68-group

The irreversible past.
The explosion of art.
"Art is an explosion."

I'll no doubt make my 31 March post long winded and as informative as possible, so as to save time for both myself and yourself, I'll have this post as the starter pack.

The 68 group, consisting of 68, 168, 468, X68, N68.
Disclaimer: May contain 196.
                    Doesn't contain 168, it was exiled.

I will focus as much as I can on the 68 side of things, making references to 196 here and there as it's a family member too. However, I have an old post that focuses more on 196.

South Croydon Red Deer* - West Norwood - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - Euston - Chalk Farm.

* South End

WVL261 (LX06EBM) in West Norwood

Nowadays covered by a total PVR of 65 (+X68's 8). The 68 alone back in 1934 providing a PVR of 36 on more or less the same corridors.

Records go as far back as World War I, with the 68 as far north as Chalk Farm (covered by 168 today). One can safely assume it's routeing was similar to that of 1934 when more evident records were available, the routeing then being South Croydon to Chalk Farm with extra peak-hour shorts from Waterloo to Euston then deviating to King's Cross.

Different and now-nonexistent garages had the route, with Norwood (N) having 68 for the longest consistent run, of about 40 years. As the years went by like clockwork, the 68 had a partner route introduced, 68A. The 68, but taking a straight along South Norwood Hill and not turning into Whitehorse Lane, thus leading to a station in South Norwood. Familiar?

WVL260 (LX06EBL), self explanatory

For 12 years the 68 and 68A were trundling along from the northern higher-class areas of Camden Town and Chalk Farm, skimming through London along Holborn, crossing Waterloo Bridge, serving the now-popular Elephant, down the busy corridor of Walworth Road home to East Street market, Camberwell, the calm village of Herne Hill, the similar West Norwood, climbing past houses on their way across Upper Norwood and it's eloquent views from higher ground of not only London, but many parts of land to feast your eyes upon. Then down to South Norwood, 68A ending up at the railway station now known as Norwood Junction. Or a right down the residential Whitehorse Lane to Thornton Heath, bypassing it's High Street. Passing varying tenements until Croydon, what I'd call a mini-city. Immediately after, your End stop would be found somewhere in South.

During this time, the 196 was a Tufnell Park to Waterloo route.

This changed on 10 July 1951 when the 68A was absorbed into 196.

PVL151 (X551EGK) in Herne Hill

The 68 with a PVR of 27 plus 196's PVR of 45, provided a service of every 8-10 and 4-5 minutes respectively on the common section of Waterloo to West Norwood bus garage. The common section of Norwood (N) to Upper Norwood on 196 being every 10 minutes.
The current combination of 68/468 (Elephant-Norwood) provide roughly 16bph, compared to a rough estimate of 19bph (Waterloo-Norwood) back then. Even if the buses back then had a smaller capacity, it's not a bad frequency.

WVL447 (LJ61GWF) in West Norwood

Nothing major happens to 68 until 1986 (take hint).

1986. 168 introduced. 68 withdrawn (bar Sundays) from Chalk Farm to Euston. PVR of 68 at 38. New X68 express introduced from Russell Square to Waterloo, non-stop to West Norwood then as 68 until West Croydon. PVR of 6.

1994. 68A introduced (South Croydon Bus Garage - Elephant & Castle). 68 withdrawn from Chalk Farm to Euston, and West Norwood to South Croydon. PVR down to 19.

1999. Contract renewal of 68A, renumbered to 468, Norwood (N) allocation withdrawn. PVR of 468 from 23 to 25. Meanwhile on 68, Arriva London North got involved and 68 was handled at various garages until 2000.

2000. Both 68 and 468 converted to full low-floor operation (with new DLAs if I'm correct), PVR (68) down from 22 to 19. New night route N68 introduced via 60/68/468 from Purley to Aldwych then deviates to Trafalgar Square.

2004. (68) Converted to brand new (53-reg) VLAs.

April Fools Day 2006. Arriva finally lost all of 68/468/X68/N68. Hope you enjoyed, ta.

...

E58 (LX07BYC), West Norwood.

PVL309 (PJ02TVO)
West Norwood.
As usual.
But in the night.

It was a shock, though not the biggest out-of-the-blue surprise given Camberwell (Q) were on line of route and had the 68 previously. That said, it left a huge hole in Arriva's garages. The award of 68/468/X68 having a combined PVR of 54. London Central bought WVL212-73, a batch of 62 Volvo B7TLs on the Wright Eclipse Gemini body, of 10m length.

PVL326 (PJ52LWE)
West Norwood.
Station.

Since then the heavy working WVLs have continuously responded to the demand of the routes served, the dense usage, and terrain they encountered on a daily basis. The extensive refurbishment made them more attractive in looks. But, the 453 converted to New Routemasters, majority of it's Enviro400s were displaced, which cascaded some WVLs to Metrobus. I don't have anything against said Enviro400s, which I find better than the WVLs in performance. Still, both types perform well.

Hybrids have always worked all routes where appropriate and 468's daily allocation is made up of hybrids regardless, as Camberwell (Q) always mix allocations. The 68 already allocated hybrids of it's own, and X68 saw hybrids from Peckham (PM) too, and will receive a full allocation of E40H MMCs soon.

MHV72 (BV66VGF) on Camberwell Road

Operation-wise 68 from my experience has been fine, with the 468 appearing more 'attentive'. X68 I haven't used much though is still busy to some degree, but the Brixton-Streatham green air corridor prevented non-Euro6 buses from entering it, thus encountering the busier Camberwell corridor, and now on a daily basis.

Gone the days of wondering what bus will come first, a 68, or 468? A WVL? PVL? E? WHV? For me nowadays it's just 468 468 468 468 468. If I have the time to avoid another LT ride.

68's LT664-690 will transfer to Abellio's Walworth (WL) just like 15 did from Stagecoach to Go-Ahead. 468 with new B5LH Gemini 3's HV380-412, most of which have already entered service.

Anyways, commiserations to London Central for the loss of 68/468/N68, and congratulations to Abellio and Arriva for their respective wins. Camberwell (Q) has done a great job on handling the routes for 12 long years. Gone the days of tanky yet fun WVLs, chances of odd workings. Come the days of mundane hybrids and glued tight allocations.

I hope this post wasn't much of a bore. Trust me to go into further detail in the next post, give yourself at least a day's worth when it arrives. Stay safe. Stay in school too, if you're cool. I have nothing else to say by now.

P.S. I don't have resentment to 168, but poking at it for what it is*.
P.P.S. *for being an outsider of the family.

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