50 YEARS AGO When London Transport introduced the DMS

摘要

Michael Dryhurst reminds me that half a century has elapsed since London Transport began the large scale introduction of one-man-operated double-deckers. It had deployed single-door examples without conductors - XA-class Leyland Atlanteans and solitary rear-engined Routemaster FRM1 - in Croydon since late 1969, but it was on 2 January 1971 that the dual-door variety took to the streets on routes 95 and 220. These were the first of an initial delivery of 367 DMS-class Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXBs with 68-seat Park Royal bodies built to London Transport's design. The mighty organisation wanted the public to call this new vehicle the Londoner, but the name never caught on. If ordinary folk called it anything, it was probably Routemaster.