Driving a London bus - the iconic AEC Routemaster! With  

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Being a bus driver, without having to talk to the public, that is a good job.

As an ex London Transport bus mechanic, these were also very nice to work on too. As an engineering garage trainee, I worked with ex trolleybus men who saw the Routemaster bus into service in November 1959. Great times at Poplar garage Leven Road, sadly closed in 1985. Many thanks for your interesting film, it brings back happy memories. Jonnie.👍

Living, and working, in London from 1988 to 1993, this wonderful machine was my every day transport. The wind down windows on the top deck, the conductors, the hop on hop off! What a bus, and what a great way to celebrate 100k subscribers!

I was born in London and emigrated in 2006 so Routemasters were a constant of my life in London. When I go back to London I always feel a bit sad not to see them one the roads anymore. They seemed like a part of the furniture in the city when I was growing up. One of the things that made London, London.

I used to get paid to drive one of them, Route 38 London. 🙂

After an 8 (?) hour shift driving that beast in heavy traffic, a bus driver must have been _knackered_ . Makes you appreciate them all the more

That is the Birches Industrial Estate at Felbridge East Grinstead you were driving around! That is Where I Work! 👍🏻

Mention should be made of how they were designed to be maintained indefinitely. It wasn't just the buses but the whole maintenance infrastructure behind them. Turn it upside down and clean the bottom? No problem.

We need Jack and Stan back for this one. 😁

In 1983 I passed my pcv test (then PSV) in a AEC Routemaster. My test was conducted at Chiswick, The skidpan was soo tight. Lovely busses to menouver, stops on a sixpence. Quite often we were still picking up passengers on 30 and 40 year old routemasters on a daily basis. Tough as old boots. Many drivers carried pillows to place on the seats,,,,, no air suspension back in the day. Great to see them being kept alive. too many was scrapped for the alloy value.

Still one of the best buses ever made

Man from the West Midlands drives a Number 38 (Clapton, East London Bus); keeping an East London Man (now living in the West Midlands) totally enthralled! Ian - you clearly enjoyed that. The Routemaster truly is such an iconic British vehicle. There's a clip on RU-vid (produced by London Transport) from the late 1960's outlining the intensive level of servicing that these beasts were subject to - its well worth a watch! Once again, congratulations upon your achievement of 100,000 Subs. "Hold tight......any more fares please".

It was the 93 Routemaster to school most days for me! Kids jumping on & off before it came to a stop Lol

We're all going on a summer holiday! 😁👍

That's bucket list material right there, you know how lucky you are. Huge congrats on the 100k Ian, you've worked hard for it and rightly deserve it.

Well done Mr hubnut and a massive well deserved for the videos you've made and all the hard work you've put in to your channel 👍

Thank you so much for driving properly and "feeding" the steering wheel as you turned!

As someone who secretly loves buses... this is an absolute peach of a 100k sub celebration! The king of buses (seconded by the MCW Metrobus!), in terms of big boys toys if I had a big barn - its a nail on certainty! Built to last and they did, unbelievable machines :)

Richly deserved success...Congrats on the 100K!🥳

Blimey now I feel old! memories of jumping on the back of a moving 38 along Essex Rd North London most mornings! Having driven a newer single decker round a test track as part of work training (im not a bus driver but had the best time ever) I don't envy you driving on the roads!

The noise can almost smell the bus smell 😊,top deck bus of my childhood 😊jumping on and off between stops ooh the nostalgia

What a great video. Those Routemasters certainly are legendary. There's one near where we live here in Australia. I couldn't believe the British fuel prices on display as you drove past a service station at 14:27. We're paying £0.63/litre for petrol and £1.01 for diesel here. Cheers from Tamborine, Queensland.

In the late '70's and '80's I was involved with RMC 4, the Leyland 600 Power Plus version of one of the 6 original prototypes from Southall works. It was used by LCBS at the country bus garages.

The sound of that engine takes me back! These were lovely things. The conductor system and open rear end are much more efficient. The usual strategy was to jump on and immediately run up the stairs in the hope he wouldn't notice you. My favourite seat of course was on the top at the front.

My childhood.... On the buses .. great to see Ian 👍

Another gem from Ian. Rochdale Corporation Transport had some AEC Routemasters (or similar) cream with a dark blue band. Some of the later models had rear entrances fitted with doors, other Routemasters form other various areas had the entrance at the front, again fitted with doors.

Two of my favourite automotive channels in a great collaboration. A well-deserved channel milestone, Ian, congratulations!

These engines are up there w/ some of the best sounding ever, this is what pure grunt sounds like and it's utterly brilliant, congratulations on 100k! 🥳

Nearly died on my 12th birthday hanging off the back of one of these (the 237 route from Isleworth to Hounslow). Thanks for a nostalgic trip on the ol' Routemaster.

'Doddle' is a term from the Great War when an extra conductress was put on the LCC trams to assist with the crowds-perhaps the upper deck. The extra ease that was afforded the regular clippie was called a 'doddle'.

Wonderful. I remember jumping onto these buses with my nan who lived in Dalston when I was a kid around the late 60s and early 70s and they always felt friendly and safe. We have built some fantastic vehicles in this country over the years and the Routemaster was one of the best.

Found memories of travelling on the 124 red Routemaster route with my Grandmother in the early 1960s when I was 5. From Grove Park to Lewisham I think. I remember my Grandma describing this as a 'new' bus, which it was in 1963. Great video.

This is a RML --- i.e. it is the long wheelbase version. You can tell by the extra small window in the middle.

I can't think of a better way of celebrating your 100k. HUGE congratulations. What a joyous video too. I spent many happy years being ferried about on Routemasters, such a wonderful bus - iconic, but really just very good at what it was supposed to do.

I have travelled many times on the route 38 bus. That's a bus of my childhood

Wow Wow wow wow just amazing! That Cummins Lump sounds just glorious!.... I think driving one of these routemasters in the day must have been a dream job.. Who needs a radio when you can listen to that powerhouse Cummins working hard.. Thanks 👍

As a Routemaster driver, working out of Putney garage on the 14, 30 and 74 routes I approve of this video.

Forty years of service! Fab.

I was lucky enough to drive a Routemaster many years ago at a bus rally at North Weald airfield .. great experience

Its On The Buses ( and yes I know they didn't drive Routemasters ) - we had half cab rear platform buses in Manchester when I was a lad - the sound was blooming awesome. As a kid I wanted to be a bus driver - one man operation took away the romance for me

Well done, reaching 100k subs. It’s good to see people like Pete, preserving Route master buses for future generations to see, and appreciate. I’m 51 now, but when I was a teenager Route master buses were everywhere, from central London to the outskirts, like Epping etc. And I remember fondly, how cheap a 123456 All Zone TravelCard was, back in the day, when it was pennies, compared to todays prices by TFL. Also, I agree with you HubNut, having a driver and a separate conductor is much better, allowing each person to focus on their job better, but I believe TFL, Public transport wanted to cut back on costs, and that’s why we have drivers on buses, who are expected to deal with the pressures of driving, as well as, potentially, rowdy passengers.

I used the Routemaster when Stagecoach transferred some to Perth in the early to late 1990s & i absolutely 💯 loved it as I use to go to Tesco on Crieff Road. It was always so enjoyable using a iconic machine the good old AEC Routemaster. Brilliant buses. 👍👍

Throughout the 1960s I lived in East London including Walthamstow and Chingford. Often travelled by Routemaster on Route #38 showing on that Bus which if memory serves, operated between Victoria Bus Station and Chingford Mount. Back in those fabulous London 1960s I was fit enough to run and catch the Routemasters doing about 20mph by grabbing the pole on the Open Platform and swinging on board. Many fit people including members of the fairer sex grabbed the pole and alighted on the open platform of the moving bus. Elf and safety. Wotz Dat Den ? Great days gorn forever but not forgotten. That distinctive engine sound .. still so familiar.

Each time I see one of these beautiful monstrosisities, it takes me back to boyhood days in the 1960's, and my magnificent collection of Lesney Matchbox Miniature's. I actually did get to drive a CIE Kassbohrer touring motorcoach around a roundabout near Kilkenny, in 1985 (slipped the driver a £20.00 note in thanks), knowing that it would likely be my only chance at a "double-decker" in my life, and it likely will be! Money damn well spent, I'd say... I've been a subscriber for a few years now, just because of Hub Nut's "what the heck, I'm going to go for it" attitude in life. All the best from Pennsylvania!

There are still a few running tourist trips round London on a circular route from Waterloo.

Like a duck to water...and a nice bit of one of Bach's Brandenburg concertos at the end too!

Remember them Country Area green RML’s at Brentwood in 1967 on the 339’s, replaced the green RT’s, we had RMC Green Line coaches on the 721 to London (Aldgate) in 1962 under London Transport, Central Area red RT’s on the 247 and 287, along with lots of services by Eastern National Bristol ECW Lodekkas and single deck MW’s + a few others, such wonderful times.

I used to drive one of these around South-East London in the early 80s. Took my psv test in one too. Beautiful bus.

What a fine machine, old PSVs and lorries are great, congrats on the 100k

Loved driving those on some busy routes in London. 5, 25, 8, 69, 86.

Fantastic flashbacks. I used to ride the green "London Country" RMLs around Hertfordshire in the early 80s. The noise is very familiar

Brilliant Ian. I’ve just relived my childhood dream of wanting to be a bus driver. It’s all I ever wanted to be. I us to kneel on the bench seat behind the driver and watch what he was doing. But due to circumstances I ended up in printing admin.

Brilliant, I remember the 207 route (Uxbridge Rd), in the early to late 80's. Great engine noise.

in Naples there is one for events. I saw one in 1986 near Avellino. After the 1980 earthquake, some were sent as mobile offices. Very nice!!

"Get that bus out Butler". Looking forward to the skid pan episode......

"Clapton pond" Sounds very, very English. Great video. Congratulations Ian!

You lucky sod! :-) . Mind you, that engine does sound rather splendid! Flanders & Swann's 'Transport Of Delight' comes to mind. Cheers!

You did that really well Ian- I would have being worried sick.

True, you did'nt have to take your foot off the gas but as an instructor we always encouraged trainees to do so between gears. At London Country all the Routemasters were semi automatic.

Wow and a Number 38 caught them a few times to Hackney 😊

Congratulations Ian! What a lovely beast with which to celebrate. My Grandad was a bus driver for Eastern Counties and my Nan was a clippy with the same so I too have a love of old buses. I have a photo of me aged approx 12 months sat on Grandad's lap in the drivers seat of one of his steeds, taken around 1973. I also have all his old bus drivers service and safety medals too.

Fantastic! There were many in Lisbon, 1 and 2 stores. A childhood memory...

Fantastic! Stunning soundtrack, what a great way to celebrate!

In Sydney we used double deckers up to and including the Leyland Atlantean. The earlier buses were on many different chassis but Leyland, AEC and Albion were the common three. All were bodied locally. Double duckers went out of favour, in Sydney, in the late 1970’s but are now in service again. The Sydney Bus Museum has many buses, single and double deckers, which regularly run taking people on rides. I used to drive the museum deckers, when I still lived in Sydney. The museum has an RT and RM as well as Hong Kong deckers.

Damn it. I missed the Live Chat..! The Trouble with living on the otherside of the Planet..! Cheers All. 😎

Envious, one big vehicle that I have never driven and is on my list, one day !. Sounds lovely.

Absolutely brilliant video Ian ❤️ 👍 fantastic bus it's beautiful wish they were still like that brilliant

What a fantastic video for 10,000 subs. It was Great to see Mr Hubnut driving one of London's iconic buses with Miss Hubnut on excellent camera duty.

I drove bus for the Toronto Transit Commission for 20+ years. The bus of choice for many years was the GM New Look bus and was in a way similar to the AEC in its advanced design. I started with TTC just as the buses were being rebuilt with power steering. Eventually they were taken out of service because the 2 stroke diesel did not and could meet pollution standards and the TTC was switching to low floor accessible buses. The GM, like the AEC was a pleasure to operate except for dealing with the public. I was assaulted 3 times cause people would rather beat the driver than pay the fare. Retirement is great.

We have one these at South Yorkshire transport musem ,Im a volunteer there , went on a trip to Sandtoft on 1963 model 115 , Hyde park and Victoria . It was so enjoyable so comfy , bags of charcter , ( orginal with all seats , signage intact )unlike the new London buses or any new bus .

Finally after many many miles you have hit 100000 well done.

Lived and worked in London from 1983 to 2012 and right up to the end there was a heritage Routemaster still running along Picadilly on route 9. Because you could see all the way down Picadilly, you could see if there was a No.9 Routemaster on its way from some distance away, so you would always wait for it. But you haven't experienced Routemasters properly until you misjudge your maximum sprinting speed AND the (surprisingly quick) acceleration of a Routemaster and end up flat on your face instead of adeptly landing on the platform at the last second.

"The brakes fill you full of confidence". No-one ever mentions the second stage. You'd never need it unless you had been driving in a spirited fashion and overheated the drum brakes (I was 23). If the pedal was on the floor and you pressed harder it opened a calve for instant double pressure. This feature saved a taxi from oblivion around Marble Arch. This thing is a 7.25 ton go-cart, 7.75 if an RML. Happy days.

Those sounds bring back memories ... these were the buses I used to ride on to school in Oxford in the 60s. Congrats on your achievement!

Congratulations on the 100k mark. I am so jealous (in a nice way) that you have got to drive the iconic Routemaster

Congratulations on your 100th birthday 🎉...wait no, I mean 100th thousand subs Team Hubnut. Great video about this iconic piece of British history.

Used to travel on this route regularly, I do miss the routemasters

I’m a bit late to the party on this one. Used to get the 38 from Victoria Station to Islington back in the 80’s and 90’s and occasionally the 73. There was a conductor on the 38 went by the name of Count Basie, I think that spelling is correct, who would serenade passengers. I se that the filming was done in Felbridge/East Grinstead where I moved to after leaving London, traffic on the A22 always fun! After 40 odd years in Banking I now drive buses, Wright Gemini’s and Streetdecks down on the Sarf coast, mostly fun, just watch out for the wind!

I've driven that bus when it operated from Clapton on the 38. Would love to have another go at driving them again.

Congratulations on your 100k 😎 118 to Streatham & 155 to Tooting loved those buses... thanks for the video 👍

8:40 "This massive indicator knob down here": I was waiting for the cutaway to a Miss Hubnut reaction shot. The RMs are a bit after my childhood, so I had missed out on the RML being "Long"--I was expecting a little-known "Low" variant, and wondering how it had ever got on route 38. There's an RLH in Auckland that wears a 38 sign, and it causes me to twitch every time I see it. Great to see you enjoying yourself.

I was lucky enough to drive an original Routemaster every day for a few years when I worked for Mac Tours in Edinburgh. After driving Leyland PDs (and the wonderful, but very different Bristol Lodekkas that were also on the fleet) for many years, the arrival of the Routemasters was a real eye-opener. No more double-declutching and a much more civilised cab area. The Rolls-Royce of half-cabs for sure! I was a bit confused by the engine sound of this bus, until Ian mentioned that it had a replacement Cummins diesel. The original Routemaster had a very distinctive sound. The Cummins sounded more like a truck, but still quite pleasant. Anyway, well done, Ian for a great choice of subject for your 100k subscriber celebration.

Awesome bus and video keep them coming...As a bus driver (passed test in late 80s in a PD2) and that was early morning in the middle of liverpool, that was fun and still have my issued psv driver badge....I would love an opportunity to drive old school again lol.

What a way to celebrate 100.000 well done you deserve that

Brilliant. I loved this. The sound too, proper meaty diesel loveliness. I want one.

What a fabulous treat to celebrate 100,000 subs. I bet it felt like it was your birthday and Christmas day all in one Ian. A dream come true for sure. shes and absolute beauty and a British Icon!! as always a great video

Oh I would soooooooooo love to have a go driving one of those routemasters

(hello from 🇨🇵) Thank you Ian for all you've done for us ☺️

Hub nut needs a bus in his fleet of vehicles, brilliant video

fond memories. the last time i rode one of these was from henley on thames to reading with my girlfriend at the time. we sat in the front row up top, what a thrill!

That was an interesting test drive for sure. I think two or three retired London Routemasters made their way to Moscow back in the 90's but the only one double-decker in action I remember was German MAN bus. That Cummins engine sounds strangely familiar - just like old KAMAZ (soviet truck) engines. The USSR had its "Routemaster" too - Liaz 677 bus called "Lunokhod" (Moonracer). Produced from 1968 to 1994, this bus became a living legend. Not very advanced (although w/automatic gearbox), but durable enough and charismatic.

Brilliant! When two great youtube channels collide.

It Brings back Very happy memories as a driver on LT out of Upton park in the mid 60's. I worked the 15 which was mainly the RML East Ham white horse to Ladbrook Grove. On the odd occasion, I had to peddle an RT or an RTW, you noticed the difference in the speed and in the "armstrong" steering when you had a full load. Although the RML made the job a breeze, I later fell in love with the Leyland National a few years later, it can be argued, that there has never been anything built that comes close to the RM/RML. Thanks for the video and also to Pete and his Bus. Pity about the 4th gear not having the auto function enabled, you would have loved that as wall......Cheers.

One of my greatest memories of visiting my uncle in back in the 80s was taking the 14, 18 or 22 Routemaster bus back to Fulham.

Takes me back to a kid and deregulation! This was my favourite choice of ride in Glasgow in the 80s!

HubNut has come a long way from when I subbed after watching your XJ40 collection caper. 100k well deserved Ian!

Rightfully giddy - That noise … every stroke of the injector pump … rev range of sub 1000 … wonderful 😊

Congratulations on achieving both the 100k subs and driving an iconic Routemaster London Bus - fantastic effort and well deserved!

I've been following Pete for a year or so, love the RMs, lucky you getting to drive one.