Over 2800 Routemasters were built, the first prototype appearing in 1954.  Production took a while to get underway, with the first vehicles being delivered in May 1959.  The last was built in 1967.  The majority were fitted with AEC engines, but 575 had Leyland engines, of which our RM1363 is one.  Although the buses have continued in use until this day in London (albeit now in rapidly reducing numbers), all those remaining in service have been modernised and have received new engines from a variety of manufacturers.

Four main versions of the Routemaster were built for London Transport, including the original verison, of which RM1363 is an example.  There is also a slightly longer version (the RML), and two coach versions (the RMC, and RCL classes).  There was also version for British Eurpoean Airways to transport passengers between central London and Heathrow Airport (these later became known as the RMA class), and a batch of front-entrance vehicles for Northern General, which, when they later returned to London, were known as the RMF class. 

Finally, an additional type was built as an experiment for London Transport.  This was a rear-engined, front-entrance version, FRM1.  Most of its components were the same as the standard Routemaster, and it was intended to compete with this type of vehicle, which had cornered the market outside London by this time.  Sadly, the economics of the day were such that no more were built, and a decision was made to buy standard buses instead.

Since the last RTs were withdrawn in 1979, the Routemaster became the iconic London bus, and the last crew-operated bus of the traditional open-platform half-cab design.  After the final withdrawals during 2005, only a handful remain, operating two "heritage routes" in central London. 

Although Boris Johnson's pre-election speeches included reference to bringing back the Routemaster, it's thought that what he meant was simply a more traditional form of bus, rather than the bendy buses that had appeared under Ken Livingstone's regime.  More recently, rumours have spread that Boris wants to introduce new open-platform buses to London, but the fact is that this won't happen: not least because he would have to change European law to be able to do so, which (understandably) the Mayor of London doesn't have the power to do.

Copyright © 2005 Bristol Vintage Bus Group. All rights reserved.
Revised: 05/02/2009