BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS)

Founded in 1964, "LOTS" (London Omnibus Traction Society) is the largest society for bus enthusiasts in Great Britain today..........

www.lots.org.uk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Omnibus_Traction_Society

["28 CAMDEN RD-HENDON"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Back in the 1960s, BEA operated a fleet of unique "ROUTEMASTERS" between their ticket office/terminal in London and Heathrow.

Unlike the conventional "ROUTEMASTERS" operated by LT, the BEA buses were equipped with automatic doors.

After 1979, these buses went on to serve with LT............

www.countrybus.org/RMA/RMA.html

["BEA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Back in the day, "MERLINS" and SWIFTS" were as commonplace in and around London as were our Old Looks and Fishbowls, here in the States.

This is an interesting, "in depth" page detailing all of the trials and tribulations of these buses (originally, a number were operated by a two-man crew.

So cold were these buses during winter months, they earned the unfortunate nickname of "Siberian Morgues" ("SM" for short)!

Oddly (and interestingly) on some of these buses, the doors adjacent to the driver were used by boarding passengers who wished to obtain change after paying their fare.

The rear doors were used by passengers who wished to use the automatic ticketing machines; indeed, QUITE an unorthodox setup!

www.countrybus.org/merlswft/swift.html

["286 HARROW"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

No discussion of historic London (and British) buses would be complete without some mention of the wartime "utility" buses that operated in London, built to strict wartime regulations.

These buses wre indeed "no frills" (appearance and construction-wise), and not only looked TOUGH but SOUNDED tough, despite most buses having wood-framed bodies.

These now-historic buses indeed took much punishment during the War years, and are still revered by bus historians in Great Britain today.

After the War, those not scrapped were sold for further service in other parts of Great Britain, Scotland, Ceylon, South Africa, and Yugoslavia.

The very last of the London "utilities" were retired from service in the capital in the early 1950s.

The following pages provide much historical info, along with additional links..............

www.countrybus.org/Guy/G.htm

www.countrybus.org/D/D.html

["77 KINGS CROSS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting trivia regarding the "ROUTEMASTER".........

Earliest buses of the type were equipped with incandescent lighting.

Later models were furnished with florescent tubing.

The "RM" was also the last London bus to have an open rear platform, and were also the last buses in London to use conductors.

Though originally purchased to convert the remaining LT trolleybus lines, they were, instead, utilized mostly to replace the oldest of the "RT" class (the very last "RT"-types ran in 1979, to much fanfare, both local and national)

Ditto the "RMs" in 2005.........

"NYO"

["69 ROYAL VICTORIA DOCK"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further "ROUTEMASTER" trivia........

1958"

The first "production" ROUTEMASTER was built by AEC (chassis) and PARK ROYAL (body)

1959:

Full-scale production of the "RM" begins at AEC and PARK ROYAL.

1961:

The first of a longer type of ROUTEMASTER" ("RML") with 72 seats, is put into production.

1964:

CORGI, DINKY, and MACTHBOX all now come out with ROUTEMASTER replicas (this 'ere bloke has quite a few in his collection!)

1968:

The last new ROUTEMASTER enters service (RML2760)

["NYO"]

['159 REGENT STREET"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Doors............

Interestingly, doors did not appear on London's double-deckers until the one-man, rear-engine buses began appearing in the mid-1960s (ditto, the newest single-deck buses (and coaches)

Suburban coaches like the "T"-class and the later "RF" were equipped with sliding doors (as were the older "Q"-types)

Most sliding doors were manual, but some were air operated (like those on the Tube stock)

These same vehicles, on the other hand (working as "buses" for LT) did not have doors (likewise, of course, all double-deckers from the "RM" and back..........

"NYO"

["218 KINGSTON"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

One British bus book author has described both the "RT" and the "RM" (Routemaster) as "diesel-driven beefeaters".

The "RMs" had also been described as "Avengers On Wheels", referring to the popular 1960s British spy show, where you had the "mod" Mrs. Peel and the traditional, Edwardian, bowler-hatted gent John Steed battling the world's evildoers.

Interestingly enough, the "RMs" were the FIRST double-deckers in London to have heat!

NO WONDER the Brits were known for their "stiff upper lip"!

Interestingly, there were several types of transmissions used on the double-deckers of old.

The "RTs" all had "crash" gearboxes (manual transmissions); the first "RMs" had "pre-selective": gearboxes (semi-automatic); the later "RMs" were equipped with modern automatic gearboxes.

As LT's trolleybuses were nearing their end in London in the early 1960s, the trolleybus drivers then training as bus drivers had a difficult time indeed of learning anew, driving a vehicle equipped with gears........

"NYO"

["691 ILFORD-BROADWAY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting bit of trivia, regarding London's trolleybuses (last run 1962)......

A group of new double-decker trolleybuses were being built for export to South Africa when the War began.

The risk of having these new electric buses sunk by enemy torpedoes while traveling to South Africa was too great; the trolleybuses instead were refurbished for London service, where they ran through the 1950s.

In London, trolleybuses were often referred to as "silent giants".

After trolleybus service in London ended in 1962, a number of LT trolleybuses DID, in fact, end up being shipped to South Africa, where they ran for some years in both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The trolleybuses that had originally been intended to be shipped to South Africa when the War started were known as the "SA" class by LT employees and "spotters" alike.

"NYO"

["663 ALDGATE"]