Victoria Coach Station - Aspects of the property

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0944) – This was the 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. The iconic art-deco building stands on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road and Elizabeth Street. The very topmost storey was added to the building during the 1960s. National Express SH183 (BK14 LFS), a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K440 tri-axle, turns from Elizabeth Street into Buckingham Palace Road probably on its way to enter the coach station.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0943) – What could have been a nice shot marred by the numpty that ran out into the road to get his photograph just as I clicked. The iconic art-deco building of Victoria Coach Station, London, opened on 10 March 1932, stands on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road (running across the photograph) and Elizabeth Street (straight ahead). The very topmost storey was added to the building during the 1960s. This was the 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932 and a selection of preserved coaches that had worked from the coach station in the past was on display. Just turning out of Elizabeth Street was one of the famous Scottish Bus Group caches once employed on the London-Scotland services. Former Scottish Omnibuses XS750 (MSF 750P), an Alexander bodied Seddon Pennine new in June 1976 followed by National Express SH183 (BK14 LFS).

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0943) – The iconic art-deco building of Victoria Coach Station, London, opened on 10 March 1932, stands on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road (running across the photograph) and Elizabeth Street (straight ahead). ). The very topmost storey was added to the building during the 1960s. This was the 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932 and a selection of preserved coaches that had worked from the coach station in the past was on display. Just turning out of Elizabeth Street was one of the famous Scottish Bus Group caches once employed on the London-Scotland services. Former Scottish Omnibuses XS750 (MSF 750P), an Alexander bodied Seddon Pennine new in June 1976 followed by National Express SH183 (BK14 LFS).

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0942) – The iconic art-deco building of Victoria Coach Station, London, opened on 10 March 1932, stands on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road (running across the photograph) and Elizabeth Street (straight ahead). The very topmost storey was added to the building during the 1960s. National Express added six Caetano Boa Vista bodied Scania K10UD6 double deck coaches to the fleet in September 2016 to operate the London-Luton Airport service A1. CD01 (BV66 WPJ) is named ‘Paul’.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0911) – The 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London. The coach station opened on 10 March 1932. This is the Elizabeth Street aspect of the art-deco building looking towards Buckingham Palace Road. One of the coach exits can be seen. The arrivals hall is out of shot behind shops to the left and passengers walking from one to the other do so via the crossing.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0952) – When Victoria Coach Station, London first opened on 10 March 1932 the coach entrance was alongside the curved art-deco building where the bus is seen in this photograph. The more modern squared building was constructed in the mid-1960s and the entrance relocated to Semley Place just round the corner from the Hertz reception (far left of photo). The New Routemaster bus was Abellio London operated LT708 (LTZ 1708) working service 211 from Hammersmith to Waterloo.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0959) – 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. Shearings Holidays Setra 511 (BU13 ZTC) was entering the coach station followed by National Express Caetano Levante SH183 (BK14 LFX).

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.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (1110) – The 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. The vehicles parked in bays 1-4 were taking part in an event to mark the anniversary. Operational vehicles were packed in everywhere else! Note the ramp to an underground car park. Now used for cars and vans for one of the adjacent buildings, it originally led into 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.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0919) – The 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. The vehicles parked in bays 1-4 (beyond the far yellow pillar) were taking part in an event to mark the anniversary. Operational vehicles were loading from bay 5 upwards, one Plaxton Elite on bay 7 outnumbered by Caetano Levantes. The rear of the iconic art-deco building covers the upper background. The rear of the Elizabeth Street aspect (left) and that of the Buckingham Palace Road aspect (right) separated by the tower. A 1974 photo taken from roughly the same spot makes an interesting comparison with this photo: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/44521284

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0918) – Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. One Plaxton Elite coach on bay 7 is outnumbered by Caetano Levantes. The rear of the iconic art-deco building covers the upper background. The Elizabeth Street aspect is prominent then the tower which stands on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Buckingham Palace Road. Part of the rear aspect of the latter is just visible top right.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (1015) – Victoria Coach Station, London opened on 10 March 1932. This view was taken from near the Semley Place entrance (to the left between the camera and the multi-storey car park) looking north, the houses beyond the dark canopy at top left are on Ebury Street. Elizabeth Street runs parallel to the criss-crossed gantry in front of the coach station building just visible top right.

Saturday 11 March 2017 – The 85th birthday weekend of Victoria Coach Station, London. A selection of vehicles and photographs were on display that included those from the past that used the coach station that opened on 10 March 1932. As part of the official celebrations the windows alongside loading bay 1 were covered with full height vinyls of giant photographs and fleetname emblems of many coach operators.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0926) – Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. A selection of coaches loading in bays 13 upwards that face north (towards Ebury Street). This area was open until the 1960s. Far left are two continental bound services, Flixbus on bay 13 (700 to Paris?) and Kings Ferry 425 (BT16KNC) (Eurolines 140 to Amsterdam). A 1974 photo taken from roughly the same spot makes an interesting comparison with this photo: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/44521286

Saturday 11 March 2017 (0926) – Victoria Coach Station, London which opened on 10 March 1932. Looking south from the coach exit to Ebury Street (on right). The backcloth behind the coaches is the rear aspect of Buckingham Palace Road. The clock tower was once part of the Imperial Airways (later BOAC) Air Terminal opened in 1939 and now occupied by the National Audit Office. The multi-storey car park is on the side of the coach station that borders Semley Place.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (1108) – Victoria Coach Station, London opened on 10 March 1932. This view was taken from the Semley Place multi-storey car park looking north, the houses at top left are on Ebury Street. This area was open until the 1960s and covers bays 13 to 19. Coaches from these bays leave the coach station by the Ebury Street exit which is almost in front of the Megabus coach in the open lane.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (1244) – The arrivals terminal of Victoria Coach Station, London is located in Eccleston Place and was once the operational garage of Samuelson New Transport Limited - still referred to as ‘Sammy’s’. The garage is parallel to Elizabeth Street. Coaches enter from Eccleston Place and leave by the exit to Elizabeth Street. Departures leave from the main coach station and passengers have to cross Elizabeth Street to reach it.

Saturday 11 March 2017 (1246) – The arrivals terminal of Victoria Coach Station, London is located in Eccleston Place and was once the operational garage of Samuelson New Transport Limited - still referred to as ‘Sammy’s’. The garage is parallel to Elizabeth Street which can be seen in the background. Coaches enter from Eccleston Place and leave by the exit to Elizabeth Street. Departures leave from the main coach station, which is also visible in the background, passengers then cross Elizabeth Street to reach it for onward connections.