Dartford Tunnel bicycle bus

[Welly]

There used to be a bicycle bus service to take cyclists and their bikes through the Dartford Tunnel shortly after opening in 1963 but it was withdrawn due to lack of demand by 1965.

 

[busesrusuk]

And one of these buses survives and is undergoing (an extremely slow) restoration. Pic here (not mine):

London Transport 529FJJ June 2023

The best news for London Transport enthusiasts. The sole survivor of the 1963 TT Class , #TT4 ,built to carry cyclists and cycles through the Dartford Tunnel is now ready for restoration at the London Bus Works. On a Thames Trader chassis , they only operated with LT for two years , although...

www.flickr.com

 

[Busaholic]

And one of these buses survives and is undergoing (an extremely slow) restoration. Pic here (not mine):

London Transport 529FJJ June 2023

The best news for London Transport enthusiasts. The sole survivor of the 1963 TT Class , #TT4 ,built to carry cyclists and cycles through the Dartford Tunnel is now ready for restoration at the London Bus Works. On a Thames Trader chassis , they only operated with LT for two years , although...

www.flickr.com

Given how few there were of them, and the getting on for sixty years since they were withdrawn, it's quite remarkable that one survived. There can be very few people still living who actually travelled on one - I certainly didn't, despite living not too far away.

 

[GusB]

Funnily enough, the YouTube video in post #1 cropped up on my feed last night and I wondered if it would spark a thread here.

You wouldn't want to be negotiating those stairs after a few pints!

 

[Busaholic]

Funnily enough, the YouTube video in post #1 cropped up on my feed last night and I wondered if it would spark a thread here.

You wouldn't want to be negotiating those stairs after a few pints!

You shouldn't be cycling after a few pints!

 

[Bedford OB]

Given how few there were of them, and the getting on for sixty years since they were withdrawn, it's quite remarkable that one survived. There can be very few people still living who actually travelled on one - I certainly didn't, despite living not too far away.

That one has been carefully and deliberately tucked away for many years with a view to eventual restoration. If I recall correctly, the others finished up on vehicle transporter work. I remember using them through the tunnel with my bike; after they came off, a service was provided for a while using a Land Rover with bicycle trailer, but there was onlyever limited demand.