AEC buses before and after

AECs Before and After
AECs changing owners

This page follows the history of some individual AEC buses through pictures. If you have any historical pictures of AECs listed on the Preserved or In Service pages, you could help develop this page by sending them to . All contributions will be credited and Copyright marked.


AEC Reliance - Burlingham 200 APB	200 APB was new in 1956 to Safeguard of Guildford and operated their local routes in Guildford. This picture shows it at the Safeguard depot in October 1962, shortly before it was sold to the similarly named Safeway Bus Services in Somerset. Photo by Keith Wheal.	After a spell in service with Safeway Bus Services, 200 APB passed to Quantock Motor Services and was used by them on Taunton Deane heritage services. It was seen in 1999, still in Safeway livery. Photo by John Hammond..	In 2003 Safeguard reacquired 200 APB and restored it to original condition. It now operates as a heritage vehicle in their fleet. It is seen here at Leatherhead in October 2009 during a Cobham Bus Museum event.

AEC Reliance - Marshall TJO 54K	One of City of Oxford's last batch of Marshall bodied AEC Reliances for London services, number 54 was seen in the twilight of its career with the company, at Chipping Norton depot in March 1980.	Following withdrawal, COMS sold TJO 54K to neighbour Chiltern Queens of Woodcote, who used it for a number of years on their routes between Reading an Wallingford. It was pictured at Reading station in April 1983.	Can you fill this space? TJO 54K was last heard of with Brown of Builth Wells around 2002 and further sale or disposal from them has not been reported.

AEC Routemaster RML2336	Shortly before withdrawal by London Country, and never having been repainted into N.B.C. green during it's nine years with the company, RML2336 looks tatty and dated compared to the Leyland-National behind it. It was seen at Dartford garage in June 1979. This bus was sold back to London Transport, who needed to replace the unsuccessful Scania Metropolitans on the 36.	RML2336 remained in use with London Central on route 12 up until 2004. Here it is at Camberwell Green in May 2000, having just arrived on a short working from Central London and about to head for Camberwell depot for a crew change. Refurbishments and red livery did wonders for the appearance of the bus, almost 21 years after the previous photo was taken.	After withdrawal by London Central, RML2336 was used by Lancashire Transport Trust on the Blackpool-Lytham St. Annes summer service in 2007, and then went on to further revenue earning service with the Big Nottingham Bus Company (Bellamys) in 2008. It remains owned by Bellamys (now branded as Nottingham & District) but has no regular service work at present.

AEC Routemaster RMA50	One of the former BEA Routemasters used originally for passenger transfers between Heathrow and central London, and later on a variety of duties in the London Transport ancillary fleet, former RMA50 was seen working for Lothian subsidiary Mac Tours in livery for the Britannia Tour in July 2003. Photo by Stephen Gow.	Ensignbus bought RMA50 in 2009 to replace a sister vehicle which could not operate in the London low emission zone as it still had an AEC engine. It was seen in December 2009 at Lakeside on one of the company's popular X80 running days.

AEC Reliance 325 NKT (AFE 719B)	Maidstone & District Weymann bodied Reliance 3325 was converted to open-top in 1975 for a service to the Fairlight Country Park in Hastings, but was withdrawn after two seasons following poor loadings and difficulties turning at the park. The picture shows it where it was most often to be found - in Hastings depot (now the site of a Morrisons supermarket).	After various moves and a reregistration it found its way to London & Country who employed it on Surrey C.C. Sunday leisure services. It was seen at Chilworth in August 1993.	Following Arrriva's withdrawal from the heritage operations, it changed hands again and by 1998 was working summer journeys in the seaside town of Mablethorpe with local operator Grayscroft. Subsequently it moved to Cornwall, first with Hobbs of Truro and then Caradon Riviera Tours, but its current whereabouts seem to be unknown. Photo: LEYTR.

AEC Reliance JPA 43K	One of 90 AEC Reliance 6U2Rs with Park Royal dual-purpose bodies bought by London Country for Greenline services, RP43 was seen at Bishops Stortford in April 1982, working a Greenline service although now painted in all green bus livery.	RP43 was sold by LCBS in 1983 and moved to Scottish independent Rennies of Dunfermline for school bus and private hire use. It was seen outside the Rennies garage at Cairneyhill in September 1983 about to take up a wedding hire.	By 1985 the former RP43 had moved south again to the fleet of Prestwood Travel at Great Kingshill in Buckinghamshire, for school bus operations. Prestwood had acquired a couple of these ex LCBS machines, along with a former Greenline AEC Swift, and would later go on to acquire RS class Plaxton bodied Reliance from the same source. It was photographed near the company's depot in March 1985.

AEC Reliance JPA 44K	Another of the former Greenline Park Royal bodied Reliances, RP44 was seen at Guildford in September 1979, following its repaint into bus livery and downgrade to operate mainly bus routes out of Dorking depot.	Following withdrawal RP44 found its way to Warwickshire based Heart of England Services for their Coleshill to Water Orton service. It was seen on this route at Curdworth in April 1984, still in its former owners livery.

AEC Reliance JTM 109V	One of the Duple Dominant bus bodied Reliances built in later years mainly for small operators, JTM 109V was new to Tillingbourne and then passed to their sister compnay Metrobus. It later moved to Sussex Bus, and was then bought by London Country South West as a schoolbus in their Guildford and West Surrey divison - a rather unusual vehicle to appear in the fleet of major operator. This photo at Guildford (on the site of the old Greenline depot) was taken in March 1995.	JTM 109V has now passed into preservation, restored in Metrobus livery, and was seen looking resplendent at the Southdown PSV Copthorne premises during the April 2010 BusFun event and East Grinstead running day.

AEC Reliance EPM 137V	One of the last batch of AEC Relianced deliverd to London Country for Greenline services, Plaxton bodied RS137 was one of those painted to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Greenline in 1979. It was seen in this livery at London Victoria in January 1980.	Following withdrawal from Greenline service, RS137 moved to Scotland and spent time there with a number of small operators. It finished up as a schoolbus with Meffans of Kirriemuir, a subsidiary of Strathtay Scottish - and even survived into Stagecoach ownership. It was pictured at the Kirriemuir premises in August 2005.	EPM 137V is now being preserved in Scotland and will be returned to its original jubilee livery.

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