New Routemaster buses

[tigerroar]

I'm having a day out in London in three weeks time and would like to see and photograph one of the new routemaster buses. Which underground station would I need to get off at to be most likely to see one?

 

[user15681]

Well, first consider all the routes that the new (they're slowly losing status of new!) Routemasters run on:

9 - Hammersmith to Aldwych
10 - Hammersmith to King's Cross St Pancras
11 - Liverpool Street to Fulham Broadway
24 - Pimlico to Hampstead Heath
38 - Victoria to Hackney (only a small amount run on this route)
148 - White City to Camberwell Green
390 - Notting Hill Gate to Archway

Therefore, I'd suggest getting a tube to either Euston, Euston Square or King's Cross St Pancras. When leaving these tube stations, find Euston Road (the very busy one) and you will certainly see the new Routemasters on routes 10 and 390. This is your best bet.

Alternatively, you can try Hammersmith station for the route 9 and 10, although they run from the bus station not the tube station at Hammersmith. You could head to Liverpool Street station for the route 11. Or, head to Victoria for routes 24 and 38 - BUT very few run on route 38, which picks up right outside the front of the station and route 24 picks up from round the side of Victoria station.

 

[PowerLee]

I went to the theatre in London back in March & used Charing Cross, I saw plenty of the new Borismasters running up & down the Strand during the evening.

 

[bussnapperwm]

This website https://www.londonvf.co.uk can help you. Just type in the route number that you are looking for to see what's out on the service you require.

Example for route 148 today

London United - Route 148 - between White City and Camberwell Grn
Towards - White City
Fleet Reg Destination Due Stop Id Stop Name
LT128 LTZ1128 White City 16:05 57890 Victoria Gate
LT129 LTZ1129 White City 16:05 53919 London Hilton Hotel
LT131 LTZ1131 White City 15:50 52350 Shepherds Bush Green
LT137 LTZ1137 White City 16:06 52350 Shepherds Bush Green
LT139 LTZ1139 White City 16:05 75046 Porchester Terrace
LT141 LTZ1141 White City 16:10 77245 Denmark Hill/Camberwell Green
LT142 LTZ1142 White City 16:05 49298 Larcom Street
LT145 LTZ1145 White City 16:05 75260 Parliament Square/Westminster Abbey
LT146 LTZ1146 White City 16:06 51512 East Street
LT147 LTZ1147 White City 16:06 52350 Shepherds Bush Green
Towards - Camberwell Grn
Fleet Reg Destination Due Stop Id Stop Name
LT121 LTZ1121 Camberwell Grn 16:04 91545 Bressenden Place/ Victoria Station
LT122 LTZ1122 Camberwell Grn 16:05 72807 Westminster City Hall
LT125 LTZ1125 Camberwell Grn 16:05 50100 Denmark Hill/Camberwell Green
LT130 LTZ1130 Camberwell Grn 16:06 55016 Ariel Way/White City Bus Station
London United - Route 148 - between White City and Camberwell Grn
Towards - Camberwell Grn
Fleet Reg Destination Due Stop Id Stop Name
LT132 LTZ1132 Camberwell Grn 16:05 53906 Marble Arch Station/Park Lane
LT138 LTZ1138 Camberwell Grn 16:05 56951 Royal Crescent
LT140 LTZ1140 Camberwell Grn 16:04 91510 Leinster Terrace
LT144 LTZ1144 Camberwell Grn 16:05 71746 Larcom Street
Vehicles that have also been on the route during the day :-
Fleet Reg Line Used From Used Until
LT123 LTZ1123 00:00 07:20
LT126 LTZ1126 00:00 15:10
LT143 LTZ1143 00:00 00:30
LT121 LTZ1121 N148 03:45 06:00
LT125 LTZ1125 N148 01:15 02:15
LT128 LTZ1128 N148 00:45 05:45
LT132 LTZ1132 N148 01:15 05:15
LT138 LTZ1138 N148 01:30 06:30
LT143 LTZ1143 N148 01:45 07:00
LT144 LTZ1144 N148 01:00 06:15

 

[tigerroar]

Cheers, the plan for the day is to do the view from the Shard and travel on the Emirates air line, so any locations in that area would be appreciated

I can also ride on them using my one day travelcard can't I?

 

[507 001]

When I was in London a few weeks ago I found it difficult to avoid them!

 

[user15681]

Cheers, the plan for the day is to do the view from the Shard and travel on the Emirates air line, so any locations in that area would be appreciated

I can also ride on them using my one day travelcard can't I?

Hmm, that may be a bit tricky. None of the routes run near either of those places. The closest is probably route number 11 which you can pick up from around the Bank area, which is just across the river from where the Shard is at London Bridge. These maps are really helpful... http://www.tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/11/

Yes, you can ride on them with your one day Travelcard.

As 507 001 says, if you're in the right place, you can't get rid of them!

 

[Hophead]

Well, first consider all the routes that the new (they're slowly losing status of new!) Routemasters run on:

9 - Hammersmith to Aldwych
10 - Hammersmith to King's Cross St Pancras
11 - Liverpool Street to Fulham Broadway
24 - Pimlico to Hampstead Heath
38 - Victoria to Hackney (only a small amount run on this route)
148 - White City to Camberwell Green
390 - Notting Hill Gate to Archway

<snip>

Or, head to Victoria for routes 24 and 38 - BUT very few run on route 38, which picks up right outside the front of the station and route 24 picks up from round the side of Victoria station.

38's in the process of being converted, so there's more than the original 8 now.

Also, the 148 passes through Victoria, as does the 11, so you'll see plenty here - Victoria Street is awash with curved buses with rattly diesel engines running more often and nosily than you'd expect.

 

[edwin_m]

38's in the process of being converted, so there's more than the original 8 now.

Also, the 148 passes through Victoria, as does the 11, so you'll see plenty here - Victoria Street is awash with curved buses with rattly diesel engines running more often and nosily than you'd expect.

It's also throroughly infested with roadworks for the Tube station rebuilding, and is fairly high on my current list of places in London I don't want to be (but have to).

 

[Urobach]

Hyde Park Corner (9, 10, 38, 148) or Tottenham Court Road (10, 24, 38, 390) are probably your best bets, but it won't be too tricky from most of Central London

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I went to the theatre in London back in March & used Charing Cross, I saw plenty of the new Borismasters running up & down the Strand during the evening.

I'll ditto that. Whenever I've been around Charing Cross/Trafalgar square, there have been plenty of new routemasters around. And with the added bonus that (somewhat unusually for central London ) Trafalgar Square is actually a moderately pleasant place to sit down in. And you get a few old routemasters going past too!

 

[Mikey C]

Hyde park corner has several routes (9, 10, 148 from memory plus the 38s coming in) and you'll also be able to see some of the Heritage Routemasters on the 9 as well!

 

[EssexGonzo]

The # 11 route which seems to be entirely "Borised" nowadays comes long the Strand to Trafalgar Square and then turns left to go down Whitehall past Downing Street and past the Palace of Westminster. I'd suggest that as a good short route to experience the bus with some nice views from the top deck.

Or, if you were to get on at Victoria heading for Liverpool Street and travelled the entire route you'd see the above in reverse plus Westminster Abbey, St Pauls, Royal Courts of Justice, Bank of England and the glorious terminus that is, of course, Liverpool Street.

You'd also see me through my office window. hock:

 

[tigerroar]

Trafalgar Square sounds good. There;s a toilet there and plenty of people watching to be done.

 

[313103]

ROUTEMASTERS they are NOT!.

Despite what the mayor wants to call them or the popular press. If they were Routemasters they would of have been classified with a R type classification rather then the non descript LT.

 

[bb21]

ROUTEMASTERS they are NOT!.

They would tarnish the Routemaster "brand". They really should have been named BO.

 

[332 > 444]

If you want to check out the black Adidas LTs, they are found on the 38, about 12 in service so far. STill an ugly bus imo...

 

[Deerfold]

If you want to check out the black Adidas LTs, they are found on the 38, about 12 in service so far. STill an ugly bus imo...

There will also be some of these (32 in all across both routes) on route 8 which goes BorisBus on the 21st.

ROUTEMASTERS they are NOT!.

Despite what the mayor wants to call them or the popular press. If they were Routemasters they would of have been classified with a R type classification rather then the non descript LT.

Would of have?!

Interestingly these are the only buses with a bonnet number consistent across all operators - apart from these buses operators are free to use whatever system they like, which does mean there is some duplication.

There's certainly no body to allow or disallow any classification.

 

[IanD]

There;s a toilet there and plenty of people watching to be done.

Careful you don't get thumped or arrested if you're doing that in the toilets.

 

[hassaanhc]

If you want to check out the black Adidas LTs, they are found on the 38, about 12 in service so far. STill an ugly bus imo...

There will also be some of these (32 in all across both routes) on route 8 which goes BorisBus on the 21st.

Also a "Coca-Cola" LT148 now, running about on the 9 and 10

 

[Mikey C]

LT150 (usually seen on the 9) is in a very stylish special livery.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9guOfoD0kns/UubcRU33oXI/AAAAAAAALAQ/MGUV83kFNHY/s1600/London+United+LT150+Westminster+Bridge.JPG

 

[317 forever]

38's in the process of being converted, so there's more than the original 8 now.

Also, the 148 passes through Victoria, as does the 11, so you'll see plenty here - Victoria Street is awash with curved buses with rattly diesel engines running more often and nosily than you'd expect.

Indeed, when I was in Victoria in April I spent about 15 minutes on Victoria Street so that I could see examples on routes 11, 24 and 148.

As you may know, route 453 is due to gain LTs in September. Even disregarding the rumours about route 189 gaining them in October, it is interesting that several are being introduced on untraditional routes. I refer to routes 148, 390 and 453, but even route 10 was only introduced in 1988.

 

[Busaholic]

ROUTEMASTERS they are NOT!.

Despite what the mayor wants to call them or the popular press. If they were Routemasters they would of have been classified with a R type classification rather then the non descript LT.

Absolutely agree, now that many are being operated without 'conductors' so no chance of hop on/hop off can't see any justification for them at all. Classification should be VP for Vanity Project!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Despite what the mayor wants to call them or the popular press. If they were Routemasters they would of have been classified with a R type classification rather then the non descript LT.

It depends who you ask. The TfL Press Office are calling them "new Routemaster", but they didn't for a long time. http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/new-routemaster.html

Agreed that they are a complete waste of money, and even less fit for purpose than the Citaros they replaced.

 

[Tibbs]

It depends who you ask. The TfL Press Office are calling them "new Routemaster", but they didn't for a long time. http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/new-routemaster.html

Agreed that they are a complete waste of money, and even less fit for purpose than the Citaros they replaced.

Oh I don't know, those bendy buses might have been nice for passengers (I liked travelling on them) but for other road users, particularly cyclists, they were a nightmare.

 

[Mojo]

As someone who regularly travels by bus in London, these buses are simply streets ahead of every other vehicle that runs bus services in the capital, and where I do travel by bus I will often choose a different route to the one that goes direct, so that I can travel on these vehicles as they offer a far superior travelling environment to the rest.

 

[Deerfold]

As someone who regularly travels by bus in London, these buses are simply streets ahead of every other vehicle that runs bus services in the capital, and where I do travel by bus I will often choose a different route to the one that goes direct, so that I can travel on these vehicles as they offer a far superior travelling environment to the rest.

A colleague got one on Thursday and returned to the office flushed and complaining how hot the one he'd been on had been. Given it wasn't that hot are we in for another summer of the Roastmaster.

 

[Busaholic]

Agree on how hot they are - travelled on one on the first full day in service on the 38 and couldn't wait to get off it (between stops, which was just about allowed then!)

On the original thread of where to see them, surely for a tourist it would be Parliament Square on the 11,24 and 148 with the first two peeling off up Whitehall and the 148 going over Westminster Bridge with the L.ondon Eye in the background

 

[Deerfold]

Oh I don't know, those bendy buses might have been nice for passengers (I liked travelling on them) but for other road users, particularly cyclists, they were a nightmare.

Though they reduced the total number of buses on the roads. In the years they were on London's roads, 45 cyclists were sadly killed in accidents. None of these incidents involved bendy buses.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Oh I don't know, those bendy buses might have been nice for passengers (I liked travelling on them) but for other road users, particularly cyclists, they were a nightmare.

Were they? I know the Daily Borisgraph and the Evening Boris liked to claim that they were, but there were never any serious accidents or fatalities involving the bendies and a cyclist. Scrapping the bendies has put more buses on the road- the PVR on the 73 and 38 went up by about 30 buses between them- which is far more of a danger.

Tipper trucks, on the other hand, truly are a menace to cyclists, but Boris isn't doing anything at all about them.

The Citaro was perfect for the central area, with plenty of doors for boarding and all on one level. People won't go upstairs on deckers if they're only going a few stops, and I've lost count of the number of times a decker has gone past me at a bus stop "full" despite the upper deck being half-empty.

The only problem with the Citaro was that Livingstone introduced them.

As someone who regularly travels by bus in London, these buses are simply streets ahead of every other vehicle that runs bus services in the capital, and where I do travel by bus I will often choose a different route to the one that goes direct, so that I can travel on these vehicles as they offer a far superior travelling environment to the rest.

Not in summer they aren't. Even the newest buses off the production line suffer from poor cooling, and they've done nothing at all about the mobile pizza ovens running on the 38.

IMO, the NBfL doesn't bring anything to London that couldn't have been delivered by the Volvo or Alexander Dennis hybrids. On hot days, my preferred bus is still the Eclipse Gemini 2, because the air cooling actually works.