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Stagecoach 12288 in Bellingham on the first day of the new contract. All rights reserved by GloriousWater |
Route 54: Elmers End - Woolwich
Operated by: Stagecoach London
Garage: Catford (TL)
PVR: 14
Length: 10 miles/16 kilometres
Allocation: Alexander Dennis Enviro400H 10.2m
Timetable: http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/054full.pdf
Route 54 started on the 3rd of October 1934 running from Plumstead Common to Selsdon Farley Road. It was run using STs from Elmers End garage (ED) with a PVR of 21. It gained STLs in April 1936 and at the same time the Monday-Saturday allocation transferred to TL. The route together with the 75 and 194 has been hopping between ED, TL and Croydon (TC) for decades but has never stayed long at any garage other than TL, this stopped in 1985 when ED was closed. It was fully at TL when it got converted to RT operation in May 1950. The route itself remained unchanged until October 1959, when the Plumstead Common section was curtailed on Sundays to Woolwich. This section was axed entirely in May 1963, replaced by a 51 extension.
In June 1965 two Monday-Friday peak extensions were introduced, from Woolwich to Woolwich Industrial Estate and Selsdon to Riddlesdown. One morning and one evening journey ran the whole route, taking an hour and 45 minutes. From July 1969 Sunday journeys southbound only went as far as West Croydon. In January 1973 the southern terminus was cut to Croydon Park Lane on weekdays and West Croydon on weekends. In October of that year the northern end was cut to Woolwich Arsenal Station and Routemasters introduced on Sundays. Another two months later RMs were introduced on Saturdays from ED and DMSes used to convert Sunday journeys to one-person operation (OPO). TL introduced RMs on Saturdays in March 1975.
The route was one of the last to use RTs, they were fully replaced on the 22nd of April 1978 by DMSes converting the entire route to OPO. In July 1983 the Monday-Saturday allocation was converted to Leyland Titans. The Sunday allocation went to Titan operation in April 1985 with the closure of ED garage. In November of that year the route was rerouted to terminate at West Croydon every day and the Woolwich Industrial Estate extension was withdrawn. Around the same time a Saturday shopping hours extension to Charlton Asda was introduced. This was withdrawn in June 1986.
On the 19th of November 1988 the Sunday allocation was transferred to PD with Leyland Olympians. Some Sunday journeys were extended to Plumstead as a result. in January 1991 the Sunday allocation was split between PD and TL using Metroriders. In April later half the Monday-Saturday allocation went to PD. Then in November the Monday-Saturday allocation returned to TL while the Sunday minibus service went fully to PD. In July 1993 the TL allocation was withdrawn.
The Sunday service returned to double-decker operation in September 1996 with Leyland Olympians, these lasted until December 1997 when they were replaced by new Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties bodies. The route transferred to TL in January 1999. Due to the Croydon Tramlink starting, the route was curtailed to Elmers End Green on the 10th of June 2000, and a partial PD allocation returned in March 2001. The PD allocation was withdrawn in February 2003 to make way for new route 453 and new Transbus Tridents were introduced on the route, though these were a year late.
In May 2009 the route went to Metrobus at Orpington (MB), using new Scania N230UDs with Optare Olympus bodywork. These buses were also late and the last arrived in September, in the meantime Metrobus used the old Tridents. The next change was in February 2011 when the route was extended around the corner to Elmers End Station. In May 2012 the route was transferred to C and it started to mix the Olympuses with the 75 batch.
In 2013 it was announced the route was returning to Stagecoach at TL with new Volvo B5LHs, however due to a shuffle of hybrids it ended up getting ADL Enviro400Hs, the first of which was delivered in March 2014. These went on the route on the 3rd of May 2014 following on from the 75 a week earlier. As I wrote in the 75 post these are really nice buses and the best hybrids I've been on. The route itself is nothing special in the northern part but Beckenham Hill Road is one of my favourite sections of any bus route in London. I recommend you go on it when you have the time. It usually isn't as crowded as the 75 too. In short, a much nicer route than the 75.
Here is the hybrid fleetlist, these buses are shared with the 75:
Route 54 started on the 3rd of October 1934 running from Plumstead Common to Selsdon Farley Road. It was run using STs from Elmers End garage (ED) with a PVR of 21. It gained STLs in April 1936 and at the same time the Monday-Saturday allocation transferred to TL. The route together with the 75 and 194 has been hopping between ED, TL and Croydon (TC) for decades but has never stayed long at any garage other than TL, this stopped in 1985 when ED was closed. It was fully at TL when it got converted to RT operation in May 1950. The route itself remained unchanged until October 1959, when the Plumstead Common section was curtailed on Sundays to Woolwich. This section was axed entirely in May 1963, replaced by a 51 extension.
In June 1965 two Monday-Friday peak extensions were introduced, from Woolwich to Woolwich Industrial Estate and Selsdon to Riddlesdown. One morning and one evening journey ran the whole route, taking an hour and 45 minutes. From July 1969 Sunday journeys southbound only went as far as West Croydon. In January 1973 the southern terminus was cut to Croydon Park Lane on weekdays and West Croydon on weekends. In October of that year the northern end was cut to Woolwich Arsenal Station and Routemasters introduced on Sundays. Another two months later RMs were introduced on Saturdays from ED and DMSes used to convert Sunday journeys to one-person operation (OPO). TL introduced RMs on Saturdays in March 1975.
The route was one of the last to use RTs, they were fully replaced on the 22nd of April 1978 by DMSes converting the entire route to OPO. In July 1983 the Monday-Saturday allocation was converted to Leyland Titans. The Sunday allocation went to Titan operation in April 1985 with the closure of ED garage. In November of that year the route was rerouted to terminate at West Croydon every day and the Woolwich Industrial Estate extension was withdrawn. Around the same time a Saturday shopping hours extension to Charlton Asda was introduced. This was withdrawn in June 1986.
On the 19th of November 1988 the Sunday allocation was transferred to PD with Leyland Olympians. Some Sunday journeys were extended to Plumstead as a result. in January 1991 the Sunday allocation was split between PD and TL using Metroriders. In April later half the Monday-Saturday allocation went to PD. Then in November the Monday-Saturday allocation returned to TL while the Sunday minibus service went fully to PD. In July 1993 the TL allocation was withdrawn.
The Sunday service returned to double-decker operation in September 1996 with Leyland Olympians, these lasted until December 1997 when they were replaced by new Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties bodies. The route transferred to TL in January 1999. Due to the Croydon Tramlink starting, the route was curtailed to Elmers End Green on the 10th of June 2000, and a partial PD allocation returned in March 2001. The PD allocation was withdrawn in February 2003 to make way for new route 453 and new Transbus Tridents were introduced on the route, though these were a year late.
In May 2009 the route went to Metrobus at Orpington (MB), using new Scania N230UDs with Optare Olympus bodywork. These buses were also late and the last arrived in September, in the meantime Metrobus used the old Tridents. The next change was in February 2011 when the route was extended around the corner to Elmers End Station. In May 2012 the route was transferred to C and it started to mix the Olympuses with the 75 batch.
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| Metrobus 879 in Bellingham in the final month of the old contract. All rights reserved by GloriousWater |
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| 12284 in Bellingham on the first day of the new contract, bound for Elmers End. All rights reserved by GloriousWater |
12261 - SN14 TVW
12262 - SN14 TVX
12263 - SN14 TVY
12264 - SN14 TVZ
12265 - SN14 TWA
12266 - SN14 TWC
12267 - SN14 TWD
12268 - SN14 TWE
12269 - SN14 TWF
12270 - SN14 TWG
12271 - SN14 TWJ
12272 - SN14 TWK
12273 - SN14 TWL
12274 - SN14 TWM
12275 - SN14 TWP
12276 - SN14 TWU
12277 - SN14 TWV
12278 - SN14 TWW
12279 - SN14 TWX
12280 - SN14 TWY
12281 - SN14 TWZ
12282 - SN14 TXA
12283 - SN14 TXB
12284 - SN14 TXC
12285 - SN14 TXD
12286 - SN14 TXE
12287 - SN14 TXF
12288 - SN14 TXG
12289 - SN14 TXH
12290 - SN14 TXJ
12291 - SN14 TXK
12292 - SN14 TXL
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