Hidden London Hangouts S2E3 - Routemaster
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2020
- The Routemaster is arguably the most recognisable London icon. This week, Alex, Chris, Laura and Siddy explore the history of the world famous and much loved big red bus, in this special episode of Hidden London Hangouts.
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I particularly enjoyed this one, it brought back memories of travelling on Routemasters in Hull and East Yorkshire in the 80s and 90s, they were old buses by then!!
My grandad was a conductor on London buses working out of Merton depot, from trams, trolley busses, RTs and Routemasters. Apparantly my first ever word I said was BUS according to my grandmother. I have a photo of my grandad in uniform from about 1920.
First encounter with a Routemaster was the Green Line London Transport RMC’s that operated the 721 service between Brentwood (London Hospital Annex) and London (Aldgate) in 1962, they replaced the old RT’s, of which I remember. Later in 1965, the RMC’s were replaced by the RCL’s.
Also at Brentwood in 1967, London Transport Country Area were running the 339 service from Harlow Bus Station to Warley Fords, these buses were green replaced the Country RT’s.
Brentwood was a magical place to be in the 60’s, seeing Trolleybuses at Aldgate, we had Central Area ten RT’s on the 247 and 287, Eastern National Bristol Lodekker buses on my local routes 262 and 252, the long haul ((151 and 251 London (Wood Green) to Southend (Seaway) at Brentwood High Street)).
I rode on RM1 c.1956 when it was on test on route 2 (I think). I bought a 1d child ticket and rode from Cricklewood to Golders Green - and back. All for 1d! That's one old penny. I'm sure it should have been more than that, but the conductor didn't turf me off; I think that he was impressed that I was interested in sampling his brand new bus.
I sat upstairs in the left hand front seat, and in 2014 at the Routemaster Rally in Finsbury Park, I sat in the same place after around 58 years!
As seen on the video, the sung yellow ceilings suited the interiors of Routemasters+ XA/XF doored vehicles from 1965 with the classic seat moquette of burgundy with yellow lines.
From August 1966 with the subsequent deliveries of the longer Routemaster RML class, lower saloon ceilings were done in white. It was brighter but a colder environment. Even worse was the interiors of the Merlin/Swift and Fleetline vehicles had white ceilings and blue seat moquette. Undoubtedly very clean interior décor for those types but a cold and less inviting when on board. Yellow colour ceilings were much nicer on buses not to mention cream and green interiors on RT types and RF single deckers and the GS,too.
Enjoyed many a ride on the routemasters back in the early 70s ,just the sound of them hammering around London was something else , my father was part of a team which brought some of them from London to Bedford in the 80s to operate as part of United counties.
I'm not a bus fan, but I learnt quite a bit from this episode! Well done, and good to see you all out and about at the London Transport Museum Depot. The lengthy design evolution of the Route Master prototypes was fascinating, plus the design details in the passenger saloon. The closest North American equivalent is the President's Conference Committee (PCC) Art Streamline streetcars (trams for you lot), designed in the 1930s to compete with automobiles. The PCCs stayed in regular service here in Toronto until the 1990s, about 50 years! Some still run in San Francisco, Boston, Kenosha, and Dallas. Many had been exported around the world after other North American streetcar systems were closed. Marvellous on the inside, like the RMs they pioneered modern conveniences for passengers.
I remember when I first got on the driver only buses (early 1980s), mum and I called them "Pay as you enter". If I remember correctly this was because "Pay as you enter" was stencilled by the front door. Also, because of the slight sloping glass panel of the "drivers periscope" on the top deck, this used to be where I sat, holding my imaginary steering wheel, pretending to drive the bus from the top deck front right seat.
The trolleybus in the shot of Aldenham works is A1-class 'Diddler' trolleybus No 1 registration HX2756, of 1931. It has been preserved by London Transport and its successors; but it and its contemporaries had long been withdrawn by the time Aldenham opened. Presumably it was there in this photo for restoration work prior to entry into the museum. I may be mistaken but I think such servicing of trolleys that could not be undertaken at their depots took place at Chorlton
Your hangouts are always the route to informative entertainment! Another super trip down the memory lanes of London!
OMG now I want to have that afternoon tea too! Or have that cocktail! Roundel ice!
Sitting in my own Routemaster watching this. Not as many features on Routemasters were specific for London as you lead to believe. Open back platform buses go right back decades. They were all over the UK pre 1960s, and never considered a specific London bus. The Routemaster is special because of it's mechanical advances, chassis-less construction, and almost all aluminium body construction based on aircraft design. The cubby hole for the conductor to stand was an improvement on earlier buses and is of more note to passengers. At eight foot wide, the Routemaster was also six inches wider than the standard London RT and other earlier buses around the UK. Eight foot width is standard on the majority of today's buses.
So glad to even be ready a few minutes beforehand unlike my usual scramble! Hello from Massachusetts
Stig - great you could join us. It’s great to have so many people from around the world being part of the Hangout!
Another great episode.
Glad Alex made a reference to the programme Perpetual Motion which i think was mid 90s which was a very good programme.
Aldenham bus works was originally I believe was to be a train depot for the Northern Line as part of the Northern Heights project which was abandoned.
I live in Edgware Middlesex and while coming home this monday 22 11 2022 I had a special treat . As I walked along I saw an RT in fantastic condition and behind it an RM . It was dark but both of them looked in fantastic condition and the RM sounded early with original light bulbs inside not strip lighting . I Know some of tthe RMs were modernised slightly in later years
A great episode, really great to learn more about this iconic vehicle.
Another brilliant episode and the format was playful yet informative . I feel “super smart” having just read my LTM friends newsletter so my head was awash in London bus acronyms from the ages. Better to be lucky than good. Ask me in a week what an RML is. Or don’t.
I remember riding on the RMC that ran on the No. 8 back in the 90's and the former sightseeing open top tour version on the 73. An RMA was also being employed on another route at the same time but never rode on it..
Used to like going to Eastbourne back in the day to get on the Routemaster's twin the Regent V...
I also remember the RT's - they were excellent too. All so much better than the dreadful Daimler Fleetlines that replaced them.
RM2 was only on 406/410 for short time, after which it was repainted red and ran on 91 route Wandsworth-Fulham Bdwy-Hammersmith-Acton-Hounslow. You might also have mentioned the Leyland prototype versions: RML3 and CRL4, which latter was prototype for the Green Line variations.
If you want to drive one, there are several preserved. An especially good one is RM1001 preserved by Quantock, and still in use. I travelled on it only a few weeks backalong running a heritage replacement service Dunster-Minehead for the West Somerset heritage railway while that section was closed (still is) for road works for a new level crossing. RM1001 is shown bases HT (Highgate) and ostensibly on 19 route bound for Hyde Park Corner.
A most enjoyable episode. Thanks to you all - and great to see buses (although I love the Tube too!)
Another interesting and entertaining episode Guys. Pity you didn't give some guide to dates as to when the different versions were introduced. I was a child in London in the early 60's and have still got, in my scrapbook, a number of the different coloured tickets that the conductor use to pull out of his clip and punch a hole depending where you wanted to go.
RM1 had its radiator originally flat under the bus and a completely different front.Are the Museum going to put back the original front.In it original position the radiator overheated.Wasnt the gearbox a semi-automatic preselect Wilson box
An excellent Episode.thank you.if can film in Down Street or the Northend station that never opened to the public. a clue to what I am talking about.we could hear a fantastic four version of the old bull and bush song..best wishes from Kevin.
You REALLY want me to sing again? 🤣
A great fun insight into the Routemaster bus and its history.
Who knew there were so many variants.
Excellent Hangout - most interesting to see the iterations of the RM at the depot - I had not appreciated the fact there was so much RM history there - I need to read the labels more closely!
Thank you all for the 'outside broadcast' video parts, the information and chat - always a pleasure to watch. (Noted the lit up roundel on the table whilst you had cocktails)
"some kids scratched off letters" "some mooned the driver" - hmm, anything you want to admit Alex? ;)
Also 'Fagnolia' - lol
Keep it in your trousers Dave LOL
Dave I was a model pupil. Within school hours 🤣
I was also hoping Alex would catch a cone while driving the bus. Fantastic episode! I feel my next visit to London will be completely full of transportation related activities and I could certainly go for one of those Route master cocktails right about now!
Those cones were safe in my hands....
Best buses ever to drive & conduct on.
Did you know that Sunderland Corporation single deck buses had Routemaster Moquette seat cushions?
John I did not - that’s good to know. I’ll tuck that away in the knowledge bank. Do you happen to know why that was the case?
@@chrisnix6352 I understand Sunderland was ONLY place granted that use. I need to discuss with North Eastern Contacts why but I will pass on answer when I get it.
Another fantastic episode!!! 👍😉
The number of times I rode on a RCL from Brentwood (Essex) to London Aldgate and back, on route 721. They were really comfortable, always tried to get the back seat upstairs. May have ridden on that RCL as it has a 721 fare chart.
Even though I love the Red RM and the Green Line RMC, the RCL is my real favourite.
Alan I’m with you - on the downlow the RCL is my favourite too.
When LT was in their prime
It was mentioned at the beginning that the aluminium body was light on the chassis. The RM did not have a chassis but instead sub frames.
Quite right!
Can we call it an underbelly instead?
Alex Grundon 👍
If I recall correctly Three Dings was Emergency Stop. (Possibly because a passenger was trying to board when the bus was moving and had stumbled)
I don't know about London but in Edinburgh the conductor rang the bell three times if the bus was full so the driver knew not to stop at the next stop because no-one would be able to get on. Thus a bus full of passengers was described as having 'three bell load'. Emergency stop was any number of more presses than that
You should do one on the 339 route at Epping
Just to make it clear the routemaster body was actually built by Park Royal Vehicles, not as Alex mentions AEC they built the sub frame.
Who made the bell pushes?
Sorry Alex I have no idea who made the bell pushes, I can only assume they were made by the body builder, I also believe they are the same as on the RT fleet of buses.
A question for Chris on Morquette if I am not mistaken back in the late 1949’s early 1950’s when the RT bus was in full swing, I believe some were made for St Helen’s Corporation did they have the same Morquette as the London version.
RML3 was Leyland Engined and Weyman body work.
CRL4 was also Leyland Engined but with ECW bodywork.
If Alex is cliff. Who would play the shadows 🤔
They weren't made in Factory, rather Lowestoft
Hi Roger - I think in that clip Siddy was referring to the replacement DMS so that would be Coventry/Farington
Great video as always but Cliff drove a RT bus not a RM for the classic film Summer Holiday.
This was done as a joke at the start and we clear up that up for accuracy in the Museum section in front of the two buses. We wouldn’t want people to get that wrong in quiz questions!
Clever clogs! We do make the point later but thank you for watching. Hope it makes you smile
The Young Ones had RM1376 though, but not for long...it finished up at the bottom of a quarry not far from here in Northfleet!!
Curious: I have a bus scroll (not sure if that's a correct term) from what I think is an old Routemaster. Do you know how these came into circulation from buses? Thanks.
There are loads of bus blinds in circulation for sale - some as whole rolls and some cut up to sell individual destinations. They’re now made of Tyvek but the old ones are beautiful and very desirable!
That was the booziest episode so far, I think!
the alcove was for prams, not just conductor
Hi Roger - the engineering drawings show it as a “Conductor’s standing recess” and behind it a “Conductor’s store” it was of course used for the odd pram and suitcase but officially it was the Conductor’s domain!
...indeed Chris. A bit like you can cook salmon in a dishwasher but it is intended for dishes x
Alex Grundon and I guess it gives the salmon a nice lemony tang if you use the right tabs...I’ve over extended the simile haven’t I?
...”Fin-ish” dishwasher tablets particular good for flavouring fish
Alex Grundon Noice!
Agreed that the RM is an absolute classic and very good looking, but you risked upsetting a lot of Bristol Commercial Vehicles fans who would know that a lot of those 'designs' that you suggested were unique or 'designed for' the RM were, in fact, already present on many buses from elsewhere that pre-date the RM, not least of which was the Bristol Lodekka - arguably having as much of an impact on bus design at the time. Of course, if you never travel outside London (to literally anywhere outside the Home Counties), you won't be familiar with Bristol buses of the period and, of course, they aren't as iconic, so there are fewer preserved examples. I cannot, however, believe you did not mention WHY Aldenham existed in the first place!
Another Great Episode guys Thankyou
If you want more Routemaster action ,try this m.ruclips.net/video/xdNwwAXKCUM/видео.html
RMs out and about in the wild,