LONDON TRANSPORT BUSES IN COLOUR 1955-1969

The period from 1955 to 1969 was one of both considerable transition and also significant challenges for London Transport. It was the period when the policy to convert the trolleybus network – the largest in the world – to diesel bus operation was put into practice. It was the era when the Routemaster was delivered in vast numbers, supplanting both earlier generations of motor buses as well as the capital’s trolleybuses. But it was also the era when London Transport faced the challenge of declining passenger numbers, exacerbated by the labour disputes of the period, and the threat posed by increased road congestion.

In the course of his research into London Transport, Kevin McCormack unearthed a remarkable collection of unpublished colour photographs that portray the operations of London Transport in the period, which formed the basis of this book. Concentrating upon the operator’s trolleybuses and buses, London Transport Buses in Colour 1955-1969 built upon the success of the author’s earlier – and highly popular – volumes dealing with public transport in the metropolis when first published. The book evoked memories for all those who recall the gradual elimination of London’s once extensive trolleybus network and the mass introduction of the Routemaster. Alongside these facets of life in the period, the book also recalled the continuing importance of earlier bus types, such as the RT and RF, that were such an essential part of the London streetscape for more than four decades.

First published in the spring of 2002, this superb collection of historic and previously unpublished photographs was both a commercial and critical success, quickly selling out. This new impression makes available again one of Kevin McCormack’s most popular titles and will be eagerly sought after by those who missed the first impression. The book will be of particular interest in and around the Greater London area and in those counties served by London Transport vehicles. This includes Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Kent. The appeal of London Transport is truly nationwide, perhaps because of the number of ex-London Transport buses sold for operation outside the Metropolis. This appeal is also reflected in the fact that ex-London Transport buses are a feature of almost all the major bus museums around the country as well as being the centrepieces at the London Transport Museum at Covent Garden.

Author: Kevin McCormack
Format: HB 80 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: March 2002
ISBN 10: 0711028818
ISBN 13: 9780711028814

List Price: £14.99