London's Secret Buses 

THESE BUSES NOW ONLY RUN ON WEEKENDS! Since early 2019, these buses have stopped being used on weekdays due to how quiet they were, so if you're looking to ride one, make sure you visit on a weekend.

Red phone boxes are synonymous with London? They used to be everywhere, I'm getting so old that things I remember being normal are now pieces of tourist iconography. I assume they no longer contain half ripped up phone books and take 2p coins, but the smell of urine must still linger. I remember when all buses were Routemasters. Upstairs was for smokers, so that was always lovely. I remember once on the way to school there was an incident of a "double ding" (as the driver was in his own compartment, the conductor had to communicate through ringing the bell. 1 ding, someone wants to get off at the next stop, 2 dings, nobody wants to get off at the next stop. This worked fine unless you rang the bell to get off at the same time as someone upstairs did, so two single dings instead sounded like a double ding). So we were stood on the little platform as the bus shot past the school and continued onwards, which was unfortunate as one of the next stops was our rival school and we'd get our heads kicked in. This is where the Routemaster was a life saver. We waited until we approached a traffic light and the bus slowed down, then jumped off the bus. I was 11 and didn't understand the rules of momentum and so landed in the road and had to carry on running, right into the back of a van at top speed, ending up on my arse in the middle of a busy London road. Still better than a kicking from the other school though. Incredibly long winded and boring story all to say that I miss the old style buses and this video really brought back some memories. Keep up the good work. If you want to see lots of footage of Routemasters coupled with the worst comedy the 1970s had to offer, On The Buses is worth a look. Gorgeous vehicles, awful, awful comedy.

Today’s video is one of my favourites! Also, Friday’s video will be a break from the Great British Adventure series, and will be an update video about the kittens.

Hi Chris. I really enjoyed this. Would you mind if I use a clip from it in my next video if I credit you? (The 88 bus going past Westminster Abbey)

I tried to hop on a 15 Routemaster when I saw it waiting at the lights but got told I had to get on at a bus stop. I realise that the new ones were designed for better accessibility, but getting on and off at impromptu stops is the reason why they had an open back in the first place, so it's a shame they don't trust able-bodied people to use their legs anymore. How's _that_ for "accessibility"! Anyway, I did as told and went to the nearest stop (Tower Hill westbound), but when it pulled up alongside the stop, it just drove straight off - I think the driver could see that a regular route 15 bus was already there, so didn't bother to stop. Waited half an hour but none more came. So they are indeed a rare treat!

I don't even have words for how creative and amazing this is, makes me want to go to London!

Chris is like adulthood, but wholesome.

OMG BEST CHANNEL EVER!! Thanks for the info. I miss Reggie, But new kittens are just as cute!!

Very interesting, once again Chris! Im loving it!

I studied in London in the 2000s. The Routemaster was like an old friend. Good to see a few still going.

It’s sad to see the heritage route is now gone due to lack of step free access. But I really like your enthusiasm to the Routemaster 😁 Great Video Chris 👍

My late father was a bus driver. When he passed away I hired a retired London Routemaster for the day to drive several people to the funeral service.

This is such a great video on many levels! You've managed to take a subject that most would find a bit boring and showcase it in such a well presented video. The graphics and visuals along with upbeat narration are excellent. This should actually be submitted to TfL who are apparently currently consulting over terminating the route 15 Routemasters next year!

The Routemaster is rightly praised, but its predecessor, the RT, is often overlooked. This bus ran in tandem with the Routemaster finally ending regular service in 1979. It had a somewhat similar look to the Routemaster, half cab, and open platform, and was specially designed for use in London. It too was iconic, and provided the backbone of London's bus services for many years.

While the heritage routes have retired, there's plenty of routemaster buses in private ownership, and there is one company (Londoner Buses) that runs exclusively vintage routemaster buses on a route from Waterloo Station to Piccadilly Circus. Plus, you can hire a routemaster for special events

1:43 The timing and pacing of this sequence, combined with the music drop makes the scene so immaculately perfect! I love your stuff!

As a former Yorkshire bus driver and the wife of a bus restoration enthusiast, I really enjoyed your Routemaster presentation. Clean editing with balanced presentation. The perfect 5 minute look at the Iconic London bus.

I can still remember when I was in London last year, I was so fun to actually see the old busses instead of the newer ones Great video and KEEP ON UPLOADING :)

Watching this while drawing a London bus as a backdrop for my next video. This is probably my favorite video on your channel!

I'm rather old, and I can still remember the old London Transport (I still call it that) 57xx pannier tanks and my Grandfather told me of the Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4s, of which No.1 is preserved. I also remember hopping off the old Routemasters when in traffic, then back on when it caught up.

Incredible video as usual! I'm hopefully going to be able to study abroad in the UK next year and these videos just make me want to go even more!

I just can’t explain it but this channel makes me so happy The presentation, music, storytelling, stop motion, all of it! Thanks Chris

You certainly have a very creative way of telling your stories! Love your videos. My mother is from England and we used to go there every other year or so and I remember getting to ride on those type of buses and I loved every minute of it because they don’t have double decker buses in the U.S. Keep up the fun videos, perhaps one day you’ll come to see what America has to offer (or perhaps you already have and I just haven’t seen that video just yet as I’ve only recently discovered your channel).

That was a nice wee video about the secret bus’s! I will definitely have to ride one when I go back to London.

I've been to London once, and I absolutely loved the charm that the city had. Great video ! :D

This video is so charming! Oh my goodness! Lovely as always, Chris!

OMG! The number 15 bus that I used to catch home after seeing my girlfriend, then a student nurse at The Royal London Hospital, now 40 years later my enduring best friend and wife. In those days the route was much extended but it was always a warm and friendly sight as it appeared along the Commercial Road in the East End offering sanctuary from the biting winter winds.

very well made. Exactly like an A+ class presentation on London's famous bus. Great video!

When I visited London, I made sure to hop on one of those buses! London's public transportation is great. Super easy to navigate and we ordered oyster cards before our arrival, so we didn't even had to buy more tickets. We used them also for a ferry ride, which was pretty cool.

Although I live in Denmark, but i have been in London a lot of times, nearly every year of my life for 14 years now, and i agree strongly agree. I remember coming here for the first time, thrilled by all the red telephone boxes and routemasters, and for a long time, I felt this feeling every time I went. This feeling of, well, nostalgia if you can call it that. The real London atmosphere. Now, well, I still love London, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just so much more bland now, and as a matter of fact, I didn’t even know that they, the original routemasters, were still on the road. This video was beautifully made (like always :), and I can’t wait to get a ride on one of these!

That brought back some lovely memories I had of jumping on and off the Routemasters in the late 80s and early 90s. Thank you.

I just love these videos! As if the editing wasn't good enough, the background music you use (which I assume is from Half-Asleep Music) solely makes me smile! I was having a hard time, so thanks for making my day!

I haven’t been there yet(hopefully I’ll be going next year)but I’ve seen a lot of videos to know that London is a great city. But this video makes me love it even more. A city that is genuine where old and new can co-exist. That’s what I like about London. Great video my friend! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 Can’t wait to go.

Very interesting❤️ as a Filipino🇵🇭 I'm very surprised to see this amazing bus, it's not just a typical bus that we see it all day, it has an historical and symbolic value of London and Britain🇬🇧 as a whole✨

Always brilliant Chris! I'm loving this series. You guys have been making things that are quite mundane into something very exciting to watch. Keep up the great work

I love this channel because you do things that the video could do without, but it just makes it so much better. (for example the model of the double decker bus he made)

They were loud, smelly, bumpy and the best way to get to school! Miss them!

Very well done documentary on London's older, classic double decker buses. I had the privelege to ride on these the first time I visited London in 1999 (as many probably already know, the old double decker buses were still regularly used back then, seemingly all over London). As a kid living in the USA during the 1960s, we learned of these buses largely through purchasing Matchbox-Lesney toy cars and trucks/lorries. The London buses made by Matchbox-Lesney were always favorites (although my favorite of all time was, and still is, the double decker trolley buses of England; Matchbox-Lesney made a nice little toy model of that one and I was fortunate enough to get one [at a reduced price... probably 25 or 35 cents back then] as new old stock around 1970 or so from a hardware store in the Chicago area where I grew up). Thanks for sharing!

Hi Chris Thanks for sharing this info.and yes your voice is amazing and warm and friendly and the way you speak is from the heart.As Pame Koselig had commented about your voice too I agree with her.

your videos are just so aesthetically pleasing, i can’t stop watching them. subscribed ❤️

This is sooo good, really enjoying the series, can't wait for e!

Wow! Thanks for teaching me so much about London. In third grade I did a project on London but never read anything about this. If I watch this video over and over I can get my geography project done. I don’t have anything bad to say about this channel. Keep up the good work

Thank you for making such awesome videos Chris, absolutely love ‘em

I was recently in London last February, and I saw three routemasters, 1 that passed through when we took a bus from Picadilly Circus to Victoria station and the second and third was actually both at the same place on the same day, in between the big Ben/Parliament and Westminster bridge. It was so lovely. Sadly the ones for London transport have retired in 2022.

This is the best channel ever, Thank you for doing this Chris.

Love your vids keep up the good work

I love these videos, you've found some really interesting things to talk about!! Thank you :)

Very interesting, and well presented, thanks for this Chris!

Top quality video as usual. Hard to believe that you're Half-Asleep!

I saw 2 of these busses when me, my brother, my dad and his friend went to Westminster. I managed to spot one in front of the Houses of Parliament, and another along the River Thames near the Battle for Britain memorial which even had a Paddington Bear ad. How cute. I managed to take pictures of both of them, however the one near the Houses of Parliament was covered up by a lady who managed to get in my photo. Still, I managed to get the front in frame. I was the only one of my group who noticed this extra rare to encounter bus. I showed it to my friends, but either they don't check my posts because they're in Malaysia, or they think the RM(unintentional reference to Malaysia's currency) is London's standard bus that has never been replaced. The Routemaster is the face of London. Retiring this iconic bus would make London lose part of its charm and can even be considered as false advertising. I do think these Routemasters are now electric powered, though after noticing the absence of grills.

New to your channel and I love it already, keep up the good work!

I love your videos man! Your passion and love for the things you talk about translate so well into your videos. So many youtube videos nowadays feel so robotic and disingenuous, so your vids definitely stand out amongst the others.

This video is the perfect middle ground between a vlog and an educational video 💖 keep it up fam

I love your channel because u put so much hard work into it and u care of reggie so much it's adorable.

For some reason, every time, I watch your videos, I want to go to London, I want to live in London, I just suddenly want to go to london

Interesting take. Part of the reason these are so 'secret' is because of the lack of advertising. The route in particular is getting reduced in 2019 to Summer Weekend service. You can also find routemaster on tube strike days. A recent Central Line strike has seen this bus type operate on route 25. They're banned from regular service however because they are not wheelchair accessible.

I always made a point of travelling on a Routemaster on the heritage route whenever I visited London (which is very infrequently nowadays - I've not been there since December 2014). It brings back many childhood memories of travelling on Routemasters and their predecessor the RT type. I'd often use these buses to and from school, or at the weekends going out and about (usually record shopping).

Good one Chris. I loved these when l was a child and have great memories of them traveling with my Dad.

This really put a smile on my face. What an excellent channel!

These things were incredibly advanced underneath the quaint exterior. Independent front coil suspension giving an amazing rid and unitary alloy construction with framework based on state of the art WWII aircraft design, giving it strength and excellent handing and nimbleness perfect for London work. 50 years in daily service its testament to that.

Keep lovin' em Chris! Get the bangers goin'

I totally agree, I love how London is the perfect mix of old and new!

Hi Chris I love ur channel cause I like the fact that you can teach us a lot and also that since I live in the u.s. you get to let me learn more about London and other places

Geat Vid Chris. Love the old buses and London is a wonderful city.

They are so cute! I love how the older ones have an asymmetrical front.❤️

Your channel is just beautiful. You tell stories so amazingly, I wonder why I didn't watch it from day 1.

I used to think that all double deckers buses are the same that drawn on the posters... I hope I have the chance to experience one of those original double-decker buses.

I love how London is able to continuously advance yet maintain its history.

Great video :) I live in Davis, a small university town in California, and I work as a driver for the Davis bus service (called Unitrans). Our logo has a picture of an old RT and we have several imported vintage RTs from London that we're hoping to bring back into service in Spring of 2022. Our terminal also has a red London phone booth installed to add to the classic London feel of the system.

My local Bus in Islington.. so sad to lose it. Your video is beautiful !.

I want to go to London now. Keep up the amazing work!

I no joke love you, your cats, and your videos. So creative and so cool.

The RM was designed by London Transport, not by a bus manufacturer. That's why it's London's bus, it was designed FOR London.

I am so glad that I found this channel,I love the stop motion,the music and all of the wonderful content! Also,. British, anyone?

I remember riding the old Routemasters when I was stationed in England several decades ago. Of course the special part about them to me was the double decks.😎

When I watch your videos I feel like I’m watching, what I imagine, a super young James May. It’s always a fantastic video. Keep it up 👍👍👍

Amazing vid shows London's amazing history.

Hey Chris your a great story teller i just love your videos ! keep up the great work Dude !

What an truly excellent video! Well constructed perfectly narrated, keenly edited and a fantastic topic I will definitely seek out an original Routemaster next time I'm there. Thank you!

To drive one is a great experience too! Especially an original AEC engine one where you have to change gear on it ! The greatest bus ever and proud to have owned one.

you have the best channel that i saw this year and you choose great music and is creative :D

Brings the brit out in me lol. I feel the same about the busses, despite not being a londoner. Amazing video, as always. I'm loving this coin series, it's amazing!

I rode one 2 years ago. I was surprised to see it. It was a treat. Bus conductor and a string to ring the bell. However, I think the new ones are lovely too and will be icons of our age in time to come.

RU-vid brought me here, and I do not regret it, You are such a great narrator with a warm welcoming voice! I see a great future a head of you!!

My bucket list is to travel Europe and Asia. Watching your videos and many more about Europe give me some new info on the heritage and culture. So maybe one day when I finally visit Europe, I can see the places you’ve been and experience it for myself

I love the upholstery on those seats! :-)

Thanks for this. I missed it and thought it has all gone.

It was always cool to try to jump on the footplate as the bus pulled away, using the grab-bar as leverage. Good memories!

Now I wish I could go on one of those! They’re cool, and I have always wanted to go on one. Now I have seen them in action.

Ahhh! I love your channel!💚

Smashing video from a nice chap! I know what you mean about London, no other place like it! I love the old route master bus.

I caught one of these outside of Finsbury Park station a few weeks back! Route 29 going to kings cross, Warren Street, Camden and Holloway, the seats were much comfier back then!

💖 this so much! I’m from Britain so I loved this even more!💖

Hey Chris ! Great video!

This was the first video I watched on this channel and now I just enjoy this content

How do you do your stop motion because I love it!

Love your accent and easy way of speaking, I also loved the wonderful grand tour of London😊😊

Great as always ! :D

Hey mate, just been on one of these very recently, a conductor told me they are going out of service for a few months so they can have their engines replaced, I think they are still running, I think I've watched this video about 10 times because it's so good! Keep up the good work and I have really loved your channel just by watching your video, thanks so much for making this and I've watched this more than the legitimate londonist video.

I wish I found your channel sooner your videos are great!