....that the registration number 1 CLT is currently for sale on a registration website for £42,500. The asset stripping of numbers is a personal hatred of mine, they belong, like the logbook, with the vehicle to which they were allocated!

My bus number (if any): rm531

Yes, of course it would be great if the number could stay with the bus. But the world has changed and there has to be the possibility that for some people the realisation of a large cash amount from something `not too essential` is now a financial lifeline. A few buses will probably be similarly sacrificed.

My bus number (if any): RM967 (Driver & Restoration Consultant, bus owned by Tom Ireland)

My bus number (if any): RM967 (Driver & Restoration Consultant, bus owned by Tom Ireland)

It's a great shame that this well known bus has been stripped of it's registration however I still recall the fight we had trying to prove that RM 912 was what it said on the tin after Mike Smith and friends had tried to claim that the registration belonged to a 'set of parts' which they owned. In the end, after a visit from VOSA, commonsense prevailed and RM 912 remained WLT 912. So in some ways it's poetic justice but not for poor old RM 1001 which in a way becomes stateless. Mike looked after the bus for many years and it was a fine example of what a preserved Routemaster should look like.

Ronan and I both have RM number plates on our cars, I have WLT 598, now in America and Ronan has WLT 581, now in Cyprus but if the need ever arose to re-unite either of the plates with the respective buses it would not be a problem providing we were offered suitable replacements.

My bus number (if any): RM 912

If anyone hasn't seen this, it is currently on the Routemaster Association's Facebook page. The posting is dated 2 February 2014. A contact name and telephone number is in the original posting.

RM1001, 1CLT has been put for sale following the sad loss of Mike Smith, A truly original AEC engine, high speed diff, repainted only a few years ago.
Offers in the region of £45,000 to include the number plate.
Please contact

Regards

Jim

My bus number (if any): RLH62

I think that is more likely to be accurate. Buy a registration number get one bus free.

In a conversation many years ago on plates, Mike said he would never sell his bus without the plate and vice versa.

He was a prolific collector of reg numbers and owned many with just a 1 as a digit. Not a bad way to invest long term.

However when it came to his RM and it's plate he was adamant they would not be separated even when he was gone.

I suppose we shall see in time.

Its a problem with this bus to be honest when trying to value it.

If you sell bus and plate together then they in theory are worth a great deal together, if you then separate them, whilst you may well make a quick buck on the plate you have devalued the bus, as clearly anyone paying a lot for an original vehicle will want the correct plate. How much you devalue it by is the moot point, especially if it was going overseas, where plate would be irrelevant.

I had this chat with Mike a few years back and as already stated he wanted to see them stay together (as do I) but after his passing the sentiment was, as you would rightly expect, one of maximising asset value rather than any sentiment, which is why we couldn't match the value for it.

I hope someone with deep pockets does buy it and keeps plate and vehicle together.

Steve

My bus number (if any): RM967 (Driver & Restoration Consultant, bus owned by Tom Ireland)

Hi Graham

Afraid no special blog for 1843 but she will get mentioned on my next entry on the Ensign vintage blog. There was also a photo on Twitter I posted yesterday of her @EnsignVintage if you want to see current condition

Steve

My bus number (if any): RM967 (Driver & Restoration Consultant, bus owned by Tom Ireland)