David Element's Bus Web Page 1...

                            AEC REGENT (RT) BUSES 1 

                                                                           RT3310  Chiswick Works, 1978

                                                        RT4629   High Street, Collier's Wood,1976

Craven-bodied roofbox RT1499, Chiswick Works, September 1978. These non-standard buses were withdrawn from service much earlier than many of their contemporaries but this preserved example was used for training duties during 1978. See footnote for further information about this bus.

                                                                  RT2773 Wimbledon Town Centre, 1976

                              RT4631, Hyde Park Corner, 1977            RT2240,  (*now preserved), RT2776, RT1892,                                                                                                                Merton Garage, 1976

                                                                        RT2028,  Shepherd's Bush, 1977

                                                                          RT1619  Wimbledon Headstop, 1976

• These nostalgic photographs of the long-serving London Transport AEC RT bus were taken during the final few years of service prior to withdrawal in 1979. This large class survived for 40 years, a length of service only recently exceeded by the remarkable Routemaster.

• Keith Rose, the current owner of RT1499 has forwarded the following message (3/2/03):

• "I have been trying to get hold of colour pictures of the 2 surviving Cravens (I also own RT1431) but pictures of either bus in service have proved difficult due to the fact they were all disposed of by 1957.    When your picture was taken she had already been in preservation for 7 years."

• If anybody has any colour photographs of either of these buses, Keith may be contacted at:

        keithrose@btinternet.com

• Keith has also kindly supplied further details about the history of the Craven RTs:

• "The Craven RT1431 and RT1499 are the only two left out of a total of 120 delivered in 48/49 and RT1431 was the first post war RT to go into preservation when it was purchased from A1 Services in Ardrossen, Scotland in 1966. N.B. RT1431 has now been acquired as a part of the Ensignbus Museum fleet (w.e.f. 12/2004).

• *RT2240 has been 'converted' into triple-decker form for film work!

• It is suggested that anyone with an interest in the history of this (or any other London) bus should use the following link: http://members.tripod.com/~iansmith/RT/RT.htm#contents

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© David Element.