London in August 1986

20th August 1986 to 26th August 1986

116 photos

August 1986 saw my first solo trip to the U.K., and given the then ever increasing variety of buses around London, this seemed as good a place as any to explore.

So, having travelled "economy" on the coach and overnight ferry from Dublin to London via Holyhead (no cheap RyanAir flights back then), I disembarked from a Crosville Bova Futura into the early morning at Victoria Coach Station, and made my way along Buckingham Palace Road. From here on, all I had to go on was a series of one day travelcards, a London bus map and some basic info gleaned from reading BUSES magazines.

First off was a route 39 Metrobus to Clapham, followed by a DMS on the 156 to Raynes Park and my accomodation for the next few nights. During this trip I tended to concentrate on the area around Morden, Victoria, Marylebone, Oxford Street and Clapham, with a visit to the London Transport Museum and Heathrow Central as well.

Non bus interest involved a visit to a rail display in Cannon Street on the Sunday of that week, with a shuttle service of vintage EMUs of Southern Railway origin operating from London Bridge station.

On Monday 25th August 1986, I left Raynes Park (a bit overcast) and headed for Victoria to catch the 18.00 coach to Dublin. Emerging into the open air at Victoria it seemed to be getting darker (at 16.30 on an August afternoon!!), and by the time we pulled out of the coach station it was chucking it down. The rain got more and more heavy as we headed north and west towards Anglesey, and once there the full horrors of the storm became apparent. The ship (due to sail at 02.45) didn't arrive in until 04.00, and stayed in the port until 19.00 on Tuesday.

So, while stranded there, I managed to get a few shots of Crosville vehicles in the local garage, and two B.R. shots, including a Mk. 1 buffet car!! And so those seven views remind me of one of the longest nights (and days) of my life!!!`

After arrival in Dun Laoghaire at around 23.00, CIE had thoughtfully laid on special buses to bring the passengers to their homes. Leopard MG105 was the one allotted to go as far as Dundalk, and it took the "scenic" route via Skerries on the way.

A horrendous end to an interesting week, but the chance of photographing more London buses in different areas still beckoned, so a return trip was planned for early the following year......

London Buses DMS2357 at Clapham Junction on 20th August 1986	London Buses RM1807 in Westminster on 20th August 1986	Unidentified Class 47 in Liverpool Street station on 20th August 1986.	37047 in Liverpool Street station on 20th August 1986.
86222 in Liverpool Street station on 20th August 1986.	London Country SNB472 on Buckingham Palace Road on 20th August 1986	London Buses DMS2591 on Grand Drive, Raynes Park on 21st August 1986	Spanish Speaking Services A340 BWE on Grand Drive, Raynes Park on 21st August 1986
London Country AN326 at Morden Station on 21st August 1986	London Buses RM1086 on Stockwell Road on 21st August 1986	London Buses M1254 on Stockwell Road on 21st August 1986	London Buses RM909 and RM1162 in Brixton on 21st August 1986
London Buses RM1304 in Brixton on 21st August 1986	London Transport NS1995 in Covent Garden on 21st August 1986	London Transport RM1 in Covent Garden on 21st August 1986	London Transport T219 in Covent Garden on 21st August 1986
London Transport B340 in Covent Garden on 21st August 1986	London Buses RML2697 and RM1320 in Hammersmith Broadway on 21st August 1986	London Buses RM1320 and M327 in Hammersmith Broadway on 21st August 1986	London Country TL15 at Hammersmith Broadway on 21st August 1986
Hammersmith tube station on 21st August 1986.	Class 253 HST leaving Paddington station on 21st August 1986.	50018 in Paddington station on 21st August 1986.	Unidentified Class 47 in Paddington station on 21st August 1986.
47518 in Paddington station on 21st August 1986.	Class 101 set on the approach to Paddington station on 21st August 1986.	Tube train on the approach to Paddington station on 21st August 1986.	253041 arriving at Paddington station on 21st August 1986.
Alder Valley 248 (LPF 606P) at_Paddington station on 21st August 1986	Alder Valley 248 (LPF 606P) at Paddington on 21st August 1986	Putt, Wimbledon FYV 904V on Grand Drive, Raynes Park on 21st August 1986	Putt, Wimbledon JJM 901H on Grand Drive, Raynes Park on 21st August 1986
Balham station on the Northern line on 21st August 1986.	London Buses DMS2343 at Morden Station on 21st August 1986	Unidentified Class 315 arriving at Kings Cross on 22nd August 1986.	Unidentified Class 47 in Kings Cross on 22nd August 1986.
47401 leaving Kings Cross on 22nd August 1986.	Class 254 HST set leaving Kings Cross on 22nd August 1986.	47537 in Kings Cross station on 22nd August 1986.	London Country BTL12 at Heathrow Central on 22nd August 1986
London Country SNB203 at Heathrow Central on 22nd August 1986	London Country TP11 at Heathrow Central on 22nd August 1986	Ralphs, Langley XNK 206X at Heathrow Central on 22nd August 1986	Cityrama GHM 765N at Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria on 22nd August 1986
Cityrama JWF 47W at Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria on 22nd August 1986	London Coaches RM68 in Victoria on 22nd August 1986	86427 in Euston Station on 22nd August 1986.	86207 and 8629 in Euston sidings on 22nd August 1986.
86101 in Euston sidings on 22nd August 1986.	313008 leaving Euston Station on 22nd August 1986.	83015 in Euston Station on 22nd August 1986.	London Buses RML2498 on Fleet Street on 22nd August 1986
London Buses H3 in Clapham on 22nd August 1986	London Buses H3 in Clapham on 22nd August 1986	Dack's YHU 521J in Victoria Coach Station on 23rd August 1986	Eastern National 3073 on Eccleston Bridge Road, Victoria on 23rd August 1986
London Buses LS492 at Victoria garage on 23rd August 1986	London Buses RM276 and M1354 at Victoria garage on 23rd August 1986	Eastbourne Buses 2 in Victoria garage on 23rd August 1986	London Buses RML2535 and M847 and London Coaches RM762 at Victoria garage on 23rd August 1986
London Coaches RM762 and London Buses M847 at Victoria garage on 23rd August 1986	London Buses RM264 at Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria on 23rd August 1986	London Buses RM2216 on Grosvenor Place, between Green Park and Victoria on 23rd August 1986.	Walkers 184 XNO on Horseguards Avenue on 23rd August 1986
Cambus WEX 828X on Horseguards Avenue on 23rd August 1986.	Proctors WVT 107X on Horseguards Avenue on 23rd August 1986.	Proctors WVT 107X in Horseguards Avenue on 23rd August 1986.	London Country AN10 at Trafalgar Square on 23rd August 1986
London Coaches RM438 at Trafalgar Square on 23rd August 1986	London Buses RM827 at Piccadilly Circus on 23rd August 1986	Class 115 DMU in Marylebone station on 23rd August 1986.	31243 in Marylebone station on 23rd August 1986.
Class 115 DMU in Marylebone station on 23rd August 1986.	Marylebone station on 23rd August 1986.	4498 in Marylebone station on 23rd August 1986.	United Counties 154 at Marylebone Station on 23rd August 1986
United Counties 102 at Marylebone Station on 23rd August 1986	Midland Red West C975 HOX on Finchley Road on 23rd August 1986	London Buses V3 on Oxford Street on 23rd August 1986	London Buses V3 on Oxford Street on 23rd August 1986
London Buses RML2663 at Oxford Circus on 23rd August 1986	London Buses T541 at Victoria	London Buses DMS2532 at Morden Station on 24th August 1986	London Buses DMS2371 at Morden Station on 24th August 1986
London Buses T781 in Clapham on 24th August 1986	London Coaches RCL2240 in Battersea garage on 24th August 1986	London Coaches RCL2235 in Battersea garage on 24th August 1986	London Coaches DD29 and DD28 in Battersea garage on 24th August 1986
LE1, LC2 and RT1530, 4712 and 2240 in Battersea garage on 24th August 1986.	Southern Region 2 car EMU on a branch line in the Battersea area on 24th August 1986.	33008 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	73134 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.
97800 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	4732 and 2090 in London Bridge station on 24th August 1986.	2090 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	4732 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.
50007 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	47638 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	56047 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.	58001 in Cannon Street station on 24th August 1986.
London Buses M78 in Victoria on 24th August 1986	London Buses RM699 in Victoria on 24th August 1986	London Buses M492 in Victoria on 24th August 1986	Preserved RF381 passing Morden Station on 24th August 1986
London Buses M1097 at Morden Station on 24th August 1986	Morden tube station on 25th August 1986.	London Buses RM11 in Victoria on 25th August 1986	City of Oxford 904 in Victoria Coach Station on 25th August 1986
K & M DVV 549X in Victoria Coach Station on 25th August 1986	Crosville DOG121 (MTU 121Y) in Holyhead on 26th August 1986	Crosville SNL981 (UTU 981R) in Holyhead on 26th August 1986	Crosville CDB60 (B60 CMD) in Holyhead on 26th August 1986
Crosville DVG559 in Holyhead on 26th August 1986	Crosville ENL917 (HCA 977N) in Holyhead on 26th August 1986	M1965 in Holyhead sidings on 26th August 1986.	142045 in Holyhead station on 26th August 1986.