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LT signs order for 1600 `Londoneedouble-decker

3rd September 1971
Page 26
Page 26, 3rd September 1971 — LT signs order for 1600 `Londoneedouble-decker
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by Derek Moses • Details were released yesterday of the order for 1600 "Londoner" double-deckers which London Transport intends to place in service commencing next year, as announced exclusively in CM September 18 1970. As expected, the order, worth £18fm, is for Daimler Fleetline chassis, with the body order divided between Park Royal Vehicles Ltd and Metro-Cammell Weymann Ltd.

Added to the 367 Park Royal-bodied Daimler Fleetlines already in course of delivery, the new contract will provide London Transport with a fleet of 1967 double-deckers designed expressly for one-man operation by 1975. Nearly half of the 1600 additional buses will be fitted with Gardner 6LXB engines as fitted to the present "Londoner" double-deckers. The balance will be fitted with Leyland engines, now a standard option on Daimler Fleetlines, and necessitated in London's case by the quantity of vehicles ordered, which exceeds the supply of Gardner engines available over this period.

Park Royal will build 880 of the boc for the new Fleetlines at a cost .of ab £51m. The balance of 720 will be built Metro-Cammell Weymann, who have z supplied the bodies for the majority of A o-m-o single-deckers bought by Lon( Transport since 1966, and will cost ab £44m. It is understood that the M( bodies will closely resemble the distinc Park Royal design, with squared-up fr and rear domes, supplied to meet LT requirements.

The new double-deckers will replace the remaining RT-type buses in Lon Transport service, and probably some of earliest Routemasters too, and represent important step in London Transport's r to complete the change to 100 per c one-man operation by the end of 1977. plan which, if the target is met, will mea life of only eight years for some of the Routemasters built!