AFTER THE LAST BUS HAD DEPARTED FROM CHELSHAM GARAGE

Saturday 28th April 1990

The night before, Friday 27th April saw the very last day of passenger bus operation at Chelsham Garage, AN197 had arrived back from the last journey on Route 196 then the following morning, Saturday 28th April the engineering staff prepared the redundant buses for their exit from Chelsham Garage. The buses were driven away to their new homes during the morning. Five vehicles remained at Chelsham Garage as engineering spares.

AN 124

UPK 124S

Transferred to Reigate Garage (RG)

AN 184

XPG 184T

Remained engineering spare at Chelsham Garage (CM)

AN 188

XPG 188T

Remained engineering spare at Chelsham Garage (CM)

AN 191

XPG 191T

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 192

XPG 192T

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 196

XPG 196T

Remained engineering spare at Chelsham Garage (CM)

AN 197

XPG 197T

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 223

EPH 223V

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 226

EPH 226V

Transferred to Reigate Garage (RG)

AN 229

EPH 229V

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 267

KPJ 267W

Transferred to Crawley Garage (CY)

AN 268

KPJ 268W

Remained engineering spare at Chelsham Garage (CM)

AN 354

RCN 96N

Remained engineering spare at Chelsham Garage (CM)

 

 

From Saturday 28th April 1990 until Friday 29th June 1990, Chelsham Garage was used for engineering purposes and many buses were sent from their home garages for attention.

C LINE AN139 from CY Crawley having attention from the Chelsham engineers.

Sadly during early 1990 Chelsham's AN 302, AN354 while in the bus parking area and P2 in the old bus dump area suffered vandalism with many broken windows. AN302 had performed the final timetabled  route 403 journey back to Chelsham Garage on 27th October 1989 and and AN354 had worked on route 196 on the final day 27th April 1990 and didn't deserve this vandalism. Some shocking photos can be seen below, which brought me to tears .The only comment I shall make is ..... WHY ???

WHY ???

Friday 29th June 1990

By the final day the five engineering spare AN's had dwindled down to two and the fate of the two remaining buses is shown below.

AN 268

KPJ 268W

Sent to Beddington Farm,Garage Croydon (CN)

AN 354

RCN 96N

Sent to Addlestone Garage (WY)

The large blue doors were finally closed at Chelsham Garage, after sixty five and a half years. THE END

 << Route 196 from Chelsham - October 28th 1989 to 27th April 1990

Demolition of Chelsham Bus Garage >> -

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