Last Day: Routemaster on Route 38 - 28th October 2005

Old Bus Photos > Last Day: Routemaster on Route 38 - 28th October 2005

Last Day: Routemaster on Route 38 - 28th October 2005

November 11, 2005
The following photo(s) are © copyrighted by David Bosher (UK)

Dear Sirs,

I discovered your website asking for bus photos and thought I would contribute some of mine for your kind consideration. I certify that they are all my own work.

The first six photos attached herewith were taken on the Last Day of Routemasters on route 38 on 28th October 2005 when there were a few preserved buses running in service to commemorate this sad event.

The details are as follows:

Routemaster London doubledecker buses

1): Routemaster RML 2344 and RM 813 waiting in the rain at the Clapton Pond, terminus of route 38 on its Last RM Day, 28.10.05

2): Preserved Routemaster RTW 75 on route 38 at Victoria, 28.10.05

3): Preserved Routemaster RT 3062 on route 38 entering Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus, 28.10.05

Routemaster London doubledecker buses

4): Preserved RT 3062 bound for Victoria on route 38 on Lower Clapton Road, 28.10.05

5): Preserved Routemaster RT 3062 on route 38 on the Narrow Ways section of Mare Street, Hackney, 28.10.05

6): Preserved RT 3062 on route 38 turning from Mare Street into Graham Road, Hackney, 28.10.05

The next four pictures are of London Routemaster buses in regular service on route 38 taken on 7th October 2005, three weeks before its regrettable conversion to bendy buses, of which the least said the better.

Routemaster London doubledecker buses

7): Routemaster RML 2401 on route 38 on Graham Road, Hackney, 7.10.05

8): Routemaster RML 2328 on route 38 on Graham Road, Hackney, 7.10.05

9): Routemaster RML 2334 on route 38 waiting to turn from Mare Street into Graham Road, Hackney, 7.10.05

Routemaster London doubledecker buses

10): Routemaster RM 888 on the Narrow Ways section of Mare Street, Hackney, 7.10.05 (Note the delightful Victorian street lamp.)

I do hope these pictures interest you, I have many more I can send sometime.

Kind regards

DAVID J BOSHER
Hornsey
LONDON, N8

Posted by:
Classic Bus (101)
on Jan 25, 06 | 1:50 pm

Reader Comments

The discontinuance of the venerable Routemaster buses from service in London even made big news here in America for weeks up to the fateful day. It was featured on radio and television.

I regret that when I visited London back in 1991 I did not ride on a London doubledecker. I guess I can always go to New York City or Philadelphia and ride one of the many British doubledeckers that are there for sightseeing tours.

Posted by: Bus Lover | Jan 29, 06 | 5:31 pm

Found this interesting article by Steve Jelbert on the demise of the Routemaster:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-bus-we-loved-londons-affair-with-the-routemaster-by-travis-elborough-507120.html

Posted by: Classic Bus | Jan 13, 09 | 12:08 pm

Lovely pictures of some great buses, I remember the 55 which ran from Chiswick to Greenford replaced by the E routes also the old 211 (a single decker)which ran from Ealing Broadway, later changed to a DD to Greenford I remember running after the bus and jumping on the platform at the last minute followed by a rebuke from the "clippie" the conductors were called clippies because the conductor used to issue single tickets from a waistband rack, after he took your money he would clip the ticket at the fare stage you got on. The ticket inspectors if they got on your bus would then check to see if you had paid the correct fare. However the old RTs and RMs were not Routemasters, the wideshaped radiator feature was what designated a Routemaster and the all aluminium body. Many people confuse them. During the sixties I worked for A coach building company in Hanwell. We built a Breakdown Truck for AEC in Southall, it was used to tow the buses back to the yard for repair I wonder if that old thing has been preserved. Thanks for the Pics

Posted by: Jack Fender | Dec 28, 09 | 5:46 pm

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