The RTW Class

The story told in this book starts at a time when London Transport’s wish to use wider buses was subject to the approval of the Traffic Commissioners and the Metropolitan and City police forces. First successfully operated on suburban routes from mid-1949, the following year moves towards bringing RTWs into central London began with a series of three width trials. These trials showed no major problems with their operation along busy and sometimes narrow streets, leading to most of the 500-strong fleet moving on to routes through the centre. These 8-footers then became a familiar sight in central London during the 1950s and first half of the 1960s.