Abbey Wood
More Transport History


Abbey Road where Abbey Wood, London and Erith, Kent meet. In the days of trams the Erith cars terminated here, to go on to Woolwich you would need to get an LCC car. The 698 trolleybus made a through connection from 1935. The bus is an RT on service 229 which replaced the trolleybuses at the beginning of March 1959.
The trolleybus traction poles can still be seen although the lamps have been changed in this picture of April 1968. A pleasant looking place on a late spring day has become considerably run down in later days after 'improvements'. A flyover now passes above where the bus stop is standing with a car park underneath. See this scene in 2002 here.
Photograph. John King. 
 

Seen just a few yards along the road from the picture above, The same tree and public hall can be seen. RT1104 is on route 132 bound for  Woolwich Parsons Hill. The 132 along with the  229 were extended as a  replacement for the 698 trolleybus, which was withdrawn in March 1959. The 132 at first only went  as far as Erith, then to Woolwich in 1964.

In this photograph of 1966/67 The traction poles still survive for street lighting. They were to go when the lighting was upgraded in the Summer of 1970. !970 also saw the end of the 132 going to Woolwich. It then went from Bexleyheath to Slade Green Station using single deck one man buses OMO as they were called at the time.

Photograph Peter Osborn. www.red-RF.com

  

RM 1412. 412 CLT In Harrow Manorway, Abbey Wood. The construction of flats in Thames mead in the background goes on at a pace. The driver of the 180 has already turned his blind for the return journey to Lower Sydenham.
July 1970.
Photograph. John King.

Another 180 in Harrow Manorway heads to Abbey Wood, with a clearer view of the building at Thamesmead. This shows the junction with Eynsham Drive. There is a roundabout at this corner now. Built on the land at this corner is a supermarket.
July 1970.
Photograph. John King.

RT 375,. HLX 192. On service 161 at the last stop on garage run to AW. It is standing at the bottom of Knee Hill. Abbey Wood garage ran the 161a on weekdays, and the 99 on Sundays, After the 99s conversion to MB operation AW shared the 161 with SP. So this must be a Sunday picture, taken around September 1971.
The funny looking box on the pavement was a section box which was used for the tramways and later the 698 trolleybus route. Inside the box were switches to enable sections of the overhead to be switched off in an emergency. They were placed at around half mile intervals along the route.
In the picture at the top of the page it shows the traction poles still in place for street lighting. That is in Kent, Just around the corner to the right. This is London and the poles have been replaced by conventional lamp posts.
The road to the left leads to the Garage, an old tram depot. The road straight ahead leads to the notorious Harrow Monorway level crossing and the Abbey Estate.
Photograph. John King.

This page was designed and is maintained by Toby and John King, I would accept any comments or questions  See Index Page
 


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