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Probably the
day's outstanding feature in a day of outstanding
features was the use of RTW 467 (LLU 957) on the 8.
This was the last RTW in service on 14th May 1966
and passed into preservation by a number of
individuals. Looking back, it's hard to believe
that the Metropolitan Police, who controlled a
much larger aspect of London's transport than is
the case today, had such qualms about letting
eight foot wide vehicles such as these operate in
central London. The extra width of the RTW is
immediately noticeable, and inside it's
definitely roomier than on an RT, which to modern
sentiments might feel cramped. A superb bus, and
one of two RTWs to appear today! |
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Until the
start of the RMLs' final hour, all but one of the
twenty-four prototype thirty-footers remained in
service. The exception was RML 900 (WLT 900), which was
severely damaged in a 1988 accident and deemed
unsalvageable. Clydeside Scottish didn't think
so, however, and had it operational again within
months, using parts from its large number of RMs
purchased in 1986. In the fullness of time it
passed to Blue Triangle, who now run it in
original condition. RM 1 was expected to appear
on this tenth duty but RML 900 showed up instead,
leading us to wonder whether RM 1 was going to be
a non-runner... but read on. |
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Not far behind
RML 900, RM 1 (SLT 56) did turn up
after all - the very first Routemaster, of
course, built in 1954 and put into service on 8th
February 1956, a date it is still hoped can be
followed by the full fifty years. It is now in
the hands of the London's Transport Museum Depot
at Acton and is its first appearance on stage
service for a long time indeed. It is still
envisaged that the bus will be fitted with a
replica of its original front end that was
substantially different to the production version
it is seen with here. The rear aspect also
differs, with RT-like rear indicator arrows and
the nearside tail light inset into the platform
rail. |
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I moved to the
other side of the road at Bank to wait for RTW
467 to return so I could ride on it, and a fine
ride it was - full to bursting, because everybody
was thinking the same thing. By the mid-afternoon
the sunlight was right to pose buses outside the
arched entrance to Bow garage, and that is where
we see the third RMC of the day, RMC 1469 (469 CLT) in full Green
Line livery. This bus has a full-width blind box
like that later introduced to RCLs. |
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Yet another
London bus company pitched in with a classic
Routemaster bus. Later in the afternoon Arriva
London North inserted RM 5 (VLT 5) onto the 8, on which it
did two journeys from Bow to Victoria and back.
RM 5 now resides at Tottenham and is used on the
73 after many years at Clapton where it ran on
the 38. It too has little time left, with the 73
still planned for the unfathomably blind
conversion to articulated buses. I raced against
time to try and catch RTW 75, the second RTW of
the day's events; it left Bow close to RM 5 and I
saw them heading into town as we passed at
Bethnal Green, but it did not come back when I
captured RM 5 on its own at Liverpool Street as
the evening peak commenced. |
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Having visited
Victoria and then ridden on RM 5 all the way back
to Bow, it became clear what had happened to RTW 75 (KGK 575), finally
captured here inside the garage with dusk
falling. It had suffered a flat tyre not far past
Bethnal Green and was not able to complete its
full journey without some repairs. In the
background is RML 2456, the Country Area-liveried
RML, and in the left of the picture, RML 2760 is
getting ready to go, with the traditional Union
Jack fastened to its bonnet. |
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| With
the specials packing up after their day's much
appreciated work, it was now time to prepare the final
convoy of 8s. The last scheduled 8 was BW75, a journey
leaving Bow at 21:40, arriving at Victoria at 22:32 for a
thirteen-minute break before setting off again for a
23:32 arrival back at Bow. RML 2760 was always intended
to be the last bus - having been BW80 earlier in the day,
it was duly switched onto BW75 and the traditional Union
Jack was fastened to its bonnet, matching its marvellous
outing on the last day of the 15. Preceding it would be
RT 3871 and RML 2456, with white RML 2665 also in tow.
Hopefully they'd be able to accommodate the large numbers
who were determined to be aboard the last 8! For the final act, please board
for Part Three. You can also return to Part
One, or
start again at the Table of Contents.
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