Revell 1/24 AEC Routemaster concepts

[NARSES2]

It was well after that, all the buses I remember as a kid were front loaders.  A check on the net reveals the Routemaster were brought in in 1988 and retired in 2001.  Four were converted after this time as open top tour buses for use in Scarborough.  It was when they retired that I heard about the EU edict, probaby from a bus driver but I don't remember fully.

could the EU regs have been about the open entrance instead?

That's what I thought Harro but as you can see the new RM has a hop on off platform - and it has a clippie.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=new+routemaster+bus&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CKl-T4zQBozb8gPJnNH8BQ&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643

The front-loading Routemaster could be entertaining: when Stockport switched from open back loaders to front loaders with doors, she had at least one guy jump off the kerb at the place where the platform should have been, only to hit the side with a thump and land on his bum in the gutter.... Other crews had similar experiences.

Seen similar on trains. Late night train full of tired communters (very tired on a Friday night  ) pulls into the station not at it's normal platform. Passenger gets off on his normal side. Falls 4/5 foot to side of track, picks himself off, dusts himself down, climbs back in and gets off the other side. Normally followed by a round of applause  Note this was old slam door stock and down south it's doubly dangerous because of the third rail.

[PR19_Kit]

Seen similar on trains. Late night train full of tired communters (very tired on a Friday night  ) pulls into the station not at it's normal platform. Passenger gets off on his normal side. Falls 4/5 foot to side of track, picks himself off, dusts himself down, climbs back in and gets off the other side. Normally followed by a round of applause  Note this was old slam door stock and down south it's doubly dangerous because of the third rail.

Back in the 60s I lived in a village north of Oxford called Long Hanborough, and sometimes used to go to work by train from the nearby Coombe Halt. Combe Halt was on an embankment and just past a bridge over the access road to the station.

One night the train had three coaches rather than the usual two and one guy got out from the last coach, stepped onto the edge of the bridge rather than the station platform and then fell off down onto the road and was killed! 

BR got a strong reprimand for that as they hadn't warned passengers that the last coach wouldn't be in the station when the train stopped.

[Martin H]

It was well after that, all the buses I remember as a kid were front loaders.  A check on the net reveals the Routemaster were brought in in 1988 and retired in 2001.  Four were converted after this time as open top tour buses for use in Scarborough.  It was when they retired that I heard about the EU edict, probaby from a bus driver but I don't remember fully.

could the EU regs have been about the open entrance instead?

The main rule changes were due to the Uk disabled access act. All passenger carrying vehicles (buses, taxis, trains) have to be accessible for wheel chair access these days. Not a bad thing, but it was the final nail in the coffin for the Routemaster in regular route service in London and elseware.
There were some fun and games while the rules where being sorted out. The more militant campaigners demanded that they have 100% access to the whole vehicle, which would have killed off the double decker completely. One idiot even demanded that all seats bar the drivers be removed to allow maximum access for wheel chairs, thankfully for once the Health and safety numpties proved usefull for common sense.

[Weaver]

The front-loading Routemaster could be entertaining: when Stockport switched from open back loaders to front loaders with doors, she had at least one guy jump off the kerb at the place where the platform should have been, only to hit the side with a thump and land on his bum in the gutter.... Other crews had similar experiences.

Got the full story on this from Mum now. Apparently, on one particular route, there was a very sharp bend where the bus had to slow right down to walking pace, and people who were too late or too lazy to walk to the bus stops a few hundred yards either side of it used to wait there and swing onto the back platform (totally illegally) in the hope that the clippie would be busy elsewhere and not see them. One night, not one, but two business types tried this with her brand new front-loader: bang, bang, splash, splash, titter..........

[McColm]

If you wanted to a heavy conversion the cutout cab could be useful.  Cut the back right down and you could do all sorts of things to it, TEL or missile transporter (I'm thinking of the AEC Mandator Blue Steel Transport here), SPG, any number of engineering conversions.

Something on these lines:

This idea could be used to launch aircraft with RATO or JATO packs if the runway was damaged.
If you added wings to the Routemaster would you get an Airbus?

[raafif]

One night the train had three coaches rather than the usual two and one guy got out from the last coach, stepped onto the edge of the bridge rather than the station platform and then fell off down onto the road and was killed! 

BR got a strong reprimand for that as they hadn't warned passengers that the last coach wouldn't be in the station when the train stopped.

     and so it still goes on ... my grandfather was the last person killed on the Underground (1935) before automatic doors were made compulsory.  He jumped on the carriage step as it moved off & tried to open a locked door before it went into the tunnel.  There was supposed to be a sign saying that door was locked.  The company paid two witnesses to not turn up at the coroners hearing ..... one had the decency to apologise to my grand-mother, saying "I needed the money".

[NARSES2]

Must admit I've never considered the tube without automatic doors - scary 

[Radish]

No one surprisingly? has mentioned:

Cannon armed and painted like HMS Victory

Vietnam-camouflaged gunship

Meerkat tour bus

[Mossie]

Vickers Gun Bus, wings top and bottom, prop on the rear, gunners position in the engine cutout.

[PR19_Kit]

Perhaps a conversion to one of those 1 1/2 deckers that BOAC and BEA used to ferry pax from their London terminals to Heathrow?

[scooter]

Cannon armed and painted like HMS Victory

Or HMS Macedonian...with the Stars and Stripes over the White Ensign and Mass. license plates. 

[Weaver]

Since we're going down these lines, Pirate Bus?

Slightly off-topic, but the front-loader that first appeared in Stockport was the "Leyland Atlantean". I always thought that had themed possibilities: fish-scale-like armour and a giant retro-death-ray on top (as per the old Atlantis film).....

[perttime]

Cut the back right down and you could do all sorts of things to it, TEL or missile transporter

Aircraft tug, mobile weapon platform (AA, rockets, mortars...), ice cream seller.

[Weaver]

You know how various terrorists/freedom-fighters/you-choose put imporvised mortars in the back of vans? Well how about some really long-barrelled ones concealed in a Routemaster for the last-ditch defence of London from the Commies/zombie-hoardes/ravening-hen-parties/whatever?

[Rheged]

You know how various terrorists/freedom-fighters/you-choose put imporvised mortars in the back of vans? Well how about some really long-barrelled ones concealed in a Routemaster for the last-ditch defence of London from the Commies/zombie-hoardes/ravening-hen-parties/whatever?

"JazzMusic"  Schrage Musik   type  anti-aircraft weapons set in the bodywork to defend against  airbourne terrorists, kamikaze pterosaurs, dragons etc.....