LTSV > Service Vehicles > Photos > Photo 7066
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Having looked at A- and B-prefix registered service vehicles over the past couple of months, I am now continuing on to the C-prefix ones, which date from August 1985 to July 1986. A healthy 26 C-prefix vehicles were added to the owned fleet, though two thirds of these were Mercedes 307D trucks. Since the split of the leased vehicles in 1982, additions to the owned fleet had mainly been full-sized lorries. The Mercedes 307D was a relatively small truck, barely larger than a Ford Transit. The first 307Ds to arrive were 8 with C/VOY registrations, delivered in March 1986. Six had dropside bodies, the other two having curtainsided box bodies. One of the latter was 2426M, acquired for use by the LT Builders but seemingly later allocated to the Commercial Advertising section.

On 27th May 1988, Derek found 2426M in the rather unusual location of Heathrow Central Bus Station. Alongside was a Green Line liveried Leyland Tiger with Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodywork. The Paramount body was quite ubiquitous at this time, and was available in several lengths and heights. London Country had leased 60 in 1983/1984, classifying them as TP or TPL (depending on the length), with two more batches following before LCBS was split-up in 1986. The split saw the type divided between the four new regional companies, and TP37 ended up with London Country South East. The company was soon renamed Kentishbus, and the coach was renumbered 249 in the new prefix-less series. It was working on the lengthy Green Line route 726, running from Heathrow, through Kingston, Croydon, Bromley and Bexleyheath to Dartford. Unlike most Green Line routes, the majority of the length of the 726 was within Greater London, and the route was eventually to become a TfL route. Today only the western section remains, as the limited-stop X26 using double-deck buses between Croydon and Heathrow.
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Photo ID: 7066
Photo date: 27/05/1988 Size: Regular. An extra large copy of this photo is available.
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Date added: 18/02/2022