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RM1363 (363 CLT) is owned by Group member Chris Knight.
RM1363 is an AEC/Park Royal Vehicles Routemaster, with an original Leyland 0.600 engine.
The bus was delivered new to London Transport on 28th November 1962, entering service during December at Stockwell garage (SW), where it would have worked on routes 2, 2A, 2B, 37, 88 and 181. By 1977 it was based at Mortlake garage (M). It remained in service in London until August 1984. It was then withdrawn along with many other Leyland-engined Routemasters, which London Transport regarded as non-standard, despite owning quite a large number of them.
It was sold to Southampton CityBus in May 1987 where it operated briefly. It then passed to the dealer, Ted Brakell, and was bought by its current owner in August 1992.
Now that the remaining Routemasters have all been withdrawn from London service, (apart from a very small number on “heritage routes”), lots of them have entered preservation. But there aren’t very many of the Leyland-engined examples with un-modernised interiors, like this one.
The bus was restored during 2005 and 2006 and returned to the road for the first time in over 6 years in March 2007.
Since then the bus has been in use for lots of events, but after a breakdown was out of action for most of 2013 and 2014.
Technical stuff:
Manufacturer: AEC
Type: Routemaster
Registration No: 363CLT
Date of first registration: November 1962
Body manufacturer: Park Royal Vehicles
Body type: H36/28R
Engine: Leyland O.600 9.8L
Transmission: Fluid flywheel, semi-automatic gearbox
Original operator: London Transport
Fleet number: RM1363
Livery: London Transport
Withdrawn: 1984
Subsequent owners:
- Southampton CityBus
- Ted Brakell (dealer)
- Chris Knight, August 1992