Routemaster bus RML903

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
Jump to navigation Jump to search
English: Routemaster bus RML903 (reg. WLT 903) was delivered to London Transport in January 1962. Having briefly seen service on route 104 in March 1963, in October 1963 it toured the USA, visiting Philadelphia, Delaware and New Jersey. Having returned by November, it didn't enter service again until May 1964, again on the 104. From 1965 to 1967 it served as a training bus, before again returning to the 104. It then saw continuous service, latterly on the number 43, until February 1975, when it was downgraded again to a trainer. By December 1975 it was being used as a showbus, wherein it is used occasionally, but kept in mint condition for being exhibited at shows and special events. As a rarely used showbus, it retained its original AEC engine and interior condition, rather than being refurbished and re-engined like all normal RML buses in the early 1990s. It remained a showbus into the privatisation era, passing in 1994 into the fleet of MTL London (ex-London Northern), and then to Metroline in 1998 when it bought MTL. It was last allocated to Holloway (HT) garage, notionally operating route 390. When that route ended Routemaster operation in September 2004, RML903 was re-allocated to the Metroline special purposes fleet, where it has continued to be used as a showbus and for special events.

19 March 2023 RML903 ran on route 134 from Camden Town to Muswell Hill raising funds for Red Nose Day. In 2022 the bus ran route 43 to raise funds