AEC Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last one was delivered in 1968. The layout of the vehicle was conventional for the time, with a half-cab, front-mounted engine and open rear platform, although the coach version was fitted with rear platform doors. Forward entrance vehicles with platform doors were also produced as was a unique front-entrance prototype with the engine mounted transversely at the rear.
| AEC Routemaster | |
|---|---|
RM8, first production Routemaster, at a bus rally in 1995 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Associated Equipment Company |
| Production | 1954–1968 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Doors | 0 passenger doors, 1 permanently-open entrance at the back and 1 driver's door |
| Floor type | Step-entrance |
| Chassis | Integral, with front and rear subframes |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | AEC AV590 9.6 L or AEC AV690 11.3 L or Leyland O.600 9.8 L 6-cylinder diesel Retrofits: Cummins ISCe/Cummins ISBe DAF Iveco Scania |
| Capacity | 57–72 seated |
| Power output | 115 hp (86 kW) (AEC AV590) |
| Transmission | AEC 4-speed automatic/semi-automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m) |
| Width | 8 ft (2.44 m) |
| Height | 14 ft 4+1⁄2 in (4.38 m) |
| Kerb weight | 7.35 long tons (7.47 t; 8.23 short tons) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | AEC Regent III RT |
| Successor | New Routemaster |
The first Routemasters entered service with London Transport in February 1956 and the last were withdrawn from regular service in December 2005, although two TfL heritage routes were subsequently operated by Routemasters in central London until 2019.
Most Routemasters were built for London Transport, although small numbers were built for British European Airways and the Northern General Transport Company. A total of 2,876 Routemasters were built, of which 1,280 are still in existence.
A pioneering design, the Routemaster outlasted several of its replacement types in London, survived the privatisation of the former London Transport bus operators and was used by other operators around the UK. In modern UK public transport bus operation, the old-fashioned features of the standard Routemaster were both praised and criticised. The open platform, while exposed to the elements, allowed boarding and alighting in places other than official stops; and the presence of a conductor allowed minimal boarding time and optimal security, but with greater labour costs. Compared to modern buses, the high floor design was inaccessible for the disabled, and made boarding with heavy luggage or pushchairs challenging.
In 2006, the Routemaster was voted one of Britain's top 10 design icons which included Concorde, Mini, Supermarine Spitfire, London tube map, World Wide Web and the K2 telephone box. In 2009, the Routemaster was selected by the Royal Mail for their "British Design Classics" commemorative postage stamp issue. In the late 2000s, work began on a New Routemaster bus inspired by the Routemaster's traditional design. It entered service in February 2012.