A Llandudno-based heritage operator is offering the rare chance to acquire an original-specification AEC Routemaster after deciding an open-top vehicle would be better for his business.
Andrew Price bought Routemaster WLT999 in 2016, his final year at university. “I’d decided on a Routemaster to be used on afternoon tea-type tours, but to be honest the cost of converting the bus was too high and the local market wouldn’t have sustained this type of operation,” Andrew admitted.
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“In the end we decided to use the bus on a hop-off, hop-on tour of Llandudno and the surrounding area. No-one else has been doing this and we have been successful. The bus has operated without problems and we’ve been able to get spares etc.”
The Routemaster 999 Tour is set to start again in April, though possibly not with the bus of the same name as Andrew has decided to offer it for sale.
“To be honest, we think that the business would really benefit from an open-top bus so we’ve reluctantly decided to offer the Routemaster for sale,” he said. “Ideally we would like a Routemaster, Leyland PD-type Titan or something like that though we would consider other vehicles.”
WLT999 was new to London Transport in 1961.
It passed to Mike Russell’s Reading Mainline operation, set up in 1994, which operated Routemasters in competition with Reading Buses, before being bought out by its council-owned opponent in 2000. WLT999 lasted until the demise of Mainline two years later, and was retained by Mike and used in his Reading Heritage Transport fleet, sporting Mainline’s red and cream livery.
The bus, which had been re-registered has since been reunited with its original registration number and recently received a full repaint in London Transport colours. The B-frame has also been rebuilt and the vehicle has an original specification down to the AEC engine and seat moquette, though it also has a CCTV system now. It’s Class VI tested until March.
- Andrew is looking for offers around £48,000 for the vehicle, plus VAT. Serious enquiries on 07970 811251 or [email protected]
