204

Destinations

UXBRIDGE STATION to HAYES STATION

RFs still rule the roost at Uxbridge in early summer 1973. Uxbridge garage's RF391 departs on the 204 to Hayes Station, passing London Country RF568 from Windsor garage, sporting decidedly non-LT blinds. Did Uxbridge residents know where 'Farnham Road George' was, one wonders? The 204 was converted to Swift operation in June; both RFs were to be sold for scrap the following year. A 'modernised' former Green Line RF on the 457^A to Windsor Castle sits behind, while Garston's really rattly Atlantean AN96 in London & Manchester advertising livery has run in on the 321 and is hiding.

Photo © John Parkin

Route history

The 204 was introduced in 1951 as part of the post-war expansion of services, running daily from Uxbridge via Colham Green to Hayes Station (known to the Great Western as Hayes & Harlington). Uxbridge garage (UX) provided STLs on weekdays and RTs on Sundays, with RTs taking over completely the following year. The Uxbridge to Colham Green section was shared with the 223, with which route the 204 remained closely associated.

A peaceful Sunday at Uxbridge. RF402 works UX32 to Hayes Bourne Avenue.

Photo Peter Gomm collection

The first change was in February 1955, when the 204 took over the 223's Sunday workings from Uxbridge to Ruislip, together with part of its Monday to Friday peak hour service. These journeys were passed back to the 223 in March 1961, except for one morning and one evening journey on Monday to Friday which operated for two more years before being withdrawn. On the same date, 8 Mar 63, the route was extended southwards from Uxbridge instead, on Monday to Friday, to West Drayton (between peaks and early evening) and (peak hours) London Airport Central. This extension replaced the 224^C.

Also on 8 Mar 63, the Saturday service was withdrawn, being replaced by the 204^A. This route recreated the Ruislip link during shopping hours on that day, with a corresponding reduction in the 223 service, otherwise running simply between Uxbridge and Hayes. The 204^A lasted until the end of 1966, when the Ruislip journeys reverted to the 223 and the remainder was renumbered 204.

Thus in the late 60s, the route ran from Hayes Station to Uxbridge, then on to West Drayton and Heathrow on Monday to Friday. The next change came on 19 Apr 70, when the route was extended on Sundays from Hayes Station to Hayes Bourne Avenue.

The conversion from RT to OMO RF occurred simultaneously with that of the 223/224/224^B on 16 Jan 71, along with the transfer of the Heathrow services to the RT-operated 222 (as far as Heathrow North) and the revised 223. The RFs didn't last long on the route, being replaced by SMSs on 30 Jun 73.

SMS382 works to Hayes Station in 1978 or 1979. This bus was only 11 years old when scrapped in 1982.

The route was extended daily to Bourne Avenue in 1979 and converted to LS-operation in 1980, before being renumbered U4 in 1989. The U4 is now a busy route and was converted to double-deck operation a few years ago.

RF route in detail, with timing points

Red RF routes

Route 204