Reading reverts to deckers
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By Derek Moses • Long acknowledged as a pioneer of the standee single-deck o-m-o bus, Reading Corporation Transport, which now operates 74 examples out of a total of 109 buses, will shortly place in service a fleet of 10 Bristol V RT/L L rear-engined double-deckers. Surprisingly, perhaps, in a relatively small town such as Reading, they will be 33ft models, with 91 passenger bodies expressly designed for o-m-o, and built by Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Co Ltd.
Although among the earliest VRTs to be ordered by a municipal operator, the Reading vehicles are Series 2 models, and should be free of the bugs which tended to mar the performance of Series 1 Bristol VRT double-deckers. Considerable thought has been put into the design of the complete buses; some of the specialities are highlighted here.
The new buses are due to enter service on route 17 (Tilehurst—Wokingham Road) in August, replacing crew-operated Dennis Loline double-deckers which will, in turn, replace older o-m-o single-deckers. It is Reading's intention to switch to o-m-o completely, and 20 similar Bristol/NCME double-deckers are on order for delivery in 1972/3.