Camberwell bus garage open to the public this weekend

On Saturday 5 September, Camberwell Bus Garage will open its doors to members of the public in the next of a series of bus garage open days.

Although built in 1914, Camberwell garage was not used as a bus garage until 1919 as it had been requisitioned for the war effort. Once it came into use it was one of London’s largest garages and also carried out body overhauls in 1940/41.

During the early 1950s the garage underwent modernisation with the welfare and operational block reconstructed and the parking area extended. The new building also incorporated a new pit and workshop layout in a separate self-contained block which also undertook heavy maintenance for the adjacent Walworth garage, 350 buses in all.

The allocation at Camberwell decreased slightly over the years from 165 in 1952 until the closure of Walworth garage in 1985 increased the allocation to 142. Camberwell was also the home of three Leyland Titans fitted with electronic blinds which were used on night bus standby duties.

• Static bus display – from vintage buses to a New Routemaster
• Learn about how different buses – from hybrids to flywheels – operate
• Take a trip on a vintage bus
• Take a ride through the bus wash
• Visit an array of stalls and stands selling bus memorabilia

Open 11am-5pm, entry is Free.

Address: Camberwell Bus Garage, Warner Road, SE5 9LU

As with previous bus garage open days, all proceeds generated from the event will be donated to charity. Proceeds from this open day will go to Trinity Hospice, who have provided free care for dying people and their families for over 120 years.

Other London bus garages opening their doors this year are Willesden garage on Saturday 19 September and Westbourne Park garage on a date to be confirmed later in the year.

In 2014, TfL held a number of bus garage open days as part of celebrations to mark the Year of the Bus, in partnership with London Transport Museum and the Capital’s bus operators.