Taken Today 01/01/2013

Among the vehicles taking part at todays King Alfred Running Day was this RATP Renault from the 1930's. Note the UK registration. If you've ever seen the book on King Alfred Motor Services, this is one of three similar buses owned by Robert Jowitt, one of the authors of that book. He comments that, when he acquired his first one (I think it was this, from the registrations) the real King Alfred fleet was so run down that the citizens of Winchester tried to hail this as he drove it around. They thought it was KA's latest purchase! Back on duty today for the first time in many years.

Pete Davies

01/01/13 - 17:33

So you were there too, Pete. Super day, good, if cold, weather and an excellent selection (too many) to choose from. Didn't get the Parisian but did pin down the scarlet pimpernel - another super vehicle brilliantly driven.

David Oldfield

02/01/13 - 07:41

That's a Renault TN4, a type which along with the TN6 was very much in everyday service when I first visited Paris on a school trip in the summer of 1962. I had a ride on a couple and remember being gassed by the Gauloises being smoked on the open rear platform.
The TN4 was introduced in 1929 and RATP ordered the type along with the later TN6 for tramway replacement. The numeral denoted the number of cylinders. Both types had a number of variants and the last TN4s weren't withdrawn until 1971, outlasting the TN6s by two years and there was a great deal of regret in Paris at their passing, similar to that in London 30 something years later when the Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service.
It's really great to see one in such good condition, even if the authenticity is spoiled by the number plate.

Phil Blinkhorn

02/01/13 - 07:41

It's astonish to think that this bus is more or less contemporary with the prototype RT - what a contrast in style! They were however incredibly long-lived, and this is what gave Robert the opportunity to bring his trio to the UK. I remember them providing car park shuttles at the Crich Transport Extravaganzas in the late 60s, but I was also fortunate enough to see them performing on their own turf in July 1968.

Here is 2702 at Carrefour Pleyel on route 154 to Enghien with a full standing load. I'm not sure what the nominal standee capacity was, but probably around 20. A fun ride on a sunny January day for an enthusiast, tolerable on a warm July evening, and pretty grim in the depths of a Parisian winter.

Alan Murray-Rust

05/01/13 - 06:01

Here are pictures of two Renault TN buses taken some years ago during HCVC rallies, ULC 88F at Patcham, near Brighton, in May 1969, and EMH 208J at South Croydon in May 1972.

Roger Cox

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