London Buses 1985-Edgware & Aldenham Works Staff Buses
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- One of my earlier bus videos now from way back in 1985! I took a trip out to Edgware to head off to Aldenham Works (at Elstree Hill South) to film the staff buses heading off home after the works closed for the day. At Edgware we see Metrobuses, BL's and Routemasters at work with RMA's & a DMS on the staff bus runs. Routes seen are 32, 79A, 107, 113, 142, 186, 251, 286, 288 & 292 with vehicles BL, DMS, M, RMA & RML. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!
Brilliant video of old Edgware before the Broadwalk. I hadn't seen in like this. Born 91 so memories really only of the roundabout in front of the station. Class stuff. If you have any more Edgware videos would love to see!
I do have some more from there plus Stanmore & Aldenham Works (edg in the 90s and Aldenham back in 1986) which i will upload over time. By 1991 Aldenham was long gone, it;s now a business park the same at Chiswick Works now is sadly......
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I only just saw your comment but I thoroughly look forward to your Edgware videos. Thanks so much. Love this channel!
Invaluable resource. Thank you for sharing, Sao.
Some right relics there; RMA's, DMS's, even Bristol LH's, which I'd forgotten that LT had. I love the lineup of RMA's adding their contribution to the atmosphere.
Heavens, how dull they looked in plain overall red with just the white roundel. Thankfully the livery today is brighter than ...
oh.
What goes around, comes around.....lol At least they are red again and not multi coloured, a London Bus should be red. But i'm all for a bit of relief to break/brighten it up a bit!
Fab video, thanks for posting it. Shows why taking such video's is so important. Bet back in 1985 you never thought it would end up to be so interesting as an historical reference....
Totally agree with you. I have been totally fascinated by this video.
@@FromClaphamJunction I never dreamed it would be seen the world over (there's a guy in New Zealand who looks in!) or that something like the internet would ever exist way back in 1985!
Soi Buakhao So what made you want to film these buses back in 1985, from a 1985 POV?
@@ChilternTransportProductions I grew up with buses and railways/Underground from the late 1960s, we had no car so everywhere we went was by public transport and my Dad was into railways so i got the transport bug. Used to ride around on the buses at 5 on my own, on Red Bus Rover days out at 7 and on a Go-As-You-Please (early form of Travelcard aimed at tourists) 4 day rovers by the time i was 9. I used to go to Edgware and ride on the SMS's which i liked, sitting at the back, haed out of the window listening to the AEC engine thrashing away! So in the 80s as buses & trains i grew upwith were disappearing fast i set out to record all that interested me. And now it appears it interests lots of other people as well-enjoy!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus And a guy in Canada! I came across your channel a few months ago with the videos of the old London Fire Brigade TLs, so cool! Its great to be able to see (and hear) equipment like this when it was still on the go instead of only reading about it and looking at pictures. Thanks for uploading!
Cant belive i found this clip i used to drive the mcw's trained on an rm though albeit 2 years later from 1987 till 2000 then another 7 in norfolk those days were full of smelly noisy buses that were quite unreliable however the mechanics worked wonders to keep the fleet moving, those old rm's must be doing rail replacement which happened occasionaly i wonder what happened to all those whoops sorry i just noticed staff bus that makes sense, thank you so much soi for keeping and posting these vids so old bus drivers like me can reminisce about the old days
My pleasure.... Aldenham Works was so far out of London that LT ran staff buses from all over London to get the workers there......
I loved the MCWs with their AEC style nut guards at the start. The twin headlight RMs were awesome as well. It was good to see RMs that sounded British!!
The twin headlamps Routemasters were the ex British Airways ones that used to thrash along the M4, luggage trailer in tow doing around 55-60mph as they had a high speed diff. Because of this work they has twin headlamps like the Green Line RMC & RCL Routemasters had. And in the 1980s all RM types still had Leyland or AEC engines happily!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus did any of the 600 odd RMLs left in service by 1999 have their AEC 590/690 or Leyland 0600 engines? All the ones I rode on/ heard going past didn't sound like it in central London haunts I was in. The only good thing was the experience of getting on and off a rear platform half cab in revenue service and dealing with the conductor, something that hadn't been in Sydney since 1976 when the last AEC Regent IIIs and Leyland OPD2s were retired.
At least these RML stragglers still had their Wilson gearboxes in place with their "music", but the lovely throaty engines were missing.
Yeah, I read about these RMAs and how they were acquired from BA by LT and their quirky configuration over standard RMs and RMLs. Very capable buses.
Sydney bus museum has a 1962 RM (forget fleet no.) and in their wisdom, replaced the original 0600 Leyland engine with a 590!
They obviously didn't want a part AEC part Leyland mongrel breed lol, even though it was original along with hundreds more units!!
@@jamesfrench7299 A few, RML's 903 & 2760 kept their AEC's as did a few at Upton Park like 613 and the RMC's there. Metroline had quite a few working on the 390s, 268, 446 spring to mind but it was penny numbers by the late 1990s.
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus and out of those, most were probably tired and not great sounding anyway. I was at least six years or so too late.
@@jamesfrench7299 RM 446 was a beast! I would go out of my way to ride on that one. I got to Kings Cross one day and it hove'd into view going to Archway. Even though i was going the other way i leapt abord and went to Archway & back first! Happy days....
I've never seen footage of Edgware Station without the roundabout at the front., and I've only ever know it with the large bus shelter. The 288 extended it's route to Queensbury some time in the 90's. Great video.
All buses used to stop outside the station back in the 80s, before the Broadwalk was built and they put the roundabout in the forecourt.
Him at the end was doing a valiant job of running after the 113, diving in and out of the traffic,
The joys of Routemasters!
Thanks for sharing . Great stuff.
I was born in 86 so have no memory of Edgware pre Broadwalk. Some of these buses were still in service during my high school years 97-2002 however most of them were phased out from 99 onwards.
Thanks for uploading!
My pleasure! I'll see if i have any more Edgware video......
The Former Aldenham Overhaul Bus Works Site is Now Centennial Business Park in Elstree Hertfordshire
Yes, very sad. I have been to both Aldenham open days, it was a wonderful place to see....
I knew Edgware quite well just or so 5 years earlier when it still had RFs and Swifts runnung. Sometimes saw a couple of staff buses when heading to school. RMA 8 I think was a regular. Loved the 113 too - a nice long ride into town on a bus with a rear platform!
Yes, i remember the Swifts on the 142's, i had a nice ride out to Watford Junction on one. Don't remember RF's though apart from the 291's at Barking!
The RMA bunches must've left a pleasant smell in the air!
Yes, they had probably been idling in the Works for 15 mins of so, hence all the smoke when they got going! Cough, cough...... lol
Aaah the poor old 107, just about making it over Brockley Hill, hahahaha
Yes, Metros were plodders, at least with a Titan you could select and hold a lower gear to get up a hill....
Fantastic footage of Edgware as I remember it from my childhood. If you have anything else of the high street, please upload!
I'm not sure and will have to check. If i can find something else i will get it up.....
Wow. This is a great video. I have read about Aldenham Works and seen pics but to see it on video it amazing. Looks like it was a very busy place with all those buses leaving....How many people worked there? It seems great the workers had buses to take them home..Must have been a massive operation...
It was in its heyday. A good 1000+ people would have been needed to run the place. Check out a BTF film called Overhaul (it is uploaded on CZcams) to see it in all its glory back in the 1950s.
Bristol LH's on the 251. Lovely MCWs too, when they ruled, routes 288, 107, 186, 286, 142 and 182. Great times. Im from Edgware area originally. Thanks Soi.
I'm sure your enjoyed this one especially then?....
Oh yesss!
1985 was like 38 years ago form now!! ❤
Yes, it seems like yesterday I left school but it was 40 years ago! And I've had a video camera since 1985......
I worked at Aldenham between 1979-83, I was an apprentice welder, spent half my time here and half at Chiswick bus works. I used to get the staff bus at 6 am from Upton park station. The drivers were great and didn't hang about early in the morning, used to pick up some great speed. One of the other staff bus drivers was the snooker player Steve Davis dad, Bill Davis, he used to drive the Plumstead route. Happy days, great memories.
My pleasure....What garage's staff bus were you on? When i was at Leyton we had RMAs there for the Aldenham run......
Have you seen this upload here? It may be of interest, the 1983 open day.....
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus hi Sol I think my bus was garaged at hackney, I was first pick up of the day at Upton park, we went up through leyton and wood green
Sol was the RMA like the routemaster but with the closing doors at the front of the bus
@@billywhippet Yes! Nice & warm in winter!
Great video! My dad used to drive one of the staff buses- think I spotted him leaving Aldenham....
Thank you.....He could well be driving, and i do have more video of the staff buses taken on other days which i will upload. So keep an eye out, you may well see him again?.....
Soi Buakhao Thanks! That would be great to see. I have lots of still images of inside the bus works that I keep meaning to scan!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus ll
Wow Edgware looks so unrecognisable, compared to what it looks like now. Great video as always. 💯 Those RMA’s were used on the Airbus routes if I recall right.
Well, not an LT route but BA's own service. Until the Picc opened you could check in at Gloucester Road Air Terminal, suitcase and all! Then ride an RMA to Heathrow with your checked luggage in a trailer on the rear of the bus! The vehicles were looked after by LT and driven by LT drivers from a special base at Stamford Brook Garage which had no normal bus work, only gaining that after Turnham Green closed.
Soi Buakhao thanks for the info, I do remember them in the BA Livery takes me back. Didn’t realise they used them for staff buses at Aldenham. Great footage
Edgware scenes - The “cube-shaped” building in the background and slightly to our left was built but never used.
It was intended to house a “traction-substation” for the 1939 Tube scheme to Finchley, Highgate and beyond.
It was never operational as such and was demolished about 2015 to create more car parking spaces.
Yes, sadly a lot of structures were built for the whole Northern Heights scheme.....and were wasted!
I'm sick of catering to the car, especially with typical driver behavior.
Thanks for uploading this. Love the footage from Aldenham.
It was like Wacky Races at going home time, all the staff buses itching to get away!
Love seeing the RMLs o the 113. That was a really long route. I only had the privilege of taking it from Oxford St to Baker St, before hopping off to hop on the 13 to Golders Green.
It used to run in two parts with RMLs. Edgware to Brent Cross and Mill Hill Apex Corner to Oxford Circus. Some early & late journeys ran all the way through though.
Quite a few routes to central London ran in sections, such as the 12, 36, 1, etc
@@djpeekay25 My local route 15 pretty much ran from East Ham to Ladbroke Grove throughout. With poor timekeeping there were plenty of short turns as well as a certain amount of booked short workings. But that was unusual, as you say a lot of long routes worked in split halves.
Soi Buakhao yes I remember the 15 and 23 always showing Ladbroke Grove. Also I think the 88 pretty much ran from Acton to Mitcham and the 137 from Crystal Palace to Archway. I assume the 12 was the longest route from Harlesden to Norwood Junction?
@@djpeekay25 I think so. In it's heyday, the 12 ran from South Croydon garage to Neasden and had an allocation of around 120 buses from 5 garages! Thats more than the size of a fair few bus companies!
Superb!
Thank you Peter. I see you've been out & about again, i saw your vid taken in Romford the other day-quality! Was out with Mick in Muswell Hill to see PB's new all electric buses the other week, all good fun!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus That's on my list to do soon!
Superb footage - thanks for sharing!
You're welcome, i have plenty more!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus keep it coming, cheers!
Always good to see the RMA fleet. Still remember them on their brief service stint on the 175 out of North Street. Never liked the Metrobus though - always looked shabby and sounded bad compared with their contemporary, the Titan.
I prefered to drive Titan's rather than Metros, a more solid bus. And i do remember the RMA 175s, seeing them in Romford as a child.
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus my cousin was a fitter at Chiswick Works. He claimed the engines would fall out of the Titan's due to poor engine mounting.
The Metrobus was like the MDs out of Plumstead - always had an affinity for them.
That was Brilliant!
Brilliant video footage.
Not my neck of the woods, but it does take me back.
I remember the Metro Cammell Weymann buses running on the 281 at Tolworth, I think the took over from RMs. Likewise, some Kingston routes used Bristols, again I think some to Tolworth.
The old 152 route, when it still run up the A3 and towards Esher had DMSs on it.
How many places now would run any bus service for their staff, let alone an operation like this one? No doubt the works also had a proper canteen for the staff, unlike today where you're lucky to get a vending machine.
Great to see the old cars and vans to. Mk1 Fiestas, Mk2 and Mk3 Escorts. Certainly appeared to be a lot less Japanese and European cars on the road in those days.
The days when people felt that Vauxhall and Ford were British cars and they were manufactured in the UK. Dagenham made cars back then, not just engines, like today.
Brilliant. Please keep sharing your transport videos. It really is from my era as a child and teenager.
Have no fear, i have lots more older vids to upload as well as more modern films. The Metros in west London were some of the earliest (apart from 5 pre production run ones at Cricklewood) to run, replacing the DMS class at Fulwell. Kingston had LH's to replace RFs and probably had the largest allocation of them. Aldenham did indeed have a proper staff canteen, London Transport generally looked after its staff!
Before Adblue and hybrid, pure soot
Nothing particularly enviro friendly in those days!!!
Great video smart buses
Aldenham was built to house Tube Trains.
Aircraft parts were assembed there during WW2
Yes, that's why the main shed was rather long! There were some arches built to the north of Edgware along Spur Road, near the A41 that were to carry the unbuilt line but have been demolished now....Plus in Rectory Lane at Edgware is a bridge wall but the lines were never built below!
By the way was this old footage taken in October or earlier?
Probably around September/October 1985. No earlier than August as I didn't get a video camera until then!
The RMAs were not very popular as a public bus service in London Transport Services and the Aldenham Works used them all for the staff and workers between the works and their home, but I don't know whatever happened to these vehicles after the Aldenham Works Closed and it's a shame that these buses were either scrapped or sold on to other companies overseas somewhere.
The RMA's did work in service for a few months in the 1970s on the 175s but the lack of handpoles was a problem for the conductors. They all ended up as driver trainers and staff buses. After Aldenham shut some were scrapped, other sold off and a couple were used by East London Buses and end up in service on the 15s!
If only we could go back another 10 years and have some RT's as well. Remember the RMA's on the 175
I was still at school but sadly only cine cameras were around when the RT's were in service.
Gee I wish EFE would do one of 1/76 scale RMA models as Aldenham staff bus or coach in the case of the RMA.
Yes, it would be different, i wonder why they haven't done so?.....
Great video, looks like you would’ve needed a gas mask with those RMAs!! 🤢
Did the staff buses go all over London, and did they drop staff at their door or at a pre agreed location nearby? Thanks for uploading. 👍👍
Aldenham was way out in the countryside and back in the 1950s when it opened not many people drove cars. So LT needing qualified craftsmen laid on the staff buses as jobs were plentiful in those days and LT would not have got the staff it needed. The buses had set routes and would pick up/set down at set spots & times, the buses ending up at garages that looked after them (Leyton had two RMA's, one in use, one spare). Some would end up over at Sidcup and such places, another (RMA 14 with an ALD garage code) was kept at Aldenham (probably on Edgware's books) and did local runs probably to Edgware, Stanmore ect connecting with the Underground network. They were not given bus FFD tests but a class 5 MOT as they did not carry any fare-paying passengers (well, not until Aldenham closed and some ended up on sightseeing work or the 15's). One is a DMS as it was kept at Aylesbury in a local operators yard who ran ex LT DMS's so was handy if it needed any running repirs! Before the RMA's they used RT's of which there had been a plentiful supply from the mid 1960s onwards.
Interesting, thanks 👍🏼
When I worked there, 79-83, they must have had about 60-80 staff buses running to all parts of London. Well over a thousand people working there
Those Aldenham staff RMAs would've originally been used by BEA, right?
Yes, they were ex BEA/BA ones used on the Heathrow-Gloucester Road Air Terminal runs.
Never seen so many RMA’s
All the RMAs were used either as staff buses as seen here, or driver trainers. A few had been used on route 175 but the conductors didn't like them as there was a lack of grab poles.....
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I once went on one, or an RMF, not sure on a tour, it was red and up front (upstairs) the draft came in the closed windows, issue also with rain, thinking it needed some work doing to it, the suspension was really bumpy, or the roads were bad, in all a nice experience to ride one, the only other time seeing the RMA’s for real was with on BEA or in BOAC service on the Talgarth Road in London (1983-85) with trailers.
@@jacksugden8190 In the 1990s and until 2003 there were two at Upton Park and they were used on the X15s as well as the 15/15B until the end of Routemaster operation on the 15s. The BEA ones were used more as coaches rather than a bus service, but it must have been fun whizzing along the motorway on one!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Remember seeing the 15/B if only pictures, think they had gold round the windows, possibly Victoria had RMA’s, I remember the ex London Country RMC’s or RCL’s in Lincoln green on driver training, an RCL on the 149 at Victoria bus station, so clearly the RMA’s in this film had there front blinds removed.
@@jacksugden8190 used to see them at Chiswick flyover.
Great video. Why do the buses turning onto the main road not have destination blinds?
They were built for British European Airways and Britiash Overseas Airways (became BA in the 1970s) and ran from Gloucester Road Air Terminal to Heathrow Airport complete with a luggage van in tow! So blinds were not needed. After the Picc openen through to Heathrow the Gloucester Road site was closed and the buses sold to LT who used them as trainers and staff buses.
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Thanks for the reply. Great information.
I enjoyed Driving the Metro, but you'd know if you had one with a bad gearbox! Metro weren't great in the wet either! But what were Titans like to Drive?
I found Titans to be a better bus to drive. The build quality was better and you had somewhere to put your left foot! The Titans were solid and having driven both Titan's & Metro's i found the Titan's better at handling. But a well set up Metro (gearboc in sync & suspension not too high or low) was good to drive....
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I agree with you!I wish I'd had the chance to Drive a Titan! But I loved Driving Ls's !
I ate yew Butler!
Why???
Watch On The Buses and it will all make sense!
as an ex lt driver the metro"s were the worst buses i ever drove the titan was much better the metro brakes were a joke it was hard to give smooth ride and the gearbox was rubbish
Yes, i agree. I have drivern both Titan's & Metro's (amongs other types) and found the Titan's to be a much better vehicle. The Metro's were particulary bad if the retarder wasn't set up right.
Were the London "Metros" built to a fussy 'London' 'chassis-spec.' that other operators found that they could do without? Some early '-V' reg. Greater Manchester "Metros" ended up in the LT area after Privatisation because their brakes (I think) were 'standard' for LT but non-standard for the newly-formed and slimmed-down "GM Buses" operator.
@@None-zc5vg l don"t think the chassis spec was the reason i think LT bought them because they were cheaper than the titan.the brakes were i believe regenerative and this gave a harsh slowdown/stop causing the passengers to think that it was the driver braking to fast.The driver is trained to use progressive braking as this more gentle and so more comfortable for the passengers.Over the years as a PSV driver i have driven many different types of "buses" some with and some without regen brakes but none as bad as the "metro".Its no wonder manchester offloaded them they were rubbish.
@@None-zc5vg MCW built a'standard' bus, take it or leave it. LT came along and said we would buy some but, we want them to our spec. Guess what?, Yes MCW decided the biggest operator in the UK could indeed have a bespoke Metrobus, and LT ended buying 1442 of them! The brakes were an interesting subject, LT had a hydraulic braking system (like the Titans) but unlike the Routemasters they never worked properly so were converted to air (although part of the hydraulic system couldn't be removed & had air added-very comlicated)
Here in Sydney I used to drive MAN buses with Voith DIWA and never found their retarders an issue. My theory: the MCWs had much shorter gearing effect due to the angle drive and a shorter axle ratio conspiring to make the retarder come on way too strong.