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L.G.O.C. / LONDON TRANSPORT AEC RENOWN 'LTL' CLASS
This picture, kindly supplied by John Perthen, and photographed at Brighton
by his wife Margaret, shows LT1076 from the London Transport Museum after
years of careful restoration, on its first public outing - the Historic
Commercial Vehicle Society London-Brighton Run on 1 May 2005.
The London General Omnibus (LGOC) first introduced 3-axle /
6-wheel vehicles in 1927 with the LS ('London Six') double deckers. Produced
by the Daimler / AEC combine, they were the first double deckers with pneumatic
tyres.
There were two main potential advantages to the 6-wheel arrangement.
Firstly there was a legal restriction at the time on the permitted weight
per axle, which meant that the increase to six wheels would allow a heavier,
longer, and therefore larger capacity vehicle to be used. Secondly the two
rear axles could both be driven by the engine, providing more traction.
In August 1929 the prototype (LT1) of a double-deck AEC Renown
6-wheeler was delivered, proving to be the precursor of a large and successful
batch of buses that eventually ran to over 1400 vehicles. There was a somewhat
'dated' air about the vehicle, with its outside staircase, but such features
were to be modernised as batch delivery got under way and the designed evolved.
Production vehicles started to arrive in 1930 and, slipped into the deliveries
were five batches of single deckers, also known by the designation 'LT',
although their technical classification was 'LTL'.
The single decker AEC Renown Model 664 was 29 feet 1 inch in
length, and with an 18 ft 7 inch wheel base, both measurements being slightly
longer than their double deck relatives. All seated 35. Since the petrol
engine was the same as installed in the double deckers, with the weight of
the vehicle considerably less, the performance was quite sprightly. This
resulted in them being christened 'Scooters' by their drivers.
Three batches of single deck LT's were delivered for 'central
area' work, in lots of 50, 85 and 64 respectively, with all the buses painted
red. In 1932 a pair of green vehicles were purchased for use on LGOC's country
routes (LT 1427 and 1428). This made a total of 201 buses and coaches, and
the whole lot were transferred from the LGOC to London Transport on its formation
on 1st July 1933. Lastly, a single private hire coach (LT 1429) was transferred
directly from Hillmans to London Transport when its London operations were
compulsorily acquired by LT in 1934.
With a typical design life of ten years for a bus at that time,
none of the vehicles was expected to be running past the mid-1940's, but
the onset of war changed all that. Shortages of replacements resulted in
buses all over the country being required to soldier on well past their expected
lives, and a large proportion of the single and double-deck LT's were still
running after the war. The ex-Hillmans private hire saloon had unfortunately
succumbed to enemy action in 1940.
Over the next few years a process of body refurbishment took
place, and 'Scooters' were converted from petrol engines to oil. Some of
the discarded petrol engines may have been used to extend the lives of other
pre-war London buses living on borrowed time. So, while the double deck LT's
were being progressively retired (the last ones expiring at Upton Park garage
in January 1950), their single-deck counterparts were having life-extensions
while waiting for delivery of the RF class single deckers that were to replace
them.
The last of the LT 'Scooters' could still be seen operating
from Bromley, Hounslow and Sutton garages in the early 1950's, and were finally
retired as replacement RF's came into service during 1952/53. None was formally
preserved, and it was generally considered that the type had disappeared
without trace. One example of the double deck version (LT 165) was earmarked
for preservation after the war, and can now be seen as part of the London
Transport Collection.
Many enthusiasts were surprised, therefore, when two 'Scooters'
(both from the second batch to be delivered) suddenly appeared on the market
some years ago. Although in extremely poor repair, such rare finds could
not be ignored by the preservation fraternity and both have subsequently
gone to the best possible homes. LT 1059 is now on long-term
restoration at the London Bus Preservation
Trust, while the other example (LT 1076) passed to the London Transport
Collection, and emerged fully restored in 2005 (see photo above).
Seeing a living, breathing 'Scooter' would be an absolute delight
for many enthusiasts, and a dream come true of 'Jurassic Park' proportions.
The possibility of seeing TWO defies belief !
Many thanks to Ian Smith
for two excellent images to illustrate this profile.
FLEET LIST
===============
LT 1001-1050 (Total 50) Delivered Jan-Apr 1931.
Thanks to Ian Armstrong's
fine website, we can track this picture down fairly accurately. LT1026
was based at Sutton depot in Bushey Road ("A"). It was working route 213
which ran (at that time) Kingston - New Malden - Cheam - Sutton - Belmont,
although on this occasion the bus was only going as far as Sutton. LT single
deckers shared this route with T-class Regals working out of Norbiton garage.
At the rear of the bus is the Fountain Hotel, which was (and still is) in
Malden Road, New Malden, so we know exactly where the picture was taken.
The allocation number "21" on the side shows that was taken on a weekday
between May 1952 (when the allocation "21" came into use) and May 1953 when
RFs took over the route. It is reasonable to assume that this bus was not
re-allocated elsewhere after that, so we are seeing it in its last few months
of service. Perhaps the photographer knew that, and that's why he was there!
(Photo by kind permission of Michael Rooum, London W1Y 2LP)
Chassis: AEC Renown 664 (1LT1), 110 mm bore engine. Survivors in 1950 converted
to 7.7 litre / 95 bhp diesel from scrapped STL class buses.
Chassis numbers; 664003 to 664052.
Body: 29 feet 5 inches long, 35 seat bus bodies. Front entrance with central
rear emergency door.
Notes: LT 1001 delivered Jan 1931, all the others in April 1931. All red.
Most allocated to Muswell Hill, survived to 1952.
LT 1001 (GH 8049) c/n 664003, LGOC b/n 10327. Delivered to Hendon,
then to Muswell Hill for Route 111. Withdrawn by 1952.
LT1101 (GO 7150) at Victoria Station. Allocated to Leyton depot,
this bus is working route 10 which ran from far-off Abridge via Chigwell,
Leytonstone, Bow, and London Bridge to Victoria Station. RTs were running
this route by 1950, so it must be before that. It certainly appears to be
in very good condition for a bus that was probably to be retired in a couple
of years' time. (Photo: London Trolleybus Preservation Society)
Chassis: AEC Renown 664, 100 mm or 110 mm bore engine. Survivors in 1950
converted to 7.7 litre / 95 bhp diesel from scrapped STL class buses.
Chassis numbers; LT 1052-1101; 664063 to 664112. LT 1102-1136; 664114
to 664148.
Body: 29 feet 5 inches long, 35 seat bus bodies. Front entrance with central
rear emergency door, 1LT1 (Eleven were 1LT1/1 with front and rear destination
boxes).
Notes: All red
LT 1052 (GO 5159) c/n 664063, LGOC b/n 12396. At Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Withdrawn by 1952. Converted to caravan at Herne Bay, then
scrapped.
LT 1053 (GO 5169) c/n 664064, LGOC b/n 12388. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Withdrawn by 1952.
LT 1054 (GO 5171) c/n 664065, LGOC b/n 12399. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Withdrawn by 1952.
LT 1055 (GO 5161) c/n 664066, LGOC b/n 12389. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Withdrawn by 1952.
LT 1056 (GO 5160) c/n 664067, LGOC b/n 12395. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Withdrawn by 1952.
LT 1057 (GO 5162) c/n 664068, LGOC b/n 12391. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Rebuilt by Marshall's, Cambridge post-war.
LT 1058 (GO 5165) c/n 664069, LGOC b/n 12392. To Dalston garage for
Route 108D. Rebuilt by Marshall's, Cambridge post-war.
Croydon-based LT 1149 (GP 3457) around 1950 after its post-war
rebuild by Marshall's of Cambridge. Route 234 ran Wallington - Purley - Selsdon,
but this bus has obviously finished its working and gone back to the depot
in London Road, South Croydon ("TC"). (Photo by permission of "Remember
When", London W5 4NG)
Chassis: AEC Renown 664, 100 mm bore engine. Survivors in 1950 converted
to 7.7 litre / 95 bhp diesel from scrapped STL class buses.
Chassis numbers; 664150 to 664213.
Body: 29 feet 5 inches long, 35 seat bus bodies. Front entrance with central
rear emergency door.
Notes: Both green, delivered in 1932 to London General Country Services,
passed in 1933 to Country Department of London Transport (the only 'Scooters'
used in the Country area), transferred to Central Area in 1944 and painted
red. Converted to oil engines in 1949/50.(2LTL3)
LT 1427 (GX 5337) c/n 664224, LGOC b/n 13442. Dorking garage 1936,
used on Route 425 to Guildford. Still active 1952.
LT 1428 (GX 5338) c/n 664225, LGOC b/n 13441. Dorking garage 1936,
used on Route 425 to Guildford. Still active 1952.
LT 1429 (Total 1) Delivered to Hillmans Sept 1932
Ex Edward Hillman of Romford, private hire saloon as their No.119, destroyed
by enemy action in October 1940.
Classic Buses Profiles
