Routemaster blue notes
New in 1967 as one of the forward-entrance Routemasters providing a dedicated service between the British European Airways (BEA) terminal in Cromwell Road, West London and London Heathrow Airport, NML648E originally carried a turquoise and white livery. Prior to BEA being merged with BOAC to form British Airways, its livery was updated to an orange scheme, and some of the BEA buses came to carry the navy blue and white colours of BA.
All of the BEA Routemaster fleet was made redundant from the mid-1970s and the buses were eagerly snapped up by London Transport for a variety of duties, forming the RMA class. Once BEA 48, NML648E duly became RMA11 and painted in standard LT red.
LT in turn began to sell off the RMAs from the 1980s, with deregulation of bus services outside London creating a new demand for the type. RMA11 was thus acquired by Verwood Transport for a route serving Bournemouth, gaining this most attractive blue livery. Sadly, Verwood Transport did not endure, and by early 1990, RMA11 had migrated to Routemaster Travel to operate a local service in Leighton Buzzard, still retaining the Verwood livery. It is seen here outside Aylesbury station, running a free service to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road.
Several later changes in ownership followed. RMA11 remains extant, lately back in London Transport red.
May 1990
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Routemaster blue notes
New in 1967 as one of the forward-entrance Routemasters providing a dedicated service between the British European Airways (BEA) terminal in Cromwell Road, West London and London Heathrow Airport, NML648E originally carried a turquoise and white livery. Prior to BEA being merged with BOAC to form British Airways, its livery was updated to an orange scheme, and some of the BEA buses came to carry the navy blue and white colours of BA.
All of the BEA Routemaster fleet was made redundant from the mid-1970s and the buses were eagerly snapped up by London Transport for a variety of duties, forming the RMA class. Once BEA 48, NML648E duly became RMA11 and painted in standard LT red.
LT in turn began to sell off the RMAs from the 1980s, with deregulation of bus services outside London creating a new demand for the type. RMA11 was thus acquired by Verwood Transport for a route serving Bournemouth, gaining this most attractive blue livery. Sadly, Verwood Transport did not endure, and by early 1990, RMA11 had migrated to Routemaster Travel to operate a local service in Leighton Buzzard, still retaining the Verwood livery. It is seen here outside Aylesbury station, running a free service to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road.
Several later changes in ownership followed. RMA11 remains extant, lately back in London Transport red.
May 1990
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.