The LONDON TRANSPORT RT FAMILY:
RTWs : Wide Leyland RTs

This page updated 29th September 2023

The width-trials in Central London

The ban on the use of wide buses in the central zone had arisen because of fears of accidents and congestion in some of the narrow streets of London. To convince the Public Carriage Office that the fears were groundless, LT persuaded them to permit an experiment. A single bus experiment would not work, as the fears concerned passing on corners, so eight whole routes passing Notting Hill Gate were swapped from RTs to RTWs for a week in May 1950.

The first trial: Monday 15 - Friday 19 May 1950

This involved the Sunday exchange of 306 RTWs to strange garages, and their replacement by a similar number of RTs or RTLs. The short period of the trial meant that maintenance staff at garages with strange types did not have to be especially trained.

Route Garage RTW from Replacements
12 AH (Nunhead) BK (Barking): 24 24 RTL from AH to BK
12 ED (Elmers End) WG (West Green): 6 RTL from R, B, CF, CL to WG
17, 27A, 88 R (Hammersmith) E (Enfield (6)
HW (Hanwell): 25
WG (West Green):4
U (Upton Park): 1
AR (Tottenham): 1 		RTL from R, B, CF, CL to WG, E, HW
27A J (Holloway) AR (Tottenham): 34 RT from J (31), RTL from CS (2)
27A AB (Twickenham) T (Leyton): 11 RT from X, V, AB (12), STD from L (1)
28 X (Middle Row) T (Leyton): 1,
AD (Palmers Green): 24,
X: (1 trainer),
HD (Harrow Weald) : 1		 AD: RT from X (25), RT from V (2)
HD : RT from GM (1)
28 AF (Chelverton Rd) trainers from J, AC, AL, AF, AH, R and AB
31 B (Battersea) ON (Alperton: 13
trainers from B, ED (Elmers End)		 RTL from B (14)
31 CF (Chalk Farm) ON (Alperton): 13
3 trainers from CF		 RTL from CF (12)
46, 52 AC (Willesden) HD (Harrow Weald): 42
EW (Edgware): 19
U (Upton Park): 1		 RT from AC (43), GM (1)
52 GM (Victoria) EW (Edgware): 15 RT from AC (18), GM (14), X (1)
88 AL (Merton) U (Upton Park): 20
T (Leyton): 1
WG (West Green): 5
AD (Palmers Green): 2
EW (Edgware): 1
AR (Tottenham): 1
CS (Chiswick, new): 6		 RT from F (11), TL (5), AC (2), ED (6), J (1)
Note: the numbers above are not quite right, because of crossovers between multiple garages. If you want to be exact, work through the histories.

After working Monday to Friday the buses were returned.

RTW 185 in Cambridge Heath, April 2014, for RT75

RTW185 must have looked like this, in original livery with restricted blinds, when used on the width trials. Here it is approaching Ash Grove garage in April 2014 for the RT75 celebrations"

The second trial: Monday 19 June - Sunday 2nd July 1950

The first experiment was successful enough for two more to follow in June/July. In the second, the "target" area was Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End. RTWs were mostly swapped for a fortnight for the test.

Route Garage RTW from Replacements
14 F (Putney Bridge) AD (Palmers Green): 16, F: 10 15 RT from F to AD (2wks), 1RT F to AD (week2), iRT fropm CS to AD (week 2)
14, 19 J (Holloway) J (2 trainers), AR (Tottenham):18, ON (Alperton):26, HW (Hanwell):1, EW (Edgware):23, AP (Seven Kings):2 8 RT from J to AR, 8 RT from D to AR (2 weeks)
22 RT J to EW
26 RT J to ON
19, 22 B (Battersea) HD (Harrow Weald):9, AP (Seven Kings):16, BK (Barking (24) 9 RT from B to HD, 16 RT from B to AP, 23 RTL from B to BK
22 H (Hackney) AR (Tottenham):17, AD (Palmers Green): 10, H: 2 trainers 6 RT D to AR (1st wk), 4 RT D to AR (2nd wk), 13 RT J to AR (1st week) 13 RT J to AR (2nd wk)
6 RT D to AD (2wks), 2 RT D to AD (1st week),
38, 38A T (Leyton) E (Enfield):8, U (Upton Park):22, WG (West Green):15 AP (Seven Kings):2, T:14 6 RT from T to E
21 RT from T to U
15 RT from T to WG
1 RT AH to WG

Loughton, stuck with postwar STDs on the 38 group, and not even on the official waiting list for RT family buses, was denied the opportunity to try them out!

Many of the loaned buses remained in situ for the third test.

The third trial: Monday 3rd July - Friday 7th July 1950

Following straight on was the third test, centred on Threadneedle Street in the City for a week. Most of the RTWs had been used in the second set of tests, not always at the same garage.

Route Garage RTW from Replacements
22 B (Battersea) AP (Seven Kings): 17 kept from test 2 18 RTL from B to AP
22, 6, 6A H (Hackney) AP (Seven Kings): 17 kept from test 2, J (Holloway):11, F (Putney Bridge): 9, T (Leyton): 10, AP (Seven Kings):2 more 18 RTL from B to AP, 1 RT from T to AP, 1 RT J to AP

12 STL H to J
6 STL H to F
10 STL H to T
6,6A, 8,8A AC (Willesden) J (Holloway):45, HW (Hanwell):2, T (Leyton):12, EW (Edgware):3 31 RT AC to J, 15 RTL Q to J
12 RT AC to T
8,8A, 60 CL (Clay Hall) J (Holloway):10
B (Battersea): 27
T (Leyton): 15
F (Putney Bridge):5
EW (Edgware):2		 8 RTL CL to J, 3 STL AC to J
15 RTL CL to T, 6 RTL CL to F
5 STL AC to F
6 STL H to F

RTW467 at High Holborn, December 2002 After the trials there was a major reshuffle again to get buses back where they came from.

The experiments were a success, and the RTWs were henceforth allowed in the Central zone. They were still banned from sharing routes with trams, which cut out much of south-east London, but in the West End and City they were now welcome. Here their extra width would be very beneficial in allowing freer and faster circulation in the downstairs gangway. On busy Central London routes this was significant. The proposed allocations of new buses during the rest of 1950 were amended to match the new policy.

The trials brought RTWs to High Holborn on the 8, 8A and 22. On a damp December night in 2002 preserved RTW467 was back there for a tour of the West End lights. Photo by Ian Smith.

RTW text: part One RTW: width trials more new RTWs bus histories photo refs

Ian's Bus Stop RT contents RTLs