Yes—it Really Is a Green Line Coach
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By DEREK MOSES
LIATS off to London -1 ransportthey
have really " got with it "! The first of a fleet of 14 new Green Line coaches. which will enter service on route 705 (Sevenoaks-Victoria-Windsor) at the end of November, was demonstrated to the Press last Friday. And. as forecast in The Commercial Motor of September 10. a completely new livery, the like of which has not been worn by a London Transport vehicle for many years, has been adopted.
Readers might have smiled to themselves and thought " how naïve" when reading the reports in this journal in the past of London Transport fleet colour changes. Compared with livery changes often adopted in the provinces, they were merely a drop in the ocean. But this time it is different. To "test public reaction ", as London Transport puts it. the 14 coaches — all 36 ft., 49-seat, Willowbrook-bodied AEC Relianceshave been painted in what really is a " new" livery—pastel grey. Furthermore. they have an interior decor and standard of appointment higher than any used before inside London Transport buses or coaches.
The coaches are being introduced to "find out whether Green Line services should be developed on these lines in the future". The route on which the coaches are to be operated has an express limitedstop section between London and Windsor via the Great West Road, the Chiswick flyover and the Colnbrook by-pass. And the coaches obviously have been designed to try to attract the
motorist back to public transport. If they can be guaranteed a smooth passage through traffic congestion, LTB stand a very good chance of succeeding.
Special features of the chassis include an AEC A H 690 11.3-litre engine (derate(i 10 per cent in keeping with LTB policy). five-speed, semi-automatic gearbox, Dunlop air suspension on both axles, and compressed air, twin line footbrake system. The Willowbrook body has 8 ft.-wide fixed windows, forced-air heating and ventilation, glass-fibre luggage racks with individual Jet Vent outlets beneath, and fluorescent lighting. Standard Duple GA.220 luxury coach seats are fitted, upholstered in an attractive dark and light (almost white) blue-striped moquette with head-rolls in blue vinylcoated fabric. Three roof-lights with amber Perspex panels are fitted, and the ceiling is finished in white plastics.
The interior colour scheme is, in fact. in blue, grey and white, with a blue-andwhite marbled effect on the floor and various shades of grey for the casing panels, window surrounds and luggage racks. Armrests are fitted to both the gangway and window sides of the seats. Externally, a single broad band c.f Lincoln Green at waist level carries the legend "Green Line" in gold letters, whilst the bright yellow route board mounted above the cant rail contrasts effectively with the grey roof. Standard Green Line indicators are fitted.
A London Transport spokesman stressed that the 14 new vehicles were its Continued at foot of n.eat Page ''1 experiment to test passenger reaction before it became necessary to replace the entire Green Line RF singledeck fleet in about three years' time. The new livery or interior standard would not be adopted for the existing fleet. However, a very encouraging sign was the lack of an " X " (for experimental) designation on the fleet classification (which is RC) and a London Transport body code plate on the entrance steps. Having introduced coaches to this standard, I fail to see how LTB can now go back.