Red RF routes

Route 251

 
A remarkable route across north London that has covered the same roads for over 75 years.  RF operation moved in 1963 from Muswell Hill garage, also home to the 210 and 212, to Edgware, which had just replaced the last TDs in service with RFs on the 240A.
 
RF512, later to become famous at Kingston, pulls up the hill to Totteridge & Whetstone Station.
Photo © Paul Redmond
 
Dates of RF operation

6 May 53 (weekends), 1 May 57 (daily, but see below) to 22 Jan 77.

Converted to OMO 27 Jan 65

(total 23 years 9 months, of which 11 years 9 months crew operation).

 
Destinations

ARNOS GROVE – BURNT OAK (to 6 Sep 68)

ARNOS GROVE – STANMORE STATION (from 7 Sep 68)

 

Route history
Route 551 was introduced on (or about) 4 Jul 25 between Whetstone Griffin Inn and Edmonton Aerator's Works, via Arnos Grove (which was then largely undeveloped and rural) and the North Circular.  The Griffin at Whetstone had long been a staging post on the Great North Road and the 551 provided a connection with General route 84 and Overground route 284.
 
The route was first worked by Redburn's Motor Services, followed a month later by Biss Brothers and at the start of 1926 by Uneedus and HM Merry.  All used single-deck Dennises, except Uneedus who ran Guys.  On 27 Jan 26, the General joined in, with three K-class single-deckers worked from Tottenham Garage.  Later in 1926, more Dennises joined in, from Sear Brothers, Silver Star and Prince, whilst original operator Redburn's was absorbed by the General.  The other independents were in turn absorbed by the General, either directly or through amalgamation into Public (see 236), which was itself taken over by General in 1929.  The exception was Prince, whose single bus fades from the scene.
 
In 1928, the entire operation moved into Public's new Enfield (E) garage at Ponders End, and a year later the route was extended a small distance westwards to Totteridge Barnet Lane.  In 1931, the Dennises were replaced at E by new single-deck LTs.  August 1933, just after the creation of London Transport, saw the extension of the route further west via Mill Hill to Burnt Oak, and on 16 May 34 the Arnos Grove to Edmonton section was replaced by the 604, leaving the Burnt Oak to Arnos Grove route in a form that was to remain unchanged for 30 years.  Operation moved from Enfield to Palmers Green (AD). 
 
In common with other routes numbered under the Bassom system, short workings were given letter suffixes, which in the case of the 551 reached 551E.  This was a weekday working between Whetstone and Arnos Grove, introduced in February 1934 and double-decked (with LTs) in May of that year.  October 1934 saw the new route numbering system introduced and the 551 series became the 251.  The double-deck workings were replaced by increased running on the 34 in April 1935. 
 
The 1930s saw the development of much of the rural area that the route traversed.  Arnos Grove Station on the Piccadilly Line opened in 1932.  Mill Hill Broadway had developed around the 1867 Mill Hill Station, but was surrounded by open country until the 1930s.  The route shared the low bridge at Mill Hill with the 240 (later split, with the 240A becoming an RF route), requiring the continued use of single-deck buses until the road was lowered in 1966.
 
AD continued to operate single-deck LTs, aided by one T operated by Edgware (EW) garage on shorts between Burnt Oak and Mill Hill for one year from 1936.  In the summer of 1939, the whole route move from AD to EW, then in 1941, to increase the allocation, to Muswell Hill (MH), with EW retaining some Sundays workings until the following year.  From 1936 to 1941, then again from 1946, Sundays saw an increased allocation reflecting the rural nature of the route.  This peaked in 1947 and 1948 at 15 buses (against a weekday requirement of 9), with the balance changing by the mid-50s when Sunday allocation fell behind that on weekdays.
 
Muswell Hill had received its first TDs - all 31 of the Weymann-bodied batch of these Leyland single-deckers - between December 1946 and June 1947, primarily for the 212.  A further nine, from the Mann Egerton batch, were received in spring 1949 to replace the LTs on the 251.  The Sunday service still required 11 buses, so two LTs remained allocated on that day for the summer season (the 244 and part of the 210 were still LT-operated).
 
RF478 at Arnos GroveHaving received the first TDs in 1946, MH also received the first red RFs in 1952.  After introduction on the 210 (October 1952) and 212 (February 1953), RFs were also used on the 251 on Saturdays and winter Sundays from 1953 to May 1955.  This reflects the reduced requirement on the 212 at weekends and the 210 on winter Sundays; it is not clear why the formal allocation excluded RFs from May 1955 to October 1956. 
 
Doorless RF478 at Arnos Grove on 28 August 1961, when the route ran only to Burnt Oak and was operated by Muswell Hill.  
Photo © Gerald Mead
 
A reduced requirement for the 210 and 212 explains why only an extra 6 RFs were required to fully convert a route with a PVR of 9.  This was achieved by squeezing the most out of the central RF fleet of 225 buses.  In May 1957, including the 251, 210 RFs were scheduled for service (Monday to Friday) in the Central Area, higher than the 206 at the end of 1953 when Loughton received the 'extras' released through schedule improvements.  Six red RFs had been converted to Green Lines in 1956, accompanied by renumbering of several batches of buses.  Through the insistence of the unions that the central fleet be maintained at 225, six green RFs went to Sidcup on 1 Dec 56.  Along with a dozen loaned to cover the first RF overhaul programme, started in 1956, these allowed a net increase of 6 in the MH allocation although there was no mass influx.  The allocation schedules show the 251 as fully RF operated from 1 May 57; it seems likely in practice that conversion from TD was a gradual process.
 
RF445 at Arnos Grove in 1972Despite RF conversion by May, the winter 1957 allocation schedule also shows the requirement for a single TD on Monday to Friday.  This seems to have been TD127 and was the last TD at Muswell Hill.
 
Edgware-based OMO RF445 stands at the same terminus in 1972.  Compare the scene eleven years earlier, above.  
Photo Ian Armstrong collection
 
On 27 February 1963, the route moved unchanged (back) to Edgware garage as part of a reorganisation involving Enfield and Potters Bar garages; Muswell Hill gained the balance of the 134.  Edgware had only four months earlier replaced the last TDs by RFs on its long-standing route 240A.  October of that year saw the extension of some Sunday journeys (only) to Edgware, replacing garage workings from Burnt Oak.
 
OMO conversion of the 251, still with RFs, came in January 1965, in the second phase along with the 237.  The 240A remained crew-operated and lost its RFs in favour of RTs (as a Sunday-only route) in 1966.  In September 1968, the 251 was extended on weekdays to Stanmore via Edgware, to cover part of trolleybus replacement route 245.  On Sundays the route operated only as far as Edgware Station. 
Another period of stability followed until the RFs were finally replaced by BLs in January 1977, the same day as another very long running RF route, the 234A, and leaving RFs running only at Hounslow and Kingston.
 
BL9 in its final livery in the late 1980s.  It waits at Arnos Grove to depart for Stanmore Station.
Photo © Paul Davis, Ian Armstrong collection
 
BLs lasted until 1990, the last route to operate the class and replaced by a variety of midi-buses.  From 1990, the route was amended to double-run via Edgware Station, before being cut back to Edgware in 1993.  The route still runs, now operated by Metroline from Cricklewood and still covering General route 551.
 
 
RF route in detail, with timing points

ARNOS GROVE STATION, Bowes Road, Oakleigh Road South, Oakleigh Road Woodman, Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone Griffin, Totteridge Lane, Totteridge War Memorial, Totteridge Lane,  Totteridge Common, Highwood Hill, Highwood Hill Marsh Lane, Highwood Hill, Lawrence Street, Mill Hill Broadway, Mill Hill Station, LMR (later Mill Hill Broadway Station), Bunns Lane, Lyndhurst Avenue, Eversfield Gardens, Woodcroft Avenue (return direct from Woodcroft Avenue to Bunns Lane), Watling Avenue, Barnfield Road (return via Edgware Road), BURNT OAK Edgware Road (to 6 Sep 68).

 
Crew-operated RF325 working MH1 stands abandoned at the Barnfield Road stand at Burnt Oak; no doubt the crew are having tea in a cafe on the Edgware Road.  Their passengers look as if they're getting anxious.
Photo © JH Aston, Peter Gomm collection
 

ARNOS GROVE STATION, Bowes Road, Oakleigh Road South, Oakleigh Road Woodman, Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone Griffin, Totteridge Lane, Totteridge War Memorial, Totteridge Lane,  Totteridge Common, Highwood Hill, Highwood Hill Rising Sun, Highwood Hill, Lawrence Street, Mill Hill Broadway, Mill Hill Broadway Station, Bunns Lane, Lyndhurst Avenue, Eversfield Gardens, Woodcroft Avenue (return direct from Woodcroft Avenue to Bunns Lane), Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak Bald Faced Stag (Sunday journeys terminate Burnt Oak Barnfield Road), Edgware Road, High Street Edgware, EDGWARE STATION (Sun) or Edgware High Street, Edgware Road, London Road, STANMORE STATION (Mon to Sat) (from 7 Sep 68).

 

Based on 1955 map © London Transport

 

Burnt Oak terminal working: from Watling Avenue into Barnfield Road, layover on left, forward to Edgware Road, Watling Avenue.

 

When operating from Muswell Hill garage, buses entered and left service at Whetstone, suggesting that garage journeys ran via Friern Barnet Lane and Colney Hatch Lane.  From 9 Oct 63 (8 months after operation moved to Edgware), some Sunday garage journeys were extended from BURNT OAK Edgware Road to operate from EDGWARE ABC Cinema via Station Road, Edgware High Street, Edgware Road.  Otherwise until 1968, buses entered and left service at Burnt Oak or Highwood Hill.  

 

Faretable

To view the faretable for May 1965, including garage journeys, click here.

 

Garages

MH    Muswell Hill to 26 Feb 63 

EW    Edgware from 27 Feb 63

 

Vehicle allocation (but see notes)
PVR 1953 (May): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 6 RF + 3 TD, Sun 11 TD
PVR 1953 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 8 RF + 1 TD, Sun 5 RF + 4 TD
PVR 1954 (May): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 5 RF + 4 TD, Sun 11 TD
PVR 1954 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 5 RF + 4 TD, Sun 9 TD
PVR 1955 (May): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 9 TD, Sun 9 TD
PVR 1955 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 9 TD, Sun 7 TD
PVR 1956 (May): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 9 TD, Sun 9 TD
PVR 1956 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9 TD, Sat 6 RF + 3 TD, Sun 5 RF + 1 TD
PVR 1957 (May): Mon-Fri 9 RF, Sat 9 RF, Sun 8 RF
PVR 1957 (Oct): Mon-Fri 8 RF + 1 TD, Sat 9 RF, Sun 6 RF
PVR 1958 (Apr): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 7, Sun 7, now all RF
PVR 1958 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 7, Sun 5
PVR 1963 (May): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 6, Sun 5
PVR 1963 (Oct): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 5, Sun 4
PVR 1963 (Nov): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 7, Sun 4
PVR 1965 (Jan, OMO): Mon-Fri 11, Sat 9, Sun 5
PVR 1965 (Sep): Mon-Fri 9, Sat 7, Sun 5
PVR 1965 (Oct): Mon-Fri 11, Sat 9, Sun 5
PVR 1966 (Dec): Mon-Fri 11, Sat 7, Sun 4
PVR 1968 (Sep, extended): Mon-Fri 14, Sat 7, Sun 4
PVR 1969 (Jul): Mon-Fri 14, Sat 6, Sun 4
PVR 1971 (Apr): Mon-Fri 14, Sat 5, Sun 4
PVR 1972 (Dec): Mon-Fri 12, Sat 5, Sun 4
 

Memories

David Mitchell lived in Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone, until his family emigrated to Australia in September 1956.  He recalls:

'I regularly used the 251 route to school at Mill Hill and latterly to Stanmore.  I can certainly recall RFs running on the 251 before we left.  Although they certainly had not completely replaced the TDs by September 1956, as suggested they probably did so on Saturdays and Sundays. My memory indicates they began running some 18-24 months before the above date and I can remember being a most excited 12/13 year-old when they did!'

 

Ian Rivett, on his website, recalls the early days of RFs on the 251 from MH, running to the now defunct Barnfield Road terminus in Burnt Oak. 'MH 5, I think was the first to arrive in the morning followed by MH 6-9, then MH 1-4. The first four used to go towards Arnos Grove and the rest towards Burnt Oak. This was just on conversion after the TD's were withdrawn. MH 1, 4 & 7 used to depart to the garage after the morning peak only to return out of sequence in the afternoon. MH 1 followed MH 2, 4 after 5 and 7 after 8.

Although some sources list the Saturday 251 allocation as being mixed TD/RF from May 53 to May 57, I don't recall seeing a mixed allocation on Saturdays, only TD's.'