Routemaster RM9

Ed. This is Routemaster RM9 built in May 1959 with registration VLT9.

Reader: "But how can it be? I saw her at Brooklands in 2014 and she looked in excellent condition then, so she can't possibly have deteriorated to this wreck in less than 10 years can she? I just don't believe it's the same bus!"

Ed. That's because it isn't!
The bus you've seen in recent years isn't the original RM9! In fact, probably most, if not all, Routemasters' seen since the mid 1960's have not been the originals of their marque.

Ed. London Transport's Aldenham Works ran a FLOAT system whereby buses (not just Routemasters) would, during overhaul, most likely gain a complete change of identity by undergoing body swaps with other buses within the 'float' system that were nearer completion. This enabled LT to keep as many buses on-the-road as possible. In fact many buses underwent many body swaps in their time making it extremely difficult to track them through their careers with LT. LT was given a special exemption from the rules applied to all other fleet vehicle operators to enable this cost saving & efficiency gaining practice.

Reader: "So all those years I spent ticking off buses listed in my Ian Allan spotters books, I was just ticking off numbers rather than actual vehicles 'seen'."

Ed. Yes; a bit of a mockery eh'! You might even had seen the same vehicle with a different identity!

Reader: "No one told us that!"

Ed. Well Ian Allan wanted to sell its bus spotting books didn't it!

Ed. And to all my readers. this is why I cannot guarantee that a London Transport bus on these pages is its true original identity. But neither can anyone else! And that goes for any images anywhere of LT buses built before 1986. I will however try and ascertain which body swaps RM9 underwent and see what her last known identity was; it may not be possible but I'll try. It would be good to know her real story and not just that of her number plate; please watch this space. Ed.

Where RM9 was found I do not know but; now she looks like this!