London Transport
Central Area Routes 60–69

Last updated 18-05-08.

61Leaflet for the one-person-operation conversion of route 61 starting 15 July 1972, with print code 672/25025/35,000. This is a fold-out leaflet with brief details of the changes and a fare table on the front. Inside are bus stop timetables for the service and on the back are diagrams showing how to use split entrance buses.Route 61 leaflet

Route 61 ran daily between Eltham (Well Hall Station) and Bromley Garage via Eltham High Street, New Eltham, Green Lane, Chislehurst, Orpington, Crofton Road and Locksbottom, extended on Sundays to Bromley North Station. In 1957 it was also extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Bromley North Station. In 1972 it was converted to one-man operation and the Saturday service was withdrawn between Chislehurst and Eltham, and replaced by route 227, but the Saturday service was restored to Eltham in 1974. In 1986 it was withdrawn on Mondays to Saturdays between Chislehurst and Eltham and replaced by new route 61B. In 1991 the Sunday service was also cut back from Eltham to Chislehurst. As one can see, there has generally been little change to the main 61 service, which accounts for this plate being very old and slightly weathered.

Famous as the last RT-operated route, the 62 ran daily between Little Heath (Haw Bush) and Chadwell Heath (Wangey Road) via Goodmayes, Barking, Lodge Avenue, Woodward Road, Gale Street and Valance Avenue, extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Chigwell Row (Maypole) via Whalebone Lane. In the summer of 1950 and 1951 the Sunday service was also extended to Chigwell Row. In 1952 the Monday to Saturday service was diverted at Hainault to run via New North Road to Barkingside (Old Maypole). In the summer of 1952 and 1953 the Sunday service was renumbered 62A as it continued to run to Chigwell Row, but it reverted to 62 in the winter. In 1954 it was extended on Mondays to Fridays from Barkingside to Ilford Station via Gants Hill. The summer renumbering of the Sunday service continued from 1954 until 1957. In 1956 it was withdrawn between Gants Hill Station and Ilford between peak hours. In 1958 the Sunday service was not reinstated for the winter and the 62 became Mondays to Saturdays only. In 1959 it was diverted via Rose Lane and Billet Road to serve Marks Gate Estate. In 1960 the 62 was withdrawn between Little Heath and Barking and diverted instead at Upney via Upney lane and Longbridge Road to Barking. The service to Little Heath was replaced by new route 162. In 1966 the Saturday service was extended from Barkingside to Ilford. In 1968 a Sunday service was introduced between Barking and Ilford, with one journey each way diverted via Whalebone Lane North to serve the cemetery. In 1969 certain Sunday journeys were extended from Barking to Creekmouth Power station, and the Monday to Friday service was extended to Ilford at all times. Some peak and midday journeys on Mondays to Fridays were rerouted via the Hainault Industrial Estate. In 1972 it was withdrawn between Barkingside (High Street) and Ilford between the peaks on Mondays to Fridays. In 1972 it was diverted on Mondays to Saturdays in Barking to terminate at the Gascoigne Estate. In 1974 the journeys via Hainault Industrial Estate were withdrawn owing to parked cars. In 1977 it was withdrawn at all times between Barkingside and Ilford. In 1979 it became the last route to be worked by RTs. In 1982 it was withdrawn between Hainault (The Lowe) and Barkingside. In 1986 it was extended during Monday to Friday peak hours from Hainault to Gants Hill Station. Later that year it was withdrawn on Sundays between Marks Gate and Hainault. In 1990 it was withdrawn between Marks Gate and Gants Hill but extended Monday to Saturday shopping hours to Collier Row (Clockhouse Lane), although this extension was withdrawn the following year. The route now runs between Barking (Gascoigne Estate) and Marks Gate.

RT Farewell Calvalcade tickets
A pair of souvenir tickets from the RT Farewell Calvalcade on 7th April, 1979.
This “E” plate would have come from one of the few stops on the short section of diversion around the Hainault Industrial Estate which lasted for just a few years and was withdrawn suddenly due to the inability of buses to traverse the roads owing to parking. Note that there is no & symbol before MIDDAY which would normally have been used.		62 MON-FRI RUSH HOURS MIDDAY
62A SUNDAY

Route 62A was introduced in 1952 running on summer Sundays between Little Heath (Haw Bush) and Chigwell Row (Maypole Inn) via Barley Lane, Goodmayes Lane, Longbridge Road, Barking, Ripple Road, Lodge Avenue, Becontree, Porters Avenue, Valence Avenue, Chadwell Heath, Whalebone Lane and Romford Road. In 1958 it was also introduced on winter Sundays. In 1960 it was withdrawn between Barking (London Road) and Little Heath and replaced by new route 162. The 62A was withdrawn in 1968 and replaced by the introduction of the 62 on Sundays.

Route 63 commenced operation from Nunhead Bus Garage [AH] in 1949. It ran daily between and King’s Cross Station and Honor Oak via Farringdon Road, Blackfriars, Elephant & Castle, Old Kent Road, Peckham and Peckham Rye. In 1954 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Honor Oak to Crystal Palace via Lordship Lane and Upper Sydenham, with the Sunday service similarly extended in 1960. In 1961 it was extended from King’s Cross to Parliament Hill Fields via Kentish Town replacing trolleybus services. In 1963 the Saturday and Sunday services were diverted to Hampstead Heath and renumbered 63A. In 1970 a Saturday and Sunday service was reintroduced, with the route terminating at King’s Cross except on Sunday when it continued via Camden Town to Hampstead Heath, although this Sunday extension was withdrawn in 1972, lasting only two years. In 2003 the route was withdrawn between Honor Oak and Crystal Palace, thus reverting to what it was in 1949. It operates from the new Peckham Garage [PM] in Blackpool Road.

Route 68 is described below.

MD 74
In 1976 the MD class displaced Routemasters on route 63. The 63 shared Rye Lane in Peckham with route 37; MD74—one of 164 MCW Metropolitans with Scania running gear—is parked outside the Old Times furnishings shop, approximately 100 yards from Peckham Rye British Rail station. (Thanks to Dan Gaze for identifying the location.)
Capital Transport photo; LTB78
 63
 63 FARE STAGE
63 SUNDAY
This Sunday “E” plate is likely to have come from the King’s Cross–Hampstead Heath section which only ran from 1970 to 1972.		 63 YORK WAY ONLY
This “E” plate would have come from the bus stop in Grays Inn Road at King’s Cross, where terminating buses stopped at a different point from those running through to Parliament Hill Fields or Hampstead Heath, hence the addition of the word ONLY.		 63-68
This split plate would almost certainly have come from a stop in the Camden Town area when both routes ran there, as I don’t believe they stopped together at Elephant & Castle. This is likely to be an exceedingly rare combination of routes on a single “E” plate, probably having lasted only from 1961 until 1963.
64

Route 64 ran daily between Addington (Featherbed Lane) and West Croydon station via Selsdon Park Road, Addington Road, Selsdon, Croham Road and South Croydon. In March 1959 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Elmers End garage via Norwood Junction and Anerley, with some school journeys continuing to Eden Park Station via Elmers End Green, but the service was cut back to West Croydon again in July. In 1960 it was extended from West Croydon to Wimbledon Stadium via Mitcham and Tooting to partly replace trolleybus route 630, but was cut back to Tooting Broadway in 1961. In 1964 it was withdrawn on Sundays between West Croydon and Tooting, but re-extended there again in 1966. In 1987 it was extended from Addington to New Addington (Salcot Crescent) and withdrawn between Thornton Heath Garage and Tooting Broadway, and also withdrawn completely on Sundays and replaced by route 264 on this day. In 1988 it was extended during Saturday shopping hours from Thornton Heath Garage to Thornton Heath (High Street), but cut back again to Thornton Heath Garage in 1990 when it was also reintroduced on Sundays.

Route 65 ran daily between Ealing (Argyle Road) and Leatherhead Garage via Ealing Broadway, South Ealing, Kew Bridge, Richmond, Petersham, Ham Common, Kingston, Surbiton, Hook, Chessington and Malden Rushett. In 1966 it was withdrawn on Saturdays and Sundays and replaced by route 65A. In 1968 the weekend service was reintroduced, but it was withdrawn between Ealing Broadway and Argyle Road except during Monday to Friday peak hours. It was also withdrawn between Chessington Zoo and Leatherhead, and replaced by route 71. In 1975 some peak hour journeys were extended to Chessington (Fox & Hounds). In 1982 the peak hour extension to Argyle Road was withdrawn. From February 1987 it was withdrawn on Mondays to Saturdays between Kingston and Chessington, and the Sunday service was similarly cut back a few months later. Under the terndering system, the route has been worked since by London & Country, Armchair, and now London United.

Route 65 timecard for service K83 on Mondays to Fridays and dated 31/1/83, so it would have been from the last schedule to operate from Kingston Garage [K] before closure (for the first time). This is the laminated style of card, not pasted on a board.
65
65
 65 FARE STAGE
 65 MON-FRI RUSH HOURS ARGYLE ROAD
This “E” plate may have come from Ealing Broadway, where the rush hour service had a different stop from the terminating journeys.
66
 66
Route 66 & 66B leaflet
 Leaflet for the one-person-operation conversion of routes 66 and 66B starting 8 January 1972, with print code 172/1017M/49,000. This is a fold-out leaflet with brief details of the changes and a fare table on the front. Inside are bus stop timetables for the service and on the back are diagrams showing how to use split entrance buses.

Route 66 ran daily from Leytonstone (Green Man) to Hornchurch Station via Wanstead, Redbridge, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Little Heath, Romford, Slewins Lane and Ardleigh Green. In 1952 some Monday to Saturday rush hour and Sunday pm journeys were extended to Hacton Drive. In 1970 the Sunday service was renumbered 66B and the Monday to Saturday service was diverted at Romford to Harold Wood Station via Gidea Park and Harold Hill. In 1982 it was withdrawn between Romford Station and Harold Wood, except for Monday to Friday daytimes and Saturday shopping hours when it continued to Gidea Park Station. A Sunday service was introduced replacing route 66B. In 1987 the 66 was withdrawn between Romford and Gidea Park. In 1997 it was extended in Leytonstone from the Green Man to the Station.

Route 66A began running on 22 October 1952 between Harold Hill (Dagnam Park Drive) and Romford (North Street) via Petersfield Avenue, Farringdon Avenue and Gidea Park. It was extended during Monday to Friday peak hours to Newbury Park Station via Little Heath and Eastern Avenue, and further on to Gants Hill on Sunday afternoons. One a.m. peak hour journey worked through to Leytonstone (Green Man) in the northbound direction only. In 1953 peak hour journeys were extended to Gants Hill. In 1956 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Romford and Gants Hill. In 1958 the Leytonstone journey was withdrawn, and Saturday and Monday to Friday peak hours service was diverted at Romford to Collier Row (Clockhouse Lane). In 1969 the Sunday service was withdrawn, and on 18 July 1970 the route withdrawn, replaced by new route 294 and a revised route 66.

The 66A returned on 4 September 1982 as a Saturday-only service between Ilford Station and Gidea Park via Gants Hill Station, Newbury Park Station, Billet Road, Rose Lane Estate, Eastern Avenue and Romford Station (where the evening journeys turned). In 1986 it was withdrawn between Romford and Gidea Park, but garage journeys now ran in service between Ilford Station and Barking Garage via South Park Drive. In 1987 the Romford terminal was switched to Romford Bus Station. On 21 November 1987 the 66A was withdrawn, replaced by an extended route 296.

This plate came from the orginal route 66A, as not only was the 1980s route a Saturday-only service, it was also introduced as the use of enamel “E” plates was being discontinued.

 66A
66B SUNDAY 66B SUNDAY

Route 66B was introduced in 1970, running on Sundays-only between Leytonstone (Green Man) and Hornchurch Station via Wanstead, Redbridge, Gants Hill, Eastern Avenue, Little Heath, Romford, Gidea Park and Ardleigh Green. Some afternoon journeys were extended to Hacton Drive. It was converted to one-man-operation in 1972. In 1981 the whole service was extended to St. George’s Hospital (which had previously been known as Hacton Drive). In 1982 the route was withdrawn and replaced for the most part by the reintroduction of route 66 on this day.

From January 1950 until 1958 route 67 ran from Stoke Newington to Waterloo via Newington Green, Islington, Essex Road, Angel, Rosebery Avenue, Fetter Lane and Aldwych. It originally ran on Mondays to Saturdays, but in April 1958 the Saturday service was withdrawn leaving it on Mondays to Fridays only. This lasted only four months as the route was withdrawn completely in August 1958.

67 WEEKDAY
← This “E” plate likely came from the 1950s version of the 67, as evidenced by the amount of weathering. Also, by the ’60s the legend WEEKDAY had been replaced by the less-ambiguous MON.-FRI. or MON.-SAT.
I believe this plate came from the 1958 period of Monday-to-Friday operation as the present route has never been Monday to Friday only, accounting for the plate’s superb condition. It must therefore be very rare being so short-lived. →		67 MON.-FRI.
67

The next incarnation of route 67 came in July 1961 for a new route on Mondays to Saturdays between London Docks and Northumberland Park Station via Leman Street, Aldgate, Shoreditch, Dalston, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Landsdowne Road. It replaced trolleybus route 647 between Docks and Stamford Hill. The route was worked for a short period in 1966 by green XA class vehicles as an experiment. Subsequently, the 67 was extended to Wapping Station, and in December 1971 the route was then further extended from Stamford Hill to Wood Green, and withdrawn between Aldgate East and Wapping during March 1979. The route finally settled between Aldgate and Wood Green via Commercial Street, Shoreditch, Dalston, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, St. Ann’s Road, West Green, and Turnpike Lane Station.

I think this “E” plate probably dates from 1971 when the 67 was running daily between London Docks and Stamford Hill with DMS class Fleetlines, after the withdrawal of the XA class.

Route 68 ran daily between Chalk Farm Station and South Croydon via Camden Town, Euston, Russell Square, Aldwych, Waterloo, Elephant & Castle, Camberwell Green, Denmark Hill, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, West Norwood, Upper Norwood, Thornton Heath and West Croydon. It was extended to South Croydon Garage in 1957. In 1986 it was withdrawn on Mondays to Saturdays between Euston Station and Chalk Farm. In 1996 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Euston and Chalk Farm, and it was also cut back from South Croydon to Norwood Garage.

As long ago as 1948 route 197 ran daily between Norwood Junction and Caterham Valley via Woodside Green, Morland Road, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley, Kenley and Whyteleafe. In 1971 the Sunday service was converted to one-man-operation and renumbered 197B. In 1974 the Monday to Saturday service was converted to omo, and the Sunday service was renumbered back from 197B to 197. In 1984 the 197 was withdrawn between Whyteleafe and Caterham Valley during evenings and all day on Sundays, and in 1986 it was withdrawn completely between Croydon (Katharine Street) and Caterham Valley.
68
 68
 68
The unlikely paring of routes on this “E” plate likely came from High Street or Katharine Street, Croydon, the only roads where the 68 and 197 ran together.
69

Route 69 was introduced in 1960 as a replacement for trolleybus route 669, and ran daily between North Woolwich and Stratford Broadway via Silvertown, Canning Town and Plaistow. It was very soon after extended from Stratford to Chingford Mount via Leyton and Walthamstow, partly replacing trollleybus route 699. In 1968 it was extended from Chingford Mount to Chingford Station via Oldchurch Road. In 1973 it was withdrawn on Mondays to Saturdays between Walthamstow Central and Chingford Station and replaced by route 269 over this section. In 1976 it was re-extended to Chingford Station and route 269 was withdrawn. In 1981 it was withdrawn between Chingford Mount and Chingford Station. In 1984 it was re-extended on Sundays from Chingford Mount to Chingford Station, and in 1987 the Monday to Saturday service was similarly re-extended. In 1988 the 69 was withdrawn between Walthamstow Central Station and Chingford Station. In 1999 it was withdrawn between Connaught Bridge and North Woolwich and diverted to London City Airport.
← →
Click on any of the tiles below to go to images of the “E” plates and the route descriptions for that number series.
Clicking on any stop flag will return to the home page.
Central Area Routes 1-3 Central Area Routes 4-6 Central Area Routes 7-9
Central Area Routes 10-12 Central Area Routes 13-16 Central Area Routes 17-19
Central Area Routes 20-24 Central Area Routes 25-29
Central Area Routes 30-35 Central Area Routes 36-39 Central Area Routes 40-44
Central Area Routes 45-49 Central Area Routes 50-55 Central Area Routes 56-59
Central Area Routes 60-69 Central Area Routes 70-73 Central Area Routes 74-76
Central Area Routes 77-79 Central Area Routes 80-89 Central Area Routes 90-99
Central Area Routes 100-106 Central Area Routes 107-109 Central Area Routes 110-115
Central Area Routes 116-119 Central Area Routes 120-129
Central Area Routes 130-133 Central Area Routes 134-139 Central Area Routes 140-149
Central Area Routes 150-159 Central Area Routes 160-164 Central Area Routes 165-169
Central Area Routes 170-174 Central Area Routes 175-179 Central Area Routes 180-184
Central Area Routes 185-189 Central Area Routes 190-194 Central Area Routes 195-199
Central Area Routes 200-209 Central Area Routes 210-219 Central Area Routes 220-223
Central Area Routes 224-229 Central Area Routes 230-239 Central Area Routes 240-245
Central Area Routes 246-249 Central Area Routes 250-259 Central Area Routes 260-269
Central Area Routes 270-279 Central Area Routes 280-289 Central Area Routes 290-299
Country Area Routes 300-303 Country Area Routes 304-309 Country Area Routes 310-316
Country Area Routes 317-319 Country Area Routes 320-324 Country Area Routes 325-329
Country Area Routes 330-334 Country Area Routes 335-339 Country Area Routes 340-344
Country Area Routes 345-349 Country Area Routes 350-359
Country Area Routes 360-369 Country Area Routes 370-379
Country Area Routes 380-389 Country Area Routes 390-394 Country Area Routes 395-399
Country Area Routes 400-405 Country Area Routes 406-409 Country Area Routes 410-419
Country Area Routes 420-423 Country Area Routes 424-429 Country Area Routes 430-439
Country Area Routes 440-449 Country Area Routes 450-456 Country Area Routes 457-459
Country Area Routes 460-469 Country Area Routes 470-479
Country Area Routes 480-484 Country Area Routes 485-489 Country Area Routes 490-499
Red Arrow & Express Routes 500-616 Trolleybus Routes 513-699
Green Line Routes 701-703 Green Line Routes 704-705 Green Line Routes 706-708
Green Line Routes 709-710 Green Line Routes 711-713 Green Line Routes 714-715
Green Line Routes 716-718 Green Line Routes 719-720 Green Line Routes 721-724
Green Line Routes 725-799 Country Area Routes 800-804 Country Area Routes 805-854A
Mobility Routes 900-980 Lettered Routes A-C Lettered Routes D-M
Night Routes N1-N83 Night Routes N84-N88
Night Routes N89-N93 Night Routes N94-N299 Lettered Routes P-W
Other Operators’ Routes Other Operators’ Routes
Other Operators’ Routes Other Operators’ Routes Other Operators’ Routes
Stops
Bus Stops
 Sources
Sources		 Maps
Maps

Links
Links		 Advanced Search
Advanced Search