Enamel Bus Stop 'e' Plate - 235 Special Journeys & Sun

An enamel bus stop 'e' plate for '235 Special Journeys & Sunday' in black lettering on a white background. It is in very good condition.

The first London Transport route 235 was a short (a journey time of only 16 minutes) short-lived (it was withdrawn in 1935) weekday-only route between Banstead (Victoria Hotel) and Cheam Station.

The number was immediately reused for an even shorter (14 minutes: 2.1 miles/3.4 km) weekdays-only service between South Croydon (Swan & Sugar Loaf) and Selsdon via Croham Road, supplementing route 64. In 1940 the evening journeys were withdrawn due to blackout restrtictions, and the remaining service followed sometime later.

From October 1955 the number 235 was used for a route between Richmond Station and the top of Richmond Hill (Friar Stile Road) via Church Road. It operated Mondays to Saturdays, and on summer Sundays from April 1956 until the end of the 1960 season when it was reduced to Mondays to Saturdays only. The 235 was a one-bus operation from Twickenham garage, always running an RT as duty number AB1. The route had a total length about one mile, but at least four (and possibly five or six) stops in Richmond town centre had 'e' plates. Upon withdrawal in February 1966 (due to strikes) the service was transferred to Continental Pioneer Ltd who operated it, normally with an RF, but sometimes using an ex-Thames Valley Bristol or a manual gearbox Ford, until September 1980, when it was replaced by a diverted route 71.

The next route 235 was introduced in September 1968 as a localised section for the northern end of route 35. It ran between Chingford Hatch and Chigwell Station via Larkshall Road, Highams Park, Wood Street, Bakers Arms, Leyton High Road, Leytonstone, Grove Green Road, Green Man, Wanstead, Hermon Hill, South Woodford and Woodford Bridge. Some Monday to Friday peak hour journeys ran beyond Chingford Hatch to Chingford Station via Friday Hill, and during peak hours it was also extended beyond Chigwell Station to Buckhurst Hill Station. From January 1976 buses terminating at Chigwell Station were extended to Grange Farm Camping Centre, except at times when buses were running to Buckhurst Hill. From April the same year, some journeys were extended beyond Grange Farm to Theydon Bois via Abridge to replace the withdrawn 167A. Later that year the journeys terminating at Woodford Bridge were extended to Claybury Hospital. In 1978 the Sunday service was extended beyond Chingford Hatch to Chingford Station, and half the service was diverted to Claybury Hospital. In 1981 the route was withdrawn between Leytonstone Station and Chigwell/Theydon Bois/Buckhurst Hill/Claybury Hospital, and rerouted at Chingford Hatch to run to Chingford Mount. In 1982 it was extended from Leytonstone to Woodford Wells via Wanstead, Snaresbrook and Woodford. In 1985 it was rerouted between Wanstead and Woodford via Hermon Hill instead of direct via Hollybush Hill. In 1986 it was extended on Sundays from Woodford Wells to Yardley Lane Estate via route 179 to Chingford Station then via former route 242, but this Sunday extension was withdrawn the following year. In 1989 it was reduced to a schoolday-only journey in each direction between Leytonstone and Woodford Wells. The route was withdrawn completely in 1996.

This 'e' plate will have come from the section of route between Chingford Hatch and Chingford Station between 1978 and 1981, and this will be rather rare and short-lived. It is notable that the word 'Sunday' is in black rather than the usual red.

Please see my other auctions for other items, and more 'e' plates over the coming weeks, as I have acquired a small collection of plates to dispose of. Thanks for looking.

I am a keen collector of 'e' plates and will pay the highest prices for any that you can find that I do not already have in my collection.

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