TA, TAS: Dennis Trident, Alexander ALX 400TA359-435: 10.5m, Cummins C220-20 Euro-2, ZF 4-speed gearbox or ZF 5-speed gearboxAttention turned back north of the river for the 2001 TA deliveries, Barking receiving them in June for the 5, 87, 169 and 387; Stratford in July / August for the 26 and N26; Leyton to convert the 55 to crew operation (it already had OPO TAs) and for the N55; and Romford for the 374. The Leyton supply released older TAs to Bow (which had a delay in its expected new TAs for the 262 and 473. Bromley also got ten old ones to double-deck the 269.
Technology and legislation were changing. These buses had Cummins Euro-2 engines to meet new pollution control requirements. Part-way through 2001 a ZF five-speed gearbox was instituted in place of the 4-speed, from TA401 onwards although I cannot see that there was a distinction in terms of the routes or garages where the two types went. TAS436-534: 9.9m, Cummins C220-20 Euro-2, ZF 5-speed or Voith 3-speed gearboxThe five-speed boxes appeared in the first deliveries of the next batch of shorter buses too, in July 2001, although from TAS443 onwards, from August, a Voith 3-speed box was used. Towards the end of the year new Euro-3 engines were introduced, used with the ZF 5-speed box, from TAS509.Romford received TAS436 - 466, for the 174,175,496, deliveries scattered from July to October 2001. Catford had TAS467-485 to convert the rump of the 47 in October. These began to appear on the 75 and the 160 as well. Bow took TAS486-TAS501 for the 67. Stratford started to convert the 106 from PD class Darts using the Euro2-powered Tridents.
Although introduced to Catford four months earlier for the 47, TAS468 and TAS479 are working on the 75 to Croydon in February 2002, seen here at Lewisham Bus stance.TAS509-524: 9.9m Cummins C225-30 Euro-3, ZF 5-speed gearbox, gasket glazingThe remainder of this large batch of Tridents received the Euro-3 Cummins C225-30 engine, with the ZF 5-speed gearbox. They also had gasket glazing instead of bonded, to make replacements quicker! They started to arrive in October. There was an identity mix-up between TAS505 and TAS509 that took several attempts to resolve. Most of the new-engined buses went to Stratford for the 106, but the last few went to Catford for the 160.TAS525-534: 9.9m Cummins C225-30 Euro-3, Voith 3-speed gearbox, gasket glazingThey were followed to Catford by the next sub-batch, which had the Voith 3-speed gearbox. The 160 conversion preoceeded, although routes 75 and 47 also used them.TAS525 sets off from Lewisham bus stance on a 75 to Croydon, August 2002.Bus Stop TAS223-358 TA 359-534 TA 535-591 TA histories TA photos
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