Major restoration of one of two surviving London-specification AEC RT-type buses new to a North West municipal is nearing completion at Ensignbus, and a well-known Routemaster is for sale.
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BDJ607, dating from 1952, is one of the RT-types delivered to St Helens Corporation in two batches. These Park Royal-bodied buses even had exact London-spec interiors. Ensignbus’ vehicle is now running and driving, electrical work having also largely been completed.
“This is a rare surviving example of an RT not new to London and we’re sure it will create a lot of interest,” said Ensignbus Director Steve Newman.
The bus will take its place in Ensignbus’ heritage fleet once finished. Currently in the sales stock at the Essex-based operator/dealer are three AEC Routemasters including latterly owned by Tower Transit 650DYE, new to London Transport in 1963. The bus was painted silver in 1977 to commemorate The Queen’s Silver Jubilee, being given the fleet description SRM3, but later returned to red livery and its usual fleet number RM1650.
Withdrawn in 1985, the RM was sold, but later bought back by London Buses in 2000 and refurbished by Marshall’s of Cambridge. It was bedecked in gold vinyls to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and later returned to silver and the designation SRM3 for the Routemaster 50 celebrations in 2005.
The bus was later regularly operated by First London on Transport for London heritage route 9H and in 2012 its livery was modified to celebrate the 2012 Olympics. It passed to Tower Transit when First pulled out of London.
Also for sale by Ensign are two longer RML-type Routemasters, fleet numbers RML2346 and 2482.
Visit: www.ensignbus.com or phone 01708 865656.
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