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USA Regent
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USA Old AECs never die,
they just end up as... coffee bars! Well former Morecambe
and Heysham AEC Regent JTE 549 has. It is seen here
dispensing refreshments in the United States. One member
of this batch is however still alive and running in the U.K.
(see the AECs in Service page).
Photo by Bob Wingrove |
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Arizona, USA Here's one that is looking
a bit the worse for wear though. This is RT3145 pictured outside
a restaurant on Ajo Way west of Tucson at Three Points in
July 2006. It's in pretty poor shape, doesn't appear to have
any windows left and the engine is missing several parts.
Seats are still inside but the floors are rotten, and radiator
is obviously missing too. Let's hope someone rescues it soon.
Thanks to Mike Pannell for the info
and picture. |
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USA Randy Nix, General Manager, GCT-Gulf
Coast TELECO, has bought former RT2539 from a scrapyard for
restoration. Randy would appreciate any information on the
history of this bus at randy@gctinc.com. Photo
by Randy Nix. |
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California Regent RTs
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California, USA There are some RT's still
in daily use on the Unitrans network of routes serving the
University of California in Davies, California. RT3123 and
RT4735 have been modified to run on LPG, RT1235 and RT2819
on CNG, but former RT742 (JXC 105) was returned to service
in 2007 with its original AEC engine and gearbox. They run
on UC services B, E, F and G.. Thanks
to Nigel Neville for info, confirmed in Buses 632 (November
2007 edition), and to Peter Deacon for drawing attention to
the Unitrans entry in Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitrans |
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California, USA Jerry Zuckermann sent
this picture of his Routemaster RM447, parked in his driveway
in Los Angeles. He purchased it in February 2007 and drove
it to LA in March 2007. It’s in very good running order, and
he's been catching up on its regular maintenance and taking
it out on regular runs to keep it exercised. |
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Texan Regent
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Texas, USA The Rev Dan Hendricks and
his wife Lori in Austin, Texas are restoring (in 2005) their
1948 A.E.C. Regent MkIII double deck bus and are in need of
engine parts and transmission parts. The engine is the original
9.6 liter A.E.C. Southall coupled to the original A.E.C. Select
shift 4 speed transmission. A full engine rebuild is in progress,
and anything that can help get this old bus on the road would
be appreciated. When restored it will be used for the ministry
to help feed the homeless in the central Texas area. Contact
dan7064@yahoo.com
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Tierra del Fuego Routemaster
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ARGENTINA Former RM317 runs city tours
of Ushuala in the Tierro del Fuego region. It is pictured
in Buses
598 (January 2005). |
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BRAZIL Jacy Dias sent a photo of a coach
which he believes is an AEC (known in Brazil as ACLO). This
particular coach was used by Viação Cometa in Brazil in the
1950's. Although not 100% certain about it, he firmly believes
it is an AEC (ACLO) and would welcome confirmation of this
fact. jacy@rochadias.fsnet.co.uk
AEC buses were exported to South America in 1940's and 1950's
and known locally as ACLOs. If you know of any other photos
please could you contact Jacy or AECBus. |
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Ontario
Routemasters
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CANADA An Ottawa tour bus
co. is still using some ex-LT Routemasters for guided city
tours in the summer. Some retain original London destination
blinds, at least up until last summer. Other co's are using
re-painted Leyland Atlanteans and ECW Bristols(origins unknown).
Last update March 2001. Thanks to Bob
French for info. |
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Nova Scotia
Routemaster
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CANADA Atlantic Tours of
Halifax, Nova Scotia purchased Routemaster Double Decker bus
WLT 937 in 2000 for use in service. Thanks
to Mark Fenn of Atlantic for info. |
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Nova Scotia
Routemasters
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CANADA Ambassatours Gray
Line of Halifax, Nova Scotia has purchased Routemasters CUV
314C, CUV 322C, JJD 507D, JJD 578D, SMK 673F, SMK 725F in
early 2006. |
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Niagara Routemasters
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CANADA Double Deck Tours
of Niagara Falls, Canada now have a 25 strong Routemaster
fleet after acquiring RMLs 2467, 2501 and 2555 in November
2004. Many of the fleet still have their original AEC engines.
A heavy sightseeing tour of the Falls area with a route in
excess of 30 miles long keeps these vehicles extremely busy
all Summer. November 2004. Thanks to
Ray Soper for info. |
Toronto
Routemasters
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CANADA The Bus and Boat
Company run three open-top Routemasters on tours of Toronto.
For more details check out their website at www.thebusandboatcompany.com.
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Coach Canada
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CANADA Stagecoach have converted
Routemasters JJD 435D, JJD 481D, NMY 639E to open-top and
exported to Coach Canada in early 2006. |
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British Columbia RT2929
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CANADA Ex London Transport
AEC Regent RT2929 is in use as a recreational vehicle in Port
Campbell, British Columbia, and is still in good condition
although the paint is a little faded. September
2007. Thanks to Alan Splendiff for info. |
| Uraguay Verhuels |
URUGUAY/MEXICO Can anyone
give me details about the AEC-buses, that were built by Verheul
(Holland) for export to Uruguay between about 1956 and 1964?
Also I know from the "orderbook" of Verheul, that in 1953
or 1954 an AEC/Verheul was built as a demonstration vehicle;
this bus went eventually to Mexico, I believe. Any details
(and pictures) are welcome as I am still working on the full
history of this once famous busbuilder in the Netherlands.
jan.emmelkamp51@home.nl |
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URAGUAY AEC Verhuels (ACLO
mark IVs) still run in service in Montevideo with the COECT
and UCOT companies. Nestor Brasesco (cincosietediesel@hotmail.com)
sent this picture of number 36 on the Carrasco service in
October 2004. |
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URUGUAY CETCU, a group of
enthusiastics in the history of buses in Uruguay, bought an
ACLO (AEC for South America) REGAL II and restored it in the
CUTCSA works. This bus was new to CUTCSA in 1938, with a wooden
body made in Uruguay by Aguila, fleet number 491. It was renumbered
130 in 1954, and rebuilt with its wooden body in 1962 by CUTCSA,
the biggest urban bus operator in Montevideo. It was replaced
by a Leyland Worldmaster in 1971 and sold to an operator of
country routes, close to Montevideo. In 1985 it was sold to
a single bus operator in the northern rural area of Uruguay,
working in a route of 90 km. most of them unpaved, from Santa
Clara to Paso de Pereira, close to the river Negro, where
it worked until 1994. The ACLO is painted in the old CUTCSA
livery, light gray with a red band written with "CUTCSA 130"
in shadowed white. The pictures were taken on April 5th 2000.
On July 20th 1999 this bus and another one restored owned
by CETCU, a Chevrolet 1935, were declared "national historical
monument" by the Uruguayan government. CETCU also acquired
another ACLO that is trying to restore. If you want contact
CETCU: e-mail: mpienovi@adinet.com.uy. |
