8053 is another X-
reg Mini Pointer, this one is at Walworth as a spare for route 484. This one last strayed off the route in July 2013 when it appeared on route 100, otherwise it's been solid on the 484. One more interesting Dart is 8051, which was last seen on route 112 in March 2013 and assumed withdrawn. Then on the 10th of December it mysteriously appeared on route H20 with a refurbishment and white blinds, though the number blind got stuck on
blank. Anyway Abellio do have a batch of longer (10.2m) Euro2 Darts from 2001, which weren't all in service at the start of the year. One of the buses that started the year was 8437 at Battersea, working as a spare for route C10. Since there are no other single-deck routes at Battersea, it never really strays and as a result should be easy to snap. Except it's never on the route at a good
time meaning I've only come across this bus once. 8434 is the oldest in the
batch which has been at Beddington for the whole year, working routes 455 and 152 and it was joined by 8435/6/9 which transferred from Twickenham where they worked the 235 since the start of the year. 8438 worked routes 112 and U7 at Hayes until late July when the 112 passed to Metroline It then reappeared in October, at Beddington and also worked the 455 and 152 regularly with one stray on to newly won route 201 in November. The last of this batch is 8440 which has been a solid performer at Hayes since 2013, rarely straying from the U7 after route 112 was lost. With 2015 fast approaching (it will have started by the time you read this) it makes me doubt all the Euro2s will be gone in January at least.
Now on from Dennis types to the Euro2s left with Arriva, which is the only operator in London with Euro2 DAF types. Route 255 is allocated SB120s with Wright bodies, the last full allocation of Euro2 buses anywhere in London. These are coded DWLs and have a very similar
driveline to a Dart with the same engine and gearbox. These were new to route 319 (see Kieran's story above,
etc) and don't really stray on other routes much. There's no word on when these will be replaced, and these look very likely to last well into 2015.
DLA253 on
stand at Crystal Palace 3 days before 2015, where these are still around in decent amounts.
©GloriousWater
And
now to a better known type of DAF, the DB250 double-decker. The DAF DB250LF was the first low-floor double
decker available in the UK and Arriva have some Euro2 examples lying around, with Alexander ALX400 bodies (DLAs) and some now-withdrawn Plaxton Presidents (DLPs). These are only left in
south London now, though at the start of the year a few northern garages had them. A large chunk of them could be found on Palmers Green routes 34/125, both DLA and DLP types.
At the start of the year some of these were based at other garages, such as DLA319 at Brixton and DLA311 on Barking school routes. But the 34 and 125 were lost to
Metroline and with them went the Euro2s. The last DLA at this garage was DLA311 on route 125 on the 23rd of December and the last President was DLP80 on route 34 on the 7th of November. Barking briefly had a second DLA in February which was DLA205 transferred from Brixton and worked route 678 for a whopping 5 days before withdrawal on the 12th.
A lot more DB250s survived in the south, mostly at Brixton and Norwood garages. About 30 were in service at the start of the year, but withdrawals
were already in progress with about 15 DLAs from Brixton alone being withdrawn by February. Brixton's last DLA was DLA311 working route 137 on the 7th of August, at which point it transferred to
Norwood where it stayed until the 16th of September when it was transferred north to Palmers Green. Norwood's DLAs were much harder to move, with 13 still running routes 415, 417 and 432 by December. A few appeared to run their last service by the middle of the
month but on New Year's Eve two X-
reg and two Y-
reg were still running on the 415 and 417. This is a type that definitely looks like it'll survive
in to 2015, although with the 109 passing to Abellio soon it may bring the DLAs with it.
Two operators were still running Plaxton-bodied Euro2 Volvos at the start of the year, we start with Go-Ahead and their PVLs. Some W-
reg ones working Rainham school routes at the start of the year were the last
centre-staircase buses left in London. These started to be withdrawn in May with cascaded Scanias from routes 54/75 which had been lost to Stagecoach. PVL66/69
escaped however, appearing
on Sutton route 154 on the 12th of May. Their last working was on the 10th of October, and they promptly reappeared on Peckham's route 37 the next day to cover for delays caused by roadworks. These were soon joined by PVLs 159 and 170, which had a conventional layout with the stairs behind the driver. PVL159 transferred to New Cross in December but the others stayed. PVL66 appeared to have worked its last just before midnight on the 22nd of December, becoming the last
centre-staircase bus in London after PVL69 worked its last on the 19th. PVL170
however is still in service as of New Year's Day.
Bexleyheath had a decent allocation of X-reg PVLs that have worked the 132 since its conversion to double-deck, replacing newer DWLs. They haven't had a particularly interesting year though with no withdrawals at all during 2014. Sometimes one or two go on a New Cross route but that's about it. Stockwell had a few stray Euro2s during the year, with PVL113 having a central staircase. This one worked as a spare for route 87 until withdrawal in July. PVL203 was another 87 spare, which lasted into 2015 and had a few odd workings on route 333 while PVL232 was another 87 spare until transfer to Rainham in August. Camberwell had a single Euro2, PVL151 working the 68 group since February with appearances on the 185 and one working on the 345 which Kieran eventually chased down.
And finally the last batch of Euro2s to survive into 2014, Metroline's VPLs (long wheelbase B7TL/Presidents). A few survived at Edgware at the start of the year, working routes 186 and 204. They only lasted into the spring though and the last VPL at the garage was VPL217 working route 113 on the 24th of April. This then transferred to Willesden with a few workings on the 6 before settling down on routes 260 and 460, being ultimately withdrawn in June after being the last VPL at this garage too. Harrow's VPL allocation lasted longer, although VPL184 was the only one left from July. But against the odds it somehow lasted into 2015, still working route 140 almost daily.
Right, that was long and almost a fleetlist. Most of the Euro2s around were in fact meant to be withdrawn by December, but the only thing that went then was centre-staircase buses which were meant to go by 2012! In fact if you want to chase a Euro2 bus there are still routes scattered around London that regularly use them, but they're noticeably less common than they were even one year ago. And it's safe to say that a lot of enthusiasts will miss them once they go with several contracts being renewed over the next few months even though the withdrawals are really rather late.
Finally, have a rear shot of 17478 because it seems fitting to end this post with.
©GloriousWater
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