8 The London Bus
factories in the London area,
were contracted as bodybuilders.
But even working flat out,
neither company could totally
satisfy London Transport’s
needs, so two other firms,Saunders of Beaumaris in
Anglesey and Cravens of
Sheffield, were contracted
to build 250 and 120 bodies
respectively.
AEC, boasting the proud mottoBuilders of London Buses and
with its factory in Southall, had
worked closely with the Chiswick
engineers on the design of
the RT, but its main rival,
Lancashire-based Leyland, over70 Years Ago
ABOVE: The
wider RTW class
remained in
service until 1966,
when RTW170 was
photographed in
Thornton Heath
on the long 109
route, which
for many years
linked Victoria
Embankment and
Purley through
south London
districts from
Kennington,
Brixton and
Streatham to
Croydon.
RIGHT: One of the
first RTs delivered
with the route
number display
alongside the
destination and
via screens was
Park Royal-bodied
RT928, new in
November 1948.