Central Area single-deck routes

The East

 

Having been delivered after the outbreak of war and suffering from a lack of time to learn the maintenance of their new rear-engined layout, the little CR-class Cubs were soon put into store and had very little opportuntiy to work on the Central Area one-man routes for which they were intended.  With only three OMO routes left in operation at the end of the war, all nominally operated by standard C-class Cubs, they were generally used (most unsuitably) as two-man operated rush-hour extras, often on central London routes and withdrawn within a few years.  Two however made it back to Hornchurch in 1946, then home of the last two OMO routes 238 and 252.  Poor CR30 looks very much the worse for wear as it sits at Gidea Park Station, short-working terminus of the 238.

The CRs don't look suitable for one-man operation, with their forward-control cabs, but the door was far enough forward to enable the driver to deal with passengers.  The ticket-rack was mounted under the nearside cab window, and the entrance door was air operated (the predecessors to the CRs were the Dennis Dart DA class; on these, the folding doors were operated manually by a lever).

Photo © PM Photography

 

The single-deck routes operated in the east of London at any time between October 1934 and the introduction of RF operation on the relevant routes are summarised in the table below the map.  Minor re-routings are not shown.

 

In the main, these were thinly-used routes that did not justify double-deck operation until the suburbs expanded - all apart from the 250 were double-decked by the 1950s.  Some of the routes were started by independent operators, before being taken over by the General and numbered into the G series.  As can be seen, there were many detailed changes as the area developed, until after the war some stability was achieved.  Also of note is the 248, which was affected by a low bridge and became well known as the RLH route that was (by then) completely off the edge of the bus map.

 

An approximation of the routes operated is shown on the following map (click on the map for a larger version).  Note that not all routes operated at the same time.  Routes operated only before or during the war are shown in orange, red both before and after the war and purple are post-war introductions.  See the table for more detail.

 

Based on the 1949 bus map © London Transport

 

Single-deck routes in east London, October 1934 to RF conversion

 

Route  Destinations (daily unless shown)  Garage(s)    Bus types    Dates of operation (pre-RF) 
150

Brkingside Old Maypole and Hainault Regarder Road

 

 T

T,

T/LTL (Nov 47)

New route (planned as double-deck)

26 Feb 47 to 11 Dec 47

Double-decked and extended to Chigwell Row
229

Woodford Avenue Claybury Broadway and Barkingside Mossford Green

 

 T DA (OMO)

New route

23 Mar 38 to 6 Jun 39

Double-decked, extended to Ilford and renumbered 129
238

Emerson Park Wingletye Lane and Noak Hill Pentowan Cafe (M-Sa 29 Oct 41 to 25 May 46)

 

 RD C (OMO),

T (20 Jul 49),

TD (late 50)

New route

20 Nov 40 to 18 May 54

Route double-decked
246

Hornchurch Station and Collier Row White Hart, extended summer Su to Chigwell Row Maypole Inn

 

 RD T

 

Renumbered from 305A

3 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36
 

Hornchurch Station and Romford Parkside Hotel

 

 RD T

9 Dec 36 to 19 Nov 40

Partly replaced by 66
247

Romford Mawney Road and  Brentwood Robin Hood & Little John

 

 RD LTL

Renumbered from G2

4 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36
 

Chadwell Heath Wangey Road and Brentwood Robin Hood & Little John,

journeys Chadwell Heath Wangey Road and Harold Wood Station

 

 RD LTL 9 Dec 36 to 19 Nov 40
 

Single-deck section

Romford Parkside Hotel (Collier Row White Hart  from 17 Apr 46) and Brentwood Robin Hood & Little John

 

 

RD

 

LTL,

TD (early 49)

 

20 Nov 40 to 4 Apr 50 (journeys M-F or M-Sa using one TD ex-250 until 5 Dec 50)

Entire service double-decked
  Double-deck section

Collier Row White Hart and Harold Wood Station (or Shepherd & Dog)

 

 

RD

 

ST/STL,

G (late 45)

 

20 Nov 40 to 4 Apr 50
247A

Chadwell Heath Wangey Road and Harold Wood Station (Shepherd & Dog Su)

 

 RD LTL

Renumbered from 187

4 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36

Replaced by 247
 

Collier Row White Hart and Harold Hill Estate Gooshays Drive (M-F journeys using one bus ex 250)

 

 RD (NS from 12 Aug 53) TD (main service double-deck G/STL/RTL/RT)

Harold Wood Station journeys of 247 renumbered and extended.

One TD worked off 250 from 6 Dec 50 to 29 Apr 58
248

Upminster Station and Cranham Moor

Lane

 

 RD

DA (OMO),

T (5 Aug 36),

TD (early 49)

Renumbered from G3

3 Oct 34 to 25 Oct 49
 

Upminster River Drive and Cranham Moor Lane

 

 RD TD

26 Oct 49 to 15 Feb 55

Double-decked with RLH
249

Upminster Station and Corbets Tey Huntsman & Hounds (M-Sa)

 

 RD

DA (OMO),

T (5 Aug 36)

Renumbered from G2

3 Oct 34 to 21 May 46

Route double-decked
250

Romford Gordon Avenue (Laburnum Avenue from 9 Dec 36) and Epping Town Cock

 

 RD T

Renumbered from G7

3 Oct 34 to 12 Dec 39
 

Epping section

Romford Station (Gidea Park Station, Su to 12 May 40) and Epping Town Cock

 

 

RD

 

T,

TD (late 48)

 

13 Dec 39 to 2 May 50
  Emerson Park section

Romford Parkside Hotel and Emerson Park Wingletye Lane (M-Sa)

 

 

RD

 

T

 

13 Dec 39 to 19 Nov 40

Replaced by 238
 

Hornchurch Garage (journeys from Corbets Tey M-Sa pm, 18 Feb to 14 Apr 59) and Epping Town Cock

 

RD,

NS from 12 Aug 53

 TD 3 May 50 to RF conversion
250A

Romford Gordon Avenue and Ongar Four Wantz Corner

 

 RD LTL

Renumbered from G6

3 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36

Route double-decked as 123
252

Romford Birch Road and Noak Hill Bear (Pentowan Cafe from 28 Nov 34)

 

BK to 8 Dec 36

 

RD from 9 Dec 36

DA (OMO),

DM/C (OMO, mid 35),

C (OMO, May 36)

DA (OMO),

C (OMO, early 37)

 

 Renumbered from G5

3 Oct 34 to 19 Nov 40

Gidea Park to Noak Hill section replaced by 238
 

Romford Birch Road and Romford Station 

 

 RD

C (OMO),

T (20 Jul 49),

TD (early 53)

20 Nov 40 to 7 Jan 58

Service double-decked
252A

Romford Birch Road and Harold Wood Station

 

 BK

From 252 allocation

Renumbered from G5A

3 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36

Replaced to Harold Wood by 247
252A

Romford Birch Road and Elm Park Avenue Elm Park Hotel

 

 RD C (OMO)

New route

3 May 39 to 12 Dec 39

Replaced to Elm Park by 123
252B

Romford Birch Road and Emerson Park Wingletye Lane

 

BK to  4 Jun 35

RD from 5 Jun 35

DA (OMO)

 

DM (OMO),

DA (OMO, Jul 35)

 Renumbered from G5B

3 Oct 34 to 8 Dec 36

Replaced to Emerson Park by 256
253

Collier Row Bell & Gate and Rainham

White Post Corner

 

 RD T

Replaced unnumbered Imperial route

21 Nov 34 to 8 Dec 36
 

Chigwell Row Maypole Inn (summer Su, 1937-38), Collier Row White Hart (Sa to 11 May 40, Su 3 May 39 to 17 Mar 40), Romford Parkside Hotel

and Rainham White Post Corner

 

 RD T

9 Dec 36 to 19 Nov 40

Double-decked as 165
254

Buckhurst Hill Station and Loughton Station

 

 L

T,

TD (Feb 53)

New route

18 Jan 50 to RF conversion
256

Romford Parkside Hotel and Emerson Park Wingletye Lane (M-Sa from 4 May 38)

 

 RD T

Replaced Route 252B (part)

9 Dec 36 to 12 Dec 39 

Replaced by 250

 

Note on routings: see the map for an outline; in a few cases, detailed changes took place that are not shown.

 

Note on bus types: all classes are shown but did not all work throughout the relevant period.  LTL is used for LT single-deckers ('Scooters').

 

Garage codes: see list of RF garages, others that do not appear are:

    RD     Hornchurch

 

Although this picture was taken as late as 1970, it shows a Romford landmark in its unreconstructed state.  Roneo Corner and South Street, with RF497 on the last leg of its long journey from Epping.  The 250 started life in 1929 operated by independent operator Capitol.
Photo © David Christie