Route History

Date
Gar
Mon-Fri
Sat
Sun
03.10.34
ED
14NS
14NS
8ST
 
TC
4ST/12
   

CROYDON AIRPORT - Purley Way - Denning Avenue - Warnham Road - East Croydon - Addiscombe Road - Shirley Park - WEST WICKHAM Railway Hotel
Prior to this date had been 179 / 194

12.04.36
ED
17NS
17NS
--
 
TC
4ST/12
   

CROYDON AIRPORT - Purley Way - Denning Avenue - Warnham Road - East Croydon - Addiscombe Road - Shirley Park - WEST WICKHAM Railway Hotel ( Mon-Sat )
Sunday service replaced by revised Route 78

29.04.36
ED
30NS
26NS
--

CROYDON AIRPORT - Purley Way - Denning Avenue - Warnham Road - East Croydon - Addiscombe Road - Shirley Park - West Wickham - Elmers End - Anerley - Penge - Lower Sydenham - Perry Vale - FOREST HILL ( Mon-Sat )
Extended from West Wickham to Forest Hill via Eden Park, Elmers End, Anerley, Penge, Sydenham, Bell Green and Perry Vale replacing Route 78 on this section
Croydon (TC) workings withdrawn

05.08.36
ED
30LT
26LT
--

CROYDON AIRPORT - FOREST HILL ( Mon-Sat )
NS type replaced by LT

12.10.38
ED
30LT
26LT
--

CROYDON AIRPORT - FOREST HILL ( Mon-Sat )
MF route seperated into three sections
FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT
FOREST HILL  -  CROYDON
SHIRLEY  -  CROYDON

09.11.38
ED
31LT
26LT
--

CROYDON AIRPORT - Purley Way - Denning Avenue - Warnham Road - East Croydon - Addiscombe Road - Shirley Park - West Wickham,Eden Park - Elmers End - Anerley - Penge - Lower Sydenham - Perry Vale - FOREST HILL ( Mon-Sat )
Diverted at Eden Park via Linksway

03.12.39
ED
31LT
25LT
20LT

CROYDON AIRPORT -- FOREST HILL
Sunday service reintroduced replacing Route 78

Taken from 1939 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk


20.11.40
ED
26LT+
25LT
8LT
    3LT/12    
 
TC
--
--
12STL

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL
Sunday Croydon (TC) allocation introduced

19.01.41
ED
26LT+
25LT
--
    3LT/12    
 
TC
--
--
20STL

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL
Sunday Elmers End (ED) withdrawn

30.04.41
ED
26LT+
25LT
20LT
    3LT/12    

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL
Sunday Croydon (TC) allocation withdrawn - Route 54 allocation moved from Elmers End to Croydon to compensate fro TC loss

03.07.46
ED
32LT
27LT
18LT

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL
Diverted to run in Croydon via George Street ( return via Katherine Street )  High Street and South End instead of Park Lane and Aberdeen Road

20.10.48
ED
36RT
29RT
19RT

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL 
LT type replaced by RT

 

 

RT3406 - upper case blind - roof box - and headed for SHIRLEY PARK HOTEL

 


30.04.58
ED
25RT+
19RT+
12RT
    3RT/12 1RT/194A  

CROYDON AIRPORT  -  FOREST HILL 
Frequency reductions


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

18.08.63
ED
22RT
18RT
--

FOREST HILL STN - CROYDON AIRPORT (Mon-Sat)
Sunday service diverted via Shirley Way instead of Wickham Road direct and re-numbered 194C.

31.10.70
ED
18SMS
12SMS
6SMS

FOREST HILL STN - CROYDON AIRPORT
Converted to single deck one person operation and took over Sunday 194C which was withdrawn
Sunday service re-instated - the Shirley Way routeing covered by new 119B.



SMS blind issued when route converted to SMS

06.01.73
ED
19DMS
12DMS
6DMS

FOREST HILL STN - CROYDON AIRPORT
Converted to double deck operation.



DMS651 seen at Croydon Airport April 1981

busmap.co.uk


27.04.85
ED1+
14D
11D
--

FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT (Mon-Sat)
Sunday service diverted via Shirley Way and renumbered 194A

L240

 

L240 Croydon High Street

busmap.co.uk

 


25.10.86
TC1+
14LS
11LS
--

FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT (Mon-Sat)
Elmers End garage closed - allocation transferred to Croydon (TC).
Converted to single deck operation.

05.12.88
TC1+
14LS
11LS
--

FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT (Mon-Sat)
Now part of South London subsiduary

LS146 (TC) East Croydon Station May 1990

busmap.co.uk


14.03.92
TL281+
11T
13T
5T
New Contract

FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT
Start of new TBD contract and reallocated to Catford (TL)
Garage journeys from Catford (TL) ran out of service.
Sunday service re-introduced replacing withdrawn 194A.

 

 

T759 Beckenham Road

busmap.co.uk

 


06.09.94
TL281+
12T+
14T
7T
2T/424
--
--
Stagecoach Selkent logo Selkent acquired by Stagecoach

FOREST HILL - CROYDON AIRPORT
New operator

29.06.96
TL281+
11T
12T
8T

FOREST HILL - WEST CROYDON BUS STATION
Diverted at East Croydon via Wellesley Road to West Croydon Bus Station,the withdrawn section replaced by amended 119

31.08.96
TB81+
4T
4T
4T
 
TL281+
8T
9T
5T

FOREST HILL - WEST CROYDON BUS STATION
Bromley (TB) allocation introduced.

29.08.98
TB81+
12VA
15VA
10VA

FOREST HILL - WEST CROYDON BUS STATION
Rerouted in Shirley via Bridle Road, Shirley Way West Way and Hartland Way
Catford (TL) allocation withdrawn.

Map issued with leaflet informing Shirley diversion

02.09.00
TB181+
7VA
6VA
4VA
 
TL281+
7VN
9VN
6VN

FOREST HILL - WEST CROYDON BUS STATION
Catford (TL) allocation re-introduced.

 

 

VA130 West Croydon

 

16.09.00
TB181+
7TAS
6TAS
4TAS
 
TL281+
7TAS
9TAS
6TAS

FOREST HILL - WEST CROYDON BUS STATION
TYPE CHANGE to low floor operation

30.08.03
TC61+
14DW
14DW
8DW
Contract reassigned

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Withdrawn between Bell Green and Forest Hill and diverted instead to Sainsbury's.
Withdrawn section replaced by Route 356


31.08.08
TC61+
14DW
14DW
8DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Contract extended for two years

28.08.10
TC61+
14DW
14DW
8DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Contract renewal

DLA184 Croydon Town Centre

29.08.15
TC61+
14DW
14DW
8DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Contract extended for two years

T60 West Croydon stand

26.08.17
TC61+
14DW
14DW
9DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Contract renewal

09.12.17
TC61+
15DW
14DW
10DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Schedule changes

  DW96 Lower Sydenham

27.08.22
TC61+
14DW
14DW
10DW

LOWER SYDENAHM Sainsbury's - WEST CROYDON Bus Station
Contract extended for two years

 

Current Blind



194

 

Operating Garages

ED Elmers End
Changeover point outside garage

TC Croydon
Changeover point Swan & Sugar Loaf
until 28.06.96
Currently West Croydon Bus Station

TL Catford
Forest Hill stand

TB Bromley
Relief point for Bromley on route 194 is mainly Forest Hill on Monday to Saturday - Catford garage for meal reliefs on Sunday. There are a few duties that take over/ finish at Shirley Monks Orchard.
The light running on this route is lengthy - via route 61 to Bromley - 208 to Catford then 75 to Perry Vale and 194 to Forest Hill - returning via 185 Forest Hill to Catford - then 208 and 61.
Some buses also run light to West Croydon.
There were also changeovers TB at West Wickham Swan.

I would like to thank Bob Baker and Russell ( a driver at TL ) for helping out with additional information

 

 

 

 

© Ian Armstrong 2024
Date of edit   Friday, 15.03.24