Story of the RT

[@JamesBooth-nk2be]

I was born and grew up in Wimbledon. I had several jobs but the job I liked most was driving an RT bus out of Sutton Bus Garage on the 93 bus route, Putney to Ewell. I made some very good work mates and my best friend and his dad, Frank Gale, came out of Putney Bus Garage. This documentary was well presented and bought back lots of happy memories for me. I was known as Johnny Booth.

[@tattyshoesshigure5731]

The RT is an amazing bus, a true all time classic! As a ‘boomer’ it was the bus I grew up with, used them for ‘Red Rover’ bus spotting trips of a weekend, and for going to & from school & so many other journeys. Took my daughter on one a couple of weeks ago that was taking part in the Victoria Coach Station 90th year celebrations which was going from there to the Aldwych & it blew us both away. Although it was a hot sunny day the breeze blowing through the downstairs deck kept things remarkably cool, and the bench seat we used offered far more comfort than many of TFL’s current fleet. Thanks & total respect to the bus preservation community who keep these fabulous vehicles going for us & future generations to enjoy!

[@gro9465]

Very enjoyable presentation, thank you. I spent my early childhood in Chiswick and Barnes before moving further south west, and I have very fond memories of catching the 117 along Chiswick High Road to go into ‘town’ with my beloved Grandmother, my Granny asking the Conductor for one and one half fare…I think the fare was 1 new penny and half a penny for me. Always lots of fun and adventures, miss you my lovely Granny ❤

[@oc2phish07]

As a Londoner, born and bred here since 1948, I have very fond memories of these buses. I found this to be a really interesting and well put together video. Many thanks to all involved in the making of the original segments and for the overall KZbin presentation.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I lived in Watford 1948 to 1968. It was RT-dominated (all AEC) Country Area but at the Junction it met the Central Area 158 to Harrow and !42 to Edgware. The RTs were still in charge when I left for uni. I remember the trams too but as a schoolboy with Rover tickets, did all the trolleybus routes as well. I still have all the coloured tickets that I picked up as a schoolboy. The RT, to my mind was the perfect 'bus.

[@alans88]

I agree with you totally. I am a year older than you and my dad was a bus driver. In toughs days it was a "sort after" job. I still remember the bus conductor with his individual ticket box which was outdated by a ticket "roll-out" machine...... haha....

[@wilsjane]

The good thing was that the RM was simply an improvement, retaining the years of fine tweaking that had gone into the RT. These days, almost every new bus is one step forward and two steps back.

[@mitchellhurd9300]

​@@wilsjane And hasn't lasted as long as the RT's and Routemasters. 15 years at a push with today's buses in London if you're lucky!

[@mitchellhurd9300]

Did you use to get a day ticket that was basically one ticket that could be used on all red RT's for example?

[@jamesadlam9875]

This is an extremely well put together documentary, telling the story clearly with just enough detail and insight. For me it was a bonus to see Ken Blacker and Alan Townsin featured, as these are my two favourite transport authors. Indeed Blacker, who wrote the definitive book RT: The Story Of A London Bus in 1979, has just completed his excellent series of london bus class histories. Also a treat to see some sequences filmed at the old Cobham Bus Museum, including the walk underneath vehicles, which I enjoyed myself many years ago.

[@johnjephcote7636]

In one of the foggy nights in the mid-1960s, the driver could not see the kerb, even with the 'kerb spotlight. The conductor perched on the bonnet and relayed to the driver how far/near the kerb we were. (Route either 306 or 311).

[@milosit]

I was born and raised in Bradford, W.Yorks and remember well the blue double-deckers and the last of Britain's trolley buses in 1972. Moved to California by the 80s and my youngest son now attends UC Davis where he often rides the Unitrans RTs. I spoke with some of the student drivers and they take great pride in their RTs.

[@TS-1267]

... I Too Hail from Bradford West Yorkshire. BD10 Area..Born 1967. Parkland 1st & 2nd School and then Eccleshill Upper (Ecky Upper) I now Live In Nearby Baildon BD17. California Eh... Brilliant Indeed... ✌️🍻🏰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 5:31

[@mitchellhurd9300]

Wonderful video and no wonder these lasted til 1979 with the Aldenham works keeping them going unlike today's vehicles which you'd use for up to about 15 years or less.

[@Richard-fv7rq]

Brilliant nostalgia this- used them in the late 70's and 80's, mainly for school journeys. Distinct engine noise.

[@denisburgess2966]

Richard The RTs last operated on the 7th of April 1979 on the 62s

[@Richard-fv7rq]

@@denisburgess2966 could have been the RM?

[@Blackmamba12345]

Gardner

[@Fludders8]

@@Blackmamba12345 Definitely not Gardner, no RT family vehicles ever used Gardner engines. AEC in the RT and Leyland in the RTL.

[@TAMS1952]

This documentary was really well made. I used to work on the buses out of Bromley Garage as a bus conductor. They were such a blast to work on. Some of them had their own personalities. One of them, RT250, was known as the whistler. Whenever you could get a bit of speed, you’d hear this whistling sound coming from the prop shaft. A few of the fleet were also known for boiling up, so you were always having to top up the water. When we did a 119 job, going from Bromley North Stn to West Croydon, morning peaks and Saturday mornings, carrying a full load, we always hoped and prayed that you didn’t have to stop at the bus stop at the bottom of Cork Screw Hill, because invariably, after leaving the stop, you’d only get about 3/4 the way up where the bus would die, tipping the passengers off so they had to walk the last bit up the hill to rejoin the bus. No fun in the winter or on a rainy day. Broke down one night at Shoreditch. Supposed to be doing the last one back to Bromley Garage. Stamford Hill fitter was sent out to us, god knows why, as Stamford Hill was totally RM. Couldn’t do anything for us. Ended up having to wait for Camberwell Garage to come and tow us back to Bromley. Instead of finishing at 00:50 time, we eventually got back at about 03:30 time.

[@kipper2385]

Truly wonderful, so many happy childhood memories of the RT family, the best bus ever The emotions for my wife and I was overwhelming, to recall our childhood days that the RT gave us. Thanks for the video.

[@stefansoder6903]

Thank you! Lived in London 20 years ago. Never rode an RT but experienced the Routemaster!

[@chrismerridan101]

Fantastic to see them again ,I used them in Hemel Hempstead in the 60s

[@avs4365]

Drove them from Sutton Garage from '72 until they were replaced by the RM's and the OPO. My favourite bus? The RF with the RT second in spite of it's powerless steering. Full up at roundabouts often had to stand to pull the steering round.

[@alanwolf2514]

I had to do the same to AEC gun tractors in the RA in the 70s. No power steering.

[@jacksugden8190]

Now we’ve lost the Routemaster, in its place a variety of boxes on wheels under all sorts of operators.

[@eugenedonaghy1]

Including the Boris Bus

[@richardclarke376]

I love their oversize grille. A great piece of design

[@derekantill3721]

Living in London at the time, I travelled on virtually every type of bus featured in this very interesting video. The only thing I would criticize is the route 22 bus being incorrectly dressed. Route 22 never went to Hackney Wick, it always ran Homerton to PutneyCommon.

[@martinwebb1681]

In earlier years route 22 went to Hackney Clarence road and Hackney well street as well as Hackney station Graham road.

[@diez66]

New RT's to Harrow Weald, my Dad worked there most his working life, nice to see. Thank you, really intetesting.

[@johndean958]

Thankyou, I absolutely enjoyed this. John (Australia)

[@stuartkennedy4202]

Fantastic just fantastic. Thank you.

[@99672]

Very much enjoyed watching this. Who knew so many were exported for a new lease of life.

[@dominewimbury2039]

Great documentary. Got yourself a new subscriber

[@astra47420]

Love the video brilliant can remember them when I went to London in the 80s fell a sleep on a night bus till morning 🚌🌃😴😬

[@ianmcclavin]

We had green versions of the RT on my local route in Crawley (before conversion to single deck Merlins) in the 60's,, and in 1976, when my aunt moved to Ninefields, near Waltham Abbey in Essex, RTs were less common in London generally, but the local 217 group of routes still had them!!

[@NickRatnieks]

When I was a kid, the local coach operator- Smiths of Reading had about three 1940 built RTs. These were part of a fleet of double deckers that were used to ferry factory workers and other large employers' workers for various reasons. They used to come to our school and take those children who went to swimming lessons at Arthur Hill Swimming Bath up the Kings Rd. I had no desire to go- so I never went of one of these RTs but I remember seeing them- they were painted grey from memory. I don't know if any of them survived after Smiths disposed of them.

[@OldFlapper]

I am pretty sure that one of the was RT54. That is currently with Ensign waiting to be restored. Thank you for sharing that. I don't suppose you have a picture of the Smiths logo that was on the side of the bus do you? I'm trying to make a model of RT54.

[@NickRatnieks]

@@OldFlapper It was the same logo as on the coaches. If you Google Smith's Luxury Coaches Reading there are some quite good side views of coaches that you may be able to enlarge. As a kid, from memory, the only time I went on their buses was occasionally, as they were used on the route we used to go into Reading as "relief" buses by the corporation instead of the usual Regent IIIs, for some reason. These were OBs.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

How could anyone be stressed travelling on an RT - with it's friendly reassuring design, homely interior, low revving diesel - and gloriously musical transmission. As far removed from today's high revving small engined or soulless electric buses with their hideous interiors that look as though they've been designed by a five year old using 'all' their crayons. The RT was London Transport at it's best!

[@NextSound170]

Built by craftsmen and engineers who understood the task at hand for a bus. 👏🏾👏🏾 today’s buses aren’t great.

[@toni4729]

You'll never run out of spare part for those things, that's for sure.

[@stuartkennedy4202]

The garage. Now that is doing maintenance wow. You won’t see that today.

[@ianker7143]

53:30 A blast from the past! I worked with Dave Churn in Perth WA when he was a Sergeant in the WA Traffic Police and I was leading a team to develop a Bikeplan for Perth - and, yes, he was still driving (and importing) double-decker London buses as a sideline.

[@ianker7143]

And then I see at the end that he was responsible for the whole darn thing!

[@CARLIN4737]

Red Bus Rovers back in the day. Used to live in Brixtol Hill and Streatham Hill back in the day near Brixton bus garage, Streatham Hill. used to spend all Saturdays going all over london when i was a kid. In 1980 they would have been about 40p/50p child. 1986 about 2.00 quid for an adult.

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's my name is Mr C. T. Boxill-Harris I was wondering, why coudn't you find a nice fresh shiny Leyland Titan B15's and Repaint them to a Grey Green Color's just like the original Scania Grey Green's which were in the East London bus route's such as 125, 313 and also the bus route 103, if you guy would like to find about 11 Leyland Titan B15's, please could you Repaint them in the Exact Grey Green Bus Color's for us because it would be a Very Very Very Very Interesting Buses to see them Repainted to a Grey Green Color's and I'am a Big Fan of all of the Leyland Titan B15's😉😉😉😄😄

[@kiwidave6]

Travelled every day on the green RT’s to school in St Albans, late 1960s-early 70’s. Loved these things. I think for many children, what they grow up with they register as ‘normal’, and they make the assumption that this must be how things have always been and always will be. But the world doesn’t stay still. The RT’s have long gone, buses are now a hotch-potch of non-descript boxes, and the domination of everything by car-traffic has become the new norm. I would have been horrified as a child if I had known this is how things would turn out!

[@m3hnl]

from west country so always remember the bristol lodeka now 60 years old awesome stuff

[@chriscaughey1103]

I love this video!

[@bokhans]

I was in Sri lanka for a 6 month holiday 1999-2000. I stayed in Negombo for 3 month and there it was a RT still in operation. Funny enough it was quite some time between the days of use and in between the locals always put up strings across the road with flags. The bus took all of it down in just one tour. 😂 There where several other RTs in Colombo but all of them stationary.

[@crossleydd42]

The 150 wartime RTs (RT2-RT151) were originally intended to be 338, but the Fall of France and the Dunkirk evacuation, in mid 1940 and total war thence, meant that only 150 were built, all to pre-war standard, but the production line slowed consistently, with a six month gap between the penultimate bus and the final one, in early 1942!

[@williamwaynflete6336]

"A saw for emergency extraction of people under the lifeguards" LOL!

[@stuartkennedy4202]

Imagine being able to keep your car for this long.

[@garymitchell6056]

Very informative - thanks !!

[@PRIMO532]

I think they still look great, much better looking than the one's today😊

[@geoffbarry9540]

Ah, the RT. Rode nothing else up to my emigration in 1968 age 21. Came within inches of being a victim of one in 1962 when it ran me down in Thornton Heath, crushing my bike just behind the saddle (and my bum!). It was always just "the bus"...159, 133. 68, 109 - if it ran in the Croydon area and later around Forest Hill, then it carried me wherever I was bound.

[@MulticarpoQuaresma]

Nice. Thanks. Here Brazil.

[@stephenhopps910]

I liked the back loader bus you could still catch it when it had pulled off if you could run 😊

[@Rosie6857]

You could jump off them before the stop provided the conductor wasn't fussy. These days you couldn't do that - it would be declared a National Emergency whereas really it's just a schoolboy "dare" and many of us did it. (Route 403). I always thought the RT's were "posh" compared to the STL's we used to have but then I'm 81.

[@rayaspo4893]

Reminds me of Butler, Harper and Blakey. Good times.

[@willevans429]

fantastic history

[@alanmusicman3385]

Born in London and then moved out to Stevenage - where RTs abounded in both locations! Does anyone know the source of the "London Country" clips showing Stevenage busses used in this film?

[@JackTheOfficeWorker]

Better than Old AEC Routemasters

[@iankeeley1854]

I got DVD about the way they repair them great info DVD

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's it is Mr C. T. Boxill-Harris again I was thinking, Why couldn't you find other more 18 nice fresh Shiny Leyland Titan B15's and repaint them Also into a Imperial Cream and Green like the Essex East London Bus route H1 and 100 so they can Share a chance to run on the London Bus route such as the N6, 41 and that includes the bus route Number Four, if you guy needed that interesting idea's to let us know on the comment's down below so you can reuse those Imperial Cream and Green Leyland Titan B15's on those interesting London bus Route, Please Please can you reuse them within the Begining of Every November within Every Five and a Half Months Thank You Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Much Guy's😉😉😉😅😉😉😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃

[@ROCKINGMAN]

RT's and RM's were everywhere whe I was as a child and occasionally I saw the RF on Green Line' Loved them all, but did think as great as the RT was it did look dated. The Routemaster didn't, well not to me. I dreaded the day we would never see them on London's roads.

[@kenesufernandez1281]

❤️

[@matteocosentino4119]

Bellissimi 🚌 🚍 grazie

[@drstevenrey]

One of two vehicles the British actually got right. The other would be the Austin FX4, the black cab.

[@philfluther2713]

'Ladies before Gents' RT.

[@countfosco8535]

46:33 Nobel 200 in the background. Blink and you miss it.

[@mikeburton7077]

School every day on an RT as a boy !

[@davids8449]

The joy of London is not going their

[@jeanettesarnella9278]

What is an RT???

[@OldFlapper]

There's a very long answer to this, but to make it short, it is a class of bus, built from 1939 specifically for use in and around London. The video answers the question quite concisely.

[@martinwebb1681]

@jeanettesarnella9278 ... I know you ask this long ago ... but RT stands for Regent, the Regent double deck buses for London came in several varieties including RT, RTL and RTW. The RT ones were made by AEC, and the RTL and RTW ones were made by Leyland. So RT is Regent, RTL is Regent Leyland, RTW is Regent Wide (as they were 6 inches wider than RT and RTL buses).

[@tonys1636]

RT type? That's as bad as saying PIN no. The T is for type Regent Type bus. I much preferred driving an RT than an RM. as quicker and a lot more manoeuvrable.

[@OldFlapper]

Not at all necessarily. It's possible that RT stands for Regent Type, or equally likely, Regent Three. Another very (perhaps more) plausible possiblilty is that it is simply the next sequence of letters in the "programme" codes. The previous "RS" code was issued in February 1938. There are two instances of AEC meeting minutes about a new bus that refer to "Programme RT" This may likely have then been adopted by the people at Chiswick. That it could also stand for "Regent Type" may only be a coincidence.

[@j69buckjumper]

As a driver of both types I find the RT a bit more manoueverable except on tight corners/roundabouts etc where the PAS of the RM comes into it's own... I personally prefer the preselect gearbox of the RT and always drive RM's in manual mode anyhow. The RM's are generally faster though with better pull away (usually, depending on engine/gearbox version, original still best IMHO)

[@jamesscott2470]

PS exelent video i have Subscribed

[@williamwaynflete6336]

33:15 Count Arthur Strong, LOL!

[@drstevenrey]

14:00 Those were the days. Measuring the product instead of just looking in the plans for it. Entirely fabricated job for a person that has no better job. Foreshadowing.

[@juliesmith5567]

I can't believe it them years ago have open top busses and get soaking wet

[@danwoodhouse9290]

London Country didn't look after them..... They didn't have an Aldenham thats why

[@jamesscott2470]

Leyland STD thats Hilarios

[@davidluck4608]

Sad to see inferior engines fitted into the RT bus, after all you wouldn’t fit another make of engine into a Rolls Royce motor car, would you🧐

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Extended Bodies for Most of the Buses Much as I am not comfortable to ask the depot why they stopped running the London Suburban Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW’s on routes N26, 30, 121, 230, 271, 349, N279 And 158 why can’t we make the same make of the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Buses but Modernise the insides of these Buses. Also make it low floor up and down and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more so there will be more space for the wheelchair users. By the way, if you could remake and Modernise these vehicles could they also make it into a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Version’s that if it will be possible and to Modernise the insides of these Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW’s make it low floor up and down and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a Little bit more so there will be more space and even a London Suburban Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more. Why couldn’t we have those London Suburban Buses Pale red on the top roof Pale red again on the top middle Milk Chocolate brown on the middle Creamy white on the Bottom Middle and Milk Chocolate Brown again on the Bottom on most of those kind of those Particular Double Decker Vehicles. Could you put the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox in the Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC and also put the Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox in the Volvo TD102KF Engine East Lancs Olympus and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more and also turn most of them to a London Suburban Buses. By the way could you also make the routes N26, 349, 121, N279 and 271 into a London Suburban Buses and have a mixture of a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC and Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Version’s. Could they also transfer the Arriva Bus Depots from Hackney to Stagecoach company so they can replace all the Arriva buses so that all of them can go to Birmingham and Leeds and they can be replaced by Stagecoach Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox Volvo TD102KF Engine East Lancs Olympus and also Extend the Middle body part of these Vehicles and that includes A Mixture of a Stagecoach Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox Volvo TD102KF, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 6LXCT Engine Northern Counties Palatine One and that Includes a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles A Little Bit More. Can Arriva London Bus Company’s Replace Most of their Wight Buses so they can also transfer them to Birmingham and Also Manchester so they can be Replaced by Loud 3-Speed ZF Ecomat Gearboxes Volvo D10A Engine East Lancs Olympus and also Extend the Middle body part of these Vehicles A Little Bit More Thank You Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Much. Oh buy the way could the bus Factory Companies also Make More of Those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel engine Olympian ECW Vehicles And that also includes Those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC And also Extend the Middle Body part of those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Vehicles and the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and that also includes The Loud 3-Speed ZF Ecomat Gearboxes Volvo D10A Engine East Lancs Olympus A Little Bit More And Paint Those 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and also those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel engine Olympian ECW Vehicles and that also includes The Northern Counties Palatine One with a Volvo TD102KF, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 6LXCT Diesel engines with a Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearboxes and The Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and also The Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles to the Grey Green Colours Just Like The Other Original Scania Grey Green on the Bus Route 313 and the 103, If all The Leyland Titan B15’s are Fully Red and even Mostly Red, could they also Repaint All of The Leyland Titan B15’s into Grey Green Colours Just Like The Other Original Scania Grey Green on the Bus Route 313 so they can Reuse them for Only Every 5 and a Half Months and also Reuse them on those Rail Replacement London Bus Routes if that will Be Alright for Only Just Every 5 and a Half Months and also Reuse Those Buses Only on the London Bus Routes witch are The 341, N41, 34, 123, N29, 149, 221, N73, 121, 86, 30, 262, 147, 396, N26 so Please make sure that the builders can do as they are told!!!!!!!!!! And Please do something about these Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Important Professional Ideas Please Please Prime Minister and also Includes the Mayor of London.😉😉😅😅😅😅😀😃😀😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃👏👏👏👏👍👏👏👏👏👍👏👏

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

Shame about the "music"!

[@kevinstokes9908]

Keep making a great video, I enjoy watching!! Your content deserves a service like P r o m o S M!