Bus spotting 101

Saturday 26th March 2022 saw the reenactment of the historical 101 bus route that used to run between North Woolwich and Wansted until December 2005 when the route was changed to instead run to the Gallions Reach retail park instead. (Whilst slightly off-topic for the blog it does count as the 101 route was designed around transporting workers to the docks and associated industries.)

The London Bus Museum decided to have a heritage running day using various bus types that had operated the route in the post WW2 period – the service being free to use on the day and saw many different types of bus that had been used on the route over the years.

AEC Regent III RT4188 LYF 247 & Routemaster RT4779 OLD 566 at North Woolwich Ferry stop

A big thank you goes out to all the drivers and conductors and especially all of those that spend so many hours maintaining these vehicles in fully operational order so that members of the public can enjoy trips out.

AEC Routemaster RML2699 SMK 699F

There were a few little snags during the day with a few of the buses feeling the pressure and needing to have a rest and there were a few alternative routes taken as the drivers were in uncharted territory – one even fancied a trip on the Woolwich Ferry but then changed it’s mind!!

Ferry or not – here I come!

Whilst a lot has changed in North Woolwich since the service was diverted a few of the local landmarks remain such as the old North Woolwich Station and the Foot Tunnel but the road layout has changed quite a bit as the road used to run on the river side of the tunnel entrance (where the Woolwich Ferry overspill parking area now is).

RT1798 KYY 653
(passing the old North Woolwich station)

AEC Regent III RT4188 LYF 247
(with the Northern entrance to the Woolwich Foot Tunnel in the background)

RT4779 OLD 566
(road used to carry straight on but now goes to the Northern side to the Tunnel entrance)

The oldest bus in operation on the day was a 1945 vintage Guy Arab II with fleet number G351 and registration mark HGC 130 – 77 years old and still working well ferrying people around East London.

Guy Arab II G351 HGC 130

New and old – seen out at Cyprus (representing Royal Albert Dock) was a Wright Eclipse Gemini operated by the Go-Ahead Group running a live TfL route 101 service on it’s way to Gallions Reach whilst AEC Regent Class RT4772, OLD 559, prepares to depart for Manor Park – this running day the first time it has carried passengers in London since 1979!

New and old on the Route 101

On the bus

Demand management

The event seemed to be attracting quite a crowd of bus enthusiasts and hopefully some locals were able to see a bit of history return to the area or have a nostalgic moment and I hope the London Bus Museum continue their preservation works and bring some more heritage buses to the Royal Docks area in the not too distant future.

A few more pictures can be seen below:

The following heritage buses were noted on the day (not a complete list):

AEC Regent III RT714 JXC 77
AEC Regent III RT786 JXC 149
AEC Regent III RT1658 KXW 304
AEC Regent III RT1798 KYY 653
AEC Regent III RT2150 KGK 959
AEC Regent III RT2177 KGU 106
AEC Regent III RT3316 LYR 535
AEC Regent III RT3871 LLU 670
AEC Regent III RT3933 LLU 732
AEC Regent III RT4188 LYF 247
AEC Regent III RT4424 NXP 778
AEC Regent III RT4772 OLD 559
AEC Regent III RT4779 OLD 566
AEC Routemaster coach RMC1461 461 CLT
AEC Routemaster RM1397 397 CLT
AEC Routemaster RM1993 ALD 993B
AEC Routemaster RML2305 CUV 305C
AEC Routemaster RML2310 CUV 310C
AEC Routemaster RML2579 JJD 579D
AEC Routemaster RML2699 SMK 699F
AEC Routemaster RML898 WLT 898
Daimler Fleetline DM1052 GHV 52N
Daimler Fleetline DMS1 EGP 1J
Dennis Dart 34359 LV52 HKL
Guy Arab II bus G351 HGC 130
Leyland Titan PD2 RTL1427 NLE 701
Leyland Titan PD2 RTW467 LLU 957
Leyland Titan T961 A961 SYE
MCW Metrobus Mark I M394 GYE 394W

More pictures can be seen in the following FB album:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10159726798588446&type=3

KGV Lock – 100 not out

The year 2021 saw the 100th anniversary of the official opening of the KGV Lock and Dock complex as the final addition to the Royal Group of Docks in London.

Whilst the Royal Docks closed for commercial shipping in the early 1980’s the docks have continued to see a variety of uses but very little in the way of cargo operations (projects like the London City Airport development were not really cargo activities).

Over the last decade there have only been two previous cargo operations (the last being in March 2017) and so it was great to see a cargo ship arriving in the KGV Lock on 5th December 2021.

These days most of the activity is centered on the KGV Lock, mainly due to the fact that most of the former dockside areas have either been redeveloped for other uses or have limited accessibility – in it’s heyday the lock would have been too busy with vessels entering and leaving to support such use.

The reason for this particular visit was in support of the Silvertown Tunnel project (this article is not for debating the merits of that project!) with sections of the outer-casing for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will excavate the two tunnels for the project.

This TBM will be the largest diameter TBM used on a UK tunneling project and it measures in with a diameter of 11.9m and a weight of 1800 tonnes.

The cargo vessel used for the task was the MV RUNNER and it arrived after crossing the North Sea having loaded the cargo in the Netherlands after being contrasted by Herrenknecht at their factory in Germany.

A heavy lift crane and transporter vehicles from Mammoet UK, a specialist heavy lift and transportation company, arrived at the KGV Lock and were set up for operations.

Due to the size of the casings they were defined as abnormal loads which meant that escort vehicles were needed and the moves were planned for the evening when the roads are quieter.

TBM Casing

Escort Vehicle

Wide Load

Heavy Lift

Whilst it is good to see the Docks working again I fear it will be a short-lived revival as the current plans for the redevelopment of Albert Island would mean that there is no access to the lock side for lorries or cranes and limited space to conduct complex lifting operations – enjoy the spectacle whilst it lasts!!

Some more pictures can be seen here.