London Transport
Country Area & Green Line “Double Vertical” E2 Plates

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Here are some examples of the magnificent “double verticals” (as they were commonly known; technically “E2”) plates. These plates were often seen in bus stations (and sometimes major interchange points) where the layout had buses going both ways meeting at the same point. Some sources say they were a little more common in the Country Area and for Green Line coach routes. They were always exceptionally rare, and in almost every case only two of each were ever made.

Route 402 must be considered something of a stalwart. In the 21st century few former London Transport Country Area routes still operate over an almost identical routeing—continuously since the birth of London Transport in 1933, when East Surrey’s route S2 from Bromley North Station to Sevenoaks became LT route 402 via Bromley Common, Farnborough, Green St. Green, Knockholt Station, Polhill, Dunton Green and Riverhead. Over the years there were extensions via Hildenborough to Tonbridge and today to Tunbridge Wells. Apart from a short period when the Kentish Bus renumbering scheme rechristened the route 22, the number 402 has been carried throughout.

A more detailed history of route 402 can be found in Kenneth Warren’s book, The Motorbus in London Country (Ian Allan, 1984; ISBN 0 7110 1360 8).

This plate was surely from a stop in the now long-gone Sevenoaks Bus Station. The points listed on the plate show it is from a southbound stop, with the 402 heading away from town towards its southern destination.

 402 RIVERHILL HILDENBOROUGH TONBRIDGE
413 SPECIAL JOURNEYS OTFORD TWITTON SHOREHAM

Route 413 operated between Chipstead and Brasted via Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Cross Keys, Bayleys Hill and Ide Hill, with some journeys extended to Sundridge Hospital. It ran in a near-circle, omitting only a 13⁄4 mile segment from Sundridge to Brasted via Bessels Green. Additional service was also provided to Shoreham via Otford and Twitton, doubling the 404 and diverging from the main route at the Bat & Bull. As with so many country routes, it gradually got shorter and shorter over the years and has now disappeared, leaving some of these Kentish villages unserved.

This “E2” plate also probably came from the Sevenoaks Bus Station.

Route 419 was a short local route running between Langley Vale and Brettgrave via Woodcote Park, Epsom and Long Grove Hospital.

My guess is that this plate came from Epsom. With an ebay selling price of £204.99 in January 2008, it could be considered somewhat of a bargain given how rare “E2” plates are.

 419 VIA LONG GROVE HOSPITAL FARE STAGE
708 CROYDON VICTORIA WATFORD HEMEL HEMPSTEAD

Route 708 ran between East Grinstead and Hemel Hempstead via Felbridge, Lingfield, Godstone, Caterham, Whyteleafe, Purley, Croydon, Norbury, Streatham, Brixton, Stockwell, Vauxhall, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Kilburn, Cricklewood, Colindale, Edgware, Stanmore, Bushey, Watford, Kings Langley and Two Waters. In 1975 the route was extended to Aylesbury to replace the withdrawn 706. The section south of London was replaced by route 719 in 1978. The remainder of the route was withdrawn in the early eighties.

Route 721 ran between Aldgate (Bus & Coach Station) and Brentwood via Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow Road, Stratford, Forest Gate, Manor Park, Ilford, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Gallows Corner and Harold Park. While the 721 was once one of the busiest Green Line coach routes—running every 10 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays in the mid-60s—it was withdrawn in about the mid-70s.

 721 ILFORD ROMFORD BRENTWOOD
RT 3253
 Although recreated in Photoshop, an example of this “E” plate is known to have existed at Aldgate Bus Station, as evidenced by this photo of RT 3253 taken by A.B. Cross. The routes running from Aldgate were much shorter than the rest of the cross-London network, so “E” plates for the 721 are amongst the rarest to find.
A.B. Cross photo; London Bus Handbook 1955-62
727 CRAWLEY GATWICK WATFORD LUTON
This is not actually an “E” plate, being of a non-standard size, but was intended for display at Heathrow Airport. Perhaps it should be called an “E1½” plate?		 GREEN LINE 727 EXPRESS HEATHROW AIRPORT WATFORD JUNCTION LUTON AIRPORT
This northbound plate is almost certainly from Crawley Bus Station. Note the semi-condensed lettering for the place names.		 GREEN LINE 727 EXPRESS HEATHROW AIRPORT GATWICK AIRPORT CRAWLEY
The southbound “E” plate was most likely posted at Watford Junction. The GREENLINE title at the top is also unusual.

The original route 727 was introduced on 4 November 1964 as a Monday to Saturday express service between London (Victoria) and Tring via Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Circus, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters and Berkhamsted. It was withdrawn on 30 October 1965.

On 13 May 1967 the 727 was reintroduced as a limited-stop western orbital service, running daily between Crawley and Luton Station via Gatwick Airport, Woodhatch, Reigate, Kingswood, Tadworth, Epsom, Ewell, Tolworth, Kingston, Teddington, Hanworth, Hatton Cross, Heathrow Airport, West Drayton, Uxbridge, Rickmansworth, Watford Junction, Garston, St. Albans and Harpenden. (In fact, the only part of the original routeing that the new 727 still served was a short stretch of St. Albans Road between Watford North Station and Garston!) In 1971 the Luton terminus was moved north to Luton Airport. Of course, it has long since been withdrawn, like so much of the traditional Green Line network.
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