 |
This time of year brings the big
switch-around of tenders in Walthamstow. Other
than a small batch of new Tridents for the 158
(gained by Stagecoach East London from First) and
new VLAs for the 123 (now with Arriva London
North), existing double-deck buses have largely
just swapped routes (First TNLs from the 123 to
the 58, Stagecoach TAs from the 58 to the 97). A smaller but no less
noteworthy change has seen the W12 set going
again with six new Optare Solos to the new
narrower width. As the W12 squeezes through areas
of Walthamstow that are barely wide enough to get
a single car into, something as small as the
previous Mercedes-Benz Varios were needed, but
the trouble was that nobody was making anything
that narrow any more, unless you plumped for a
Koch-converted Sprinter. First already have three
of those working from Hackney on the 395 and
they're not the most reliable, plus they only
seat thirteen. So the narrower Solo is just right
for the job.
Circumnavigating
Walthamstow Central bus station, which has
rapidly become as congested as its predecessor,
is the mouthful of a fleetnumber known as OOS 53702 (LK05 DXP). Points off
for the livery, I'm afraid - now totally
non-existent. They still haven't put a rear
window in either.
Unless I'm
missing a few stragglers on the edges of town,
the introduction of the new Solos has finally rid
London of the van-derived minibus - and good
riddance!
|
