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London buses have come in dozens of different shapes and sizes over the last century or so. Before the red, air-conned, electric vehicles we know today, there were double-deckers painted green, brown or yellow, open platforms for hopping on and off and bus conductors (aka clippies) working alongside the drivers. Most of those old buses were sadly destined for the scrap heap once they finished service, but some were rescued and have been expertly preserved by the London Bus Museum.
For one day in March, courtesy of the museum, regulars on route 19 from Finsbury Park to Battersea Bridge got the chance to step back in time and ride heritage buses from as far back as the 1930s. Now, the buses are venturing out again, this time on route 418 between Kingston and Bookham.
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Route 418’s heritage day is happening on Sunday, June 8. The buses, ranging from the 1950s to 1970s, will be on the road from 9am to 5pm and will be completely free to ride.
London Bus Museum says that there’ll mostly be ‘the iconic RT-type, which in the 1950s formed the largest standardised bus fleet in the world’. They’ll be joined by Routemaster vehicles and other old-school buses that are privately owned.
Look out for the vehicles stopping by Kingston, Surbiton Hill, Epsom town centre Ashtead and Leatherhead. All you need to do is hold out your arm and hop on. Passengers may even get a vintage ticket from the bus conductor as a souvenir.
As the buses are so old-fashioned, they’re not unable to accommodate wheelchairs or most modern buggies. But the London Bus Museum said ‘our crews will make every effort to help the less able and those with small children enjoy a ride back in time’. Regular buses will still be running along the route on the day.
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