ROOF
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Ken Blacker`s excellent Routemaster book instantly proves what Brian has said by having a picture of brand new RM 1122 on the cover and it has the metal strip on the centre part of the grille.
When the `conversion` of RM 1563 back to 1960`s look was done at Mortlake in Jan 1981, the rad grille was the one feature that we had to initially forgo.
Permission to achieve the `retro` look was granted for the rapidly approaching 25th anniversary of RM 1 entering service and for the commemorative run over Route 2 from Golders Green to Crystal Palace - the idea for which came from us at Mortlake. There wasn`t time to make what we thought was the correct grille and thus when RM 1563 took to the road on Jan 31 1981 in its `new `look it had to be with a standard grille.
As I recall, we asked around as to how we could get an `early style ` grille made and this was eventually done for us but I cannot remember if it was done at Mortlake or elsewhere. My feeling is that it was elsewhere and we ended up with the grille as shown in the Aldershot picture. This was only put on for rallies and special events as we were too worried about it being damaged in ordinary service. And whilst some garages only put their `showbus` out in service as a last resort, 1563 went out all day, every day so that people could enjoy seeing it. And the risk of the specially made grille being damaged was considered too high.
But at some point we either realised - or had it pointed out to us - that the grille wasn`t right for a bus that entered service in April 1963. It was quite probably down to Neil T going back through his stash of photographs and official LT publicity that the discrepancy became fully apparent.
Getting the correct one made was a real challenge because of the way in which the upper most part of the vertical centre strip fitted into the horizontal strip. As Mark says, there wasn`t a ready source of info nor detailed close up pictures to use as a pattern. I do know that Neil T spent a long time trying to find an example to use and eventually got one made. Again, I can`t remember who did it or where but we actually had two grilles done so that 1563 could run in service with one whilst a spare was safely put aside just in case.
So at least 1563 eventually had the right grille as shown below
