As
with all the great phrases that pass into history, I can
never remember who first coined them, and such is Black
Friday. The name stuck, and well did it apply to the loss
of a scheduled ninety-four Routemaster workings in the
heart of central London. Two companies lost their fleets
entirely, and the busiest route in London was condemned
to the crush-loading, standee-only hell of articulated
buses. It is remarkable and galling to note that very few
people wish these classic and endlessly adaptable
Routemaster buses, symbols of the city they serve, to be
withdrawn, and that their protests have been entirely
disregarded.
By way of an introduction to today's bittersweet
festivities, which I will explore fully in following
pages, here are photographic examples of the 9, 73 and
390's Routemasters on their last day. |
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The 73's
special buses, numbering eighteen in all with a
couple of changes to the line-up advertised,
arrived at Tottenham garage starting from 10 am,
getting going over the next two hours. At this
time, the morning peak hour buses were beginning
to run back in, allowing for excellent photo
opportunities in some absolutely glorious weather
which has been such a relief from the wet August
we just suffered. RML 2265 (CUV 265C), seen at the
entrance to the garage on running number AR6, had
only actually worked out of Tottenham for four
years - it was one of a number transferred via
TfL from Sovereign following the conversion of
the 13 from RML to Marshall-refurbished RM. After
today, the garage itself, expensively rebuilt
only four years ago, would become embarrassingly
empty, as the replacement artics are too big to
fit in here and have to work from elsewhere. Even
with the win of the 123 from later in the year,
its eighteen buses will barely begin to fill the
space left by fifty-five RMLs. |
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I have
particularly fond memories of the 9. It took me
to primary school, and a little later me and my
grandma would take the 9 into town to visit all
the museums; something every kid growing up in
London has probably done. But no more - the
replacement Volvo B7TLs are so bland, with a
particularly hideous interior and watered-down
livery mandated by TfL, that they don't inspire
any pride at all.
Just four Routemasters were left on the 9 on the
last day (RMs 848 and 2033, and RMLs 2447 and
2463) prior to RML 880 joining for the final
journey, and here at Hyde Park Corner in the
mid-afternoon is Shepherds Bush's RML 2447 (JJD 447D) as S315.
With the 9 went London United's last
Routemasters. |
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The 390 is
only eighteen months old, but was the last route
to be introduced operating Routemasters from the
outset. It was formed by splitting the 10 (itself
the former western end of the 73) into two and
renumbering the Archway to Marble Arch section,
whose contract remained with RMLs until today.
Metroline's final Routemasters made their final
bow on this route, which means that the special
interpretation of that company's blue-skirted
livery has gone. As if to make a protest of its
own, shortly before ten o'clock King's Cross's RML 2511 (JJD 511D) broke down
on Oxford Street at a point where absolutely
nothing could get past unless it risked severe
damage by mounting the central bollard. "I
may be withdrawn tonight," RML 2511 might
have said if it could speak, "but, by God,
I'm going to take everybody else with me!" |
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