In message , Paul Corfield
writes
On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 22:50:16 +0100, Ian Jelf
wrote:
Little to report, other than seeing RML2524 (Great Northern) and is it
RM. 25 (?) in Shillibeer livery. At least one of the other RMs seemed
in *extremely* good condition (like something more usually seen on the
13!). I didn't get the number but wondered if it was a showbus or
something?
Unless I'm going ga-ga RM25 is in Great Northern Livery and 2524 is in
the Shillibeer livery.
D'oh! :-))
I actually managed to get a reasonable picture of
RM25 today - every previous attempt has been thwarted. No sign of
RML2524 although it was supposed to be doing late night runs but I
overhead a conversation that said it developed a defect yesterday.
Huge numbers of people out and about today including plenty of local
residents in Chelsea, Highbury / Arsenal and Battersea. Even kids taking
piccies with their camera phones.
I've noticed a lot of this sort of thing with the passing of
Routemasters. People who wouldn't normally see such things as having any
street cred seem to have a real soft spot for them.
Lots of questions from the general
public and general disappointment when they learnt what was going on.
I can't begin to imagine what the actual last day of the Routemaster is
going to be like if the turn out and reaction on these last day events
is anything to go by.
I suspect it will be like - or even greater than - the end of London's
(first generation of) trams in 1952.
I would have loved to have been in London today. Ironically, neither
of us was working today but I have to be in Bristol very early tomorrow
morning and couldn't really have a late night in London other than
spending most of tomorrow's earnings on an hotel room! (So I rally
ought to be in bed now rather than sitting up reading Usenet.)
And of course still no news about the proposed Heritage routes.......
There is a rumour that the "newer" (i.e. recent conversions) RMs from
the 19 are going into store for the Heritage routes.
That would make sense, especially from the condition of some of the
Battersea ones I mentioned yesterday.
It really doesn't seem two minutes since Kentish Bus was running the 19
with special liveried buses, does it?
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK
Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk