Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
This page created 30th March 2006.
Grey-Green
The new buses: 885-890
Route 179 (Barking - Chingford) was won on tender by Grey-Green from October 1987.
They intended to run it under the Orange Buses name, so the six new Lynxes ordered
arrived in white with orange skirts and chocolate cant-rails and roofs.
But as the had won the tender as Grey-Green, the fleetnames on the buses had to be Grey-Green.
Which they were - in orange!
In 1988 Grey-Green won the prestigious route 24 contract, passing Whitehall and Parliament.
A more subdued, indeed elegant, livery was chosen, reflecting the company name,
but incorporating an orange stripe. This was then applied to the rest of the fleet,
including the Lynxes.
Now they were seen on route 313 (Chingford Stn - Potters Bar Stn), as well as on the 379
(Chingford Stn - Yardley Lane Estate).
Secondhand from Merthyr Tydfil: 801-803
Grey-Green was another company to take advantage of the situation
when Merthyr Tydfil gave up its lease of 30-month-old Lynxes in November 1989.
Grey-Green took three (101,102 and 108), which it renumbered as 801-803.
Brief foray on 210
The converted Volvos that Grey-Green introduced to route 210 in September 1990
were late in arriving. This route required single-deckers (by contract),
so Lynxes were deputised until the replacement Volvos arrived.
Double-deckers stood in for the Lynxes on the 179 and 313.
Dispersal
The nine Lynxes stayed with Grey-Green until 1996, when both these routes were lost on tender.
Seven of them passed within Arriva to Maidstone & District in May,
and the other two (888, 889) went to Arriva East Herts & Essex at the end of the year.
801 and 802 then moved to Londonlinks (as 399, 400) in August 1996.
But Londonlinks was not to last long.
Surprisingly perhaps thse two Lynxes outlasted the natives,
which passed on to Arriva Cymru. 399 went back to Arriva Kent & Sussex (as 3068)
for a short spell, before going to Skylark PSV and a London red livery as LX1.
From there it went back into service with short-lived White Rose of Thorpe.
After them, Metropolitan Omnibus used it for a while. Meanwhile 400 (ie 802)
had passed on to Arriva East Herts & Essex, finally being withdrawn in May 2000.
801, as LX1, was preserved in London red livery with Skylark PSV. Here it poses at Lingfield Show in August 2000.
Those that went to Maidstone & District went on into Arriva Kent & Sussex.
Some have fallen by the wayside, and one (803) became a trainer with Arriva Merseyside.
Arriva Kent & Sussex 3041 was originally Grey-Green 885.
Looking very good,
it turned up at the Country Bus Rallies Classic Coach Running Day at Gravesend in October 2005.
Ian's Bus Stop
LX Contents.
LX bus histories.
LX photo refs.
London & Country.
