London's Secret Buses
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- THESE BUSES NOW ONLY RUN ON WEEKENDS! Since early 2019, these buses have stopped being used on weekdays due to how quiet they were, so if you're looking to ride one, make sure you visit on a weekend.
'A Great British Adventure' is a series of videos that have taken me all over the UK. The videos are based on the new A-Z 10p coins - they aren't videos about the coins, rather, they use them as a sort of contents page. They will be uploaded every 3 days for the next 3 months or so, although there will be some miscellaneous videos in between (including kitten updates and videos!)
Instagram: @halfasleepchris
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THESE BUSES NOW ONLY RUN ON WEEKENDS! Since early 2019, these buses have stopped being used on weekdays due to how quiet they were, so if you're looking to ride one, make sure you visit on a weekend.
They were too quiet?
I went on while visiting and it was amazing!
I went the day before i wrote this on a Friday and was annoyed to find I never saw one now I know why
Why is nobody replying and liking?
Half-Asleep Chris yes I remember seeing one
Red phone boxes are synonymous with London? They used to be everywhere, I'm getting so old that things I remember being normal are now pieces of tourist iconography. I assume they no longer contain half ripped up phone books and take 2p coins, but the smell of urine must still linger.
I remember when all buses were Routemasters. Upstairs was for smokers, so that was always lovely. I remember once on the way to school there was an incident of a "double ding" (as the driver was in his own compartment, the conductor had to communicate through ringing the bell. 1 ding, someone wants to get off at the next stop, 2 dings, nobody wants to get off at the next stop. This worked fine unless you rang the bell to get off at the same time as someone upstairs did, so two single dings instead sounded like a double ding). So we were stood on the little platform as the bus shot past the school and continued onwards, which was unfortunate as one of the next stops was our rival school and we'd get our heads kicked in. This is where the Routemaster was a life saver. We waited until we approached a traffic light and the bus slowed down, then jumped off the bus. I was 11 and didn't understand the rules of momentum and so landed in the road and had to carry on running, right into the back of a van at top speed, ending up on my arse in the middle of a busy London road. Still better than a kicking from the other school though. Incredibly long winded and boring story all to say that I miss the old style buses and this video really brought back some memories. Keep up the good work.
If you want to see lots of footage of Routemasters coupled with the worst comedy the 1970s had to offer, On The Buses is worth a look. Gorgeous vehicles, awful, awful comedy.
That's an amazing story!
Routemasters don't feature in On The Buses.Great comment though about the old days.
@@paulhalley6760 Don't they? Even less reason to watch it then. :)
@@droppedelbow
The series mainly used Bristol Lodekkas.
@@fp4man542 Makes sense, it was the sort of show that would find something being called "Bristols" hilarious.
Hi Chris. I really enjoyed this. Would you mind if I use a clip from it in my next video if I credit you? (The 88 bus going past Westminster Abbey)
Thanks a lot! Yeah, that would be fine :)
Lol
@@RandomRahi2 how is that funny?
@@lucasbarton1773 maybe because it's just casually saying that idk
I did think that the clips were very similar
I tried to hop on a 15 Routemaster when I saw it waiting at the lights but got told I had to get on at a bus stop. I realise that the new ones were designed for better accessibility, but getting on and off at impromptu stops is the reason why they had an open back in the first place, so it's a shame they don't trust able-bodied people to use their legs anymore. How's _that_ for "accessibility"! Anyway, I did as told and went to the nearest stop (Tower Hill westbound), but when it pulled up alongside the stop, it just drove straight off - I think the driver could see that a regular route 15 bus was already there, so didn't bother to stop. Waited half an hour but none more came. So they are indeed a rare treat!
Yeah, I found with these that the driver's don't wait around, and will only stop very briefly. I've managed to jump off during traffic, and I jumped on when like you said they pulled away to quickly, but only to stop at traffic lights shortly down the road.
@Half-Asleep-Chris Weirdly enough same!!
time has moved on and passengers now want more comfortable easy-access buses
newer buses now have level boarding which is of great assistance whether you have mobility difficulties or with a child in a buggy
The West Midlands ditched MCW Metrobuses for the same reasons
From January 2001, the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations required that all new buses on scheduled services should have easy-access low floors, with specific provisions for the carriage of wheelchairs and priority seats for passengers with limited mobility among other features.
Today’s video is one of my favourites! Also, Friday’s video will be a break from the Great British Adventure series, and will be an update video about the kittens.
I love you vid
Half-Asleep Chris are they alright?
@@FlappyCrusher Kittens are great - they're getting big!
It's nice to see a video not just about kittens although I love them I want to see different things
Half-Asleep Chris thanks!
OMG BEST CHANNEL EVER!! Thanks for the info. I miss Reggie, But new kittens are just as cute!!
What happened with redge
iwona jakubowska he got paralysed and died.
U know that tom passed away right? Right?!
3bs Games Fan hi i am alexa this was a year ago ok he was fine then
3bs Games Fan hi i am alexa I am aware, this comment was almost 2 years ago, When He Only Just Got The Kittens
My late father was a bus driver. When he passed away I hired a retired London Routemaster for the day to drive several people to the funeral service.
A very fitting tribute to your father. On more than one occasion, I have paid my last respects to former colleagues by taking the bus to a funeral.
Very interesting, once again Chris! Im loving it!
I studied in London in the 2000s. The Routemaster was like an old friend. Good to see a few still going.
It’s sad to see the heritage route is now gone due to lack of step free access. But I really like your enthusiasm to the Routemaster 😁 Great Video Chris 👍
Incredible video as usual! I'm hopefully going to be able to study abroad in the UK next year and these videos just make me want to go even more!
Thanks a lot, and good luck with your studies :)
The RM was designed by London Transport, not by a bus manufacturer. That's why it's London's bus, it was designed FOR London.
They wouldn't work as well anywhere else in Britain. Their most distinctive feature, the open platform at the back, has a point only if the bus is not at a bus stop, but you can jump on or off safely (ish) because it's stuck in a traffic jam.
Chris is like adulthood, but wholesome.
wow
As a former Yorkshire bus driver and the wife of a bus restoration enthusiast, I really enjoyed your Routemaster presentation.
Clean editing with balanced presentation.
The perfect 5 minute look at the Iconic London bus.
While the heritage routes have retired, there's plenty of routemaster buses in private ownership, and there is one company (Londoner Buses) that runs exclusively vintage routemaster buses on a route from Waterloo Station to Piccadilly Circus. Plus, you can hire a routemaster for special events
I'm rather old, and I can still remember the old London Transport (I still call it that) 57xx pannier tanks and my Grandfather told me of the Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4s, of which No.1 is preserved. I also remember hopping off the old Routemasters when in traffic, then back on when it caught up.
Very interesting❤️ as a Filipino🇵🇭 I'm very surprised to see this amazing bus, it's not just a typical bus that we see it all day, it has an historical and symbolic value of London and Britain🇬🇧 as a whole✨
1:43 The timing and pacing of this sequence, combined with the music drop makes the scene so immaculately perfect! I love your stuff!
For some reason, every time, I watch your videos, I want to go to London, I want to live in London, I just suddenly want to go to london
OMG! The number 15 bus that I used to catch home after seeing my girlfriend, then a student nurse at The Royal London Hospital, now 40 years later my enduring best friend and wife. In those days the route was much extended but it was always a warm and friendly sight as it appeared along the Commercial Road in the East End offering sanctuary from the biting winter winds.
Chris Doc The no. 15 is the most iconic bus route in London, more so when it ran from East Ham to Paddington. I think it may have extended as far as Ladbroke Grove.
How do you do your stop motion because I love it!
They were loud, smelly, bumpy and the best way to get to school! Miss them!
I've been to London once, and I absolutely loved the charm that the city had. Great video ! :D
When I visited London, I made sure to hop on one of those buses! London's public transportation is great. Super easy to navigate and we ordered oyster cards before our arrival, so we didn't even had to buy more tickets.
We used them also for a ferry ride, which was pretty cool.
That was a nice wee video about the secret bus’s! I will definitely have to ride one when I go back to London.
I saw 2 of these busses when me, my brother, my dad and his friend went to Westminster. I managed to spot one in front of the Houses of Parliament, and another along the River Thames near the Battle for Britain memorial which even had a Paddington Bear ad. How cute. I managed to take pictures of both of them, however the one near the Houses of Parliament was covered up by a lady who managed to get in my photo. Still, I managed to get the front in frame. I was the only one of my group who noticed this extra rare to encounter bus. I showed it to my friends, but either they don't check my posts because they're in Malaysia, or they think the RM(unintentional reference to Malaysia's currency) is London's standard bus that has never been replaced. The Routemaster is the face of London. Retiring this iconic bus would make London lose part of its charm and can even be considered as false advertising. I do think these Routemasters are now electric powered, though after noticing the absence of grills.
I used to think that all double deckers buses are the same that drawn on the posters... I hope I have the chance to experience one of those original double-decker buses.
Although I live in Denmark, but i have been in London a lot of times, nearly every year of my life for 14 years now, and i agree strongly agree. I remember coming here for the first time, thrilled by all the red telephone boxes and routemasters, and for a long time, I felt this feeling every time I went. This feeling of, well, nostalgia if you can call it that. The real London atmosphere. Now, well, I still love London, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just so much more bland now, and as a matter of fact, I didn’t even know that they, the original routemasters, were still on the road.
This video was beautifully made (like always :), and I can’t wait to get a ride on one of these!
Yeah it's a shame, but there are movements trying to keep it up. There's a group of volunteers who go around cleaning and restoring the red telephone boxes, and hopefully these Routemasters keep going too! Thanks :)
Half-Asleep Chris Honestly, they need to. London has an amazing culture, and backstory backing it like the industrial revolution. We would still have the underground and such, but losing the telephone boxes and the routemasters would suck, and London would never be the same.
When I went to London, I saw one of these buses. I took notice of it but didn't realise how rare they were.
0:25 Wdym?! The Volvo B7TL RULES!!
Very ture
You certainly have a very creative way of telling your stories! Love your videos. My mother is from England and we used to go there every other year or so and I remember getting to ride on those type of buses and I loved every minute of it because they don’t have double decker buses in the U.S. Keep up the fun videos, perhaps one day you’ll come to see what America has to offer (or perhaps you already have and I just haven’t seen that video just yet as I’ve only recently discovered your channel).
Interesting take. Part of the reason these are so 'secret' is because of the lack of advertising. The route in particular is getting reduced in 2019 to Summer Weekend service.
You can also find routemaster on tube strike days. A recent Central Line strike has seen this bus type operate on route 25. They're banned from regular service however because they are not wheelchair accessible.
What is the background music you use?
I write / record it myself. This one is called 'Sunny Spells' and can be found on the Half-Asleep Music RUclips channel.
Wow.
@@HalfAsleepChris Multi-talented!
These things were incredibly advanced underneath the quaint exterior. Independent front coil suspension giving an amazing rid and unitary alloy construction with framework based on state of the art WWII aircraft design, giving it strength and excellent handing and nimbleness perfect for London work. 50 years in daily service its testament to that.
While the 15H route has been discontinued, another operator has picked up the service on a fully private route designated Route A. It takes cash and contactless but not travelcards or Oyster, but the cost is 2.50 for a single trip or 7.50 for a day pass. So while it may not be as easy to catch as it used to be (especially as these are hourly with one bus on the route instead of every 20 minutes with 3 or 4 buses on the route) it's still possible to ride a Routemaster in London in 2023. It's now even possible to get those classic photos of a Routemaster crossing Westminster Bridge!
Watching this while drawing a London bus as a backdrop for my next video. This is probably my favorite video on your channel!
I was recently in London last February, and I saw three routemasters, 1 that passed through when we took a bus from Picadilly Circus to Victoria station and the second and third was actually both at the same place on the same day, in between the big Ben/Parliament and Westminster bridge. It was so lovely. Sadly the ones for London transport have retired in 2022.
Well, as an old man, I think I can understand the nostalgia that people might feel towards the Routemaster but I have to say that I hated the introduction of that bus. I grew up with the RT’s, the RTL’s and the RTW’s together with those wonderful trolleybuses. Trolleybuses were always a treat for me when Mum took me and my brother to see our Aunt Winnie in Cricklewood. We would get on a 113, an RT, at Apex Corner to take us to Cricklewood Lane where we picked up the trolleybus, a 666 or 665, to Cricklewood Broadway. It was just a walk then to where my Aunt Winnie lived.
Later on, when I went to a school in Willesden, I would take the 52, an RTL, to High Road Willesden, where I would again catch the 666 or 665 to Suffolk Road near to where my school was. I only went on an RTW a few times. The RTW’s were not as common as the RT’s and RTL’s. They were eight feet wide, like the Routemasters, whereas the RT’s, the RTL’s and trolleybuses were only 7 foot 6 inches wide. The trolleybuses rattled as they went along the roads and they were much longer than the buses. They had so much more character. Like you, I liked the open platforms at the back of buses. If the bus had started moving, you could catch up with it and jump on. Mind you, only the very athletic could do that with the trolleybuses. They also had open platforms but because they accelerated so quickly, you had to be able to run very fast.
I was devastated when, early in 1966, the 666’s and 665’s were replaced by the 266’s and 265’s which were those damned Routemasters. The Routemasters were so boring and they threw you about when they changed gear because the suspension was so soft. It always happened as you were either half way up the stairs or you were just getting from the top of the stairs to the aisle running down the bus. There was nothing to hold on to at that point and you only had one hand whilst carrying your school bag.
A few years ago, I visited the transport museum in Lowestoft where my Aunt Winnie’s daughter now lives. I was so delighted to see that they had both a working trolleybus and an RTL which at the time, I think, was being renovated. You can actually have a ride on the trolleybus. I sat on the long seat at the back of the downstairs beneath where the stairs go up and noticed the chart showing the route which the trolleybus once took. I couldn’t believe it when I discovered that it served the route which I had taken all those years before both with my Mum and when I was going to school. It is almost certain that that very trolleybus would have taken me to school on some occasions all those years ago. To experience the rattling again was such a delight.
I too remember the Trolleybuses. As a child I used to catch the 630 from West Croydon to Earlsfield to visit an aunt. That bus went all the way to Harlesden. I believe the last trolleybus in London ran in 1962 and the last in the UK ran in Bradford in 1972. What with all the new tram services being opened in recent years it is surprising that trolleybuses are not making a comeback aswell.
@@trevordance5181 Hello Trevor. Yes, 1962 sounds right. I’m pretty sure the 666 and 665 services finished that year. I didn’t travel on many trolleybus routes but the thing I remember the most was the rattling and how fast that accelerated. You make a good point about the recent introduction of trams. A modern trolley bus would negate the need for the rails and would be equally environmentally friendly.
I wish we could bring these back, the only thing I’d change is the ‘hop on and off’ door. It’s a bit dangerous, really.
Nah thats the bit I love about them :D
At my university (University of California at Davis), they had a few of the old fashioned London double decker buses shipped over, and they fixed them up, and they're used in regular rotation around the city, and is operated by the uni student union. Just wanted to let you know, that they aren't going to waste.
Emilie Coats - I wonder how they cope with them being right hand drive and the open platform on the left, 🇬🇧
@@samuelfellows6923 I work for Unitrans in Davis! Drivers are trained to be familiar with the right-hand drive, and the buses are operated with a conductor riding in the back who uses a flag to direct traffic behind the bus at stops so passengers can safely walk around to the left side from the pavement. Our terminal is designed to accommodate the RT to make boarding/deboarding easier as well :)
I just can’t explain it but this channel makes me so happy
The presentation, music, storytelling, stop motion, all of it! Thanks Chris
Love your vids keep up the good work
I rode one 2 years ago. I was surprised to see it. It was a treat. Bus conductor and a string to ring the bell. However, I think the new ones are lovely too and will be icons of our age in time to come.
Very well done documentary on London's older, classic double decker buses. I had the privelege to ride on these the first time I visited London in 1999 (as many probably already know, the old double decker buses were still regularly used back then, seemingly all over London). As a kid living in the USA during the 1960s, we learned of these buses largely through purchasing Matchbox-Lesney toy cars and trucks/lorries. The London buses made by Matchbox-Lesney were always favorites (although my favorite of all time was, and still is, the double decker trolley buses of England; Matchbox-Lesney made a nice little toy model of that one and I was fortunate enough to get one [at a reduced price... probably 25 or 35 cents back then] as new old stock around 1970 or so from a hardware store in the Chicago area where I grew up). Thanks for sharing!
100% most underrated channel *ever*.
It was always cool to try to jump on the footplate as the bus pulled away, using the grab-bar as leverage. Good memories!
your videos are just so aesthetically pleasing, i can’t stop watching them. subscribed ❤️
I'm half British half American living in the US and your videos make me want to go back to the UK so badly!! I haven't been there in 6 years and I miss it so much 😭 I always feel truly at home when I'm there
That brought back some lovely memories I had of jumping on and off the Routemasters in the late 80s and early 90s. Thank you.
The routemasters you still see today are contracted by Stagecoach Bus LTD but it operated by TFL and after the contract ends they ever get it back or get it given to another company.
5 star once again
I live in macedonia 🇲🇰 and we have modern "Yutong" double decker busses that look exactly like the old ones in London. We love them.
This was the first video I watched on this channel and now I just enjoy this content
Always brilliant Chris! I'm loving this series. You guys have been making things that are quite mundane into something very exciting to watch. Keep up the great work
Born Adventures Thanks!
I got on one of these buses and nobody believed me!!! I got to hop off when it was at a red light rather than at a stop and it was so strange. There was a guard at the back who checked our tickets and everything! It was so much fun and I took so many pictures. I loved it and im glad you made this video to explain why I was able to catch a mysterious old bus when I thought they were all out of service :)
They're amazing, it's really an experience to ride them, like you say with the hopping on and off as you please!
I love the music and the bus model😍
Here in San Francisco, you can still ride several of the original cable cars from the victorian era. We consider them moving landmarks and historical treasures.
Hey mate, just been on one of these very recently, a conductor told me they are going out of service for a few months so they can have their engines replaced, I think they are still running, I think I've watched this video about 10 times because it's so good! Keep up the good work and I have really loved your channel just by watching your video, thanks so much for making this and I've watched this more than the legitimate londonist video.
LMSFan13065 - replaced with.... euro 6 with particulate filter?
yeah, that`s what my friend said I think he said it was out of a Gemini
This is the best channel ever, Thank you for doing this Chris.
OMG! I had NO idea. Thank you so much, I’m going to hop on one TODAY! Ps. My 5 year old son got me on to your videos. Only thing is that I have your song Ralf & Tom permanently stuck in my head. To the point that I make up new songs for my kids with it every day...
I believe the buses now only run on weekends (look it up, I'm not 100% sure), plus I don't know what impact the lockdowns etc have had, so definitely look into it first! Good luck :)
@@HalfAsleepChris hi!
I thought tfl sent them to the grave
I am so glad that I found this channel,I love the stop motion,the music and all of the wonderful content!
Also,. British, anyone?
Just saw one at Trafalgar Square! After that, it revealed another Routemaster!
You are my favourite RUclipsr and I'm always so looking forward for your new vids
Thanks so much! :)
Another iconic London vehicle was the Austin FX4 Fairway taxi. Sadly now all gone from London's streets after being such a part of London's landscape from 1958 to 2012, when they were deemed to be too old and most were then scrapped needlessly. The later shape London cabs just don't have that classic look. I couldn't buy a Routemaster bus, but I did own a couple of London taxis! I had a 1978 Austin FX4 and later on a 1997 LTI Fairway. I used them as private cars and they were great fun. A little piece of London on the road. Look for a model or toy souvenir London taxi in the tourist shops and you'll only find models of the iconic FX4 which is no longer ever seen in London.
This is sooo good, really enjoying the series, can't wait for e!
I love your channel because u put so much hard work into it and u care of reggie so much it's adorable.
Wow! Thanks for teaching me so much about London. In third grade I did a project on London but never read anything about this. If I watch this video over and over I can get my geography project done. I don’t have anything bad to say about this channel. Keep up the good work
very well made. Exactly like an A+ class presentation on London's famous bus. Great video!
I just love these videos! As if the editing wasn't good enough, the background music you use (which I assume is from Half-Asleep Music) solely makes me smile!
I was having a hard time, so thanks for making my day!
Good to see young people interested in the original buses
This video is so charming! Oh my goodness! Lovely as always, Chris!
In my country I also miss the old bus where you can open the window (now it’s just air conditioned). The smell and the slightly shaky was the charm for the bus for me. I miss having the Bell next the the seat. The last bus last service In 2016
Great video :) I live in Davis, a small university town in California, and I work as a driver for the Davis bus service (called Unitrans). Our logo has a picture of an old RT and we have several imported vintage RTs from London that we're hoping to bring back into service in Spring of 2022. Our terminal also has a red London phone booth installed to add to the classic London feel of the system.
3:34 she really needed a bus
I totally agree, I love how London is the perfect mix of old and new!
I am from Denmark I tried the Route-masters on route 15 when I visited London in 2016 with my mom. You cant visit London without trying the Rubies on Route 15.
Honestly I'm still crying about Reggie
Wow. I never thought that I would enjoy watching a video about a dude on a bus so much
RUclips brought me here, and I do not regret it, You are such a great narrator with a warm welcoming voice! I see a great future a head of you!!
Hey that's great, thanks a lot! :)
A few weeks ago I saw one on the motorway going towards bormouth
My dad used to drive one of those classic double decker bus here in Canada
This really put a smile on my face. What an excellent channel!
Thanks a lot!
I don't know if anyone realizes it but you are a great drawer!!!!
Thanks :)
Okay, never stop making videos. I have watched your videos for so long now and this is my first comment. You have no idea how much I love your videos and how calming and fun they are to watch! Trust me, if you keep making videos and don’t quit, you’ll have plenty of fans to watch your videos in barely any time
Thanks so much, glad you like my videos :)
Hi Chris Thanks for sharing this info.and yes your voice is amazing and warm and friendly and the way you speak is from the heart.As Pame Koselig had commented about your voice too I agree with her.
I love this channel because you do things that the video could do without, but it just makes it so much better. (for example the model of the double decker bus he made)
It is a great idea to do videos on each and every a-z ten pence
Our niece hired two as transport for her wedding from the register office to the reception venue. It was such a novel way to do it.
Amazing vid shows London's amazing history.
I’ve always wanted to ride on one but now learning that they’re not used anymore is shattering
Brings the brit out in me lol. I feel the same about the busses, despite not being a londoner. Amazing video, as always. I'm loving this coin series, it's amazing!
Thanks a lot!
Similar thing happened in Prague - there are the iconic Tatra T3 trams, that are getting really old now. So the city is replacing them with new ones. But because the T3s are so typical, they dedicated one line where they promised to never run any other model and never replace them. This line is 23 and it passes most of the typical tourist places along with the Prague Castle. And similar to your buses, a normal public transport ticket is all you need to ride them.
Iconic vehicle Chris Meoow
I love the upholstery on those seats! :-)
Amazing!
Greetings from Romania!
I once Drove a 1938 London Double Decker Bus and I did it without a Bus Licence.
But no problem, because I did it under Police Direction.
I had an 8 Police Motorcycles Escort to get Me through Traffic and 12 Police Officers Onboard for the Ride.
And if you have ever driven a 1938 London Double Decker Bus you will know that the Gear Change is entirely different to any modern vehicle of Today.
Chris I just want to say thank you for responding to this channels comments it means a lot to us thanks
To drive one is a great experience too! Especially an original AEC engine one where you have to change gear on it ! The greatest bus ever and proud to have owned one.
This reminds me of the old w-class trams in Melbourne. Pretty much all of them have fallen out of service, except a few of them that travel the city loop, despite the fact that they are the real iconic one
The RT and it's variants too were operating alongside Routemasters for many years, running from 1939 to 1979and was also an iconic type. If you saw London in the mid 50s every bus on the road was a type of RT and not forgetting the single deck RF (1951 - 1979). The heritage RMs are still running, despite enginge replaced and window openings and other features all altered.