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old routemasters

On my way to Victoria and then to Victoria Park.
I gather about every 10 minutes.

yes, although they are struggling with roadworks round victoria, and not sure if the demo this afternoon will louse that end of the route up further.

i'm approaching victoria on RM 1
 
We saw a constant stream of buses coming the other way, were there many out do you know? We were on the front of two which arrived together at Victoria.
 
I caught a sweaty Borismaster 38 to Charing Cross Road and there were plenty going back to Victoria. I was tempted to catch one back, but they were very crowded, so I went to have my hair cut instead.
 
We saw a constant stream of buses coming the other way, were there many out do you know? We were on the front of two which arrived together at Victoria.

timekeeping was very variable with a fair bit of bunching, and some buses turning short of intended destinations. road closure / diversion near victoria all day, demo round victoria at lunch time, then another demonstration / march meant piccadilly was closed for a chunk of afternoon (i was on piccadilly at that point, and wasn't sure how they would divert, so resorted to the underground to holborn, and missed 3 eastbound buses before i could get to an eastbound bus stop)

the schedule issued before the event had 23 buses, although info on Friday was that two would be missing, so about 20 buses out.

I was tempted to catch one back, but they were very crowded, so I went to have my hair cut instead.

depends when - there was a hole in the service at the Victoria end round lunch time (presume buses had been turned short while the demo happened), I went and found lunch, but there was a bloody big queue at victoria when i got back - had to let one (vintage) bus go a bit after 1.30, as it was clearly the first 38 (service or vintage) to get to Victoria for some time, the next few (service and vintage) were all pretty much full leaving Victoria.

Not many photos up on Flickr yet. Mine will have to wait a few days - i'm at mum-tat's and didn't bring the cable that lets camera talk to computer.

ETA - managed to travel on both RT 1 and RM 1 in the course of the day. Not entirely sure I've travelled on either before...
 
Sunday 24 September - running day event based on Dartford / Ebbsfleet / Gravesend, with mix of London Transport / London Country / Maidstone + District buses (Gravesend was one of those places where the boundary between two operators was, so broadly, M+D ran services east of Gravesend and there were two separate bus garages until the 1970s. More (third party site) here. This is a new event, and I've not heard of the organisers before. It's also not entirely clear where in Dartford or Gravesend buses will run from...

update on this - most trains in the dartford / gravesend patch aren't running sunday (looks like all lines closed at dartford)

bugger
 
think i've missed listing a few events the last week or two, so some coming events -

Sunday 22 October - Autumn Transport Fest at London Bus Museum, Brooklands (includes bus shuttle service running to / from Weybridge Rail Station)

Sunday 5 November - running day based on Chalk Farm / Camden area - "RMs, RTs and other vehicles operating on part of routes 24, 29, 31, 68 and 139" - details currently a bit vague, and no website or anything, just a mobile number. Not sure I've heard of the organiser (seems to be an individual rather than a group) before.

Sunday 19 November - Finchley running day. "RMs, RTs and other classic London buses running on part of routes 13, 125, 134, 221 and 263." - as above. Seems to be the same organisers as the 5 November event.

Saturday 2 December - Ensignbus Christmas Heritage Bus Running Day. Details a bit vague so far (there is a tweeter account here) - the usual pattern is routes centred on lakeside (thurrock) shopping centre, with routes to brentwood, upminster, gravesend, ongar or similar - be aware that this runs (or has done in the past) with fully licensed buses, so it is not a free travel event.

Sunday 17 December - Bromley event, 1950s single deckers on route 227 between bromley and penge / crystal palace, and double deckers on route 94 (usually just bromley - petts wood or a small chunk of the route - the route is now the 208 or 261) - this is usually relatively small scale - 10 buses or less. No website but there is a farcebook page here.

As ever, I've concentrated on London area events. The national listing on the 'classic buses' website has moved recently - the website has moved hosting and is now being run by someone else, the previous owner of the site died earlier this year, and there was a bit of a hiatus.
 
Sunday 5 November - running day based on Chalk Farm / Camden area - "RMs, RTs and other vehicles operating on part of routes 24, 29, 31, 68 and 139" - details currently a bit vague, and no website or anything, just a mobile number. Not sure I've heard of the organiser (seems to be an individual rather than a group) before.

there's now a timetable out for this - buses will be working on part of routes 24, 29, 31, 68 and 139. Timetable (opens as PDF) here.

25 buses expected to operate (listing here), 11 from the 'RT' generation, 11 Routemasters, 3 rear engined types - one each from the 1960s, 1980s and 2000's.

All subject to the usual disclaimers of course.

Programme £ 2.50, proceeds to British Legion, will be available on the day (presume from conductors on the buses as there's no mention of a 'control point' or anything like that.)
 
Saturday 2 December - Ensign Bus now have timetables up for their event.

As previous, network is centred on the Lakeside shopping centre (Thurrock), half hourly services to each of Gravesend, Tilbury, RAF Hornchurch, Brentwood / Shenfield and Upminster, and another service connecting Brentwood with Upminster.

No details of vehicles yet - usually a mix of everything from the 1940s to 1980s.

Note that they are a fully licensed operator, so this is not a free event - day ticket is £ 10 (from bus conductors) and as it's a special one-off service, concessionary passes are not valid, nor are oyster cards and that sort of thing.
 
A Routemaster from the Ace Cafe to Streatham is right up my street, sadly I am working.
I don't think the Ace Cafe is very easy on foot!
 
I don't think the Ace Cafe is very easy on foot!

less than 10 minutes walk from Stonebridge Park Station (bakerloo line, or orange line out of euston) and bus stops (routes 112, 224 and 460 wherever the heck they go - i don't really do NW london) almost outside

small print says this is more an event for bus owners and guests - some will take people who just turn up on the day at the ace cafe, but it's not the sort of running day where buses call at all stops.
 
less than 10 minutes walk from Stonebridge Park Station (bakerloo line, or orange line out of euston) and bus stops (routes 112, 224 and 460 wherever the heck they go - i don't really do NW london) almost outside

small print says this is more an event for bus owners and guests - some will take people who just turn up on the day at the ace cafe, but it's not the sort of running day where buses call at all stops.
I would be happy with a trip from ace cafe to Thornton heath.
 
Gratuitous photo of the last RT bus (generation before the Routemaster) in regular passenger service south of the river, August 1978. (London's last were at Barking in April 1979)



Route 94 (my local route in SE London - the route got turned in to the 208 and 261 some time in the 80s, the current 94 to Acton was a much later recycling of the vacant number) was operated by Bromley and Catford bus garages - at the latter, it tended to be the chosen route of the long service bus crews, and they wanted to mark the occasion properly...
 
on a brighter note, timetables for Sunday 17 December Bromley event are out

Country Bus Rallies no longer have a website, just a farcebook page here.

Three buses (two Routemasters, one RT) operating a short version of route 94 (now 208 / 261) between Petts Wood and Grove Park, Five buses (four RF, one yet TBC but will be a single decker) running a short version of route 227 Bromley North - Penge, some journeys extending to Crystal Palace. Some journeys on both to / from Bromley bus garage.

Usual disclaimers about vehicle availability, accessibility (underfloor engined RFs in particular are not 'easy access') and likely traffic round Bromley apply.
 
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A Routemaster from the Ace Cafe to Streatham is right up my street, sadly I am working.
I don't think the Ace Cafe is very easy on foot!
as Puddy_Tat says it;s a 5 - 10 minute walk from Stonebridge Park of you can get the 112 from Park Royal or Hanger Lane or a meandering walk from Alperton
 
as Puddy_Tat says it;s a 5 - 10 minute walk from Stonebridge Park of you can get the 112 from Park Royal or Hanger Lane or a meandering walk from Alperton

I think Alperton must be on the list of places in London I've never been to - and I'm not convinced it isn't a figment of someone's imagination

:p

i have gyrated round the hanger lane gyratory system occasionally

and not sure i've been to park royal.

it was of course home to the Park Royal Vehicles works, where the bodywork of many of London's buses - almost all the Routemasters, and about half the RTs - was built.
 
Alperton is near Piggery Bridge isn’t it, by the GUC?

I have been there once, but the story about my visit is stranger than fiction and doesn’t involve buses.
 
Part of my issue with the Ace Cafe is that we went to walk there from home once on the way to Wembley.
we never got to either and ended up in Harrow instead 😄
Took Mrs Tag there for breakfast once ( she is vegetarian ). She swears she got food poisoning there.
 
London Bus Museum have announced dates for 2024 events -

Saturday 23 March - historic buses running on routes 62 and 145 (Barking / Ilford area) and open day at Stagecoach Barking bus garage

Sunday 9 June - historic buses running on rout 406 (Kingston - Epsom)

Saturday 14 September - historic buses on route 61 (Bromley - Orpington)

and big events at the Museum (Brooklands) on 14 April, 23 June and 20 October.
 
The Amersham and District Motor Bus Society have released dates for their 2024 events - these usually mostly feature green London Transport / London Country / Green Line buses and coaches.

Sunday 7 April - Hertford

Sunday 2 June - High Wycombe

Sunday 28 July - Windsor / Slough / Maidenhead (this year will be a joint event with the Thames Valley + Great Western Omnibus Trust, who will have some red Thames Valley / Alder Valley buses running on the west side of Slough / Windsor.)

Sunday 6 October - Chesham


Country Bus Rallies (they only appear to exist on farcebook) have a running day at East Grinstead on Sunday 21 April.

And there's the South East Bus Festival at Kent County Showground on Saturday 6 April


As usual, I'm only posting detail of stuff in and around London - there is a full national events listing here.
 
some more events announced -

Sunday 10 March - Golders Green running day. Mostly short versions of local routes, some start of day journeys from / end of day back to London Bridge, Waterloo, Victoria. Only info so far is draft timetable (opens as PDF) here

Saturday 16 March - Guildford event to mark 100 years of local operator Safeguard Coaches. More here.
 
crossness pumping station in thamesmead / belvedere (visits need booking in advance) have added a routemaster (looks like a much refurbished / re-engined one) shuttle service to / from abbey wood station (south eastern and lizard line) for the next few open days - guess it may continue depending on how it goes the next few months.
 
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