Chassis: Leyland Cub, 15ft 6in wheel-base;
new: 4.4l petrol engine,
1/39: Perkins Leopard diesel engine from C1
Body: B20F, unknown builder, 24ft 0in long.

It may seem strange that this first of LT's Cubs should be C76, but on acquisition along with St Albans and District (in November 1933) it was allocated to Country services, which did not adopt the Chiswick numbering scheme immediately. It received its number in 1935, after the purchase of the Country Area's main batch of Cubs. Outsider it may have been, but for once the planners in LT seem not to have followed the LGOC ideas and recognized a good bus when they operated it!

C76 did not stay at St Albans. After a repaint into green and black it went for service to Northfleet. It moved on to Langley Road in Slough, to be used on the Slough - Windsor services, finally being withdrawn from Windsor (WR) in October 1938.

It was always something of an oddity, with its non-standard body and petrol engine. After withdrawal it yielded its petrol engine to C1, receiving the Perkins Leopard in exchange, before sale in January 1939.

Chassis: Leyland Cub KPO3, 15ft 6in wheel-base,
4.4l diesel engine,

Body: B20F, Short Bros, 24ft 0in long.
The main production run of Cubs was very similar to the Chiswick prototype. There were differences, the chief of which was the diesel engine, an unusual feature in small buses at this time (see the article in Classic Bus Yearbook 4), but in accordance with London Transport policy. No doubt the order for 74 buses by LT was a large enough incentive for Leyland to ensure that a diesel version worked! One significant feature of the engine chosen was its ability to cold-start under almost any conditions. It came with a deeper radiator too. Oddly, these sported the Cub insignia, whereas London Transport usually removed or covered all trace of manufacturers' radiator marks.
The bodies had small differences from C1, the largest being the placing of the emergency door behind the driver instead of at the rear offside, plus changes in the interior trimming that became the norm for LT. As Chiswick was fully occupied with other building programmes (with a maximum annual build laid down by law) the bodies were built by Short Brothers at Rochester. This was LTs only contract with them, but LT was familiar with their bus work in some of the STs inherited from some of the Country Area's previous companies. They were better-known for their manufacture of aircraft, in particular flying boats, and the increased preparations as the thirties progressed meant that they were unable to tackle the repeat order.

The first 7 (C2-C8), went to Northfleet (NF) for the North Kent rural services, in mid-April 1935, followed by an allocation to Dunton Green (DG) for the Sevenoaks, Knockholt and Orpington routes. Hertford (HG) and St Albans (SA) were next in line, for the northern collection of small-bus routes. Chelsham (CM), Guildford (GF) and Leatherhead (LH) had a large number for the Surrey Hills and North Downs services, and Addlestone (WY) and Windsor (WR) for the interface with Aldershot and District. Watford (WA) and Amersham (MA) were other northern users, and Dorking (DS) had some for use in the Weald. All were in use by September 1935.
They settled down to unremarkable service on the periphery of the London area, maintaining links to villages that really were deep in the countryside in those days.

C4 has been restored by Ensignbus, and made its first appearance since at the Ensignbus Running Day at Lakeside in December 2012.

Livery when new was two shades of green with black lining and mudguards, but the light green presently gave way to white. The area of white around the windows varied from bus to bus. During the war years the mudgard tips and rear were marked in white to help during the blackout. Many Country routes were double-decked to cope with wartime demand, using Central Area buses, and some of the Country Cubs were loaned to the Central Area in return. Three went on loan as part of the "We're all in this together" campaign: C16, C52 and C69.

After the war 21 of them were sold for use in Belgium by the Allied Economic Commission. The others were joined on Country duties by the remainder of the Central Cubs (see below), so that 66 were still in Country service in 1950. In 1948-50 a number of lightly trafficked routes were introduced, once the desperate shortages of bus had been lessened by the advent of postwar Ts and RTs. These were spread all round the London Transport area, or even just beyond, in the case of the 383 (which caused a protest by the local operator).

route no.	Route	Garages
494	East Grinstead - Lingfield - Oxted Station	EG East Grinstead
383	Hitchin - Willian - Weston	HN Hitchin
372	Hertford - Cole Green - Welwyn Garden City	HG Hertford
492	Gravesend - Longfield - Fawkham - Kingdown	NF Northfleet
393	Harlow - Roydon Hamlet - Hoddesdon	EP Epping
479	Farningham - Horton Kirby - Darenth - Dartford	SJ Swanley
449	Dorking North Stn - Chart Downs - Capel - Ockley -Ewhurst	DS Dorking
381	Epping - Coopersale - Toothill	EP Epping
315	Welwyn Garden City - Ayot St.Lawrence - Wheathampstead	HF Hatfield
448A	Guildford Bus Stn - Pewley Way	GF Guildford

They continued in use during the early 50's, and LT considered rebodying them. They eventually had direct replacements in the shape of the 84 members of the GS class. That the GS was so similar in form was a compliment to the way that the Cubs had carried out their duties for some eighteen years. Many were then sold for non-PSV use in the Home Counties, whilst a large number went to Ceylon.

C4 became a fruit-farm vehicle, before rescue for preservation. Eventually Ensignbus bought it for their Museum, and after a five year restoration have returned it to excellent running order.

Chassis: Leyland Cub KPO3, 15ft 6in wheel-base,
4.7l diesel engine,

Body: B20F, Weymann, 24ft 0in long.

The Cubs for the Central Area had the larger, 4.7 litre engine, and were bodied by Weymann to a design virtually indistinguishable from the Short Bros bodies on the Country Cubs. They did however have route stencil holders above the doorway and on the offside, in line with Central practice. (In the Country Area buses changed frequently between routes on a day's duties, so route stencils were NOT used). Another obvious change was the lack of a front bumper bar. These had come into vogue during 1934-35, appearing on the early Cubs and on the 9T9s and LTCs, but just as suddenly had gone back out of fashion.

The Central Cubs were to replace the small buses already operating around the Central Area, apart from the Darts. (The Darts still had duties to perform during the week, and more on Saturdays, so they were retained for the time being). All the Cubs went into service in April and May 1936, at Mortlake (M), Hanwell (HW), Enfield (E), Barking (BK) and Harrow Weald (HD). In the north-east and north-west areas the Cubs and Darts were on rural routes similar to those in the Country Area, whilst there were still a few developmental routes in other parts where small buses could be used to build the business.

route no.	Route	Garages
211	Greenford - Ealing Bdy	HW Hanwell
252	Romford (Birch Rd) - Romford Stn	BK, later RD
252A		BK, later RD
252B		BK, later RD
221	Pinner Red Lion to North Harrow Stn	HD Harrow Weald
205	Cuffley - Chingford (RFH)	E Enfield
207	Barnes Railway Hotel to Richmond Park Golf Course	M Mortlake

But the pace of development was such that small buses were being squeezed out by lack of capacity (a problem faced afresh during the 1980's minibus "revolution"). Twenty seaters, even one-man operated, could not compete with 56 seaters where business was buoyant. Things came to a head during the war, when bus capacity had to increase dramatically to cope. The Dennis Dart Central Area routes (* below) had themselves been upsized to Cub operation at the start of the war, leaving the following routes with Cubs (except the 207, which was withdrawn):

• 205, Chingford Royal Forest Hotel to Potters Bar Garage*
• 205A,Waltham Cross to Hammond St Rising Sun
• 206, Esher Windsor Arms to Claygate The Causeway*
• 207, Barnes Railway Hotel to Richmond Park Golf Course
• 216, Kingston Bus Stn to Staines Bridge St*
• 221, Pinner Red Lion to North Harrow Stn
• 223, West Drayton Stn to Ruislip Stn*
• 224, Stanwell to Staines Bridge St (daily), to Uxbridge New Inn (MS)*
• 237, Hounslow Garage to Chertsey Stn*
• 252, Romford Birch Rd to Noak Hill Pentowan
• 252A,Romford Birch Rd to Elm Park Ave The Broadway

Two new Central Area Cub routes were introduced during the war: the 238 (Emerson Park to Noak Hill) in 1940 and the 225 (Northwood Hills to Eastcote) in 1944. The latter was short-lived as an one man operation, as heavy traffic soon caused its conversion to larger crewed buses.

By 1945 there were still three Cub routes: the 206, which now ran from Imber Court to Claygate (Kingston), and the 238 and 252 from Hornchurch. The 206 acquired 14T12s in September 1946, when it was extended to operate to Hampton Court from Claygate. The Hornchurch eight (or nine) persisted on the 238 and 252 until 19th July 1949, when they too were replaced by crew-operated Ts, and went to the Country Area in Surrey. These were repainted into green, some into the new Country Area livery of green with cream piping.

At the end of the war nine had been sold for service with the Allied Economic Mission for use in Belgium, whilst others were sold for other uses. Some remained in use in the Country Area until 1953-4.

Chassis: Leyland Cub SKPZ2, 15ft 6in wheel-base,
4.7l petrol engine,

Body:Park Royal, 24ft 0in long.

The remaining eight Cub buses were some of London's oddest. They were required for the takeover of the night-time service between the major London Railway termini, that was operated until October 1936 by P.Hearn. The traffic was not large, but select, with significant luggage - rather like early airline traffic. The solution was like that adopted by LT for BEA after the war: a semi-decker coach, with a large luggage hold at the rear, with seating above. I am told that they seated twenty, but having built a model can only account for nineteen: eight downstairs and eleven above.
Park Royal built the bodies, which were turned out in an eye-catching primrose and powder blue livery, with InterstatioN fleetnames and black roofs. It was a shame that they operated mainly under cover of darkness! Petrol engines were specified, a strange reversal of policy. Perhaps the quietness of the petrol engines was deemed suitable for their nocturnal traverses of the sleeping city?

The first, C106, was delivered in April 1936, and was thoroughly road-tested between Chiswick and Park Royal until September, when it was licensed. The others, delivered to Old Kent Road (P) in May, were licensed for operations in October.

C111, now preserved, spent much of its working life in the dim interiors of main line stations.
Photo by Ian Smith.
Click on image for larger version.

BEA hired them for a while in 1951 for airport traffic: a foretaste of the BEA RFs to come, but a different generation.

C107 was sold to London Fire Brigade for use as a control unit, while C111 was used by them as a personnel vehicle until 1961. C111 is preserved in excellent condition, and has occasionally been seen at rallies.