MostlyBuses - Invidious

I went on the SWR rail replacement yesterday, and it was pretty good! I rode an ALX400 and a Gemini 1. The driver of Cardinal's SN03EAE (an ex London United ALX400) was also really great!

However, at the end of the day, I got on another Cardinal ALX400 (SN53KHR), and the driver of this one was really rude for no reason.

Me and four other passengers got on at Putney Station. We walked on as everyone knows that rail replacements in London are free. However, for some reason, this driver wanted us to show rail tickets!! He said he "didn't accept" oyster or contactless because his machine wasn't working since he was on a rail replacement. Seriously!? He was running from Twickenham to Clapham Junction, and all the stations on that route have contactless/oyster readers. I can sort of understand if he was refusing people travel without rail tickets in an area that doesn't accept contactless payments, but he should know that in London, rail replacements are essentially free buses.

The driver kicked us off the bus and quickly drove off (I still got his running number though). I won't report him or anything (it wasn't a big deal or anything, the next bus was in 12 minutes), but I just wanted to share this with you guys.

23 hours ago (edited) | [YT] | 39

View 32 replies

MostlyBuses

New video OUT NOW

1 day ago | [YT] | 9

View 0 replies

MostlyBuses

I got on the first WSD on the 118

2 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 50

View 60 replies

MostlyBuses

I went from my house in South West London to Chesham and back yesterday, and all by bus. I've done a few trips like this before, my last one being from my Waltham Cross to my house. And in this journey, my driver got lost twice!

I've decided to start sharing these trips because why not. I started off with 3 routes and a 493 to Richmond, Eton Street. I then walked to The Quadrant...

R68 - The Quadrant to Marble Hill Park (8838, a rare E200 with green blinds.

490 - Marble Hill Park to Richmond Station (8790, a nice YX12 E200)

DL3 Rail Replacement (Full Journey) - Richmond Station to Acton Central Station (I got lucky with VW1070 and this was also my second time using the DL3).

207 - Acton Central Station to Ealing Hospital. I was hoping for an SN12 but got 2004, an MMC instead. This was bunched right behind an SN12 but there was no regulation, which helped me make a tight connection)

282 (Full Journey) Ealing Hospital to Mount Vernon Hospital. There were no diesel strays so I settled for TEH1454, an LK13 hybrid. The last time I used the 282 it was on an ex First TE in 2019. This is a decent route, going through some areas I've never been to before (which is rare nowadays). We even overtook the bus in front of us at Eastcote!

282 - Mount Vernon Hospital to Northwood. TEH1458. I had a really friendly driver on this.

ML5 Rail Replacement (Full Journey). Northwood to Moor Park on DE1153. A nice Metropolitan line rail replacement. Moor Park only has the tube and is inconvenient for buses to get to, meaning on days like yesterday rail replacements skip Moor Park, leaving this 1 stop shuttle.

ML5 Rail Replacement (Full Journey). Moor Park to Northwood on DE1153.

ML3 Rail Replacement. Northwood to Amersham. LT610. This was my first time on a bus through these areas. I didn't get the front seat and the bus stank a bit, but other than that it was a good journey on my first LT with camera mirrors (I've somehow avoided them so far). The driver also took a wrong turn and we had to do a 3 point turn in a random road... I also got off the bus in Amersham, and got back on and off twice to talk to the driver who was asking why I was taking pictures.

ML3 Rail Replacement - Amersham to Cheshunt. LT631. This was somehow only 4 minutes after the previous ML3, and another LT was bunched behind us! How does this happen!? The bus was completely empty, with only the driver and mentor.

ML3 Rail Replacement (Full Journey). Chesham to Northwood via Amersham. LT610. We got lost again! This time we went on a massive detour between Amersham and Chalfont & Latimer. I'm not blaming the driver or anything, but a passenger had to guide him.

282 - Northwood Station to Northolt Station. VWH2096. I had the same friendly driver as my last 282!

SL9 - Northolt Station to Heathrow Central Bus Station. BCE47103.

SL7 - Heathrow Central Bus Station to Cromwell Road Bus Station. WVL495. A nice relaxing Gemini 2.

SL7 - Cromwell Road Bus Station. WVL337 was 4 minutes behind WVL495, so I got that and 2 other buses home.