ROOF
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A few years back a topic opened on here regarding the fate of RMC 1470 which had a bit of a prang whilst in use as the Skid Bus at the Training School within Chiswick Works. I recall that there was some surprise forthcoming that the Skid Pan could be used by visiting `outside `groups and wasn`t the exclusive preserve of LT staff in training. The London Fire Brigade used to practice skid control here too and it was true that on Saturday mornings, by arrangement, groups from other bus companies etc could visit the Training School and have a go on the skid pan. In the late summer of 1983 a group from Germany were being entertained at the Training School and a lady being tutored in 1470 got into a bit of a panic and over-ran the painted box on the ground in which the controlled skid was supposed to finish. The bus hit the Training School wall.
It wasn`t a major collision - no injury, no damage to the building apart from paint scuffs and no really significant damage to the bus over and above the uncannily similar damage on RM 639 parked next to 1470 at Aldenham. The picture was taken on July 14 1984 at which point the bus had just been formally withdrawn many months after the accident when it was initially taken to Stamford Brook (where Skid Buses were maintained) and then to Aldenham with a view to repair. Had withdrawal been immediately contemplated it would more likely have gone to the Sales Department site at the old AEC Works. It never went there and as weeks passed just sat outside the Accident Shop at Aldenham I started to take an interest in it.
The LT Museum had just chosen RCL 2229 to join their `reserve` collection in original Green Line condition but bits taken from that era when overhauled in 1980 for service as a red bus would need to be replaced. As a potential donor vehicle, RMC 1470 had many items that would be suitable. All it needed was for it to be formally withdrawn so that we could make a request to strip it. Within a couple of days of the `Variations in Rolling Stock ` bulletin confirming withdrawal, permission was obtained and Paul Almeroth and I went to Aldenham on a Saturday and spent several hours taking everything possible for use on RCL 2229. The one thing I didn`t take was a front end shot of 1470 as I couldn`t get to it!
