Central Area single-deck routes

The South

 

An evocative shot of half-a-dozen of Sutton garage's LTs in 1951, by then used only on the 213 and with a year to go before replacement by new RFs.  The line is headed by LT1026; this looks like Bushey Lane, to the right of the garage entrance.

Photo © Alan Cross

 

The single-deck routes operated in the south of London at any time between October 1934 and the introduction of RF operation on the relevant routes are summarised in the table below the map. Minor re-routings are not shown; in some cases, vehicle allocations varied during the period.

 

An approximation of the routes operated is shown on the following map (click on the map for a larger version) - note that not all routes operated at the same time. Routes operated only before or during the war are shown in orange, both during and after the war in red and purple are post-war introductions. See the table for more detail.

 

Map based on 1949 bus map © London Transport

 

Single-deck routes in south London, October 1934 to RF conversion

 

Route Destinations (daily unless shown) Garage(s)   Bus types   Dates of operation (pre-RF) and notes
127

Single-deck journeys

South Wimbledon Station and Morden Station (M-Sa)

 

 

A (to 28 Oct 41),

AL (from 29 Oct 41)

 

 

LTL

 

LTL,

Q (Oct 42)

 

Double-decked and renumbered from 245 22 Jan 41

Due to low-height double-deck bus shortage, single-deckers were scheduled

13 Aug 41 to 20 Apr 43

200

Wimbledon Station and Raynes Park Station

 

AL

LTL,

Q  (Apr 36)

Renumbered from 103

3 Oct 34 to 26 May 36

 

Wimbledon Station and Copse Hill Coombe Lane

 

AL

Q, 

also T (Dec 43 to Apr 44)

27 May 36 to RF conversion

203

Purley (also referred to as Old Coulsden) Old Lodge Lane and Purley (also referred to as Riddlesdown or Sanderstead) Mitchley Avenue

 

TC

GF (OMO),

DA (OMO, Apr 36)

New route

11 Sep 35 to 1 Aug 38

Replaced by 234/234A

207

Barnes Railway Hotel and Richmond Park Golf Course (circular)

 

M

DA (OMO),

C (OMO, Apr 36)

30 Aug 31 to  17 Oct 39

Route withdrawn

213

Kingston Bus Station and Belmont California.  Journeys Kingston Bus Station and Sutton Garage (varying days from 4 May 38, daily from 29 Oct 41)

 

A

K (daily, except M-Sa 17 Apr 35 to 5 Dec 39 and 30 Oct 40 to 12 Mar 46, M-F 6 Dec 39 to 29 Oct 40)

NB

LTL

LTL, also T, Q,

T (summer 50)

In practice, the buses operated varied

 

 

 

 

 

T

Renumbered from 113

3 Oct 34 to RF conversion

225

Raynes Park Station and Grand Drive Crossway. Extended Su to Lower Morden Cemetary

 

AL

DA/C (OMO),

Q (29 Apr 36)

New route

16 May 34 to 30 Jan 39

Route extended and double-decked as 50

234

Purley Railway Hotel and Streatham Common Greyhound

 

A

LTL

Renumbered from 87

3 Oct 34 to 27 May 37

Streatham section replaced by double-deck route 115

 

Purley Railway Hotel and Carshalton Park Lane

 

A

LTL

28 May 37 to 2 Aug 38

 

Purley Mitchley Avenue and Carshalton Park Lane

 

A

LTL

3 Aug 38 to 27 Oct 42

Replaces part of 203

 

Purley Mitchley Avenue and Wallington Grosvenor Road (Belmont Road from 8 Jan 43)

 

A  (to 18 Apr 44),

TC (from 19 Apr 44)

LTL

 

LTL

28 Oct 42 to 25 Oct 49

 

Selsdon Farley Road and  Wallington Belmont Road

 

TC

LTL

26 Oct 49 to 21 Feb 50

Route shortened in Wallington and double-decked

234A

Purley Old Lodge Lane and Carshalton Park Lane

 

A LTL

New route

Part replaces 203

3 Aug 38 to 27 Oct 42

 

Purley Old Lodge Lane and Wallington Grosvenor Road (Belmont Road from 8 Jan 43)

 

A  (to 18 Apr 44),

TC (from 19 Apr 44

LTL

28 Oct 42 to 21 Feb 50

 

Purley Old Lodge Lane and Hackbridge Elm Lane

 

TC

LTL

22 Feb 50 to RF conversion

235

 

Cheam Station and Banstead Victoria (M-Sa)

A

DA (OMO)

New route

12 Dec 33 to 12 Oct 34

 

235

South Croydon Swan & Sugar Loaf and Selsdon Farley Road (M-Sa)

 

TC

S,

T (Apr 36),

LTL (Apr 39)

New route

5 Jun 35 to 12 May 42

 

245

 

South Wimbledon Station and Morden Station (daily, M-Sa from 6 Dec 39)

 

A

LTL

Renumbered from 155B/C

3 Oct 34 to 21 Jan 41

Route double-decked as 127

 

Double-deck journeys

South Wimbledon Station and New Malden Duke of Cambridge (Fountain from 27 Feb 35) (M-Sa peaks)

 

 

A

 

NS

 

3 Oct 34 to 3 Mar 36

Replaced by 152 shorts

 

Note on routings: see the map for an outline; in several cases, detailed changes took place but are not shown.

 

Note on bus types: in many cases, allocations were mixed or changed too frequently over time to list full details above; in both cases, all classes are shown but did not all work throughout the relevant period.  LTL is used for LT single-deckers ('Scooters').

 

Garage codes: see list of RF garages, others that do not appear are:

 

   M   Mortlake