RLH 7 in October 1972 being washed at the depot of LBPTC, still with old Dalston garage blinds fitted
Photo © D. Pring.
RLH 7 and RLH 30 were carried on deck on the final voyage of the RMS Queen Mary from Southampton (departing 31st October 1967), rounding Cape Horn, to Long Beach, Los Angeles (arriving 9th December 1967).
RLH 60 followed 2 years later, in December 1969 (the ship used is not known).
All three RLHs were sold directly from London Transport and probably painted red for sale. RLH 7 and RLH 60 were already red buses, but in the case of RLH 30 the colour would have been changed from green to red at this point.
The Long Beach Public Transportation Co. (LBPTC) operated this fleet of three RLHs until the mid seventies:
| LT fleet no. (still displayed in USA) | UK reg. plate (still displayed in USA) | California licence plate | LBPTC fleet no. | Acquired | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RLH 7 | KYY 507 | 518144 | 1 | Dec 1967 | Jan 1975 |
| RLH 30 | MXX 230 | 518143 | 2 | Dec 1967 | March 1974 |
| RLH 60 | MXX 260 | 567314 | 3 | Dec 1969 | Feb 1975 |
LBPTC also operated four RT family London buses at this time; RT 3734, RTL 564, RTL 1037 and RTL 1168.
RLH 7 in October 1972 being washed at the depot of LBPTC, still with old Dalston garage blinds fitted
Photo © D. Pring.
The LBPTC fleet numbers 1 to 3 were carried on the cream cantrail at front, back and sides. The depot was at 1330 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, California. The buses were probably used for tours, trips and private hires.
RLH 30 in October 1972 at the depot of LBPTC
Photo © D. Pring.
Orange marker lights were added to these RLHs at all 4 corners on the roof domes. A pair of orange lights (or reflectors?) were fitted under the headlamps. Additional lights, and a high level advert frame, were fitted at the rears. RLH 60 (only) was also fitted with short advert frames along both sides.
RLH 60 in September 1972 at the depot of LBPTC
Photo © D. Pring.
On 21st August 1970, singer/musician Elton John and his entourage were carried on one of the RLHs- probably RLH 7- from LAX airport to the Continental Hyatt House Hotel. This was after his flight from London and before his first USA performance, at the Troubadour club in Los Angeles. A banner reading 'Elton John has arrived' was taped to the side of the bus. A photo of the people beside it, and the story of the event, is on the eltonjohn.com web site. This black and white photo was colourised and later used in the BBC TV interview program 'Elton John: Uncensored' in 2019.
P.S. LBPTC was rebranded as Long Beach Transit in 1978.
RLH 70 is recorded as being exported to a new owner also in Long Beach in 1969, but was not operated by the LBPTC. Other RLHs may have been imported into the USA via the port at Long Beach.
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