old routemasters

[blossie33]

Yes, I know what you mean.

I loved getting the old 19 as Birmingham had got rid of the routemaster type bus some years before so it was great to be able to hang off the platform again! Had forgotten how hard the seats were though ;-)

 

[StoneRoad]

I was more familiar with the Bristol Lodekkas (sp?) in my distant youth, but I still like to see old buses, trams, waggons etc..... even cars .......... properly restored and if possible out on the road.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I was more familiar with the Bristol Lodekkas (sp?) in my distant youth, but I still like to see old buses, trams, waggons etc..... even cars .......... properly restored and if possible out on the road.

yes, that is how Bristol spelled it. Have some (Eastern Counties) Lodekka

 

[hash tag]

What a sad day, today. The dear old No. 9 Routemaster on the heritage route ran its last.

 

[Poi E]

What a sad day, today. The dear old No. 9 Routemaster on the heritage route ran its last.

Oh no! Cant they pop in a hybrid engine? So sad.

 

[pogofish]

Oh my!

Someone at my work has been doing some shopping:

Yes, we now own a Routemaster - RM970.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

they are not at all cheap at the moment...

 

[pogofish]

I found out how much he paid for it - an absolute song compared to the £26K they were originally asking!

 

[Puddy_Tat]

RM 970 when it was based at Brixton picture here.

pogofish - are you experienced bus owners? (I'm assuming this is for some sort of commercial non-bus use, but frankly there's quite enough routemasters around)

if not, i can probably offer some useful contacts

 

[pogofish]

We have some experience of buses, although this is now the only one we own. Switched to contractors/leases for all transport/general purpose vehicles a few years back.

Yes, its a commercial venture - a cafe that tours round our various events. Also have a restored Citroen van.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I found out how much he paid for it - an absolute song compared to the £26K they were originally asking!

I made a documentary about the last days of the routmaster. We |drove around all day on a bus that a couple of blokes had bought (to get shots). The cool thing was that you could park anywhere and nobody gave you any shit.

 

[SikhWarrioR]

RM 970 when it was based at Brixton picture here.

pogofish - are you experienced bus owners? (I'm assuming this is for some sort of commercial non-bus use, but frankly there's quite enough routemasters around)

if not, i can probably offer some useful contacts

Haynes do a manual for the RM dont know how far in to the routie's maintainence it goes though but I have a copy of the official LT manual for the RM

 

[SikhWarrioR]

Hull was one of the many places that had second-hand RTs in the 1960s (picture here) although the ones in Hull were from St Helens not London.

St Helens bought new RT's and Coventry also had a new RT but as the Daimler bus factory was in Coventry they went back to Daimler chassis

 

[Puddy_Tat]

An advance notice - there will be a special service with RTs (presumably also some RTL / RTWs) on route 11 on Sunday 2 November - timetable suggests at least 15 buses on the road.

Every 10 minutes Aldwych - Victoria, every 10 / 20 minutes Victoria - Chelsea, and some journeys extended to Liverpool Street / Hammersmith.

More info and timetable here.

and at having a commitment elsewhere that I can't get out of that weekend...

 

[davesgcr]

Don't think it's novelty value for many, it's more because they love/loved them, and the freedom you had when using them, not to mention the lovely draught you got on a hot summer's day unlike the buses of today with their huge windows that make you roast.

Mind you, they were a bit nippy in the winter though

A little trip out , methinks.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

A little trip out , methinks.

You'll probably freeze your arse off

 

[davesgcr]

I know an ex 11 Road RM bus driver - who is coming along to this - deeply personal to him - we will have to support him in the pub afterwards.

 

[hash tag]

Fantastic, I knew there was a reason I had booked that weekend off work

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Couple of events coming -

Ensign Bus are having their annual pre-Xmas event on Saturday 6 December - network of services based on Lakeside shopping centre (includes a service via the Dartford crossing to Bluewater / Gravesend (note - the buses involved are fully licensed as buses, so this is not a free service like most such events)

A small scale event involving about half a dozen buses will be based on Bromley on Sunday 7 December - 1940s / 50s single deckers operating Bromley - Penge / Crystal Palace via route 227, and RT / Routemasters operating Petts Wood - Grove Park as service 94 (today's 208 / 261) - more here

 

[not-bono-ever]

I found out how much he paid for it - an absolute song compared to the £26K they were originally asking!

mate of mine collects these ( have mentioned this earlier) - hes picked up a couple in the past 3 years at dirt cheap prices - straight from restorers/ chromers and the like , when the current owners realise what a money pit these are to restore properly and run out of cash. Eh alos has a shed full of LT ticket machines- the old fashioned 60s ones- that he bought for a few quid apiece at a commerical auction a few years ago.

 

[stethoscope]

@Roadkill @longdog Was in Bev this morning

 

[Orang Utan]

I took a 453 the other day, on a new Routemaster, nowt like an old one, but an attractive bus nonetheless, with sleek livery. The colours go well together, unlike those garish Jaffa Cake buses.

 

[longdog]

@Roadkill @longdog Was in Bev this morning

If memory serves it's that funny shape so it could fit through toll-bar or whatever the old 'city wall' is called.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

If memory serves it's that funny shape so it could fit through toll-bar or whatever the old 'city wall' is called.

the beverley bar

 

[hash tag]

A day out for the bus spotters amongst you http://www.altonbusrally.org.uk/

 

[hash tag]

If anyone is up for a bit of nostalga and afternoon tea to boot, I see a company is now doing afternoon tea on an old routemaster while dring around town, but it aint cheap!

http://www.bbbakery.co.uk/afternoon-tea/afternoon-tea-bus-tour/

 

[SikhWarrioR]

If anyone is up for a bit of nostalga and afternoon tea to boot, I see a company is now doing afternoon tea on an old routemaster while dring around town, but it aint cheap!

http://www.bbbakery.co.uk/afternoon-tea/afternoon-tea-bus-tour/

Wonder how many people try and get on it thinking its a service bus

 

[Puddy_Tat]

An event next Sunday (2 August) in Maidenhead / Reading, marking 100 years of what became the Thames Valley Omnibus Company - more here

 

[MrSki]

An event next Sunday (2 August) in Maidenhead / Reading, marking 100 years of what became the Thames Valley Omnibus Company - more here

I might go to this. Don't pre-order your programme at £8 though cos it is advertised as £6 on the day.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I might go to this. Don't pre-order your programme at £8 though cos it is advertised as £6 on the day.

I may be in bus conductor mode on something Thames Valley shape