holding safely to the handrail, it got me thinking. The ride difference between the New Bus for London and the normal Wight or Dennis product, was almost like that between the old Routemaster and it’s predecessor, the RT. That difference was very marked, as the RT had a very simple suspension and a traditional body, but the Routemaster had independent front suspension and a integral body design. The Routemaster was also a lot lighter than the RT, despite carrying eight more passengers.
The Unusual Things You See in Hospital
I’d never realised until I saw it that all London buses have large identfication letters on their roofs, but looking down from my room I could easily see them.
I suppose they are for identification purposes from Police helicopters or the Air Ambulance.
The Old and the New
I took these two pictures of buses on Route 15.
The first is a Routemaster on the Heritage route and the following bus is an Alexander Dennis Enviro 400H Hybrid, but it doesn’t seem to have had the leaves stuck on yet!
I don’t think they’re travelling in a pair in case the other breaks down, but perhaps as the Routemaster only goes half the way, the new bus can pick up the passengers, when the other stops. Or it could be a cheaper way of creating a high-capacity bus, as the total capacity is 64+80 or 144 passengers!
when I was a child, there was always a rumour that one London bus route, always went in convoy for protection, as once one got hit by a German bomb.
The East India Dock Basin
Travelling towards the River Thames, you come to the East India Dock Basin, which is now a nature reserve, is described here.
As you can see, it is well-laid out and has good views of the River Thames. The island in the middle of the basin is growing using the same method that salt marshes do in places like Norfolk. There were quite a few birds about with sheld-duck, tufted duck and coot easily spotted. Apparently, there’s a local kingfisher too! There is a lot of good information. What would Jack Dash have thought?
There are plenty of places to sit and considering how close it is to the end of the 277 bus route and East India station on the DLR, it’s an ideal spot to go for a picnic.
The Anonymous Widower 