Carshalton 2007

Notes on the buses operated - page 1

Buses taking part in the Running Day on 15 April are profiled here (RT family vehicles) and on the following pages:

RT190 was an early RT3-bodied bus first delivered to Leyton for the 10 and 38^A in 1947. Many movements around the system followed before the bus was sold in 1970. During that time, in accordance with normal LT practice, the identity of body and chassis changed several times.

The RT190 of today comprises the original body from 1947 on a later chassis, a combination that was RT1173 when it left LT service in 1963. This bus last saw service from Rye Lane, Peckham on the 36 and 37.

Running into Sutton Garage on the 157, RT190 sports the early restricted blind layout.

Photo © Peter Osborn

RT604 New with a Weymann roof-box body in 1948, RT604 was always a Country bus. Having gained a non-roofbox body on its 1960 overhaul, the bus worked at a number of garages in the northern part of the Country Area before it became to London Country in 1970, transferring south of the river to Chelsham in 1974. One of the last four RTs at that garage and usually running on the 403, it became the last green RT in passenger service in September 1978.

RT604 heads along the tram tracks in Croydon.

Photo © Michael Petch

RT1702 was one of four new buses which were the first to travel abroad for London Transport, touring eight European countries in 1950 to publicise the 1951 Festival of Britain.

After the tour, RT1702 went to Mortlake Garage before working London Transport's first Round London Sightseeing Tour, Service J, during the Festival of Britain. Spells at Holloway, Victoria, Seven Kings and Hornchurch garages preceded the final overhaul in 1966, coming out to Catford Garage. As a GB tour bus, RT1702 kept its original body all its life, unlike most of the RT family.

In 1972, RT1702 was purchased from London Transport by three Catford Garage staff members, forming a group that still keeps the bus at Catford. Its preservation history includes its year in the Millennium Dome.

On the day, RT1702 worked in on the 154 from Crystal Palace before forming part of the static display at Carshalton Depot. It is seen here on its arrival.

Photo © John Parkin

RT3062, Blue Triangle's splendid Saunders RT.

RT3062 heads towards Sutton Garage for its crew change.

Photo © Stephen Bidey

RT3491 has been owned by the same owners in preservation for some 35 years, considerably longer than its life with LT.

Green line RT3491 runs a 408 past Beddington Park.

Photo © Peter Larkham

RTW467 is another famous bus, being the last RTW in passenger service in London. These pioneering 8 ft-wide buses were initially used in the suburbs until the police permitted experimental use on central London routes - for which Merton received a batch for a week in 1950 for use on route 88. RTW467, new later that year, was a Battersea bus for much of its career, with brief spells at other garages, before arriving at Brixton for routes 109 and 95. Six months later, on 14 June 1966, it was the last to run in on the 95.

A little bit of London history. The trials of wider buses led ultimately to the Routemaster.

Photo © Geoff Ragg

RT593 (on static display at Carshalton Depot). A super example of the original Weymann RT3 roofbox body, RT593 was a red bus based at Catford before withdrawal in 1963. It was repainted as a Country Area bus in preservation.

RT593, smartly dressed as a 408, arrives at Carshalton.

Photo © Roger Ford

RT624 is a rather well-known bus. Another of the early batch of roof-box green RTs delivered to Hemel Hempstead, it was repainted red on overhaul in 1965 and sent to work at Norwood garage, now with a later body. Spells at a range of south London garages followed, including Brixton and Catford, from where it finally moved to Barking in 1978. Working on the 62 and 87, RT624 was the very last RT in LT service, arriving back at Barking on the 62 in the middle of Saturday 7 April 1979.

RT624 then sat quietly at BaMMOT in Birmingham, gradually deteriorating, until purchased and restored to its last day colours by Ensignbus, making its spectacular debut on the last night of the Routemasters, 8 December 2005.

A legend in its own lunchtime. RT624 emerges from Sutton Garage.

RT2043 is a former Streatham Garage bus and, after a morning journey on the 157 from Crystal Palace, spent the day on Streatham routes 118 and 59.

Morning sun lights up the early 157 working by RT2043.

RT3148 is the well-known Country Bus Rallies RT, which provided one of the long feeder journeys, on the 403 from Tonbridge.

John Huxford takes RT3148, running as DG17, out of West Croydon on its long journey back to Tonbridge.

RT3871, Blue Triangle's standard RT.

RT3871 arrives in Sutton for a crew change.