![]() ![]() Admiral also used a Dennis on the 353 (Totteridge-Wood Green), which it took over from Barnet Motor Services in December 1926. Its continued operation on the 353 for the year to December 1927 was probably illegal, as transfer of routes between operators was not permitted. It then went to Waltham Motor Services, where it worked the 306B (Waltham Cross-Waltham Abbey), alongside another new Dennis. Another route for the 2.5 tonners was the 551 (Whetstone-Edmonton (Sparklets Works)). This was worked by Redburn's, BB, HHC, SB, and Silver Star, with other types from other small independents. HHC was not content with the 551 and used his buses on other independent routes in succesive months in the spring of 1927: the 182 in March, 100A, 100F (April), 263 (May) before operating in the early summer unlicensed.
A short but useful route was the 297 (Tuffnell Park - Kings Cross), worked by Clarendon with a pair of 1925 Dennis 2.5 ton buses with Dodson 25-seat bodies. The route extended to Charing Cross in December 1925, becoming the 297A. PHRH of Stockwell joined Clarendon on the 297 after experimenting unsuccessfully with the 547 (Ladbroke Grove - Ebury Street) Route 550 (Finsbury Park - Islington) was taken up by three companies from early 1926. The Orange Bus Service bought on hire-purchase four Dodson-bodied Dennises which it painted orange/white. Nulli Secundus and Dauntless each had one, painted red/white, but these were quckly sold on to Orange, presumably because route 550 was not as profitable as first expected. All six buses were repainted in December in orange/black. The London Public Omnibus Company![]() In February 1929 Public made a swap of routes with the General. Amongst the routes transferred were DS operated 297 (Tuffnell Park - Kings Cross), the 263A and 263B (Finsbury Park - Chingford). This concentrated Public's DS buses on West Green (WG) and Enfield (E).
The London General Omnibus CompanyMeanwhile LGOC had also taken over a fleet of Dennis 2.5 ton buses, which it numbered in its D series. These buses remained largely un-noticed, un-photographed and unrecorded. Some were transferered to National at Watford.Amersham & District![]() Penn Bus CompanyThe Penn Bus Company, from the village of Penn near High Wycombe, developed from a horse bus service into High Wycombe. A period with Model T Fords gave way to something rather more substantial with the purchase of a Dennis 2.5tonner with Strachan & Brown 20-seater body in January 1924. This was to provide competition against Thames Valley on the route to Great Missenden. Its big advantages were its capacity and its pneumatic tyres, which allowed a higher top speed and quicker journeys. A second, in July 1924, took over from a Ford T-type on the service from Penn to High Wycombe. Two more, slightly larger at 25 seats, came at the end of 1924 for a February start on the service from West Wycombe to Loudwater and Wooburn Green, where growing traffic made the Fords too small. (The Fords were not thrown out at this stage, but used to start further local services.) 1925 saw three more 2.5tonners acquired - 5, 7 and 8 - not all at once, but spaced out - for replacement of the Fords. Slightly different was No.6, a 30cwt Dennis with a narrow 16-seater body for use on a narrow route from High Wycombe to Naphill. No9 in July 1926 was another replacement bus. After that Penn turned to Chevrolet for its small buses for the next year. Some of the early buses were rebuilt or rebodied with front entrances. Four more 2.5 tonners followed between July 1927 and January 1929. After that the company was buying bigger buses.
When London Transport came on the scene in 1933 Penn was straddling the boundary of the new Country Area, part being within LT's zone and the rest falling to Thames Valley. Wrangling over the takeover price dragged on into 1935. LT took just one of the little Dennises (No2), and Thames Valley took five.
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