RLH 48

Built: October 1952
Chassis number: 9613E 6970
Body number: 5551
LT Body number: 8059
Registration: MXX 248

Started service at Amersham garage on route 336 (Chesham to Watford). It then moved on to 5 other garages in its 13 year life with London Transport. This means it holds the joint record (with RLH 41) for having been based at the highest number of RLH garages.

The vehicle also holds the record for having operated on the maximum number of routes which actually required lowbridge vehicles of any RLH (9 out of 12), including short spells relieving red vehicles on 2 of the Central area routes at Hornchurch and Dalston garages. It did, however, remain in green livery throughout this time.

The bus was also unusual in that it was one of only twelve RLHs to only receive two overhauls; most of the fleet received three.

RLH 48 was withdrawn from LT in December 1964 and stored until being sold in September of the next year to Whippet Coaches of Hilton (near Huntingdon) (with two other RLHs), where it was mainly used on school contract work and later as a breakdown tow bus.

In July 1974 the bus was bought by the London Bus Preservation Group (Cobham) and leased to LBC (London Broadcasting) for promotional work, painted yellow.

In 1975 it went on to further promotional work for Johnie Walker (whiskey) in Belgium, painted red but returning to the UK annually for examination and testing, until the winter of 1983.

The present owner, Mr. Richard Proctor, purchased the bus in May 1984 and completely restored her to how she would have looked (if in pristine condition!) circa 1960. Mr. Proctor went to school on RLH 48 when she was based at Amersham garage between 1952 and 1954.

	1 August 2010 Addlestone, Surrey. Route 461 was being re-created by RLHs on this date as part of the RLH40 commemoration. Photo by, and copyright, E. Pring
	10 August 2008 Leaving Worcester Park station forecourt, recreating route 127 for a running day Photo by E. Pring
	19 June 2005 Cobham Bus Museum, Surrey- about to enter service on free route to Chertsey Station, in connection with 1950s running day Photo by E. Pring
	13 October 2002 Former site of Addlestone Works (with RLH 23), 'RLH 50' event, route 461 recreation View RLH 50 Event Galleries Photo by D. Pring. Click photo to enlarge
	13 October 2002 Kenton Library, 'RLH 50' event, route 230 recreation Photo by John Crawford. Click photo to enlarge
	June 2002 Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire Photo by E. Pring
	June 1997 St. Albans Bus Garage, Hertfordshire (581 J behind) Photo by E. Pring
	March 1981 Europa Hotel, Brussels Photo by and copyright B. Gentle