Tuesday 27 January 2009

You don't need glasses but this is a green London Bus


Today of course apart from for some detail differences London buses come straight off-the-peg as supplied by the manufacturers, and naturally there are those who are old enough to miss with affection the real thing like the RT, the RF and the Routemaster. But even in those good of days of neat Post-War standardisation before they started experimenting with Provincial buses like the Atlantean, Fleetline and RC Green-Line AEC Reliance in 1965 there were a few notable exceptions. Like other operator's London Transport used single-deckers whenever possible on routes where there were low bridges to negociate but there was a need for some lowbridge double-deckers on the busier routes particularly in the green country area. For this purpose seventy-six mechanically not too dissimilar to the normal RT, AEC Regent 111 RLH Type buses with low ceilings and sunken-gangways came in 1950 and 1952 fitted with attractive Weymann lowbrige bodies. Only three garages in the Red Central Area worked them Dalston (D), Hornchurch (RD) and Harrow Weald (HD). This bus carries an HT depot plate for Highgate Garage but I don't suppose any London Transport bus inspector was lurking in Basle to take issue with the driver of this sightseeing bus when I snapped it early in 1990. I had better mention it as no doubt someone is bound to point out that this bus was painted green during it's life with LT. Annoyingly unlike this one many red open-top double-deck sightseeing buses are branded London Buses whether they are or not.

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