Green Line Coach Routes 714 & 715

Route 714 was introduced in 1946 as part of the post-war re-instatement of Green Line coach services. It ran between Baker Street and Dorking via Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Kensington, Hammersmith, Richmond, Kingston, Surbiton, Hook, Chessington and Leatherhead. In 1951 it was extended northwards via King’s Cross, Archway, North Finchley, Barnet, South Mimms, London Colney, St. Albans and Harpenden to Luton to replace the withdrawn 727. Operated throughout most of the 1950s and all of the ’60s by the famous RF-class coaches, conversion to one-man-operation came in 1968. The 714 struggled on until 1977 when it was withdrawn north of Victoria, with the southern section not surviving much longer. Route 716 was also introduced in 1946, replacing the west leg of the C1 and north half of the K1 pre-war services. It ran from Chertsey to Hitchin via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Knebworth and Stevenage. Also operated by RF coaches, conversion to RMC (Routemaster) coaches came in 1963, although the service reverted to one-man-operated single-deckers in 1972. The 716 struggled on until 1976 when it was amalgamated with the 716A, and the southern terminus switched to Woking. In 1978 it was withdrawn north of Oxford Circus, with the southern section not surviving much longer. Route 716A began running in October 1955 from Woking to Stevenage via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn and Knebworth. The 716A disappeared in May 1976, and there is virtually no trace of it left, like so many of the traditional Green Line coach routes. In its latter days (1968), route 717 ran between Baker Street and Wrothem via Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria, Elephant & Castle, New Cross, Lewisham, Eltham, Sidcup, Swanley, Farningham and West Kingsdown. The 717’s northern section from Welwyn Garden City via Hatfield, Potters Bar, Barnet, North Finchley and Golders Green to central London was withdrawn shortly before the end.
	This “E” plate came from a northbound stop between Barnet and St. Albans and dates from about 1960.	If you had wanted to add this mint-condition Green Line FARE STAGE plate to your collection, you would have had to bid more than £500 to win it on ebay!
This “E” plate is of particular note as it is of the earlier style showing the word VIA, although in the later style with white lettering.		This “E” plate is an especially interesting one as not only does it show two different routes, but only one of them includes a destination and the other is a rare route to find on “E” plates as it was a very early casulty. It would have been posted at Baker Street Station, Marylebone Road (Edgware Road) or Marble Arch, where space was at a premium on stop flags, and refers to the pre 4.11.64 717 (Welwyn Garden City–Victoria).
This plate was bought from a Cobham Museum open day approximately 30 years ago. It is from when the route ran as Dorking to Luton, but there were other variants over the years.	The three services ran together along two sections of road: Kingston to Baker Street, and North Finchley to Barnet. This plate could have come from any of the stops on the common parts of the routes. Triple-split “E” plates were always rare, and a Green Line one that is also a FARE STAGE may be unique.	This four-panel leaflet for Green Line route 714 with a print code of 1276/LC 1278T/15M dates from 29 January 1977 (seven years into the London Country Bus Services era) when the route was withdrawn north of Victoria. Inside are fare- and timetables, with general information on the back.

Route 714 was introduced in 1946 as part of the post-war re-instatement of Green Line coach services. It ran between Baker Street and Dorking via Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Kensington, Hammersmith, Richmond, Kingston, Surbiton, Hook, Chessington and Leatherhead. In 1951 it was extended northwards via King’s Cross, Archway, North Finchley, Barnet, South Mimms, London Colney, St. Albans and Harpenden to Luton to replace the withdrawn 727. Operated throughout most of the 1950s and all of the ’60s by the famous RF-class coaches, conversion to one-man-operation came in 1968. The 714 struggled on until 1977 when it was withdrawn north of Victoria, with the southern section not surviving much longer.

Route 716 was also introduced in 1946, replacing the west leg of the C1 and north half of the K1 pre-war services. It ran from Chertsey to Hitchin via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Knebworth and Stevenage. Also operated by RF coaches, conversion to RMC (Routemaster) coaches came in 1963, although the service reverted to one-man-operated single-deckers in 1972. The 716 struggled on until 1976 when it was amalgamated with the 716A, and the southern terminus switched to Woking. In 1978 it was withdrawn north of Oxford Circus, with the southern section not surviving much longer.

Route 716A began running in October 1955 from Woking to Stevenage via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn and Knebworth. The 716A disappeared in May 1976, and there is virtually no trace of it left, like so many of the traditional Green Line coach routes.

In its latter days (1968), route 717 ran between Baker Street and Wrothem via Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria, Elephant & Castle, New Cross, Lewisham, Eltham, Sidcup, Swanley, Farningham and West Kingsdown. The 717’s northern section from Welwyn Garden City via Hatfield, Potters Bar, Barnet, North Finchley and Golders Green to central London was withdrawn shortly before the end.

This “E” plate came from a northbound stop between Barnet and St. Albans and dates from about 1960.

If you had wanted to add this mint-condition Green Line FARE STAGE plate to your collection, you would have had to bid more than £500 to win it on ebay!

This “E” plate is of particular note as it is of the earlier style showing the word VIA, although in the later style with white lettering.

This “E” plate is an especially interesting one as not only does it show two different routes, but only one of them includes a destination and the other is a rare route to find on “E” plates as it was a very early casulty. It would have been posted at Baker Street Station, Marylebone Road (Edgware Road) or Marble Arch, where space was at a premium on stop flags, and refers to the pre 4.11.64 717 (Welwyn Garden City–Victoria).

This plate was bought from a Cobham Museum open day approximately 30 years ago. It is from when the route ran as Dorking to Luton, but there were other variants over the years.

The three services ran together along two sections of road: Kingston to Baker Street, and North Finchley to Barnet. This plate could have come from any of the stops on the common parts of the routes. Triple-split “E” plates were always rare, and a Green Line one that is also a FARE STAGE may be unique.

This four-panel leaflet for Green Line route 714 with a print code of 1276/LC 1278T/15M dates from 29 January 1977 (seven years into the London Country Bus Services era) when the route was withdrawn north of Victoria. Inside are fare- and timetables, with general information on the back.

This six-panel timetable dates from 1 October 1947.	London Transport Coaches (Green Line) tickets for the CS1 route: Hertford–Guildford. The 2´- (10p) ticket has fare stage names but no numbers and was introduced about 1949. The other tickets have fare stage names and numbers and were introduced about 1952, but disappeared about two years later with the introduction of Setright Speed machines. The 9d (3½p) ticket has faded some, originally being a somewhat darker green.
This plate came from a southbound stop near Malden and dates from the 1950s. Unusually, the reverse is cream rather than the usual background colour of the front.	This “E” plate is likely to have come from a southbound stop on the southern portion of the route beyond Kingston.
		The 715A ran on Saturdays only over much the same routeing as the 715, but diverged to serve Kingston town centre instead of Hinchley Wood and Malden. The only example of an “E” plate with this text came from Ware Crossing, towards Hertford.
Route 715 (the pre-war M1 service) ran between Guildford and Hertford via Ripley, Cobham, Esher, Hinchley Wood, Hook, Malden, Kingston Vale, Barnes Common, Hammersmith, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Camden Town, Finsbury Park, Wood Green, Palmers Green, Enfield Town, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Wormley, Hoddesdon and Ware. In 1977 it was diverted between Esher and Kingston Vale to run via Hampton Court and Kingston. Route 715A is described below.

This six-panel timetable dates from 1 October 1947.

London Transport Coaches (Green Line) tickets for the CS1 route: Hertford–Guildford. The 2´- (10p) ticket has fare stage names but no numbers and was introduced about 1949. The other tickets have fare stage names and numbers and were introduced about 1952, but disappeared about two years later with the introduction of Setright Speed machines. The 9d (3½p) ticket has faded some, originally being a somewhat darker green.

This plate came from a southbound stop near Malden and dates from the 1950s. Unusually, the reverse is cream rather than the usual background colour of the front.

This “E” plate is likely to have come from a southbound stop on the southern portion of the route beyond Kingston.

The 715A ran on Saturdays only over much the same routeing as the 715, but diverged to serve Kingston town centre instead of Hinchley Wood and Malden. The only example of an “E” plate with this text came from Ware Crossing, towards Hertford.

Route 715 (the pre-war M1 service) ran between Guildford and Hertford via Ripley, Cobham, Esher, Hinchley Wood, Hook, Malden, Kingston Vale, Barnes Common, Hammersmith, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Camden Town, Finsbury Park, Wood Green, Palmers Green, Enfield Town, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Wormley, Hoddesdon and Ware. In 1977 it was diverted between Esher and Kingston Vale to run via Hampton Court and Kingston.

Route 715A is described below.

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This plate is from a northbound stop. With only one destination listed, it’s possible that this plate came from near the end of the route.	Both of the GUILDFORD plates are from southbound stops.	This “E” plate came from a stop in the Esher area.
Route 715A returned in 1971 on Saturdays only between Hertford and Guildford via Ware, Hoddesdon, Wormley, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Enfield Town, Palmers Green, Wood Green, Finsbury Park, Camden Town, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Notting Hill Gate, Hammersmith, Barnes Common, Kingston Vale, Kingston Town Centre, Esher, Cobham and Ripley. It only lasted until 1977, at which time it was renumbered 715 and the service via Tolworth and Malden was withdrawn.

Green Line Coach Routes 714 & 715

Last updated 06-01-08.