Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith, This page created 17th July 2010, updated 5th January 2012. Best on 800*600.

Arriva London ADL 952-983 (ADL952-983) Grey-Green, took delivery of seventeen Dart SLFs (952-968) with 10.25m Alexander ALX200 bodies in early 1997, and put them on routes 20 and 167. They were in Grey-Green livery of grey with green skirt and orange and white bands. They appeared on Sundays on the 173 and 275. Operation was from Grey-Green's Barking Garage (BR, later DX). 20 Walthamstow Central Stn - Leyton - Whipps Cross - Woodford Wells - Loughton Stn - Debden Stn 167 Ilford High Road - Barkingside - Chigwell - Buckhurst Hill - Loughton Stn - Debden Stn 173 Goodmayes - Little Heath - Becontree Heath - Beckton 275 Walthamstow Central - Woodford Green - Barkingside - Claybury Broadway Fifteen more (969-983) came in October 1998, this time dual-doorwayed and wearing Arriva's London livery of red with a white-edged cream horn and a yellow coach-line. They took over operation of route 78 (Shoreditch - Tower Bridge - Peckham)) from double-deckers in November. But in March 2002 the 167 was lost to Docklands Buses, and very promptly 952 to 958 were transferred to other parts of the Arriva empire. Route 20 was double-decked (with VLWs) in March 2003, which resulted in 959 to 968 departing to Arriva North-West or Arriva Scotland. But the remainder hung on at Barking, doing their intended job on the 78. They were refurbished and repainted in the plainer livery with white roof during 2008. A move to Ash Grove came in October 2010, still with the 78. A further move took some to Edmonton in January 2011. Still new, 975 crosses Tower Bridge with a southbound 78 in December 1998. ADL 1 (ADL701) ADL1 arrived at Arriva London North in September 1999. It came from Arriva's stock, and was a 10.2m dual-doorway bus with Alexander ALX200 bodywork. It was painted in standard Arriva red livery with cream cow-horns. I presume it was used for trials and evaluation, as more were ordered, in two lengths. It finally went into service in January at Edmonton, on route 444 (Turnpike Lane Stn - Edmonton - Chingford Mount - Chingford Stn). It stayed at Edmonton alongside ADL2-8 until April 2001, when it was transferred to Arriva London North-East at Barking (DX). They renumbered it ADL701, perhaps to be closer in number sequence to their own ADLs, or because Barking crews were used to identifying vehicles by their registration plates. Later it moved back to Edmonton, and indeed yo-yoed between Edmonton and Barking before settling again at the former, with its ADL1 number. It went to Arriva Scotland West in September 2009. ADL 9-23 Arriva London South took the two-foot longer ALX200 option for fifteen ADLs for route 407 (Sutton - West Croydon - Caterham Stn). They arrived earlier than ADL2-8, in November 1999, and went to Beddington Farm, the ex-London & Country garage near Croydon. The ADLs were in standard Arriva London red, with cow-horns. They were mostly found on their intended 407, but appeared on other Beddington Farm long-Dart routes too, such as the 410. They received a repaint into the plain red with yellow line and white roof in late 2007-early 2008. October 2009 saw the 407 lost on re-tender to Abellio London. The redundant ADLs were sent off together to Arriva Scotland West. Winter in Croydon on the 407: ADL18 crosses the tram-lines at George Street heading south, and a mucky ADL15 pulls out of West Croydon Bus Station. ADL14 heads for West Croydon bus station and Sutton, September 2009, wearing plain red and a white roof. ADL61, now transferred south, pretends to be a tram, approaching West Croydon from Centrale on the 410 in August 2008. ADL10 in Arriva red without cow-horns but with white roof, in service on the 166 in August 2008, at Banstead and West Croydon. ADL 2-8 Seven more of the 10.2m Alexander-bodied dual-doorway SLFs came to Arriva London North in spring 2001, going to Edmonton. They were for route 444 (Turnpike Lane Stn - Edmonton - Chingford Mount - Chingford Stn) starting in June 2001. They stayed in situ until August 2009, when they were dispatched to Arriva Scotland West. ADL61-69, 71-79, 81: 9.4m Alexanders for Debden Nineteen dual-doorway 9.4m Alexander-bodied Dart SLFs arrived in May 2000 for Arriva East Herts & Essex, being numbered 3461-3469, 3471-3479, 3481. All went to the Debden outstation of Harlow, for operation on LTB routes W13, W14 and 397. There being no livery stipulation in the contracts then, they were in Arriva national livery of turquoise and cream. March 2005 saw the Debden operation transferred to Arriva London North at Edmonton, including the nineteen Alexanders. They very gradually donned red livery and became ADL61-69, ADL71-79 and ADL81. W13 Leytonstone - Wanstead - South Woodford Stn - Woodford Wells W14 Leyton- Leytonstone - Wanstead - Snaresbrook - South Woodford Stn - Woodford Bridge 397 Debden Stn - Woodford Wells - Chingford Stn - Chingford Mount Still working on the W14 after transfer to Arriva London North, ADL66 splashes out of Edmonton Garage in October 2009. ADL79 and ADL81 almost crossed with each other on the 397 at Loughton Station on their ways to South Chingford and Debden Broadway respectively, September 2009. There are subtle detail differences in positioning of numbers, garage codes (EC), fleet names and signs. ADL61-63 were transferred to Enfield in March 2007 for the 491, and when the new buses for that route arrived in October 2007 moved south to Beddington Farm, along with ADL64. ADL65 followed much later, in November 2009, after being fitted with a one-piece number blind. There they survived the cull of the longer native ADLs when the 407 went. The others have remained at Edmonton, refurbished and repainted in plain red with white roofs and yellow line, and fitted with one-piece number blinds, still working on the Debden and Loughton routes. ADL1-23 were dispatched to Arriva Scotland West in the autumn of 2009. ADL61-81 went mainly to Arriva North-East or Arriva Kent & Sussex during early 2013. The ADL969-983 batch were withdrawn in 2012, and sold off via North-West Bus Sales in 2013. Bus Stop SLF index. ADL. histories. photo refs. PDL. DDL.