London Transport
Stop Flags: “What If” Designs

Last updated 31-07-08.

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As far as I am aware, there were no split bus/trolleybus stops, since introduction of the new-style signs was interrupted by WWII, and after the war the decision was made to use red bus stops for both buses and trolleybuses. Had they existed, they could have looked like those illustrated below:

BUS COMPULSORY TROLLEYBUS COMPULSORY
B(C)?(C)
BUS COMPULSORY TROLLEYBUS REQUEST
B(C)?(R)
BUS REQUEST TROLLEYBUS REQUEST
B(R)?(R)
BUS REQUEST TROLLEYBUS COMPULSORY
B(R)?(C)
BUS REQUEST TROLLEYBUS COMPULSORY
B(R)?(C)

I am certain that the request stops did not exist in a version with a black bar, but the London Transport Museum sells miniature reproductions of request stops for all three services, as shown here.

BUS REQUEST
B(R)
COACH REQUEST
C(R)
TRAM REQUEST
T(R)

An interesting (but totally unnecessary) variation. Express services used regular bus stops with special blue “E” plates, and I can’t think of any instance where they would have needed their own separate stop.

BUS EXPRESS
 
BUS COMPULSORY & EXPRESS
BUS EXPRESS
 
BUS COMPULSORY & EXPRESS
RED ARROW COMPULSORY
A(C)
Since London Transport introduced black as the dominant colour on the Red Arrow stop flags, I thought this would be a better design, as coloured backgrounds normally denoted request stops.
BUS COMPULSORY RED ARROW COMPULSORY
B(C)A(C)
RED ARROW REQUEST
A(R)
As far as I know, there were no exclusive Red Arrow REQUEST stops; they were all combined with regular bus stops.
TRAMLINK
BUS COMPULSORY TRAMLINK
Well, there is street running in Croydon…
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