Green Line 80th Anniversary

Saturday 17th July 2010

 

The 80th anniversary of Green Line coaches (to the day) was celebrated by:

  • A 715 service between London and Guildford - the first ever Green Line route, using modern and historic coaches 
  • A road run of historic coaches and buses
  • Displays of Green Line vehicles at Guildford and Cobham  

 

All buses and coaches were Green Line vehicles or country buses used for Green Line relief workings, and representatives from each of the eight decades were in operation.

  
The 75th anniversary of Green Line was marked by a special display at the London Transport Museum's
Acton store.  Posing in the rain are Cobham's 1937 10T10 T504, post-war T792, RT3228, RF271 and RB51.
Photo © Peter Osborn

 

Route 715 operated a selection of modern and historic coaches between London Marble Arch and Guildford, with some short workings to Cobham Bus Museum.   Early journeys started from Minories Bus Station, Aldgate, and served Embankment Station, the starting point in 1930.  The commemorative booklet includes an illustrated history of Green Line by Laurie Akehurst, acknowledged Green Line expert and author of 'London Transport Green Line' published by Capital Transport.

 

A Road Run operated over the route from London to Guildford.  By kind permission of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, historic coaches on the 715 and the road run crossed Hammersmith Bridge, so the route followed the original 1930 route from Marble Arch via Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith, Barnes, Roehampton, the Kingston Bypass, Esher, Cobham and Ripley to Guildford.

 

Green Line vehicle displays were held at both Arriva Guildford Garage (on the site of the original Green Line depot, later GF) and at Cobham Bus Museum. 

 

The two displays were linked by frequent services, and a limited number of journeys on the 408A operated by heritage vehicles to commemorate the former practice of Green Line vehicles working on local routes before (and sometimes after) Green Line duties.

 

Meanwhile, the Green Line theme for the year was kicked off at Cobham's Spring Gathering on 11 April.  John Hammel's newly and painstakingly restored RT3238 enjoys the spring sunshine.  It later won joint first prize in the competition sponsored by Arriva.

Photo © Peter Osborn

 

Coaches featured at various times during the day included the following (* coaches and buses in service):

T219, T504, T792*

RT3228*, RT3254*, RT3491*

RLH48

RF26, RF28, RF168, RF226*, RF269, RF280, RF315*, RF672*, RF673*

RMC4*, RTL139* (sub for RMC1461), RMC1469*, RMC1500*, RMC1507

RCL2233, RCL2260*

RML2330

RP90*

BN50*

P3*

A250SVW* (Southend, ex route 721)

Arriva: two- and three-axle coaches* 

First: single- and double-deck coaches*

 

In addition, G351 was displayed on route 159 at Marble Arch.  

 

The day was organised by and in support of Cobham Bus Museum, the home of London's bus heritage.