ROUTE 65 RUNNING DAY ~ Leatherhead to Ealing Argyle Road ~ Sunday 11th April 2021 ~ Confirmed!
The lifting of the ‘stay at home’ restriction from 29 March (assuming no late change of heart by the Government) means we are able to confirm our plans to provide a free bus service along the historic bus route 65 between Ealing and Leatherhead on Sunday 11th April.
The uncertainty over COVID-19 restrictions means we are not able to hold our regular Spring Gathering at Brooklands this year. But old buses need to be exercised and we are taking this early opportunity to get out and share our fabulous old buses with the London public.
Bus route 65 (for the first few years numbered 105A and operating on Sundays only) started operating between Ealing Argyle Road and Leatherhead in 1914, continuing (with a year’s break at the end of the First World War) until 1968, since when it has continued running between Ealing and Kingston up to the present day.
Our free service will recreate the full route, running between 10am and 5pm every 15 minutes from Ealing to Kingston and about every half hour to Leatherhead. We will be helped in providing the service by many friends of the Museum who will operate their own buses, and we are very grateful to them and to TfL who have given their permission to run our service alongside their regular route.
Our buses will follow TfL route E10 from Argyle Road to Ealing Broadway, route 65 to Kingston, route 71 to Hook and then route 465 to Leatherhead. Buses will therefore serve Brentford, Kew Green, Richmond, Ham, Kingston, Hook and Chessington, serving all bus stops along the route.
Included in our plans are our 84-year old STL bus, pictured, of the type that operated the 65 through the Second World War, and the 1939 prototype of the famous post-war RT type, both buses in the London Bus Museum collection.
In addition to the free service, other historic buses will run along the route but not be in service – so they will not display ‘65’. They will provide an added extra for photographers who are likely to be seen out all along the route.
Full Covid-19 safety precautions will be in operation, as take place on vintage bus rides at London Bus Museum when allowed to open and in common with our colleagues in the bus industry.
Additional buses are always welcome; owners wishing to participate please contact our organiser Peter Osborn
Meanwhile we are drawing up plans for an exciting summer event on Sunday 27th June which will be a fun event for both family and for the enthusiast.
Although we are currently closed, the LBM Online Shop remains open for purchases of all things buses and more besides. Look out of the new Jotus models of RF19 and RF25!