Thursday 30th November 2006 ~ The Story of the London Routemaster Bus

Malcolm Hammond ~ summarised by Ken Hammond

Appeared in Journal 504

Some 30 members were present for our post-AGM presentation on Thursday 30th November when Malcolm Cooper from Norwich gave an illustrated talk titled “The Story of the London Routemaster Bus”.

Origins went back to the first record of public transport in London in 1829 where services were provided by the Shillibeer Horse Drawn buses. Introduction of the motor bus occurred just before the First World War with the “B” type motor bus, many of these seeing service in France during the aforementioned campaign. Our presenter then moved to the post Second World War era where we were shown a line-up of STL and RT buses at the Barking Rally, these being the types that reigned supreme during immediate post-war period.

In the mid-1950’s it was decided to replace the trolley-bus system in stages and to find a suitable alternative motor-bus. Thus, four prototype vehicles were built, three at Chiswick and one at Eastern Coach Works in Lowestoft. The RMI example was built at Chiswick and was pictured at the Earls Court Commercial Motor Show (CMS) on 2nd October 1954. This vehicle went to Cricklewood Garage in January 1956 for driver training purposes. Also constructed at Chiswick, this time with close co-operation with AEC and Park Royal, was RM2 which was taken into stock on 10th March 1956. RML 3 was the last of the four to be built having been constructed at the Addlestone Factory of Weymanns, and taken into stock on 1st July 1957 and fitted with a Leyland Engine. The “L” standing for Leyland who were also the suppliers at the time of other mechanical units. CRL4, standing for Coach Routemaster, was an experimental double-decker painted in Green Line livery was built at the Lowestoft ECW plant and passed to London Country in June of 1957.

We were then told that main-stream production of the Routemaster Bus commenced in 1958 although only RM8 was completed in that year and was displayed at the 1958 Earls Court CMS from 26th September until 4th October. Following the show RM8 was, for many years, used as a test bed before it entered public service. Photographs were seen taken inside Aldenham Works which is where the success of the Routemaster maintenance programme was emphasised when in a matter of days the body was removed from the chassis, both sections being painted and refitted, although it has to be said the body and chassis may well not have been matched to the same partner that it arrived with.

We then saw RM664, the “Silver Lady”, as she was nicknamed, owing to her introduction to the fleet with unpainted aluminium bodywork. Being left as such to test the durability of an unpainted version, an experiment that lasted from December 1962 until February 1965 when it finally received its red coat of paint.

Our next stop was Chiswick where we saw RT/RM training vehicles, including RM1740 on the skin pan. This was followed by Routemaster’s operating in snow and ice, conditions under which the RM’s weight dispersal proved ideal as they continued to operate where other types of vehicles encountered problems. Our presenter explained how the RM could be extended by 2 feet 6 inches thus allowing an increase in passenger carrying capacity by seven to 72, these were classified RML. We learnt that RMF 1254 went on loan to several operators, including BEA who liked what they tested and subsequently ordered 65 similar vehicles with trailers to replace the ageing Regal IV fleet of “deck and a half “buses. Northern General had seen the vehicle at the 1962 CMS and ordered two batches totalling 50 vehicles, 18 in 1964 and 32 in 1965, all being front entrance vehicles.

A replacement for the Routemaster was the experimental FRM 1, however this was not deemed a success and the experiment never gathered momentum. Mention was made of the RMC, the coach version of the RM, these running with London Country.

Not to be forgotten was the appearance of overall-advert liveries that appeared in the 1970’s. In 1979 a batch were painted in the Shillibeer livery to mark the 150th Anniversary of the introduction of public transport in London.

Next out of the box was RME 1, originally RM29, by now in private ownership and cannibalised with the staircase going up the middle of the vehicle and used on school contract work in Kent. Perhaps one of the biggest flops in the capitals road transport history was the DMS (Daimler Fleetline) a type of which 2646 were built between 1970 and 1978 and the first withdrawals taking place after just five years. Maintenance proved to be difficult on these vehicles and their early demise saw an extended lifeline, until 1979, for a number of RT’s. The DMS was followed by a more successful vehicle, the Leyland Titan.

The tourist and leisure market accounted for twenty Routemaster’s being converted to “Open Top” vehicles to cater for the sightseeing trade. Sales of RM’s to Scotland was described where in the late 1980’s Clydeside tested RM652 after which Stagecoach and Clydeside of Glasgow bought 137 between them. Their popularity with the operators and public prompted other undertakings to make purchases, including Kentish Bus who operated them on Route 19 in a pleasant Brown and Cream livery.

Moving to the early 1990’s, during which time a mini-revival took place with many Routemaster’s being refurbished and brought back into service but the death-knell came in the 21st Century when it was found that they were not – disabled accessible and thus their day’s were numbered. From 2003 a gradual abandonment of Routemaster operated routes was planned with the target set for their total demise of December 2005. Slides were shown during the last day’s of the final route operated, that being Route 159.

Looking back we saw slides of the 2004 Finsbury Park gathering to celebrate the 50th Anniversary and learnt that RM6, the first production RM to enter service, worked for 48 years. Such was Malcolm’s interest; we were shown slides taken at his home where the front grille of RM302 glazed in the shape of a display cabinet for his impressive collection of Routemaster models. His love of Duxford was not missed, as well as bus rallies, aircraft were also another passion shared by Malcolm, especially the Sally “B”, Spitfire and Hurricane’s.

To conclude we were shown a slide of two of Britain’s greatest Icon’s taken on 18th September 2004, RM1 and Concorde stood together fifty years to the day that RM1 was unveiled to the British public.

Martyn Hunt proposed a vote of thanks for Malcolm, at the same time reminiscing his early days in Hertfordshire where the mainstay of buses were RT and RF before the Routemaster’s came along. The audience responded warmly in their thanks to Malcolm for taking us on our journey around the Capital.

Front Cover. Ivan Watts receiving his honorary membership from John Day after the AGM. Photo by Mrs Watts.

Rear Cover Top. Ipswich Buses have PL06 TGF on loan to cover for the late delivery of the new Scania single deckers. It is seen at Constantine Road on 14th December after its morning school run. Photo by Fred Ward.

Rear Cover Bottom. Beeston’s Omnicity single decker, YN56 EZX, at Colchester on 28th December waiting for its return journey to Dedham. Photo by Fred Ward.