Notes About This Vehicle

In October 1929 the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) introduced its ST type, built on AEC’s new Regent chassis. Regulations at that time restricted 2-axle double-deck buses to a maximum body length of 25ft.

In 1932 the regulations were relaxed to allow a 26ft length body and higher gross weight. In response to this AEC lengthened the Regent chassis and the next generation of bus, the STL, was born.

London Transport (LT) was formed on 1st July 1933 though the first batches of chassis were ordered by the LGOC, with bodies designed by themselves and built at its Chiswick Works, only some of which were in service by LT days. Further Regent chassis of this length were purchased by the LGOC, Thomas Tilling and other operators, each with their own different bodies.

The LGOC was by far the biggest operator when absorbed into London Transport and their fleet numbers were retained. The Tilling fleet of eighty, and six vehicles taken over from independents, received LT STL fleet numbers, though not necessarily representing their ages in sequence. The fleet numbers eventually reached STL2701, though as with preceding models, STLs went through many design changes, with the last quite dissimilar from the earliest.

LT coded design variants of its buses with the class name surrounded by the chassis and body type numbers. When new, the majority of the batch of STLs from 453 to 608 formed those classified 7STL3/2. The ‘nose-up’ attitude of these, and the earlier vehicles from STL203 onwards, attracted the nickname ‘leaning back STLs’. As depicted here, STL469 was new in July 1934 and was equipped with a petrol engine, replaced in 1939 with a diesel power unit, along with the rest of this batch.

The bus is shown here on route 31 running from Chalk Farm (CF) garage, though STLs were not allocated from there on this route until 1937, with the route being operated by the NS type beforehand.

By the time of introduction of STLs on this route, STL469 would have had one or two overhauls and so some of its original features might have been modified. If at all, it is only likely that the bonnet number would have changed from the raised aluminium characters to Johnston lettering, in gold with black outlines applied as transfers. The metal radiator cap would originally have been of the LGOC type and this might have been changed to the later rubber LT type. It started life with body number 14393 and ended it nearly twenty years later with a slightly earlier body 14252. Swapping bodies at overhaul was the norm.

The rather elegant livery with off-white window surrounds with black horizontal piping and black relief band between decks gradually gave way to a succession of others. An 'all-red' livery was introduced in November 1945, initially with a cream band between the decks and above the upper deck windows. At first a brown roof, as applied during the war, continued, but was soon replaced by red. This livery continued until May 1946, but before then, in March, the earliest STLs up to STL608, reverted to the previous red and white style, retaining a brown roof.

Notes About This Drawing

The drawing is based on about ninety close-up and general photographs taken at the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton, followed by extensive measuring of the vehicle.

I have inferred as much contemporary detail as possible of adverts likely to have been carried on this class of bus in the late 1930s.

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.