Bas Routemaster

Reka bentuk novel

Bas Routemaster telah dikembangkan sewaktu tahun 1947–1956 oleh sepasukan diketuai oleh Douglas Scott, A. A. Durant dan Colin Curtis, ringkasannya adalah untuk menggatikan bas troli London, yang telah menggantikan keretapi ringan, di London. Bas Routemaster secara asas diniatkan untuk kegunaan London, direka bentuk oleh London Transport dan dibinakan di kerja raya AEC Southall, London dengan perhimpunan di pembina tubuh Park Royal Vehicles, sebuah syarikat subsidiari AEC.
Ia dalah reka bentuk revolusi ke atas bas terdahulunya, dan menggunakan aluminium keberatan ringan dan teknik yang dikembangkan pada pengeluaran pesawat sewaktu Perang Dunia II. Dan juga sebagai reka bentuk integral novel yang jimat keberatan, Bas Routemaster juga diperkenalkan (untuk kali pertama pada sebuah bas) independent front suspension, power steering, sebuah automatic gearbox yang penuh dan brek kuasa-hidraulik. Ini mengejutkan sesetengah pemandu awal yang mendapati chassis secara tidak dianggap ringan dan nimble dibandingkan dengan reka bentuk yang lebih lama, khususnya digambarkan di filem pada ujian di "rancangan skid" Chiswick Works.
Reka bentuk Routemaster adalah keberangkatan dari kaedah pembinaan chassis/tubuh. Dengan London Transport menjadi pelanggan asas, pilihan untuk menggunakan pembina badan berlainan adalah kurang penting. Reka bentuk adalah salah satu bas "integral" pertama, dengan bas menjadi pergabungan sebuah sub-bingkai keluli "A" (termasuk enjin, steering, suspension hadapan), sebuah sub-bingkai keluli "B" belakang (mengangkat axel belakang dan suspension), disambung oleh tubuh aluminium.

Prototaip

London Transport menerima empat prototaip Routemasters, ini telah diletakkan pada perkhidmatan di antara 1956 dan 1958. Duanya yang pertama dibina di kerja raya London Transport di Chiswick, yang ketiganya di Addlestone oleh Weymann, dan keempatnay, sebuah kereta bereksperimen Green Line, di Eastern Coach Works di Lowestoft. Yang ketiganya dan keempatnya mempunyai enjin Leyland. Routemaster pertama kali dipamerkan di Commercial Motor Show di Earl's Court pada 1954.
Pada 1961 sebuah batch kecil pada RML yang lebih panjang telah dibina sebagai suatu ujian, sebelum akhirnay dikeluarkan dari 1965.
Pada 1962 tempat masuk hadapan konsep RMF telah trailed, dengan sebuah bas tunggal RMF1254 dihasilkan berasaskan percubaan RML. Ini telah dipamerkan dan dilawatkan, memimpin ke sebilangan kecil pesanan sebagai kelas RMF dan RMA.
Pada 1964, hanya sebelum pengeluaran aliran utama pada RML, model Routemaster yang berenjin hadapan akhirnya, AEC bermula kerja pada sebuah pintu masuk hadapan, enjin belakang Routemaster, kelas FRM. Diselesaikan pada 1966, ia tidak dikeluarkan melebihi suatu prototaip rasmi, FRM1. Ini melihatkan perkhidmatan sering London, kemudian pada operasi lawatan, sebelum ditarik balik pada 1983.

Kelas RM dan RML

Di 2120 RMs dan 524 RMLs, ini membuatkan majoriti pada Routemaster yang telah dibuatkan. Kelas RML adalah hanya sebuah piawai RM dengan sebuah bahagian tingkap setengah yang berlainan dan kelihatan luar biasa ditambahkan di tengah memberikan 8 tempat duduk lebihan. Ini bukan suatu perubahan dramatik, kerana ia mengambil kesempatan pada pencapaian reka bentuk modular pada Routemaster yang akan ditirukan oleh pengilang kemudiannya. RML telah terdahulunya menjadi designasi "Routemaster Leyland", dengan ER untuk menandakan "Extended Routemaster". RM dan RML mencirikan sebuah lubang cubby di bawah tangga belakang di mana konduktor berdiri sementara tidak mengutip tambangan tanpa menghadang penumpang yang menaiki/menurun.

Kelas RMC dan RCL

RMC adalah sebuah versi kereta, dikeluarkan untuk route "Green". Ini telah memodifikasikan suspension dan bahagian dalam untuk membenarkan banjaran yang lebih panjang dan jalanan yang lebih selesa, bersamaan dengan sebuah pintu beroperasi elektrik daripada sebuah pentas terbuka. The RCL was a long version of the RMC with a larger engine and similar coach style features.

Kelas RMF dan RMA

Kelas RMF dan RMA adalah versi pengeluaran pada sebuah model pintu hadapan Routemaster, pada asasnya untuk kegunaan bukan-London. Seperti kelas kereta ini mencirikan sebuah pintu beropeasi elektrik, walaupun tangga telah dipindahkan ke hadapan bas dengan pintunya. Selepas dipamerkan dan digambarkan pada para operator lain, RMF menarik sedikit keminatan, selain dari suatu pesanan dari Northern General sebagai RMF, dan pada suatu versi pendek, dari British European Airways (BEA) sebagai kelas RMA.
Subsidiari British Electric Traction The Northern General Transport Company memperkenalkan kelas RMF pada 1964/1965, dengan sebuah batch asas 18, berikutnya 32 lagi, dan kemudian diikuti oleh prototaip RMF1254. The fleet dimuatkan dengan enjin Leyland dan sebuah axel belakang ratio yang lebih tinggi untuk operasi pada route trunk yang lebih panjang. Bas-bas ini dioperasikan pada pelbagai merah dan liveries krim Northern sebelum berhidup ke dalam era National Bus Company menerima livery korporat merah poppy dan fleetnames NBC Northern. Fleet RMF memakai iklan long standing, "Shop at Binns". Perkhidmatan mereka di utara juga mengeluarkan kelihatan ganjil pada sebuah Routemaster dengan sebuah rollsign untuk perkhidmatan "X1 to Scandinavia", oleh virtue hubungan hubungan pada laluan feri dari North Shields ke Scandinavia. Ini telah digunakan hingga 1977, apabila telah digunakan pada pelbagai cara, sesetengah kegunaan di London, walaupun tiada telah dikirakan sesuai untuk perkhidmatan London sering.
BEA memperkenalkan bas kelas RMA dibina pada panjangnya yang lebih pendek (dengan trailers) pada pelbagai liveries pada 1966/1967 untuk kegunaan pada perkhidmatan bas lapangan terbang ke dan dari Lapangan terbang Heathrow. Ini pada keseluruhannya akhirnya dijual ke London Transport selepas ditarik balik pada peringkat pada 1970an, mencarikan pelbagai watak.

London Transport Routemaster heyday

The heyday of Routemaster operation was its first 25 years of operation, until 1981, when the type started to be withdrawn and transferred to training fleets.
Kelas RM telah diletakkan pada perkhidmatan dari 1959 untuk menggantikan bas troli, diselesaikan pada Mei 1962. Subsequent Routemasters, the last 500 of which were the RML types, began replacing the previous generation of buses, the RT-type AEC Regent and Leyland Titan RTL and RTW. RMLs also displaced RMs on central routes to cope with higher loadings. The last Routemaster, RML 2760, entered service in March 1968.
The original London Transport concept for the Routemaster included the intentional routine overhaul and refurbishment of the Routemaster fleet at London Transport's Aldenham Works, usually every 7 years. Here the buses were completely stripped down and rebuilt, leaving practically as new. As the number of Routemasters in London reduced, however, and newer bus designs were intended to have longer service lives, the overhaul routine was abandoned and Aldenham Works closed in the mid-1980s.

Green liveried Routemasters

The "green Routemasters" originally worked for LT's "country division", which took coach type RMC and RCL buses, for Green Line services, and later standard bus RMLs. The RMC class were initially used on Green Line routes in outlying towns. Similarly, the RCL entered service in areas where the RMC was not introduced.
These vehicles passed to the nationalised National Bus Company's subsidiary London Country Bus Services (known simply as London Country) in 1969, which took over outlying areas of LT bus operation resulting from the 1968 Transport Act. The transfer comprised 69 RMCs, 43 RCLs and 97 RMLs.
By the latter half of the 1970s, most of these vehicles were re-acquired by London Transport, as London Country modernised and standardised its fleet, and increased car usage and improved commuter railways reduced suburban bus demand. Most of the RMLs found use on red London bus routes, and the RMC and RCL class were cascaded into the training fleet. As the RCL class was relatively new (in Routemaster terms), and LT was suffering from lack of parts, between 1980 and 1984 several of the RCLs were converted to standard bus use.

Decline in London

Many of London's bus routes were converted to one person operation (when known as one man operation or OMO) in the 1970s, out of a desire to reduce operating costs and address staff shortages. There was also for a time a parts shortage for Routemasters, aggravated by the closure of AEC. With the introduction of single-deck Red Arrow services in London, and successful conversion to modern rear engined OMO buses around the country, LT was considering replacing Routemasters with modern practices and buses. The operation of the Routemaster became contracted to central areas, with RMLs replacing RMs, where LT felt that the Routemaster still provided an efficient means of transporting lager numbers of people in busy central routes, justifying the economics of two man operation. The rapid acceleration and rugged construction of the Routemasters also proved to be more suited to such urban conditions than some more modern designs.
From the 1980s, many of the surplus Routemasters were sold to other operators or transferred to training fleets. While withdrawal of Routemasters began in 1982, it was largely halted by 1988, with comparatively few withdrawn up to 1992.
In the 1980s, several of the returned Routemasters purchased from Northern General, BEA and London Country, which had doors rather than an open platform, were put to use on London Transport's revived sightseeing operation The Original London Sightseeing Tour, alongside the RCL class (some converted to open top buses), the RMF class, and the RMA class.

Privatisation of London Buses

In 1984 the process of privatisation of London bus services began, and the Routemasters were transferred from London Transport operation to several different arms-length business units based on different garages, leading to minor additions to the standard red livery. Nine of the twelve new operating units inherited Routemasters, Centrewest, Leaside, London Central, London General, London United, Metroline, London Northern, South London and East London. During this time, following the failure and premature withdrawal of heralded replacement vehicle classes such as the DM/DMS class Daimler Fleetline, the Routemasters that had not yet been disposed of saw their lives extended for use until privatisation. Where new route tenders called for Routemaster operation, these were leased from London Buses.
By 1994, all the operating units had been sold and this produced some colour livery variations and additions to some Routemasters from their previous all-over red liveries. In the new London route tendering process, all but one of the Routemaster operated routes were allowed to keep their now privately owned Routemasters for the 5 year contract period, and further refurbishments resulted.

Life extensions

Since the ending of production at Southall and later closure of the Aldenham works, new options for extending the life of the Routemaster became necessary if they were to continue to run. This made sense as even by 1987, when some buses looked decidedly worn out, inspections by London Buses revealed the basic structure of the buses was still sound, requiring only replacement of engines and interior/exterior renewal.
From 1992-1994, all but 2 of the RML type were refurbished for ten years' further service. This work, which included updating the interior to modern tastes and substituting Iveco or Cummins engines, was carried out by Mainline, TBP,Nottingham truck & Bus, and by one of the new London Buses business units, Leaside Buses. 100 RM class vehicles were also re-engined. Post-privatisation, in 1996, the Routemasters on London Central's RMs on route 36, Stagecoach London's RMLs for routes 8 and 15, and Arriva's RMs for route 159, all received new Scania engines. Between 2001 and 2004, under new mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport for London, the replacement authority for London Buses, further refurbishment saw TfL buy back 49 RMs from a variety of sources. Initially started by Marshall Bus, this was continued by Arriva London when Marshall ceased trading in 2002.

Colourful Routemasters

With the Routemaster's longevity, there have been Routemaster buses painted to celebrate both the Queen's silver and golden jubilee, in 1977 and 2002, i.e. 25 and 50 years on the throne respectively. 25 buses were painted Silver to celebrate the Silver Jubilee, and out of 50 buses painted gold in London in 2002, 15 (12 RML, 3 RM) were Routemasters.
During privatisation in London, from 1986 several private operators won contracts to operate London bus services, some of which including Routemaster operated routes. Before an 80% red rule for liveries was reintroduced in 1997 by LT, the contract tendering authority, some of these new entrants proceeded to run Routemasters in their own non-red liveries, most notably Kentish Bus on Route 19 and Borehamwood Travel Services (BTS) (now part of Transdev London) on Route 13.
The iconic nature of the Routemaster also appealed to the many new operators outside of London that appeared post-1986 in the UK following bus deregulation. Several operators took second hand Routemasters from London as a cheap way of expanding their fleets to stave off competition from new operators emerging after deregulation. Likewise, start up operators also chose the Routemaster as an eye-catching bus for their own start up operations. Subsequently, Routemasters were seen around the country painted in a variety of proprietary colours, and were used in regular service in Southampton, Blackpool, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, Hull, Carlisle, Bedford, Kettering, Manchester (Stagecoach), Southend and Burnley. During this era, several Routemasters found their way through more than one company, and were also often loaned between operators.
One of the earliest, if not the earliest, examples of deregulated use of Routemasters was early in the history of the Stagecoach Group. Now one of the largest post-deregulation operators in the UK, Stagecoach combined the vintage Routemaster with their new and striking corporate livery of all-over white with red, orange and blue stripes, to start one of their first operations, Magicbus, in Glasgow, Scotland, in the late 1980s. This contrasted with the traditional identities still in use at the time.
Towards the end of this period, in 1994 in Reading, new operator Reading Mainline built up a 45 strong Routemaster fleet to compete with the established operator Reading Buses, in the process becoming the largest operator of Routemasters outside London. They used conductors to compete on speed in the town centre, and in the outskirts took advantage of the rear platform to operate hail and ride sections of route. After building up a network covering nearly the whole town, Reading Buses posted their first ever financial loss to purchase the company in 1998, with Reading Buses continuing Routemaster operation for another two years albeit reduced in number, until 2000.
With the costs involved in running elderly two-man buses, and with a general reduction in the number of operators, buses and services in the years following in the deregulated industry as competitors merged or sold out, these examples of use outside London declined through the 1990s. Many of these buses found their way back to London to assist with the refurbishment program or as basic spares donors, or to increase the fleet size generally.
The final withdrawal from mainstream London service saw another resurgence in the use of Routemasters outside of London, but this time on a smaller scale than the post deregulation public transport fleets. Post 2000, usage was characterised by small novelty or seasonal routes.

Other public transport uses

Most of the post-privatisation use of Routemasters in UK public transport service has now ceased.
Pada 7 April 2008 bas-bas Routemaster telah diperkenalkan di jalan bas biasa di Nottingham, England. Mereka dioperasikan oleh Bellamy's Coaches Ltd dengan Routemaster merah dijenamakan sebagai Nottingham & District Omnibus, di jalan 20 pada suatu frekuencsi 20 minit dari 7 pagi ke 7 malam, enam hari seminggu. Bellamy's positioned the conductor and open platform features of the Routemaster as being able to compete with the incumbent operator's Nottingham City Transport (NCT) services, on increased speed of travel through the city centre bus stops, and through hail and ride operation in the suburbs. The Routemasters were withdrawn on 28 June 2008 with the company citing low passenger demand, although to satisfy bus service registration requirements, the service continued using single-decker buses into August. The council, which has an 82% stake in NCT, was criticised for not doing enough to provide information about the service in public facilities, and for increasing the competition selectively on the Routemaster route.
The London and South East of England operator Metrobus has retained a green liveried Routemaster, RML 2317 (CUV 317C), obtained from sister company London General, which is sometimes used on regular routes as well as private and preservation appearances. Cavendish Motor Services operate RML 2324 in a light green and green livery, for special journeys as well as a relief bus for a number of their routes in the Eastbourne area.

Kegunaan bukan-awam

Selain dari route warisan London, operator utama terakhir Routemasters pada perkhidmatan di UK, adalah di Edinburgh, Scotland. Operator tempatan operasi lawatan Lothian Buses Mac Tours menggunakan kepelbagaian Routemaster tutup dan buka di tingkat atas Routemasters pada tugas bas lawatan sering.
Beberapa operator di UK mengekalkan Routemasters untuk kegunaan gunaan swasta, dengan kebanyakannya dipegang oleh pengganti pada bekas unit London Bus, Ensignbus, London Bus Company Ltd (formerly Blue Triangle) and Timebus Travel.
Banyak bandar di seluruh dunia mempunyai sebuah Routemaster, atau perbezaan RT yang lebih lama di mana-mana, sering dimiliki secara swasta dan digunakan untuk banyak tujuan (dari Preservation ke gerai Hot Dog, bas lawatan ke kedai). Routemaster dapat dijumpa jauh dari tempat asal di tempat seperti Sri Lanka, Australia, China, California Selatan, Malaysia, dan juga Fairbanks, Alaska.
Sebilangan Routemaster milik Stagecoach telah diekspotkan ke Montreal di Kanada, di mana Stagecoach kini memberikan suatu perkhidmatan pelawat di keliling bandar. Ini adalah suatu kes keunikan London Routemasters dioperasikan pada perkhidmatan harian di sebuah negara asing oleh operator bekas London Routemaster.

A future Routemaster?

Such is the popularity of the Routemaster that many calls continue to be made for a new version of the vehicle to be produced. Conservative Mayoral candidate for London, Boris Johnson, on 3 September 2007, announced that he was contemplating introducing a modern-day Routemaster bus (and scrapping bendy bus operation).
In December 2007 UK magazine Autocar commissioned leading bus designer Capoco, designer of the innovative Optare Solo, to come up with detailed proposals for a new-generation Routemaster. Their design, dubbed the RMXL, was a hybrid technology low-floor bus with a lightweight aluminium space frame, with 4 more seats and twice the standing capacity of the old Routemaster, and still crew operated with a driver and conductor. The design incorporates disabled access through a closing front door behind the front wheels, while retaining an open platform rear access, with the staircase still located at the rear. The hybrid drivetrain, with a front mounted continuous rev-ing hydrogenised petrol engine charges front mounted batteries, which power the rear wheels through rear mounted electric motors. This arrangement, through not requiring a mechanical transmission, allows for a low floor and a step free entrance into the lower deck from the rear platform. Hydrogen storage tanks would be located under the rear staircase. The design was covered by the national press but attracted criticism from London Mayor Ken Livingstone as being too costly to justify and still not safe, despite proposals to monitor the rear platform with cameras.
Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson backed the Capoco design in principle and suggested that he would hold a formal design competition to develop a new Routemaster if he became London mayor in 2008. After being successfully elected, on 4 July 2008 he duly announced the A New Bus for London Competition. The competition was open to anyone, to submit single ideas or detailed designs, with a 1st prize of £25,000, and many smaller awards for great ideas. The winning design is to be announced by late October or early November 2008. Following discussion with bus manufacturers, development of a design that could be put into production is hoped for completion by 2012 (the expected date of the next mayoral election).

Ensign

Beberapa disposed of Routemasters telah dijual ke kumpulan-kumpulan preservation. Ensignbus, bus dealer, mengurus disposals dengan beratus-ratus, seperti mereka juga lakukan dengan jenis London lain, Pada Disember 2004 Ensignbus memegang suatu raffle untuk 32 Routemasters, diadakan untuk £2,000 pada mereka yang dapat membukti mereka telah ada kewangan untuk menyimpan dan menjada mereka. Ensignbus telah sejak itu membuka sebuah muzium angkutan yang mengandungi beberapa contoh dikekalkan.

Ulang tahun ke-50

Pada 25 Julai 2004, di Taman Finsbury, London, ke atas 100 Routemaster yang dikekalkan dengan beberapaoperator dan muzium dibariskan, perayaan ulang tahun ke-50 pada kewujudan pertama Routemaster.