London Buses route 39
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 39 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
.
, declining very much after the opening of that line in the late 1960s. Today, the 39 is a mere local midibus service within the London Borough of Wandsworth
. Interestingly, Route 39 was used on the first section of Road in London to have "fixed Bus stops". The Stops were erected between Camden Town and Seven Sisters Corner
in 1937. Previously, Buses could stop almost anywhere on a fixed route. The Bus Stop experiment was used to prove that savings could be made in fuel and rubber costs. The Bus Stops were successful and became the norm all over London.
Today's 39 commenced operation on 16 November 1921 running as a Monday - Saturday route between East Sheen
and Moorgate
running via Putney
, Wandsworth
, Vauxhall
, Southwark Bridge
and Bank
. This was the third time that the Route number 39 had been used.
The Routing wasn't very lucrative and by 1924 had settled down as a daily Edmonton
to Southfields
route via Finsbury Park
, Camden Town
, Victoria
, Clapham Junction. The purpose of the route was to provide a link from the Tottenham
and Edmonton areas that penetrated into the West End. All of the frequent trams from these areas terminated at the periphery of the central area. In the days before the Piccadilly line Cockfosters extension
, the 39 also served to bolster the 29 between Manor House
and Victoria. For a few years in the late 1920s and early 1930s the 39 was replaced by a Sunday only Route 130
on that day, which also ran from Southfields to Edmonton and then on to Chingford
(Epping Forest
). After the disappearance of the Sunday 130, the 39 was extended on Sundays from Southfields to Raynes Park
via Wimbledon
.
Towards the end of the 1930s, the coming of the trolleybuses to North London
as replacements for the Trams, heralded changes for the 39. On 16 October 1938, with the withdrawal of the bulk of the Trams by Trolleybuses on the Waltham Cross Routes via Tottenham, the opportunity was taken to eradicate duplicate mileage between Electric and Diesel services, by re-routing the 39 at Manor House to teminate at the newly opened Turnpike Lane Bus station
.
The continuing Second World War saw changes to the 39, mainly by reducing duplication, but also to cover other services that were withdrawn as a Savings measure. For a time, the 39 was even extended to Hackbridge
to cover the withdrawn, long standing Route 77. Though by the end of the war, the 39 had retreated and had been cut back to its main section between Camden Town and Southfields.
From the 1950s there was a short lived Monday to Friday peak and weekend extension to Parliament Hill
and a Sunday afternoon variant running to Waterloo
via Horseferry Road. In February 1961 the wheel seemed to have come full circle, when the 39 was used as part of a trolleybus replacement package, when it was extended again to Parliament Hill Fields. This was not very long-lived as in August 1963, the 39 was used to replace the 276, a very underused trolleybus replacement route. This change took the route away from Parliament Hill Fields, but extended it again to Tottenham Garage. The routing was also amended at this time, with buses running via Oxford Circus
and Albany Street to Camden Town, Holloway
, Finsbury Park and Tottenham. The Sunday service was lost over the whole route and there was no Saturday service north of Victoria
.
By the beginning of 1970, the opening of the Victoria Line, left its mark on the 39. The route was cut back to Oxford Circus, this now becoming the Northern Terminal of the Route. In a further retrenchment, in 1972 the 39 was converted to one person operation.
Indeed the service north of Victoria has now been abandoned without replacement, but, at the other end, has been extended to service more of Southfields and continue into Putney
. The route has also been split in two at Clapham Junction, with the service between Clapham Junction and Victoria becoming the 239. The 39 and 239 were converted from 12 May 1990 to midibus operation, in the form of Alexander
-bodied Mercedes 811Ds. Later, spare 8.5m Dennis Dart
s cascaded from the 156 effected an upgrade, subsequently joined by similar, but 9m, Darts from routes 295 and 211. But contract renewal prompted new 10.2m low-floor Darts to enter service during Autumn 2002, combined with a welcome frequency increase. These followed something of a lull in single deck orders for London General - most requirements for single deckers recently have been met by double decking busy routes.
Route 39 and 485 transferred from Putney Garage to London General's new garage at Waterside Way in January 2007.
There were also in London :-
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted bus route in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
.
History
The 39 has had a very varied history and was at one time a major South West - North East London trunk bus route. It became a victim of the Victoria LineVictoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
, declining very much after the opening of that line in the late 1960s. Today, the 39 is a mere local midibus service within the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
. Interestingly, Route 39 was used on the first section of Road in London to have "fixed Bus stops". The Stops were erected between Camden Town and Seven Sisters Corner
Seven Sisters, London
Seven Sisters is an area of North London in the United Kingdom and part of the London Borough of Haringey. It is located at the east end of Seven Sisters Road, which runs from Tottenham High Road to join the A1 in Holloway.-Etymology:...
in 1937. Previously, Buses could stop almost anywhere on a fixed route. The Bus Stop experiment was used to prove that savings could be made in fuel and rubber costs. The Bus Stops were successful and became the norm all over London.
Today's 39 commenced operation on 16 November 1921 running as a Monday - Saturday route between East Sheen
East Sheen
East Sheen, also known as 'Sheen', is an affluent suburb of London, England in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It forms part of the London post town in the SW postcode area....
and Moorgate
Moorgate
Moorgate was a postern in the London Wall originally built by the Romans. It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London...
running via Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
, Southwark Bridge
Southwark Bridge
Southwark Bridge is an arch bridge for traffic linking Southwark and the City across the River Thames, in London, England. It was designed by Ernest George and Basil Mott. It was built by Sir William Arrol & Co. and opened in 1921...
and Bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
. This was the third time that the Route number 39 had been used.
The Routing wasn't very lucrative and by 1924 had settled down as a daily Edmonton
Edmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
to Southfields
Southfields
Southfields is a suburban district in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, situated 5.6 miles south-west of Charing Cross where Serena Frazer lives. Southfields is located partly in the SW18 postcode area and partly in SW19....
route via Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park, London
Finsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...
, Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, Victoria
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
, Clapham Junction. The purpose of the route was to provide a link from the Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
and Edmonton areas that penetrated into the West End. All of the frequent trams from these areas terminated at the periphery of the central area. In the days before the Piccadilly line Cockfosters extension
Piccadilly Line Cockfosters extension
The Piccadilly line extension to Cockfosters added eight new stations to the northern end of London Underground's Piccadilly Line. The extension through north London from to was opened in three stages between 19 September 1932 and 31 July 1933.-Need:...
, the 39 also served to bolster the 29 between Manor House
Manor House tube station
Manor House tube station is a station on the Piccadilly line of the London Underground, on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3. It straddles the border between the London Boroughs of Hackney and Haringey, the postal address and three of the entrances being in the former, and one...
and Victoria. For a few years in the late 1920s and early 1930s the 39 was replaced by a Sunday only Route 130
London Buses route 130
London Buses route 130 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metrobus.-History:...
on that day, which also ran from Southfields to Edmonton and then on to Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
(Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
). After the disappearance of the Sunday 130, the 39 was extended on Sundays from Southfields to Raynes Park
Raynes Park
Raynes Park is a suburb within the London Borough of Merton south-west London, centred around Raynes Park station and situated between Wimbledon and New Malden. It is 8.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross. The area is effectively divided into two by the Waterloo - Southampton mainline railway...
via Wimbledon
Wimbledon station
Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...
.
Towards the end of the 1930s, the coming of the trolleybuses to North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
as replacements for the Trams, heralded changes for the 39. On 16 October 1938, with the withdrawal of the bulk of the Trams by Trolleybuses on the Waltham Cross Routes via Tottenham, the opportunity was taken to eradicate duplicate mileage between Electric and Diesel services, by re-routing the 39 at Manor House to teminate at the newly opened Turnpike Lane Bus station
Turnpike Lane tube station
Turnpike Lane tube station is a station at Turnpike Lane on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground, between Manor House and Wood Green stations, and in Travelcard Zone 3.It is located within the London Borough of Haringey...
.
The continuing Second World War saw changes to the 39, mainly by reducing duplication, but also to cover other services that were withdrawn as a Savings measure. For a time, the 39 was even extended to Hackbridge
Hackbridge
Hackbridge is a suburb in London Borough of Sutton, Greater London. It is situated 9.07 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Hackbridge was home to the first Country dogs home opened by the Duke and Duchess of Portland...
to cover the withdrawn, long standing Route 77. Though by the end of the war, the 39 had retreated and had been cut back to its main section between Camden Town and Southfields.
From the 1950s there was a short lived Monday to Friday peak and weekend extension to Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill, London
Parliament Hill is an area of open parkland in the south-east corner of Hampstead Heath in north-west London. The hill, which is high, is notable for its excellent views of the capital's skyline...
and a Sunday afternoon variant running to Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
via Horseferry Road. In February 1961 the wheel seemed to have come full circle, when the 39 was used as part of a trolleybus replacement package, when it was extended again to Parliament Hill Fields. This was not very long-lived as in August 1963, the 39 was used to replace the 276, a very underused trolleybus replacement route. This change took the route away from Parliament Hill Fields, but extended it again to Tottenham Garage. The routing was also amended at this time, with buses running via Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus is the area of London at the busy intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street, in the West End. It is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.- History :...
and Albany Street to Camden Town, Holloway
Holloway, London
Holloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington located north of Charing Cross and follows for the most part, the line of the Holloway Road . At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head area...
, Finsbury Park and Tottenham. The Sunday service was lost over the whole route and there was no Saturday service north of Victoria
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
.
By the beginning of 1970, the opening of the Victoria Line, left its mark on the 39. The route was cut back to Oxford Circus, this now becoming the Northern Terminal of the Route. In a further retrenchment, in 1972 the 39 was converted to one person operation.
Indeed the service north of Victoria has now been abandoned without replacement, but, at the other end, has been extended to service more of Southfields and continue into Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. The route has also been split in two at Clapham Junction, with the service between Clapham Junction and Victoria becoming the 239. The 39 and 239 were converted from 12 May 1990 to midibus operation, in the form of Alexander
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
-bodied Mercedes 811Ds. Later, spare 8.5m Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
s cascaded from the 156 effected an upgrade, subsequently joined by similar, but 9m, Darts from routes 295 and 211. But contract renewal prompted new 10.2m low-floor Darts to enter service during Autumn 2002, combined with a welcome frequency increase. These followed something of a lull in single deck orders for London General - most requirements for single deckers recently have been met by double decking busy routes.
Route 39 and 485 transferred from Putney Garage to London General's new garage at Waterside Way in January 2007.
Current route
- Clapham Junction StationClapham Junction railway stationClapham Junction railway station is near St John's Hill in the south-west of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction....
Meyrick Arms - Falcon Road
- St. John's Hill
- Marcilly Road
- North Side
- Huguenot Place
- East Hill
- WandsworthWandsworthWandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
High Street - Buckhold Road
- Merton Road
- Granville Road
- Wimbledon Park Road
- Southfields StationSouthfields tube stationSouthfields is a London Underground station in Southfields in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The station is on the District Line between and stations. The station is located on Wimbledon Park Road at the junction with Augustus Road and Replingham Road...
- Wimbledon Park Road
- Victoria Drive
- Princes Way
- Southmead Road
- Beaumont Road
- West Hill
- Tibbet's Ride
- Putney Heath
- Putney HillPutneyPutney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
- Putney StationPutney railway stationPutney railway station is in Putney in the London Borough of Wandsworth, in south London, and is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains...
- PutneyPutneyPutney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
High Street - Putney BridgePutney BridgePutney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:...
- Putney Bridge ApproachPutney BridgePutney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:...
- Gonville StreetPutney Bridge tube stationPutney Bridge is a London Underground station on the branch of the District Line. It is between and stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which...
- Station ApproachPutney Bridge tube stationPutney Bridge is a London Underground station on the branch of the District Line. It is between and stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which...
- Putney Bridge StationPutney Bridge tube stationPutney Bridge is a London Underground station on the branch of the District Line. It is between and stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which...
Previous route 39s in London
The route number 39 had been used twice prior to its current use.- In 1912 - 1914 for a West KensingtonWest Kensington- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character....
Sidcup SidcupSidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
via VictoriaVictoria, LondonVictoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
route. * Termini varied. - In 1919 for a North Finchley
Grove Park and Farnborough Farnborough, LondonFarnborough is a settlement in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a suburban development located 13.4 miles southeast of Charing Cross.-History:...
via Victoria and Peckham route. * Termini varied.
There were also in London :-
- Between 1913 - 1914 a Newington GreenNewington GreenNewington Green is an open space in north London which straddles the border between Islington and Hackney. It gives its name to the surrounding area, roughly bounded by Ball's Pond Road to the south, Petherton Road to the west, the southern section of Stoke Newington with Green Lanes-Matthias Road...
Aldersgate AldersgateAldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington.-History:...
L.C.C. Tram route 39London County Council TramwaysThe London County Council Tramways was an extensive network of public street tramways that was operated by the council throughout the County of London, UK, from 1899 to 1933, when they were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board....
. - In 1914 for a Finsbury ParkFinsbury ParkFinsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
Moorgate MoorgateMoorgate was a postern in the London Wall originally built by the Romans. It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London...
via Canonbury Road L.C.C. Tram route 39London County Council TramwaysThe London County Council Tramways was an extensive network of public street tramways that was operated by the council throughout the County of London, UK, from 1899 to 1933, when they were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board....
. - Between 1921 - 1928 a TottenhamTottenhamTottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
(Bruce Grove)Aldersgate AldersgateAldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington.-History:...
via Wood GreenWood GreenWood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...
L.C.C. Tram route 39London County Council TramwaysThe London County Council Tramways was an extensive network of public street tramways that was operated by the council throughout the County of London, UK, from 1899 to 1933, when they were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board....
. - Between 1928 - 1933 a Charing CrossCharing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
Tottenham Night Bus route 39D. - Between 1934 - 1938 a Tottenham (Bruce Grove)
Alexandra Park Alexandra Park, LondonAlexandra Park is an 80 hectare, Green Flag Award and Green Heritage winning landscaped park in the Borough of Haringey in north London.-Overview:...
(Victoria) Tram route 39. - Between 1934 - 1938 a Tottenham (Bruce Grove)
Winchmore Hill Winchmore HillWinchmore Hill is a district in the Borough of Enfield, North London, in the N21 postal district.- Location :With the Winchmore Hill conservation area as a focal point, Winchmore Hill is a ward of Enfield borough, bounded on the east by Green Lanes , Barrowell Green, Firs Lane and Fords Grove, and...
and Tram route 39A.