London Bus Garages
TH - Y

Thornton Heath Garage – London Road, Thornton Heath

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	TH
Garage opened –	1951
Max Bus Capacity –	100
Current Garage PVR –	80
Current Routes Operated –	109 198 250 255 450 N159
Current types operated -	DAF DB250LF/Alexander ALX400 (DLA)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DDL)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (PDL)

Origionally opened as the garage for the first horse tramway in Croydon in 1879 it was later rebuilt as an electri tram depot in 1901. Initially it could house 26 trams, but was extended the following year to take 43 cars. TH was earmarked for closure as a tram depot for reconstruction at the tram replacement program of 1950-1952, but actually shut before the last tram finished with the work and staff moving to Purley. Buses were starting to operate from the new garage before reconstruction was complete in 1951 with 54 RT's, just half of it's capacity. Rm's arrived in the early 1960's bringing it up to 84 buses. The RT's lasted until 1976, outlasting the RM's which were replaced by DMS's in 1971, although they did return between 1976-1978 and 1982-1987 when the garage became entirely OPO. By 1994 the garage was worked almost entirely by L's & M's with a few Darts & Metroriders. Nowadays the fleet consits of new low floor Darts and DLA's.

Catford Bus Garage – Bromley Road, Catford, SE6 2XA

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	TL
Garage opened –	1914
Max Bus Capacity –	200
Current Garage PVR –	135
Current Routes Operated –	47 54 75 124 136 178 199 202 273 380 P4
	N47 N75 - School routes: 624 658 660
Current types operated –	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400
	ADL Dart / Enviro 200
	Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2
	Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander Pointer 2

Catford Garage was opened in 1914 by the LGOC, but was requisitioned a year later and did not re-open until 1920 when Thomas Tillings Lewisham operation moved there due to space constraints at his other garage. Originally coded L, it was changed in 1924 to avoid confusion with Loughton. Thomas Tilling got an agreement in 1923 to double the size of Catford and to open a new garage in Bromley to cope with the new housing estates that were springing up around the area. The roof has had to be raised twice, first in 1930 to enable double deck buses to use the garage and again in 1948 to accommodate RT’s. By 1954 TL was operating some 194 RT’s the last disappearing in 1978. TL has done considerably better than most garages in numbers over the years, especially since de-regulation, having an allocation of 122 buses in 1994 rising to around 160 in the early 2000's. The current allocation is around 140, predominantly low floor vehicles.

Tolworth Bus Garage – Kingston Road, Tolworth, Surrey.

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	TV
Garage opened –	2002
Max Bus Capacity –	100
Current Garage PVR –	100
Current Routes Operated –	57 265 371 406 418 467 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5
	School routes: 613 665
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander Pointer 2 (DPK)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DPS)
	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 (TA)

One of the newest bus garages and built on the site of a former coal yard behind Tolworth Station.
Tolworth was originally planned in the late 1990's following the closure of Kingston Garage and the announcement that the site was to be part sold off and part converted into the new bus station. A recruitment centre was opened on Tolworth Broadwaylong before building work ever started.
The sale of the site was brought forward somewhat, and this appeared to catch out the operator as Tolworth Garage was not yet ready. Buses were temporarily parked in a car park in Kingston until the new 100 capacity bus garage finally opened in early 2002. In recent times the yard has been used to store RM's coming out of service.

Upton Park Garage – Redclyffe Road, Upton Park, E6 1DS

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	U
Garage opened –	1907
Max Bus Capacity –	205
Current Garage PVR –	111
Current Routes Operated –	101 104 115 147 238 262 330 376 473 N50
Current types operated -	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2
	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 (TA)

The largest garage in the east end of London, Upton Park was opened by the LRCC in 1907 but was requisitioned for the war effort in 1915 and was not returned to use until 1919. In 1931 it was totally revamped and enlarged to create a capacity of just over 200 buses. In 1988 the garage operated the X15 ‘Becton Express’ using ex green line RMC’s. The service was a trial, and even sold newspapers to commuters on board.

Uxbridge Bus Garage – Bakers Road, Uxbridge, Middx UB1

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	UX
Garage opened –	1922
Max Bus Capacity –	115
Current Garage PVR –	76
Current Routes Operated –	331 607 A10 U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U10
Current types operated -	Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital (DMS/DML)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TN)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus (DMC)

The Original Uxbridge Garage was over a mile out of town on the Oxford road and was built by the lGOC in 1921, but passed to Thames Valley a year later. The garage was taken back by the LGOC in 1929 to work it's new local routes which were operated mainly by single deckers. An extension was added in the late 1940's and a new garage was planned, although work didn't begin until the 1980's. The new garage came into commision in late 1983 and is situated next to the underground station occupying the lower ground floor of a multi use building. In 1989 the garage began operating the U-Line network of local routes in an initiative by London Transport. The garage also operated the busy 207 and express verion 607 from Uxbridge into Shepherds Bush. In 1995 the garage was allocated all 14 of Londons first Low-floor single decker, Dennis Lance/Wright bodied vehicles.

Stamford Brook Bus Garage, Chiswick High Road, London W4.

Street map reference

Garage code -	V
Garage opened -	1980
Max Bus Capacity -	100
Current Garage PVR -	84
Current Routes Operated -	9 27 272 283 391 440
Current types operated -	Scania MetroCity /OmniDekka DD
	Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP)
	Dennis Dart SLF 8.8m/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DPS)
	Volvo B7TL /EL Vyking DD (VE)

Stamford Brook opened as a bus garage in 1980 after a 2 year project costing some 2Million started in 1978 to convert it from the former Chiswick Works which had recently closed.
The original plan was to create a temporary home for the R(Riverside) buses and staff whilst that garage was re-built with a view to taking on the workload from Mortlake and Turnham Green which were to close. However this idea was changed and the garage took on the work from Turnham Green which closed and also inherited the garage code V.
Later that year Stamford Brook took on the A1 & A2 'Airbus' routes following the withdrawal of the existing british airways services from London - Heathrow Airport. These vehicles were transfered in 1994 to West Ramp (which became an outstation of V) leaving the garage with an allocation of MRL's, M's, T's and Darts.
The garage closed in 1996 and became a store for unlicensed vehicles for possible future use, and reopened in 1999 when it was reutilised to cater for increased demand in the area. In 2001 the allocation consisted entirely of Dennis Darts and is still all single deckers albeit with the arrival of the Crusaders.

Cricklewood Garage – 329 Edgware Road, Dollis Hill, NW2

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	W
Garage opened –	1905
Max Bus Capacity –	130
Current Garage PVR –	127
Current Routes Operated –	16 32 139 189 266 326
	N139 N189 N266 School route: 632 643
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DL/DLD)
	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 (TA)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TP)

Cricklewood Garage is currently closed for re-building works. Buses are being stored on a storage site on the opposite side of the road until re-building is complete.

Waterden Road Garage – Waterden Road, London, E15

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	WA
Garage opened –	2004
Max Bus Capacity –	100?
Current Garage PVR –	47
Current Routes Operated –	15H 25
Current types operated –
	Mercedes Citaro Articulated
	AEC Routemaster
	Optare Delta (trainer)
	Scania / Wright Pathfiner (Trainer)

Opened in 2004 to accomodate 'Bendies' on route 25. The garage has also been used to house some of the private hire fleet ousted from Romford due to space constrainst following recent tender wins. WA also gives Stagecoach a handy stabling and re-fuelling base for it's Megabus services into and out of London. In November 2005 Stagecoach were awarded the contract to operate one of the 2 'heritage' routes in Cntral London with RM's.

Willesden Junction Bus Garage – Station Approach, Harlesden, NW10

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	WJ
Garage opened –	2003
Max Bus Capacity –	100
Current Garage PVR –	64
Current Routes Operated –	18 187 226 PR1 PR2
Current types operated –	Mercedes Benz / Citaro G (ECA)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital (DMS/L)

One of the newest garages in London, Willesden Junction was opened on the site of a former frieght yard to accomodate new 'Bendy-buses' on route 18 and specifically designed for articulated buses. A further award of artics for route 207 further boosted the type at the garage.

Wood Green Bus Garage – High Road, London N22

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	WN
Garage opened –	1902
Max Bus Capacity –	165
Current Garage PVR –	108
Current Routes Operated –	141 144 184 221 298 W3
School Routes –	184 683 688
Current types operated –	DAF DB250LF/Alexander ALX400 (DLA)
	DAF SB120/Wright Cadet (DWL)
	Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini (VLW)
	Wrightbus Hybrid DD

Transformed in the early 1900’s from a horse tram depot to a modern tram depot with a capacity of 67. It was completely re-modelled in the late 1930’s to allow for trolleybus operations and a capacity of 108. The garage was further adapted again in 1960 for motorbuses. RM’s arrived to replace trolleybuses and with the closure of West Green in 1962 more work was moved into the garage. Recently the garage has lost it's long association with route 29 when the route was converted to Mercedes Articulated vehicles and transferred to the purpose adapted facility at Lea Valley.
Wood Green has been chosen as the evaluation site for the New 'Wrightbus Hybrid DD', the first DD to run using a mixture of diesel and electric power. It is due to enter service in February 2007 on route 141.

Wandsworth Bus Garage – Jews Row, London SW18

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	WD
Garage opened –	1902
Max Bus Capacity –	75
Current Garage PVR –	24
Current Routes Operated –	337
Current types operated –	Volvo B7TL/ALexander 400 (VLA)

Wandsworth Garage was closed in 1987 and re-opened a year later to house the London Sightseeing and London Coaches fleet from Battersea. The garage recently supllied buses to assist on the 185 following the collapse of Easylink, and has now won thier first tender for route 337 from May 2004.

Walworth Bus Garage – Camberwell New Road, London SE5

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	WL
Garage opened –	1950
Max Bus Capacity –	135
Current Garage PVR –	98
Current Routes Operated –	100 129 188 343 381 C1 ELS
	AlexanderDennis Dart SLF (DP)
	ADL Dart / Enviro 200 (DE)
	Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini (V)
	Optare Solo (S)

Originally a site aquired by the LCC for it's electric trams it was known as Camberwell Tram depot until 1950 when it's name was changed to Walworth with the arrival of buses to avoid confusion with Q opposite. A major rebuilding had to be done in the 1950's to repair bomb damage from the 2nd world war in which time some buses were worked out of Camberwellin the late 1960's the garage assumed operation of the red arrow routes with MBA's and later LS's until closure in 1985. In 1987, following the closure of Victoria and Ash Grove garages, it operated the Red Arrow routes for a short time until Waterloo garage was ready. During the early 1990's the garage once again re-opened, this time for the Londonlinks operation of routes 78 & 176.The Cowie group undertook a major restructure a few years later which once again saw closure in 1997.
The garage lay dormant for the next six years until late 2003 when work started on refurbishing the garage for the new leasee, The National Express Group, who intended to house new gains in the london area. The garage is now complete and Travel London has moved it's London Operation head office into the garage and rapidly built up it's portfolio of routes since the P10, & 381 started in September 2004. The garage is also used as a holding point for vehicles due to transfer to other operations under National Express.

Westbourne Park Bus Garage – Great Western Road, London, W9

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code –	X
Garage opened –	1981
Max Bus Capacity –	220
Current Garage PVR –	203
Current Routes Operated –	7 9H 10 23 28 31 295 328 414
Current types operated –	Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini (VNZ)
	AEC Routemaster (RM)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TN)
	Volvo B7TL/Alexander ALX400 (VFL)

The current allocation at the garage is all double decker, one of the very few garages (with more than one route) to not have mixes SD/DD operation. Westbourne Park was subjected to an arson attack in 2006 which resulted in the destruction of a number of buses. In the aftermath a number of Volvo/Plaxton Presidents were loaned in from East Thames Buses.

Orpington Bus Garage – Faraday Way, St Mary Cray, BR5.

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	Y (OR)
Garage opened –	1996
Max Bus Capacity –	85
Current Garage PVR –	44
Current Routes Operated –	R1 R3 R4 R9 R11 T31 T32
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital (DMS/DML)

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