Notes About This Vehicle

Fleet-named FS, London Transport had been running small Ford Transit buses from the early 1970s on routes operating along narrow streets and wanted something rather larger. These took the form of the 24ft BS class, built on the shortest of the three available Bristol LH chassis, with a 12ft 6ins wheelbase.

By the mid 1970s the RF class of single-deck 7ft 6ins wide buses had largely been replaced by Leyland Nationals of 8ft width, though there were still some routes that could only be operated practically with narrower vehicles. Though most chassis were only available now 8ft wide, the Bristol LH was still made to the narrower width.

London Transport chose to buy six of the LHS variant, with bodywork by Eastern Coachworks that seated twenty-six. This chassis was really designed to take a 26ft 5ins body which resulted in this 24ft version having a noticeably shorter overhang at the rear than at the front. This made them look somewhat imbalanced.

The fleet was designated BS and the first six arrived in August 1975 as replacements for the FSs and operated from Holloway garage on route C11.

Presumably regarded as successful, a further eleven arrived in the autumn of 1976 to run on similarly tricky routes B1, P4 and W9.

The whole fleet had short lives with London Transport with all being withdrawn and sold on by the end of 1981. They were succeeded by the longer BL class, which had similar Bristol LH chassis but with a longer wheelbase and 30ft 39-seater bodies, also from Eastern Coachworks.

As shown here in its early days, BL5 may be noted not having the two oval holes added later on some BSs and BLs. In order to tow a broken down vehicle the front panel needed to be removed before these access holes were added. Also not included in the design of the BSs were the side blind boxes displaying the route number and destination.

BS5 entered service in August 1975 from Holloway garage, which retained its HT code from its days as a trolleybus depot when it was then named Highgate. It was withdrawn by July 1981 and sold shortly afterwards.

Out of all seventeen operated by London Transport, only BS4 and BS5 survive in preservation, with all the others having long since been scrapped.

Notes About This Drawing

The drawing is based on London Transport general arrangement drawing BS.001.Z1. updated to 15th October 1975.

Most of the detail has been inferred from about 150 close-up and general photographs of BL1 and BL88, which were very similar but with a longer wheelbase chassis and body, followed by extensive measuring of BL88. Reference to photographs of BS buses when in service provided further detail for panelling, including one of BS15 showing appropriate blinds, garage code and running number.

It should be understood that all four elevations are seen here as one would see each part of the vehicle at a truly perpendicular angle. In real life this is of course impossible.