DSCF6295 Victoria Coach Station, London - 11 Mar 2017

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0957) – This was the 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. The coach entrance was relocated from Buckingham Palace Road to Semley Place during the mid 1960s. National Express owned SH208 (BX16 CMK) (on which I had travelled from Stansted arriving at approx 0909) was entering the coach station probably to work the 1010 departure back to Stansted. A selection of preserved coaches was on display inside the coach station and preserved TMS 405X, an Alexander Y type bodied Leyland Leopard new to Alexander (Midland) in January 1982, was waiting to be directed into its assigned location. Note the yellow hatching on the roadway between the car and the coach. There is a ramp from there leading to what was an underground garage used for the overnight and weekend parking of around 25 coaches. It was built in the mid 1960s but as coach sizes increased it became impractical to use for that purpose. During the week it was a car park for BOAC staff that worked in the adjacent building above what is now the Hertz office.