The splendidly restored Green Line coach RMC 1461 (461 CLT) has seen almost as much service in the last fifteen years as it did in its first fifteen years with the long-forgotten Country Area of the old London Transport. After being bought back from London Country in 1980, staff bus work and training duties were its lot until the innovative route X15 was started in 1989. After that route was one-manned in due course, the bus was restored to Green Line condition, complete with original front grille and offside route number blind box. However, it's seen consistent use on the 15 since then, despite its unfamiliar platform doors. The standard of seating has never been bettered on a service bus!

Today and yesterday RMC 1461 was put out on routes 115, 147 and 330, alternately delighting and confusing passengers in these routes' East London regions that haven't seen Routemasters in a generation. When the 15 is one-manned on Saturday, forty-year-old RMC 1461 will pass into a well-earned retirement at the Cobham bus museum.

Fellow Upton Park Routemaster RM 980 did duty on the 101, 104 and 238 as well as re-creating the 15's old offshoot numbered 100. It was deputising for RML 2760, which is having its engine changed ready to be the last Routemaster on the 15 on Friday 29th August. This journey (U21) is scheduled to depart from Paddington for East Ham at 20:20.