The LDR that previously featured on this page was taken at the Barnet, Chesterfield Road, terminus, and now we offer a view of DWL 44 (LF52UTB) at the other terminus, Turnpike Lane station. This picture was taken on 22 September 2002. This is a Wright Cadet bodied DAF SB120, which Arriva prefers for its larger single door orders at present. To all intents and purposes rather similar to a Dennis Dart, the SB120 nevertheless has the edge on refinement, but unfortunately does not have a terribly good reputation for reliability as yet.

Photo by Matthew Wharmby.

The busy 184 could really use double deckers, but the upmarket residents of Alexandra Park Road (near Wood Green) have objected to large scale double deck operation along their road. Therefore, double deck operations are restricted to just one journey in each peak at school times.

The 184 number derives ultimately from the 84, having been a renumbering of route 84A in. Coincidentally, from 1940 to 1961 route 84 has also linked Barnet and Arnos Grove, albeit running via Whetstone between these two points, whereas Church Hill Road and Hampden Way now served by the 184 were then unserved. But the connection comes from a later period.

Soon after the war new route 207 started, providing a first-time local bus to the Meadway and Chesterfield areas of Barnet, running between Chesterfield Road and New Barnet. This was subsequently replaced by an extension of route 34, which previously terminated at New Barnet from the East Barnet Direction. In 1961 the 34 was cut back to New Barnet again, and another new route, 261, started from Chesterfield Road via the previous 207/34 route to New Barnet, then via East Barnet, Church Hill Road and Hampden Way to Arnos Grove.

More recently the routes were re-shuffled again. I haven't got complete details, but it seems that the section between New Barnet and Chesterfield Road became the responsibility of route 26 (82 on Sundays), successor to the northern end of route 260, while the bit between New Barnet and Arnos Grove. Then an 84A was added between Barnet and Arnos Grove, terminating at to Barnet General Hospital at the Barnet end. By 1990 the 84 had been cut back to New Barnet again and the 84A had been extended to Wood Green (Turnpike Lane) via Palmers Green garage.

In the 1991 Barnet area route scheme the 84A was diverted via Meadway and Chesterfield Road to replace the 26/82, and diverted between Arnos Grove and Wood Green in order to connect Brownlow Road and Durnsford Road to this increasingly important shopping destination. The following year the aforementioned DRL class 9m Darts took over, presumably with a frequency increase. The 84A was simply renumbered 184 in 1995, with the accompanying vehicle upgrade.

Navigation

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Chronologically	386	34
Numerically	183	186

See also routes 298, 166, 412, 84, 34, 326, 82