The Lengthy One, The 321 - Two

If any blog reader may be thinking of diversifying into criminal activity during the fbbs' absence, please note that fbb mansions is protected by Mr Tubbles and, perhaps more significantly, by next door neighbours and their lap dog - a huge husky.

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Can't You Tell; It's An STL

The AEC bus, STL class, numbered over 2000 vehicles and was in use thoughout the 1930s ans into thr 1940s, serving in the red bus and green bus fleets. 

Is the STL below showing a genuine destination? You can never be scertain with preserved heritage vehicles.

It would seem likely hat the northern destination of the 321, in Luton, was served pre WW2. fbb guesses, because routes did not change vey much well into the 1960s, that 321s may have been running between Luton and Uxbridge since the mid 1930s.

The standard double decker would next be the RT ...

... and this one, standing at the Luton terminus, is going to Maple Cross, always a short working. And this Green Line liveried decker is on its way to Rickmansworth.

The atmospheric picture below may well be on an RT running day, but it is pictured on its customaty toute at Croxley Metropolitan Line station.

And the picture below has Rickmansworth as an intermediate point on the blind ...

... so, risking the wrath of London's green bus enthusiasts, fbb is goung to state that the 321 has run between Luon and Uxbridge for many a long year.

It was definitey serving Uxbridge in Leyland National days ...

... and the same marque briefly wore the Watfordwide branding.

TPL 449T is preserved in the Watfordwide amended National Bus Company livery of the 1970s.

The National Bus Company was formed in 1969, so the abive livery would begin to appear in the early 1970s.

The 1977 bus timetable is a typical Londin Transport size and style but wrapped in a cover based closely on the standard NBC design adopted theoughout England and Wales.

15p (three shillings) was a lot to pay for a timetable book in 1977.

The timetable page that concluded yesterday's blog is from the above booklet..

We will look in more detail at that timetable in tomorrow's blog.

The collection of route maps, supplied to fbb by Julian Peddle, offers more clues as o the stability pf the 321.

Here is 1948 in the Watford area ...

And tenty years later.

Both maps confirm the 321 as running south beyond Maple Cross and, off the map, north to Luton.

It was certainly lengthy!

As well as a close look at the 1977 timetab;e, fbb will eventually look at what happened when rhe National Bus Company was progresivey privatised post 1986.

And finally for today's 321 exploration ...

Here is an early STL as originally deliveresd to the General Onmibus Co pre London Transport ...

... and a later preserved version in red bus livery.

More From Sheffield

fbb is now sufficiently awake (after Sundays lengthy coach journey) to expand yesterday's short report in the public and mayoral reaction to First's revised netwok which happend on Sunday 1st Sept.

Fact Check

fbb has analysed ALL the Sheffield changes amd can confirm that there are no sognificant improvements in any services. Where frequencies appear to be better, they are at the expense of wothdrawals and reductions in parallel netwoks. 

The changes have caused untold disuption to existing services.

The changes have been badly publicised; indeed some would claim, in the ansence of printed timetables and a new network map, there has been no helpul publicity at all.

The Press Speaks

The Sheffield evening paper, The Star, is not renowned for pto bus articles; furthermore it is often wrong in what it writes, largely because its authors do not know where the buses go and cannot understand the changes anyway.

But AGAIN this time ...

“Passengers will be left confused by these big changes to our local bus networks, especially as they are being introduced with very little advance warning (actually published less than a month in advance and badly explained as well, with no maps - even fbb struggled to understand!) and sometimes wrong or misleading information” said Fran Postlethwaite, convenor of the BBSY campaign.

“Bus apps like Moovit and even Google Maps had been inadequately updated and were still showing routes that had been withdrawn as late as 1st September, the day of the change! What’s more, even Travel South Yorkshire’s Journey Planner was advising passengers to travel on buses that were no longer scheduled!

“Changing routes and timetables on such a scale is difficult for existing passengers to understand, let alone those trying to use the bus for the first time.  For most passengers there is no improvement to their services whilst others have seen a big reduction.”

In case it's too small to read, the caption to the above reads ...

These changes seem to have been brought in for the convenience (and financial benefit - fbb) of the operators rather then the passengers.

Why should we be surprised at that?

But Mr Coppard (South Yorkshire Mega Mayor) thinks it is OK.

The changes, which came into effect on Sunday, September 1, have been welcomed by South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard as a ‘step towards... getting back the world class bus system we once had’.

What kind of dream world are you in, Olly?

“I’ve been committed to radically improving our public transport network since day one; because ultimately, if we want people to stay near and go far in South Yorkshire, we need a better public transport system.  

Could we have a list of the improvements you have implement, please. 

Here are those that fbb has logged over recent months

But never mind, eh? With Olly off his trolley, he has announced that he will have a county-wide franchise scheme (just like Manchester's non-event)  by March 2025 .

“And while these changes will not solve all the public transport challenges we face; they are a step towards us getting better buses and getting back the world class bus system we once had."  

What kind of dream world are you in, Olly?

 Next 321 Blog : Wednesday 11th September