Taking place alongside the Barking Garage event was a superb routes 62 and 145 heritage day featuring 30 preserved buses. These ran alongside ‘normal’ TfL services, picking up passengers though not charging fares. This was the latest in a series of events organised by London Bus Museum aimed at bringing classic vehicles to the streets of London and general public.
The 145, running from Redbridge station to Kent Avenue, Dagenham dates from 1924 and the 62, from Barking town centre to Chadwell Heath, began in 1935.
Both routes have been operated with buses from Barking Garage from their inception except when Ensign won five year tenders to operate the 145 from 1986 and 62 beginning in 1987.
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Eighteen of the heritage day buses were London Transport RT variants including Leyland chassised RTL and RTW class vehicles along with the more numerous AEC RTs. In total, 6,956 of these vehicles served London for 40 years from 1939 and Barking Garage was the last to operate them, on route 62. A major farewell event took place on 7 April 1979. The final bus back to the garage that day, RT 624, was a 2024 event participant as was RT 1 from London Bus Museum.
London Bus Museum’s Peter Osborn said it had been a ‘special privilege’ to support the centenary celebrations. “Londoners from all walks of life were delighted to see and ride on the buses,” he said.
