On 22 Dec, 11:49, Barry Salter wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
I've a vague recollection of experiencing something similar a couple
of times on the in the dying days of crew operation on the 12 (I
think) when some buses were (somewhat inexplicably) not Routemasters
but OPO double deckers. I recall the friend I was with saying they'd
come across crew operated standard double-deckers instead of
Routemasters a few times around then.


Sorry, I realise I couldn't have been less clear if I tried! In the
situation I describe, during the last few months of Routemaster
operation on the 12, some of the actual buses provided were not
Routemasters but 'standard', modern double-deckers albeit with a
conductor (which is what what I meant when I said "OPO double
deckers"!). I don't know why this was the case, unless the bus company
(London Central) had started to give up on doing any heavy servicing
of their Routemaster stock, what with its imminent demise, and so had
substituted other buses. I recall one such bus I was on being one of
the double-deckers with high-seat backs that the company normally
offers for hire (the one's with the "Hire Me" notices on the side!),
not one of the buses used for day to day public services.

By the by, I remember now that the 12, like some other routes served
by Routemasters, was instead a one-person operation on Sundays - this
is confirmed by this 'ere webpage::
http://www.busesatwork.co.uk/Routes/012.htm


If memory serves, the MCW Metrobuses that replaced Routemasters on route
279 (amongst others) originally had a sign on the front displaying
either "PAY DRIVER" or "PAY CONDUCTOR" (or words to that effect anyway).


Interesting stuff - I bet it didn't work at all well though! If the
whole bus was a totally different colour like yellow it might just
about persuade the majority of passengers that there was a conductor
on board so they didn't have to pay the driver/ show tickets to the
driver/ beep in their Oyster in front of the driver.