First London Tridents: 2001Short Trident/Presidents for Centrewest: TN954-1000In February 2001 came a return to President bodies: short (9.9m) versions, twenty for Westbourne Park on the Westbourne Park's Gold Arrow service 27/N27, and ten on Alperton's Challenger service 258. Seventeen more followed in June 2001 to Greenford for the 105.These were different from the earlier short Tridents in that they had forward rather than central staircases. They had one-piece upper screens. At a later stage in its London career (September 2007) TN32971 passes St.Pancras.
Long Trident/Presidents for Capital: TNL1001-1036, 1072-1099Dagenham received a further twelve long Tridents in September/October 2001 to complete the allocation of long buses on the 25, alongside the TALs. But these were Presidents rather than ALX400s, but with compatible styling. They had the short bay further forward than the earlier TNLs. They also had marginally narrower front displays.Before going to work on their intended route 25 they appeared on all sorts of other Dagenham routes. They released twelve TNs to Northumberland Park for the 191. Hackney received the other twenty-four TNLs for the 257, replacing single-deckers. The 123 also received four TNLs to start converting the 123 from Olympians, a process that continued with TNL1072-1099 in December 2001 and on into 2002. These also converted the 252. Along with all the other Dagenham buses, the Dagenham TNs and TNLs moved to the new Rainham garage in March 2003.
TNL33090 arrives at Stratford Bus Station on 257 in May 2005. Note the one piece upper deck screen.Short Trident/Presidents for Centrewest (TNL1037-1047) and Capital (TN1048-1071)Alperton received a second batch of short Trident/Presidents in November 2001, for route 79. They soon became mixed with the earlier batch on route 258.Route 179 at Dagenham received thirteen short TNs (TN1048-1060) to replace Olympians in December 2001, plus another eleven (TN1061-1071) for the 365, replacing Metrobuses.
1999-2000 2001 2002-3 2004-5 2006-8 2009-12 2013 Ian's Bus Stop TN histories. TN photos.
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