Not all London buses are red: discover our green RM2 bus
Having been born and raised in Epsom and Ewell, just a short distance outside the Greater London area, my first experience of a bus was not ‘a red one’ but ‘a green one’ operating the 406 route between Kingston and Reigate. I could use this to go to the swimming pool in Epsom once a week.
I had no idea what type of bus it was, nor at that time any other interest other than it got me there and back. But since volunteering at the London Transport Museum Depot after retirement, I am now very much involved with the Heritage Vehicle Team, helping with the daily maintenance and operating of the vehicles, as well as driving them.
SLT 57 (also known as RM2) is the second prototype version of the iconic Routemaster, succeeding the Regent or RT type bus, which was the first mainstay of the London Transport bus fleet. As I discovered when first being assessed for my driving abilities on the Museum’s gold-painted RT (also housed at the Museum Depot in Acton), driving heritage buses was very different to today’s vehicles.
Buses are very heavy, especially when fully loaded. Steering had to be completed when moving, as it was almost impossible to turn the steering wheel otherwise. The RT was fitted with a pre-select gearbox which, as its name suggests, required the driver to select the next gear (up or down) in advance and then actually change it by depressing the operating pedal. Reading the road far ahead is a necessity and doesn’t take account of those unforeseen circumstances when a different gear may be required.
The Routemaster was a huge improvement and very much appreciated by the drivers. With power assistance on the steering and a semi-automatic (some even fully automatic) gearbox, driving was considerably easier. The bus was also considerably lighter. Rather than comprising a body of steel, wood, glass and upholstery mounted on a separate steel chassis, the Routemaster was built using aircraft technology, with an integral (monocoque) body onto which the various components are bolted using front and rear sub frames.
As with most of the vehicles preserved by London Transport Museum, RM2 remains operational and is sometimes used to carry passengers at heritage vehicle events. Built in 1955, it is still a very easy and comfortable vehicle to drive, and is able to keep up with modern day traffic. In the Heritage Vehicle Team we spend considerable hours ensuring it is kept in first class condition.
You can see our SLT 57 bus up close, as well as other iconic vehicles in the Museum’s collection, when the Museum Depot reopens this May half term on 29-30 May and from 2-6 June 2021.