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Red RF routes
Route 208A
A new route introduced in 1941, serving Carpenters Road,
Stratford, for the first time. The route was replaced by
the RLH-operated 178 in 1959. Carpenters Road has now
disappeared under the preparations for the 2012 Olympic
Games.
Dates of RF operation
9 Oct 52 to 12 May 59
(total 6 years 7 months, all crew operation).
Destinations
Clapton Pond to Stratford Maryland
Station (Mon-Sat except evenings)
A fine 1950s scene at
Clapton Pond (compare with the Hackney
gallery photos 50 years later), with RF 315 on the
208 A leading RF359 and another on the 208.
Photo Peter Gomm
collection
Route history
Introduced on 30 April 1941 as the first route serving the
factories along Carpenters Road, the 208A was operated
from Dalston Garage by LT 'Scooters' for the first year and again
from Oct 46 to Oct 52, with 5Q5s between 1942
and 1946 (and a couple helping out in the winter of 1948). A
busy route, in 1957 there were up to 22 buses per hour between
Hackney Wick (where about half of them turned in the peaks) and
Stratford.
 In the period between conversion of the
208 A and the 208, the first RF on the route and on its
fifth day in service, RF303 (later renumbered as RF522) passes
Scooter LT1093 at Clapton Pond on 13 October 1952. In three
months time, there would be no more Scooters operating in
London. The RF driver has however made an start on the
incorrect blind displays that were a feature of the Dalston
RFs.
Photo © Alan Cross, Peter Gomm
collection
The heavy loadings and the worn-out LTs meant this was the
second route (after the 210) to
become RF operated, converting from 9 October 1952.
This was some months earlier than its compatriot, the 208, on which the last Scooters were to run three
months later, although spare RFs from the 208 A helped on
the 208 at weekends. The first 13 RFs were in service by
17 October, spare bus RF324 not being licensed until 1
November.
The route required single-deckers due to low bridges in
Kenworthy Road and Carpenters Road. The latter was navigable
by RLHs (although subject to a speed limit of 5 mph), but on
conversion to double-deck on 13 May 59, the route had to be revised
between Hackney Wick and Homerton, first running via Ponsford
Street and Morning Lane, then after six months via Marsh Hill and
Lee Conservancy Road, the present route of the 276.
RF route
in detail, with timing points
CLAPTON POND, Lower Clapton Road, Urswick
Road, Homerton High Street, Kenworthy Road, Wick
Road, Berkshire Road, Hackney Wick, Wallis Road, Hepscott
Road, White Post Lane, Carpenters Road, Lett Road (towards
Stratford), High Street Stratford, Stratford Broadway, The
Grove, Windmill Lane, Waddington Road, Waddington Street, Well
Street, MARYLAND STATION. (Returns direct to The
Grove)
1955 bus map © London Transport
Garages
Garage journeys: to/from Lower Clapton Rd Urswick Rd
via Hackney Central Stn, Mare St, Westgate St
RF allocation
New RFs delivered Oct-Nov 52: 303-314, 324, 330 (13 + 1
spare)
PVR 1952 (Oct): Mon-Fri 13, Sat 6
PVR 1957 (May): Mon-Fri 14, Sat 6
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