Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
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Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
6/65 | 721: Aldgate - Brentwood | RE | RT | RCL (18) |
6/65 | 722: Aldgate - Upminster | RE | RT | RCL (10) |
7/65 | 726: Romford - Aldgate - Whipsnade Zoo | RE | RT | RCL (1) |
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
7/65 | 723: Aldgate - Tilbury Ferry | GY | RT | RCL |
7/65 | 723A: Aldgate - Grays | GY | RT | RCL |
7/65 | 715A: Marble Arch - Hertford | HG | RMC | RCL |
The hoped-for revival on the East End routes didn't happen. Electric trains would win every time in a straight battle with GreenLine coaches. So after a year (June 1966) some of the RCLs were re-allocated, those at Hertford first, plus those on the 722. The sixteen RCLs went to Windsor and Tunbridge Wells for the 704 route. At the end of 1966 the 709 was reduced in service, requiring just two large coaches. Two RCLs were provided, one from Romford (via Hertford) and one from Grays, where the remaining services were reduced accordingly.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
6/66 | 715A: Marble Arch - Hertford | HG | RCL | RF |
6/66 | 722: Aldgate - Upminster | RE | RCL | RT |
6/66 | 704: Windsor - Victoria - Tunbridge Wells | WR, TW | RF | RCL |
6/66 | 457D: Windsor - Pinewood | WR, TW | RF | RCL |
12/66 | 709: Godstone - Baker Street | GD | RF | RCL |
12/66 | 723A: Aldgate - Grays | GY | RCL | withdrawn |
A year later, at the end of 1967, Dunton Green received RCLs for the 705 route,
which collected businessmen from the stockbroker belt between Sevenoaks and Westerham
for delivery to the City or London Airport.
This route had previously been upgraded,
its RFs replaced by Reliance RCs in a new livery of pale grey, in March 1965.
Unfortunately the RCs were unreliable.
The RCLs for their replacement came from Grays,
which thereby lost its entire RCL fleet in favour of smaller RMCs.
At the same time the tiny GreenLine garage at Tunbridge Wells closed,
its entire allocation - eight RCLs for the 704 - being moved to Dunton Green.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
12/67 | 723: Aldgate - Tilbury Ferry | GY | RCL | RMC |
12/67 | 705: Sevenoaks - Victoria - Windsor | DG, WR | RC | RCL |
12/67 | 431D: Sevenoaks - Orpington Stn | DG | RC | RCL |
12/67 | 493: Orpington (Ramsden Est) - Green St Green | DG | RC | RCL |
12/67 | 704: Windsor - Victoria - Tunbridge Wells | RCL (TW) | RCL (DG) | RCL |
During 1967 RCL 2250 had the twin seat under the stairs replaced by an extra luggage rack, but this was restored during 1968.
In early 1968 the RCLs were deemed due for an interim repaint, and went through Aldenham one by one throughout the year.
They emerged in the reduced GreenLine livery, without the pale window surrounds.
The seasonal 726 service to Whipsnade was withdrawn in September 1968.
In 1969 the 704 was reduced in frequency, allowing the return of six RCLs to Grays for the 723.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
9/68 | 726: Romford - Aldgate - Whipsnade Zoo | GY | RCL | withdrawn |
10/69 | 704: Windsor - Victoria - Tunbridge Wells | RCL | reduced | RCL |
10/69 | 723: Aldgate - Tilbury Ferry | GY | RMC | RCL |
The first RCL shakeup occurred in January 1972, when the RP Reliances started to arrive. London Country had decided that GreenLine needed sleek single-deckers, not ponderous double-decker "buses". The 721 went, and the 723, the RCLs being officially downgraded to buses and receiving yellow bands and adverts. The Grays RCLs went onto route 300, plus 328A/B. Those from Romford went deep into the rural south, to Dorking and Reigate for the 414. They also worked from Reigate on route 424, and short workings on the 406.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1/72 | 723: Aldgate - Tilbury Ferry | GY | RCL, RMC | RP |
1/72 | 721: Aldgate - Brentwood | RE | RCL | RP |
1/72 | 300: Purfleet - Grays - Stifford Clays | GY | RT | RCL |
1/72 | 328A/B: Purfleet - Grays - Orsett | GY | RT | RCL |
1/72 | 414: West Croydon - Horsham | RG, DS | RT | RCL |
1/72 | 424: Reigate - East Grinstead | RG | RT | RCL |
1/72 | 406: Reigate - Epsom | RG | RT | RCL |
March 1972 saw the end of RCL operation from Dunton Green and Windsor, when the 704 and 705 were converted to RP. The RCLs moved to Reigate, Crawley and Grays, for bus work. This left only RCL 2236, 2237 and 2250 as coaches, based at Godstone for the 709 peak-hour journeys.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
3/72 | 704: Tunbridge Wells - Windsor | DG, WR | RCL | RP |
3/72 | 705: Sevenoaks - Windsor | DG, WR | RCL | RP |
3/72 | 300: Purfleet - Grays - Stifford Clays | GY | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 424: Reigate - East Grinstead | RG | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 430: Reigate - Redhill | RG | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 405: West Croydon - Crawley | CY | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 426A: Pound Hill - Crawley - Ifield | CY | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 434: Edenbridge - Crawley | CY | RT | RCL |
3/72 | 476/A | CY | RT | RCL |
During the mid seventies some of the RCLs received the corporate NBC livery, but as they had not long been overhauled with repaints they were not top of anyone's priority list, and some never did get repainted.
The first RCL withdrawal came in October 1975 when RCL2227 was delicensed, just ten years old!
RCL 2225 went in 1976. (Both received repaints after withdrawal: hope springs eternal!).
Others spent some time without engines, and were repainted in this state.
(After all, repainting these didn't take a bus out of service!).
Of the three coaches, only RCL2237 was repainted (with GREEN LINE fleetname), in March 1975, while the other two soldiered on in fading Lincoln green. Their nemesis arrived in May 1976, in the shape of long-wheelbase Leyland National "coaches". What the Surrey commuters thought of them compared to their comfortable RCLs can be imagined. It probably brought greater pressure behind the scenes of power to electrify the railway line to East Grinstead.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
3/75 | 709: Godstone - Baker Street | GD | RCL | LNC |
In 1977 the Atlanteans completed the Grays opo scheme,
dispersing most of the remaining Grays RCLs.
Two went to Dartford.
Leyland National buses were now making their impact
around the London Country system.
This included displacement of the RCLs from the 414 by SNBs,
so Godstone was able to return some of its hired Atlanteans to Maidstone,
using RCLs on the 403,
alongside an increasing number of RMCs and the hardy remnants of the RTs.
The first two RCLs (unserviceable), were sold to London Transport, followed by another 18 runners.
Date | Route | Garage | Type displaced | Displaced by.. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | 414: Horsham - West Croydon | RG, DS | RCL | SNB |
1977 | 403: Chelsham - West Croydon - Wallington | GD | hired Atlanteans | RCL |
10/77 | 405: Crawley - West Croydon | RG | RCL | SNB |
During 1978 the RCLs went into swift decline with London Country Their certificates were coming up for renewal again, and London Country withdrew them in droves, replacing them where necessary with RMCs (eg on the 403 at Chelsham). By the end of 1978 there were just three in service (2237, 2249 and 2250) of which RCL 2250 still wore Lincoln green. The last journey was by RCL2250 on 24th January 1979, on a Grays school special.
Go to Part Two: RCL Revival with London Transport
Bus Stop RM RCLs red RCLs photo refs histories RMLs