The London Buses Nationals: LSThis page created on 10th February 2000, updated 17th July 2003 by Ian SmithPart Four: LSLs
I must confess that until I started on these National pages I didn't know about the LSLs at all.
I still don't know much, so any contributions welcome.
As far as I can tell, London Regional Transport wanted some more Mobility Buses. It already had a National 2 and some National LSs for such work but bought two secondhand 11.3m Nationals despite having plenty of redundant short LSs. They came from Southdown, one in 1990, and the second via Hastings & District in 1991. LSL1, WYJ 165S, was bought and converted for London Regional Transport late in 1990. It was allocated to East London Mobility Services, operating initially from Leyton and then North Street. With the takeover by Capital Transport of much of the East London network it made sense to LRT to transfer LSL1 to their operation, at Dagenham, becoming No.797. In 1994 it was bought by Capital Transport. LSL2, RUF 42R, was allocated by LRT to Kentish Bus (#492) in 1991 for Mobility services south of the Thames, operated by Northfleet garage. It was in London red, with a yellow waist-band, It trundled around until 2000, (by now Arriva Kent Thameside #3492) by when most of the native Nationals had disappeared. It was latterly used on the Croydon Mobility Network. It had two companions at Northfleet: 493 and 494, ex LS202 and LS290.
All three of the Northfleet Mobility Buses were retired in March 2000.
LSL2 was sold through Ensign Bus to a new owner in Hythe, Kent.
The sales bus, 1234LLondon Buses had bought another long National way back in 1982, second-hand via Brakell's. It came from Plymouth City Transport, a 1972-built 11.3 metre with a long pod. It was converted into a sales and information bus, painted white with red roof and skirts, and numbered in the service vehicle stock.
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Part3
Greenways
Ian's Bus Stop