The LTC coaches for London Transport were SHORT six-wheelers.
That is, they were 3ft less than the legal limit for single-decker six-wheelers of 30ft.
At 27ft long they were even shorter than their immediate design
predecessors, the 9T9
coaches for Greenline, which were 27ft 6in long.
But London Transport had thought carefully about its private hire market. It had a motley collection of Regals, Tigers and Daimlers that it wanted to replace with a quality product.
Six wheelers were thought to give a smoother ride, but they would have
allowed a thirty foot body (like the ex-Hillman Renown), seating 34,
whereas the shorter wheelbase actually chosen limited the length to 27ft,
and the seating to 30.
Petrol engines were specified even at this late date (1937),
because of their quietness compared with diesels.
In the event the petrol engines were reconditioned units from LT
double-deckers, which received new diesel engines in replacement.
The new coaches were based on the 9T9
design, slightly abbreviated at the rear,
and a with a front nearside wing cantilevered from the body in the way that
was to become familiar with the 10T10s
and the RT family.
No headlights were fitted, but two spotlights rose from the chassis on
scrolled ironwork. The gutter did not need to be raised to clear roofboards
on these Private Hire vehicles, so followed the natural bodyline.
And on top of them two pairs of sliding panels opened to slide down the roof curve
to give the important sunshine roof. Radio was fitted to some,
with prominent aerials on the rear roof panels (If you've got it, flaunt it!).
Livery was initially three shades of green,
with a black trim line and an aluminium waist-band.
The bodies were built by Weymann at Addlestone,
and the completed buses entered service in November 1937.
London Transport had more pressing immediate concerns than Private Hire work,
and the LTCs often found themselves on Greenline coach work or even central bus duties.
About half the class were allocated to Country garages in 1947, to help out,
while the others did sporadic private hire work and rush hour extras in the Central Area.
Neither Greenline nor stage carriage work suited them,
as the narrow gangways, even with lighter seats fitted,
inhibited free movement of both passengers and conductor,
and their fuel consumption was colossal.
(I wonder if it was more than a Leyland National?)
Their weight (8tons 5cwt) also meant that they were slow in stop-start work.
A major change in 1950 was the substitution of 8.8 litre diesel engines (from scrapped LT double-deckers) which stretched them to 27ft 3in.
They worked alongside TF9 (the only private hire TF to survive the war) until the private hire RFs and the RFWs arrived in 1951. Even then they soldiered on, finding plenty of work during the Festival of Britain in 1951. Some received the post-war Country livery of Lincoln green with cream lining, that did not make the most of their rather ponderous lines.
Finally redundant, eighteen were retired at the end of October 1951, with the final six following after the 1952 season. They were sold for scrap in 1952-3, although some chassis were reported exported to Spain.
LTC histories
LTC photo references
Bus Stop
LT index.
Part 6: Green LTLs.
LTCs.