Notes About These Vehicles

London Transport used a classification system to identify various chassis and body types. The number preceding the vehicle type (in this case ‘RT’) designated the chassis variant and that following it, the body.

The fleet number for the prototype was ‘RT1’. This had an AEC chassis with a body built by London Transport at its Chiswick Works with help from Park Royal Vehicles. It was classified as ‘1RT1’. The subsequent run of 150 production pre-war RTs were fleet numbered RT2 to RT151 and classified as ‘2RT2’. These had a different chassis and front and rear route number roof boxes.

The first post-war RTs were built without the rear roof box and these bodies were classified as ‘RT3’. The next body series was RT3/1 and these had no front roof box either, with the route number now placed to the right of the via points blind. There were other differences as well. All had bodies from Park Royal or Weymann.

Built as a post-war shortage expedient, bodies built by Saunders (RT3/3) and Craven (RT3/4) retained the front roof box. The Saunders buses were very similar to those from Park Royal and Weymann, though those from Craven were different in every respect, except the cab. Being so non-standard they had a relatively short service in London and all had been withdrawn by the end of the 1950s.

To help visualize just how different the Craven bodies were I have outlined both body types, one below the other.