London Transport - Red RF routes

RF516 leaves Kingston Bus Station
 
During their 27 years of operation in the Central Area, 52 routes were scheduled for operation by RFs at one time or another (listed below by date of RF introduction, for a numerical list, see here).  The first was the 210 from Muswell Hill, from 11 September 1952, the last to run the 218 and 219 from Kingston on 30 March 1979.
 
This part of the site gives details of their scheduled routes, their dates of operation, garages and routings and some history.  I am indebted to numerous sources that I have plundered in gathering information - these are listed on the Links and Bibliography page, but special mention is due to Ian Armstrong's magnificent site London Bus Routes from 1950.
 
And if you have ever wondered why most (but not all) RF routes are numbered 2xx, read about LT's route numbering system here.
RF516 on the 218 leaves Kingston Bus Station, which then was sited at the front of Kingston Garage.
Also visible is a Leyland National - the type that would replace the last RFs.     Photo Ian Armstrong collection
 
The following list gives the routes, in order of the scheduled introduction of RFs (the list in numerical order is here).  If you spot any errors or omissions (and there will be many), please e-mail us.
 
Route            Garages          RF operation started         RF operation ended                 Destinations                    
         
210 MH/AR/T/HT 11 Sep 52 17 Sep 71 Finsbury Park - Golders Green
208A D 1 Oct 52 12 May 59 Maryland Stn - Clapton Pond
227 TB 1 Nov 52 1 Jan 71 Chislehurst - Crystal Palace
200 AL 1 Dec 52 24 Aug 65 Wimbledon Stn - Coombe Lane
237 AV 2 Dec 52 16 Apr 77 Hounslow - Chertsey
202 P to NX 13 Dec 52 25 Oct 68 New Cross - Canal Bridge
213 NB/A/K 12 Dec 52 7 May 63 Kingston - Belmont
208 D 1 Jan 53 17 Apr 70 Bromley-by-Bow - Clapton Pond
228 SP 1 Jan 53 25 Nov 58 Chislehurst - Well Hall Station
233 WG 6 Jan 53 17 Mar 59 Finsbury Park - Northumberland Park
212 MH 10 Feb 53 5 Jan 60 Finsbury Park - Muswell Hill Broadway
241 SP 1 Mar 53 25 Nov 58 Welling Station - Sidcup Garage
234A TC 6 May 53 22 Jan 77 Purley - Hackbridge
254 L 7 Oct 53 9 Apr 76 Loughton Station - South Woodford
201 (again) NB 12 Oct 55 19 Nov 58 Kingston - Hampton Court
251 MH to EW 1 Dec 56 22 Jan 77 Arnos Grove - Burnt Oak
211 HW 26 Nov 58 30 Jun 64 Ealing Broadway - Greenford
222 UX 26 Nov 58 23 Mar 61 Hounslow Central - Uxbridge
236 T/AR to T/D 26 Nov 58 16 Apr 71 Leyton - Stroud Green
201 NB/K/FW 13 May 59 6 Nov 76 Kingston - Hampton Court
206 NB/K to FW 10 Jun 59 21 Aug 76 Claygate - Hampton Court
224 UX 10 Jun 59 7 May 63 Uxbridge - Laleham
224A UX 10 Jun 59 8 May 62 Uxbridge - West Drayton
224B UX 10 Jun 59 8 May 62 Uxbridge - Stockley Estate
264 NB/K/FW 10 Jun 59 18 Jul 76 Kingston - Hersham
216 K 1 Jul 59 25 Sep 76 Kingston - Staines
250 NS 1 Jul 59 23 Apr 76 Hornchurch - Epping
215 K to NB 6 Jan 60 1 Nov 76 Kingston - Ripley
218 K 6 Jan 60 30 Mar 79 Kingston - Staines
219 K 6 Jan 60 30 Mar 79 Kingston - Weybridge
224C UX 15 Mar 61 8 May 62 Uxbridge - Heathrow Airport
215A K to NB 9 May 62 29 Dec 67 Kingston - Downside
240A EW 10 Oct 62 16 Jan 66 Edgware - Mill Hill East
202A NX 1 Jul 64 10 Mar 67 New Cross - Southwark Park Road
203 AV to FW 4 Jul 65 18 Jul 69 Staines - Stanwell
20B L 3 Oct 65 13 Jun 69 Epping Forest - Loughton
291 BK 3 Oct 65 9 Mar 73 Ilford Station - Barking
136 HD 7 Aug 66 23 Jul 71 Harrow Weald - South Harrow Station
121 E 8 Aug 66 23 Oct 76 Enfield Town - Chingford
284 PB 7 Sep 68 29 Nov 68 Potters Bar town circular
290 AB to R 7 Sep 68 8 May 76 Hammersmith - Richmond
80 A 22 Mar 69 26 Jun 76 Morden - Lower Kingswood
80A A 22 Mar 69 26 Jun 76 Morden - Walton on the Hill
233 TC 31 May 69 21 Nov 69 Roundshaw - Croydon
234B TC 19 Jul 69 19 Jan 73 South Croydon - Selsdon
285 FW/NB 19 Jul 69 26 Mar 71 Heathrow Airport - Kingston
211 AV 23 Aug 69 29 Jan 71 Hounslow - Hampton
151 A 10 Oct 70 16 Apr 71 Belmont - Sutton
71 K 2 Jan 71 25 Sep 76 Richmond - Leatherhead
204 UX 16 Jan 71 29 Jun 73 Hayes Station  - Uxbridge
223 UX 16 Jan 71 11 Dec 76 Ruislip Station - Heathrow Airport
224  (again) UX 16 Jan 71 11 Dec 76 Uxbridge - Laleham
224B (again) UX 16 Jan 71 11 Dec 76 Uxbridge - Stockley Estate
202 AV 18 Sep 71 16 Apr 77 Hounslow - Richmond
212 AD 18 Sep 71 21 Mar 76 Palmers Green - Dollis Hill

 

RF486 is seen leaving the Clapton Pond Almhouses stand on the Hackney Marshes running day 2006.  Note the deliberate use of the incorrect via points, in memory of 'red' Dalston Garage.

RF486 at Clapton Pond, 16 April 2006

Photo © Martin Ruthe