Another of the themed running days in the style of Hackney was held today, this time based on Carshalton. And what a perfect day to have it – wall-to-wall sunshine, all the better to see, photograph and ride on loads of classic buses.
Carshalton trolleybus depot closed in 1959, having operated just route 654; this became the 154 we know today, and with an accompanying extension of the 157 each successor route has been altered comparatively little. Accordingly, the main effort of the preserved buses was on the 154, with an extra as a 654 – this was RM 938 (WLT 938). It is seen reversing into Carshalton depot – intact and in the possession of Access Self Storage, who are to be thanked for permitting a small display on their premises.
At Wallington, Shotfield a number of routes turned around; here we see red and green in the personas of RT 604 (HLX 421) and RT 3871 (LLU 670). The former bus has been famous for thirty years as the last RT with London Country, and it shows that the little-loved NBC leaf green livery can actually look good when on a synpathetic host.
Finally for today, Sutton garage was also a hub for today’s widespread operations. RF 406 (MXX 294), a former Sutton bus itself, arrives on the 213, which was single-deck for longer than it needed to be until the lowering of Worcester Park station bridge permitted its double-decking.
Thanks to all concerned for putting on such a superb running day! Visit the Red RF homepage here.
The London Bus Page In Exile 
Your last three posts have to some extent featured buses in green livery. See tomorrow’s post on Omnibuses http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2007/04/going-green.html for what quite by coincidence features “green”.
Comment by busing — Sunday 15 April 2007 @ 9:42 pm
Sorry, no!
Atlanteans, Fleetlines or whatever, that London Country green has never, never looked right on an RT. Whatever happened to the famous Lincoln Green, the only colour (apart from LT Red) which should ever grace such a venerable vehicle…?
Peter
Comment by Peter Kennedy — Monday 16 April 2007 @ 3:59 am
Sorry, but I think Isleworth can lay claim to operating the 657 (which did not become the 157)!
Comment by Ray — Monday 16 April 2007 @ 8:04 pm
You’re quite right, Ray – see amendment!
Thanks for that.
Comment by londonbuspageinexile — Monday 16 April 2007 @ 8:58 pm
When fresh, NBC green looked ok, it just had a tendancy to fade. Personally I think that both the LT green with a cream waistband and the NBC green liveries were a poor substitute for the pre-war green and white with a brown roof or the slightly lighter green and yellow scheme that they replaced in the 1940’s and 1970’s respectively.
Comment by Phil McCavity — Monday 16 April 2007 @ 9:51 pm
Whatever you think of NBC green (I am not particularly fond of it) it is quite right that RT604 should be preserved in it. The bus achieved “celebrity” status due to it’s late recertification for passenger service in this livery and the fact that it became the last LCBS RT in service and was NBC green at that time. There are a number of other RT’s in Lincoln green so it also provides some variety. The owning group does well to maintain its appearance and deserves credit for it.
Incidentally articles in magazines often say that only three LCBS RT’s received NBC green livery but this is incorrect. There were three refurbished for passenger service (RT604, RT1018 and RT3461) but previously there were two trainers (I cannot immediately remember their fleetnumbers) but they had the earlier type of fleetname with the “double N” symbol in white. They did not last long so they tend to be forgotten.
To correct the comment left by Phil McCavity the immediate pre-War Country Bus livery was dark green with apple green window surrounds and silver roof. Off white window surrounds were an early Wartime innovation and the silver roof became grey and then brown. The dark green colour replaced a much lighter mid green colour c1938/9 and some vehicles retained the former livery for some time afterwards.
Comment by Andrew Colebourne — Tuesday 17 April 2007 @ 5:48 pm
The two earlier LCBS RT trainers in NBC green were I believe 2230 & 2367.
Comment by Kevin Smith — Tuesday 17 April 2007 @ 10:07 pm
I stand corrected Andrew, it was way before my time I’m afraid! I think that all of the pre-war liveries, both red and green, were more attractive than the plainer liveries that came post-war, especially when the window surrouns were no longer picked out in cream. I agree entirely that RT604 should have been restored in NBC green for the reasons that you give and would like to see RF202 in this livery too one day for the same reason. It is also good to see a variety of liveries when a large number of a particular type are represented in preservation. RT604 is obviously well maintained as she has never looked faded in all her years in preservation and is indeed a credit to her owners.
Comment by Phil McCavity — Wednesday 18 April 2007 @ 4:18 pm
It’s great when events can recreate scenes like this of operations from a long-closed but surviving garage like CN even allowing for all the modern paraphernalia present. But also rare because most old premises have fallen victim to demolition and redevelopment. I visited the former Tring garage building not so long ago, now converted into a Post Office sorting depot, and a member of staff there told me that a preserved vehicle had come into the yard a month or so beforehand with a request from its owners to be posed in front of the old garage; I recall a similar request being allowed at the former Leavesden Road, Watford, garage building.
Another opportunity will occur with the Country Bus Rallies event at Swanley on 8 July. Not a plug but this is a location which is more or less in the condition in which it last operated buses instead of being appropriated for other uses.
Comment by Andrew Jeffreys — Wednesday 25 April 2007 @ 10:27 am
Anybody know where RT1018 is now and has Mike Lloyd still got it??
I used to drive it on service 301 out of Tring garage in 1971/2/3
Comment by K J Williams — Friday 29 February 2008 @ 10:06 pm
I saw RT1018 at a rally some time ago, looking in better condition than when I drove it. I to was at Tring from 1972 until closure. If I remember rightly, 1018 had a different steering wheel to all the others, possibly off of an RF.
Comment by Brian Keating — Thursday 21 August 2008 @ 5:00 pm
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