You Can Still Ride Routemaster Buses in London
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- Опубліковано 14 бер 2018
- Did you know there is still a bus route in London served by Routemaster buses? The Number 15 (official designation 15H - for Heritgate) runs between 09.30 to 18:00 seven days a week between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square, and so we went for a ride ...
Thanks to Stagecoach buses, for having us along for the day!
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...)
It's sad to see them gone forever from London.
Nice video of an iconic bus! 😀👌
Anton, your everywhere. I’m a fan tho XD and can you make a video on the tri axle hybrid bus please? I love that bus.
Fun Fact: The Height of a routemaster bus is equal to a 15 story building
@Brian Flynn ...hello Brian
..👋
@@toikn5143 ...its difficult to film! I'm trying to get a shift to drive it, as it is on special duties...!!!
@@DoubleDeckerAnton This is how they used to scrap old buses.
*Busted the absolute crap* out of them with a sledgehammer and then burned the frames, cutting the chassis with a gas torch.
Great scrapping action. See vid below, you'll enjoy it!
ua-cam.com/video/drE3lgaTgTA/v-deo.html
I used to take a Routemaster bus to school every day and there was nothing better than hanging off the footplate as it went swinging around the corner. Great memories!
There’s a point when buses are new and cool, then old and need replacing, and then are cool again.
TheFlyingCoconut 07 And your saying the Aec routemasters are cool again? Because if that’s what your saying then I couldn’t agree more with you man. 👍👍👍👍
I think routemasters have always been cool, dont think they've ever been out of style
I didn’t realise they were as rare as they were, me and my dad jumped on over to St. Paul’s. He was telling me the history and I think they look incredible from an engineering perspective
Hold very tightly please, ding ding. And the growl of that engine, superb. Thank you Geoff, really enjoyed this video. Much appreciated.
The bus of my youth. Jumping on and off at will. Wonderful. Hard to believe there are only 5 left in London!
It's amazing to think how these open backed buses were standard when we were kids, but they'd never be allowed today, everyone would just assume that you'd be having injuries left and right with people falling off, but I never heard of anyone getting hurt falling off a bus back then, we all just got on with it.
People are retarded nowadays. Farewell routemasters.
Every film from the late 50's until the late 80's playing in London would have at least one street scene with a Routemaster bus crossing the camera. Most iconic bus there has ever been.
I almost grew up on these buses as a little kid . Rode around on them everywhere . My dad was a conductor on the old 22 route based at Hackney garage for nearly 30 years where my brother also worked as an engineer . Later my step brother drove them out of Tottenham garage and now I am a driver for Arriva in Herts but I wish I’d been born sooner so that I could have driven these magnificent buses . Just brilliant they were . Awesome .
I just rode with these today. They were simply the best buses I have ever ridden on in my whole life. Every second of the journey was worth the time and boy how bouncy the ride was but what were you expecting? It is a 1950s bus. Hopefully this heritage line wont disappear.
Much preferred using Routemasters in London when I commuted at various times from the 70s to the 90s. OK, they were less comfortable than their modern replacements, but much more convenient, being able to hop off when a traffic jam occurred. Travelling on the new buses is just not as much fun. Conductors also used to be able to give out information to tourists etc.
@Varallio So i can still hop off the new routemasters?
@Varallio always thought that door was locked lmao
I've been lucky to have driven a few of these great buses, you can't beat the sound of the AEC engine and GB32 gearbox whining away, the best bus ever!
SO many times as a student in London in the sixties did I just catch one of these by hopping aboard as it moved off! And never broke my neck either.
Used to take the 94 Route Master from Turnham Green to Oxford Street.
Half the charm of the streets of London disappeared when they scrapped them..Terrible decision..perfect bus for London ,size,hop on hop off ,beautiful to look at!
I used to use the 9H regularly, as a handy and quick way of going from High Street Ken to the West End. I'm sure a lot of people (especially tourists) don't use the Heritage RMs as they don't realise they're part of the normal TfL network.
Used to catch the 36 to school from Camberwell to New Cross every day, 1998-2001. :)
Camberwell86
Haha so did I, at the same time period to! Which school do you attend?
Addey and Stanhope, Deptford! Obvz I am a Camberwell boy born in 1986. Did Year 7 to year 9 there (1998-2001) and then moved to the midlands.
Don't tell me you're Haberdashers' or Deptford Green crew, if so we will have to fight aha \(^_^)/
that's amazing , actually I was at Addey's as well! but slightly younger than you so I went from 1999 to 2004
Haha!! Small world! Which house? I was Pepys (yellow)
Stanhope, the best of course!
Brings back amazing memories from back in the day almost a life time ago.
I love Routemasters
Some of them have gone to very honorable retirements , I know of one that is used by an orphanage in Jamaica to take the kids to school and on weekend trips.
I have ride one at a stagecoach depot open day.
1973Washu my family is Jamaican, ice never heard about that :o
@@1973Washu But a routemaster is a london bus
Vroom vroom 🏎
When I take people on a tour of London, the 2 things I always try to do are catching a Routemaster and climbing the monument. Last time, we got the extra-authentic experience of running across the road to jump on at a red light
I remember in 1958, as a young lad aged about 11, waiting at a bus stop for one of the new Routemaster buses to come along. I would let all the RT and RTL buses go by just for the chance to ride the amazing new bus. With my Red Rover or Twin Rover pass in my hand I used to ride them as far as I could and as often as I could. I still live in London and see the Heritage buses every weekend when I am out and about in London doing my Street Photography. Great video Geoff, please keep producing them.
What a beautiful bus! ❤
The city of Davis California about 20 miles west of Sacramento and 70 miles of San Francisco. The city public transport system used British Heritage route master buses on a regular basis.
Cant beat the original interior with the old tungsten lighting.
Heritage ? It only seems like yesterday !
I remember them being introduced and gradually finding them on the routes I used. One noticeable difference between them and their predecessors (RTs ?) was that because of the softer suspension the bus actually swayed a little when you got on the platform as your weight was put on the bus. They seemed so modern at the time.
The open platform was a boon to me because I lived between stops, but the bus had to negotiate a sharp bend near my house and if timed right I could just step off the platform at walking speed.
Surely, when the conductor rings the bell to start the bus the correct thing for them to say is "Hold very tight please" followed by the ding, ding
That was my recollection too. Definitely "Hold very tight please"
To this day I miss seeing Routemaster buses all over London as they were in the 80s in their heyday they were just under 2800 in service hearing their original engines sadly TFL refurbished all the remaining 600 Route Masters in the fleet in the 1990s replacing all the original engines with modern engines after that did not sounds the same in 2005 they replaced all the remaining Route Masters with modern buses to this very day I still miss them on the streets of London
Today (Friday March 1st) is the last day of service for the 15H Routemaster. TfL decided to finally retire it from active service, now only serving weekends in the Summer. It is no longer 7 days a week.
Can't beat a bit of nostalgia..Love it!
Thanks again for this those buses will
Always be the original and the best buses of all times the looks noise
Sounds everything that's true London
Transport keep the route master buses
Alive thanks UA-cam peace
Bloody Marvelous. I first rode these in 1968 on my first trip to London to visit my Nan and Grandad. Many memories. Thanks Geoff.
Please make a secrets of London buses
Just got back fom London, took the ride on one of these iconic buses. It was brilliant, thanks for the tip Geoff!
What a beatiful vintage bus from the good ol' days. :) Very London, Very British.
I'm glad to see this service still exists, but a little saddened it's been cut back so much. It makes me feel old to think our visit with London coincided with the 9 Heritage still running. Absolutely adored being able to cruise up to Trafalgar from Kensington, and then take the 15 Heritage from the other side to catch sights on the other side. Better one route than none, I suppose!
Oh, and another great seat - lower deck, front row, curb side - get a straight view out at the world ahead and can watch the driver going through his/her motions as well. Though now that I think about it -- is there really a bad seat on a Routemaster?
Thanks for another great video and for including details like the schedule and route so I know when and where I can catch this bus when I visit London in May.
Great video guys. I'm doing this the next time I'm in London. Even if its just for a day.
I grew up with these, and spent two hours on them every school day. If you mistimed your leap, you got dragged behind, and your shoes were swiftly transformed into open-toed sandals. No extra charge. Remember the domed heater on the floor on the lower deck at the front? Or the bench seats near the back downstairs? Very refreshing. I'd love to ride one again.
There are some of these old route masters in Glasgow used for tours, but the open platform now has a door fitted... for 50 years people were allowed the responsibility to keep themselves safe, but no longer as this nanny state has gotten its claws into even this iconic piece of history.
Wonderful. Great to watch this lovley video of a design legend
Great Video! I love the routemasters.
A most enjoyable video, nice to know theres some of the old Routemaster buses running.
Brings me back to when I lived in London in 1970.
I saw these last weekend! I thought they were museum rides so I didn’t hop on. Great film as always, Geoff! Greetings from Belgium
i'm off to london in september and i will definitly be riding one of these
Great video Geoff, I've been on it 5 times and on the heritage 9 once before it was withdrawn. I see you got your Stagecoach hi vis. The regular 15 is run by Go ahead but the heritage 15 is run by Stagecoach still.
This is genuinely SO COOL.
As are the bendy buses - I hate Boris Johnson!
As a schoolboy in 65 we would get above the driver and bang the floor a few times until the driver gave us emergency braking and we had to fight the negative G to get off the top deck and off, great fun sat morning matinee, good clean fun
My Mum was a bus conductor on the 267 and 281 routes in the late 1950s through 1968 or 69. Best buses ever!
I used to use Routemasters, on the last route they were used on, apart from these heritage routes: the 133 between Liverpool St and Streatham. But even though the Routemaster was in use for many years, and has historical significance, the new ones are certainly better, with their announcement of every stop.
This is awesome, I tried that H15 line when I visited London in 2015 with my mother. I hope London will keep this heritage Route Master lines running.
You can thank london for that one. Goodbye routemasters
Grew up with RTs and RMs. Loved RFs too. So much a part of the London scene, sorely missed. Saw heritage RM 1968 passing Cannon st. on route 15, colleague says look at that old bus, I said yes that particular one 1968, he says was that the year it was made!
It is so sad that the Heritage 15 was withdrawn in late 2020. The AEC Routemaster was London in an object and the world's most famous Double Decker bus. I did not grow up in London so I didn't have the privilege to go on this ionic bus, ever. The first two times I went to London, I actually saw the Routemaster driving around perhaps on an actual route, but I thought nothing of it as old buses can of course be Private Hires and such. When I found out the Heritage 15 was withdrawn, I couldn't have been more sad. London just lost one of its most iconic objects in that month. Being able to jump on and off any time you want is so much better than being left at a stop after the driver closes the doors. I, like everyone, absolutely love these buses.
Vicki looks different in this one
Where was she
She wasn't. Its just an obligatory thing i say now in every video because when i said it once it got hearted
Harry Todhunter oh
Lived near and used the 12 which kept Routemasters for a long time. But no conductor ever said, “Please hold on”! It was always, “Hold very tight, please *ding*ding*!”
Definitely iconic to London.There were double decker buses here in Chicago in the 1930's and early 40's
Nice one, I enjoyed watching :)
Bring back the "Bendy Buses"! The joys of the N29 of 10 yrs ago late night after work from Soho hold fond memories. While crammed like an anchovie it could be thorough pickpocketing, getting assaulted, spat at, vomitted on...sometimes all at the same time. At least they could create a tourist attraction :)
Move along, move along, ding, ding
John Bicycle what? :D
Great, thanks for supporting Buses.
UA you mean buses. Buses is a magazine.
In Hull we had Routemasters and the MCW buses like London. The sound of an MCW was different also the acceleration was very good, as a kid I remember having to run for my seat before I fell getting to it.
Had the ‘pleasure’ of driving Routemasters a few years back working rest days. So much different to drive than these modern vehicles
"Please Hold on, the bus is about to move"
Unlike the other comments, I didn't even live in England to experience this wonderful bus but I do grew up with shows like Mr Bean that showcases this wonderful bus. I hope in the following years I could experience the ride
I remember in the early 1990s the routemasters would occasionally venture the 53 route, i would get on at Plumstead as it strides through Woolwich, Blackheath, passing Greenwich Park, through New Cross into Central London, sadly these eventually stopped these excursions
Great memories.. Although I miss the old RTs. Also I notice that the old fare stage poster by the stairs is gone.
I think I know why he likes the rear seat. I my younger days it was known as the snogging seat!.
Nah mate, its the bumpiest seat
It's the seat with the best all-around view.
Gets you some good vibrations huh?
Wankers seat
I worked on the rts rms and rmls when I worked as a conductor at new cross in the 70s and they were good buses as they are now in preservation
I have a 1/24th scale Sunstar die cast scale model of the no.15 Routemaster bus which has incredible detail.I got a London black cab of same scale to go with it.They make a nice display.
So typical of my vacations in London. I get back to Toronto, and I find out about something in London, that was there while I was there, that I didn't know about, that's still there, that I want to experience.... I have to go back to London! It's a never-ending cycle... hopefully!
I walk past this bus everyday, I didn't realise how rare it was (I work right by the Tower Hill bus stop), I'll have to take it one day. Cool
RM1941 & RM871 are now with Londoner Buses Transpora Group on Route A Between Piccadilly Circus and Waterloo Station using ex London Transport Routemasters
Bell code is similar to those on trains in as much as 1 is stop and 2 is ready to start.
so glad they are still running! the only sad part was the bus was super empty!
yes from coming home school . love them . the best yes.
the beautiful graphics!!!!
I've always liked sitting bottom deck, front seats, on the left personally (looking out over the bonnet). Not quite as picturesque as the top deck, but feels even more as if you are driving. (Although it would feel more like you were driving from the right seat, but then the real driver is in the way.)
Love your films.
I normally take a bus at Aldwych, going west, but if I see a Routemaster, I'll get on and just take it to Trafalgar Square so I can bask in the nostalgia. Definitely worth the extra change!
if you're on PAYG and you take two buses instead of one, you'll be charged the same - no extra - due to the Bus Hopper fare.
Indeed--but it's the extra two or three (or seven or eight) minutes at Charing Cross, waiting for the bus I actually need to take. Still definitely worth it, even if I'm late getting where I'm going. Routemasters FTW!
Great video!
I miss them so much.
I had a diecast toy one as a kid. Rode them for real in 1986.
Started service in the late 1950's.. I thought the Routemaster entered srvice as early as 1952. But they were an icon, and luckily there are modern doubledeckers in service today, so the basic principle is still there! The big pro of doubledeckers is of course they have a big capacity without taking more space of the street than a 'standard' bus. They just take more unused space in the air.. BTW, in the explanation I see Heritgate. I guess it supposes to be Heritage... ;-)
I swear these used to work on Saturdays too at least.. Great addition for heritage and tourism in the capital.
Yes I saw this on Tuesday in Aldwych.. so nearly jumped on it even though it wasn't going where I was
I used the the 15 to go home from school (used the tube in the morning, it was quicker) Strand to Marble Arch. When the Routemaster came out we would wait for one instead of an RT. There was a time when some non painted (aluminium) were around so we'd wait for that instead of a red one. Hanging on the pole at the back swinging around Marble Arch round-a-bout, great fun. The conductors never seems to bother, jus said "Hold tight"
I saw one of these today! Except I was onboard a Wrightbus. Then I went on an Alexander Dennis.
Thank you for posting this great and very informative video. What did LT do with all of the rest of the routemasters?
best bus ever made, dont see why they cant put an electric power train in these older style bodies
Great video, but it runs Monday - Sunday, not only weekdays!
love routemasters
by march 2019,the routemasters will be summer only buses.
Good to know ❤️
We have got several Routemaster buses operating in Christchurch, NZ, as hop-on/hop-off tourist buses(including an open top Routemaster). However due to stringent H&S laws there is a concertina cage door that is fitted across the rear platform.
Ding, ding - or, if the conductor was upstairs at the front - tap-tap with a coin on the window frame just above the driver's cab (probably a bit more difficult if they don't accept cash these days).
They usually used to tap with the heavy key they used to open the destination blind boxes. Not sure it was permitted - I had always assumed bell pulls were not fitted along the length of the upper saloon for a reason: probably because the conductor did not have a view of the platform unless he was at the top of the stairs.
The conductor would use the angled mirror at the top of the stairs to see the platform (As seen above Geoff's head at 1:08 )
Yer the tap tap or stamp of the foot Just the trust of the crew working together.
The Brits got several machines right. The RMS Mauretania, the Spitfire, the Mini Cooper and the Routemaster. I'll throw in railways, penicillin and parliamentary democracy. Greetings from Canada and I have ridden the 15 many times.
I still see them around I went on one at the bus museum in Cobham and it was heritage
Looks like the early b&w Routemaster footage was filmed in Germany? Lots of white-plated 1956 Opels,trams and continental style shop fronts...early promotional tour?
RM1005 has been converted to Euro6!
BusesInLondon ayee, nice Enviro200 engine :-P
Of the 10 heritage Route Masters left sadly none of them have their original engine you can't beat the sound of the original engines especially the Leylands
Love it, just great.
A few of them have found their way to Dublin, running city tours
The Mayor of London should of kept some of them. Rather than getting rid of them. As they are so iconic to London.
Those buses are so cool