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Transport for London retires last heritage service of Routemaster buses

Discussion in 'Everything Else Heritage' started by johnofwessex, Apr 13, 2021.

  1. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...es-last-heritage-service-of-routemaster-buses

    With comments by @timmydunn
     
    johnofwessex, Apr 13, 2021
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  2. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Spamcan81, Apr 13, 2021
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  3. 60017

    60017 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Agree totally. London without RM's is hard to picture :(
     
    60017, Apr 13, 2021
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  4. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Spans my lifetime pretty much. I can remember seeing RM1 on the number 2 bus route at Marble Arch in 1956. It seemed like a dramatic innovation compared with the RTs.
     
    30567, Apr 13, 2021
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  5. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Another forum (when they are not ranting about Covid restrictions) did mention that a pre Covid a private operator had been granted a licence to operate a Heritage service along Route 15. Of course if that will happen now is highly debatable.
     
    Gladiator 5076, Apr 13, 2021
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  6. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    That's a shame, but has been on the cards for a while… when they moved to weekend and holidays only I lost what had been a fairly regular opportunity to jump on one of the buses, which was invariably pretty empty, for a quick trip from Tower Hill to Aldwych.

    Will always have special memories of travelling by Routemaster in my time in London, they really are unique (and whilst I quite like some elements of the Roastmasters, the criminally expensive Boris buses, they're not comparable with an original).

    Simon
     
    goldfish, Apr 13, 2021
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  7. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    The low usage was caused at least in part by TfL’s poor publicity of the heritage route.
     
    Spamcan81, Apr 13, 2021
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  8. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Not old enough to miss the trams, I still miss the RTs. Just before their demise at AM, AW, NX and SP, (TL held out a couple of months longer) I've an enduring memory of a fully laden RT1066 (one of the ex-London Country transfers) grinding up the entirety of Griffin Road Plumstead, on the notoriously unreliable old 192 route, at below walking pace! Ian Smith's 'Bus Stop' site lists that one's demise following sale to Wombwell Diesels and I pity the poor soul who had to drive it to it's Yorkshire grave!
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2021
    30854, Apr 13, 2021
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  9. timmydunn

    timmydunn Member

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    The low usage was because I don't really think there's that much of a market for a steady stream of old bus trips every weekend - their offering was cheap but seriously below that offered by all the tourist bus operators who do "experiences", sightseeing, audio guides and so on. There aren't THAT many people who wanted to really use them. And I speak as a local who could use it if I wanted to get on my usual route - I just can't usually be bothered. Anyway - it's not TfL's job to subsidise a tourist trip experience. I reckon most Londoners would rather have better day to day buses elsewhere. Most RMs I see in town are private operators - let them take the risk and profit.
     
    timmydunn, Apr 14, 2021
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