by Matthew Wharmby
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Black Friday - Route 9
Friday 3rd September 2004

"Come In Number 9, Your Time Is Up". So read the publicity put out by the GLC, led by a certain Ken Livingstone, to protest its disbandment, using a shot of a typical London bus such as the 9 has always been. It's ironic that the job losses and declining standards that Ken Livingstone opposed so bitterly not so long ago are now coming to pass - by his own hand!
One hundred and seventy-five years ago this year, George Shillibeer inaugurated the public transport era in London with a horse bus operation that operated along part of what is now the 9 route (the permanent route number itself dates from November 1908). Some sort of second official was always present to collect fares and supervise the platform while the driver got on with the hard task of driving (and in those days, looking after the horses). After today passengers will be left to their own devices, the driver's workload doubled and the travelling experience coarsened.
The 9's main festivities took place on Wednesday, but the final day of crew operation on this route still saw five of its own special appearances and one last journey by London United's long-time showpiece, RML 880.
First London AEC Routemaster RM1650 (650 DYE) at Hyde Park Corner, 03/09/04 Silver Jubilee Routemaster RM 1650 (650 DYE) a.k.a SRM 3, did one trip on the 9 in the morning, then spent the day as a 73 before returning to the 9 in time for the evening peak, and it is on that journey that I captured it coming out of Piccadilly into Hyde Park Corner. The bus is still owned by First London and brought out for specials such as this.
London Central AEC Routemaster RM 9 (VLT 9) at Hyde Park Corner, 03/09/04 Another 'last day' veteran is RM 9 (VLT 9) from the Private Hire Department at London Central and London General. It did two route 9 rounders during the daytime. It is seen at Hyde Park Corner with the appropriate 'On hire to London United' notices in the slipboard aperture.
Cobham bus Museum Leyland PD3 RTL 139 (KGK 139) at Aldwych, 03/09/04 Thanks to Cobham Bus Museum, two consecutive special journeys were added to the evening peak heading westbound. First to emerge at Aldwych at half past six was RTL 139 (KGK 803). The 9 may have been operated by Routemasters for forty-two years, but the generation of buses working the route before that was the RTL, Leyland's successful answer to AEC's RT type. The running number chosen, M2, honours the long-gone Mortlake garage, who operated the 9 for so many years.
Cobham Bus Museum Leyland/Weymann Routemaster RML 2511 (JJD 511D) at Aldwych, 03/09/04 Straight after RTL 139 came M3, operated by Leyland-engined, Weymann-bodied prototype Routemaster RML 3 (SLT 58), six weeks after its debut at Routemaster 50, where its reconstructed original front was unveiled. Both RTL 139 and RML 3 had spent the afternoon working on the 73 before coming to Aldwych to take up the 9.
London United AEC Routemaster RML 880 (WLT 880) at Hammersmith Bus Station, 03/09/04 One last time, London United Tramways-liveried RML 880 (WLT 880) rolled out of Shepherds Bush garage of London United Busways, to take up the last crew-operated journey on the 9. This was preceded out by Marshall-refurbished RM 848 and Blue Triangle's RT 3871. RML 880, as running number S319, was scheduled to leave Hammersmith Bus Station at 22:57 and is pictured taking on passengers for the last trip into the West End. Its last departure from Aldwych to Hammersmith was at 23:39, and it finally entered Shepherds Bush garage at about half past midnight.
So that was the end of the 9, with thanks to London United, London Central, Blue Triangle, Cobham Bus Museum, First London and the owners of RMC 1469 (which was also out, but which I unfortunately missed). As you can imagine, some panic was entailed in getting back and forth from various points across London to record the last buses. Straight after I took the last shot of the 9, I did not board with everyone else but made the decision to race to Seven Sisters to get on the last inbound 73 for its 23:50 departure from Tottenham garage, and made it only by the skin of my teeth. There's never been such a gruelling last Routemaster day - even the 8's epic end was comparatively easy to cover in its entirety.

Next up is my account of the 390's last day with Routemasters. Or return to the Black Friday background, or access everything from the Table of Contents.

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