RT8 March Update

Welcome back. Alas visually there is not a great deal to see this month although what has been done is all time consuming stuff that will allow for the completion of the cab area.

The cab door has been stripped down and reassembled. Obviously it takes a lot of work to make sure that it runs true and is alinged properly. As can be seen new rubber has been fitted to the edges and now following numerous small modifications it all glides along perfectly.

One of the more famous faetures of the 2RT2's is of course the 'drooping' front cab window, which has now been repaired, coated and is being fitted back in place on a permanent basis. Perhaps its to poetic calling it a landmark point, but its certainly visually a very pleasing point of the restoration.

Another view showing the panelling going back on the front end. As can be seen the area above the front screen has gone in and the front windscreen is all set to go on as well. The only snag is that the bottom part of the front screen needs to go in first but the winding gear allowing this to be opened is seized solid. Thus far we have sourced four others that have all been seized as well, but maybe, just maybe the one sourced from one of our readers (thanks Mike) appears in better nick and is currently being soaked to try and free it up, fingers crossed.

Its hard to get the feel from this photo but the cab is now getting that enclosed feeling rather than just being an open space on an otherwise reframed vehicle. It has proved time consuming and fairly complex with numerous mods needed to make everything fit but the look of it now is right and by next month should be panelled in its entirety.

And finally a close up of runner for the cab door and the wheelarch framework. The keen eyed amongst you may spot that the runner is topped by a form of hard wearing canvas that was fitted to RT's when new on areas of friction. This has been sourced and used to ensure that the level of restoration on this vehicle is to the highest standard we could possibly reach.

Happy Easter to all

February Update

So here we are again back! This last period has seen two RT cabs tackled, RT624 came in was reframed and has gone back out to be painted and tested, whilst RT8 has had the cab framework fitted as can be seen from this shot.

The side walls and every vestige of the cab has been removed, straightened, stripped, undercoated and put back in. The steering wheel has also been removed to be recovered.

A few other bits still need to go in around the cab, such as the supports for the side light and front headlight (and before the purists amongst you point out the 2RT's weren't delivered with the second headlight, whilst you are indeed correct we are restoring to 1943-44 era and by then the modification had been made!) We also need to add the framework above the wheel arch which will go in next week.

And a final shot looking from the front into the cab towards the bulkhead. Whilst not the best of photos I'm pleased to show that the hand brake has indeed lined up correctly with the newly fitted cab floor, so we are presumably not to far out on the rest of the bus!

Next update will be as usual in the first week of next month, when hopefully some more progress will have been made.

So a warm welcome to 2009! Alas to start with we have an interloper in the form of RT624. This RT was the very last to run in LT service back in 1979 and this being the 30th anniversary of that event she is already in great demand for the season. Unfortunately she requires a complete reframing of the cab, so progress on RT8 will be somewhat less than hoped for whilst her younger sister is brought back to full fitness.


Interestingly the cab area is one that changed little between the 2 and 3RT's with the droopy window being the main difference. After the war with the rush to replace London's tired fleet the decision was made not to make wholesale changes to the cab area, (unlike much of the rest of the construction), and to save time the curved window was done away with for a far easier to construct straight one.


But this is not to say nothing has been done with RT8 as these photos show. As can be seen the lower deck ceiling has gone up as have the interior side walls. Currently work is being done on the inspection hatches.


A close up of the front bulkhead of the lower deck, showing the vents and some of the interior fittngs that are now in place.

As to my next posting it will largely depend on progress. If we get back on RT8 quickly then will post as normal at the beginning of February, if however there is little to report the next update will be at the start of March. All the best til next time!

So December is upon us and the last post of the year is here. At the beginning of the year RT8 was a 'single deck toast rack' and at the end not only a double deck but clearly a 2RT2, so all in all a good effort. The early part of this month has seen us tackle alot of the electrics, all the wiring is now in for the lighting, brakes lights and the charging system, so whilst not very visible it has clearly been an important stage.


As can be seen from the wiring now flooding into the cab, a chunk of the month was spent on running this through. The brakes were looked at as well at this time and the tyre and wheel refitted.


The next area tackled was the lower deck saloon where the coving and side panels have been fitted. Once again the original drawings are at odds with certain features such as the seat brackets and floor traps but these have all been negotiated around and are now in place pending rexine and painting in due course.


One interesting point note on the covings is the two and in some cases three small holes around the light fitting, at the '9 o'clock' and '3 o'clock' positions on this example, (no it isn't dirt) this is actually where the springs were fitted for the wartime blackout cowls.

So this is now what the lower deck looks like as it starts to take shape. The wheelarches have been removed and will undergo some further work before being refitted permanently.


And finally a view of the side now as it continues to become less skeletal. This of course is the last posting of 2008 and whilst progress may well be slow over the festive break we will continue to chip away at this project. It certainly looks like 2009 will be the year that RT8 returns to the capitals streets after some half a century away! On that note I will wish all of you who follow this or have just randomly popped by a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful 2009

November 4 Update

So another month passes us by and this month has seen the majority of the work being carried out on largely completing the rear of the vehicle. The rear quarter can be seen here in the first picture and has been the source of most problems, as we know from records that RT8 took a nasty rear end crunch in the late 1940's. Where we have rebuilt the framework to original 1940 spec it would appear some of the panels had been modified to fit a slightly wonky rear end! However, it has been overcome and is all back together now. Worthy of note is the bottom panel on this quarter which is a unique 2RT2 feature. The steel panel that looks like it has beading around it when in fact this is purely a slightly raised edge to give the impression of beading and this conplete the symmetery of criss crossing beading.


A slightly different view this time taken from a conveniently parked open top.



The rear end is largely now complete as can be seen from this image. Glazing, beading and blind boxes are all now in place. The only problem is now when you walk in to the 'barn' you think its almost finished and then you see the rest of it!


The latest area being seen to is the platform and lower saloon. As can be seen the ceiling has gone in around the platform and this progress will continue through the month as the lower saloon is brought up to the same stage as the upper one, with ceilings and side panels all being added. The unseen area that holds the battery cradle and the conductors 'cubby hole' are also all being finished off.


And finally the cab area, now all stripped down and ready for the the framework to start going back on. A couple of metal brackets that have rotted away need to be recreated before we can start reinstating this area. Hopefully if the progress on the lower saloon is good this month we will get started in earnest on the cab. Who knows maybe the scaffolders will give us a confirmed date and the roof can go back on... well pop back next month and find out what exactly was tackled next on this project

So Autumn is upon us and it's time for another update on what has been another excellent month. The first job tackled was the remainder of the upstairs coving, panelling and ceiling, which was completed fairly early in the month and left the upper deck looking like less skeletal and more like a bus! A couple of window pans were added on a temporary basis to check sizes and allow the interior mouldings to be checked and fitted.


Following this we started work on the emergency exit. Now this was a slower and more difficult task as RT8's original was in a terrible state. However, it was successfully restored to full working order utilising most of the original parts.



So with this in place the focus moved to the exterior of the bus where, the blind box frame, rear quater panels and blind box glazing went in allowing the rear of the bus to reall take shape.

Meanwhile it was felt approrpriate at this point by Tony to add a route 37 blind being the first route to get 2RT's and thus very likley the first route RT8 operated on!

The rear window pan has again been removed this time to be restored as we know the fitting size is accurate and hopefully that will go back in place early in October and be followed by the lowermost panels.

From there it will be a case of either putting the roof back on, but for this we are awaiting scaffolding and don't yet have a date for it, or tackling the downstairs saloon to bring it up the stage as the upstairs. Either way some good progress should be made and the back end should be largely finished. So don't forget to pop by at the beginning of November for your next fix of RT restoration monthly!

August 31 Update

Well I was hoping to get back onto regular updates at the end of the month and lo and behold my second child came along a few days earlier and delayed it!! Quite ironic as when the first baby came along it was on th very day we started the strip down on RT8 back in August 2006!
So as you can see we have started now fitting out the interior. The sides walls are going on in Gaboon Ply as they were originally and then the original cappings are being put back on to check the sizes and also allow for the window pans to be fitted. We also had all the seat frames in and checked they all aligned as they should and what a difference it made to the look, but alas at the end of the month they had been removed again. As you can see the very first of the ceiling panels are in and by the end of the month the remaining ones will all be in. So all in all a good deal of change and with the first of these panels going in she is starting to look less skeletal and more like a bus. I will endeavour next month to actually publish on time around September 30, until then for Cheers for now.

Only one seat frame has remained in which is a rather convenient store for some of the drawings being used.


Finally the 'toast rack' look is departing and a sense of a real bus is prevailing

The original coving panels are all now back in upstairs having been stripped and prepared. The first ceiling panel has gone in along with the original front internal dome and blind box.