RM 1843 is seen pictured in Harisonville, Missouri, USA. Shipped out back in 1985 to William Jewel College, Liberty, Missouri. Been with a Dealer/ Collector for the last ?? years and hopefully set to return to the UK in the not to distant future. It was used by London Transport's Sales Department as a Runaround prior to it's sale and whilst in this guise I did some work on it which included changing the head gaskets with a friend. Neil G even repainted it back then too ! Been great catching up with the old friend again.




Few more pictures of it here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/33747326@N05/8243079132/ and a rather nice 1920's American- La France Fire Truck which is parked with the bus.




Paul Almeroth, Ensignbus. Helping to repatriate the worlds Routemasters

So you're on another jolly complete with toolbox then Paul? Have a good time. What's the weather like there then?

Looking through the pictures I can now see why you're out there Mr 9.8!

Speak to you soon.

21c Roy have to have the air con on !

And in addition to that repaint in 1984 I also found a set of Chrome trims for it - and they are still on the bus now! The Sales Department needed a vehicle to accompany deliveries of sold RM`s to docks etc to bring the drivers back and as RM 1843 was an exceptionally good Leyland to drive, it was a good choice.
Paul made a brilliant heater modification by running pipework up through the floor at the front near side of the upper deck to connect a blower motor heater that we got from somewhere. I got some thick, clear plastic from an industrial roll and made a floor length curtain that fixed to the ceiling secured by the screws on the beading strap three rows back from the front. The warmth at the front of the upper deck was unbelievable after a long run!

I`ve got a picture of 1843 taken in a lay-by on the A12 on April 3rd 1985 leading RM 1888, 1924 and RCL 2252 to Harwich to start their journey to Canada and another picture of 1843 taken a week later at Corley Services on the M6 en-route to Liverpool Docks with RM 1909.

Couldn`t resist breaking away from writing this to get the projector out and look at these slides for the first time in many years.....
The views as mentioned above are good but better still is a shot of 1843 taken in the yard at AEC immediately after my repaint. Surrounded by withdrawn RM`s and DMS`s, 1843 looks like it`s just come out of Aldenham. And in the background, on the embankment, is a Paddington bound DMU in 1980`s blue and white. I really must find the time to get out of the box the slide to PC converter that I bought two years ago and have never used. I think this particular slide should be shared by a wider audience!

Click here for Paul's Flickr site.

It would be interesting to see your slides Neil, if you can get them digitised. I did all mine about a year ago and was sad to find the colour had faded over the last fifty years (Agfa & later Fujitsu film0. At least when digitised they should remain in good condition.

My bus number (if any): RMs 238, 471. 2213 & GS 17

Hi Chris

I would love to transfer my slides to PC but with seven and a half thousand of them it`s not going to be a quick task! Taken on AGFA from 1978 - 1985 and mainly of LT, they include many taken in normally off - limits locations that I was lucky enough to be able to go to. Concerned to hear of your experiences with colour fading - that would be such a shame if this had happened to mine. But those of 1843 that I put through the projector last night looked ok and some of 1670 that I had digitalised a couple of years ago to take to NZ came out ok.
I`ll see this as a challenge and tomorrow will see what I can do with that slide of 1843 at a local photographic studio. Maybe by the end of the week we`ll have it on this forum.....

It's not the end of the world if the slides or transparencies have faded or tainted.

There are a few methods whereby this can be restored when scanned,

One is via Photoshop but does need a good calibrated screen and the operator needs a good colour eye and reference guides to LT colours.

The other is a program from a company called DXo Labs. They have several inexpensive programs that can make a lot of one click restoration adjustments.

Got her running and still sounds as good as she did all those years ago!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYOXJxmGsVo

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!
It's good to see someone enjoying their work.

My bus number (if any): Rm997

Excellent video,

Good to see a Car Park in a mall being put to proper use- testing buses!!

Seems to have captured that Leyland engine resonance that haunted Avondale road for several golden years.

Here we are Neil's fantastic picture of RM 1843

It took a little longer to get the original slide processed than I anticipated but I hope it`s been worth waiting for! Except that I sent the wrong slide to the processor. I must have taken two together and one has a DMU going by on the embankment behind the bus - it was that one that should have been digitalised. But I`m sure this one will evoke a few memories...

It`s taken at the old AEC site used by Bus Sales for storing withdrawn buses prior to sale or removal to scrap. The date is April 2nd 1985 and RM 1843 which is effectively withdrawn stock looks more like a Sales Department showbus! A fair bit of attention was given to this Leyland engine RM which became the vehicle used when delivering buses to docks for export in order to provide back up of spares etc in case of breakdown (a spare wheel is visible inside) and to bring the other drivers back. Paul A sorted it out mechanically so that it drove superbly and I gave it a full repaint - and an AS code for AEC Southall! A full set of chrome trims came from those spare from Mortlake and I put a `Round London Sightseeing Tour` advert on both sides! As I said, it looks like a showbus and we were very proud of what we did to it!

Behind 1843 are three Routemasters. The one beneath the white building is RCL 2252 (it has a faded roof) and next to it is RM 1924. By looking through the lower deck of 1843, the bus with the Zetters Pools advert next to 1924 is 1888 and the three of them have just been prepared for export to Canada. They left the next day in a convey to Harwich docks with me leading in 1843. I have another slide of them all in a lay-by on the A12.

1843 was a good example of how a repainted RM could look given that, in the absence of it, any prospective customers visiting Bus Sales would only see lines of scruffy and often weather faded vehicles. But had 1843 stayed at AEC looking attractive it would have made it difficult to have kept our original Mortlake showbus, RM 1563, on fleet strength. And so to protect its future until either Neil T or I could buy it we offered it as a Sales Department demonstrator and undertook to fully repaint it internally (by me) and externally (by the painter at Stamford Brook as part of an apprentice project). So in our spare time in early 1985 Neil T, Paul A and I transformed 1563 for its new role. 1843 was then sold to a college in Missouri. You almost couldn`t make this next bit up. Twenty seven years later Paul A is asked to go to the USA to assess the chances of getting a long abandoned RM into working order with a view to repatriating it. It turns out to be 1843 and Paul has got it running. Wouldn`t it be bizarre if it ended up back here.... Watch this space!

Somewhere I have a few pictures of RM1563 being prepared for it's sales dept. period.
When it was been sign written I think.
Disguised as 449 CLT !
I recall spending a wet sunday in Stamford Brook and removing a nearside panel off it.
It still had a Park Royal label on the inside of the panel!
Great time.

You are right, Mark. In all its years of service 1563 had obviously never had a significant rear end bump as it had on the inside of the lower rear advert panel a Park Royal paper stock label dated 1962. Intact, dry but a bit dusty.

The sign writing was done by a lovely guy, Tommy, who had in a previous life been a professional sign writer but in 1985 was a driver at Norwood. Many will remember their RM 2217 as a showbus with the hand painted 1960`s adverts done by him. The arrangement was that as no money was being paid out to do 1563, Tommy who had a preserved bus would be allowed to have a few spare parts from the Sales Department in return for his time and materials. He spent all day doing both sides of 1563 with big letters saying `London Bus Sales` and an additional name and contact number on the N/S. He got his spares and the Sales Department got an RM that looked inside and out just like any overhauled bus from Aldenham. Which meant they finally had a bus that they could show to prospective customers that wasn`t an embarrassment! And many customers did, as a result of seeing what could be done to a bus of their choice by Aldenham, take the option of doing just that. Or rather a lucky few did as Aldenham closed the following year!

Hi all , does anyone know the number's of the last few RM's overhauled at Aldenham,it would be fasenating to know.

My bus number (if any): none yet!

Seeing RM 1924 in one of the posts reminded me of my garage trainee days at Poplar garage Leven Road E14. i joined in 1971

It must have been sometime in 1972 when RM 1924 rolled into PR with RMs 1881-2135-2137, all fresh from Aldenham works.

The four buses had the 'PR' garage code already stenciled on the sides. Our day foreman Jim Hansen was very happy to let the shift blokes blind them up to work the route 40A. A very unholy row broke out when the licensing dept people got on the phone and told our foreman that these buses were not for Poplar at all.

I remember being in the dock office when 'Jim' was hollering down the phone.

'They Bloody well are our buses' he told the bloke on the phone. 'They are bloody well going out now'

The district engineer came over from West Ham, to sort things out.

'those buses are for West Ham' he told Jim ' not Poplar.

'Jim Hansen was furious.

As a youngster i was hanging around and watching the proceedings. I could see the running shift blokes busying themselves taking out the blinds, still they got a couple of hours overtime apiece for the transfer work and blinds, The only bloke with a long face was the poor day foreman.

My bus number (if any): none..I've only got a ford pop

Not sure RM 1881 or 1924 were involved John, as RSE records show 1881 was at PR from 3/70 until its next overhaul in 1976 and RM 1924 was delivered from Aldenham 9/2/72 licensed and it operated from PR, although it did go to WH as a licensed transfer a month later.

According to the RSE records, the buses involved were RMs 2132, 2134 and 2136, which were all delicensed ex Works Float and could not have been used in service anyway, they were sent to PR 9/6/72 to be stored until 1/7/72, when they were licensed and transferred to West Ham. You had to love some Day Foreman, there were many characters, one at Southall ordered the LT Director of Audit, out of the garage as he had committed the cardinal sin of not reporting to him when entering the garage! The Director of Audit had been to AEC's as part of the major investigation carried out at the time of the Bus Sales department, which brings us neatly back on topic

My bus number (if any): RTL 960.RMC 1458, RM 1585 and several RTs

Ok Brian thanks for the info,

It was a few years ago now, perhaps my old memory is letting me down regarding the numbers.

The buses did look good though,and our old foreman was sorry they were not for him.

He was having loads of trouble with his MBs on route 108.

I think he just wanted a few more reliable buses.

The Routemaster never gave us much trouble and the inside and platform staffs liked them.

I worked with a middle shift bus mechanic Bill Nellis who saw the RM on i'ts first day of service in 1959.

Happy days.

John H

My bus number (if any): none..I've only got a ford pop

I know what you mean about memory John. my brother and I often have disagreements about what happened 30-40 years ago when we both worked for Rolling Stock Buses. There are a few photos around of the first day run out preparation at PR, it being as you rightly say a major event in the life of the Routemaster.

Remember, you don't have to own a bus to post here, the input from ex LT garage staff is always very welcome.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960.RMC 1458, RM 1585 and several RTs

Many thanks Brian,

May i wish everyone on here all the best for Christmas, and the new year.

John H

My bus number (if any): none..I've only got a ford pop

Here's a picture of RM 1924 taken at the AEC site a few days before it left the UK

Hi Paul , thanks for posting the lovely pics , I love the one of RM1924 ,the livery & the illuminated offside advert just sets it off nicely ,are there plans afoot to bring back RM1843 from the USA? ps have a great Christmas Paul

My bus number (if any): none yet!

Jim plans are in hand to repatriate RM 1843 back to the UK in the not too distant future It's to be transported from Harrisonville to Baltimore for shipping, a distance of a 1000 miles or so. I'll try and post some pictures of its journey, have a great Christmas too Jim.

My bus number (if any): KRH 411P

Hi Paul ,thanks for the response and I hope the repatriation go's smoothly,I can't wait to see your next update.

My bus number (if any): none yet!

i cant wait i hope she comes home and she looks like what she did at fw that would be the nuts

Loaded and ready to start its long journey home, with a little help from a rather nice Western Star Truck





Oh and by the way Roy it's -8c !!

Hope there aren't any hump back bridges in Missouri Paul! it could be a long time getting back if there are.

Has the Star got a big cat or a jimmy? That's a really neat lowboy.

Hope you've got your long johns with you.

Think its got a Cat in it Roy, certainly sounds nice & yes thats one LOW low loader, can be raised as required though. Didn't bring me long johns as the RM compressor in my case took up most of my baggage allowance ! might have to pop down to Wallmart.

Here's a short clip of the departure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI4QJN608Wo

Hi Paul ,hope the journey go's well ,is the bus being brought back for you personaly or for somebody else like Ensign?

My bus number (if any): none yet!

Ensignbus are repatriating it Jim & I'm the lucky employee they sent out to get it running.

hi Paul ,thanks for that info,when is it due back?

My bus number (if any): none yet!

Another picture of RM 1843 taken in 1984 at the Bus Rally held at Chiswick Works, not sure why it was there as withdrawn buses were normally sent straight to the AEC site.




Also another YouTube clip from USA, note the electric lift pump that it has fitted. Paul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kucVv5yyEmI

With a link that works this time !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kucVv5yyEmI

I've not got a spare lift pump and often wondered whether it would be possible to carry one, with wiring and connectors, as a spare? Wonder where you could get one?

My bus number (if any): RMs 238, 471. 2213 & GS 17

RM1843 certainly sounds nice and not much smoke . Any idea if it will be able to keep its original uk reg or has that now been lost ? Is this one staying as part of the ensign collection or is she going to be sold ?
Mark

My bus number (if any): RML2391

The lift pump as fitted to the in line (CAV and Simms)fuel pump on AEC and Leyland lumps in the Routemaster is very difficult (bordering on impossible to refit) to change in situ as there is little or no clearance to remove it as it is very close to the subframe n/s 'chassis' member. To do it quickly in relative terms you would have to disconnect and remove the whole injection pump which is no doubt what LT did at depot level?


Job done by eastlancsleopard, on Flickr

My bus number (if any): RM1414 sort of and a leap of Leopards

Horrible fiddly job, but it depends on which particular combination of injection pump, lift pump- several possibilities- and engine is fitted, some will go; others won't.

Nuts can require a variety of different spanners.

What doesn't help is the condition of the pump bodies - many have gone porous and work fine on the test bench, but only last a short while on the vehicle.

Going off-thread a bit, but I've come across many RMs,an RT and Lodekkaa abroad with electric lift pumps fitted simply because, they can';t be bothered to get the originals repaired. but then for a roadside repair, what else can they do?

It IS possible to change the lift pump in situ, but it's not an east job!

If your lift pump packs up on the road, a gallon of diesel with a pipe gravity feeding the pump will get you to a place of safety.

RM 1843 is seen being driven off the ship at Southampton Docks on the 07/02/13.

Wow! - what an adventure and a great sight to see her (almost!) back on English soil Paul! Thanks for sharing the adventure so far with us all and I look forward to enjoying the rest of it!

My bus number (if any): RM2302 (Ensignbus 32!)

The RM 1843 story gets really interesting now....
This was how it left Southampton this morning having been stood on the dockside since being driven off the ship last Thursday.



Given that it was just above freezing it started fairly readily having been given a boost.





It didn`t take long to get it connected to the recovery truck





This isn`t the ship that 1843 came off but the average container ship makes an RM look like a dinky toy!



Handing over the release paperwork to exit the Docks and thus for 1843 onto a UK public highway for the first time since 1985



And then the weather took a turn for the worse! Arrival at Winchester Services for a break.



A most surreal experience for Paul and I to be reunited with a bus that we both spent many hours working on all those years ago. Given the standard of restoration of their other repatriated vehicles, Ensign will no doubt do a fantastic job of returning 1843 to something head turning. I can`t wait to see it when it`s done!

A few more pictures from todays adventure


Friends Reunited !


Arrived safe and sound at Ensignbus Purfleet keeping company with RM 1361


Parked up in Her new home next to RT 624


The USA sunshine has somewhat took its toll on the steering wheel !

Hi Paul , wonderful pics ,great that she is back safe and sound at Purfleet!

Short YouTube clip of the departure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HzL5hcqoMo&list=UUQokJuWaEJ1TtmyrpgKOofA&index=1

Nice to have her home well done to you and the Newmans for this

A technical question (or a stupid one!)- When the front of RM1843 is raised on the recovery truck,the platform obviously tips back dangerously close to the ground.Obviously the vehicle can be towed (der!)but what is the clearance from the ground ? It must be more than it appears on the photos ?!!

The picture taken beneath the container ship of the bus hitched to the tow truck provides a good idea of the platform height above ground for road travel. I asked the question too regarding clearance and the answer was that it`s less of a problem to scrape a low rear than for the raised front of the bus roof to collide at speed with something.

Fantastic story about RM1843 and her return from the USA, I would love to follow this story and see her when she is returned to her full glory...
Dan

My bus number (if any): 844184

Some interior pictures of 1843 might be appropriate to show just how unchanged the bus has remained through its years away from the UK - even if it isn`t exactly in `straight out of LT service` condition!










Way back at the start of this thread I mentioned Paul`s modification that involved making a hole in the top deck floor for the pipework to connect to a blower motor heater. The heater was removed prior to sale and a patch plate put over the hole.

Good photos Neil. That pretty much what RLH62 was like when I bought it. Pretty original Ex-LT with a few local modifications. Mine had insect screens fitted to all of the front windows, an emergency light on the stairs and corner marker lights on each exterior corner. Inside was mostly untouched.

My bus number (if any): RLH62

You're lucky it hasn't got a shower cubicle and double bed upstairs and a hamburger bar on the lower deck LOL

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RMC 1458 RM 1585, M 961 and several RTs