London Transport Central Area Routes 90

	This plate is extremely rare as it came from a single stop at Twickenham Station where the evening terminus was different from the daytime through service. It is also very unusual to have actual times specified on an “E” plate.	This plate would have come from a bus stop where there was only a service at certain times to Richmond, probably with a message too complex to incude fully. Like most destinated “E” plates it is extremely rare, but the addition of SEE BELOW makes this one even more notable.
	Route 90 ran daily between Kew Gardens Station and Staines (Bridge Street) via Richmond, Twickenham, Hanworth, Sunbury and Ashford Common. In 1958 the Sunday service was withdrawn and replaced by new route 90C, but reintroduced again in 1968. In 1970 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Richmond and Kew Gardens. In 1972 it was converted to one-man-operation and withdrawn between Richmond and Kew Gardens on Saturdays except during shopping hours. In 1973 it was withdrawn completely between Richmond and Kew Gardens, and also withdrawn between Twickenham Station and Richmond on Saturdays except during shopping hours. In 1975 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Staines to Egham Station to replace the withdrawn section of route 117, and cut back to Staines again in 1976. In 1978 it was standardised to run between Staines and Richmond at all times. The route was withdrawn in 1982 and partly replaced by route 290. Today’s route 90 runs between Feltham and Northolt over what was previously much of route 90B. Route 90 timetable dating from 5 February 1972, when the service was converted to one-person-operated SMS buses.

This plate is extremely rare as it came from a single stop at Twickenham Station where the evening terminus was different from the daytime through service. It is also very unusual to have actual times specified on an “E” plate.

This plate would have come from a bus stop where there was only a service at certain times to Richmond, probably with a message too complex to incude fully. Like most destinated “E” plates it is extremely rare, but the addition of SEE BELOW makes this one even more notable.

Route 90 ran daily between Kew Gardens Station and Staines (Bridge Street) via Richmond, Twickenham, Hanworth, Sunbury and Ashford Common. In 1958 the Sunday service was withdrawn and replaced by new route 90C, but reintroduced again in 1968. In 1970 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Richmond and Kew Gardens. In 1972 it was converted to one-man-operation and withdrawn between Richmond and Kew Gardens on Saturdays except during shopping hours. In 1973 it was withdrawn completely between Richmond and Kew Gardens, and also withdrawn between Twickenham Station and Richmond on Saturdays except during shopping hours. In 1975 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Staines to Egham Station to replace the withdrawn section of route 117, and cut back to Staines again in 1976. In 1978 it was standardised to run between Staines and Richmond at all times. The route was withdrawn in 1982 and partly replaced by route 290. Today’s route 90 runs between Feltham and Northolt over what was previously much of route 90B.

Route 90 timetable dating from 5 February 1972, when the service was converted to one-person-operated SMS buses.

	Route 90B ran daily between Kew Gardens Station and Yeading Lane (Kingshill Avenue) via Richmond, Twickenham, Hanworth, Feltham, Hatton, Harlington Corner and Hayes. In 1958 it was extended from from Kingshill Avenue to Yeading (White Hart). In 1962 it was extended during Monday to Friday peak hours from Yeading to South Harrow Station. In 1968 the Sunday service was withdrawn and replaced by new route 90A. The Sunday service was reintroduced in 1969 but only between Richmond and Yeading. In 1970 it was withdrawn between Yeading and South Harrow. In 1989 the 90B ws renumbered to plain 90, as the earlier 90 had been withdrawn by then. This timetable was issued for “new ‘pay as you enter’ buses starting January 6”.

Route 90B ran daily between Kew Gardens Station and Yeading Lane (Kingshill Avenue) via Richmond, Twickenham, Hanworth, Feltham, Hatton, Harlington Corner and Hayes. In 1958 it was extended from from Kingshill Avenue to Yeading (White Hart). In 1962 it was extended during Monday to Friday peak hours from Yeading to South Harrow Station. In 1968 the Sunday service was withdrawn and replaced by new route 90A. The Sunday service was reintroduced in 1969 but only between Richmond and Yeading. In 1970 it was withdrawn between Yeading and South Harrow. In 1989 the 90B ws renumbered to plain 90, as the earlier 90 had been withdrawn by then.

This timetable was issued for “new ‘pay as you enter’ buses starting January 6”.

Route 90C started operating on 26 November 1958 as a replacement for routes 71 and 90, which were withdrawn on Sundays. It ran between Hammersmith (Brook Green) and Staines (Bridge Street) via Hammersmith Broadway, Chiswick Bridge, Richmond, Twickenham, Hanworth, Sunbury, Ashford Common and Kingston Road. The one and only modification to the route occurred in November 1967 when it was withdrawn in Hammersmith between the Met. Station and Brook Green, and daily service was added from Hammersmith to Richmond (Bus Station)—again replacing route 71. The 90C was withdrawn in September 1968, replaced by new route 290 on Monday to Saturday, and the 90 which was reintroduced on Sunday.

It was always operated by RT-type buses from Twickenham [AB] Garage..

Route 91 ran daily between Cranford (Queens Head) and Hammersmith via Hounslow West, Lampton, Osterley, Gunnersbury, Chiswick and Turnham Green. It was extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Wandsworth Bridge via North End Road and Fulham Broadway. In 1952 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Cranford to London Airport via Harlington Corner. The Sunday service was similarly extended in 1958, although the Sunday service was cut back to Hounslow West later that year, and withdrawn completely a month later. The Saturday service was withdrawn between Hounslow West and London Airport in 1961, and the Monday to Friday service finally cut back in 1968. In 1976 it was extended from Wandsworth Bridge to Wandsworth Garage. The route was withdrawn in 1991, being replaced by new routes H91 and 391. The 91 saw RT and RTL operation as well as the prototype Routemaster, RM1. It later saw SMS and DMS buses. Garages included Riverside [R], Stamford Brook [V] and Wandsworth [WD].
A special bus stop timetable display for route 91 to Turnham Green from the southbound stop in Jersey Road at Great West Road for journeys starting there, dated 14 August, 1963. This bus stop would have likely had a SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY “E” plate.	Unfortunately, this is a rather poor grabbed shot of DMS 1511 in the Great West Road at Osterley on route 91 in June 1976. However, the B(C)C(C)E6 stop shows an interesting assortment of “E” plates. It’s difficult to read, but I think they say: Note that for the route 91 plate FARESTAGE is one word with no black background—I cannot recall any other plate like this! Photo courtesy Paul Davis

Route 92 ran daily between Southall Garage and Wembley (Empire Pool) via Greenford, Sudbury Hill and Sudbury. In 1958 the Sunday service was rerouted to North Wembley (Preston Hotel) and renumbered 92B. In 1969 the 92 was reintroduced on Sundays and the 92B was withdrawn. In 1971 part of the service was diverted during peak hours to Wembley (Trading Estate). In 1974 a Sunday service was introduced to Wembley Market although this was withdrawn in 1976. In 1979 it was extended from Southall to Ealing Hospital. In 1982 the service was rerouted to Wembley (Trading Estate) at all times on Mondays to Saturday except evenings. In 1987 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Wembley to Neasden (Tesco). In 1993 it was also extended to Neasden on Sundays, and further extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Neasden to St. Raphael’s Estate. The Sunday service was extended to St. Raphael’s Estate in 1998.

Route 92B was introduced in 1958 and ran on Sundays between Southall Garage and North Wembley (Preston Hotel) via Greenford, Sudbury Hill, Sudbury and Wembley, and replaced the Sunday service on route 92. The route was withdrawn in 1969 when the 92 was reintroduced on Sundays.

	Taken on the 23rd of September, 1984, is DMS 2397 at Putney Bridge Station. It will run the full length of the route back to Priory Road and then continue, in service, back to the garage. DMS 2397 operated at Sutton from November ’82 to January ’92, when it became a training bus. It was later re-classified DMT 2397. Photo courtesy the DMS Bus Page	A special bus stop timetable display for route 93 to Turnham Green from the southbound stop in Jersey Road at Great West Road for journeys starting there, dated 34 August, 1963. This bus stop would likely have had a SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY “E” plate.
Route 93 ran between Putney Bridge Station and Epsom Station via Putney High Street, Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common, Wimbledon, South Wimbledon Station, Morden Station, Stonecot Hill, North Cheam and Ewell, with some journeys tuning at North Cheam (Priory Road), and extended on summer Sundays to Dorking via Leatherhead, Mickleham and Boxhill. From October 1955 until February 1956 an express service was offered between Morden and Epsom Stations during Monday to Friday peaks. The Dorking journeys ran for the last time on Sunday 9 October, 1960. In 1970 the route was withdrawn between North Cheam and Epsom, with this section being replaced by new route 293. In 1989 garage journeys were revised to run in service to Sutton Garage (over route 213) via Cheam Village and Sutton.

Route 94 ran between Crystal Palace and Southborough via Sydenham, Forest Hill, Brockley Rise, Lewisham, Lee Green, Grove Park, Bromley and Bromley Common. In 1952 it was withdrawn between Lewisham and Crystal Palace as part of tram replacements and replaced over this section by route 186. Some journeys continued on to Brockley Rise on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In 1954 it was extended daily from Southborough to Petts Wood Station covering previously unserved roads. In 1956 it was withdrawn on Sundays between Lewisham and Brockley Rise. In 1964 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Petts Wood to Orpington (St. Andrew’s Drive), with some peak hour journeys continuing on to Sidcup Station via Foots Cray. The Sidcup journeys were withdrawn in 1978, and the whole route was withdrawn in 1982, replaced by new routes 208 and 261.
An official coloured photo of the prototype Silver Jubilee RM442 [WLT 442], which never formed part of the final fleet. Interestingly, the bus is blinded for route 94 to Petts Wood Station, which never had Silver RMs running on it. London Transport photo

This “E” plate would have come from the Aldgate Section of route. The route numbers appear to be stickers affixed onto a painted piece of aluminium.
	← The unevenness of the characters on this “E” plate suggests that it may have been hand-lettered. This is a rather nice “E” plate as it is entirely in red, including the FARE STAGE lettering. →
Route 95 was introduced in January 1951 as a tram replacement route and ran daily between Tooting Broadway (Coverton Road) and Cannon Street Station via Amen Corner, Southcroft Road, Streatham, Brixton, Kennington, Elephant & Castle, Borough and Southwark Bridge. During November 1958, the Sunday service was withdrawn, with RTWs replaced with Routemasters in 1966. In January 1971 it was converted to one-man operation—one of the first routes to use the new DMS double-deckers—and the Sunday service was reintroduced replacing route 95A between Streatham Garage and Elephant & Castle, running on to Aldgate during market hours via Cannon Street, Queen Victoria Street and Bank. In 1973 the Sunday service was rerouted between Borough and Aldgate via London bridge instead of Southwark Bridge. The Sunday service was extended from Streatham to Tooting Broadway in 1979, replacing route 181A. In September 1982 it was withdrawn on Saturdays between Elephant and Cannon Street, and withdrawn on Sundays between Elephant and Aldgate. The Cannon Street terminus changed to Mansion House Station and the Tooting terminus became St. George’s Hospital at the same time. In 1983 it was withdrawn between Tooting Broadway and St. George's Hospital. Sunday service was fully withdrawn on 1 February 1991. In 1995 the route was reduced to Monday to Friday peak hours only, running between Brixton Garage and Mansion House Station. Today’s 95 runs between Southall and Shepherd's Bush.

Route 95A was introduced in 1958, running on Sundays only between Tooting Broadway and Aldgate via Mitcham Road, Southcroft Road, Streatham, Brixton, Kennington, Elephant & Castle, Borough, London Bridge and Fenchurch Street, extended during market hours to Blackwall Tunnel via Commercial Road, Stepney East and Limehouse. In 1967 it was withdrawn between Aldgate and Blackwall Tunnel, and only ran on beyond London Bridge to Aldgate during the mornings. In 1971 the 95A was withdrawn and replaced by routes 95 and 181A.

This plate would have probably come from London Bridge bus station or possibly Aldgate, but I cannot be sure. In any event, it is exceedingly rare.

Both of these “E” plates came from the trolleybus replacement route, as the original 96 never ran daily. The destinated plate may have come from a stop in the network of one-way streets in the vicinity of Woolwich Arsenal where the regular service would have turned away from the peak hour extension along Woolwich Road.

Route 96 was (numerically) the first trolleybus replacement route, replacing the 696 on 4 March 1959 as part of Phase I. It ran from Dartford (Market Street) to Woolwich (Parsons Hill) via Crayford, Bexleyheath, Welling, Wickham Lane and Plumstead Station, with an extention to Woolwich Road (Victoria Way) via Woolwich Road during Monday to Saturday peak hours. In 1969 the Saturday peak journeys to Victoria Way were withdrawn. In 1971 the peak hours terminal was changed from Victoria Way to Charlton Station. In 1980 the 96 was rerouted in Dartford via Northern Link Road and Overy Liberty, instead of Hythe Street and High Street. In 1984 the Monday to Friday peak-hour extension to Charlton was withdrawn. In 1999 the route was extended with a non-stopping service during shopping hours from Dartford to Bluewater Park (Shopping Centre).

An earlier route 96 ran Monday to Saturday only between Putney Common (Spencer Arms) and Redbridge Station via Putney Bridge, Fulham Road, Fulham Broadway, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Hyde park Corner, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Strand, Aldwych, Fleet Street, Bank, Aldgate, Mile End, Bow, Stratford, Leytonstone and Wanstead. In April 1958 the Saturday service was withdrawn between Aldwych and Redbridge, and in August of that year the route was withdrawn completely.

During January 1950, route 97 ran between Brentford Half Acre and Greenford Red Lion via Northfields, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway, Eaton Rise, Woodfield Road, Pitshanger Lane, Scotch Common, Argyle Road and Ruislip Road. During April 1952 the route was extended to Ruislip. In May 1952 a summer Sunday extension commenced to Ruislip Lido, being withdrawn in October the same year, and continuing each year until the withdrawal of the route. During July 1964, route 97 was withdrawn between Greenford and Ruislip, being replaced over this section by route 211. The route was withdrawn on 30 November 1968, and partly replaced by routes 273 and E2.

Today’s 97 runs between Leyton (Downsell Road) and Chingford Station via Leyton Station, Leyton Baker’s Arms, Walthamstow, Crooked Billet, Chingford Mount, Old Church Road and The Ridgeway.

These “E” plates could have come from either route 97.

		Route 98 timetable dating from 6 January 1973, when the service was converted to one-person-operated SMS buses.
In 1949 route 98 ran from Hounslow Garage to Ruislip Station via Hounslow West, Cranford, Harlington Corner, Hayes, Church Road, Hayes End, Uxbridge Road, Long Lane, Hillingdon, Ickenham and Kingsend. The service was renumbered H98 in 1990. The number 98 was reused in 1992 for a service replacing route 8 between Willesden and Oxford Circus, running between Willesden Garage (Pound Lane) and Holborn (Red Lion Square) via High Road Willesden, Willesden Lane, Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale, Edgware Road, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Oxford Circus and New Oxford Street.

Route 98 timetable dating from 6 January 1973, when the service was converted to one-person-operated SMS buses.

In 1949 route 98 ran from Hounslow Garage to Ruislip Station via Hounslow West, Cranford, Harlington Corner, Hayes, Church Road, Hayes End, Uxbridge Road, Long Lane, Hillingdon, Ickenham and Kingsend. The service was renumbered H98 in 1990.

The number 98 was reused in 1992 for a service replacing route 8 between Willesden and Oxford Circus, running between Willesden Garage (Pound Lane) and Holborn (Red Lion Square) via High Road Willesden, Willesden Lane, Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale, Edgware Road, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Oxford Circus and New Oxford Street.

Route 98A began operating on 16 April 1952, running weekdays between Hounslow Garage and Pinner (Red Lion) via Hounslow West, Cranford, Harlington Corner, Hayes, Church Road, Hayes End, Uxbridge Road, Long Lane, Hillingdon, Western Avenue, West End Road, Ruislip and Eastcote Road. After just seven months, Saturday journeys were withdrawn, and Monday to Friday service was withdrawn between Hillingdon and Pinner outside of peak hours. In 1954 Saturday journeys were reintroduced to replace withdrawn route 98, and the route was withdrawn beyond Hillingdon and diverted in Hillingdon via Oak Farm Estate (running via Long Lane, Windsor Avenue and Granville Road instead of Uxbridge Road and Long Lane). In 1957 it was extended from Hillingdon via Ickenham to Ruislip Station. In April 1968 it was once again withdrawn beyond Hillingdon except for Monday to Friday peaks and daytime Saturday. Seven months later the Saturday service was withdrawn entirely. In 1961 Sunday service was introduced to replace the withdrawn 98 on this day, travelling beyond Ruislip to North Harrow Station via Eastcote, Pinner, Hatch End and Headstone Lane. In 1963 the 98A was reduced to Sunday only, with Monday to Friday service replaced by a revised route 98, and the Oak Farm section replaced by a diverted 98B. In 1964 the 68A was withdrawn between Hounslow and Hayes, and the route was cancelled on 23 January 1966.

Route 98A began running again on 15 June 1968 to replacing part of the 98 and withdrawn route 98B. It operated between Hayes Station and Ruislip Station via Judge Heath Lane, Lees Road, Long Lane, Oak Farm Estate, Hillingdon and Ickenham, with a Monday to Friday peak hours extension from Hayes Station to Hatton Cross via Harlington Corner. In 1969 the Saturday service was withdrawn. In 1971 the peak hours extension between Hayes and Hatton Cross was withdrawn, and on 17 June 1972 the route was withdrawn entirely. Both the first and second incarnations of the 98A used RT-type buses for their entire life.

The number 98A reappeared once more for a Monday to Friday peak hour service between Hayes Station and Ruislip Station via Hayes End, Long Lane, Hillingdon Station and Ruislip High Street, operated by M-type Metrobuses. In 1990 it was reduced to single-direction-only journeys, running from West Drayton Station to Ruislip Station via Cherry Lane, Hayes, Hayes End, Long Lane, Hillingdon and Ickenham in the a.m. and the opposite in the p.m. In 1981 the mourning trips were extended to start at Uxbridge Station, then ran to Ruislip via Cowley, West Drayton, etc. Route number 98A was finally withdrawn for the last time on 24 July 1993.

I believe this “E” plate dates back to the period from 1969 to 1972 when the 98A operated between Hayes and Ruislip Stations.

This “E” plate dates from before 19.07.69, when Saturday service on the 98A was withdrawn for the last time.

It was unusual to find the words TERMINATING HERE appear on an “E” plate.

Route 99 started its days as a London General service on 22 May 1916, and ran daily between Woolwich (Earl of Chatham) and Erith (Prince of Wales) via Plumstead, Bostall Hill, Upper Belvedere and Erith Road. In 1979 it was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Erith to Slade Green Station via Manor Road and Hazel Road, but in 1985 this extension was withdrawn and replaced by the 122A. The 99 was probably one of the last routes in London—along with sister route 122A—to not pass through a traffic light for the whole of its journey. From Woolwich to Erith there were none—this in the 1970s. There was one traffic light, however, on the return at Thomas Street, Woolwich.

Route 99 in 1940. Adapted from The Greater London Bus Map.

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Central Area Routes 90–99

Last updated 04-05-08.