History:
The RT is surely one of the
best know types of London bus with a look that is timeless as
well as being a design classic. RT’s have featured in films,
such as ‘Summer Holiday’ or James Bonds ‘Live
and Let Die’ all adding to the familiarity of the type.
The first RT took to the road in service weeks before the start
of World War II and hence became the only true Pre War RT, however
with the other 150 of this batch entering service throughout the
next two years before hostilities ceased production this first
150 are universally all known as the Pre War batch.
Following the end of the war
it had been decided that the RT would form the majority of London
double deck fleet and so started one of the great fleet replacements
as war weary types such as the LT and ST were replaced as fast
as possible. By 1948 RT’s were entering service in a steady
stream, there were however numerous delays and shortages caused
by the lack of parts and skilled workers this close to the end
of hostilities. Body production was quicker than chassis leading
to some new RT bodies being mounted onto STL chassis, thus making
the short lived SRT class, (of which our own RT4421 is one, formerly
SRT 119). To also help production non standard body builders were
used in addition to Park Royal and Weymann, Saunders and Cravens
also built a few hundred examples see RT1431
By 1955 bus use had dramatically
declined and LT had more buses than it was ever going to need,
so the first non standard types, the Cravens, were withdrawn.
Further withdrawals continued as the new RM class started to appear
in the late 1950’s. However the RT was a survivor and following
its hey day where nearly 7,000 were in service they took a long
time to replace. The last one (RT624) ran on the East London route
62 in April 1979 bringing to an end 40 years of operation of this
type, a record many thought would never be beaten. However its
successor the RM has now achieved this, its true to say that when
people are asked to draw or describe a London bus it is generally
one of these two types people will think off, such is the iconic
regard they achieved however with the RT having been built in
such austere times and having operated through such harsh conditions
its longevity is a credit to its type. |
