We decided to watch the Routemasters on route 38 coming into Victoria for a little while, so left the bus station (not always a good place for trouble-free photography, as well as not being the best position). We found a spot on Buckingham Palace Road where we could see the traffic coming both into the bus station and also round the corner to head south. It was safe, and out of the way of traffic and pedestrians.
Of course, there was not an RM or RML in sight. But plenty of other buses. Round the corner popped a tiny (ie RF-size) Dart/Plaxton (DP33 of Travel London) on the C1, setting off to wriggle its way through to Kensington. Rather larger, but NOT an ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian, was DAF/Alexander DLA313 on route 2.
The variety continued: long gone are the days when Central London boasted only one basic type of bus (the RT). An open-topped Leyland Olympian of TOLST (OA326, erstwhile L326) rolled past on tour2, closely followed by one of the impressive Oxford Tube buses bound for the Coach Station. 50121 sported a dedicated registration plate for the service: T40UBE. Behind that was a Mercedes articulated, the type about to dislace the RMLs from route 38. This one, Arriva's MA7, had already done for those on route 73.
Now came the Routemasters on route 38 - typically four in a row. RML2638 was a long-term Tottenham resident until withdrawn from the 73 in September 2004. It came out of store in February for a short period working the 38 from Clapton garage, but seems to have lost some of its Arriva signage somewhere along the line. Following another Oxford Tube came RM909. This is one of the Routemasters bought back from service elsewhere by TfL and refurbished for London use, in this case for use by Arriva to increase capacity on the 38. Two behind that was RML2401, a long-time Clapton stalwart on the 38.
More variety followed: Metroline's Volvo/President VPL184 on the 52, and Stagecoach Trident/Alexander 18202 on route 8. Another long-time Clapton resident, RML2356, roared in, followed by another Metroline President. Then one of East Thames Buses' Volvo/Presidents, VP20, slipped round the corner on a 185.
Then RM613, a preserved ex-Upton Park machine came along in immaculate London Transport livery, with tungsten bulbs aglow and conductor on the platform, to turn the corner behind us into the bus station, shortly followed by Blue Triangle's superbly turned out RM298.
We crossed the road and watched for a bit longer, with continued variety, including a clutch of GreenLine coaches. From our new vantage point we could see the 38s heading out again. RML2534 headed for Clapton Pond, and RML2356 set off on a short-working to Piccadilly Circus.
We watched for a few minutes longer, then headed round the block back towards the station - and saw Saunders RT3062 pull in...
Part Three: Route38 on RT3062
Bus Stop Part Three: Route38 on RT3062