On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:12:41 +0100, Clive
wrote:


Slight change of subject. As an ex-bus driver in Bristol where our
double deckers had crash boxes, I remember a trip to London and on
travelling on an RM got the impression they had pre-selector boxes.
Can any confirm or deny this? Does anyone out there know how they
worked or have a link to which I could go to, to find out? Thanks for
any sensible answers.

Most Routmasters (indeed all RMs) had (have) fully automatic boxes.
The RMC and RCL classes, together with those RMLs built for what was
then the London Transport Country Bus division had semi-automatic
boxes and were somewhat more long legged. The earlier buses (RT and
RF families) had Wilson pre-select boxes.

If you want an interesting insight into the differences between the
various types, look up "London Buses - a View from the Driver's Cab"
by Ted Murphy, a book which I can thoroughly recommend.

Just to complete the picture from that (my) era, the GS class was
the only LT bus with a crash box, which worked back-to-front (just
like the Citroen "H" van I once owned).

I was a bus driver in the 1970s, and drove all the above in service,
except the GS, which I only ever drove unofficially.

--
Bill Hayles

http://billnot.com