Route History

Date
Gar
Mon-Fri
Sat
Sun
04.09.82
TL61+
11RM
15RM
3RM


SURREY DOCKS STN (Sat shop hrs) Deptford - LEWISHAM Bus Station - Catford - Downham - Bromley - Bromley Common - Southborough - PETTS WOOD STN (Suns) Crofton Lane - ORPINGTON Perry Hall Road ( Mon-Sat )
NEW ROUTE: Replaced former Route 94 between Bromley and Orpington.

RM1063

 

 

A Saturday journeys sees RM1063 in Leisham

busmap.co.uk

 


11.06.84
TL61+
12Tc
15Tc
3Tc

SURREY DOCKS STN (Sat shop hrs) - LEWISHAM Bus Station - PETTS WOOD STN (Suns) - ORPINGTON Perry Hall Road ( Mon-Sat )
Converted to Titan Crew Operation.

Golden Jubilee T747 Bromley South

busmap.co.uk


02.02.86
TL61+
13T
18T
3T

SURREY DOCKS STN (Sat shop hrs) - LEWISHAM Bus Station - PETTS WOOD STN (Suns) - ORPINGTON Perry Hall Road ( Mon-Sat )
Converted to One Person Operation.

16.08.86
TB121+
13T
18T
3T
 
TL61+
--
8T
--

SURREY DOCKS STN (Sat shop hrs) - LEWISHAM Bus Station - PETTS WOOD STN (Suns) - ORPINGTON Perry Hall Road ( Mon-Sat )
Daily Bromley (TB) allocation introduced.
Sunday-Friday Catford (TL) allocation withdrawn.

06.06.87
TB121+
9T
--
4T
 
TL61+
4T
14T
--

LEWISHAM Bus Station - PETTS WOOD STATION (Suns) - ORPINGTON ( Mon-Sat )
Saturday withdrawn between Surrey Docks Station and Lewisham.
Mon-Fri Catford (TL) allocation re-introduced - and Saturday Bromley (TB) allocation withdrawn.


21.11.87
TB121+
13T
8T
4T
 
TL61+
--
6T
--

Saturday Bromley (TB) allocation re-introduced
Catford TL Mon-Fri withdrawn

LS319

LS319 (TB) Goodmead Road, Orpington

busmap.co.uk


11.08.90
TB101+
15T
13T
5T

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Sunday extended from Petts Wood to Orpington
Catford (TL) allocation withdrawn

26.12.90
LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Special Boxing day service operated by Metrobus .

807

A Metrobis Olympian performs a one off Boxing Day duty

busmap.co.uk


24.07.93
TL311+
12T
12T
11T
 
TL331+
9T
9T
--

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Bromley (TB) allocation transferred to Catford (TL)
TL311+ Orpington to Catford section
TL331+ Bromley Common to Lewisham

12.03.94
TL311+
12LV
12LV
11LV
 
TL331+
9T
9T
--

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
New Dennis Lance single deck type introduced.

LV6

 

 

LV6 Lewisham High Street

 

busmap.co.uk


01.04.95
TL311+
12LV
12LV
11LV
 
TL331+
9T
9T
--

Extracted from 1995 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk

LA7

LA7 Bromley South

busmap.co.uk


08.11.97
TB141+
7T
7T
6T
 
TL321+
14T
16T
7T

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Bromley Garage (TB) allocation introduced and converted fully to double deck. See notes below.

VA124 Lewisham Bus Station

02.09.00
TB141+
22TA
23TA
11TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Catford (TL) allocation withdrawn.

28.04.01
TB141+
22TA
23TA
12TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Converted to low floor double deck operation.

17343

 

 

Trident 17343 at the Catford Garage stop

 


30.07.05
TB141+
22TA
23TA
12TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Contract renewal

31.07.10
TB141+
22TA
23TA
12TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Contract extended for two years

Enviro 1053 Bromley South

© Lawrence Living


28.08.10
TB141+
15TA
16TA
12TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Through service introduced - previously had been operated in two sections Lewisham & Bromley Common / Catford & Orpington

28.07.12
TB141+
15TA
14TA
10TA

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Contract renewal

19.09.15
TB141+
15TA
16TA
12TA
 
TL44
1 ex 75 -- --

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
One Mon-FRi am working from Catford (TL) introduced

29.07.17
TB141+
16E
16E
12E

LEWISHAM - ORPINGTON
Contract renewal


27.07.19
MB201+
16EH
16EH
12EH
metrobus logo Contract reassigned

LEWISHAM  -  ORPINGTON Perry Hall Road
New operator

EH316 Southborough

© Edward S

 

Current Blind



208

Operating Garages

MB Green Street Green ( ibus code 94 )
Meal Relief point BROMLEY TownHall
Start/Finish Orpington Station

TB Bromley
Changeover point see below

TL Catford
Changeover point outside garage.

Bromley meal reliefs were taken at: Bromley Common Crown or Bromley Garage on Monday to Saturday. On Sundays meal relief's were taken at TL - with drivers using a ferry bus from TB to TL. A TB bus would be parked up at TL for most of the day until the last relief's would bring it back.

When there was the last joint TB and TL allocation - drivers used to drive either garages buses - so an early TB 208 would come off at TL taken over by a TL driver. The TB driver would then sometimes take a TL bus for the second spell. This meant the L type Olympians could not be used as TB drivers were not type trained. This was a daily operation. Bromley canteen did not open on Sundays.

The TB allocation was mainly T with a few VA - the type were originally brought in for route 320 as Titans found it difficult to get up Stock Hill in Biggin Hill Valley. When the 320 went to Metrobus - the VA were used on the 194 firstly. I believe TB have 2 VAs left for Surrey schools work - Assault Screens removed. They work between Whyteleafe or the old Chelsham garage to Redhill. The school kids that use them are seriously the best school kids.

Further to the earlier email re the 208 - it's conception was partly down to me. During my early days with LT the 47 ran in overlapping sections Farnborough to Lewisham and Bromley Garage to Shoreditch. Relief points not a problem.

The 94 however ran from Sidcup Station (peaks) - Orpington to Lewisham Brockley Rise (Sats) passing neither garage TB or TL on the way.

Hence the suggestion came from me - LT suggestion scheme paid me £3 - to run the 47 Farnborough to Lewisham section via Grove Park with a TB allocation and the 94 to be diverted at Bromley to run via Catford to Lewisham. As the suggestion was in the early 70s - it took some time for it to happen. By then - other routes became involved - running it down to Green Street Green as the 261 - and the birth of the 208.

I may have told you - the 94 had a weird Saturday journey that departed Brockley Rise showing BROMLEY Market Square - when it got to Grove Park Station the blinds were changed to show CATFORD GARAGE - running back from Bromley via the 1/47 route to TL. The same theory applied on TL garage journeys to TL from Orpington via Lewisham. Prior to the Catford Garage via Lewisham blind - buses left Orpington showing LEWISHAM but once past Bromley the blind could be changed to show CATFORD GARAGE - which sometimes upset the punters who wanted to go to the stand in Lewisham - as you turned off before you were near it.

See article

Live visual

 

 

GA-L Route guide

 

© Ian Armstrong 2024
Date of edit   Friday, 19.01.24