Revell 1/24 AEC Routemaster concepts

[Martin H]

we had 20 ex LT Routemasters operating with our local firm, United Counties. Now part of the Stagecoach group.

10 in Bedford, and ten in Corby. Plus the pair of wrecks in the photo I posted yesterday. We would get the occasional loaned RM in Northampton if they were short of a bus or two.

They looked like this before the fleet succumbed to the groups corporate livery. In my view one of the better modern non London schemes.

This was taken inside the Bedford deport around 1989-90.

[Radish]

I LOVE that LA SENZA one

[Martin H]

had a feeling you might lol

[Martin H]

As a side note. Very few Routemaster's still running have their original engines. London Transport ran an upgrade program in the late 80's-early 90's replacing the worn out old AEC and Leyland units with a modern Ashok India diesel unit. Yeap! an Indian engine in a London icon. Apparently they sounded similar to the original engines and of course a lot cheaper and claimed to be more reliable than comparable British built Perkins diesel units of the 1980's. I do know they had to fit speed limiters to the converted buses. Before conversion the RM could just about hit 45 mph, going down hill with a tail wind. I remember clocking a modified example on the south bound M1 (heading home after rebuild) doing 70 plus! My little Ford Fiesta only just managed to keep up with it.

[Aircav]

And guessing what's coming next, pink has been done too!

Could never understand just why so many women do wear the wrong size bra's, all you need is a tape measure. 

[Martin H]

something you want to get off your chest Steve?

[Weaver]

Perhaps he's after a job doing the measuring for them......

[Aircav]

Perhaps he's after a job doing the measuring for them......

Now theres an idea. 

[Radish]

I think it's all a matter of weight, mass and distance.....I think we should assign a team to measuring breast/bra size and apply for proper research funding. After all, if people can get research funding of £250,000  to find out if leaving cornflakes soaking in milk will turn them soggy, then I think we have a chance.

[PR19_Kit]

Looking at that pink La Senza RML, I'm wondering if there'd be a market for some custom decals for that one...........  

[NARSES2]

That green UC one reminds me of the good old London Country service ones back in the 60's/70's when we had LT and LC before privatisation 

Chris who's just stunned a thread re Routemasters can hit 5 pages and probably more to come  Just shows what an icon it really was 

[Martin H]

That green UC one reminds me of the good old London Country service ones back in the 60's/70's when we had LT and LC before privatisation 

Chris who's just stunned a thread re Routemasters can hit 5 pages and probably more to come  Just shows what an icon it really was 

Like this?


notice the doors on the rear platform, This is an RCL the coach version of the RML. The coach version of the standard RM was the RMC.

[PR19_Kit]

That green UC one reminds me of the good old London Country service ones back in the 60's/70's when we had LT and LC before privatisation 

Oh yes, the GreenLine buses. We used to go and see my Auntie in Caterham on them when we lived in Croydon, that was a major expedition in those days!

[Weaver]

Okay, here's a slightly more sane idea. This here is an A.E.C. Regal Mk.IV:



Although it looks superficially like a double-decker, it's actually a single-deck coach with just 37 seats, the rear half being raised over a large luggage compartment that can hold 3 suitcases per passenger, and that's the clue to it's purpose: they were used by BEA to ferry air passengers between Waterloo station and Heathrow.

Now this leads to two ideas for the Routemaster:

1. Keep the shape the same, but make the bottom deck all luggage, with blanked-off windows and a big door or two in the side.

2. Cut the Routemaster down to make a similar "split-single-decker". You'd probably have to lose, or at least enclose, the back platform, and there'd be interesting choices to make about what to do with the Routmaster's half-width driver's cab....

[Martin H]

and there'd be interesting choices to make about what to do with the Routmaster's half-width driver's cab....

Something like the Southdown Queen Mary might be useful for that sort of change of appearance.

This Leyland Titan PD3 has a full front fitted. The area over the engine, where the bonnet is on a half cab like the Routemaster is now enclosed but is basicly empty space. The "half cab" drivers cab is still separate from the rest of the bus interior.