London Transport
Central Area Routes 230–239


Last updated 17-03-08.

Route 230 was once a well-known “RLH” low-bridge route running between Northwick Park and Rayners Lane. This route was converted to flat-fare single-deckers (MBSs) in 1969 and re-numbered H1. As that route operated daily, this “E” plate is more likely have to come from when the number 230 was re-used in 1973 for a new service between Stratford and Manor House, operated by Routemasters and running Mondays to Saturdays. (Same may remember when this route was “converted” to good old RTs in the mid-70s during the vehicle shortages.) The 230 still runs today, but its termini have wandered to Walthamstow and Wood Green respectively.

 230 MON.-SAT. 230 MON.-SAT. FARE STAGE
231 FARE STAGE
 231 FARE STAGE

During May 1954, route 231 ran between Alexandra Park (Victoria) and Forty Hill (The Goat) via Priory Road, Turnpike Lane, Roundway, Great Cambridge Road, Enfield Town, Chase Side and Lancaster Road. In September 1968, route 231 was withdrawn between Turnpike Lane and Alexandra Park and replaced by new flat-fare route W2. During September 1980, the route was revised to run between Turnpike Lane Station and Brimsdown Station, via Forty Hill, Caterhatch Lane, Hertford Road, Bell Lane and Brimsdown Avenue, with garage journeys extended via Green Street and Hertford Road to Ponders End Bus Garage. In November 1985, route 231 was withdrawn between Carterhatch and Brimsdown and replaced by revised route 191. In June 1987, the Sunday service was extended to Waltham Cross, via Great Cambridge Road and Bullsmoor Lane, replacing route 217 on this day. In July 1998, route 231 was withdrawn between Enfield Town and Carterhatch, and was instead diverted to Enfield Chase Station.

The second “E” plate is hand-painted onto sheet aluminum, which explains the slight irregularities in the characters.

Route 232A was introduced in 1973 as part of the 232, diverted to serve the Convent Way Estate. It ran on Mondays to Saturdays between Hounslow (Bus Station) and Yeading (White Hart) via Hounslow West, North Hyde Road, Convent Way, Southall and Greenford, and was extended during Monday to Friday peak hours to Northolt Station. In 1974 it became the main service and route 232 was withdrawn. It was renumbered plain 232 in 1979, and was thus a relatively short-lived route.

These two “E” plates are from the 1974 to 1979 period when the 232A ran daily.

 232A 232A FARE STAGE
233 MON.-SAT.

Route 233 originally ran from Finsbury Park to Wood Green via Wells Terrace, Stroud Green, Stapleton Hall Road, Ferme Park Road, Middle Lane, Priory Road, private road through Alexander Park grounds, Bedford Road, Bridge Road, Buckingham Road and Station Road, but by 1949 had been extended to Northumberland Park Station via Lordship Lane, Perth Road, White Hart Lane, Creighton Road, High Road Tottenham and Northumberland Park. It was operated from West Green garage [WG] using Q-type buses until 1953 when the RF-type was introduced. In 1955 RTL double-deckers were introduced between Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park, and three years later the entire route was converted to double deck operation. In 1962 West Green was closed and the allocation transferred to Wood Green [WN] with RTs. The route was converted to one-man flat-fare operation and renumbered W3 in September 1968.

The number 233 was reused in May 1969 for a new Monday to Saturday route between West Croydon (Bus Station) and Roundshaw via Wellesley Road, Park Lane, Duppas Hill Road, Stafford Road and Mollison Drive. It was operated from Croydon Garage [TC] using one-man-operated RFs. In December 1969 it was converted to double deck operation using XA-class Atlanteans or the experimental FRM front-entrance Routemaster. In 1971 single-deck SMS-type Swifts took over the route, but it returned to double-deck DMS-type in 1973. In 1976 it was extended Monday to Friday except peak hours from Roundshaw to Wallington Station (Belmont Road) via Foresters Drive, Sandy Lane South, Stafford Road, Woodcote Road and Manor Road. In May 1978 it was extended to Wallington during Saturday shopping hours, replacing withdrawn route 233A, and in October it was extended during Monday to Friday peaks as well. In 1981 the 233 was withdrawn, replaced by diverting route 154 via Roundshaw.

This “E” plate is from the 1970s (Croydon) route 233.

Route 233A was introduced on 4 December 1971—using an SMS initially and DMS latterly—and ran during Saturday shopping hours only between Wallington Station (Belmont Road) and Roundshaw (Neighbourhood Centre) via Manor Road, Woodcote Road and Mollison Drive. It was withdrawn 5 May 1978, replaced by a revised route 233. There have never been many Saturday-only routes in the London Transport network.

For some reason the plate maker felt it necessary to squeeze the letters together—instead of spacing them in a more orderly fashion—giving the impression of condensed lettering for the word SATURDAY.

 233A SATURDAY
234A MON-FRI

In 1968 route 234A ran from Purley (Old Lodge Lane) to Wallington via Purley and Woodcote Green, with a weekend extension to Hackbridge.

Route 235 was introduced in September 1968 as a localised section for the northern end of route 35. It ran between Chingford Hatch and Woodford Bridge via Highams Park, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead and South Woodford. It was a particularly interesting route throughout its life as from time to time there were a number of special projections beyond the normal terminals, e.g. to Chingford Station, Theydon Bois, Grange Hill Camping Centre and to Buckhurst Hill. The 235 was withdrawn completely during the 1980s, and replaced by new Walthsamstow area “W” routes covering the route in shorter sections.
Older “E” plates—as evidenced by the amount of weathering seen here—often had larger numbers. 235
 235
235 SPECIAL JOURNEYS BUCKHURST HILL
 These “E” plates are noteable as the wording on them exist in both a four-line and a three-line version, with condensed lettering for the words BUCKHURST HILL on the latter. My guess was that they came from Chigwell, as this is the point where journeys went in different directions, and that there may have been different stops. However, Graham Stokes writes, “Given my local knowledge of Chigwell, I never recall there being more than one stop anywhere that the 235 served on its core route up to Grange Farm camping centre from Woodford Bridge, so I would expect the SPECIAL JOURNEYS BUCKHURST HILL plates to come from stops in Chigwell Rise and Roding Lane which would have only been served by those special journeys.” 235 SPECIAL JOURNEYS BUCKHURST HILL
237
 237
 237 SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY
Plates with the wording SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY are rather rare as they were usually designed for specific stops.

Route 237 was a single-deck route running from Hounslow Garage to Chertsey Station via Hounslow Heath, Harlington Road West, Feltham, Lower Feltham, Vicarage Road, Sunbury Cross, Sunbury Village and Shepperton. Originally worked by LTLs (and a couple of Ts on Sunday), it was converted to RFs in 1953, and then to one-man-operation in 1965. Bristol BLs replaced the RFs in 1977, but were swept aside by Routemasters in 1978 when the route was withdrawn between Sunbury Village (Three Fishes) and Chertsey, but extended from Hounslow to Shepherds Bush Green via Isleworth, Brentford, Gunnersbury, Turnham Green and Goldhawk Road. At the same time a Turnham Green [V] allocation was added, which lasted until 1983. In 1987 one-person-operation returned, this time with Metrobuses. These were replaced by Olympians when the route was transferred to Stamford Brook (also [V]), operated under the Riverside Bus name. In 1996 the 237 was withdrawn between Hounslow Heath and Lower Sunbury, replaced by new route 235. Stamford Brook garage was also closed that year, and its allocation transferred back to Hounslow. In 1998 the contract was transferred to Armchair, who used Palatine II bodied Olympians on the service. In 2003 new low-floor Alexander ALX200/Dennis Dart SLF buses were introduced.

Back in November 1955, route 239 ran on Monday to Saturday between Romford Station and Gidea Park Plough, via South Street, North Street and Eastern Avenue, being reduced to running on Monday to Friday peaks only from October 1956, being finally withdrawn in August 1958.

The 239 returned in February 1961 as a trolleybus replacement route for the 639 between Finsbury Square and Hampstead Heath (South End Green) via City Road, Angel, King’s Cross, Pancras Road, Crowndale Road, Camden Town, Chalk Farm Road, Ferdinand Street, Malden Road and Fleet Road. In October 1963 it was a Mondays to Fridays route only, being finally withdrawn in January 1970.

The 239 reappeared once more in March 1971 as a Monday to Saturday service between Tufnell Park Hotel and Waterloo via Brecknock Road, York Way, King’s Cross (Monday to Friday evenings and Saturdays), Euston, Russel Square, Holborn, Kingsway and Aldwych. In March 1975, it was diverted at Tufnell Park Station to Archway Station via Dartmouth Park Hill, being withdrawn in September 1982.

 239 MON.-FRI.
239 MON.-FRI.
It is likely that this plate came from the Moorgate to Hampstead Heath route between 1963 and 1970, when it ran on Mondays to Fridays only.		 239 MON-FRI
This “E” also plate came from the trolleybus replacement service in the l960s.		 239 MON-SAT
This plate likely came from the Tufnell Park–Waterloo version of the 239, although it may have also been from the Romford-area route.
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