Green Line bus 719

[railfan john]

Green Line bus 719

I was born in Willesden London, then moved to Kingsbury.

I remember the 719 bus route running along Willesden high road and running along Salmon street in Kingsbury.

I used to catch the 719 bus quite often from London to get home because it was quicker then the red busses because it did not stop at every stop.

It had a fare not lower than 5 shillings.

I think if I remember caught the bus in Kingsbury once to Swanley.

It is a shame it finished, I do not think there is a Green Line route in Willesden and Kingsbury now.

I also remember the RFs and RMs on the route.

 

[RT4038]

Green Line bus 719

I was born in Willesden London, then moved to Kingsbury.

I remember the 719 bus route running along Willesden high road and running along Salmon street in Kingsbury.

I used to catch the 719 bus quite often from London to get home because it was quicker then the red busses because it did not stop at every stop.

It had a fare not lower than 5 shillings.

I think if I remember caught the bus in Kingsbury once to Swanley.

It is a shame it finished, I do not think there is a Green Line route in Willesden and Kingsbury now.

I also remember the RFs and RMs on the route.

Please find attached an extract of the 719 faretable for October 1969 (the last in London Transport days). The minimum fare was 2/- in the Central bus area and 1/6 in the Country bus area. My memory plays tricks on me too!

My grandparents lived off Salmon Street, near the roundabout, and our family frequently used this service to and from our home in Maida Vale. The 719 had the closest stop, it being a long walk to Church Lane or Blackbird Cross for a 52, changing to an 8 at Willesden Garage.

The RMCs replaced RFs on 21 November 1962, until 20 December 1967, when RFs returned by now OMO.

Never went south of Maida Vale on it - Wrotham might as well have been on the moon! My other grandparents lived in Hatfield, and we often caught the 716/A (and earlier 717) from Wellington Road by Lord's; crew operated RFs, RMCs and relief RTs too. Did get to both Hitchin and Woking also on those routes!

 

[Busaholic]

Green Line bus 719

I was born in Willesden London, then moved to Kingsbury.

I remember the 719 bus route running along Willesden high road and running along Salmon street in Kingsbury.

I used to catch the 719 bus quite often from London to get home because it was quicker then the red busses because it did not stop at every stop.

It had a fare not lower than 5 shillings.

I think if I remember caught the bus in Kingsbury once to Swanley.

It is a shame it finished, I do not think there is a Green Line route in Willesden and Kingsbury now.

I also remember the RFs and RMs on the route.

The 719 was rather a late addition to the Green Line network, and was unusual in terminating at Victoria, Eccleston Bridge rather than extending it through to Kent, Surrey or East Sussex. It soon gained that extension to Wrotham, Kent, that had been served by the 703, then (briefly) the 717. Its day in the sun occurred every year with motor racing at Brands Hatch, the U.K.'s premier Grand Prix venue in the 1950s to 1970s. Then non-stop duplicates, invariably double decks, buses and coached, ran from Victoria. The Country Bus Dept guarded their right to run these at the expense of Maidstone and District and red LT buses which had been used as short extensions to the circuit on the 21 during the 1950s. I also recollect, working for LT at Grosvenor Place in the early 1970s seeing a regular bus RT working on a 'short' from Hemel to London and return at the beginning of the p.m.peak. IIRC it was the last regular i.e. scheduled such working on Green Line.

 

[edwin_m]

I used to stay with my grandmother in Bushey Heath, and I remember seeing the Green Lines passing through but never recollect boarding one. Instead got the 142 to Stanmore/Edgware or the 142/258 to Watford, which were at the time those red single deckers with automatic fare collection that seemed to take up about half the bus and nobody ever used it. This would be mid-70s. I don't recall why - maybe because it was cheaper or because the nearest stop was Windmill Lane between the Alpine and the Three Crowns but only the buses would deign to stop there. However it was also the first stop outside Greater London so depending on the vagaries of politics there were periods when it was cheaper to catch it from the Alpine when heading for Stanmore. Someone who was careful with money I guess...

 

[MotCO]

Instead got the 142 to Stanmore/Edgware or the 142/258 to Watford, which were at the time those red single deckers with automatic fare collection that seemed to take up about half the bus and nobody ever used it.

This is the AFC equipment in Metrobus M6 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajrm1...qHv-cZ93e9-osnX63-ovZksX-owckSa-ocQ9Xm-cZ92XC (Not my photo)

 

[Seehof]

What fond memories people have evoked in me. I worked for LT Buses in Grosvenor Place and took the RT on the 719 home to Bushey Heath one evening. I used the Green Lines a lot to Watford and London but I especially liked the 719’s short country section on the Fryent Way, I think it was called, near Kingsbury.

 

[RT4038]

What fond memories people have evoked in me. I worked for LT Buses in Grosvenor Place and took the RT on the 719 home to Bushey Heath one evening. I used the Green Lines a lot to Watford and London but I especially liked the 719’s short country section on the Fryent Way, I think it was called, near Kingsbury.

I think this country section is called Barn Hill. When I was young there was a dairy farm, but I think it is now a Country Park.

 

[frodshamfella]

I remember seeing the 719 operating in South East London/ Kent.. Eltham , Sidcup areas

 

[delt1c]

This is the AFC equipment in Metrobus M6 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajrm1...qHv-cZ93e9-osnX63-ovZksX-owckSa-ocQ9Xm-cZ92XC (Not my photo)

I worked for LT in the 70’s and the AFC was used predominantly by fare dogers paying child fare.

 

[MotCO]

I worked for LT in the 70’s and the AFC was used predominantly by fare dogers paying child fare.

I used to use them since there was never queue for them! There was also a 'magic eye' or something which would not allow the next ticket to be issued unless the previous person had gone through the turnstyle. However, sometimes it hiccuped, and you had to wave your arm to break the magic eye beam so you could get your ticket.

The other thing which I remember is that the fare stages were updated by the driver. It was alright when the fare stages were increasing, but on the journey back when they were decreasing, the machine could only go in an ascending order so had to chunter through all 50 or so fare stages to get back to 1 to start again to get to the required number.

 

[delt1c]

What seemed crazy about the AFC was that although discontinued and isolated the 1st Titans and Metro Buses were fitted from new although never used. Also to the best of my knowledge it was never removed just left in place to irritate the passengers with the rattles produced from the equipment.