Other Operators: E–M

The Eastern Counties Omnibus Company’s express coach services ran from London, though the north and northeastern suburbs to Norfolk and Suffolk. I’m not sure precisely where this plate would have been displayed, but I don’t think there would have been many stops involved, possibily in Ilford and Romford where Eastern Counties picked up for their excursions and tours. I think families would have waited at these stops at the beginning of their holidays to Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Cromer. There may possibly also have been commuters to Ipswich and Norwich, etcetera. (I’m now regretting having sold my LT timetable book collection!)

If anyone can supply me with more information about Eastern National Omnibus Company routes, please and I will add to these descriptions.

Eastern National route 2 ran between Romford and Southend via Basildon, and the 2B provided some rush hour journeys which served the industrial area in Basildon. It should also be noted that suffix routes for other operators were especially unusual.

Obviously, split “E” plates are much rarer as they were usually produced where there was insufficient room to accommodate every route on a separate plate, and this tended to be on just a few stops in town centres, this one probably having come from Romford.

Eastern National routes 26 and 26A.

The second plate is one of the rarer split “E” plates and is further unusual in that the operator’s name is repeated twice.

Eastern National route 46.

Eastern National routes 151 and 251 were very long-established trunk routes that ran from Wood Green [EN Depôt] to Southend-on-Sea via Turnpike Lane Station, Seven Sisters, Blackhorse Road Station, Walthamstow (Bell), Southend Road, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Eastern Avenue, Romford. Gallows Corner, Harold Park, Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay; then the 151 continued via Basildon, Pitsea, Thundersley, Hadleigh, Leigh and Westcliff to Southend; whereas the 251 ran via Wickford, Rayleigh, Eastwood, and Prittlewell to Southend. In latter days the 151 was diverted to run to Canvey, but both routes have long since been withdrawn. Together with the 351, they once provided six buses per hour between Wood Green and Brentwood. Such memories!

Eastern National route 253 was the Brentwood to Upminster service. It was withdrawn in the early 1970s because of very poor patronage.

Eastern National routes 305 and 306 both ran from Bishops Stortford to Langley: the former via Manuden and the latter via Newport. ENOC 309 was a Bishops Stortford local. Therefore, this “E” plate no doubt came from Bishops Stortford.

Malcolm Payne writes: “Eastern National route 401 was a summer-only service renumbered from X11 on 18 April 1971. One limited stop return journey was provided on Saturdays and Sundays (also Monday to Friday during the summer) from Enfield via Edmonton, Walthamstow, Leyton, Snaresbrook and Newbury Park, then the same as route 400 (via Romford, Gidea Park, Laindon, Basildon, Pitsea, Benfleet and Westcliff) to Southend. (A Gants Hill stop added later). Passengers were not carried for journeys entirely within London. After September 1972 the 401 was withdrawn during winter months. It last ran on 7 September 1974. (It was advertised to run 15 June to 6 September 1975, but believed not to have operated.) East of Gants Hill the 400 (previously X10) and 401 had joint plates, so this was probably from Enfield or Edmonton [and dates from 1973].”

I do not have a full route history, but Eastern National route 402 ran betwen Dartford and Southend via the Dartford Tunnel, Grays, Basildon, Tarpots, Hadleigh, Leigh and Westcliff. I believe that this plate was sited at either Grays or Dartford.

This plate would have been used on a stop where Eastern Scottish picked up for their long-distance operations to London. It would probably have been on stops in central London or on the main roads to the north.

These plates would have been used on stops where Eastlander Coaches picked up for their excursions and tours. However, Eastlander varied over the years: in the 15 June 1968 London Transport local guide for Harlow it was a consortium of Associated Motorways, Bunty Coaches, Grey Green Coaches and Premier Travel, offering a Felixstowe to Cheltenham service which called at Harlow Bus Station. There was also service from Clacton to Cheltenham which called at Bishops Stortford, Tring and Aylesbury (and no doubt other places in the Country Area).

Note that the second Eastlander Coaches “E” plate has unusual taller condensed lettering.

Route 606 was operated by Golden Miller and ran in the Staines area, linking Stanwell Moor and Stanwell Village with Staines town centre. It was unusual in that the plate did not give the operator’s name and the blue colour would normally be associated with an express route, but in this case I think it was simply a colour used by the operator in their livery and on their publicity. The route has long since disappeared.

Grey Green Coaches was an operator based in Stamford Hill that did not run any normal stage carriage services at the times when “E” plates were used. It is rare to find “E” plates nowadays for other operators that used LT stops, which for many people brings back memories of childhood holidays to the coast. I doubt there would have been many stops carrying these plates.

In 1987 Grey-Green successfully bid for routes 125, 173, 179 and 379 (originally the 179A). In 1988 they began operating the 24, 298 and 313. Route 103 was taken over in 1991, and by 1994 the list had expanded to include the 20, 141, 167, 168, 210, 235, 275, 473 and D9.

This plate would have been used on a stop where Grey Green picked up for their excursions and tours, and the plate would no doubt have come from a stop in North London, of which there would not have been many.

Maidstone & District routes 31 and 32 were Tonbridge locals.

M&D route 91 ran from Tonbridge to East Grinstead via Tunbridge Wells and Forest Row. Route 93 was a Tunbridge Wells circular service running via Edenbridge and Penshurst.

The lettering on this “E” plate is somewhat irregular as it was hand-painted onto a square of aluminum.

Maidstone & District route 98 ran from Tunbridge Wells to Higham Wood via Tonbridge, while M&D 100 and 101 were Tonbridge locals, so this “E” plate is presumably from Tonbridge (but I’m not an expert on Maidstone and District routes!).

This plate would have been used on a stop where Maidstone & District express services picked up for their excursions and tours. It could have been on stops in the Gravesend or Dartford areas, or possibly other stops towards central London. It is rare to find “E” plates for other operators that used LT stops.