Routemaster bus RM66

English: Routemaster bus RM66 (ex-66RM) (reg. VLT 66) was delivered to London Transport in November 1959. It was withdrawn from London service in May 1987, passing into stock at AEC's factory at Southall. By July 1987 it had been sold to a dealer, and by the end of the year it had been converted into a towing vehicle, becoming in the process, one of the few single deck Routemasters in existence. The conversion also saw the back end shortened to just behind the back axle with a small door included above the tow hitch in the new rear profile, with vertical handrails either side of it. In addition, most of the lower deck side windows were panelled over. Over and above the flat roof was a "Towing" display complete with dual yellow hazard lights either side. It initially wore an olive green livery with cream applied around the remaining lower deck windows and infilled panels, and yellow on the lower part of the rear. It didn't wear any owner's name, but a fleetnumber was painted in the traditional nearside bonnet position, albiet much smaller than normal and in reverse to the LT number, as "66RM". In April 1990 it passed to another dealer, who sold it in April 1994 to BTS Coaches, who had since 1993 been operators of leased Routemasters on London Buses route 13, as BTS (Borehamwood Travel Services). They repainted it into their livery, applying their red over the green, but leaving the window/panels cream. They also restored the original fleetnumber RM66, in proper proportion. In the cream area, large fleetnames "BTS Bus and Coach" were applied in black, with the strapline Eningeering Support Unit applied below it. In August 1995 it was sold to another dealer, who passed it onto yet another a month later, before being purchased for preservation by 1996 by the Swansea based 447 Group. In preservation it has since been repainted to resemble a London Buses Ltd towing vehicle, receiving allover London red livery complete with white roundel livery and white relief stripe, large Breakdown Tender lettering on the side, white RM66 fleetnumbers and 55 Broadway legal lettering.

In preservation

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  2012 Bristol Vintage Bus Group open day