But LT did authorise a trial, using six dual-door short Nationals
and six dual-door MS-class Metro-Scanias.
The Nationals joined the Metro-Scanias at Dalston garage in November 1973 for the S2
(more famous as the 178, last haunt of the red RLH).
They were in a deep red livery, with white roofs and grey pods.
| Route No | Route | Garage |
|---|---|---|
| S2 | Bromley-by-Bow - Clapton Pond - Stratford | D Dalston |
London Transport must have been impressed by their trial buses,
but made haste slowly. It was 1976 before they had an opportunity to buy more Nationals,
when an export order for 51 buses for Venezuela was cancelled.
LT bought all of them, in a bid to keep its single-deck fleet running.
They were allocated to Hounslow (AV) in August 1976, where they were joined by LS1-6. They took over a broad spread of single-decker routes from SMS class Swifts, which were then redistributed round the fleet.
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Hounslow West Stn - Heathrow Airport Central (non-stop) | AV Hounslow | |
| 81 | (Shepherds Bush Grn - Brentford)- Hounslow - Slough Stn | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| 82 | Hounslow - Hatton Cross | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| 110 | Twickenham Stn - Staines - Hounslow -Cranford | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| 111 | Hanworth - Hounslow - Cranford (-Kingston) | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| 116 | Staines - Hounslow (- Great West Road) | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| 257 | Hounslow - Beavers Farm Estate | AV Hounslow | SMS |
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12A | Selsdon - South Croydon - Croydon - Forest Hill - Peckham | ED Elmers End | SMS |
| 227 | Crystal Palace - Penge - Bromley - Chislehurst | TB Bromley | SMS |
Photo by Ian Smith. Click for larger version
Another 160 were ordered for 1977. They went to a variety of locations, including:
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 117 | Brentford - Hounslow - Ashford - Staines | AV Hounslow | RM |
| 236 | Leytonstone - Finsbury Park (- Stroud Green (pks)) | D Dalston T Leyton | SMS |
| 289 | Thornton Heath - Elmers End | ED Elmers End | SMS |
| 268 | Golders Grn - Finchley Road Stn | W Cricklewood | MB |
| H1 | Northwick Park - South Harrow | HD Harrow Weald | SMS |
| 210 | Finsbury Park - Golders Green / Brent Cross | MH Muswell Hill HT Highgate | |
| E3 | Ealing - Chiswick | HL Hanwell V Turnham Grn | |
| P3 | Peckham - Peckham Rye circular | PM Peckham | SMS |
| P5 | New Cross - Rotherhithe - Peckham | PM Peckham | SMS |
| 248 | Romford North St - Upminster | RD Hornchurch | |
| 248A | Upminster Stn - Corbets Tey | RD Hornchurch | |
| 90 | Staines - Richmond | FW Fulwell | |
| 254 | Loughton - South Woodford | L Loughton | |
| 108 | Stratford - Bow - Blackwall Tunnel - Eltham | PR Poplar | SMS |
Thirty ordered in 1978 were used to create two new routes (250, 255) at Loughton, replacing the old 254, and also to displace the last RFs. These were at Kingston for the 218 and 219, and had not previously been replaced because the inspection pits at Kingston were not amenable to Nationals and there were insufficient BLs. The solution was to reallocate the routes to nearby Norbiton, and Nationals replaced the RFs in March 1979.
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 218 | Kingston - Esher - Hersham - Walton-on-Thames - Shepperton - Staines | NB Norbiton | RF |
| 219 | Kingston - Esher - Hersham - Weybridge - Weybridge Stn | NB Norbiton | RF |
| 250 | Waltham Cross - Grange Hill | L Loughton | new |
| 255 | L Loughton | new | |
| 235 | Theydon Bois - Leytonstone - Chingford Hatch | T Leyton |
Another 140 were ordered for delivery between May 1979 and January 1980, primarily to help with displacing the Fleetline DMS class. The process began at Poplar and Muswell Hill, where DMSs were replaced in May 79 on routes 244 and 173.
Bromley had a complete sweep of its DMS routes in September and October 1979, with Nationals taking over the 61, 126 and 138.
Holloway converted its 239 route in December.
Romford (North Street) took some to replace BLs on the 247 and 247B.
More SMSs were displaced from Uxbridge
and new Nationals went back to the S2 at Dalston.
1979 summary:
| Date | No | Route | Garage | new type | ex - type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/79 | 244 | Winchmore Hill - Southgate - Bounds Green - Muswell Hill Broadway - (Archway) | MH Muswell Hill | LS | DMS |
| 5/79 | 173 | PR Poplar | LS | DMS | |
| 9/79 | 61 | Bromley North Station - Bromley Garage - Orpington - Petts Wood - Chislehurst - Eltham | TB Bromley | LS | DMS |
| 10/79 | 126 | Beckenham Junction - Park Langley - Bromley - Grove Park - Mottingham - Eltham | TB Bromley | LS | DMS |
| 10/79 | 138 | Bromley North Station - Hayes - Coney Hall | TB Bromley | LS | DMS |
| 12/79 | 239 | Archway- Camden Town - Kings Cross - Islington - Moorgate - Waterloo | HT Holloway | LS | DMS |
| 247 | Brentwood - Epping | NS North Street | LS | BL | |
| 247B | Romford - Ongar | NS North Street | LS | BL | |
| S2 | Clapton Pond - Bromley-by-Bow Stn | D Dalston | LS | MS |
Once all the National 1s had arrived there were of course changes in allocation.
Other new buses were also joining the fleet, such as the Titans and Metrobuses,
and there were adjustments to make the best of the available fleet.
Leyland National 2s
also made their appearance from 1981
- but they have their own page.
Meanwhile Fulwell lost its Nationals from route 90 (displaced by Metrobuses).
They went to Uxbridge in September 1980, for routes 98 and 204.
More Nationals were replaced by Metrobuses at Hanwell in January 1981,
and went to fill the gaps at Uxbridge.
A new route 206 started from Leyton at the end of January,
and Nationals also replaced RMs on route 230.
This also led to their appearance on the N96 - the first night service single deckers.
On the debit side, Titans replaced LSs on the 247B and 248A at Hornchurch.
More Metrobuses replaced Nationals from Stamford Brook's route E3 during the spring, and the remainder of Hanwell's allocation.
This created a temporary surplus of Nationals, which went in July 1981 to Hornchurch for route 246, previously Titan-worked.
October saw a shift of LSs from Holloway, where they had briefly operated the 239,
to Peckham for route 78 (previously MD).
November saw Hornchurch's route 248 lost to Titans, with the Nationals going onto 248A, 252 and 256.
1980-1 summary:
| Date | No | Route | Garage | new type | ex - type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/80 | 90 | Kew Gardens Stn - Richmond - Sunbury - Ashford - Staines | FW Fulwell | M | LS |
| 9/80 | 98 | Hounslow - Hayes Stn - Hillingdon Stn - Uxbridge Stn | UX Uxbridge | LS | SMS |
| 9/80 | 204 | Hayes - Uxbridge Stn | UX Uxbridge | LS | SMS |
| 1/81 | 206 | T Leyton | LS | new | |
| 1/81 | 230 | Whipps Cross - | T Leyton | LS | RM |
| 1/81 | N96 | Waterloo Stn - Islington - Hackney - Lea Bridge - Leyton - Highams Park Stn | T Leyton | LS | DMS |
| 1/81 | 247B | Romford - Ongar | RD Hornchurch | T | LS |
| 1/81 | 248A | Upminster Stn - Corbets Tey | RD Hornchurch | T | LS |
| 1981 | HL Hanwell | M | LS | ||
| 5/81 | E3 | Greenford - Hanwell - Northfields - Acton - Chiswick | V Stamford Brook | M | LS |
| 7/81 | 246 | Hornchurch Stn - Harold Wood - Noak Hill (- Gidea Park Stn) | RD Hornchurch | LS | T |
| 10/81 | 239 | Hampstead Heath - Kings Cross - Islington - Moorgate | HT Holloway | DMS | LS |
| 10/81 | 78 | Shoreditch - Liverpool St Stn - Aldgate - Tower Bridge - Peckham - Dulwich | PM Peckham | LS | MD |
| 11/81 | 248 | Upminster - Upminster Stn - Cranham | RD Hornchurch | T | LS |
| 11/81 | 248A | Upminster Stn - Corbets Tey | RD Hornchurch | LS | T |
| 11/81 | 252 | South Hornchurch - Romford - Collier Row | RD Hornchurch | T | LS |
| 11/81 | 256 | RD Hornchurch | T | LS |
Early arrivals also needed overhaul.
LS1 spent more than a year in Aldenham on a pilot overhaul,
(May 79-August 80) while the process was perfected,
followed by rather quicker overhauls of the rest of the first batch during 1980.
Buses from later batches started onto the overhaul scheme from April 1981.
LS1, back at Hounslow, became a show bus, with grey pod, grey roof and black skirt.
Bristol BLs felt the pinch in April 1982, when the 234A was converted at Croydon.
In September 1982 Loughton garage (L) became an all-National garage, operating routes 20/A, 167, 206, 250/A:
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 234A | Streatham Garage - Wallington | TC Croydon | BL |
| 20 | Walthamstow Central Stn - Leyton - Whipps Cross - Woodford Wells - Loughton Stn - Debden | L Loughton | T |
| 20A | Loughton - Epping St Margaret's Hospital | L Loughton | T |
| 167 | Ilford Stn - Barkingside - Buckhurst Hill - Debden Broadway | L Loughton | |
| 206 | L Loughton | ||
| 250 | Waltham Cross - Grange Hill | L Loughton | |
| 250A | L Loughton |
Merton also received Nationals at the same time, for a number of routes, displacing Daimler Fleetlines, while over at Bromley the rural 146 route swapped its Bristol BLs for Nationals.
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Kingston Stn - Raynes Pk - Wimbledon - Merton - Tooting Bdy - Streatham Hill | AL Merton | |
| 127 | Wallington - | AL Merton | DMS |
| 152 | Mitcham - Merton - S. Wimbledon - Raynes Park - Tolworth - Hook - Hampton Court Stn - Feltham Stn | AL Merton | DMS |
| 189 | Clapham Common - South Wimbledon - Raynes Park - Worcester Park Stn | AL Merton | DMS |
| 146 | Bromley - Hayes - Keston - Downe | TB Bromley | BL |
April 1983 saw a more sizeable change at Bromley, when the 261 converted from Routemasters.
Stockwell received some in place of Bristol BLs for the P4,
which was usefully extended from Brockley Rise to Lewisham so that they could turn.
| Route No | Route | Garage | Type Displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 261 | Lewisham - Grove Park - Bromley - Petts Wood - Orpington | TB Bromley | RM |
| P4 | Brixton - Brockley Rise - Lewisham | SW Stockwell | BL |
The 1983 celebration of LT's Jubilee brought several non-standard liveries to individual Nationals.
LS194 was repainted with white window surrounds and roof, black cab front,
gold London Transport fleetnames and Jubilee emblems, and used in service from Croydon.
At the end of 1983 six Nationals were repainted for the new D1 Docklands Clipper service between Mile End and the Isle of Dogs.
The livery involved the addition of white stripes, upswept at the rear in the then current fashion.
They started work from Poplar (PR) in January 1984.
Two National 1s were converted as Mobility Buses in 1985, with a Ratcliffe Lift installed in the exit doorway, and anchorages for wheelchairs. They joined the Mobility Bus network in the north and east, where a National 2 was already in operation. They operated from Leyton (T).
During 1984 Croydon and West Ham lost their allocations, but Poplar started using Nationals on new route 276. Catford's 181 was another new route. On the other hand, they disappeared from Peckham's circular 173 and the East End 278. New Titans made a substantial impact on Bromley's allocation when they started to displace the Nationals from the 261 route in October.
This was the start of a surplus of Nationals, increased in 1985 when Bromley's 138 switched from Nationals to Titans. But the changes were not all one way, or permanent: Peckham's route 70 became LS operated for a while in the autumn of 1985, but then reverted to Titan. Harrow Weald's route 209 was converted to Metrobus in November. The conversion of Bromley's B1, that had started as a BS route, from BL to LS made only a small dent in the rising surplus.
1984-5 summary:
| Date | No | Route | Garage | new type | ex - type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/84 | 173 | Peckham - Nunhead - Peckham | PM Peckham | T | LS |
| 10/84 | 278 | Walthamstow Central Stn - Leyton - Maryland - V&A Docks | T Leyton | T | LS |
| 1984 | 181 | TL Catford | LS | new | |
| 1984 | 276 | PR Poplar | LS | new | |
| 10/84 | 261 | Lewisham - Grove Park - Bromley - Petts Wood - Orpington | TB Bromley | T | LS |
| 1985 | 138 | Bromley North Stn - Hayes - Coney Hall | TB Bromley | T | LS |
| 8/85 | 70 | Greenwich Church - Deptford - Surrey Docks - Bermondsey - London Bridge Stn - Waterloo Stn | PM Peckham | LS | T |
| 11/85 | B1 | Bromley - Elmstead Woods - Eltham Church - Kidbrooke | TB Bromley | LS | BL |
| 11/85 | 70 | Greenwich Church - Deptford - Surrey Docks - Bermondsey - London Bridge Stn - Waterloo Stn | PM Peckham | T | LS |
| 11/85 | 209 | South Harrow - Pinner - Harrow Weald (- Northwick Park Stn) | HD Harrow Weald | M | LS |
The first six, LS1-6, were due for overhaul again in 1985,
but were withdrawn instead, and five of them sold.
Many others soldiered on.
A major blow to London's use of Nationals in the suburbs was deregulation and tendering
in the outer areas, beyond the GLC Area. Loughton garage, a National-only garage,
lost all its routes, including such old-London routes as the 20, mainly to Eastern National,
but also to West's and Sampsons. Loughton garage closed in May 1986.
Stored Nationals accumulated, more than 100 being in store in Auggust 1986.
Six were converted with coach seating and single doors in 1986,
for use on express service X99 between Basildon and Harlow, starting in August 1986.
That experiment came to an end after six months
and five of the dual-purpose vehicles were transferred to London Coaches
and used on a contract for the Japanese School in East Acton, until 1989.
Part2: National 2s
bus histories
photo refs
Ian's Bus Stop
LN, LNB
SNB, SNC
Greenways