London Transport
Central Area Routes 250–259

Last updated 08-05-08.

Route 251 ran between Arnos Grove Station and Burnt Oak (Edgware Road) via Bowes Road, Oakleigh Road South, Whetstone, Totteridge Station, Totteridge Lane, Highwood Hill, Lawrence Street, Mill Hill Broadway, Bunns Lane, Woodcroft Avenue and Watling Avenue. In 1963 Sunday garage journeys were extended from Burnt Oak to Edgware. In 1968 the route was extended Monday to Saturday from Burnt Oak to Stanmore Station via Stonegrove and Canons Circus, replacing the withdrawn section of route 245; however, Sunday service was withdrawn between Arnos Grove and Burnt Oak. In 1982 Monday to Saturday evening service was withdrawn between Edgeware and Stanmore, and Sunday service was withdrawn completely. In 1985 service was extended from Stanmore Station to Stanmore Church. In February 1990 the 251 was rerouted to double-run via Edgware Station. The journeys towards Stanmore were denoted with black on yellow blinds. In November of the same year evening service was extended from Edgware to Stanmore. In 1992 Sunday service was reintroduced, but only between Edgware and Stanmore. At the same time a limited service (0830–0900 and 1615–1645) was added to Elm Park College: morning buses arriving at Stanmore continued via Elm Park before terminating, and afternoon journeys departing Stanmore operated via the College. In 1993 Sunday journeys were withdrawn, and all serivce between Edgware and Stanmore was replaced by a rerouted route 142. In 1996 Sunday service was again reintroduced.
BL4
Bristol LH BL4 [KJD404P] in March 1979, just weeks after emerging from overhaul in its unique NBC-style paint scheme for the proposed joint operation of route BW1 with London Country Bus Services.
251 MON.-SAT.
This “E” plate likely came from between Burnt Oak and Stanmore during the 1970s.		 251 SUNDAY
I believe this “E” plate was posted along the section served by Edgware Garage [EW] journeys in the 1960s and ’70s.		 251 VIA BURNT OAK
252 MON-FRI SPECIAL JOURNEYS
 ← This “E” plate will have no doubt come from one of the school extension sections, and thus will be relatively rare, as are most SPECIAL JOURNEYS plates.
119 MON-SAT.The SPECIAL JOURNEYS & SUNDAY legend—often associated with parks and other recreational destinations—would suggest that this plate was used on the schoolday and Sunday variation of the route via Lodge Lane and Turpin Avenue at the Collier Row end of the route. On the reverse is a torn paper sticker for route 119. →		 252 SPECIAL JOURNEYS & SUNDAY

Route 252 was running in 1949 between Romford Station and Romford (Birch Road) via Mawney Road. It was extended to Collier Row (Lowshoe Lane) in 1958. Later that year it was extended from Romford Station to South Hornchurch via Elm Park Avenue and Coronation Drive. In 1960 school journeys were extended in Collier Row to Stapleford Gardens, and in 1970 they ran to Turpin Avenue, where the whole service was extended in 1971, although this was cut back again outside peaks and on Saturdays to Lowshoe Lane. In 1974 the route was extended to Havering Park on Sundays, but again cut back in 1982. In 1984 it was extended from South Hornchurch to Hornchurch (White Hart) via Airfield Estate, and further extended in 1986 to Gidea Park Station. In 1990 school journeys were extended from Collier Row to Chase Cross. In 1991 it was withdrawn between Hornchurch and Gidea Park again, and in 1996 it was withdrawn between Collier Row and Chase Cross.

Route 253 is London’s famous “horseshoe” route, and probably one of its busiest ever with 53 Routemasters allocated on weekdays through the 1980s. Running from Euston northwards through Camden the route bends eastwards heading back in the direction of the city to Hackney. It was introduced 2 January 1961 as a replacement for trolleybus route 653, running daily between Tottenham Court Road (Maple Street) and Aldgate via Mornington Crescent Station, Camden Town, Holloway, Finsbury Park, Manor House, Stamford Hill, Clapton, Hackney, Bethnal Green and Mile End Gate. It ran this routing unchanged until November 1991 when it was withdrawn between Mornington Crescent and Warren Street. In 1992 it was extended from Mornington Crescent to Euston via Eversholt Street. After another 11 years it was withdrawn in May 2003 between Hackney and Aldgate. This section was covered by new route 254, running between Holloway and Aldgate. In 2006 the 253 was rerouted northbound direct in Camden via Eversholt Street instead of Harrington Square.

 253
254 FARE STAGE
The 254 is not an easy route to find “E” plates for.		 254 MON.-SAT.
The “E” plate is from the South Woodford extension.
Timetable for the 254’s northbound service dated 8.1.58.

Route 254 began operating in January 1950 using T-type single deckers between Buckhurst Hill Station and Loughton Station via Loughton Way, Valley Hill, Roding Way, Alderton Hill, Loughton Station, High Road Loughton, Loughton Garage, Rectory Lane, Debden Station, Chigwell Lane and Oakwood Hill. In May 1953 the T-type was replaced by Mann Egerton TDs, which gave way in turn to RFs in October. In 1958 the 254 was extended to South Woodford Station via Buckhurst Way, Hillside Avenue, St. Barnabas Road, Latchett Road and Maybank Road. In 1965 the route was converted to one-person-operation. In 1975 it was diverted away from Latchett Road and Maybank Road (now renamed Mulberry Way) because of A406 and M11 construction, and was rerouted via Southend Road, Charlie Brown’s Roundabout, Chigwell Road, Mulberry Way, Daisy Road and Cowslip Road; returning via George Lane, Chigwell Road, Charlie Brown Roundabout, Chigwell Road and Maybank Road, rejoining St. Barnabas Road. In 1976 Sunday service was withdrawn, and the SMS-type replaced the venerable RFs. In 1978 the 254 was taken over by Leyland Nationals. A year later the route was withdrawn, replaced mainly by new route 255.

A more recent 254 ran in the Beddington area, but this was a long time after the use of “E” plates ceased. Today’s route 254 runs between Aldgate and Holloway via Bethnal Green, Hackney, Stamford Hill and Manor House.

Route 255 was introduced in 1960 as a replacement for trolleybus route 655 and ran daily between Hanwell Broadway and Hammersmith via Boston Manor, Brentford and Turnham Green, extended during Monday to Friday rush hours to Clapham Junction via Putney and Wandsworth. It was also extended on Mondays to Fridays from Hanwell Broadway to Acton (Bromyard Avenue) via Ealing Broadway. In 1965 it was withdrawn between Turnham Green and Acton Vale except for a Monday to Friday rush hour service to Hanwell Broadway, and replaced by route 83 over this section. It was extended from Hammersmith to Clapham Junction at all times on Mondays to Fridays, and the route was withdrawn completely on Saturdays and Sundays. In 1966 it was reintroduced on Saturdays and Sundays running only between Hammersmith and Clapham Junction. In 1968 the rush hour service was withdrawn between Gunnersbury Roundabout and Hanwell Broadway. In 1969 the Sunday service was withdrawn. The route was withdrawn completely in 1972.

Since the 1960s there have been a number of routes using the number 255: one in the Loughton area, one between Chingford and Hackney, and currently between Stockwell and Pollards Hill.

255 MON.-FRI.
 This plate was used during the period that the Gunnersbury Roundabout extension ran only during the peak direction traffic flow, and would have been from the westbound direction. It is astonishingly rare to find this type of operation on a London bus route. → 255 MON-FRI EVENING PEAK HOURS
255 MON-SAT
 These two “E” plate would have come from the section between Hammersmith and Clapham Junction in the 1969 to 1972 period. The one on the left dates from the period when Saturday elemnts were also indicated in red. The FARE STAGE plate on the right is a little rarer than without. 255 MON-SAT FARE STAGE
256 MON.-SAT.

Route 256 ran from Chingford Mount via Crooked Billet, Markhouse Road, Lea Bridge Road, Millfields, Hackney, Cambridge Heath, Shoreditch, Old Street to Moorgate. In 1969 the route was cut back from Moorgate to Hackney (Well Street) and in 1978 the route was withdrawn completely.
257 poster

Route 257 was introduced on 3 February 1960 between Chingford (Royal Forest Hotel) and London Bridge Station via Chingford Hatch, Chingford Mount, Walthamstow, Leyton, Clapton, Hackney, Cambridge Heath, Shoreditch and Liverpool Street as a replacement for trolleybus route 557. It was withdrawn on Saturdays in 1964 and replaced on this day by routes 6B and 256A, but the Saturday service was reinstated in 1966. The 257 was withdrawn completely in September 1968.
These posters were displayed along the trolleybus routes that were being replaced by Routemaster buses, usually on the poles that supported the overhead wiring. As such, they were subjected to the weather. This example is not bad considering it was displayed during January 1960.
258 MON.-SAT.

Route 258 ran Mondays to Saturdays between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Watford Junction in Hertfordshire via Harrow Weald and Bushey. Originally SMS class Merlins were used, then later LS class Nationals.

Route 259 was introduced in 1961 between Holborn Circus and Edmonton via Kings Cross, Holloway, Finsbury Park, Manor House and Tottenham, replacing trolleybus route 659. On Saturdays and Sundays the 259 was extended to Waltham Cross. From 1966 the Waltham Cross extension was reduced to Saturdays only. The northern terminus changed from time to time, and the route has now settled between Kings Cross and Edmonton. Routemasters no longer ran on the 259 after 1973.

 259 MON.-SAT.
259 MON.-SAT.
This “E” plate is hand-painted onto sheet aluminum, hence the slight irregularities, especially in the numeral 5.		 259 MON-SAT
One of the vinyl sitckers which were used after the manufacture of new enamel “E” plates was discontinued.		 259 MON.-SAT. FARE STAGE
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