RM70 – Seventy Years of a London Icon

Malcolm Batten illustrates the story of the Routemaster, instantly recognisable as the typical London bus, as it celebrates its seventy-year anniversary in 2024.

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The Routemaster bus has become synonymous with London and is recognised the world over. Although fewer were built than of the preceding RT type, their uniqueness and longevity made them instantly identifiable as the typical London bus. First conceived as a replacement for the trolleybuses, the prototype was unveiled in 1954. Main production did not start until 1959 but they would then continue to serve London’s passengers until 2005. From the 1980s, they began to be withdrawn from London, but many found further use with bus companies throughout Britain and beyond.

Now, seventy years since the prototype first emerged, some Routemasters can still be found on sightseeing work in London. Others are in use for such purposes as corporate hospitality, film work and wedding hires, while hundreds survive in preservation. This book celebrates this iconic symbol of London through a collection of outstanding images and informative captions.