The time-honoured and much respected Mortlake Garage (M) operated the 9 for many years, converting it from RTL to Leyland-engined RM in 1962, but service cuts caught up with this very small garage and it was closed in 1983. Funnily enough, it was not a downturn in custom that eventually did for the section south of Hammersmith Bridge, but an overloaded HGV that rumbled across early in 1984, wreaking considerable damage to the 100-year-old structure. In 1992 a weight limit was placed on the bridge, forcing the conversion to single-deck operation of all the routes passing across it. The 33 and 72 lost their Ms for DR-class Darts during the spring of 1992, but the 9 had to be withdrawn south of Hammersmith and its Mortlake section turned over to new route 9A (today known as 209). The weight limits have been eased somewhat to keep up with the development of newer (and heavier) single-deckers, but double-deckers are still prohibited - until today, when permission was given to operate two Routemasters across Hammersmith Bridge for the day.

Prior to the Central Changes of 18th July 1992 that also saw the 9 withdrawn south of Hammersmith, the route also operated into the City, terminating at Liverpool Street, and most of the journeys followed this road east of Aldwych (now the province of the 23). However, a late addition to the programme saw the one-off resurrection of the 9A, a Sunday-only service that operated between 1971 and 1978 (and again in 1981, but only for three months) to address increased custom for the Tower of London. It terminated at Aldgate.

The Avondale Road terminus of the 209, in a narrow and purely residential street, still seems rather incongruous when other routes passing through the area continue to the more obvious target of Richmond, but when Mortlake was closed, only two-thirds of the site was developed into housing. A little bus stand was carved out of the garage's southernmost corner, and that is where we see RML 880 (WLT 880, left) and RM 2033 (ALM 33B, right), on the 9A and 9 respectively when their first journeys met shortly before ten o'clock. Both buses are Euro 2 spec with Cummins engines and Allison gearboxes, and thus good for much longer than the five days they have left suggest. RML 880 has been repainted into London United Tramways livery for a third time, and has carried that splendid scheme for fourteen years now. Look out for it on the 9's last day.

Thanks to London United for entertaining us, and thanks in advance for Wednesday's and Friday's activities.