The LONDON COUNTRY Reliances: RP

This page created 11th May 2001 by Ian Smith. Best on 800*600.

London Country did not let their rather awful experience with the RC class Reliances put it off from buying their own larger class of Reliances just a few years later. They wanted to upgrade the GreenLine image. By 1971 the Routemaster coaches were no longer seen as modern image types for a premium service, and were to be replaced. (They were not capable of one person operation either, which may have affected the management perception of the image!)

RP drawing The combination chosen was the AEC Reliance 6U2R under-floor engined chassis, with 11.3 litre engine, coupled with Park Royal bus bodywork with coach seating. The result was a purposeful-looking dual-purpose vehicle, that looked superb in Green Line livery of Lincoln green with a lime waist-band.
Although still within a BET-style shell, this body had more, shorter, windows, and three openable skylights. Normal ventilation was via two huge curved scoops mounted on the sides of the roof. The door was a folding four-leaf type. Below the large deep windscreen the front panel was very similar to those used on the Park-Royal bodied Atlanteans (AN class). The first thirty had a rear luggage boot.
RP90 at Cobham, April 1999 RP90 at Kingscote Station, April 2000

Preserved RP90 shows its original livery while shifting crowds at Cobham Open Day in April 1999, and in a quieter moment at the end of the day at Kingscote Station during the East Grinstead Running Day in April 2000. Photos by Ian Smith. Click on them for larger versions.

Into service

First recipient of the new coaches was the high-profile 727 Airports route, where RCs had been tried, followed by modernised RFs. The higher speed of the Reliances was a key point in this introduction, in December 1971.

RP90 during RT60, June 1999 1st January 1972 was the day chosen for start of the Routemaster displacement. The first route to swap its fourteen RCLs for RPs was the 721 (Brentwood - Aldgate) operated by Romford. (The companion 723 route (Grays) received RC coaches the same day).

The 718 (Harlow - London - Windsor) was converted next, in February, with Harlow's and Windsor's RMCs ousted.

In March Addlestone and Stevenage lost their RMCs, receiving RPs for the 716/A (Chertsey/Woking - London - Hitchin/Stevenage).

Later in March the 704 and 705 were converted, losing their RCLs from Dunton Green and Windsor, giving the 705 a second taste of Reliance operation.

The programme was completed in April with the replacement by RPs of the RMCs from Guildford and Hertford on the 715 (Guildford - London - Hertford)

RP90 on the 715 route near Cobham during RT60

Summary:
Date No. Route Garage Type displaced
**/12/71 727 Crawley - Gatwick - Reigate - Epsom - Kingston - Heathrow - Uxbridge - Watford - St.Albans - Luton Airport RG, SA RF, RC
01/01/72 721 Aldgate - Ilford - Romford - Brentwood RE RCL
05/02/72 718 Windsor - Kingston - Victoria - Tottenham - Epping - Harlow HA, WRRMC
11/03/72 716/A Chertsey / Woking - Addlestone - Kingston - Marble Arch - Hatfield - Welwyn - Stevenage / Hitchin SV, WY RMC
25/03/72 704 Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge - Sevenoaks - Bromley - Victoria - Heathrow North - Windsor DG, WR RCL
25/03/72 705 Sevenoaks - Westerham - Bromley - Victoria - Heathrow North - Windsor DG, WR RCL
29/04/72 715 Guildford - Esher - Marble Arch - Wood Green - Cheshunt - Hertford GF, HG RMC

Dual purpose

RP drawing, NBC DP livery Unfortunately the management gurus of the early seventies were into "corporate image" rather than "product branding". So the Green Line livery had to go, replaced by the anodyne NBC leaf green and white. The RPs, as semi-fast coaches, were permitted to wear the dual purpose version of the livery - half NBC green and half National white - with Green Line fleetnames. It was not an improvement. The NBC green and the white soon lost their sparkle and showed the dirt.

As Green Line services suffered during the seventies from increased competition from trains and cars the coaches performed a thorough mix of tasks: continuing the remaining Green Line services, starting new ones to meet new needs, particularly for niche commuter services, and taking a share of bus work. In later years they were associated with the network of "local" GreenLine services operating from Harlow.
RP drawing, NBC bus livery

Some of them wore the NBC bus livery, of leaf green with a white waist-band, which at least preserved the proportions of the design better than the dual purpose livery.

Three suffered the indignity of overall advertising - a long way from the primary purpose of bus liveries, to advertise the service and create a strong bus product image. The worst was RP46, in a garish pink, white and orange livery for Wimpy (a burger chain). Less ostentatious were RP7 for Champion Plugs and RP87 for Airfix kits. What the select Greenline clientele on the 705 thought about riding to work on a burger-bus is not recorded.


1979 saw a downturn in the RPs' fortunes. Many were withdrawn, especially later members of the class, and they began the journey to the Yorkshire scrapyards. Others worked on into the 1980's, and some went on to second lives with other operators (including Metrobus of Orpington).

Preservation

At least two have made it into preservation, and can be seen at events:

RP90 is a frequent attender at London area events, and works hard. It has been beautifully restored to a deeply lustrous GreenLine livery.

RP21 has also been restored to Greenline livery.

RP90 at Stoke d'Abernon, June 1999 RP21 at Cobham, April 1999

RP90 rests at Stoke d'Abernon station in June 1999, between turns on the shuttle to Cobham Museum during RT60, and RP21 is seen earlier in the year at Cobham.

Bus Stop RP text histories photo refs RC EC