London Transport, Aldenham Bus Works article in Art & Industry - 3
A rather fine four page article, from the February 1957 edition of Art & Industry, on the then new Aldenham Bus Works constructed in the post war years to help maintain London Transport's then vast bus fleet alongside Chiswick Works and in the light of the closure of the tram and trolleybus systems that had used Charlton Works in SE London. The site, in the north west of the Greater London area towards Watford had originally been earmarked for development as part of the abortive Northern line Bushey Heath extensions planned as a part of the 1935 - 40 New Works Programme but that was canned in the era of post-WW2 austerity and Green belt development that saw the section north of Edgware abandoned despite some preliminary engineering works along the route of the proposed line.
It was on a huge scale and basically reconstructed buses along LT's lines of the ability to be able to lift bodies from chassis to enable overhaul, along with components. The vehicle types most associated with these works were the RT and RM types. The buildings were, looking back, rather fine examples of 1950s architecture and I've often felt that with closure and demolition a lot was lost. They were designed 'in house' by the LT Chief Architect Thomas Bilbow and K Seymour. The layout was to the plans drawn up by the Chief Mechanical Engineer (Road Services) A A M Durrant.
I suppose to see the Works in all their glory you need to cast your mind back to the Cliff Richards film "Summer Holiday"!
London Transport, Aldenham Bus Works article in Art & Industry - 3
A rather fine four page article, from the February 1957 edition of Art & Industry, on the then new Aldenham Bus Works constructed in the post war years to help maintain London Transport's then vast bus fleet alongside Chiswick Works and in the light of the closure of the tram and trolleybus systems that had used Charlton Works in SE London. The site, in the north west of the Greater London area towards Watford had originally been earmarked for development as part of the abortive Northern line Bushey Heath extensions planned as a part of the 1935 - 40 New Works Programme but that was canned in the era of post-WW2 austerity and Green belt development that saw the section north of Edgware abandoned despite some preliminary engineering works along the route of the proposed line.
It was on a huge scale and basically reconstructed buses along LT's lines of the ability to be able to lift bodies from chassis to enable overhaul, along with components. The vehicle types most associated with these works were the RT and RM types. The buildings were, looking back, rather fine examples of 1950s architecture and I've often felt that with closure and demolition a lot was lost. They were designed 'in house' by the LT Chief Architect Thomas Bilbow and K Seymour. The layout was to the plans drawn up by the Chief Mechanical Engineer (Road Services) A A M Durrant.
I suppose to see the Works in all their glory you need to cast your mind back to the Cliff Richards film "Summer Holiday"!