please empty your brain below

I originally worked as a conductor on the RTs out of Leyton garage in 1976 on route 230, I then did my driver training and took my PSV test again on an RT, and passed first time I am pleased to say.
My mum and dad met on an RT. Both not long over from Ireland, she was a clippie on the 72 from East Acton to Hampton Court and he was a driver on the Met (now H&C) based at Hammersmith. They kept meeting one week as he was going from his digs in Barnes to work and the rest is history. So in a roundabout way I owe these fine old buses my existence.
On July 12 it is the Routemaster 60th anniversary event in Finsbury Park. d
Dozens of preserved RMs and some RTs, RFs etc.

Not to be missed if your a bus enthusiast.
as you say, quite a nostalgia-fest, thanks for this DG

the only things that looks out of place are the dayglo yellow vests
Neither here nor there, but we're travelling to London today. Hurrah!!
...what is it about men and buses? Wonder if the NB4L (is that still it's "official" title) will have the same nostalgic following once in retired from service. And what of the DMs & Titans...no love for them? Thought the £10 fare on the RT1 was a little high in these times...would perhaps been better if the others charged say £2.50 and the RT1 £5? I know they got alot of costs on upkeep though. Still it good to see them out and about...even if makes me feel rather old.
If there were no takers at £10 I might agree, but no-one was obliged to pay £10 to ride on RT1 - if you just wanted to get from Homerton to the west end, there were plenty of 242s about - and it was for a charitable cause.
@ timbo

Of course no one was obliged...just felt that as the other buses were free to ride on that perhaps £2.50 on those with double (£5) for the RT1 would have been better. The £2.50 not being much different than a cash fare for said journey. I would been happy to pay £2.50 to ride one of the other RTs and also happy to pay £5 to ride the RT1. As it was I get to ride the others for free and would not consider pay £10 for one bus ride.
They may have raised more for the charitable cause too. And yes if I just wanted to get from Homerton to the west End I could used my Oyster card and boarded a 242...but where is the fun in that?
The NBfLs seen at Ash Grove on Saturday are not the prototype regulars out most days, these are new vehicles stockpiled for converting route 38 to full NBfL.

Several routes are in the pipeline for full conversion this year, including route 8. TfL likes to keep it as a surprise which route will be converted next, but knowing the operating requirements of routes serving central London allow a few guesses!
@ Joel

Wonder if they will be crew or OPO?

Noticed today that the route 11 (NB4Ls) runs crewed-up (is that correct term) on Sundays during the day...must be the only NB4L route that does?
I understand the next three routes are 10, 38, and 8, at a rate of about one route every month - varies a bit depending on contract dates and the number of buses needed to be built to operate the route
Tim - the eyes can only water at the staggering, unnecessary cost of bringing in these ridiculous follies into service.
"at a rate of about one route every month" so say 12 routes per year? Wonder how this stacks up against the intro rate of the RT, RM and others. If this New Bus for London is really what it says it is then with a few exceptions ought to be across the entire fleet. With perhaps a single deck version also designed. If it the "standard" bus for London that may well be the only way to bring the cost down. Though now with all the different companies think that a thing of the past.
Just a shame that, as any enthusiast knows, the bus claiming to be RT 1 isn't actually RT 1 at all.










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