London Buses 1985-Edgware & Aldenham Works Staff Buses 

I do have some more from there plus Stanmore & Aldenham Works (edg in the 90s and Aldenham back in 1986) which i will upload over time. By 1991 Aldenham was long gone, it;s now a business park the same at Chiswick Works now is sadly......

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I only just saw your comment but I thoroughly look forward to your Edgware videos. Thanks so much. Love this channel!

What goes around, comes around.....lol At least they are red again and not multi coloured, a London Bus should be red. But i'm all for a bit of relief to break/brighten it up a bit!

My pleasure.... Aldenham Works was so far out of London that LT ran staff buses from all over London to get the workers there......

Totally agree with you. I have been totally fascinated by this video.

@@FromClaphamJunction I never dreamed it would be seen the world over (there's a guy in New Zealand who looks in!) or that something like the internet would ever exist way back in 1985!

Soi Buakhao So what made you want to film these buses back in 1985, from a 1985 POV?

@@ChilternTransportProductions I grew up with buses and railways/Underground from the late 1960s, we had no car so everywhere we went was by public transport and my Dad was into railways so i got the transport bug. Used to ride around on the buses at 5 on my own, on Red Bus Rover days out at 7 and on a Go-As-You-Please (early form of Travelcard aimed at tourists) 4 day rovers by the time i was 9. I used to go to Edgware and ride on the SMS's which i liked, sitting at the back, haed out of the window listening to the AEC engine thrashing away! So in the 80s as buses & trains i grew upwith were disappearing fast i set out to record all that interested me. And now it appears it interests lots of other people as well-enjoy!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus And a guy in Canada! I came across your channel a few months ago with the videos of the old London Fire Brigade TLs, so cool! Its great to be able to see (and hear) equipment like this when it was still on the go instead of only reading about it and looking at pictures. Thanks for uploading!

It was like Wacky Races at going home time, all the staff buses itching to get away!

The joys of Routemasters!

The twin headlamps Routemasters were the ex British Airways ones that used to thrash along the M4, luggage trailer in tow doing around 55-60mph as they had a high speed diff. Because of this work they has twin headlamps like the Green Line RMC & RCL Routemasters had. And in the 1980s all RM types still had Leyland or AEC engines happily!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus did any of the 600 odd RMLs left in service by 1999 have their AEC 590/690 or Leyland 0600 engines? All the ones I rode on/ heard going past didn't sound like it in central London haunts I was in. The only good thing was the experience of getting on and off a rear platform half cab in revenue service and dealing with the conductor, something that hadn't been in Sydney since 1976 when the last AEC Regent IIIs and Leyland OPD2s were retired. At least these RML stragglers still had their Wilson gearboxes in place with their "music", but the lovely throaty engines were missing. Yeah, I read about these RMAs and how they were acquired from BA by LT and their quirky configuration over standard RMs and RMLs. Very capable buses. Sydney bus museum has a 1962 RM (forget fleet no.) and in their wisdom, replaced the original 0600 Leyland engine with a 590! They obviously didn't want a part AEC part Leyland mongrel breed lol, even though it was original along with hundreds more units!!

@@jamesfrench7299 A few, RML's 903 & 2760 kept their AEC's as did a few at Upton Park like 613 and the RMC's there. Metroline had quite a few working on the 390s, 268, 446 spring to mind but it was penny numbers by the late 1990s.

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus and out of those, most were probably tired and not great sounding anyway. I was at least six years or so too late.

@@jamesfrench7299 RM 446 was a beast! I would go out of my way to ride on that one. I got to Kings Cross one day and it hove'd into view going to Archway. Even though i was going the other way i leapt abord and went to Archway & back first! Happy days....

My pleasure! I'll see if i have any more Edgware video......

Yes, very sad. I have been to both Aldenham open days, it was a wonderful place to see....

All buses used to stop outside the station back in the 80s, before the Broadwalk was built and they put the roundabout in the forecourt.

You're welcome, i have plenty more!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus keep it coming, cheers!

It was in its heyday. A good 1000+ people would have been needed to run the place. Check out a BTF film called Overhaul (it is uploaded on RU-vid) to see it in all its glory back in the 1950s.

Yes, it seems like yesterday I left school but it was 40 years ago! And I've had a video camera since 1985......

Yes, i remember the Swifts on the 142's, i had a nice ride out to Watford Junction on one. Don't remember RF's though apart from the 291's at Barking!

I'm not sure and will have to check. If i can find something else i will get it up.....

Yes, they had probably been idling in the Works for 15 mins of so, hence all the smoke when they got going! Cough, cough...... lol

My pleasure....What garage's staff bus were you on? When i was at Leyton we had RMAs there for the Aldenham run......

Have you seen this upload here? It may be of interest, the 1983 open day.....

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus hi Sol I think my bus was garaged at hackney, I was first pick up of the day at Upton park, we went up through leyton and wood green

Sol was the RMA like the routemaster but with the closing doors at the front of the bus

@@billywhippet Yes! Nice & warm in winter!

Yes, sadly a lot of structures were built for the whole Northern Heights scheme.....and were wasted!

I'm sick of catering to the car, especially with typical driver behavior.

I'm sure your enjoyed this one especially then?....

Oh yesss!

Yes, Metros were plodders, at least with a Titan you could select and hold a lower gear to get up a hill....

Well, not an LT route but BA's own service. Until the Picc opened you could check in at Gloucester Road Air Terminal, suitcase and all! Then ride an RMA to Heathrow with your checked luggage in a trailer on the rear of the bus! The vehicles were looked after by LT and driven by LT drivers from a special base at Stamford Brook Garage which had no normal bus work, only gaining that after Turnham Green closed.

Soi Buakhao thanks for the info, I do remember them in the BA Livery takes me back. Didn’t realise they used them for staff buses at Aldenham. Great footage

Thank you Peter. I see you've been out & about again, i saw your vid taken in Romford the other day-quality! Was out with Mick in Muswell Hill to see PB's new all electric buses the other week, all good fun!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus That's on my list to do soon!

Thank you.....He could well be driving, and i do have more video of the staff buses taken on other days which i will upload. So keep an eye out, you may well see him again?.....

Soi Buakhao Thanks! That would be great to see. I have lots of still images of inside the bus works that I keep meaning to scan!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus ll

I prefered to drive Titan's rather than Metros, a more solid bus. And i do remember the RMA 175s, seeing them in Romford as a child.

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus my cousin was a fitter at Chiswick Works. He claimed the engines would fall out of the Titan's due to poor engine mounting. The Metrobus was like the MDs out of Plumstead - always had an affinity for them.

Have no fear, i have lots more older vids to upload as well as more modern films. The Metros in west London were some of the earliest (apart from 5 pre production run ones at Cricklewood) to run, replacing the DMS class at Fulwell. Kingston had LH's to replace RFs and probably had the largest allocation of them. Aldenham did indeed have a proper staff canteen, London Transport generally looked after its staff!

It used to run in two parts with RMLs. Edgware to Brent Cross and Mill Hill Apex Corner to Oxford Circus. Some early & late journeys ran all the way through though.

Quite a few routes to central London ran in sections, such as the 12, 36, 1, etc

@@djpeekay25 My local route 15 pretty much ran from East Ham to Ladbroke Grove throughout. With poor timekeeping there were plenty of short turns as well as a certain amount of booked short workings. But that was unusual, as you say a lot of long routes worked in split halves.

Soi Buakhao yes I remember the 15 and 23 always showing Ladbroke Grove. Also I think the 88 pretty much ran from Acton to Mitcham and the 137 from Crystal Palace to Archway. I assume the 12 was the longest route from Harlesden to Norwood Junction?

@@djpeekay25 I think so. In it's heyday, the 12 ran from South Croydon garage to Neasden and had an allocation of around 120 buses from 5 garages! Thats more than the size of a fair few bus companies!

Probably around September/October 1985. No earlier than August as I didn't get a video camera until then!

Aldenham was way out in the countryside and back in the 1950s when it opened not many people drove cars. So LT needing qualified craftsmen laid on the staff buses as jobs were plentiful in those days and LT would not have got the staff it needed. The buses had set routes and would pick up/set down at set spots & times, the buses ending up at garages that looked after them (Leyton had two RMA's, one in use, one spare). Some would end up over at Sidcup and such places, another (RMA 14 with an ALD garage code) was kept at Aldenham (probably on Edgware's books) and did local runs probably to Edgware, Stanmore ect connecting with the Underground network. They were not given bus FFD tests but a class 5 MOT as they did not carry any fare-paying passengers (well, not until Aldenham closed and some ended up on sightseeing work or the 15's). One is a DMS as it was kept at Aylesbury in a local operators yard who ran ex LT DMS's so was handy if it needed any running repirs! Before the RMA's they used RT's of which there had been a plentiful supply from the mid 1960s onwards.

Interesting, thanks 👍🏼

When I worked there, 79-83, they must have had about 60-80 staff buses running to all parts of London. Well over a thousand people working there

They were built for British European Airways and Britiash Overseas Airways (became BA in the 1970s) and ran from Gloucester Road Air Terminal to Heathrow Airport complete with a luggage van in tow! So blinds were not needed. After the Picc openen through to Heathrow the Gloucester Road site was closed and the buses sold to LT who used them as trainers and staff buses.

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Thanks for the reply. Great information.

Yes, that's why the main shed was rather long! There were some arches built to the north of Edgware along Spur Road, near the A41 that were to carry the unbuilt line but have been demolished now....Plus in Rectory Lane at Edgware is a bridge wall but the lines were never built below!

Nothing particularly enviro friendly in those days!!!

I was still at school but sadly only cine cameras were around when the RT's were in service.

The RMA's did work in service for a few months in the 1970s on the 175s but the lack of handpoles was a problem for the conductors. They all ended up as driver trainers and staff buses. After Aldenham shut some were scrapped, other sold off and a couple were used by East London Buses and end up in service on the 15s!

Yes, they were ex BEA/BA ones used on the Heathrow-Gloucester Road Air Terminal runs.

I found Titans to be a better bus to drive. The build quality was better and you had somewhere to put your left foot! The Titans were solid and having driven both Titan's & Metro's i found the Titan's better at handling. But a well set up Metro (gearboc in sync & suspension not too high or low) was good to drive....

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I agree with you!I wish I'd had the chance to Drive a Titan! But I loved Driving Ls's !

Yes, it would be different, i wonder why they haven't done so?.....

All the RMAs were used either as staff buses as seen here, or driver trainers. A few had been used on route 175 but the conductors didn't like them as there was a lack of grab poles.....

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I once went on one, or an RMF, not sure on a tour, it was red and up front (upstairs) the draft came in the closed windows, issue also with rain, thinking it needed some work doing to it, the suspension was really bumpy, or the roads were bad, in all a nice experience to ride one, the only other time seeing the RMA’s for real was with on BEA or in BOAC service on the Talgarth Road in London (1983-85) with trailers.

@@jacksugden8190 In the 1990s and until 2003 there were two at Upton Park and they were used on the X15s as well as the 15/15B until the end of Routemaster operation on the 15s. The BEA ones were used more as coaches rather than a bus service, but it must have been fun whizzing along the motorway on one!

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Remember seeing the 15/B if only pictures, think they had gold round the windows, possibly Victoria had RMA’s, I remember the ex London Country RMC’s or RCL’s in Lincoln green on driver training, an RCL on the 149 at Victoria bus station, so clearly the RMA’s in this film had there front blinds removed.

@@jacksugden8190 used to see them at Chiswick flyover.

Why???

Watch On The Buses and it will all make sense!

Yes, i agree. I have drivern both Titan's & Metro's (amongs other types) and found the Titan's to be a much better vehicle. The Metro's were particulary bad if the retarder wasn't set up right.

Were the London "Metros" built to a fussy 'London' 'chassis-spec.' that other operators found that they could do without? Some early '-V' reg. Greater Manchester "Metros" ended up in the LT area after Privatisation because their brakes (I think) were 'standard' for LT but non-standard for the newly-formed and slimmed-down "GM Buses" operator.

@@None-zc5vg l don"t think the chassis spec was the reason i think LT bought them because they were cheaper than the titan.the brakes were i believe regenerative and this gave a harsh slowdown/stop causing the passengers to think that it was the driver braking to fast.The driver is trained to use progressive braking as this more gentle and so more comfortable for the passengers.Over the years as a PSV driver i have driven many different types of "buses" some with and some without regen brakes but none as bad as the "metro".Its no wonder manchester offloaded them they were rubbish.

@@None-zc5vg MCW built a'standard' bus, take it or leave it. LT came along and said we would buy some but, we want them to our spec. Guess what?, Yes MCW decided the biggest operator in the UK could indeed have a bespoke Metrobus, and LT ended buying 1442 of them! The brakes were an interesting subject, LT had a hydraulic braking system (like the Titans) but unlike the Routemasters they never worked properly so were converted to air (although part of the hydraulic system couldn't be removed & had air added-very comlicated)

Here in Sydney I used to drive MAN buses with Voith DIWA and never found their retarders an issue. My theory: the MCWs had much shorter gearing effect due to the angle drive and a shorter axle ratio conspiring to make the retarder come on way too strong.