RT75

12/13 April 2014

^{Page last update}^{d 4 May 2014}

A mere dozen of the RTs that took part, lined up at Ash Grove garage.

Photo © Peter Zabek

Prototype RT1 entered service on 9 August 1939, on route 22 between Putney Common and Homerton. It was the first of a class that would become London's standard bus of the fifties and sixties. Numbering nearly 7,000, they formed the largest standardised fleet of buses in the world.

To mark 75 years of the RT, London Bus Museum operated special route 22 on 12 April 2014, between Piccadilly Circus and Homerton (the part of the old 22 that is no longer covered by TfL route 22). The special route was operated by fifteen members of the RT family, comprising RT1, two RTWs, three RTLs, two Saunders, one Craven and six standard RTs. An estimated 5,400 journeys were taken on route 22 that day. More RTs attended the event but were not in service. The following day, a line-up and procession of RTs took place at the London Bus Museum's Spring Gathering.

The Roll of Honour

The following forty-five members of the RT family took part in the event, some in London, some at Brooklands and some at both - pretty impressive considering all are at least 60 years old.

RT1

RT113

RT593

RT604

RT935

RT1396

RT1431

RT1700

RT1702

RT1705

RT1777

RT1784

RT1798

RT2083

RT2177

RT2213 (chassis only, in London Bus Museum)

RT2293

RT2494

RT2657

RT2688

RT2775

RT3028

RT3062

RT3148

RT3183

RT3238

RT3254

RT3316

RT3491

RT3775

RT3871

RT4139

RT4325 (chassis only)

RT4421

RT4494

RT4712

RT4779

RTL139

RTL453

RTL1076

RTW75

RTW185

RTW467

RTW497

St Helens BDJ67

The St Helens RT takes the prize for the longest journey to attend the event, having come from the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond, Fife.

There are ample pictures on Flickr and elsewhere of the event, so this page just acts as a record and a chance to say thank you to all of the hundreds of people who made the weekend go so well.

Although it did feature AEC allocations at the early and late periods of RT operation, the 22 was primarily a Leyland route. Here RTL1076 and RTW75 set off from Shoreditch past RTL139.

Saunders-bodied RT1396 made the long journey from the Swansea Bus Museum to take part in the service on route 22.

It is seen here passing the Bank of England.

Cheapside once again resounded to the sound of Leyland and AECs engines.

RTW185 and RT2293 head for Piccadilly while RTL139 and another return to Shoreditch.

It wasn't all red buses. Six green RTs are here lined up at Ash Grove garage, together with a low-height Regent III, RLH48.