London Transport
Central Area Routes 260–269

261 262 262 262 263 263 263 263 263 264 264 265 266 266 267 267 268 269 269

Last updated 17-03-08.

260 MON-FRI RUSH HOURS
This “E” plate must have come from the Harlesden–Acton Vale end of the route, and would have been displayed between June 1970 and October 1978.		260 MON-FRI & SUNDAY
Route 260 timetable
A bus stop timetable for the 260, “starting on 4 August 1974”.

Route 260 was introduced on 3 January 1962 as a replacement for trolleybus route 660, running daily between Barnet and Harlsden via Whetstone, North Finchley, Finchley Central, Golders Green, Cricklewood, and Willesden, with a Saturday and Monday to Friday rush hours extention to Hammersmith via North Acton and Acton. In 1970 the northern terminus was switched from Barnet to New Barnet, and at the same time was extended Sundays from Barnet via Medway to New Barnet (Chesterfield Road). In 1971 the 260 was withdrawn on Saturdays and weekday evenings between North Finchley and Golders Green. In 1972 the Monday to Friday rush hours extension was shortened to terminate at Acton Vale (Bromyard Avenue). Weekday evening and Saturday service was curtailed between North Finchley and Golders Green, and on Sunday buses ran from Barnet to Willesden Garage.

Route 261 was introduced in 1961 running on Mondays to Saturdays between New Barnet Station and Arnos Grove Station via East Barnet and Hampden Square. In 1964 it was extended from New Barnet Station to Barnet (Chesterfield Road) via Meadway and Barnet Church replacing the withdrawn section of route 34. In 1978 the route was converted to one-man operation, and in 1980 the route was withdrawn.

A new route 261 was introduced in 1982 running between Orpington (Goodmead Road) and Lewisham via Farnborough, Bromley Common, Bromley, Grove Park and Lee Green. During Saturday shopping hours buses ran on from Lewisham to Brockley Rise. It was converted to one-man operation in 1983, and in 1985 the Saturday extension to Brockley Rise was withdrawn. In 1986 the route was withdrawn between Bromley Garage and Orpington, and further cut back to Bromley Common in 1987. In 1989 when the route was tendered and won by Metrobus, some journeys were extended beyond Bromley Common to Green Street Green with one Monday to Friday journey starting from Pratts Bottom, although this journey was withdrawn in 2000.

 261
262
 262
 262 MON-SAT
262

Route 262 was introduced in 1966 to replace part of route 26, and ran daily between Leyton (Baker’s Arms) and Stratford via Whipps Cross, Leytonstone and Maryland, extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Victoria & Albert Docks via Plaistow, Prince Regent Lane and Connaught Road. In 1968 it was extended daily from Leyton to Walthamstow Central Station, and further extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Chingford Station via Crooked Billet, Chingford Mount and Oldchurch Road. It was also extended on Sundays from Stratford to Victoria & Albert Docks. In 1973 it was withdrawn between Walthamstow Central Station and Chingford. In 1986 it was rerouted at Prince Regent Lane to run to East Beckton (Asda) instead of Victoria & Albert Docks, and the Sunday service was diverted in the Beckton area and renumbered 262A. In 1988 it was withdrawn between Stratford and Walthamstoiw Central and replaced by new route 257. It was extended during Monday to Saturday shopping hours from East Beckton to Canning Town via Cyprus, Strait Road Connaught Road, Silvertown, Custom House and Keir Hardie Estate. In 1989 it was rerouted between Cyprus and Custom House via Woolwich Manorway and Albert Road instead of Strait Road. In 1991 it was withdrawn between East Beckton and Canning Town. In 1993 it was extended from East Beckton to Beckton (Savacentre) via Cyprus and Claps Gate Lane and also introduced on Sundays. In 1997 it was further extended to Beckton (Showcase Cinema).

A new Sunday bus timetable leaflet for the one-person-operation conversion of routes 241 and 262 starting 29 October 1972, with print code 972/3194 S/41,000. 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 263 was introduced in 1971, running daily between Barnet Church and Archway Station via North Finchley and East Finchley, extended Saturdays and Sundays to King’s Cross Station via Holloway and Caledonian Road, with early journeys continuing to Farringdon Street via Grays Inn Road. Routemasters were used from Finchley [FY] and Holloway [HT] garages until conversion to one-man-operation with DMSs and, after only 18 months Metrobuses in turn took over in the early 1980s. In 1983 the 263 was extended from Barnet Church to Potters Bar Garage via Hadley Woods, and further extended on Mondays to Saturdays to Potters Bar Station, but it was withdrawn between Archway and King’s Cross / Farringdon Street. In 1986 the service was rerouted to Barnet General Hospital, with only the daytime service on Mondays to Saturdays and some Sunday journeys running to Potters Bar Garage. In 1991 the Sunday journeys to Potters Bar were withdrawn, with the Monday to Saturday service following in 1994. The 263 is now worked by Metroline with low-floor double-deckers.
263 263 SAT-SUN
I can only presume this “E” plate was from the Holloway, Caledonian Road or King’s Cross area, as the route changed in 1983 when “E” plates were being phased out.		 263 SPECIAL JOURNEYS
This plate will be rather rare as it will have come from one of the relatively few stops on the King;s Cross to Farringdon Street section, served only by early morning journeys between 1971 and 1983.
263 SAT-SUN SPECIAL JOURNEYS
 ↔ These two “E” plates would likely have come from the short section of route between King’s Cross and Farringdon Street. Both of these plates contain minor errors: the Sunday element is in black—not red—on the one plate, and the wording on the FARE STAGE plate could suggest that service is provided on Saturday and Sunday and by special journeys at other times. 263 SPECIAL JOURNEYS SAT.-SUN. FARE STAGE
264
 264 MON.-SAT.
This “E” plate likely came from the Hersham Green–Sunbury route, post-1958.
Route 264 timecard
Timecard for route 264 Monday to Friday service FW192 commencing 14.6.1976. It is the later style laminated type, and although is quite dirty and knocked about, can still be read.

Route 264 ran daily as a single-deck route using T-type buses from Hersham Green to Sunbury via Hersham Station, Rydens Road, Ambleside Avenue, Cromwell Road, Bowes Road, Hersham Road, Walton High Street, Walton Bridge, Gaston Bridge Road, Halliford Road, Thames Street and Green Street. In 1951 it was extended from Sunbury to Kingston via Hampton Station and Hampton Court, replacing part of route 216. In 1955 the vehicle type change from T to TD. In 1957 it was diverted at Sunbury via Windmill Road and Staines Road West instead of Green Street. In 1958 the Sunday service was withdrawn, and a year later the TDs were withdrawn in favour of RFs. In 1966 one-person-operation was introduced. Ten years later Bristol BLs replaced the RFs. The route was withdrawn at the end of January 1978.

In 1981 route 264 reappeared as a Monday to Saturday route using DMS double-deckers running between Putney Bridge Station and Roehampton (Danebury Avenue) via Putney High Street, Upper Richmond Road and Dover House Road. In 1982 Sunday service was introduced, and in 1983 the DMSs were replaced by Metrobuses. In 1985 Monday to Saturday journeys were extended from Putney Bridge to South Kensington Station via Fulham Palace Road, Lillie Road, Earls Court and Cromwell Road (replacing the withdrawn section of route 74), with southbound journeys from South Kensington diverted via Putney Bridge Station. In February 1987 the route was withdrawn, replaced by the 74.

Today’s 264 began running in August 1985, replacing part of route 64 on Monday to Saturday between (Longmead Road) and Croydon (Katharine Street) via Mitcham Common and West Croydon, with a Sunday extension to New Addington (Homestead Way) via Croham Road, Farley Road, Addington and Lodge Lane taking the place of the complete 64 Sunday service. In 1988 the route was extended from Croydon to South Croydon (Swan & Sugar Loaf) for Monday to Friday peak hour journeys, and to South Croydon Garage on Monday to Friday between peaks and during Saturday shopping hours. In 1990 the route was extended to run at all times between Tooting Broadway and South Croydon Garage. The withdrawn Sunday service to New Addington was replaced by a reintroduced route 64. At the same time Leyland Olympians replaced the D-type Daimlers used until then. In 2003 the 264 was extended from Tooting Broadway to Tooting (St. George’s Hospital) via Garratt Lane, Fountain Road and Blackshaw Road, returning via Tooting High Street. In 2004 the night service previously numbered N264 was incorporated into the daily schedule.

Route 265 ran from Chessington (Copt Gilders Estate) to Kingston via Surbiton, with a weekday extension to East Acton (Brunel Road) via Richmond, Kew Green and Acton. However, no service was provided between Kingston and Kew Green normal hours Mondays to Fridays and all day Saturdays.

Keith Williams adds, “This was therefore the only London Transport route without a middle section in the middle of the day, whereas services would be running at each end. During the middle of the day, [in order] to travel from one end of route 265 to the other, you needed to get a 65 from Kingston to Kew Green. There were special 265 “E” plates for this middle section—they may have just said 265 RUSH HOURS ONLY, but again, I just cannot remember for sure, yet in the ’60s, [I] would have seen these hundreds of times.”

 265
266
 ← This “E” plate appears to be quite old, as evidenced not only by the amount of weathering, but also by the less-pronounced hook on the numeral 2 and the more-upright 6s. 266

Route 266 was introduced in 1962 as a trolleybus replacement route running daily between Edgware Station and Hammersmith via Burnt Oak, Colindale, West Hendon, Cricklewood, Craven Park, Harlesden, North Acton, Acton and Acton Vale. In 1970 it was withdrawn on Mondays to Fridays between West Hendon and Edgware except for a peak hour extension to Colindale Station, and withdrawn on Saturdays and Sundays between Cricklewood Garage and Edgware Station. In 1976 it was extended during Monday to Saturday shopping hours from Cricklewood to Brent Cross Shopping Centre. In 1978 some Monday to Friday peak hour journeys were extended from Colindale to Mill Hill Broadway Station via Grahame Park Way and Lan Acre. In 1981 it was withdrawn between Staples Corner and Mill Hill. In 1995 the service to Brent Cross was introduced during Sunday shopping hours, and the service now runs daily at all times between Hammersmith and Brent Cross.

Route 267 was introduced in May 1962 as a trolleybus replacement route running daily between Hammersmith (The Grove) and Hampton Court via Turnham Green, Chiswick, Brentford, Isleworth, Twickenham, Fulwell and Hampton Hill. In 1969 the Sunday terminal in Hammersmith changed from The Grove to outside the Metropolitan (now Hammersmith & City) station (where the Sunday “E” plate is likely to have come from). In 1970 the route was extended at Hampton Court from Vrow Walk to the Station. In 1988 the Sunday terminal changed again from the Met. station to Butterwick, but this was after the use of “E” plates had ceased. In 1991 the route was withdrawn between Fulwell Garage and Hampton Court and replaced over this section by new route R68, but continues to run to Hampton Court on summer Sundays.
267
 This Sunday “E” plate is obviously a very rare one, as it would have appeared on just one or two bus stops: outside the Met. station, and possible in Butterwick. 267 SUNDAY
268

Route 268 was introduced in 1960 as a replacement for trolleybus route 628, running daily between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction via Wandsworth, Putney, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, Shepherd’s Bush, White City and Scrubs Lane, extended during Monday to Friday rush hours to Acton (Market Place) via North Acton. In 1965 it was extended during rush hours and lunchtimes on Mondays to Fridays from Willesden to Hanwell Broadway via North Acton, Acton, Ealing Broadway and West Ealing. The lunchtime journeys were withdrawn in 1966, and the entire route was withdrawn at the end of that year.

A new route 268 was introduced in 1968, one-man-operated from the start, running between Golders Green Station and Finchley Road Station via Jack Straws Castle, Hampstead Village, Belsize Avenue and Swiss Cottage. The terminus at Finchley Road has more recently changed to the O2 Centre.

Route 269 was introduce in April 1961 as a replacement for trolleybus 629, runing between Tottenham Court Road and Enfield Town via Maple Street, Camden Town, Holloway, Finsbury Park, Manor House, Turnpike Lane Station, Wood Green, Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill. It was withdraw in in September 1968, partly replaced by a revised route 29.

In June 1973 the number was reused for a new Monday to Friday service between Chingford Station and Leyton (Downsell Road) via The Ridgeway, Old Church Road, Chingford Mount, Walthamstow and Bakers Arms, replacing a withdrawn section of route 69. This service lasted until the end of January 1976, when the routing again became part of the 69.

The present route 269 was introduced in May 1977 between Sidcup Garage and Woolwich (Hare Street) via Foots Cray, Sidcup Station, Faraday Avenue, Hurst Road, Parkhill Road, Townley Road, Bexleyheath, Erith, West Street, Belvedere, Abbey Wood and Plumstead. In 1979 the Sidcup terminal was changed to Queen Mary's Hospital, and in 1982 the Sunday service was extended from Hare Street to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich. In 1985 the 269 was extended from Sidcup to Bromley North via Perry Street, Chislehurst and Bickley. In 1988 it was converted to single deck operation and withdrawn between Bexleyheath and Woolwich, replaced by new route 469. In 1991 the Bexleyheath terminal was changed to the Bexleyheath Shopping Centre, and one early Monday to Saturday journey started from Plumstead Station and ran to Bexley via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Barnehurst. (In 1994 this service was rerouted at Abbey Wood via Eynsham Drive and Harrow Manorway instead of McLeod Road, and in 1999 the Plumstead trip was withdrawn.)

Many livery variations visited route 269: originally red London Buses; then the blue and cream of Bexleybus (which eventually reverted to red) from 1988 to 1991; then primrose and maroon (and later green and yellow) of Kentish Bus in 1991 through 1999, and finally back to red of Stagecoach London.

LS184 [THX184S] / Bexleybus 54
Blue & cream Bexleybus Leyland National 54 [THX184S] (but displaying its London Buses’ number LS184) on route 269, loading up in Bexleyheath during the autumn of 1990. Already vinyl stickers had superceded enamel “E” plates here. At the top of its concrete post, the bus stop flag—which thanks to the southern orbital Green Line forging its way east of Croydon—is of the BUS & COACH variety.
Photo courtesy dublo19
269
This plate could be from either the trolleybus replacement route, or the Woolwich – Bexleyheath service.		269 MON.-FRI.
Thie “E” plate is from the 1973-1976 route, when it did not run on weekends.
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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
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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
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Red Arrow & Express Routes 500-616 Trolleybus Routes 513-699
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