Some history about RML 2355 By P SONNEVELD

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06 Apr, 2017

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Our bus has had a long life before becoming a bus bar!

Green in colour and on route to Dormans Land around 1975

So before we continue with our build lets look at where our bus has been up until now. When my bus was built in 1965, I would not be born for another 16 years. So I can't give you any direct info on what it must've been like to see these buses come into service but I hear they were all the rage. Also, no one could've predicted that they would be in service for further 40 years! But they lasted.



They were built of high quality materials and by people who were proud of their product. Something you rarely see these days.



Our particular bus was RML (Route Master Lengthened, the longer one) number 2355. This corresponds with the registration number it still carries today CUV 355V. It actually started life in green and ran various routes in the country like Harlow, Windsor and North Fleet until it got an overhaul in 1972.



The bus is getting its first overhaul and I have still not been born.....



In around 1971 It got assigned to Godstone garage and ran the Forest Row route 409/411 for nearly 10 years. I discovered this once I'd already bought it and you can imagine I was pretty amazed when I found this out seeing that this is the village I currently live in. It gets better though, the business I owned at the time of my bus purchase was the actual place it used to turn around.



I think it was meant to be.....



From there on 2355 it went to London for its second overhaul (still no sign of me on planet earth) and it eventually got painted red and posted on route 38 Clapton Pond. It remained there until the very last day of service in 2005. A few other cool facts about our amzing bus:







A few cool facts about our Bus before she was a mobile bar!

She's been both green and red in service

Her chassis and body are still matching (very rare in the RM bus world)

She's done over 2 million miles (they all have)

She was on the road for 40 years

She was part of the last day of Routemaster service in 2005



Here is every picture of our bus RML2355 in service I could find

One of my favorite bits on our Routemaster bus

This little engraving was discovered by myself whilst I was up a ladder working on the outside of the bus hence the fact that it's in reverse. Either Chris or Bella was in the middle of drawing a love heart when they probably got interrupted. I'd call it a "halfhearted attempt"....sorry couldn't resist! Either way, I thought it was a lovely bit of history from 1983 and I have therefor left it exactly how it is. Also I was actually already alive at this point. I would've been 2 years of age when this ludicrous act of vandalism occurred. Hopefully Chris and Bella are still together.

