Route 228

Born from a 1928 single-deck route, the 228 was double-decked in 1958 when the bridge at Sidcup was raised. Later briefly a Routemaster route, the service dwindled and was replaced by other routes in 1996.

Dates of RF operation

14 Jan 53 to 25 Nov 58

(total 5 years, 10 months, all crew operation).

Destinations

Chislehurst to Eltham Well Hall Station

RF504 at Well Hall Station, probably after its first overhaul in 1957. This bus stayed at Sidcup from new until sent to Leyton when the 228 was converted to RT. Photo Peter Gomm collection

Route history

The route was born in November 1928, running from Chislehurst to Sidcup Station under the number 195 and using one single-deck K from Sidcup garage (SP). 1930 saw the K replaced by a DA-class Dennis Dart, which in turn gave way to LT Scooters in 1932. The route was withdrawn in November 1932 and replaced by the 609 (which eventually became the 126), but reappeared in January 1934, now extended to Eltham Well Hall Station. In October that year, the route was renumbered 228.

The 228 always operated between Chislehurst and Eltham, from SP, but from April 1946, Monday to Friday peak hour double-deck journeys were introduced between Sidcup Station and Chislehurst Gordon Arms. Buses allocated to the 228 were LT Scooters, which lasted until about 1947. From 1941 to 1946, they were replaced by Qs on Sundays, when the 241 used many fewer buses leaving the newer Qs available. With an influx of further Qs from the country area, these progressively replaced the LTs, but were themselves soon replaced by post-war 14T12s in 1948. Meanwhile, the double-deck journeys were operated by LTs until 1948, then RTLs.

The 14T12s lasted until 1953, when new RFs were introduced, the first running on 14 January and conversion was completed on the 24th. The Ts went to replace 10T10s and TDs on the 211 at Southall (HW). In 1955, the double-deck peak service was converted from RTL to RT.

The original 195 route from Chislehurst to Sidcup would have used single-deckers because of limited traffic, but as soon as it was extended to Eltham, they became a requirement due to the low bridge at Sidcup Station. The road was finally rebuilt to improve the clearance in 1958, whereupon Sidcup's single-deck routes (228 and 241) were converted to RT operation in November. The RFs thus made available were sent to HW for 211, UX for 222 and AR/T for 236, enabling the retirement of older buses.

The RT conversion allowed the vehicle requirement to fall from 14 (peaks) to 11. However, in 1960 the route was extended and split on Monday to Friday, the 228 running beyond Eltham to Surrey Docks and the 228^A to Blackwall Tunnel. Routes 70 (part) and 108^A were replaced; New Cross operated half of the Monday to Friday 228. saturdays were added to the 228 extension on the last day of 1966, with certain early journeys running to London Bridge Station.

1968 saw a reversal. The 228A was withdrawn and the 228 cut back again to Eltham. The following year, the Sunday service was converted to OMO MB, replaced by SMS in 1973. In 1975, Saturday operation was replaced by RMs, with the RTs retiring finally in 1977. The weekday service went OMO with DMSs in January 1978, the DMSs having replaced the Sunday Swifts in 1976.

Leyland Titans started taking over from the DMSs in late 1982.

In 1984 was the route cut back from Chislehurst to Sidcup Garage off-peak and Saturdays and withdrawn on Sundays. November 1986, now with joint T and L operation, saw the combination of the 228 and the 61^B (a new Chislehurst to Eltham route introduced three months earlier) to form a circular, 228^A anti-clockwise and 228^C clockwise.

At first, when the 61^B arrived at Chislehurst War Memorial, the passengers were told to get off as the bus finished there. When every one had got off, the driver got out of the cab to change all blinds to 228 to Eltham. Thus customers wanting to go through to Sidcup had to reboard and pay again. The 228/61^B blind change occurred in the other direction - it was always in effect a circular route. The union instigated the change to 228^A/^C, which made more sense.

The 228 did reappear, from 1988 to 1996, as a renumbering of the 228^C (the 228^A became the 328) and operated by Boro'line (Maidstone). In 1996, the route was replaced by the 160 and 233.

Boro'line Olympian no. 751

Red RF routes

Route 228