The LONDON TRANSPORT AJS Pilots

This page created 26th October 2013 using Notepad, by Ian Smith.

AJS Pilots

AJS was a motorcycle manufacturer that in 1930-31 dabbled briefly in the manufacture of bus and light truck chassis. The main bus model was the Pilot, with a Meadows engine, recognisable by its small, low radiator, well set-back between the wheel arches. Production did not last long, the company going bankrupt in 1931. Bodies were provided by the users' chosen bodybuilders.

Imperial

AJS Pilot drawing Imperial of Romford (A.E.Blane) had one Pilot, acquired in 1930, as a first larger bus to augment the fleet of microbuses as suburban Romford rapidly grew in size. It was bodied by Metcalfe with a B26F bus body. Later buses were even larger than this intermediate size. Imperiakl's routes were Collier Row - Upminster and Rainham - Romford.

Imperial was taken over by London Transport in November 1934, and this bus was numbered AJS1 in Central Area stock. It lasted just another eight months, presumably still on the new 253 (Rainham - Collier Row), before being sold in July 1935 as very non-standard, unusable for omo and too small for a standard large saloon.

Woking & District

AJS Pilot drawing Woking & District had a 26-seater bodied by Petty. This was taken over by London General Country Services in January 1931, when the company was acquired by Aldershot & District and LGCS and divided up between them. So it went into London Transport's Country Area, Southern Division, in July 1933. LT kept it until the mass clear-out of October 1934.

Elite

Elite Omnibus Service of Watford had two AJSs, one in 1930, another in 1931, so they must have been satisfied with the first one. They were used on the company's only route: Cassio Bridge - Pond Cross Roads - Bushey Mill Lane. This route was taken over by the LPTB in August 1933, and put into the hitherto Green Line only garage of Watford (Leavesden Road) as route 385. I assume the 24-seater Petty-bodied Pilots went with it, until their sale in September 1934.

Amersham & District

Amersham & District had one Pilot amongst its eclectic fleet of vehicles. It formally came to the LPTB relatively late, in October 1933, the Board not being in a hurry formally to take over a company that it already technically owned! The twenty-seater Petty-bodied Pilot survived just a year with London Transport.

Ian's Bus Stop AJS text AJS fleet history AJS photo references Cub