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so the first non standard types, the Cravens, were withdrawn.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.
This bus is another of the
very famous RT type of double-deckers, which first appeared in
1939 and which were introduced in this revised form in 1947. Almost
7,000 RTs were operated by London Transport, with the last being
withdrawn in 1979. Many went on to work for other operators after
sale by LT. This particular bus was delivered in August 1953 and
worked at Merton, Forest Gate, Romford North Street, Seven Kings,
and Abbey Wood garages. After a period in store at Aldenham Works
and Stonebridge Garage during 1971, it worked for a final year
at Hendon before being stored again at Stonebridge. It
was sold in 1972 to a preservationist in Ashford (Kent), then
passed to preservationists in Ingleton (North Yorkshire) and Saltburn
(Cleveland) before being bought by London & Country and used
on their heritage service to the Bluebell Railway, painted in
London Transport green livery. It was then purchased by Ensign. |
![[photo]](http://www.ticketslondon-online.biz/Museum/Buses/RT3775/Photos/RT3775_InStreet.jpg){kind=link}