Image: Arriva London Routemaster bus RM54 (LDS 279A), Whitehall, route 159, 9 December 2005

Description: Arriva London South Routemaster bus RM54 (reg. LDS 279A), operating London Buses route 159 on the last day of non-heritage Routemaster operation in London. It's pictured here leaving Stop M (Whitehall / Trafalgar Square), heading south down Whitehall in Westminster en route to Streatham Station. Pictured here operating its last journey on the day, the first of the VLA class that were entering service as the Routemasters replacement on the 159 is seen here passing it. It's claimed that due to traffic delays, RM54 was actually the last Routemaster to be in service, having reached Streatham station after the last official bus (RM2217) running in the same direction but terminating short of the station, had reached its terminus at Streatham Hill, Telford Avenue (Brixton garage). RM54 was delivered to London Transport in September 1959, registered VLT 54. Having been sold out of London in the 1985, and operated in Scotland (where it was re-registered LDS 279A in 1990 by Western Scottish), and even bought for preservation in Blackburn in the late 1990s, it was one of many buses bought back by London Buses in 2002 and refurbished, for further use. After withdrawal from the 159, it has again entered preservation, and seen service with Ensignbus.
Title: Arriva London Routemaster bus RM54 (LDS 279A), Whitehall, route 159, 9 December 2005
Credit: Crop of File:Arriva London buses VLA157 (LJ55 BSU) & RM54 (LDS 279A), Whitehall, route 159, 9 December 2005.jpg
Author: Jon Bennett (original), cropped by User:Ultra7
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
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