Old Boxing Day Extensions

[busman]

A few years back London operators used to run crazily long special services on Boxing Day. I can't seem to find any records of those routes anywhere online. Anyone know where I can find them? I'm especially interested in Boxing Day routes from the 90's to the point when services where normalised.

Cheers.

[sid]

I have a vague recollection of an 86B but I can't recall exactly where it went.

[busman]

There were some amazing one off routes. I'm sure I remember the 83 being extended to North Finchley one Boxing Day. If anyone has any archived records or timetables that would be amazing :-)

[thesquirrels]

The 29 went to Enfield via the 329 as late as (or possibly later than) 2000. I think it was one of a handful of such 'extended' routes by then.

[overgroundcommuter]

The 37 would be extended to Richmond on Boxing Day. With no shops open, it'd be quicker to do that journey than it is to do Peckham to Putney Heath now!

[snoggle]

I have nicked the "Queen of Random's" Tardis and gone back to 1995 and 1996. Well I've blown some dust of some old TLBs from the December of each year.

A few points about Boxing Day buses then.

- tended to start around 0800-0900 unless routes served Heathrow where they started normal Sunday time. Services ended at usual Sunday times.
- frequencies were much lower about every 20-30 mins on many routes

Routes with higher than x20-30 frequencies - 12, 16, 18, 24, 28, 29, 31, 36, 37, 38, 53, 73, 136, 207, 253, 279, C2, W7 (remember these were different routes in some cases back then)

Routes added for 1st time in 1995 as an experiment - 5, 44, 50, 57, 64, 101, 114, 119, 120, 123, 181, 182, 236, 248, 252, 264, 422, D7, U3

Routes not covering their usual full routeting - 5, 7, 16, 21, 30, 43, 48, 92, 102, 106, 133, 171, 171A, 174, 182, 199, 210, 221, 237, 249, 260, 262. (Brent Cross Shopping Centre was closed)

Routes extended beyond normal termini - 11, 29, 37, 68A, 93, 134, 140, 149

11 went to Hammersmith (via 211 from Fulham)
29 went to Enfield Town
37 went to Richmond daytimes but went to Putney Heath evenings
68A went to Euston
93 some trips went to Sutton Green
134 extended to North Finchley (from Friern Barnet)
140 extended to Harrow Weald (from Harrow Bus Stn)
149 extended to Waltham Cross (from Ponders End)
25 reverted to Ilford - Ox Cir this year (previously ran to Becontree Heath via today's 128)

Capital Citybus ran the 19, 22B, 174, 263, 277
County Bus ran the 121
Metrobus ran the 181 (instead of Kentish Bus)
London Central ran the 78, 176 (instead of Londonlinks) and 272, 422 (instead of Kentish Bus)

Even as far back as 1995 LRT were starting the move towards running a much more comprehensive network on Boxing Day. This accelerated once TfL were in place post 2000.

In 1995 there were commercial services on Christmas Day

A1 - London United - Victoria to Heathrow
A2 - London United - Russell Sq to Heathrow

712 - London Central - Kings Cross to Lewisham (30, 88, 12, 436 in today's route numbers)
714 - Stagecoach East London - Earls Ct to Russell Square loop using RMCs. (74, 14, 139, 29, 38, 188)
715 - Routemaster Travel - Holland Pk (Hilton) to Aldwych then either R Square / St Pauls (94, 23 or 23 then 68)
716 - Metroline - Willesden Garage to Victoria (266, 16, 332 via Paddington, 23, 11)
752 - Metroline - Cricklewood to Edgware (32, 204 through Grahame Park, Burnt Oak, 32 to Edgware) This was sponsored by TGWU (Unite in today's parlance)

[snoggle]

Jan 6, 2017 20:57:34 GMT sid said:

I have a vague recollection of an 86B but I can't recall exactly where it went.

Amazingly EFE did a model of Capital Citybus Olympian 143 blinded for the 86B. Looking online the via point list on the blind (destination was Dagenham Dock) was Barking, Ilford, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Romford, Harold Hill. I assume it covered today's EL1, 86 and 174 and running from Dagenham Dock was convenient for garage trips from DM. I can't find anything else online via the usual sources.

www.modelbuszone.co.uk/efe/dd/293/29601.html

And here is one of other Capital Citybus Boxing Day odd workings. (not my photo - linked from BusesbyAdam Zenfolio)

[Deleted]

The Airbus A1 use to run on Christmas Day until mid afternoon.

I recall the H22 running on Boxing Day. Quite an odd choice at the time because I don't think it had Sunday service back then.

At FW, the 267 used to run between Fulwell & Brentford only, but this was cancelled around late 80's.

FW used to run a special Richmond Stn - Kempton Park service. This was before L.General registered the service. United Transit now run the 839 from Kew Gardens instead.