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The iconic red London double decker


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Being a London fan I just couldn’t resist the 1/24 scale Revell kit of the London double decker or AEC Routemaster. The model depicts the longer RML type of the bus with an additional small window in the centre of the bus. That increased the capacity of the bus by eight seats. This kit is perhaps the biggest construction project I've so far embarked upon. The fit of the parts and decals were very good but it took a suprisingly long time to finish the double decker due to the big number of parts and the multiple sub-assemblies inside the bus (the chassis, the engine, the bodywork, the driver's compartment, the the lower floor, the stairs, the upper floor, the multiple seats, the windows, etc).  In the assembly I only had to follow the good old elephant eating technique or "bite by bite" 🙂  I painted the red parts of the bus with Tamiya Italian red TS-8 and used Humbrol and Vallejo colours for the other parts.
 

To the last picture I added the 1/24 scale Revell London taxi but I must honestly say that the quality of that kit was quite poor. In addition, according to some comments on the net the size of the model is actually 1/22! Anyway, that picture shows the two most famous vehicles of my favourite city.

 

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Very nice Einar and very evocative of days gone past in my favourite city too. Also, judging the locations on the front the bus should now be renamed the "Hipster" route. Bravo.👏

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2 minutes ago, Stef N. said:

Very nice Einar and very evocative of days gone past in my favourite city too. Also, judging the locations on the front the bus should now be renamed the "Hipster" route. Bravo.👏

Thanks Stef! I'm very much looking forward to visiting London again once the pandemic has been handled!

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1 minute ago, Stef N. said:

I live 20 miles away and haven't seen it since last March. 😥 Be great to go back and great to see visitors back in the city Should be soon hopefully.👍

I hope so, too👍👍

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56 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

Awesome RML! The angled front wheels really add life!

Thank you!

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48 minutes ago, Whitewolf said:

Very nice indeed! A lovely model of the most iconic bus of all time!! 

Thank you Whitewolf!

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Always nice to see another bus on here(being a bus fan). I have this kit to, not built of course. This one is very nicely done. Back in the day when buses were built for capacity and comfort.

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22 minutes ago, klubman01 said:

Wow, that looks good!  The big red London bus - usually travelled in groups of three!

Trevor

Thanks Trevor!

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London just isn't the same without the old Routemasters! I don't know if they still run on the 2 tourist routes, but they were as much a part of London as all the other key sites and features.

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2 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

London just isn't the same without the old Routemasters! I don't know if they still run on the 2 tourist routes, but they were as much a part of London as all the other key sites and features.

I thought that they were still running on the Heritage Route 15, but sadly according to Wikipedia, I was wrong. ☹️ "From 2 March 2019, the heritage service was reduced to operate only on weekends and bank holidays, from the last Saturday in March until the last weekend in September.

The route did not operate during 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its contract expired in November of that year and was not renewed. In 2021, Transport for London confirmed that the route would not run again, thus being withdrawn at the end of its contract in November 2020." 

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Here in Winnipeg, we had a former London Routemaster used in the Assinoboine park as a shuttle. You can see videos on yt of it. It was owned by somebody private, When they struck up the deal to use it with the park, they didn't account for parts and it brokedown several times (even the one time I rode it). From what I heard through the bus community here, the parts are being hoarded in England someplace and they are reluctant to send parts out of country. It disappeared from service a few years ago (I think after two years of use) and haven't seen it since. I'm with Transit Heritage (MTHA) and we loaned them an RTS bus we had for when the Routemaster was out of service. Unfortunatly they have a different union than transit(MTHA is a non profit, no direct union connections) and the drivers at the park didn't like that we helped out so they drove the RTS into the ground, never checked oil or noted repairs needed. So much for unions supposed to be helping each other. The RTS was taken back, engine and some parts given to transit in lieu of storage and it was scrapped.

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1 hour ago, busnproplinerfan said:

Here in Winnipeg, we had a former London Routemaster used in the Assinoboine park as a shuttle. You can see videos on yt of it. It was owned by somebody private, When they struck up the deal to use it with the park, they didn't account for parts and it brokedown several times (even the one time I rode it). From what I heard through the bus community here, the parts are being hoarded in England someplace and they are reluctant to send parts out of country. It disappeared from service a few years ago (I think after two years of use) and haven't seen it since. I'm with Transit Heritage (MTHA) and we loaned them an RTS bus we had for when the Routemaster was out of service. Unfortunatly they have a different union than transit(MTHA is a non profit, no direct union connections) and the drivers at the park didn't like that we helped out so they drove the RTS into the ground, never checked oil or noted repairs needed. So much for unions supposed to be helping each other. The RTS was taken back, engine and some parts given to transit in lieu of storage and it was scrapped.

What a sad story! The lack of co-operation always creates such misery!

 

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7 minutes ago, Einar said:

What a sad story! The lack of co-operation always creates such misery!

 

It is to bad when people don't work together. Now one maybe two buses gone.

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4 hours ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

I thought that they were still running on the Heritage Route 15, but sadly according to Wikipedia, I was wrong. ☹️ "From 2 March 2019, the heritage service was reduced to operate only on weekends and bank holidays, from the last Saturday in March until the last weekend in September.

The route did not operate during 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its contract expired in November of that year and was not renewed. In 2021, Transport for London confirmed that the route would not run again, thus being withdrawn at the end of its contract in November 2020." 

So basically they've killed off the Routemaster altogether in London......how very sad!! Better think about replacing the black cabs and put a modern development on the Westminster site. We can have a digital replacement for Big Ben, may aswell knock down the Tower of London while we're at it.....

Edited by Whitewolf
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Awesome job, my dad used to overhaul RMs and RMLs at the Aldenham Bus Works before they closed it down. Always wanted to get one of these due to the connection

 

regards

 

John

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7 hours ago, 12jaguar said:

Awesome job, my dad used to overhaul RMs and RMLs at the Aldenham Bus Works before they closed it down. Always wanted to get one of these due to the connection

 

regards

 

John

Thanks John!

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This bus has come out really well! I've seen so many of the real thing and it matches up to my eyes. On a personal note my dad was a London black taxi driver and we lived not that far away from the A.E.C factory where these were made. Shame about the no.15 route too but I have to say that the current mayor is definitely not a bus or heritage fan,whereas Boris Johnson was! 

Chris.

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15 minutes ago, Kitkent said:

This bus has come out really well! I've seen so many of the real thing and it matches up to my eyes. On a personal note my dad was a London black taxi driver and we lived not that far away from the A.E.C factory where these were made. Shame about the no.15 route too but I have to say that the current mayor is definitely not a bus or heritage fan,whereas Boris Johnson was! 

Chris.

Thank you Chris! 

It's really shame that the good old icons are disappearing from the London!

Einar

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