In the Summer of 1981, eight RM`s were painted in a special livery to celebrate the wedding of `Charles and Diana`. Each bus was available at great cost to a business wanting to take their advert in a high profile way to a central London audience with each of the buses involved being allocated to a high mileage running line on a busy route. Generally, each `wedding bus` would be on the road for upwards of sixteen hours each day.




RM 607 was the only Leyland engine example of the eight. Seen here at the Regent Street/Oxford Circus junction on 29 September 1981.



It was strange that it wasn`t allocated to Mortlake Garage which had an `all Leyland` allocation but, for me, it was a real result that it wasn`t as the AEC `wedding bus` that we got was wanted by its sponsor for a most unusual private hire which I had the opportunity to participate in.

Have a look at my Flickr site by typing in RM 559.

An excellent picture thread for RM 559's expedition, but I can't help thinking that the sponsor rather got short changed considering the panel damage to 559. For £18,500 plus the trip expenses I'd have expected better.

Thanks, Roy - glad you like the pictures. I hope others do too.

Unfortunately by the early 1980`s the difference between a newly overhauled RM then and one from just a few years earlier was quite noticeable in terms of cosmetic appearance. No doubt due to cost cutting and, quite likely, through a belief that RM withdrawals were about to start and thus a higher spend per bus wasn`t justified. Interiors were scrimped on too.

But going back to RM 559, I don`t think that the metallic paint helped the appearance. it really did seem to highlight every little dent.

RM219, a bus that was to join the Clydeside Scottish fleet over five years later and one I would drive for the first time in June 1991 after it was one of six redundant RMs to be purchased by Kelvin Central Buses was another painted in the wedding special livery. Can't quite remember what book I have that it is photographed in painted in this livery?

My bus number (if any): RMs737, 875 & 1353 (driver)

The Green Line in the photo is either DL1 or DV1 which was sent to Hertford to be trialed for later purchases to be Volvo or Leyland, Leyland won. I was an inspector at Hertford and drove both vehicles, the Volvo was far superior but the unions pushed for the Leyland to keep the work here. Great days and fond memories of Green Line.

My bus number (if any): RM 14

It`s DL 1 according to the note I made at the time! I really should have included mention of it when I posted the picture as it features so much in the shot.