History of Double Decker Buses.

History of Double Decker Buses.

Did you know that a blue whale is approximately as long as three double decker buses?
That’s HUGE!

When I took these images of red double decker buses in Hobart Tasmania, Australia, I realized that the top deck is the ideal spot for a keen photographer..... as long as he can bribe the driver to stop for long enough periods to capture iconic and interesting scenes along the way.

Double Decker buses certainly do make sightseeing a ‘breeze,’ especially when it’s not raining. They are popular in some European cities, and parts of Asia but many will associate them with England and her former British colonies, such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

Of the few double decker buses I have seen in Australia and the many I have viewed from images around the world, all have been painted red. Why is that? They have become a national symbol of Britain and as the British are a people well known for their love of tradition, perhaps this is the answer.

And just like those other British icons, the red phone boxes, I have yet to see a pink one or a blue one or a one any other colour, than bright red.

Interesting facts: Source:

The Bristol Lodekka was built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles from 1949 to 1968. It has a traditional half-cab design, with a lower floor level and a lower overall height, allowing for easy transport (e.g., under covered bridges in the country). Most Lodekkas were powered by 5- or 6-cylinder Gardner engines. The Bristol Lodekka was also manufactured by Dennis under licence, and was sold as the Dennis Loline. The Lodekka’s succesor was the Bristol VRT. An early Lodekka—fleet number DX1, operated by West Yorshire Road Car Company—is said to have been displayed at the Festival of Britain (South Bank Exhibition) in 1951.

The very first cities in North America to introduce modern double decker buses for public use was Victoria, Kelowna and British Columbia in 2000. Naturally, they were imported from England and were an immediate hit with locals and tourists.

Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Toronto and areas between Edmonton and Strathcona County in Alberta have adopted their use on a more limited scale.

Then came the Omnibuses; commercial, horse drawn buses. These interesting modes of transport were introduced into England and France in the 1820’s. Experiments with steam powered buses were manufactured at the same time in Britain and then Siemens came up with an electrically powered trolley bus in Berlin. Preceding these buses were railcars, taxis and streetcars.

In 1847, the UK was responsible for manufacturing the first double decker Omnibus. These were typically horse drawn, using three horses and the upper deck was roofless but was half the price of the lower, covered deck. Believe it or not, the upper deck was not so popular as the lower one to begin with.

Here is an example of early advertising which was applied to the sides of the buses.

Daimler AG (formerly DaimlerChrysler, 1998–2007; Daimler sold off Chrysler in 2007) produced the world’s first motorized double-decker bus in Germany in 1898, with a 12 hp (8.8 kW) engine.

The next few images were taken of a red double decker bus which has been converted inti a cafe. It is situated at 'Old Petrie Town,' in Queensland, north of Brisbane.

Reaching top speeds of 12 mph (18 km/h) here is how this bus’s maiden journey was described in a newspaper report, after traveling from Gravesend (a small harbour town) to the City of London on April 23.

“Every man, every woman and every child in Long Acre and along Piccadilly stopped and stared at the vehicle as it thundered past…. One must have seen the three-tonner, working its way through dense traffic at that speed, with one’s own eyes to gain an impression of what it was like, but this impression is as intense as the circumstances are astounding.”

The first woman to receive a license to drive a double decker bus in England was Miss Phyllis Thompson and this momentoius event occurred in 1941.

In 2012, London introduced a new double decker bus and this one was jointly owned by Aston Martin and architects by the name of Foster & Partners. This production combined both modern and retro styles and was inspired by the London Routemaster.

It features full handicap access and includes the latest green technology which includes the use of solar panels. It is 15% more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses and is 40% more efficient than the conventional diesel double deckers. These new double decker buses cost approximately $492,000 U.S.

I love the fact that many ‘retired’ double decker buses are now being used as mobile holiday campers, homes or cafes, or employed simply as tourist attractions.

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