The Routemaster Owners
Club (ROC)
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Wherever Londoners go, the Routemaster bus has been there during the past fifty years with it's conductor to collect fares and assist passengers they quickly move the crowds along. The bus has never found an equal and it is no wonder many Londoners are unhappy about the end of this workhorse on the streets of the capital. Designed and developed by London Transport to meet the tough operating conditions of the capital the Routemaster bus has become an icon. Built between 1958 and 1968 the Routemaster series was the last open platform bus to enter service in London and was designed for a seventeen year working life. Some fifty three plus years after the prototypes first appearance in 1954 over eight hundred and fifty examples still exist in one guise or another. It is worth noting that up to four years ago over half of this number were still operational on London's streets. Four prototypes were completed between 1954 and 1957, the first two being built at London Transport's Chiswick works working closely with AEC and Park Royal Vehicle Bodies. The other two were built by Weymanns and Eastern Coachworks. RM1 and RM2 had AEC engines with RML3 and RMC4 having Leyland engines fitted, the fourth prototype being an experimental Green Line coach.
In 1961 twenty four vehicles were lengthened by the insertion of an additional thirty inch section in the centre of their bodywork these buses were classified RML (Routemaster Long) thus allowing for seventy two seated passengers. This variant became the standard product from 1965. Weighing in at 7.75 tonnes it is some three tonnes lighter than modern double deck vehicles of similar passenger capacity. Many modifications or variants took place during the production of the fleet such as a large batch being fitted with Leyland 9.8litre engines from new, with design improvements such as brake cooling grilles and upper deck front opening windows. Following on from the fourth prototype a batch of Routemaster coaches were built in 1962 with electrically operated platform doors and several other differences both internally and externally. A further batch of this variant to the longer design were built in 1965, these were fitted with the larger AEC 11.3 litre power unit. It is interesting to note that although a huge success in London this vehicle found only two customers outside the capital. Northern General in Newcastle and British European Airways. Both these variants had front entrances and different internal styles with the BEA type also having the larger AEC power unit.  In 1966 a fifth prototype FRM1 was completed a front entrance rear engined bus using 60% of standard Routemaster parts, but this was not allowed to go into production thus leading to the end of bus design to meet the particular needs of our capital city. To date some one thousand five hundred examples have been scrapped but many have been sold on for further service as well as numerous examples joining the ranks of historic preserved vehicles. From 1985 another chapter in the Routemaster story commenced following on from deregulation and by 1988 examples appeared in towns and cities as far north as Dundee and as far south as Southampton. These buses were twenty to twenty five years old but due to the extensive maintenance programme undertaken by London Transport many operators felt the buses were in the condition of many other types of only five years old. This probably explains why many examples have continued to operate to date. A major refurbishment programme was carried out during the early 1990's with all but two of the RML fleet being re-engined with Cummins or Iveco units as well as an internal refit to give these vehicles a further ten years life. Immediately following this refurbishment most of these vehicles found themselves in private hands following privatisation of London Buses with the exception of forty three vehicles which are now owned by Transport for London but leased to the operating companies.
Volume sales of the Routemaster sped up in 2003 when Transport for London resumed plans to replace conductors with one man operated vehicles and to improve access for the disabled to public transport. The Routemaster is almost certainly the last in the line of buses designed and built specially for the capital and will surely enjoy cult status for years to come. The icon has disappeared from London streets with the exception of two heritage routes but will by no means be forgotten. Return To Top ROUTEMASTER VARIANTS
A total of 2876 Routemaster buses were constructed between the first prototype RM in 1954 and the last RML variant in 1968. The vast majority of these fell into six main types when construction actually occurred but over time numerous modifications and improvements occurred. All but 116 of this number were built for London Transport showing this vehicles total suitability within our capital city. The breakdown of production is: 4 Prototype Vehicles (2 AEC engined, 2 Leyland engined with 1 being a coach variant) 2120 Standard 27foot 6inch "RM" variant seating 64 people with either an AEC AV590 9.6litre or a Leyland 0600 9.8litre engine. 524 Longer 30foot "RML" variant seating 72 people all with the AEC AV590 9.6litre engine  68 Standard 27foot 6inch "RMC" variant seating 57 people all with the AEC AV590 9.6litre engine. This coach variant had rear platform doors, rear air suspension, higher axle ratio and better seating permitting higher running speeds and more comfort on the Greenline coach routes. 43 Longer 30foot "RCL" variant seating 65 people all with a larger AEC AV690 11.3litre engine. Again this coach variant had rear platform doors, rear air suspension, higher axle ratio and better seating for higher speeds and improved passenger comfort on the longer Greenline coach routes. 1 Longer 30foot "RMF1254" being built to show the flexibility of the Routemaster design. Built in 1962 to compete against the rear engine, front entrance buses that were entering the market it never entered normal London Transport service. This vehicle was tested by several operators countrywide including British European Airways prior to being sold to Northern General where it joined their Routemaster fleet. 50 Longer 30foot "Northern General RMF" variant seating 72 people all with Leyland 0600 9.8litre engines. This variant was the only type to be constructed to serve outside London and had a number of visual differences from the standard Routemaster even excluding the fact the door was at the front. 65 Standard 27foot 6inch "Airport RMF/RMA" variant seating 56 people all with the larger AEC AV690 11.3litre engines and high ratio differentials. These vehicles also hauled a luggage trailer and were capable of speeds in excess of any other Routemaster variant. They operated exclusively for British European Airways who became British Airways until withdrawn and purchased by London Transport who mainly used them for training and staff bus duties. 1 Longer 31foot 6inch "FRM" variant seating 72 people but most significantly a front entrance, rear engine model in a vain attempt to update the Routemaster variant to the vehicle layout becoming more and more used in London. Unfortunately the bus was not viewed positively and did not enter production.  A preserved example of the Northern General variant Return To Top |
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