Route History

01.09.40
ED
3LT
3LT
2LT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - Wickham Road - Hayes Lane - Westmoreland Road - BROMLEY NORTH STATION
This was a renumbering and double deck conversion of Route 254.
The policy at the time was that only single deck routes were numbered over 200 thus route was renumbered 126

29.10.41
ED
5LT
5LT
2LT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - Wickham Road - Hayes Lane - Westmoreland Road - BROMLEY NORTH STATION ( Suns ) - Grove Park - Mottingham - ELTHAM Southend Crescent ( Mon-Sat )
Mon-Sat extended from Bromley to Eltham

Taken from 1943 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk

Click map to expand

19.04.44
ED
7LT
7LT
4LT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Sunday extended from Bromley to Eltham

25.10.44
ED
7LT
7LT
4LT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - BROMLEY NORTH STATION ( Sun am) - ELTHAM Southend Crescent ( Mon-Sat / Sun pm)
Sun am withdrawn between Bromley and Eltham

02.05.45
ED
7LT
7LT
4LT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Sunday am service reinstated between Bromley and Eltham

12.11.47
ED
--
--
5LT
 
TB
8STL
8STL
--

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  ELTHAM
Mon-Sat Elmers End (ED) allocation moved to Bromley (TB)

24.03.48
ED
--
3LT
5LT
 
TB
8STL
5STL+
--
      1STL/61  

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  ELTHAM
Part Bromley (TB) allocation moved to Elmers End (ED)

20.10.48
ED
--
3RT
6RT
 
TB
8STL
5STL
--

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  ELTHAM
RT type introduced at Elmers End (ED)

This May 1950 allocation book is in pdf form and has been photo copied - it is not the best reproduction but all the routes are included that were in service at the time
Part of the allocation book library which is for sale
Allocation Books

11.10.50
ED
--
3RT
6RT
 
TB
8RTW
5RTW+
--
      1RT/94  

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  ELTHAM
RTW type introduced at Bromley (TB)

21.02.51
ED
--
--
11RT
 
TB
12RT
12RT+1RT/94
--

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - Park Langley - Bromley - Grove Park - Mottingham - Eltham - Rochester Way - Hook Lane,Welling - Edison Road - PLUMSTEAD COMMON Woodman
Daily extended from Eltham to Plumstead Common
RTW type replaced by RT
Saturday Elmers End (ED) allocation withdrawn.

02.05.51
TB
12RT
12RT+
9RT
      1RT/94  

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  PLUMSTEAD COMMON
Elmers End (ED) allocation withdrawn.

RT892
RT892 Plumstead Comman Woodman stand

30.04.58
TB
12RT
12RT
7RT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION  -  PLUMSTEAD COMMON


Scanned from April 1958 Red Book - the complete book is available from the Sales List


08.05.63
TB
8RT
7RT
5RT

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - Park Langley - Bromley - Grove Park - Mottingham - ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) - WELLING STATION (Sun)
Mon-Sat withdrawn between Eltham and Plumstead Common - the Eltham to Welling section replaced by revised 124 and Welling to Plumstead Common replaced by 241 Mon-Fri - and 51/51C Saturday
Sunday withdrawn between Welling and Plumstead Common - replaced by Route 51

1963 times

26.10.68
TB
11MB
9MB
5MB

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN -  ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) - Eltham Park  -  Welling - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Suns)
Sunday service extended from Welling to Bexleyheath Garage but diverted between Eltham and Wellnig via Eltham Park ( previous 160A  routeing )
Converted to single deck OPO.




08.03.69
TB
12MB
109MB
5MB

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN -  ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) - Eltham Park  -  Welling - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Suns)
for reliability, the M-F PVR became 12 MB, and 10 MB on Sat (no change Su). Thus OMO conversion ultimately caused a 50% uplift in the required resource on M-F.

MB665

MB665 Mottingham

busmap.co.uk


27.04.75
TB
12DMS
10DMS
5DMS

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN -  ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) -  BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Suns)
Converted to double deck operation.


22.04.78
TB81+
9DMS
8DMS
3DMS

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - Park Langley - Bromley - Grove Park - Mottingham - ELTHAM Well Hall Station
Sunday withdrawn between Eltham and Bexleyheath - replaced by Daily service on Route 124

DMS411

DMS411 Bromley South

busmap.co.uk

 


21.10.79
TB81+
9LS
8LS
3LS

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - ELTHAM Well Hall Station
Converted to single deck operation with Leyland Nationals.

LS272

LS272 Bromley South

busmap.co.uk


02.11.85
TB81+
8T
8T
3T

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - ELTHAM Well Hall Station (Suns) - Well Hall Road - Shooters Hill Police Station - WOOLWICH Thomas Street (Mon-Sat)
Mon-Sat extended from Eltham to Woolwich via Route 161
Converted to double deck Titan operation

Click image to expand
T888

T888 Eltham Station

busmap.co.uk


07.03.87
TB81+
8LS
8LS
3LS

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - ELTHAM Well Hall Station (Suns) - WOOLWICH Thomas Street (Mon-Sat)
Converted back to single deck Leyland National operation

26.03.88
TB81+
8LS
8LS
3LS

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN - ELTHAM Well Hall Station (MS evgs/Suns) -- WOOLWICH Thomas Street (Mon-Sat except evgs)
Withdrawn between Eltham and Woolwich MS evenings

29.07.89
TB81+
6LS/T
7LS/T
3T

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN  - Eltham Church - ELTHAM Southend Crescent (MS daytime) or ELTHAM STATION (MS evgs and all day Sundays)
Withdrawn between Eltham Church and Woolwich but diverted instead via Eltham High Street to Southend Crescent except MS evgs and all day Sunday when terminated at Eltham Station.
Sunday service converted to double deck operation.
Rerouted between Mottingham and Grove Park via Dunkery Road instead of Grove Park Road.

11.08.90
TB81+
6DT/MRL
6DT/MRL
6DT/MRL

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN  - Eltham Church - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Withdrawn between Eltham Church and Eltham Station.
Converted to midibus operation.

DT168

 

 

DT168 Eltham High Street stand

busmap.co.uk

 


25.05.91
TB81+
6MRL
6MRL
3MRL

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN  - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Dart operation ceased.

14.03.92
TB151+
12MRL
12MRL
7MRL

BECKENHAM JUNCTION STN  - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
MA type introduced.


12.03.94
LM
7midi
7midi
4midi
logo
New operator

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Operation transferred to Kentish Bus operating from a base at Deptford
Withdrawn between Bromley South and Beckenham Junction - this section replaced by new Route 162

Kentish Bus 121

121 Eltham Church

busmap.co.uk

 


28.07.96
DT
8midi
8midi
5midi

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Operation transferred from Deptford to Dartford.

14.09.97
DT53+
5dart
5dart
3dart
 
NF
3dart
2dart
2dart

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Northfleet allocation added.

22.01.99
DT71+
9dart
8dart
6dart

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Northfleet allocation withdrawn.

02.09.00
DT71+
9dart
9dart
6dart

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM Southend Crescent
Revised to stand in Eltham High Street instead of Southend Crescent.

17.03.01
DT71+
9SLF
9SLF
6SLF

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
Converted to low floor single deck operation

Click map to expand

02.06.07
DT70+
10SLF
10SLF
6SLF

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
New schedule introduced to aid reliability

Arriva 3299 is on diversion from route 126 due to a burst water main. seen here in William Barefoot Drive, Mottingham. In the distance Shooters Hill with the distinctive water tower.

© John King


15.03.08
DT70+
10SLF
10SLF
6SLF

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
Contract renewal

23.03.13
MB40+
11sd
10sd
6sd
LOGO Contract reassigned

155 Eltham Station

27.04.13
MB40+
11SE
10SE
6SE

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
Bromley stand changed to Ringers Road

GO AHEAD LONDON 899, PO59KGE, BROMLEY

© Robert Mighton

24.03.18
MB40+
11SE
11SE
7SE

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
Contract extended for two years

SE75 on loan from London Central (BX)

© Jamjar


20.03.21
MB40+
11SE
11SE
7SE

BROMLEY SOUTH STATION - ELTHAM High Street
Contract Renewal

Current Blind



126

Current Map

126 Eltham & Bromley South 2023 Bromley Town Centre 2023
Taken from 2023 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk

 

Operating Garages

MB Metrobus iBus Garage Code (94)
Changeover point at Widmore  Road, Bromley

ED Elmers End
Changeover point Beckenham Junction

TB Bromley
Changeover point Bromley North Street Mon - Fri - Sat until 1300
Westmoreland Road Sat after 1300 and all day Suns

DT Dartford
Changeover point Bromley North & changed to Eltham High Street Stand a year before the takeover

NF Northfleet
Changeover point ?

 

 

Live Visual

 

 

GA-L Route guide

 

© Ian Armstrong 2024
Date of edit   Thursday, 18.01.24