4 Months On, Over 18,000 Views, Happy New Year!!!

It has been a tremendous 4 months since I, LondonBuses67 have started this blog in August 2013, where FG49 joined shortly. In September, we had a long term supporter of the blog Eastlondoner, whom agreed to join this blog following from my invitation to allow him the opportunity to be part of this team. Yebz, joined in November being the ex driver for Go Ahead London (London General) working at Northumberland Park (NP) depot and is now a driver at ... Stagecoach London working at Leyton (T) depot. He might be lucky driving both first ALX400 and Enviro 400 (TA1 and 19000).

For those wondering how I was inspired to start of this blog, I was the former blogger at WLBB back in 2012, where I started there to gain some experience before opening my own blog in August 2013. I would say that COLBB and WLBB were the two blogs that had inspired me. Sadly, due to consequences I left WLBB following a few months but even with those I would've still left sooner. As of today, we have apologized and are usually seen talking to each other on WLBB. ;)

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Service Updates for 2014
For those who want to cover the changes to the bus scene ... ;)

January

Route 96: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 25/01/14. 21 New E40H/Enviro 400s  Hybrids Introduced.

Route 228: Contract retained by Metroline on 18/01/14. 13 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished.

Route 308: Re-routed from Leyton Road via Penny Brookes Street, Montfichet Road, Stratford City, Montfichet Road, International Way, Stratford International Station, Celebration Avenue, East Village and Temple Mills Lane (north) instead of Leyton Road, High Road Leyton and Ruckholt Road. Also extended from Clapton Park to Lea Bridge Roundabout. Frequency increase on 25/01/14.

Route 428: Contract retained by Arriva Kent Thameside on 25/01/14. 8 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s Plus 1 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200 Transferred from Route 256, all will be refurbished.

Route 472: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 25/01/14. 20 New E40H/Enviro 400s Hybrids Introduced.

Route 601: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 25/01/14. 4 Existing Buses.

Route 602: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 25/01/14. 2 Existing Buses.

Route 603: Contract retained by Metroline on 11/01/14. 2 Existing Buses.

Route B15: Contract retained by Arriva Kent Thameside on 25/01/14. 6 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s transferred from Route 256, will be refurbished.

February

Route 122: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 08/02/14. New E40H/Enviro 400s Hybrids Introduced.

Route 148: Converted to New Routemaster operations on 15/02/14.

Route 200: Contract retained by Go Ahead London: London General on 22/02/14. 14 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished & 2 New Double Deckers Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 486: Contract retained by Go Ahead London: London Central on 22/02/14. 16 Existing Trident/Enviro 400s will be refurbished.

March

Route 262: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 29/03/14. (12) Existing Buses Scania Omnicitys transferred from Route 96, will be refurbished.

Route 283: Contract retained by London United on 01/03/14. 13 Existing Optare Versas will be refurbished.

Route 317: Contract retained by Arriva London North on 29/03/14. 4 Existing Buses used until 2015, new buses introduced in 2015.

Route 372: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 29/03/14. 6 Existing Buses Introduced.

Route 393: Contract retained by Arriva London North on 22/03/14. (13) Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished & 2 New Buses Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 396: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 29/03/14. 4 Existing Optare Versas will be refurbished.

Route 473: Contract retained by Stagecoach on 29/03/14. 10 Existing Buses Scania Omnicitys transferred from Route 96, will be refurbished.

April

Route 75: Contract Awarded to Stagecoach on 26/04/14. 13 New B5LH/Gemini 2 Hybrids Introduced from Catford (TL) Garage, +1 School Journey from Forest Hill to Lewisham operated from Bromley (TB) Garage using a bus from Route 269.

May

Route 54: Contract Awarded to Stagecoach on 03/05/14. 16 New B5LH/Gemini 2 Hybrids Introduced from Catford (TL) Garage.

Route 272: Contract retained by London United on 24/05/14. 8 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished.

Route 440: Contract retained by London United on 24/05/14. 10 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished.

Route T31: Contract retained by Arriva London South on 10/05/14. 9 Existing E200Dart/Enviro 200s will be refurbished.

Route E1: Contract Awarded to Abellio London on 31/05/14. 7 New Double Decker Hybrid Buses Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route E3: Contract Awarded to London United on 31/05/14. 26 Double Decker Buses Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route E10: Contract Awarded to Tellings Golden Miller on 31/05/14. 8 New Single Deckers Introduced (Unknown Type).

June

Route 7: Contract retained by Metroline on 21/06/13. 21 New Double Decker Hybrid Buses Introduced (Unknown Type)

Route 8/N8: Contract retained by Stagecoach London with 30 New Routemasters 28/06/14.  

Route 418: Contract retained by Quality Line on 28/06/14. New & Existing Double Deckers (7). 

July

Route 71: Contract retained by London United on 05/07/14. 12 Existing Scania Omnicity Buses will be refurbished.

Route 281: Contract retained by London United on 05/07/14. 23 Existing Scania Omnicity Buses transferred from Routes 49 & 148, which will be refurbished.

Route 286: Contract Awarded to Go Ahead London: London Central on 12/07/14. 13 New Single Deckers Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 681: Contract retained by London United on 05/07/14. 2 Existing Scania Omnicity Buses transferred from Routes 49 & 148, which will be refurbished.

August

Route 112: Contract Awarded to Metroline West on 02/08/14. 9 New Single Deckers Introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 232: Contract retained by Metroline Travel on 02/08/14. New & Existing Single Deckers (13).

Route 611: Contract retained by Metroline Travel on 02/08/14. 2 Existing Double Deckers.

September

Route 49: Contract Awarded to Abellio London on 06/09/14. 20 New Hybrid Double Deckers introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 100: Contract Awarded to Go Ahead London: London General on 20/09/14. New Hybrid Single Deckers introduced (Unknown Type).

Route 640: Contract Awarded to Metroline 06/09/14. 2 Existing Double Deckers introduced.

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Our Thank You's ...
The blogging team at London's Tremendous Bus Blog would like to thank the following for their continued support, allowing us to use their pictures and for commenting on our posts (giving your thoughts and opinions).

Blog Admins

FG49 - For his fantastic edits and great posts on SLBB so far. We wish him well for his injury resulting him to be not seen often on the blog.

Yebz - For his great effort and behind the scenes information (on buses).

LondonBuses67 - For his work on the blog so far and for leading the blog successfully since the first 4 months. 

Other Bloggers/Bus Enthusiasts
Lawrence Abel
Eastlondoner
London Bus Breh
LondonBuses72 (Jacob Cartmann)
Lewis JN
BexleyBuses

Ledlon89

South London Enthusiast (Robert Mighton)

LondonTransport3 (Mark McWalter)

Christopher A Bradford

Lees Bus Pic 

Rys-X-Kizuki

wltmauc (Aubrey Morandarte)

Lewis

GreggC84

Bromley Bus Garage

Matt J Frobes

maljoe

JLVPhotography

Tube101

FreeBBC

NewBuses2014 (Thomas Flusky)

Andy Burbridge

Kyle Forrester (Arriva London driver)

+ Other Viewers of SLBB ;)
_________________________________________________________________Our Favourite Pictures

Obviously due to copyright issues with people, we cannot use their pictures without permission and at this time of writing we cannot guarantee they will respond to us in time. Therefore, Flickr links will be seen below for you to see the pictures we like from others. Thank You.

LondonBuses67
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57491546@N02/11634963734/in/faves-100010075@N06/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61008783@N06/11666617465/in/faves-100010075@N06/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/11381129274/in/faves-100010075@N06/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonbuses72/11277978423/in/faves-100010075@N06/

EastLondoner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57491546@N02/9607646667/in/faves-102010851@N02/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonbusbreh1912/11471046126/in/faves-102010851@N02/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonbusbreh1912/10911964613/in/faves-102010851@N02/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonbusbreh1912/10785493483/in/faves-102010851@N02/

FG49
http://www.flickr.com/photos/110036769@N03/11646970153/in/faves-100494304@N03/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swanswell/10613963994/in/faves-100494304@N03/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridgway/9966691316/in/faves-100494304@N03/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59115230@N06/11476625434/in/faves-100494304@N03/

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Finally, we would like to wish you all a happy new year. Public Transport is free from 11:45pm (31/12/13) until 4:30am (01/01/14), please enjoy your free travel while it lasts. Remember, DON'T be the one arguing with the driver at 4.31am (01/01/14) about free travel, you're already one minute late and there's no exceptions.

Please visit TFL for travel plans and what not tonight (01/01/14)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

Thank you for reading this post and for visiting our blog.
Remember to stay safe.