Route 607 |
|
The picture shows what might be and is taken from the WEB site campaigning for the return of trolleybuses to London New Trolleybuses in Hanwell Hyperlink to TBus site |
Route 607 ran between Uxbridge and Shepherds Bush
Passing through: Hillingdon, Hayes, Southall,
Hanwell, Ealing and Acton
Service introduced on 15 November 1936 - Ceased on 8 November 1960 Route journey time: 66 mins
Service interval 3-6 minutes [Uxbridge to Hayes] 2-3 minutes [Hayes to Shepherds Bush]
This site proudly presents a selection of pictures from
Geoff Bannister's
private photograph album showing a selection of pictures of Route 607
that were all taken on 5 November 60, the last
Saturday of operation.
Click on any thumbnail for a larger image but wait until all thumbnails have downloaded
The captions to all the pictures on this page were written
by Geoff Bannister
who would welcome your observations and
comments.
More pictures on Route 607 are on Roy Barnacle Guest Gallery Page
From "Ted Ivatts" <tedivatts@btinternet.com>
Your WEB pages on the 607 TBs brought back many memories of my own.
As a young man I served an engineering apprenticeship with D Napier and Son,
starting at the Acton Vale site in 1937
and later moving to the new Park Royal factories when the War began. On completion of my apprenticeship I joined the
Army, Royal Corps of Signals. My home was in Pimlico SW1. My learning years were spent on the Napier Sea Lion
engine which was then being installed in RAF and Naval launches.
At the start the cheapest way was for me to get to the Vale was, No 11 motor bus from Ebury Bridge to Shepherds Bush,
then a 607 to Napiers. I therefore had a vast knowledge of the route from SB to Acton. Occasionally I went onto
Uxbridge where a friend lived, particularly on Fridays [Money day].
I did collect the numbers of all the TBs that I travelled on but regrettably it was lost when my home was bombed after I
joined the Army.
The Trolleybus routes around SB, Hammersmith, Acton, Hanwell, Southall, Brentford, Isleworth and Hounslow were all
familiar to me. Occasionally after work, we used to get the 630? [or was it the 666, cant be positive about that but it
went north through Harlesden] to Cricklewood where we went Roller Skating [Used to go home on the motor bus No 16 to
Victoria].
Ted Ivatts
HA4 0DF UK
From "Peter Hoare" <peteandbarb@p1808.fsnet.co.uk>
I lived in Hanwell from 1952 to 1976. I remember travelling on the 607 to Southall with my parents in
late 1950s to the Southall show which was held in Southall Park.
Even that young I was fascinated by these vehicles which seemed to be fast and silent and not smelly. I remember
the long bamboo pole which was stored somewhere under the bus, which the conductor used to replace the power
poles when they came off the wires.
I seem to remember seeing a 607 trolley bus move backwards a short distance, without being attached to the wires
which puzzled me for a while. I later found out that they also had also limited battery power.
I remember the trolley buses suddenly vanishing and being replaced by the 207 Routemaster a route which I used
quite often.
Going to Bournemouth for the first time in 1967 for a family holiday, imagine my delight; they still had trolleybuses.
We used them frequently to go from Fishermans Walk to the centre of Bournemouth to see the summer season shows.
What a shame they to vanished 10 years after the 607.
trams are now making a come back, maybe the silent fast and fume free trolleybus will also return to town and
city streets.
From "Mal Read" <malread@internode.on.net>
It was with great pleasure that I came across your web site, particularly as that as a school boy
I travelled every day from Hayes End to Ealing Broadway on a 607 Trolleybus. I remember them well and was particularly
taken with the familiar images of the route that I knew so very well. I have lived in Australia for many years but
my business brings me back to the UK on a regular basis and on occasion I drive my Avis hire car along the Uxbridge
Road taking in the familiar sights. Of course much has changed since the late fifties and it was a pleasant discovery
to find the photographic archive of this route on your site.
A question for you if I may; I recall that there was an unusual specimen among the trolleybus fleet that I observed
from time to time, in that it had two axles [four wheels] at the front and a single axle at the rear. Other than
appearing to have a slightly nose up aspect when fully laden it seemed to be no different in terms of the ride or
performance to its more conventional companions in the fleet. I suspect that this was an experimental model,
which clearly was not put into subsequent production. Perhaps you can cast some light on the matter.
Thank you again for providing a memorable trip down my particular memory lane.
Mal Read, 13A Thompson Street, Belmont South NSW 2280, Australia
From "Dick Gilbert" <skyline@enterprise.net>
I think I can answer the query from Mal Read regarding the "unusual specimen" he reports
having seen on Route 607.
Trolleybus No.1671 was an experimental vehicle with four-wheel front steering, the sole member of class "X7",
and I believe the only London Transport trolleybus to have two axles at the front [i.e. a "Chinese Six",
as they say in trucking circles].
Built in February 1939, it had been a Leyland demonstrator, and hence had a Lancashire registration [DTD 649]. The
interior differed from the norm, in that the longitudinal seats in the lower saloon were at the front, over the double
axles. It was delivered to Fulwell depot in September 1939, later moving to Hanwell. I've seen pictures of it working
routes 655 and 667.
I don't know what eventually happened to 1671, but it had gone out of circulation by the mid-1950s, presumably scrapped.