Bøker av Matthew Wharmby

After the successful six-year production run of its B7TL low-floor double-decker had been curtailed in London by increasing noise problems, Volvo developed a leaner and quieter update which it dubbed the B9TL, and orders resumed in strength.

A fixture of London Transport in the 1970s, the all-over advert bus was relaunched by the modern Transport for London (TfL) at the turn of the century, and since then the concept has exploded. With each year that passes, hundreds of London buses are adorned with intricate and imaginative adverts printed on durable vinyl. The easily removable nature of this material means that buses can swap adverts quickly whenever one advertising contract ends and another begins. Some vehicles may thus carry up to four adverts in any one calendar year. The characteristic New Bus for London, aka 'Borismaster', designed specifically for London needs, has proved to be the most prolific carrier of these adverts. The majority of the thousand-strong fleet of TfL-owned buses, which are divided among several operators, have carried such ads in their decade in service. Most older double-deck types have also been treated to adverts, generally omitting the front and latterly concentrating on in-house publicity for TfL's own services and fare bulletins. This book contains more than 230 previously unpublished colour photographs of the fast-changing all-over advert scene on London's buses, covering an enormous variety of subjects including fashion, food and drink, technology, entertainment, travel, property and even dating.

When London Buses LtdâEUR(TM)s subsidiary companies were privatised in 1994, northwest London-based Metroline passed to its management. The company promptly took over Atlas Bus in 1995 and then n doubling its size in 1998 with the acquisition of neighbouring MTL London. A new livery of red with a deep blue skirt set Metroline apart from its rivals, and in 2000 a powerful but unusually hands-off patron was secured with the companyâEUR(TM)s sale to Delgro (later ComfortDelgro) of Singapore. Since then, Metroline has held its own as a dependable TfL contractor, continuing to expand with the acquisition of Thorpes and Armchair in 2004 and pulling off an even bigger coup in 2013 when First LondonâEUR(TM)s western portfolio was acquired as Metroline West. In terms of vehicles, the London Transport inheritance had all gone by 2004 and low-floor purchases moved to hybrids, including Borismasters, and now to electric buses. With over 250 colour pictures, this book is the first of a new series that explores the major corporate London bus operators that have arisen in the quarter-century since the privatisation of London Buses Ltd. Included are details of takeovers, reorganisations, vehicle comings and goings and the kind of unpredictable but wholesale changes that fascinate enthusiasts.

This book explores what used to be the old London Transport's highest-numbered block of routes. It shows a potted history of each route accompanied by a list of points served and one or two pictures of the kind of bus that can be found in service today. With over 190 photos, this book presents an up-to-date snapshot of the London bus scene in 2021.

This fifth and final London bus route volume looks at the route numbers with letter prefixes. A potted history of the routes and their details are accompanied by up-to-date photos showing the buses on each route. With over 190 photos, this volume is an up-to-date snapshot of the modern London bus scene as it stands as of the latter half of 2021.

This book investigates those routes with the highest numbers used today. As in previous London bus route volumes, a potted history of each route is accompanied by routing details and some pictures of buses that operates on that route. With over 190 photos, this book represents an up-to-date snapshot of the modern London bus scene as of autumn 2021.

London Transport 1970-84 covers the declining years of London's bus operations, during which the venerable RT and Routemaster types were compelled to give way to modern buses. These enjoyed less success, however. In this book, 120 stunning color images are accompanied by informative captions, giving the full picture of this time of huge change.

Good Photographic Coverage, In depth Historical Text, New Factual Information, Useful to Modellers, Good Technical Information

Mainstay of London Buses Ltd's fleet into the 1990s, London's MCW Metrobus fleet of M class remained almost completely intact by the time of privatisation in the autumn of 1994.