Station Bus, Late 19th Century

Station bus, late 19th century. The bus has black paintwork with red lining.

This horse-drawn station bus would have been used to transport passengers before the introduction of motor vehicles. It likely sat between four and six people inside, with additional seating on the roof in front of the luggage storage.

This station bus was made by Barker & Co, a luxury coach and carriage building company based in Chandos Street, London. They even supplied coaches to the British Royal family. This example was purchased at a sale of horse-drawn vehicles owned by Thomas Tilling Ltd. Based in Peckham, South London the company were renowned for their bus and carriage work, establishing reliable and punctual horse-bus services around London through the use of pre-determined schedules and bus stops.