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 Red RF routes
Route 121
An early OMO conversion of an RT route, initially Monday to
Friday only with Saturdays retaining RTs for another three
years.
Dates of RF operation
7 Aug 66 to 23 Oct 76
(total 10 years 2 months, all
OMO).
RF531 heads for Chingford
on the last RF journey on the 121 - John Parkin was there
on 23 October 1976.
Destinations
ENFIELD TOWN to CHINGFORD Royal Forest Hotel (7 Aug 66 to 6 Sep
68)
ENFIELD TOWN to CHINGFORD STATION (7 Sep 68 to 23 Oct
76)
 Route history
Enfield's 121 (which before the war had been the number
of a different route entirely) started operation on 23 Feb 44,
running from Enfield Garage (Ponders End) to Chingford
Station. Except for two months in 1948 when Sunday services
were withdrawn, the route ran every day until 1966, when Sundays
were again cut.
By 1949 the route was running utility Guys, which
were joined in 1952 by the sole post-war Guy, experimental Park
Royal-bodied G436. The Guys were to have been replaced
by STDs from Hendon in 1952, along with double-decking of the
Waltham Cross routes 205 and 242, but a weak bridge meant that the
STDs were instead put to work on the 107. In the event, the
wartime Guys were replaced by RTs (initially RTLs on Sundays for
seven months from October 1951), with the last running on 11 Sep
52. G436 carried on, running Mondays to Fridays alongside RTs
until 15 Feb 55. The RTs also
replaced Enfield's single-deckers, on 6 May 53.
RT2114 crosses the River Lea heading for
Enfield.
Extension of the 121 came from October 1962, with a Saturday
shopping hours extension through Enfield to Enfield Chase Station,
then full time in February 1963 when the route reached
Chingford Royal Forest Hotel but ran only
to Enfield Town. Over the years, terminal arrangements
in Enfield varied as the town was
redeveloped. Initially, the stand was in Sydney Road,
then moved to Cecil Road in about 1965, then Palace Gardens in
about 1969.
When the new Lea Valley flyover opened in 1964 (?), the
route could no longer serve Ponders End Station and was diverted to
run direct over the flyover.
 One man operation with RFs (and an increased
frequency) arrived for Monday to Friday working only on 7 Aug 66,
bringing single-deckers back after 13 years. The route
continued unchanged - the use of the Royal Forest Hotel stand was
unusual, as it involved a one-man operated bus in a reversing
manoeuvre. It is believed that this was assisted by an
Inspector. From 7 Oct 68, all routes terminating at the Royal
Forest Hotel were shortened to run to Chingford Station.
RFs ran until 23 Oct 76, when the route was double-decked using
DMSs. In 1980 the route was extended to Turnpike Lane and the
following year saw Metrobuses replace the Daimlers. In 1982
the original route was replaced by the 313 and the 121 diverted to
Enfield Lock. In 1992, Palmers Green took over the route for
10 years, but it has now returned to Enfield operation.
Last bus RF531 on 20
August 1976
Photo © Paul Davis,
Ian Armstrong collection
RF route in detail, with timing points
ENFIELD TOWN Sydney Road, Southbury Road, Ponders End Enfield Garage, Nags
Head Rd, Lea Valley Rd, Chingford
Sewardstone Rd, Kings Head Hill, The Green,
Chingford Bull &
Crown, Station Rd, CHINGFORD Royal Forest
Hotel (M-F 7 Aug 66 to 6 Oct 68, RT operated
Sat)
 ENFIELD TOWN
Cecil Road, Southbury Road, Ponders End Enfield Garage, Nags
Head Rd, Lea Valley Rd, Chingford
Sewardstone Rd, Kings Head Hill, The Green, Station
Rd, CHINGFORD STATION (M-F 7 Sep 68 to 13 Jun 69, RT operated
Sat, M-S from 14 Jun 69)
ENFIELD TOWN Palace Gardens, Church Street (return
via London Road, Cecil Road, Sydney Road, Palace Gardens),
Southbury Road, Ponders End
Enfield Garage, Nags Head Rd, Lea Valley Rd,
Chingford Sewardstone
Rd, Kings Head Hill, The Green, Station Rd, CHINGFORD
STATION (M-S to 23 Oct 76, change of Enfield terminus some
time between Feb 69 and Apr 70)
(The centre of Enfield has been redeveloped since then and
some of these roads have disappeared)
Looking rather tired, RF533 stands at Enfield
Garage on 9 Oct 76, two weeks before the end. This bus then
went on to work at Uxbridge then Kingston.
Garages
RF allocation
PVR 1966: Mon-Fri 4, Sat [2 RT], Sun -
PVR 1969 (Jun): Mon-Fri 4, Sat 2, Sun -
RF533 again on 9 Oct 76,
this time picking up passengers in Enfield.
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