Routemaster
Maintenance
and other
Bus
Stuff
Here you can browse and buy
specialist items essential for everyone who runs, maintains or repairs
London's most famous Red Double-Decker - and for everyone who is simply
fascinated with what goes on under the bonnet!
Click here to see other items essential to transport enthusiasts
NEWLY AVAILABLE - a dimensioned drawing of the Routemaster showing four sides, deck plans and cross-section; and a fascinating and informative Vehicle Statistics Chart. Both available on our Memorabilia page.
AEC Routemaster Lubrication
Wall-Chart
A3-size table listing the more-than 40
essential lubrication points, with frequencies and recommended
lubricants.
Plastic encapsulated for long life
in your
workshop.
Only available from C & G Walker.
Price £5.75
The New Routemaster Maintenance Manual
How it works - how to keep
it working:
Over 250 pages with over 90
illustrations and diagrams covering the mechanical, body and electrical
servicing of this world-famous London Bus. Covers AEC, Leyland and Iveco
engined versions. Endorsed by London Transport and drawn from original
materials, compiled by London Transport's Mechanical Engineer -
Development. Ringbound in wipe-clean cover, A4 size.
ISBN-10: 0-95261-780-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-95261-780-8
A Cream Band publication by C & G Walker
Price £48.00
The mechanical and
body cutaway artworks on the Routemaster Artwork
page would make a wonderful addition to this manual!
Using original London Transport information, the Wiring Diagram has been completely
re-drawn and validated. Compiled by
London Transport's Mechanical Engineer - Development and produced using
CAD technology for clarity and accuracy, it represents the entire
electrical system on AEC and Leyland-engined Routemasters, as they were in
the 1970's and '80's when early charging equipment had been replaced by
alternators with built-in rectifiers. The diagram shows all cable sizes
and colours, and sleeve codes.
Full A0-plus size (840mm x 1270mm).
Price £15.00.
Wiring Diagrams for Cummins-engined
and
IVECO-engined RMs
- Available NOW!
Similar to the above diagram, the Cummins and the IVECO diagrams show the bus after installation of the new engine and after refurbishment in the 1990s, including fluorescent lighting.
Full A0 size (840mm x 1180mm).
Price £15.00 each.
Fitter's
Pocket Cards
Really
handy reference information on a card, encased in wipe-clean plastic for long life in the workshop.
The
Hydraulic card shows Brake System diagrams and test
pressures for both the Lockheed and the Clayton
systems, and on the other side a Brake Fault Diagnosis Chart.
The
Electrical card features a diagram of the Flag Unit, Test Switch and Pressure Switch wiring (a frequent source of confusion and many test failures), while on the reverse are details of how to convert from Automatic to Semi-automatic gear control, by bridging out the Automatic Control Panel.
Size 150mm x 100mm approx.
Price £3.00 each.
Potted history:
The Routemaster double-deck bus was designed in the 1950s by London Transport, AEC (the engine and chassis maker) and PRV (Park Royal Vehicles, the body maker) to replace the AEC Regent RT type. Experimental vehicles took to the road in 1954, and full production began in 1959.
The bus used the AEC AV590 or Leyland O.600 diesel engine, an automatic gearbox by SCG (Self-Change Gears Ltd), power hydraulic brakes by Lockheed or Clayton Dewandre, and electrical equipment by CAV and Simms. A total of over 2700 were built in several variants, apart from the standard RM: the longer RML, coach versions RMC and RCL for the London Country operations, and the forward-entrance RMA for the London-to-Heathrow Airport shuttle service (a similar type being operated in Newcastle by Northern General Transport).
Heavy overhauls were carried out at Chiswick and Aldenham Works until these facilities closed. Surplus London Routemasters began to be sold in the 1980s, but in 1993 the remaining fleet was extensively refurbished, with new Cummins or IVECO engines, fluorescent lighting and other improvements. After the RM's 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2004 the number of Routemasters in service was reduced to just a handful, currently (2008) running on Route 9 and Route 15.
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Pages updated 8 December 2009