Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
This page created on 2nd September 1998, updated 23rd January 2011.
The Coach RMs, RMC1453-RMC1520: Renaissance and Continuation
The RMC training fleet with London Transport continued fairly uneventfully until 1987,
when Forest District had RMC 1515 converted to open-top and upgraded to PSV standard for hire work and special occasions.
Also in 1987, Cardinal District had one of their trainers (RMC 1469)
converted for use as a recruiting / training bus,
with reception, interview and test rooms, with mains-powered heating and lighting.
Externally it was painted red with yellow window surrounds / cantrail band,
with silver wheels.
The non-standard features of the livery received disapproval from London Buses,
and it quickly reverted to standard.
Beckton Express
But the major event was the return to service in March 1989
by East London of first six and then another RMC.
They were refurbished for passenger work, repainted in red with gold lining,
and put to work on the X15 "Beckton Express",
linking the new Docklands developments with Central London as a crewed commuter service.
The buses used were RMC 1456, 1458, 1461, 1490, 1496, and 1513, then RMC1485 later.
Their luggage racks had all been removed, and standard 3-piece displays were fitted at the front.
Five of them, RMC 1456, 1461, 1485, 1490 and 1513 survived through to the privatisation of London Buses in September 1994.
RMC1461 was overhauled and restored to full early GreenLine condition,
ready for the Routemaster 40 celebrations in September 1994.
It retained the livery (including fleetnames) in Stagecoach ownership, appearing sometimes on route 15.
RMC1456 retained the red and gold Beckton Express livery, with Stagecoach logo,
and RMC 1485 has the same style but with cream lining.
RMC1490 formed part of the Stagecoach preserved fleet in Scotland.
RMC1513 had been transferred to Metroline, and was privatised with that company.
RMC1453
RMC1453 in 1998, wearing Leaside Travel "Private Hire" blinds, at Showbus and Cobham Open Day.
RMC1453 was a trainer at Clapton when Leaside Buses decided to restore it to PSV status in 1994.
So it was privatised to Leaside Travel, who used it for special duties. It passed on to Arriva,
and through various subsidiaries (Leaside Travel, County Bus, East Herts & Essex)
without physically straying far from the north-east London garages - at least, in terms of garaging.
It did travel to France for the unveiling of the new "Queen Mary".
It did spend a short period at Norwood before returning north-eastwards to Edmonton,
from where it continues a fairly active fixture list.
Ten years on: RMC1453 looks very good in the snow at Cobham Open Day in April 2008.
RMC1456
RMC1456 lasted with Stagecoach until August 2003, when it was sold for private preservation.
Since then it has appeared occasionally, such as on the last day of Routemasters on route 8.
Still in service with Stagecoach East London:
RMC1456 in a rain-storm at Brooklands, June 1998. Later, now preserved in simplified bus livery it works route 8
on the last day of crew operation, June 2004.
RMC1461
was painted in full Green Line livery by Stagecoach whilst still working the X15.
It continued to make appearances on the 15 after that, but I never managed a photo, despite seeing it a few times.
Then in September 2003 Stagecoach donated it to the London Bus Preservation Trust at Cobham, so the photos became regular.
RMC1461 made a return to the streets of east London in June 2004
for the last day of crew operation on route 8 from Bow garage. It is a regular performer on
Cobham Museum days, such as on the 456 in October 2008, and the 477 in April 2008.
RMC1462
RMC1462 has had various spells in preservation interspersed with periods earning its keep.
It worked for a while with Nostalgiabus, which saw it working for London & Country on the Surrey Sunday services
(remember those, from the days before public enjoyment became immoral and public sector spending had to be slashed to pay for bankers' bonuses).
It was also on hire to Timebus Travel for a while.
Later it went to work for London Heritage Travel in Ely. In July 2010 they swapped it with RML2299
with the London Bus Company, Northfleet.
RMC 1462, with preserved RMC 1469 alongside it at Showbus 98.
RMC1464
This is one that I haven't seen. Converted as an open-topper by South London,
it was kept for a while at Norwood and became the "Norwood Princess".
Later it moved north to Leaside Travel, but I gather it has returned to Norwood.
RMC1477
After a couple of years with other owners, RMC1477 was bought by Shaftesbury & District in 1993.
They passed it on to Blue Triangle just over a year later. Restored to Green Line condition it
worked for its living on hires and tours, and went out to play at Running Days and Rallies.
Then in July 2005 it was bought for similar work by Timebus Travel.
They subsequently repainted it in their house livery of red with white trim.
In September 2000 and June 2001 RMC1477 made an appearance at the
Hertford Running Days, working the 715 between Hertford and Wormley.
RMC1485
RMC1485 was used on the Beckton Express in red with cream lining. It also saw work on special duties,
including hires and special events like North Weald and Cobham Open Day. It was repainted into red
with a cream band - ie losing the cream window surrounds.
Still in service with Stagecoach East London:
RMC1485 at North Weald 1998 (left and centre),
and, in simplified livery, at Cobham Open Day, April 2002(right).
Stagecoach withdrew RMC1485 from service in August 2003.
During a period in Edinburgh with Mac Tours it was re-engined with a new drive train, all to Euro3 standards.
It bought by Ensignbus in February 2009 and treated to a return to Beckton Express livery of red with gold trimmings.
Now with Ensignbus, RMC1485 at Showbus in September 2009.
RMC1510
RMC1510 was converted to open-top by London Transport, and fitted by them with a Cummins engine.
It stayed at Westbourne Park at privatisation to Centrewest in 1994,
and has since been used by them for hires, special duties and occasional forays in service
- usually in fine summer weather!
First's RMC1510 loads at Slough Bus Station in May 2006 for Windsor, on a Running Day.
RMC1513
RMC1513, another of the X15 Beckton Express survivors, was transferred to Metroline in December 1993,
and so was privatised to them the following year. It has kept its red livery for hires and special events.
Metroline RMC1513 has been a fairly regular attender at the St.Albans January Running Days.
In January 2006 it loads up in St.Peters Street on a 330 to Hemel Hempstead,
while in January 2008 it worked on the 341 between St.Albans and Hatfield.
As a Metroline Routemaster RMC1513 was naturally involved in the send-off for crewed operation on routes 6 and 98 in March 2004.
I travelled on RMC1513 and alighted at Charing Cross, where it heads off, illuminated by following traffic.
Apart from the above working buses, there are a number that are used from promotional business,
and not a few that have achieved peaceful retirement in preservation. These are on the next page!
Part 1: London Transport
Part 2: London Country
Part 3: Ongoing
Part 4: Survivors
Ian's Bus Stop
RM Contents
Photographic references
Fleet History.
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