Nick Larkin has been talking to Lothian Buses about an unusual Edinburgh tour that is being operated through much of August
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Superbly restored AEC Routemasters from Lothian’s unique vintage fleet will be working a new tour for a limited period as part of its Edinburgh Bus Tours subsidiary and will no doubt be among the stars of the company’s open day in September.
The 20 Days of Summer tour runs daily from 4-26 August and aims to showcase some of the amazing sights on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Departing from Waverley Bridge four times a day, the two and a half-hour tour will take in Edinburgh Castle, Portobello Beach, Arthur’s Seat, the Royal Yacht Britannia and many other attractions.
Star performers will be RM281 which underwent a major rebuild last year including re-roofing and a repaint in London Transport livery, and its sister RM242 which was completed this year.
Lothian’s Edinburgh Bus Tours operation first introduced Routemasters after taking over the Mac Tours operation in 2002, retaining the brand. Regular Routemaster tour operation finished in October 2016 in advance of the introduction of the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) requirement for double-deck buses used on local bus services.
Seven Routemasters have been undergoing the rebuild work at Lothian’s Seafield works, with a strong emphasis on keeping the look of the vehicle as near to original as possible. All Lothian Routemasters have low emission Cummins engines and Allison gearboxes.
The Routemasters, and other members of Lothian’s heritage fleet ranging from a Leyland PD3/6 to a Dennis Trident, will be among the vehicles at Lothian’s Doors Open Day at its Central Garage in Annandale Street from 1200hrs to 1600hrs on Saturday 29 September. It will include a vintage running day between Newhaven and Kaimes on route 7 from 0900hrs to 1800hrs.
There will be a display of vehicles old and new, trips through the bus wash, tours of the building and various new and vintage buses on display. There will also be displays from Police Scotland, Army Reserve and lots of fun activities for children and adults alike.
Lothian Buses website: www.lothianbuses.co.uk
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