The LONDON TRANSPORT D class

This page created 17th December 1999, by Ian Smith

More Duple lowbridge Daimlers: D128-D131

late lowbridge London Transport still needed more lowbridge buses for the 127, where lowbridge STLs still shared the service with the earlier lowbridge Daimlers. The opportunity to acquire a further four to complete the Merton complement arose in 1945. London Transport managed to persuade the Ministry to allow them to be bodied by Duple, like the earlier batch, despite Massey being the only official lowbridge body supplier at this time.

So they were basically similar to the 1D1s, with an AEC engine, preselector gearbox and fluid flywheel. They were classified 2/1D1/1.
They had a number of features that made them immediately recognisable:

  • no hopper ventilators at the front;
  • continuous storm shields above the windows;
  • panel - beaten roof corners
  • a nearside display panel above the door
Duple found enough red paint to deliver them in standard red / white / black / brown livery.

They were delivered at the beginning of November 1945, going to Merton (AL) where they stayed until sold in December 1952. During that period they received a single overhaul, which produced the normal livery variation: extending the white down from the window sills to the body moulding. D130 later received a repaint into red with a cream band, but the other three remained in red and white.

When they were replaced by new RLH buses in December 1952 they were all exported to Ceylon to work for the South Western Omnibus Co.


bus histories photo references

Ian's Bus Stop Daimler index late Brush relaxed Duples