Brief History
RM8 was the first production Routemaster to be built, following directly on from the the successful trials of the four prototypes. It first appeared at the Commercial Motor Show in October 1958, some months before full production commenced. It was subsequently based at Chiswick where it was used as an experimental and development vehicle. It was finally released for service in 1976, a full 7 years after the last production bus, RML2760, carried its first passengers. The whole of its service life was spent at Sidcup Garage (SP) operating on the 21, 51, 161 and 228 routes. Then, after a mere 9 years service, RM8 was bought for preservation by the aptly named RM8 Club.
The Firsts and Lasts
To follow the story click on the links below: N.B. This is a new website still under construction and the pages will be set up in the order shown.
Construction and First Public Appearance
All photos are by the site author Phil Willson unless otherwise stated. Photos always appear with the permission of the copyright holder wherever this is known. Anything labelled 'Phil Willson Collection' is either from original photos or from unknown sources to whom I would be happy to give ackowledgement if they contact me.
If you have any questions about RM8 or the club, please do not hesitate to ask.
email me at phil.willson@tiscali.co.uk
22nd July 2007