London Trolleybuses - Hendon Depot

Click on picture [JK3] for an enlarged version

From: "John King" <JKing77189@aol.com>

I read that route 645 was operated by Hendon and Finchley depots from 2 August 1936. Later records do not show Hendon trolleybus depot, but Colindale. did Hendon change it's name to save confusion with Hendon bus garage?

From: "Irvine Bell" <ibell@trolleybus.net>

Yes, Hendon became Colindale in about 1950 when the tram & trolleybus and central bus operating organisations were merged and they did not want duplicated garage/depot names. There was a Hendon bus garage and Hendon depot became Colindale. Was always Colindale to me. Finchley and Colindale worked the 645 to the end. I rode the penultimate 645 to Barnet - the last Finchley working - and waited to return on the very last, a Colindale working. Colindale shut that night, Finchley survived as a bus garage until the early 1990s.

From the late "Chris 'fufas' Grace"

The interesting thing about this picture is the trolleybus on the left hand side of the picture. It has an unusual rear destination display. And it's showing a side blind for Isleworth Spring Grove, in other words an Isleworth depot blind from route 657. But more... It only has four wheels!

It's X3 no 63. A rather rare photograph.

From: "David Wilsher" <dwilsher@trolleybus.net>

It brings memories flooding back,unfortunately of rows of perfectly good trolleys being ripped apart in the back yard. When I go along this road nowadays I can't find any reference point that connects with my memory, everything is different. Who remembers the Smith's Industries factory with a slowly revolving clock on the roof that resembled a giant white Smartie, or the Duple works with the very latest style out front awaiting delivery?

From: "Julian Walker" <julianrwalker@hotmail.com>

More information on trolleybus 63 [class X3]:
This trolleybus was indeed a four-wheeler [or, more accurately, a two-axle vehicle], the only one ever owned and operated by London Transport. It was allocated to Houslow/Isleworth for the 657, their only route, however during the tram-to-trolleybus conversions it frequently appeared at other depots for driver training. Judging by the tram on the left, this is the case here.