Memories of London Country

[Mike99]

I was very lucky as a teenager lived in Penge and had many trips to West Croydon so plenty of green action.

 

[wimbledonpete]

Capital Transport who publish Laurie Akehurst's book have another called Green No More which is basically the London Country story from 1970 onwards. Lots of detail on route changes in the period.

 

[Busaholic]

I just ordered a copy of the London country in 1970s book, was a good price .

It was one of Ian Allan's better books, published before they seemed to start losing their way around the millennium. Picture quality was good and overall a decent production - I think you'll enjoy it.

 

[matt_world2004]

Did the london country buses have the same farescale as the london transport red routes?

 

[Typhoon]

Did the london country buses have the same farescale as the london transport red routes?

Tricky. The route I am most familiar with seemed (much) more expensive but it disappeared into Kent quite quickly, whereas others I saw but rarely travelled on were largely inside London.

London Country Bus Services was part of NBC and in financial straits (old vehicles, falling passenger numbers) so my recollection was of fairly regular fare rises. The red buses went to the GLC (opportunity for subsidy).
What I don't know/ remember is whether London Country in London had to stick to London fares and whether the forerunner of London Country (LT Country area) operated the same fare scale. My guess would be not as the buses drifted into some pretty remote parts of the Home Counties which were not the most obvious bus territory so ridership was low and would have required cross-subsidy to maintain the same fares as say Barking, Battersea or Barnsbury. But my guess is worth next to nothing!

 

[frodshamfella]

It was one of Ian Allan's better books, published before they seemed to start losing their way around the millennium. Picture quality was good and overall a decent production - I think you'll enjoy it.

thank you

 

[frodshamfella]

Tricky. The route I am most familiar with seemed (much) more expensive but it disappeared into Kent quite quickly, whereas others I saw but rarely travelled on were largely inside London.

London Country Bus Services was part of NBC and in financial straits (old vehicles, falling passenger numbers) so my recollection was of fairly regular fare rises. The red buses went to the GLC (opportunity for subsidy).
What I don't know/ remember is whether London Country in London had to stick to London fares and whether the forerunner of London Country (LT Country area) operated the same fare scale. My guess would be not as the buses drifted into some pretty remote parts of the Home Counties which were not the most obvious bus territory so ridership was low and would have required cross-subsidy to maintain the same fares as say Barking, Battersea or Barnsbury. But my guess is worth next to nothing!

Yes I recall if I took a 96 from Bexleyheath to Dartford it was cheaper than taking a London Country 486. However when I was about 14 or 15 I used to go to Sidcup quite often, I'm used the 492 and I don't remember it being much dearer if at all than LT 229.

 

[Typhoon]

Yes I recall if I took a 96 from Bexleyheath to Dartford it was cheaper than taking a London Country 486. However when I was about 14 or 15 I used to go to Sidcup quite often, I'm used the 492 and I don't remember it being much dearer if at all than LT 229.

Useful. Bexleyheath to Sidcup - within Greater London.
Bexleyheath to Dartford - crosses into Kent. (Although the 486 was a longer way round, as well.)

 

[Bookd]

My recollection from the 70s is of the route between Croydon and Cheam which was covered by both LCBS and red buses. My memory is that LCBS charged the same fares as LT as far as the GLC boundary beyond which they had their own graduated scale.

 

[Typhoon]

My recollection from the 70s is of the route between Croydon and Cheam which was covered by both LCBS and red buses. My memory is that LCBS charged the same fares as LT as far as the GLC boundary beyond which they had their own graduated scale.

Thank you. Our memories cannot all be at fault.

This is stretching my imagination but on LCBS RMLs (and presumably RTs) there used to be a fare table by the stairs. Provided me with hours of interest (working out how I could save a few pence by getting off a stop early/ walking to the next stop). I dimly recall a section being shaded - perhaps this was the GLC area with GLC fares?

 

[Samuel88]

As a side question what were the frequencies of London country routes? Nowadays the 486 runs every 7-8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes during the evening, were London country frequencies anything close to that?

 

[DavidGrain]

The first time I went to London was a a boy. My dad took us by car down the M1 when that was still fairly new. We stopped somewhere in North London for a picnic lunch. I had heard that London buses were red so I expected to see something like my local Midland Reds. I was surprised to see green buses with London Transport on the side. This was when I first learned that there were both red and green buses in London. I remember when the green bus services of London Transport were handed over to the National Bus Company and operated as London Country. I also have the London Country book that others have mentioned and am sorry not to have learned more about this operator, both as LT and as LC.

Two years ago I had occasion to go to Epsom and was surprised on walking out of the station to see red buses operating on the 406 which I knew from its number should historically have been a green bus.

I think it was on route 38 in central London a few months ago that I saw a 'Borrismaster' painted in the old full London Transport green livery. Unfortunately I seem to have lost the photo I took of it.

 

[Typhoon]

As a side question what were the frequencies of London country routes? Nowadays the 486 runs every 7-8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes during the evening, were London country frequencies anything close to that?

I think I am going to disillusion you. The 486 now bears almost no resemblance to the 486 of the late 60s/early 70s.

LCBS Joyce Green Hospital* (Dartford) - Dartford - Crayford - Bexleyheath - Upper Belvedere (Eardley Arms)

TfL Bexleyheath - Welling - Shooters Hill - QE Hospital - Charlton - North Greenwich

I suspect that the LBS didn't even morph into the current version. The present 486 originates from 2001 apparently, so probably just a spare number TfL hadn't used. My guess at the frequency of the LCBS 486 would be half-hourly (I would be amazed if it was more regular). 480 was every 10 minutes over Dartford - Denton section, every 20 minutes Erith - Dartford. Except for 'town' routes and a few others, in the Kent area, half-hourly or hourly was the order of the day.

* - long since bulldozed.

 

[CatfordCat]

I was brought up in Bexleyheath and as a lad I remember the local routes of London Country. I'm talking of 1970s, routes 400 401 401A 486. Plus the 491 from Belvedere to Horton Kirby and 467 from Sidcup to the same destination. Does anyone remember this period ?

To an extent. Grew up further in to red bus territory (the user name may hint roughly where), but remember RFs frequently covering for RP / SMA types on the 704, 705 and 725 routes well in to the 70s. We occasionally got as far as green bus territory at Dartford, and slightly more often at Croydon, Orpington or of course Bromley - although the latter was by then fairly unexciting with AFs fairly consistent on the 410. We did occasionally travel on the RMCs on the 477, and while I don't remember travelling on one, also remember the 'patchwork' effect of some of Northfleet's RMLs (the cement dust in the air did not go well with green paint)

423 - yes. Worked from Swanley garage. Never went on it, though. I am trying to remember - I am sure that either 423 or 477 were sometimes worked by borrowed buses at one time. I'm sure I saw them up by Hesketh Park. Added a splash of colour.

Yes, in the mid 70s, LC hired buses from quite a few sources to help deal with their vehicle crisis.

Swanley had Eastbourne Corporation AEC Regent Vs in cream / blue for a while - they would mainly have been on the 477 as well as SJ's odd crew journeys on the 423 group of routes. Dartford had Maidstone Leyland PD2s in light blue / cream - they would mainly have worked on the 499 and again odd crew journeys on the 423 group and a few DT journeys on the 480.

Elsewhere in LC-land, Harlow had Southend Corporation Leyland PD3s, Staines had Bournemouth single deckers and Leatherhead had Bournemouth double deckers (can't now remember if they were Fleetlines or Atlanteans), Chelsham had Maidstone Corporation Atlanteans, Dunton Green had Royal Blue Bristol MW coaches (sadly most if not all in NBC white by then) and there may have been a few others that I've forgotten about.

I remember some of the RMLs on the 480 had an automatic door at the back.....again this is a vague memory.

Yes and no. Northfleet only ever officially had RMLs, which all had open platforms. Dartford had a few scheduled journeys on the 480 with RMCs (they did have doors - as well as comfier seats and luggage racks etc) and Northfleet occasionally borrowed one or two - I think one or two in advertising liveries spent a while there (wonder how often the drivers forgot to open the door at stops!) - and towards the end of Routemaster operation, anything with the right number of wheels would do - one or two RMCs that were nominally driver training buses got returned to the 480 towards the end, and think an RCL ended up at Dartford or Northfleet or both for a while. And they ran alongside crew SMAs and ANs for a while.

Did the london country buses have the same farescale as the london transport red routes?

As others have said, generally LT and LC had different fare structures, but charged each others' fares when they went outside their own territory, so there were some odd fares on the 96 for journeys once you crossed the GLC / Kent boundary (and similarly around the edges of London) - although LT didn't generally go as far as offering return fares outside the GLC area as the ticket machines weren't equipped for this (I have a vague feeling that some Kingston based red bus routes did, but this may have been after deregulation and / or electronic ticket machines.)

As a side question what were the frequencies of London country routes? Nowadays the 486 runs every 7-8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes during the evening, were London country frequencies anything close to that?

LC's 486 was (from 1974 timetable) every 30 minutes. A few other frequencies from the 1974 timetable -

403 was every 10 minutes weekday daytime between Croydon and Chelsham, and as frequent as every 5 / 6 minutes in peak hours. With an 'express' service overlaid on that. And approximately hourly 483s working through to Sevenoaks.

480 was broadly every 10 minutes Denton - Dartford, every 20 Dartford - Erith (that's the bit that's now TFL 428) - although there were extras in the peaks, so some 5 minute headways east of Dartford.

495 / 496 (Gravesend town services) were each every 20 minutes, with an even 10 minute service for the joint section of route.

Some routes had a higher frequency on Saturday daytimes than M-F off peak - 477 was every 15 minutes on Saturday Dartford - Wilmington (every 30 to Orpington and Chelsfield), 499 (Dartford town service) was every 10 minutes on bits of the route (although the 499 was complicated with different routes between A and B)

This album on Flickr (not mine - by Dick Dapre) may be of interest - and he has several more for other parts of the LCBS empire in the 70s.

 

[Hophead]

As a side question what were the frequencies of London country routes? Nowadays the 486 runs every 7-8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes during the evening, were London country frequencies anything close to that?

The routes through Bexleyheath (401, 486 and one other I seem to remember - it's probably mentioned upthread) combined to offer a bus every 15 minutes during the day. I'm pretty sure that either the evening or Sunday frequency was hourly (could have been both).

 

[CatfordCat]

The routes through Bexleyheath (401, 486 and one other I seem to remember - it's probably mentioned upthread) combined to offer a bus every 15 minutes during the day. I'm pretty sure that either the evening or Sunday frequency was hourly (could have been both).

Again from the June 1974 timetable -

401 2 an hour (26 / 34 minute headway) Belvedere - Dartford, one an hour extended to / from Sevenoaks. (I think that even headway north of Dartford would have meant an unreasonable layover, costing another bus, at Dartford on the short journeys) One bus an hour evenings and Sundays (although it was a 64 minute hour - my guess is it just worked as an hourly service with 3 buses until it went OMO which meant running and stand times got increased.) Various peak hour / hospital visiting hours extras daily. (there were quite a lot of hospitals on the Dartford / Bexleyheath patch)

401A (Belvedere / Bexleyheath - Joydens Wood - Dartford) - weekday daytime every 50 minutes Bexleyheath - Joydens Wood - some journeys extended to / from Dartford Garage - probably for driver change-overs. Various peak / schools journeys. No Sunday service.

486 - broadly every 30 minutes weekday daytimes, hourly evenings. No Sunday service.

 

[Busaholic]

Just adding some jottings to some of the above comprehensive info.
LT Country Area were never allocated any standard length Routemasters, other than a very brief sojourn by the prototype RM2, at the beginning of its life, at Reigate on the 406. By the time Country Buses got any, only RMLs were being built, so that's what they received. Politics played a huge part in all this: LT, having used the first few hundred RMs to mainly replace trolleybuses, wanted to start replacing the RT class (including RTLs and RTWs) with RMs. Now that would mean 56 seaters being replaced by 64 seaters, so LT management hatched a plan whereby 7 RMs would replace 8 RT class, offering exactly the same number of seats. IIRC the plan was meant to be implemented at Harrow Weald first, maybe chosen because the crews there had no history of militancy, but as soon as the Union (TGWU) got wind of this all hell broke loose. Suffice to say it never happened! It didn't stop cuts in services, of course, particularly outside M-F peaks, but these were supposedly based on demand in particular areas or on particular corridors. LT also desperately needed to make opo work without bringing neighbourhoods to a halt for hours while bus drivers wrestled with fare charts and change. They'd over-ordered the number of Routemasters they needed (rather like the situation now with the LTs) so Country got allocated rather more than they probably wanted either, given they too really needed to get rid of conductors as soon as possible.

On the matter of 480 Routemasters, I didn't come into contact with them too often, but from what I remember the Dartford Garage workings were mainly peak hours and consisted of shorts from the DT direction to Horns Cross. Dartford buses were rather prone to changing route once they reached a terminus, producing all sorts of odd workings. Some garages seemed far more amenable to this than others. I suspect (but have no evidence for this) that prior to the split-up of LT buses there might have been some concern at Reigate (Country Buses HQ) that now Bexleyheath had ditched its trolleybuses for buses, and thus started reaching far more locations, that Central Buses might make a pitch for some of those local routes. Abbey Wood, too, having been a tram depot had never concerned itself with anything going on just down the road 'on the country side' as it were, and the old Plumstead (AM) was too small to operate more than it did, its main purpose being to sustain as much of the ultra-frequent 53 as it was able to. Sidcup was too far away (they had enough logistical difficulties working the circular 132 before Bexleyheath became available to stand in) except possibly for the Swanley stuff, but that was comparatively small beer.

The first case of someone dressed as Father Christmas driving a bus may have occurred on the 480 as well - certainly the first time I'd ever seen it or heard of it - 1980 or 1981 I think.

 

[frodshamfella]

As a side question what were the frequencies of London country routes? Nowadays the 486 runs every 7-8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes during the evening, were London country frequencies anything close to that?

I'm not really sure, I always wanted to take the 401 or 400 to Dartford as I found the route more scenic, but the 486 tended to be more frequent, so I more often took that. Of course it may have been the 401 was late or cancelled. I do remember waiting in Upper Belvedere for a 401 and letting a 486 go, hoping the next bus would be a 401. Then another 486 came a long . So as been mentioned I must have stood for 30 mins patently !

 

[frodshamfella]

The routes through Bexleyheath (401, 486 and one other I seem to remember - it's probably mentioned upthread) combined to offer a bus every 15 minutes during the day. I'm pretty sure that either the evening or Sunday frequency was hourly (could have been both).

Yes think your right was only hourly on a Sunday and I seem to remember only the 401.

 

[frodshamfella]

Just adding some jottings to some of the above comprehensive info.
LT Country Area were never allocated any standard length Routemasters, other than a very brief sojourn by the prototype RM2, at the beginning of its life, at Reigate on the 406. By the time Country Buses got any, only RMLs were being built, so that's what they received. Politics played a huge part in all this: LT, having used the first few hundred RMs to mainly replace trolleybuses, wanted to start replacing the RT class (including RTLs and RTWs) with RMs. Now that would mean 56 seaters being replaced by 64 seaters, so LT management hatched a plan whereby 7 RMs would replace 8 RT class, offering exactly the same number of seats. IIRC the plan was meant to be implemented at Harrow Weald first, maybe chosen because the crews there had no history of militancy, but as soon as the Union (TGWU) got wind of this all hell broke loose. Suffice to say it never happened! It didn't stop cuts in services, of course, particularly outside M-F peaks, but these were supposedly based on demand in particular areas or on particular corridors. LT also desperately needed to make opo work without bringing neighbourhoods to a halt for hours while bus drivers wrestled with fare charts and change. They'd over-ordered the number of Routemasters they needed (rather like the situation now with the LTs) so Country got allocated rather more than they probably wanted either, given they too really needed to get rid of conductors as soon as possible.

On the matter of 480 Routemasters, I didn't come into contact with them too often, but from what I remember the Dartford Garage workings were mainly peak hours and consisted of shorts from the DT direction to Horns Cross. Dartford buses were rather prone to changing route once they reached a terminus, producing all sorts of odd workings. Some garages seemed far more amenable to this than others. I suspect (but have no evidence for this) that prior to the split-up of LT buses there might have been some concern at Reigate (Country Buses HQ) that now Bexleyheath had ditched its trolleybuses for buses, and thus started reaching far more locations, that Central Buses might make a pitch for some of those local routes. Abbey Wood, too, having been a tram depot had never concerned itself with anything going on just down the road 'on the country side' as it were, and the old Plumstead (AM) was too small to operate more than it did, its main purpose being to sustain as much of the ultra-frequent 53 as it was able to. Sidcup was too far away (they had enough logistical difficulties working the circular 132 before Bexleyheath became available to stand in) except possibly for the Swanley stuff, but that was comparatively small beer.

The first case of someone dressed as Father Christmas driving a bus may have occurred on the 480 as well - certainly the first time I'd ever seen it or heard of it - 1980 or 1981 I think.

Do you know why the 53 went to Plumstead Garage on a Sunday only, and Plumstead Common the rest of the week. Just curious ?

 

[frodshamfella]

Just adding some jottings to some of the above comprehensive info.
LT Country Area were never allocated any standard length Routemasters, other than a very brief sojourn by the prototype RM2, at the beginning of its life, at Reigate on the 406. By the time Country Buses got any, only RMLs were being built, so that's what they received. Politics played a huge part in all this: LT, having used the first few hundred RMs to mainly replace trolleybuses, wanted to start replacing the RT class (including RTLs and RTWs) with RMs. Now that would mean 56 seaters being replaced by 64 seaters, so LT management hatched a plan whereby 7 RMs would replace 8 RT class, offering exactly the same number of seats. IIRC the plan was meant to be implemented at Harrow Weald first, maybe chosen because the crews there had no history of militancy, but as soon as the Union (TGWU) got wind of this all hell broke loose. Suffice to say it never happened! It didn't stop cuts in services, of course, particularly outside M-F peaks, but these were supposedly based on demand in particular areas or on particular corridors. LT also desperately needed to make opo work without bringing neighbourhoods to a halt for hours while bus drivers wrestled with fare charts and change. They'd over-ordered the number of Routemasters they needed (rather like the situation now with the LTs) so Country got allocated rather more than they probably wanted either, given they too really needed to get rid of conductors as soon as possible.

On the matter of 480 Routemasters, I didn't come into contact with them too often, but from what I remember the Dartford Garage workings were mainly peak hours and consisted of shorts from the DT direction to Horns Cross. Dartford buses were rather prone to changing route once they reached a terminus, producing all sorts of odd workings. Some garages seemed far more amenable to this than others. I suspect (but have no evidence for this) that prior to the split-up of LT buses there might have been some concern at Reigate (Country Buses HQ) that now Bexleyheath had ditched its trolleybuses for buses, and thus started reaching far more locations, that Central Buses might make a pitch for some of those local routes. Abbey Wood, too, having been a tram depot had never concerned itself with anything going on just down the road 'on the country side' as it were, and the old Plumstead (AM) was too small to operate more than it did, its main purpose being to sustain as much of the ultra-frequent 53 as it was able to. Sidcup was too far away (they had enough logistical difficulties working the circular 132 before Bexleyheath became available to stand in) except possibly for the Swanley stuff, but that was comparatively small beer.

The first case of someone dressed as Father Christmas driving a bus may have occurred on the 480 as well - certainly the first time I'd ever seen it or heard of it - 1980 or 1981 I think.

I remember when they changed the 132 from via Danson Road only to the circular route ( so the 89 disappeared from via Bexley). When I was a kid the 132 was always a singledecker then went to double then I do remember later some it was a mix .....I think !!!

 

[frodshamfella]

The 124A was always an interesting route ( I never caught it) . Running out to Bexley Hospital on Sunday afternoons. I think it must have done a turn in the road just by near Dartford Heath where it terminated.

 

[frodshamfella]

I also recall when the 467 went, it was only the Green line 725 and later the 726 that served Bourne Road Bexley, there was also a road in Succulent that again only the 725/6 served. I found this curious as residents in these areas only had a coach service, and probably slight!y dearer fares.

 

[Typhoon]

I also recall when the 467 went, it was only the Green line 725 and later the 726 that served Bourne Road Bexley, there was also a road in Succulent that again only the 725/6 served. I found this curious as residents in these areas only had a coach service, and probably slight!y dearer fares.

I guess you mean the section between Gravel Hill and Crayford. Has no service now (despite having residences for older people) so probably insufficient demand.

I suppose the only reason why 725/6 went that way was because it was the quickest (and straightest) way to get to Dartford.

 

[Busaholic]

Do you know why the 53 went to Plumstead Garage on a Sunday only, and Plumstead Common the rest of the week. Just curious ?

Almost certainly a question of crew reliefs and canteen facilities. I never travelled on the route on a Sunday, but on weekdays you could regularly find five or six 53s on the stand at Plumstead Common, including some Plumstead buses which appeared to be taking a break. It was a similar situation to Stoke Newington Common, where you could find up to ten 73s at a time, some of the Tottenham allocated ones (when there were Mortlake ones too) spending some time there. There was probably room at Plumstead (AM) on a Sunday to turn all the 53s there, with the reduced service on that day.

On the matter of different-coloured buses on the 477, I've just been reading a review of the 'Green No More' book which has been mentioned in this thread, and the reviewer pointed out an incorrect caption to a photo taken in 1986 of a 477, it being a Bournemouth Corporation Atlantean rather than a Fleetline, so that may have been one you saw.

 

[Wirewiper]

Stoke Newington Common had a canteen for bus crews - the building is still there and is used as a messroom.

Kensal Rise also had a LT canteen, it was in a shop on the corner of Station Terrace and Dagmar Gardens. It was used for meal reliefs by Willesden (AC) crews on route 6, and by Middle Row (X) crews on routes 52, 187; also the Saturday service on route 15 which had a small X allocation on that day - journeys worked to and from Kensal Rise in service. Hackney (H) crews on the 6 also popped in for a tea or coffee and maybe a quick snack if they had enough stand time. There were often several AC buses parked up in Station Terrace, although that was more to do with late reliefs and service cuts due to crew shortages, rather than long scheduled layovers. Middle Row Garage did not have a staff canteen - I think crews on other routes took reliefs at an Underground canteen facility at Westbourne Park Station. Stonebridge Park operated the 187 on Saturdays and their crews also had meal reliefs at Kensal Rise.

Kensal Rise canteen closed when Westbourne Park Garage (also X) opened in 1981; it had its own canteen and replaced Middle Row and Stonebridge Park, which were closed. Willesden (AC) crews then took their meal reliefs at their home Garage, journeys operating in service.

 

[Samuel88]

When was London Country broken up? Because I remember travelling on the 465 to Chessington World of Adventures in the late 90's and I'm sure the buses were run by London Country!

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

When was London Country broken up? Because I remember travelling on the 465 to Chessington World of Adventures in the late 90's and I'm sure the buses were run by London Country!

September 1986, in preparation for privatisation. It is often cited that most of the problems that the resultant companies had were in large part due to the fact that they had been formed only 7 weeks before they faced the biggest shake up in the industry for over 50 yrs... Whether that is true or not will never be able to be fully discerned as we cannot know what would have happened had they either been formed earlier, or indeed if LCOC had been left as one large company. What can be said with certainty though is that the process of such a late division would certainly have meant management would have been distracted from the important issue at hand... ie preparing for deregulation... it is notable that all the other companies that were split at the same late stage went on to have equally unhappy existences.

As to your contention that you rode on a London Country bus on the 465 in the 90's, that would have been a London AND Country bus, which was a renamed London Country South West.

For the record the 1986 division created 4 regional companies... LC North East, North West, South East and South West.

As I said above LCSW became London & Country. LCSE renamed Kentish Bus and Coach LCNW never got round to renaming itself before selling out to Luton & District whilst LCNE split fairly quickly into 2 separate companies... Sovereign Bus & Coach and County Bus & Coach.
Whilst the various divisions, selling off of various bits etc are too complicated to concisely explain, sufficient to say the rumps of all 4 companies ended up in the hands of Arriva

 

[MotCO]

LCSE renamed Kentish Bus and Coach

The other strange thing with Kentish Bus was that they renumbered their routes. The 477 became the 17 (and was there an associated route 478/18?), and the 402 became the 22 (operated at times by 6-wheeler Talbot minibuses). I think the 493 remained 493 (possibly because it was an LT tendered route?).

However, it didn't last long - the public preferred the old route numbers, and the old order returned.

 

[Typhoon]

On the matter of different-coloured buses on the 477, I've just been reading a review of the 'Green No More' book which has been mentioned in this thread, and the reviewer pointed out an incorrect caption to a photo taken in 1986 of a 477, it being a Bournemouth Corporation Atlantean rather than a Fleetline, so that may have been one you saw.

Thank you for making the effort to look into this.

I've had a look at 'Green No More', I suspect it was an Eastbourne Regent. The Maidstone Leylands were fairly regular on the 499 (Dartford local) so were not unfamiliar. The Bournemouth buses are extremely distinctive and, according to the caption, 'The Bournemouth Atlanteans were never formally allocated anywhere but Leatherhead' adding that this use was 'extremely unusual'. The bus concerned is ULJ 264J. I have searched for it using a well known search engine and every case I have found (around half a dozen) has described it as an Atlantean. The picture is not dated but the text on adjacent pages concerns 1977 and 1978. The next chapter describes the arrival of Atlanteans to convert the 477 to OMO in December 1979. I won't ask the name of the reviewer but I'm not convinced that I would place a great deal of trust in their reviews! None of this casts a shadow on your research, of course.