Routemaster bus RML2488

English: Routemaster bus RML2488 (reg. JJD 488D) was delivered to London Transport in May 1966. As with all RML buses, in the early 1990s it was re-engined (Iveco) and refurbished. It saw continual use in London into the privatisation era, passing in 1994 into the fleet of Stagecoach East London. It saw further use until withdrawal in June 2004, being one of the final Routemasters to operate route 8. It was then transferred into storage at Stagecoach's depot in Carlisle along with several other Routemasters. In the following January the depot was flooded after the River Eden burts its banks, leading to the depot's entire fleet being written off. RML2488 was one of a few buses sold to T&NL Harvey based at Hixon Airfield, Staffordshire, who reclaimed them for further use. By April 2005 it was with dealer Ensign Bus, and in May 2006 it was bought by bought by TFC Leisure Ltd, trading as Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centres (www.rockslane.co.uk). They put it to use in their Chiswick centre, where it is parked up on the miniature golf course and used for children's parties. When it was towed into place it still wore the Stagecoach livery it had when withdrawn, and was even still wearing the same advert for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Darkness will Descend variant) that it wore in that last month on route 8. After a while it was repainted in plain allover red, and now has no adverts, regstration plate or fleetnumbers/names. Apart from tables installed, it appears to be in the same interior condition as when it was withdrawn.

Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre, Chiswick

See also: Category:Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre, Chiswick.

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  15 September 2010
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