#AYearOfBuses 123: Ilford – Wood Green

We haven’t been to London for a while here on #AYearOfBuses! So today, we’re taking a look at another of the capital’s routes.

Now in the hands of Arriva London, the 123 runs across the top of North London between Wood Green, Walthamstow and Ilford. The 123 can trace its history back almost 60 years, to 1960, when it started as a replacement for trolleybus route 623. Initially ran using a mixture of AEC Routemasters and Leyland Titans, it soon converted to full Routemaster operation – the RMs lasting until 1975, when they were replaced with crew-operated Daimler Fleetlines.

Capital Citybus took over the 123 in 1991, with their distinctive bright yellow Leyland Olympians. Incredibly, they also ran imported tri-axle Olympians at one stage!

Image credit: Peter Horrex