As far as walk round checks go with preserved buses, sadly I can’t remember witnessing any owner I know carrying out a proper one before taking a vehicle out on the road, just as most car owners don’t ? Obviously those driving PSV’s for a living for a well run company are required by law to be in the habit of performing strict checks, filling in paperwork and signing off the vehicle before use, they also have a paid time slot in which to do it in. The top copy of the check is usually left at the depot and the book is in the vehicle for scrutiny by any official who requests it while out on the road. There isn’t a more valuable cargo than people ?

My bus number (if any): RML2747

The way I worded it is just the way I was told when we first got the Routemaster.

In practice, yes the flag is always already down when I do the checks, so there is no need to make it drop. Obviously, I wouldn't drive if it didn't go up.

Many thanks for all the comments.

I believe engineering check how many brake applications before the flag drops, at the inspections every few weeks. 10 sounds familiar.

I'll ask, because it's a hilly area and someone should be checking. If engineering aren't, then we should!

The wording of the DVLA testers manual was something along the lines of "sufficient reserve to make an emergency brake application". Having discussed this at length with a vehicle examiner at Mitcham Testing Station may years ago his view was that one application before flag drop met the criteria. I would be concerned if it was down to 3 apps, but 7 is what a lot of people mention.

The other wording in the tester's manual reckons the flag shouldn't drop within 20 minutes of the engine being stopped, and some on test have made me wait that length of time to see if it happened.

A few years back one of my clients in Germany had the flag drop outside Munich. I suggested that if the handbrake was working correctly, he should be ok to drive the short distance to the overnight stop (no passengers on board) using the handbrake. He reported to me the footbrake still worked and the handbrake was ok. When I got to the bus a couple of days later, I found the pump had failed and as the bus had relatively new accumulators, they had sufficient pressure to replace the plessey pump for a while. When I checked them they still had about 38 bar in each one.

However, another one abroad, an open top RM with Scania engine (roy knows what one) had constant flag problems. It couldn't be resolved in the time available but the accumulators were ok. In Spain going down a hill the driver said the flag dropped. Bus not slowing down, he applied the handbrake.that too failed to work, nor did the horn, approaching a village with red traffic lights. As luck had it the bus stopped eventually, the flag went up and the brakes worked again!

When it eventually arrived back in England we found all the brakes were so far out of adjustment, with the rear shoes not touching the drums with the handbrake on. There was a problem in the foot valve which meant the fronts didn't work and the accumulators were empty. Yet it had been driven round Europe like that. the client whinged when they were given the bill for the repairs to that bus.

My bus number (if any): RML2532