Clydeside Scottish Routemasters

English: Clydeside Scottish operated a large fleet of ex-London Transport Routemaster buses in the 1980s and early 1990s.

History

Clydeside Scottish was created in 1985 when the nationalised bus operator Western SMT, a subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group, was split in two, with the other half becoming Western Scottish. After bus deregulation in Great Britain the following year, Clydeside was one of many provincial operators who turned to ex-London Transport Routemaster buses to give them a competitive edge.

In preparation, the company had taken RM652 (reg. WLT 652) on trial in 1985. On being pleased with the results, the company took on more, eventually becoming the largest fleet in Scotland, with Kelvin Scottish & Strathtay Scottish being other SBG subsidiaries also taking them.

As publicity for the new buses, the company named RM652 Rodney the Routemaster and produced a children's booklet titled Rodney the Routemaster comes to Town, detailing his trip to Scotland. Some of the other buses were also given names beginning with R.

The Routemasters were painted in Clydeside's red & yellow livery, and operated mainly on the Glasgow-Paisley corridor. Many other buses were also purchased as sources of spares to keep the fleet running.

Most of the buses came direct from London Transport, with LT's Aldenham Works painting many of them in advance, but a few were bought by and transferred from the SBG's engineering division Scottish Bus Engineering. Others were similarly sourced from Kelvin Scottish. All were acquired with their original LT registration plates, and continued to wear their RM numbers in Clydeside colours.

Clydeside bought mostly RM class buses, although it also took one of the longer RML class, RML900 (reg. WLT 900), part of the early RML batch produced while the RM was still the standard. It also took 3 of the RMA class, front entrance former BEA Heathrow airport shuttle coaches, later absorbed into the LT fleet.

One of the RMA's, RMA16 (reg. KGJ 614D) was renumbered SRMA 1, fitted with coach seating and table lamps, and painted in white/silver livery of the Quicksilver private hire/commuter service fleet.

Clydeside was re-merged into Western in May 1985. The Routemasters kept their red & yellow livery, but Western renumbered/re-registered several of them during 1989/90. Operation by Western was short lived, with the majority of the fleet being sold by 1990.

RM835 has been preserved in Clydeside livery.

Fleet

Column key

• CN - Clydeside fleetnumber (preceded with a depot code e.g. M, C, P)
• WN - Western fleetnumber
• Reg. - registration when bought (all same as when new)
• Re-reg. - registration allocated by Western
• SP - bought for spares? - Yes/No.
  • RM984 was bought for spares but actually entered service on 1988/05
  • RM1823 was scrapped first by PVS Cartlon, with its parts bought by Clydeside
  • RML900 was bought as an accident damaged bus, repaired using parts from RM1984
• From - source (LT: London Transport, SBE: Scottish Bus Engineering, KS - Kelvin Scottish)

RM	Reg.	Re-reg.	CN	WN	Name	Bought	From	SP	Sold
RM0017 RM17	VLT 17	LDS 214A	251	C11		1985/10	LT	N	1990/08
RM0028 RM28	VLT 28					1985/12	LT	Y	?
RM0033 RM33	VLT 33					1987/06	LT	Y	1988/03
RM0037 RM37	VLT 37	LDS 173A		C12	Raymond	1986/02	LT	N	1990/08
RM0048 RM48	VLT 48	LDS 199A		C13	Ross	1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0054 RM54	VLT 54	LDS 279A		C14	Rambo	?	LT	N	1990/09
RM0073 RM73	VLT 73	LDS 334A		C15	Rumpelstiltskin	1986/02	LT	N	1990/09
RM0081 RM81	VLT 81	LDS 335A	281	C16	Robin	1986/02	LT	N	1990/09
RM0104 RM104	VLT 104	LDS 280A	256	C17		1985/11	LT	N	1990/08
RM0110 RM110	VLT 110		257	C18		?	LT	N	1990/08
RM0114 RM114	VLT 114		264	C19		1986/02	LT	N	1990/08
RM0154 RM154	VLT 154	LDS 232A	258	C13	Rudyard	1986/02	LT	N	1990/08
RM0162 RM162	VLT 162					1985/10	LT	Y	1987/06
RM0166 RM166	VLT 166	LDS 336A	266			1986/04	LT	N	1990/08
RM0187 RM187	VLT 187			C22		1987/03	SBE	N	1990/08
RM0200 RM200	VLT 200					1987/05	SBE	N	1989/01
RM0204 RM204	VLT 204	LDS 233A		C23		1986/08	LT	N	1990/03
RM0206 RM206	VLT 206	LDS 255A		C24	Roger	1986/08	LT	N	1990/08
RM0219 RM219	VLT 219	LDS 281A	254	C25	Roland	1985/10	LT	N	1990/05
RM0226 RM226	VLT 226	LDS 234A		C26		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0233 RM233	VLT 233					1986/07	LT	Y	1987/11
RM0234 RM234	VLT 234	LDS 235A		C27		1986/04	LT	N	1990/09
RM0245 RM245	VLT 245	LDS 282A				1986/09	LT	N	1990/05
RM0265 RM265	VLT 265					1986/09	LT	Y	1987/11
RM0272 RM272	VLT 272	LDS 236A	259	C29	Ralph	1985/11	LT	N	1990/08
RM0291 RM291	VLT 291		291	C30		1986/02	LT	N	1990/08
RM0303 RM303	WLT 303			C31		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0305 RM305	WLT 305	LDS 256A		C32		1986/03	LT	N	1990/08
RM0364 RM364	WLT 364	LDS 337A			Russel	1986/08	LT	N	1990/09
RM0367 RM367	WLT 367	LDS 317A	267	C34		1986/02	LT	N	1990/05
RM0391 RM391	WLT 391					1986/05	LT	N	1990/09
RM0416 RM416	WLT 416	LDS 237A				1986/03	LT	N	1990/09
RM0441 RM441	WLT 441	LDS 341A	241	C37	Rudolph	1986/03	LT	N	1990/09
RM0444 RM444	WLT 444	LDS 150A	260	C38		1986/03	LT	N	1990/02
RM0447 RM447	WLT 447	LDS 283A	260	C39		1986/11	SBE	N	1990/05
RM0465 RM465	WLT 465	LDS 148A	265			1986/03	LT	N	1990/08
RM0495 RM495	WLT 495		295			1986/03	LT	N	1990/05
RM0501 RM501	WLT 501	EDS 48A		C42		1986/06	LT	N	1990/08
RM0526 RM526	WLT 526	LDS 152A		C43		1986/05	LT	N	1990/08
RM0546 RM546	WLT 546	LDS 284A				1985/12	LT	N	1990/09
RM0550 RM550	WLT 550	LDS 184A	261	C45		1986/04	LT	N	1990/04
RM0588 RM588	WLT 588					1988/08	LT	Y	1989/01
RM0641 RM641	WLT 641			C48	Randolph	1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0652 RM652	WLT 652	LDS 161A	252	C47	Rodney	1985/09	LT	N	?
RM0666 RM666	WLT 666	LDS 257A		C48		1987/03	SBE	N	1990/08
RM0694 RM694	WLT 694		253	C49	Richard	1985/12	LT	N	1990/09
RM0697 RM697	WLT 697	LDS 238A	297	C50		1986/04	LT	N	1990/08
RM0720 RM720	WLT 720	LDS 258A	298	C51	Rupert	1986/04	LT	N	1990/08
RM0724 RM724	WLT 724					?	LT	Y	1988/03
RM0727 RM727	WLT 727	LDS 239A				1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0794 RM794	WLT 794			C53	Reggie	1986/09	LT	N	1990/09
RM0830 RM830	WLT 830			C54		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0835 RM835	WLT 835			C55		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0847 RM847	WLT 847					1988/05	LT	Y	1989/07
RM0859 RM859	WLT 859	LDS 247A		C56		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0870 RM870	WLT 870					1986/10	LT	N	1990/08
RM0874 RM874	WLT 874			C58	Ryan	1986/08	LT	N	1990/09
RM0878 RM878	WLT 878					1987/05	LT	Y	1988/11
RM0900 RML900	WLT 900			C10	Rabbie	1988/02	LT	N	1991/10
RM0919 RM919	WLT 919	LDS 259A		C59		1986/09	LT	N	1990/09
RM0924 RM924	WLT 924	LDS 260A		C60		1986/10	LT	N	1990/08
RM0933 RM933	WLT 933			C61		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0936 RM936	WLT 936			C62		1986/11	SBE	N	1990/08
RM0951 RM951	WLT 951			C63		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM0956 RM956	WLT 956	LDS 261A		C64	Roy	1986/08	LT	N	1990/08
RM0960 RM960	WLT 960			C65		1987/05	LT	N	1990/09
RM0974 RM974	WLT 974	LDS 339A		C66		1986/08	LT	N	1990/09
RM0978 RM978	WLT 978	LDS 164A		C67		1986/11	SBE	N	1990/08
RM0983 RM983	WLT 983					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM0984 RM984	WLT 984	ALD 959B		C79		1987/08	KS	Y*	1990/09
RM1013 RM1013	13 CLT	LDS 253A		C68		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM1032 RM1032	32 CLT	LDS 254A		C69		1987/05	SBE	N	1990/08
RM1054 RM1054	54 CLT	LDS 285A		C70		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM1134 RM1134	134 CLT			C71		1986/09	LT	N	1990/05
RM1152 RM1152	152 CLT			C72		1987/05	LT	N	1990/09
RM1261 RM1261	261 CLT					1987/09	LT	Y	1990/07
RM1267 RM1267	267 CLT			C73		1986/08	LT	N	1990/09
RM1308 RM1308	308 CLT					1987/09	LT	Y	1989/06
RM1407 RM1407	407 CLT					1987/11	LT	Y	1989/01
RM1565 RM1565	565 CLT					1987/09	LT	Y	1989/08
RM1587 RM1587	587 CLT					1987/05	LT	Y	1989/02
RM1625 RM1625	625 DYE					1987/11	LT	Y	1990/03
RM1667 RM1667	667 DYE					1987/05	LT	Y	1989/05
RM1703 RM1703	703 DYE	LDS 286A		C74	Ringo	1987/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM1705 RM1705	705 DYE					1987/06	LT	Y	1988/07
RM1731 RM1731	731 DYE				Ronnie	1987/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM1768 RM1768	768 DYE	EDS 567B				1988/02	LT	Y	1990/08
RM1803 RM1803	803 DYE	EDS 568B		C76		1987/02	SBE	N	1990/09
RM1823 RM1823	823 DYE					1987/10	D	Y*	n/a
RM1830 RM1830	830 DYE					1988/02	LT	Y	1990/07
RM1850 RM1850	850 DYE					1986/04	LT	Y	1987/06
RM1890 RM1890	ALD 890B		262	C77	Rex	1985/10	LT	N	1990/08
RM1913 RM1913	ALD 913B		263	C78		1985/10	LT	N	1990/09
RM1915 RM1915	ALD 915B					1988/02	LT	Y	?
RM1959 RM1959	ALD 959B					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM1984 RM1984	ALD 984B					1987/11	LT	Y	1988/07
RM1987 RM1987	ALD 987B					1987/11	LT	Y	1989/08
RM2006 RM2006	ALM 6B					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/11
RM2048 RM2048	ALM 48B			C80		1986/09	LT	N	1990/08
RM2053 RM2053	ALM 53B					1987/11	LT	Y	1990/03
RM2058 RM2058	ALM 58B					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM2083 RM2083	ALM 83B			C81		1987/08	KS	N	1990/05
RM2086 RM2086	ALM 86B					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM2095 RM2095	ALM 95B					1988/02	LT	Y	1989/10
RM2096 RM2096	ALM 96B					1988/02	LT	Y	1989/04
RM2102 RM2102	ALM 102B					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM2107 RM2107	CUV 107C			C82		1987/01	SBE	N	1990/09
RM2108 RM2108	CUV 108C					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM2115 RM2115	CUV 115C					1987/08	KS	Y	1987/09
RM2203 RM2203	CUV 203C					1987/11	LT	Y	1988/06
RM2208 RM2208	CUV 208C			C83	Rocky	1987/05	SBE	N	1990/09
RMA16 RMA16	KGJ 614D			SRMA 1	George	1988/02	LT	N	1991/10
RMA29 RMA29	KGJ 603D					1988/02	LT	Y	1990/07
RMA60 RMA60	NMY 658E					1988/02	LT	N	1989/09

Images

In service

• 
  RM720 (reg. WLT 720)
  route 36
  Johnstone High Street
  13 April 1989

In preservation

• 
  RM2107 (reg. CUV 107C)
  1993 Routemaster Heritage Trust open day
  Twickenham bus garage
• 
  RM835 (reg. WLT 835)
  2009 Cobham bus rally