Diversion caused by bend in the road

[Busaholic]

Quoting directly from Robert Munster's wonderful LondonBusRoutes net website, this one tickled me so much I had to share it:-

Route 200 - ''Owing to a bend in the road in Phipps Bridge Road, temporarily diverted in both directions direct via Church Road''.

Does Uri Geller live down Mitcham way?

 

[northwichcat]

If only they had buses which didn't have to travel in straight lines!

 

[Busaholic]

If only they had buses which didn't have to travel in straight lines!

If only someone had the foresight to invent a bendy-bus

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Must be a very sharp bend in the road. When I was on holiday on the IoW there was one bend around the Ventnor area where if the bus was any longer it probably wouldn't have got round the bend

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Must be a very sharp bend in the road. When I was on holiday on the IoW there was one bend around the Ventnor area where if the bus was any longer it probably wouldn't have got round the bend

There are some notable bends on routes that necessitate some specific machinery. Perhaps most famous are the access to Mousehole, and the one on the Gower (can't recall the name of the place) that meant some AEC Regents were kept until the early 1980s just because of one corner!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm guessing this is a bend around a set of roadworks or similar which a bus can't get round.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm guessing this is a bend around a set of roadworks or similar which a bus can't get round.

I would imagine so - the last time I travelled on a route 200 bus was the day the route got extended from Wimbledon to Mitcham via Phipps Bridge Road, and that must have been 40-odd years ago! You'd have thought they'd have noticed in that space of time if buses couldn't make the bend!!

 

[Oswyntail]

Away off topic ish, I was bemused today while watching a conspiracy theory video about the assassination of JFK that said presidential motorcades were limited to routes with bends of no more than 90 degrees (apparently the Dallas route had a bend of 120 degrees, which proved something). I was beyond understanding at that point.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Must be a very sharp bend in the road. When I was on holiday on the IoW there was one bend around the Ventnor area where if the bus was any longer it probably wouldn't have got round the bend

Are Southern Vectis still restricted to running MPDs on one of their busiest routes because of the bus station at West Cowes?

 

[fgwrich]

Are Southern Vectis still restricted to running MPDs on one of their busiest routes because of the bus station at West Cowes?

Sort of and Yes. The route between West Cowes and Newport is still worked with small single deckers due to some of the restrictive streets around Cowes and the archway down by the ferry terminal. The MPDs shave now been replaced with new Enviro 200 MPDs though with the ex Vectis MPDs moving to More / Less bus & Damory.

 

[Busaholic]

A postscript to Phipps Bridge - this route extension came in when AEC Regent RT types were still being operated on route 200 (for a short period). However, the estate did see Routemasters for a short while on Sundays only on 'when working' garage journeys on the 88, which at the time was routed from Banstead Hospital to Acton Green (via Oxford Circus) on that day of the week. These buses joined the normal line of route at Mitcham, Fair Green, and were allocated to Merton Garage.

 

[quarella]

There are some notable bends on routes that necessitate some specific machinery. Perhaps most famous are the access to Mousehole, and the one on the Gower (can't recall the name of the place) that meant some AEC Regents were kept until the early 1980s just because of one corner!

Route 14 to Pennard. Plough Corner, Bishopston. Here https://goo.gl/maps/s9MoWwqbk2o Corner has since been altered although still fairly tight. The AECs were replaced by special short chassis Bedford YMQS model with Lex Matata bodies. Post SWT use seen here. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6hP-ZIgNewA/U5hQGiF_MWI/AAAAAAAAKkQ/_6trDqGYM3Q/s1600/56981.jpg

 

[robbob700]

The route between West Cowes and Newport is still worked with small single deckers due to some of the restrictive streets around Cowes and the archway down by the ferry terminal.

Since March this year alternate journeys have been operated by double-deckers terminating at Carvel Lane in West Cowes rather than continuing to the RedJet terminal.

 

[quarella]

My father told me the other day that in the 1950s a bus route using a 20 seater Dennis Ace (no power steering etc) would turn right here. https://goo.gl/maps/BmZWtmXVx5F2 The return of course would come up Crookes Lane and turn left onto Kewstoke road for Worle Preanes Green.
First and "Crosville" buses still use this junction on their Sand Bay routes but take the easier option to and from the town centre via the now misnamed Toll Road.