Trivia: Furthest TFL Bus route from London?

[Neilandrewhall]

God Knows, Apparently so?
Gf Just told me the bus terminated at st Albans?
so..

 

[causton]

This vaguely fits in with the thread...

What the **** is going on here?
http://goo.gl/maps/xU7u
A First London bus in Hertfordshire driving back towards London with stripped paint on lots of it and with NO numberplates (not even any visible trade plates!)

edit: Of course, the First on the side and any fleet numbers seem to be removed. It would be wrong to suggest this is First's fault, but rather the bus was probably bought from them and is seen in the middle of being 'refurbished'

 

[317 forever]

Ah, right, so a few months before deregulation. Yes, that makes sense. That was when my then local route, the 145 went to Ensignbus; IIRC it was the second major transfer of routes to private operators (the first one having been the previous year, with the 81 to London Buslines, the 193 and W9 or "W-Niner" to Eastern National, and so on). I think it was the same date that the 217B went to Sampsons (and what a terrible operator they were, and what an unfitting colour scheme their buses had, when you could see it beneath the dirt, although it could look quite smart on coaches), the 283 to Scancoaches, and possibly the 200 to Cityrama.

Strange to look back and see which of those early tendered operators are still engaged with providing bus services. It really does seem to be the case that it really was the better operators that have survived in one form or another; while many that really weren't up to the job have gone to the wall (or refocused their energies in other areas).
But I digress somewhat

In 1986 dates of changes started to be spread over a few weeks. Routes 200, 217B and 283 were lost by LBL on 22nd March, 24th May (same date as other Loughton services) and 31st May respectively. Route 145 did indeed go to Ensignbus on 21st June.

You are right to question how many early independents survive. Basically none of them! Cityrama, Sampsons and Scancoaches were taken off LT work after no more than 1 term, and all others have been absorbed into larger groups. The only true independents operating in London are Quality Line and CT+, since 1997 and 1999 respectively.