Go bus celebrates 100 years of Swanley bus garage with an open day on 23rd August 11/08/2025
On Saturday 23rd August 2025 between 10am and 4pm, Go Bus are holding a free to enter open day at their bus garage in Swanley, Kent, as well as a Classic Car and Bus show in West Kingsdown, to celebrate the 100th anniversary year of the opening of the bus garage.
With the surviving number of former London Transport Country garages dropping in recent years, Swanley garage remains a remarkable location, with its original art deco office block and 1925 workshop building. Whilst the garage had new cladding fitted, the original building is still visible from the inside. The garage open day will give a rare opportunity to see inside this classic Transport building.
Swanley Garage is the main location for the open day and will feature a number of vehicle displays. Three very special vehicles will be visiting, as well as an engineering display including pit walks so you can see under a bus. As well as vintage buses, there will be a display of buses of the future featuring Electric and Hydrogen types. There will also be rides through the bus wash as well as a display of vehicles from the fleet.
A historical display of three classic vehicles will be open to view in the garage where there will be a 1919 London General Omnibus Company K-type bus, which was operated by the LGOC/East Surrey bus company and based at Swanley when the garage opened. There will also be a T-Type single deck AEC Regal Green Line Coach from 1931 and a 1929 Leyland Fire Engine known as the “Borough of Dartford”.
As well as the garage being open, a Vintage and Classic Bus and Car show will be held at Gamecock Meadow in West Kingsdown featuring over 50 buses and cars, with Transport related sales stand in the Village Hall, adjacent to the show.
A regular vintage bus service between Swanley Bus Garage and West Kingsdown will operate using preserved buses. There will be two routes, with Route 423 running from the Garage to Azalea drive (for the Railway Station) and Asda and route 478 will run from Swanley Asda to West Kingsdown via the garage, connecting the garage and bus and car show.
Visitors can also travel on the specially commissioned repainted double deck, sporting the livery of the bus operator “Kentish bus” who served the North and West Kent area during the 1990’s.
The event is free to enter with any money raised going to the Kent Scouts