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HERE IT IS AT LAST!
Page 71
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by Derek Moses
First published pictures of the rear-engined Routemaster for LTB
IT was in the issue of COMMERCIAL MOTOR dated February 5 1965 that we forecast that London Transport would build a rear-engined version of the familiar Routemaster double-decker, and published a drawing of an impression of what this logical development of the RM would look like.
Nine months later we reported the official news that such a bus would be built and in
the July I issue this year "The Hawk"
confirmed the existence of the prototype bus to this layout. "The Hawk" also re marked that LTB was doing its best to hide the new bus while we would do our best to unearth it. And here it is, in these exclusive COMMERCIAL MOTOR photographs.
The new bus closely resembles our impression of it, as the photographs clearly show, although it differs in one or two re spects. The most noticeable differences are sealed windows (which suggests forced-air ventilation—LTB will not release any technical information until the bus has been tried and proved) and the open back above the engine compartment, similar to Atlantean and Fleetline practice.
No fleet number is displayed on the vehicle, although I understand it is to be FRM I. In appearance it bears clearly the stamp of Routemaster ancestry, although to the layman it will probably appear to be just another Atlantean.
Interesting points about the body design are the positioning of the emergency door immediately behind the staircase and the provision of an emergency window in the rear offside bay, giving the bus evenly spaced windows, at least on the nearside.
Although reported by one LTB spokesman to have been "overtaken by events", this bus, which must be nearly 32 ft. in length (there is no short intermediate "RML" bay) could well be the forerunner of a new class of London double-deckers designed for AFC (automatic fare collection) operation. One looks forward to this bus's entry into passenger service in London and the release of the technical information in respect of this, probably the most advanced, rearengined double-decker built to date.