My Picture Archive Post 26

Metroline DP1014 on Route E8, Hanwell, 21/07/11

This bus was ordered for the 190 in 2002, plying the streets of West London under Armchair, until the ever growing Metroline took over in 2004. Initially, Metroline intended to keep the Armchair (and Thorpes) names, but over time, these buses ended up being painted red and blue skirt with Metroline names, removing in a master-stroke many years of the name of a well known local independent. Local names keep on disappearing, another victim of capitalism. In 2011, the bus had the blue skirt painted all red, and later on in the year, it was moved to Potters Bar for Route 234. It ran there until it unfortunately had an accident and was withdrawn. It was transferred to Central Engineering, and was eventually scrapped by October 2013.

Route E8 started out as trolleybus route 655, before turning into Route 255, which oddly ran daily between Hanwell and Brentford, but with a confusing service pattern on all other places on the route!
Route 255 was initially Acton Vale-Clapham Junction, but only the full route on Mon-Fri peaks. It ran Acton Vale-Hammersmith during Mon-Fri daytime, Acton Vale-Brentford during Mon-Fri evenings, Hanwell-Hammersmith during Saturday, and Hanwell-Brentford on Sundays. Complicated, isn't it? It ended up being Chiswick Roundabout-Clapham Junction during Mon-Fri peaks, Turnham Green-Clapham Junction Mon-Fri daytime, and Hammersmith-Clapham Junction Mon-Fri evenings and Saturday, before being withdrawn  in 1972.

The Hanwell-Brentford corridor was replaced by service on Route 83 from 1965 to 1968. Route E1 replaced that, running Greenford to Brentford via Ealing Broadway, practically doubling back onto itself at Hanwell, taking the E3 would be more practical to Hanwell Broadway, then taking an E1 would be quicker than going on an E1 direct between Greenford and Brentford due to the Ealing Broadway run. Route E1 was then split at Ealing Broadway, and Route E8 was born in 1990. It was initially run by Centrewest with Renault van-derived buses, before converting to Dennis Dart SLF in 1997, going along with Route E2 to Armchair, where the Darts have since been replaced by newer 2002 examples, and since been replaced by Enviro 200s. The route also had a spell of hybrid Optare Tempos. It is now operated by any bus from Brentford garage, double or single decker, although in more recent times, the buses intended for the route (and 209) are more or less on the route.