London Transport Routemaster Bus

The Routemaster bus is the most recognisable vehicle associated with London after the Black Cab. With approximately 500 still in service today, it's numbers have dwindled from the peak figure of 2500. All 2500 served London and its boroughs in their intended use - although some of the buses still in existence today are far from London.

The concept of the Routemaster was proposed not long after the end of the Second World War. The intention was to produce an urban passenger vehicle that could be mass-produced to the exact requirements (as opposed to an off-the-shelf model) and that was cost effective and durable. It was the Routemaster that sealed the fate of electric trolley buses and trams in London. The trend was towards the internal combustion engine and significantly London Transport were unhappy about the money they were spending on maintaining the electric infrastructure. It should be noted that people were unaware of the pollution that motor vehicles could generate and was therefore not a consideration at the time.

The prototype of the Routemaster had more forward thinking styling than the final production version. The design became more traditional when it was decided that a standard radiator needed to be accommodated and the overall design should be obviously linked to its predecessor. This meant a typical grille was incorporated - to aid cooling and to look more like the RT which went before.