The Arrows, D1, D3-5, later DL36-39
Red Rover Saloon Coaches of Aylesbury was the source of four Dennis Arrows that were taken into the GreenLine series as D1 and D3-5.
D1 and D3 were bodied by Birch, seating 36 and 37 respectively. D1, from 1930, was rear-entrance,
while D3, a year younger, was front entrance. D4 and D5 had 30-seater front entrance bodies by Thurgood.
These appear to have opening roofs, with sideways sliding panels, as well as enormous bacon-slicer doors.
They originally had luggage bins on the back of the roof, but LT removed these.
Greenline fitted them with lozenge-shaped Greenline badges on the roof,
and put them to work on the Aylesbury GreenLine service.
London Transport renumbered them in 1935 to DL36-9.
The Lancets, DT1-9
The Lancet took over as Dennis' big single-decker chassis for the mid-thirties,
and was instantly recognizable by the massive radiator cowl.
London Transport acquired nine of them in its first few years as it took over various companies in its area.
Four of them, two buses and two coaches, were taken over from two companies in the Central Area,
Golden Arrow of Stockwell and Imperial of Romford, and were initially placed in Central Area stock,
becoming DL29, 30, 34 and 35 in the Lance series,
before being transferred to the Country Area and taking fleet-numbers DT6-9.
They were a very mixed bunch, some with decent coach bodies,
some with antiquated-looking bus bodies.
Most lasted in service until late in 1937, when they were replaced by spare Qs.
Three more Lancets were acquired in takeovers before the war, but were not licensed and were quickly sold.
More came as visitors during the war, and some were hired post-war to keep peak services going.
DT1
DT 1 was an impressive-looking coach bought new by Gravesend and District in 1931,
with a Duple rear-entrance coach body. It appears to have had a rear-sliding opening roof.
London Transport sent it to Amersham, for Greenline and/or bus duties.
DT2
DT 2 was a bus, taken over with White Heather of Knebworth, with bodywork by Thurgood of Ware.
DT3
DT3 was also a bus, from Amersham & District. It had an old-fashioned bus body by Strachans.
Initially working from Amersham, it latterly moved over the hill to Hemel Hempstead.
At overhaul London Transport moved the sidelights up to waist level,
and fitted a larger rectangular destination box at the front,
replacing the small destination blind and smaller owner indicator.
Livery also became LT standard, probably green with black bands at first,
then mid-green and apple-green.
DT4-5
These two coaches came from Golden Arrow of Stockwell in November 1933,
and were initially absorbed into the Central Area as DL29 and DL30.
They then moved on into the Country Area as DT4-5.
DT6-7
Imperial of Romford provided these two rear-platform buses, with good-looking Metcalfe bodywork.
After a spell in the Central Area as DL34-35 they moved to the Country Area in February 1935,
congregating with the other Dennises at Amersham.
becoming DT6-7. At overhaul DT7 at least was fitted with a larger front blind box.
DT8-9
The Penn Bus Company had only just bought these two smart, modern-looking Dennis-bodied Lancets in 1935
before they were taken over in July 1935.
The Dennis EVs
Precursor to the Arrow was the Dennis EV,
itself an improvement on the Dennis E with a 70bhp six-cylinder petrol engine instead of the earlier 4-cylinder model.
London Transport took over three EVs, and used them as un-numbered Country buses,
disposing of them in the spring of 1936.
GF6680 came from Red Rover to Green Line, who numbered it D2 and used it for private hire.
It had a rear-entrance 32-seater Birch body.
LPTB took it over from Green Line, and left the bonnet plate in situ although it was officially un-numbered.
They sent it to work as a bus at Amersham.
KX4337 was already an Amersham bus when taken over by LPTB, who probably left it in situ.
It had a Strachans 32-seater rear-entrance bus body.
UR4577 came from Comfy Coaches in Harpenden in February 1934. It too had a 32-seat rear-entance bus body, this time by Duple.
LPTB sent that to Amersham too.
Ian's Bus Stop
Lancet, Arrow text.
DT histories
DT photo refs
Lances.
