Favourite London bus route?

[Welly]

That was the 26 you caught - it doesn't actually go to the centre of Hackney (which doesn't have a High Street), but you would have passed by Well Street Market. These days Hackney is looking considerably less shabby than it used to.

The 26 was created in July 1992 to replace the eastern section of route 6 and convert it to driver-only operation. Route 6 used to run all the way from Kensal Rise to Hackney Wick but was curtailed to Aldwych.

Thanks for the info, it was about 20 years ago when I rode that bus - one thing that I just remembered, when my mate and I came back to Waterloo, we discovered that the following 26 had bumped into a taxi on the bridge!

 

[NorthKent1989]

The 180, my second favourite route is being axed west of Charlton later this year and being rerouted to North Greenwich, because that’s all we need is another bus to North Greenwich, rather than a useful quick link between Thamesmead, Woolwich, Charlton, Greenwich and Lewisham.

It’s also being extended to Erith for some reason, who ever decided this needs their head checked out for holes

 

[Busaholic]

The 180, my second favourite route is being axed west of Charlton later this year and being rerouted to North Greenwich, because that’s all we need is another bus to North Greenwich, rather than a useful quick link between Thamesmead, Woolwich, Charlton, Greenwich and Lewisham.

It’s also being extended to Erith for some reason, who ever decided this needs their head checked out for holes

I couldn't agree more with your first paragraph - it's one of those decisions where you seriously doubt the credentials of the people making it, or even their sanity! Catford and Abbey Wood garages' first ever Routemaster route, converted from the smaller RT in preference to routes like the 47, 54, 161/A or 177. Always busy ime, even in the evenings. The 'alternative' routes are pathetic and passengers will either find new ways of travelling or abandon those journeys altogether.

 

[Wirewiper]

You certainly used to be allowed to walk through it, though it can’t have been good for respiratory health!

You can still walk through the Rotherhithe Tunnel. TfL reckon that there are twenty transits of the Tunnel on foot each weekday.

I did it once. It took me 25 minutes and I felt dizzy at the end.

 

[Wirewiper]

Original 82 was Stepney-Rotherhithe route did a loop round the old Surrey Commercial Docks, what is now Bermondsey, 82 was partly replaced by the P2 South Bermondsey-Rotherhithe, but P2 stayed on the south bank & never went through the tunnel

P14 Surrey Quays-Isle Of Dogs appeared in 88, operated by minibuses, but was withdrawn in 99, partly replaced by the 395 Limehouse-Surrey Quays, which in turn was withdrawn in 06, don't think any route has gone through the Rotherhithe tunnel since.

I was on the last-ever 395 through the Rotherhithe Tunnel, in both directions. For possibly the first time (and definitely the last!) it carried a standing load. Mercedes minibuses were used as the tunnel had a 7'6" width restriction (there were 3 for a PVR of 2).

I did read somewhere that the driver of the last-ever 395 also drove the last 82 through the Tunnel. The 82 was axed in October 1968, just before the Surrey Commercial Docks (which were largely the reason for the route) finally closed. The buses had specially reinforced tyres because of the constant rubbing against the kerb.

As mentioned above, the East London Line replacement buses which operated during the 1990s also operated via the Tunnel. These were Optare Starriders in an orange livery and the route was lettered ELT. This route was not replicated when the line was converted to London Overground operation. For a while Tower Hamlets Council operated a special shoppers minibus between Wapping and the shopping centre at Surrey Quays; this was free, but only Tower Hamlets residents could use it and they had to apply for a permit.

 

[PeterC]

Actually, it's the Queens FRONT garden.

Much more exciting for small children for it to be the back garden, you can see into everybody's front garden.

I think for nostalgia another route for me is the 25, as a 14 year old bus spotter a day out usually involved travelling the length of the route from Becontree Heath to Victoria.

Comments on the 251 remind me of a different 251 that ran in London. The Eastern National service that ran from Wood Green to Southend. You had to be alert if you wanted to catch it as the drivers treated all stops as request stops. My mother never really got the idea that it had been taken over by Eastern National and if she didn't refer to it as City Coaches would insist that it was Green Line.

 

[Busaholic]

Much more exciting for small children for it to be the back garden, you can see into everybody's front garden.

I think for nostalgia another route for me is the 25, as a 14 year old bus spotter a day out usually involved travelling the length of the route from Becontree Heath to Victoria.

Comments on the 251 remind me of a different 251 that ran in London. The Eastern National service that ran from Wood Green to Southend. You had to be alert if you wanted to catch it as the drivers treated all stops as request stops. My mother never really got the idea that it had been taken over by Eastern National and if she didn't refer to it as City Coaches would insist that it was Green Line.

Went on the EN 251 just the once,, from Wood Green to Thundersley (?) accompanying my godmother to visit her relatives. I think it was Lodekka operated, but my main excitement lay in taking a trolleybus (either a 521 or 621) from King's Cross to Wood Green beforehand, the only time I got to travel on trolleys in that area. Never have made it into Southend either!

 

[PeterC]

Went on the EN 251 just the once,, from Wood Green to Thundersley (?) accompanying my godmother to visit her relatives. I think it was Lodekka operated, but my main excitement lay in taking a trolleybus (either a 521 or 621) from King's Cross to Wood Green beforehand, the only time I got to travel on trolleys in that area. Never have made it into Southend either!

I am not up with every variation of the route over the years but in all of my time you would have needed a local bus from Rayleigh to complete the journey. Most of my use was travelling between Romford and Brentwood with the occasional trip to a rather nice Chinese restaurant in Billericay. Before the M25 was built you could often see deer grazing in the fields by the Brook Street roundabout in the mornings which always cheered me up on the way to the rather dismal job that I had at the time. I think that you are right about Lodekkas, IIRC operated out of both Wood Green and Brentwood.

 

[Busaholic]

I am not up with every variation of the route over the years but in all of my time you would have needed a local bus from Rayleigh to complete the journey. Most of my use was travelling between Romford and Brentwood with the occasional trip to a rather nice Chinese restaurant in Billericay. Before the M25 was built you could often see deer grazing in the fields by the Brook Street roundabout in the mornings which always cheered me up on the way to the rather dismal job that I had at the time. I think that you are right about Lodekkas, IIRC operated out of both Wood Green and Brentwood.

We probably did transfer at Rayleigh - bear in mind it was sixty years ago, and I was probably quite tired by that stage of the journey! I don't recollect anything about the return journey either.