Route History

Date
Gar
Mon-Fri
Sat
Sun
01.10.50
Q
5RTL
4RTL
3RTL
 
WD
16RT
13RT
4RT


FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Sat) -  Blackfriars - EMBANKMENT Horse Guards Avenue (Suns) Westminster Bridge - Albert Embankment - Vauxhall - Wandsworth Road - Clapham Junction - WANDSWORTH
TRAM REPLACEMENT ROUTE for Tram Routes 26

10.01.51
CA
5RTL
7RTL
3RTL
 
WD
15RT
9RT
4RT

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Sat) - EMBANKMENT (Suns) - WANDSWORTH
Camberwell (Q) allocation transferred to Clapham (CA)

08.04.51
CA
5RTL
7RTL
3RTL
 
WD
15RTL
9RTL
4RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Sat) - EMBANKMENT - (Suns) - WANDSWORTH
Wandsworth (WD) converted to RTL - the RT stock moving to Thornton Heath (TH) for tram replacement

17.10.51
CA
5RTL
7RTL
3RTL
 
WD
16RTL
10RTL
4RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Sat) - EMBANKMENT Horse Guards Avenue ( Suns ) - )Wandsworth - West Hill - PUTNEY HEATH Green Man
Daily extended from Wandsworth via West Hill and Tibbetts Corner to PUTNEY HEATH Green Man

06.07.52
CA
5RTL
7RTL
3RTL
 
WD
16RTL
10RTL
4RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Sat) - EMBANKMENT( Suns )  - PUTNEY HEATH
See map below

Extracted from 1952 map drawn by Mike Harris
The Greater London Bus Map
07.10.53
CA
5RTL
8RTL
3RTL
 
WD
16RTL
10RTL
4RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT HGA  (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Saturday pm withdrawn between Horse Guards and Farringdon Street.


17.03.54
CA
--
8RTL
--
 
SW
--
--
3RTL
 
WD
17RTL
8RTL
3RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT   (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Mon-Fri / Sun Clapham (CA) withdrawn
Sat Stockwell (SW) introduced

19.05.54
CA
--
8RTL
--
 
WD
17RTL
8RTL
7RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT   (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Sunday only Stockwell (SW) allocation withdrawn in favour of increase at (WD) Wandsworth.

16.03.55
CA
7RTL
8RTL
--
 
WD
15RTL
8RTL
6RTL

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT   (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Mon-Fri Clapham (CA) re-introduced to compensate for loss of Route 168A

12.10.55
CA
7RTL
8RTL
--
 
SW
--
--
6RTL
 
WD
15RTL
8RTL
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT   (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Sunday Wandsworth (WD) allocation transferred to Stockwell (SW)

02.05.56
CA
7RTL
--
--
 
SW
--
8RTL
6RTL
 
WD
14RTL
8RTL
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT   (Sat pm/Sun) -   PUTNEY HEATH
Saturday Clapham (CA) allocation transferred to Stockwell (SW).

17.10.56
CA
7RTL
--
--
 
SW
--
8RTL
4RTL
 
WD
14RTL
7RTL
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT (Sat pm) - VAUXHALL (Sunday) -  PUTNEY HEATH Green Man
Sunday withdrawn between Vauxhall and Embankment

30.04.58
CA
7RTL
--
--
 
SW
--
9RTL
4RTL
 
WD
13RTL
3RTL
--

PUTNEY HEATH  -  VAUXHALL ( Suns )  -  EMBANKMENT ( Sat pm )  -  FARRINGDON STREET ( Mon-Fri / Sat am )
First and last buses below

Scanned from April 1958 Red Book, the complete book is available from the Sales List
Please ignore Sunday scratched out times - the inspector that owned this book had done this in readiness for the November changes
26.11.58
Q
--
9RTL
--
 
SW
7RTL
--
--
 
WD
13RTL
3RTL
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat am) - EMBANKMENT HGA (Sat pm) - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Sunday service withdrawn.
Clapham garage closes - Camberwell (Q) allocation re-introduced.

08.11.61
J
8RT
6RT
--
 
Q
--
8RTL
--
 
SW
7RTL
--
--
 
WD
13RTL
3RTL
--

TURNPIKE LANE STATION - Green Lanes - Manor House - Finsbury Park - Holloway - Caledonian Road - Kings Cross - Grays Inn Road - Holborn Circus - Blackfriars - Embankment - Westminster Bridge - Vauxhall - Clapham Junction - Wandsworth - West Hill - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Operates in two sections:
TURNPIKE LANE STN & CLAPHAM JUNCTION
FARRINGDON STREET & PUTNEY HEATH
Extended from Farringdon Street to Turnpike Lane Station
PART OF TROLLEYBUS REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Stage 12

10.10.62
J
8RT
--
--
 
Q
--
8RTL
--
 
SW
7RTL
--
--
 
WD
13RTL
3RTL
--

TURNPIKE LANE (Mon-Fri) - FARRINGDON STREET (Sat jnys until 1320) - EMBANKMENT HGA (Sats) - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Operates in two sections:
TURNPIKE LANE STN & CLAPHAM JUNCTION (Mon-Fri)
FARRINGDON STREET & PUTNEY HEATH ( Mon-Sat )
Saturday withdrawn between Farringdon Street and Turnpike Lane and therefore Holloway (J) allocation withdrawn on that day.

A  part of 134 was given to Holloway (J) on this day to part compensate

1962 first and last times
Taken from Winter 1962 Red Book
29.01.64
J
8RT
--
--
 
SW
7RTL
11RTL
--
 
WD
13RTL
--
--

TURNPIKE LANE (Mon-Fri) - FARRINGDON STREET (Sat jnys until 1320) - EMBANKMENT HGA (Sats) - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Saturday Camberwell (Q) and Wandsworth (WD) allocations transferred to Stockwell (SW

01.07.64
J
9RT
--
--
 
Q
7RTL
11RTL
--
 
WD
12RTL
--
--

TURNPIKE LANE (Mon-Fri) - FARRINGDON STREET (Sat jnys until 1320) - EMBANKMENT HGA (Sats) - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Stockwell (SW) allocation transferred to Camberwell (Q).

RTL169 Westminster RTL169 (Q) Westminster

27.01.65
Q
--
8RTL
--
 
SW
8RTL
--
--
 
WD
11RTL
--
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat jnys) - EMBANKMENT HGA (Sats) - Parliament Square - Millbank - Lambeth Bridge - Albert Embankment - Vauxhall - Clapham Junction - Wandsworth - PUTNEY HEATH Green Man (Mon-Sat)
Turnpike Lane section renumbered 168A
Re-routed via Lambeth Bridge - Millbank - Parliament Square - Parliament Street - Horse Guards Avenue - Whitehall Court - Whitehall Place - Northumberland Avenue and back to line of route at Victoria Embankment

03.10.65
SW
12RTL
--
--
 
WD
9RTL
8RTL
--

FARRINGDON STREET ( Mon-Fri / Sat peaks )- EMBANKMENT ( Sats )  - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Camberwell (Q) allocation withdrawn.
Re-routed via - Trafalgar Square and Northumberland Avenue instead of via Horse Guards Avenue and Whitehall Cour as shown in timetable below

01.03.67
SW
7RT
--
--
 
WD
12RT
7RT
--

FARRINGDON STREET ( Mon-Fri / Sat peaks )- EMBANKMENT ( Sats )  - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
RTL type converted to RT

16.01.71
SW
7RT
--
--
 
WD
13RT
5RT
--

FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri/Sat jnys) - VAUXHALL (Sats) - PUTNEY HEATH (Mon-Sat)
Saturday withdrawn between Vauxhall and Farringdon Street except for a few journeys.

17.06.72
SW
15RT
--
--
 
WD
8RT
--
--

PUTNEY HEATH - EMBANKMENT HGA (Mon-Fri) - FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri peaks)
Saturday converted to One Person Operation and renumbered 168B

03.03.73
SW
15RT
--
--
 
WD
8RT
6DMS
--

PUTNEY HEATH - VAUXHALL (Sats) - FARRINGDON STREET ( Mon-Fri / Sat journeys )
Saturday 168B renumbered 168.

1973 first and last times
31.08.75
SW
12DM
--
--
 
WD
7DM
6DMS
--

PUTNEY HEATH - VAUXHALL (Sats) - FARRINGDON STREET ( Mon-Fri / Sat journeys )
RT type replaced by DM.

RT2387 battered roof - wrong blind seen in 1975 a year to be forgotten in LT history

© John Parkin


1976 Central map featuring Route 168
Taken from Mike Harris 1976 Historical Map
Greater London Bus Map
28.10.78
SW131+
8DM
--
--
 
WD81+
9DM
5DMS
--

PUTNEY HEATH - VAUXHALL - (Sats) - WESTMINSTER HGA (Mon-Fri) - Trafalgar Square - Aldwych - Fleet Street - Ludgate Circus - FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri peaks)
Re-routed via Strand and Fleet Street instead of Victoria Embankment.

DMS2326 is seen at Putney Heath on the last day of operation - the following day would see the same type but on Route 170

© John Parkin

15.12.80
SW131+
7RM
--
--
 
WD81+
9RM
5DMS
--

PUTNEY HEATH - VAUXHALL - (Sats) - WESTMINSTER HGA (Mon-Fri) - FARRINGDON STREET (Mon-Fri peaks)
DM type replaced by Routemasters.

RM639 seen in Whitehall shortly before the 168 was withdrawn

© John Parkin

25.04.81
Route withdrawn - replaced by revisions to Route 170

 

Operating Garages

CA Clapham
Changeover point Lavender Hill / Cedars Road

SW Stockwell
Changeover point Vauxhall

WD Wandsworth
Changeover point Wandsworth High Street s/b and Fairfield Street n/b

J Holloway
Changeover point Nags Head

Q Camberwell
Changeover point Vauxhall