02/01/2015

London General LT60 - YOTB Bus Liveries

The General livery has been worn by a multitude of buses over the years to commemorate the predecessor of London Transport (Buses) - London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), which was the largest operator in London by pre-nationalisation in 1933. This includes various Routemasters, a MCW Metrobus and now a Borismaster. Yeah... At least this is the red that later made London famous for its red buses.

London General LT60 (YOTB General Livery) on Route 11, Trafalgar Square-Whitehall
London General LT60 on Route 11, Trafalgar Square

In late 2014, LT60 was repainted from original red to a modernised General livery, as shown. Athough the rear application is less than impressive:

Rear of London General LT60 on Route 11, Whitehall
Rear of London General LT60 on Route 11, Whitehall

In 1983, M57 was overhauled and repainted into General livery to commemorate the 50th year of London Transport. It adorned the name of "Aldenham Aristocrat" and was displayed in Chiswick Works Open Day in 1983, before moving to Cardinal District at Norbiton Garage. However, that bus was repainted to red in 1984 before moving to and being privatised under Metroline in 1994. In 1999, that bus was purchased by White Rose and restored to General livery by them. It was used on Route 461 before later being sold to Carousel Buses after the demise of White Rose. Carousel kept it in General livery as it was on various routes, including A40. It was later bought by Country Bus & Coach in 2006 and was repainted to green by 2009.

London General LT60 (YOTB General) on Route 11, Whitehall
London General LT60 on Route 11, Trafalgar Square (at night)

In 1989, two Routemasters from GM (Victoria) Garage were repainted to General Livery. They were RM89 and RM1590. Both were used on various Central London routes, which included the 9 and 11. RM89 also had early RT hub covers and was later withdrawn in 1994, before being exported to Argentina after a spell in Scotland. RM1590 also was withdrawn in 1994, before going around various firms in the UK, including Ashford Hospital and Pinpoint Training in Leicester.

Later on, in 2005, as the Routemasters were dying in normal London service, Putney Garage of London General (named after LGOC) repainted RML887 to General livery. It later performed the last crewed and Routemaster journey on the 14, with DDA compliant blinds. It then had a spell in the Go-Ahead London commercial fleet, before it was later sold up to Blackpool and was repainted red.

Other Routemasters were also painted in this livery after their public service life:
RMF2809 (former Northern General 2133/3117) was also painted in General livery in 1991 and did the H23 in 1992. After a spell with Big Bus Sightseeing, it is at Wealden PSV as of 2011 not in General livery.
Ex-London United RML881/ER881, was bought in 2005 by Gray Line for sightseeing operations in Halifax,  Nova Scotia, Canada where it was painted into General livery in 2006.

London General LT60 (YOTB General) on Route 11, Victoria Station
London General LT60 on Route 11, Victoria Station

This leaves to deal with the "modernised" General livery on LT60. This bus also has gold fleetnames and roundels. It has had an unimpressive life, starting out and still on the 11 from Stockwell Garage.

Now Year of the Bus has finished, so far, none of the buses in YOTB liveries has been repainted back to red yet.

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