THE LONDON BUS is LOTS' monthly newsletter and LOTS' principal publication, having been produced for around 40 years. Now in A5 format with full colour cover, members receive a hard copy of it every month. The closing date for contributions is normally the first Friday of each month and, after preparation and printing, TLB normally arrives with members within two weeks.

TLB reports on the operations and vehicles of around 40 companies working local bus services in Greater London and its surrounding area within a region roughly corresponding with the original London Transport bus operating area bounded by Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Crawley, Guildford, Windsor, Aylesbury, Luton, Harlow and Tilbury.

Each issue has around 40 pages and 8 colour photos. It’s crammed with information not only about the hundreds of routes that serve the Capital and its surrounding areas, but also about the thousands of vehicles seen on them including sales and transfers. Recent and forthcoming route changes are listed for every operator, thereby providing a historical record for the present and future.

Most operators supply us with official information which is supported by members' reports so as to provide an unrivalled authoritative service. TLB also contains business and political news, and reports on forthcoming exhibitions and rallies, and much more.

A specimen issue is available to download (Please note: A few personal details have been obscured in this on-line version).

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LBM is LOTS’ flagship publication. In regular production since 1972, it is produced four times per year, in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. It is a fully illustrated, glossy 64-page magazine, with around 90 pictures per issue.

One or two major articles feature in each issue covering both historical and current aspects of bus operation in and around the Capital.

There are meticulously researched features not only on bus operators but also on individual bus classes, routes, garages, operating areas and manufacturers not to mention reviews of selected books.

Each issue includes a section entitled ‘Around & About’ devoted to recent developments, supported by illustrations and informative captions.

Our most substantial publication is LONDON BUS REVIEW (REV).

Published each Spring, it tells you everything you could possibly want to know about what’s been happening in and around London during the preceding year. Routes, vehicles (new, withdrawn and current), operators and politics – it’s all there profusely illustrated with well over a hundred colour pictures. Editions produced for recent years can be purchased at various rallies from our Sales Stand or post-free from our Postal Sales department.

The LONDON BUS AND TRAM FLEETBOOK is a 128-page pocket-sized book containing full fleet details of around 50 operators in London and the Home Counties.

Stock and registration numbers, chassis and body types, seating capacities, summaries of where to find main vehicle types are all included. Fleetbook is produced each Spring, and is an essential publication for the London bus enthusiast. 2018 edition coming soon!

DOES THIS COME THROUGH

This is a series of booklets covering London Transport vehicle news for specific years and is presented in the style of THE LONDON BUS (TLB).

Editions for the years 1957-1984 have been produced so far and further editions covering 1948-1956 are in the process of production.

An essential reference series for those with a curiosity about the past.

For many years our SUPs have been providing specialist information over and above that published in TLB and Fleetbook. Currently available are:

SUP15B - Lists support vehicles until 2005 with illustrations. Includes Underground and bus operators' vans, lorries and cars.

SUP24F - Current support vehicles with a full fleetlist and allocation details. Updated August 2013.

SUP36 - Issued about every eight months, and lists current vehicle allocations for the major operators in the LOTS area. It doesn't give the full information contained in the Fleetbook, but acts as a quick check on where each bus is based . It can be kept up to date by reference to TLB. It tells you which buses are based where.

SUP37 - Also issued about every eight months it gives a complete summary of vehicle requirements for bus routes in the Greater London area. So if you want to know that route 83 needs 28 double-deckers to run the schedule, or that route 161 needs 15 and route 234 needs 10 single-deckers, and want to find out which company runs them and from which garages, then this publication is for you. SUP37 is the ideal companion to Mike Harris' THE GREATER LONDON BUS MAP.

Other SUPs dealing with specific London bus subjects are issued from time to time.