Picture Gallery:
Route 174 / 175 Running Day
31 March 2023
On Saturday 25th March 2023, the London Bus Museum operated a Heritage Running Day over Transport for London routes 174 (Dagenham to Harold Hill) and 175 (Dagenham to Romford, Chase Cross).
This was an extensive event, with more than 30 heritage buses involved, and certainly created a stir amongst the locals! Here is a selection of my pictures from the day.
All of the buses featured in this Gallery are traditional London Transport (LT) vehicles unless otherwise stated.
This was an extensive event, with more than 30 heritage buses involved, and certainly created a stir amongst the locals! Here is a selection of my pictures from the day.
All of the buses featured in this Gallery are traditional London Transport (LT) vehicles unless otherwise stated.
TITLE PICTURE: AEC Regent III RT 714 (JXC 77), new in 1948, is on Rush Green Road, passing the Clayton Road stop, in Romford. This one carries lettering for Abegweit Sightseeing Tours, of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Abegweit operated tours in Charlottetown using traditional London buses like this one.
Of course, numerous RT types were in evidence. RT 3933 (LLU 732, built 1950) is seen at the Arnold Road stop at the southern end of Heathway, in Dagenham.
RT 1790 (KYY 628, built 1950) is about to turn left from Wood Lane into the northern end of Heathway, a few minutes after the picture above.
There were fewer journeys offered on route 174, compared to that of the 175, so those that ran were very popular with enthusiasts. RT 2150 (KGK 959, built 1949) rounds the corner at Mercury Gardens in Romford town centre, on such a run from Harold Hill.
RT 4779 (OLD 566, built 1954) is looking resplendent in Western Road in Romford town centre. Note the Ukraine flag where the garage code would normally be displayed (nice touch), and also – oops – the 175 number erroneously displayed on the canopy blind.
Outwardly almost identical to the RT class, but with a different chassis, is Leyland RTL 1076 (LUC 253, built 1950), queuing in traffic at the junction of Wood Lane, Green Lane and Whalebone Lane South, Dagenham.
AEC Regent Low Height RLH 53 (MXX 253, built 1952), one of 76 such vehicles built for routes with low bridges, is also on Rush Green Road in Romford.
The passageway on the top-deck runs down the driver's side of the bus, with four-in-a-row seating to the left of it. One wonders what the casual passengers who were drawn away from their official buses will have made of this.
The passageway on the top-deck runs down the driver's side of the bus, with four-in-a-row seating to the left of it. One wonders what the casual passengers who were drawn away from their official buses will have made of this.
I was following this distinctive vehicle for miles, but was unable to get a front-facing picture... This is G351 (HGC 130), a Guy Arab II 'utility' vehicle from 1945.
These buses were built from low-grade components to strict specifications dictated by the Ministry of Supply. As it is still operational 78 years later one assumes that the components were OK?
It is loading up at Romford station. The almost-new electric bus across the road on route 174 provides a remarkable contract.
These buses were built from low-grade components to strict specifications dictated by the Ministry of Supply. As it is still operational 78 years later one assumes that the components were OK?
It is loading up at Romford station. The almost-new electric bus across the road on route 174 provides a remarkable contract.
STL 2377 (EGO 426), an AEC Regent I dating from 1937, was also out, and is seen here at Chase Cross, Romford, the main terminal point for the heritage service on route 175.
A few journeys from here ran out to Ongar but, unsurprisingly, these were hugely popular and fully subscribed.
A few journeys from here ran out to Ongar but, unsurprisingly, these were hugely popular and fully subscribed.
Looking very much at home as it passes under Romford station bridge is AEC Routemaster RM1993 (ALD 993B, built 1964), having just come in from Ongar. This was taken just before 10am, before the running day had really got going.
The 174 was scheduled for RMs from 1966, and the 175 from 1977. Both succumbed to doored crew buses (Leyland Titans) in 1982, and a year later the need for a conductor was considered unnecessary, and the two routes went driver-only with the same Leyland Titans (the Sunday service on the 175 had given way to driver-only operation in 1972).
The 174 was scheduled for RMs from 1966, and the 175 from 1977. Both succumbed to doored crew buses (Leyland Titans) in 1982, and a year later the need for a conductor was considered unnecessary, and the two routes went driver-only with the same Leyland Titans (the Sunday service on the 175 had given way to driver-only operation in 1972).
RM 2208 (CUV 208C, built 1965) is seen at Dagenham Library. I photographed this one through the downstairs window of an RT heading the other way!
RML Routemasters (the L for "long") were 2' 6" longer than the standard model, although, at 30 feet (9.1m in today's parlance), they still feel short compared to modern vehicles.
RML 2456 (JJD 456D, built 1966) and two other heritage vehicles have pushed Arriva London DW 254 (LJ59 GVC, a 10.4m / 34-foot long VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2) off its normal stand at New Road, Dagenham.
This RML started its life as a green bus operating out of Harlow, and ended up working the streets of East London as a red bus into the 21st Century.
RML 2456 (JJD 456D, built 1966) and two other heritage vehicles have pushed Arriva London DW 254 (LJ59 GVC, a 10.4m / 34-foot long VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2) off its normal stand at New Road, Dagenham.
This RML started its life as a green bus operating out of Harlow, and ended up working the streets of East London as a red bus into the 21st Century.
Long Routemaster RML2579 (JJD 579D, built 1966) and Arriva London DW252 (LJ59 AAY) call at Western Road in Romford Town Centre.
This RML is another that was refurbished for service into the 21st Century. It ended its official service days at Willesden garage, in North-West London, in 2004.
This RML is another that was refurbished for service into the 21st Century. It ended its official service days at Willesden garage, in North-West London, in 2004.
RM 1843 (843 DYE, built 1964) on route 174, in a picture taken from the railway bridge at Romford station (the link to Platform 1 – the London Overground platform for Upminster).
In 1966, British European Airways (BEA) bought 65 forward-entrance Routemasters for use on a service running between the West London Air Terminal at West Brompton and Heathrow Airport.
By 1975, with BEA service requirements reduced, and with London Transport (LT) struggling with a massive shortage of serviceable buses, 13 of the vehicles were sold to LT, and put into service on route 175, replacing RTs. These were the RMA class.
RMA 9 (NMY 646E) was one of the first batch to be acquired by LT. The batch purchased was a random selection of the 65 built, and LT numbered the ones it had bought in a continuous sequence from RMA1 upwards. So the 46th of the BEA batch became RMA 9.
Here it is, back on its old haunt on route 175, outside Romford station.
By 1975, with BEA service requirements reduced, and with London Transport (LT) struggling with a massive shortage of serviceable buses, 13 of the vehicles were sold to LT, and put into service on route 175, replacing RTs. These were the RMA class.
RMA 9 (NMY 646E) was one of the first batch to be acquired by LT. The batch purchased was a random selection of the 65 built, and LT numbered the ones it had bought in a continuous sequence from RMA1 upwards. So the 46th of the BEA batch became RMA 9.
Here it is, back on its old haunt on route 175, outside Romford station.
In service, the RMAs were never given blinds, running with just the route number and destination points on a piece of paper in the canopy, in exactly the same style as is shown here by the 34th vehicle (NMY 634E) in the BEA sequence (BEA did not number its vehicles).
Further batches of RMAs were purchased by LT, which eventually ended up with the whole lot.
It didn't do much with them, though. The allocation on the 175 lasted less than a year, after which RTs returned. RMAs never saw further service and ended up as staff buses, or in store.
This vehicle became RMA 50. It wasn't part of the 175's batch, so maybe this working, at Hainault Road, north of Romford town centre, is the first time it has worked the route.
Further batches of RMAs were purchased by LT, which eventually ended up with the whole lot.
It didn't do much with them, though. The allocation on the 175 lasted less than a year, after which RTs returned. RMAs never saw further service and ended up as staff buses, or in store.
This vehicle became RMA 50. It wasn't part of the 175's batch, so maybe this working, at Hainault Road, north of Romford town centre, is the first time it has worked the route.
In BEA colours is the second of the original batch, KGY 602D. This eventually joined LT as RMA 14, although it was renumbered, after sale for preservation, as RMA 2. (The original RMA 2 was the 26th BEA vehicle - confused?)
This one is seen less than two minutes behind RMA 50, in North Romford. It is closer to the condition in which its stablemates worked out of North Street, Romford - with no blind box fitted.
This one is seen less than two minutes behind RMA 50, in North Romford. It is closer to the condition in which its stablemates worked out of North Street, Romford - with no blind box fitted.
A couple of more modern types were also in evidence on the Running Day. Experience elsewhere suggests that regular punters are less likely to be able to tell the difference between an old doored bus and a modern one, although perhaps the bright yellow Capital Citybus livery of J135 PVC, a 1991-built Leyland Olympian, might have been a giveaway! This wasn't an LT bus, but was bought to furnish tender wins in East London.
This is near the Arnold Road stop in Heathway, Dagenham.
This is near the Arnold Road stop in Heathway, Dagenham.
Leyland Titan T66 (WYV 66T) ran a couple of journeys on the 174 Express – a route that operated for real between 1955 and 1977, and again between 1986 & 1990.
The bus is parked up at Romford North Street bus garage, which actually operated T66 from new in 1980, although it was transferred away quite early and probably never worked the 174 Express for real.
The bus is parked up at Romford North Street bus garage, which actually operated T66 from new in 1980, although it was transferred away quite early and probably never worked the 174 Express for real.
The only non-London vehicle participating (to my knowledge) was Reading Buses 801 (X100 RDG), a Scania N94UD OmniDekka of 2004 vintage.
This vehicle is still a Reading Bus, and, according to bustimes.org, was used in service that evening on route 702, from London Victoria to Reading, as a means of getting back to base! It is therefore the only bus used on the Running Day that is still in regular service!
This vehicle is still a Reading Bus, and, according to bustimes.org, was used in service that evening on route 702, from London Victoria to Reading, as a means of getting back to base! It is therefore the only bus used on the Running Day that is still in regular service!
A couple of journeys operated on former Green Line route 712 between Romford and Passingford Bridge, on which AEC Regal IV RF 600 (NLE 600, built 1953) is seen in North Street, Romford, just south of the A12.
Like all journeys that operated to Passingford Bridge and Ongar (I went for one of the former from Chase Cross but it didn't show - I might have been standing in the wrong place), it was very popular!
Like all journeys that operated to Passingford Bridge and Ongar (I went for one of the former from Chase Cross but it didn't show - I might have been standing in the wrong place), it was very popular!
LT-style running cards were produced; this one is on RML 2579.
A capacity crowd accompanied RT 4779 (OLD 566, built 1954) on a trip beyond the normal 174 terminus at Harold Hill, to its old haunt at Noak Hill, Pentowan Farm, from where a three-point turn into the farm gates was required before the bus could start on the return trip.
Passengers on this special working had to disembark before the turn could be effected, hence the number of people standing around.
Passengers on this special working had to disembark before the turn could be effected, hence the number of people standing around.
RT 4779 in the midst of its three-point turn...
...and ready to load again for the next trip!
There are no bus services down this road nowadays. Not surprising, given how rural it is (although the M25 is less than half-a-mile away)...
There are no bus services down this road nowadays. Not surprising, given how rural it is (although the M25 is less than half-a-mile away)...
Huge thanks to the London Bus Museum for organising such an enjoyable day, and to all the bus owners and crews involved! There is another event planned for Sunday 11th June 2023, on routes 65 (Ealing to Kingston) and 71 (Kingston and Chessington).
I must also acknowledge Ian Armstrong's London Bus Routes website and Ian's Bus Stop for some of the more specific historical information that I have used in this Gallery.
I must also acknowledge Ian Armstrong's London Bus Routes website and Ian's Bus Stop for some of the more specific historical information that I have used in this Gallery.