I must admit that for the first 20 or so years of their lives I was not particularly interested in them.
To me the fact that London was still building half cab buses into the late 1960’s when my home town fleet ‘Sheffield Transport’ and most of the rest of the country had been running ‘modern’ Leyland Atlanteans and Daimler Fieetlines since the late 1950’s only went to ‘prove’ how backward them ‘darn sarth’ were.
It must have been at least 20 years later that I actually travelled on an ‘RM’.
It was only when ‘London Transport’ started taking them out of service that I took any interest in them at all.
This third group of images illustrates the days when complete breaks with traditional liveries were the norm.
Not all the major changes came after the buses were sold on. ‘London Transport’ introduced some of their own.
650 DYE ‘Firstgroup’ No. SRM3. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Delivered as RM1650 in 1963 but repainted and re numbered in 1977 to silver
(hence the new No. SRM3) to celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth 2 Silver Jubilee.
CUV 208C ‘London Transport’ No. RM2208, ‘George Shillibeer OMNIBUS’.
AEC Routemaster / Park Royal on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Repainted in 1979 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of George Shillibeer introducing the first Omnibus service in London.
New in 1965.
VLT 6 ‘ARRIVA London South Ltd’No. RM 6. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The Queens Golden Jubilee was celebrated by a flurry of gold RM’s. Unlike the silver painted buses of 25 years earlier, the gold buses were treated to being wrapped in vinyl.
New in 1959.
ALD 933B ‘East London Bus & Coach Company No. RM1933. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The ‘tween decks’ branding quotes ’75 Years of London Transport’ and ‘Bow Bus Garage Centenary’.
New in 1964.
476 CLT ‘London Country Bus Services’ (LCBS) No RM 1476. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
‘Green Line’ had morphed into ‘LCBS’ albeit retaining the green but of a different shade.
New in 1962.
583 CLT ‘Blackpool Transport’ No. 521/RM1583. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
‘Blackpool Transport’ really pushed the boat out when the painted their RM’s into this stunning livery complete with lining out.
The livery had at one time graced Blackpool trams and buses in days gone by
New in 1963.
VLT 44 ‘Southend Transport’ No 127. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
New as RM 44 in 1959.
YVS 286 ‘Routemaster Bounemouth’ No. 286 AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
New registered WLT 809, RM 809.
It was re registered EDS 396A for service with ‘Kelvin Scottish’
It became YVS 286 when it went to Bournemouth in 1993.
