AEC Regent III low-height double-decker
In addition to the introduction of the standardised
RT family, London Transport also had a
requirement after the war for low-height double-deck buses for
routes where the 14'6"-high RT could not be used. In order to
replace a miscellany of older vehicles, London Transport purchased
76 of the RLH class in 1950-52. The RLH was essentially
provincial in design, with a body built by Weymann of Addlestone,
Surrey, on the standard AEC Regent III chassis. The 13'6"
height was achieved by setting the upstairs gangway to the side and
lowering it over the heads of the offside passengers
downstairs. Mind your head if you ride on an RLH!
The buses were used both in the Country and Central Areas, and
occasionally green buses were borrowed by the Central Area to cover
for buses being overhauled. Only four Central Area garages
ran the RLH, including Dalston for route
178. This route saw the last operation of
the RLH by London Transport, on 16 April 1971.
An extra photograph appears on our
Dalston page. Click
here to go to the RLH
Information Centre site.
