Steve Anderson RM531 (Login joshsdad) Routemaster Exch 32 Moderators 195.93.21.33
Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 21 2009, 2:36 PM
Hi there
Routemasters never had "white handrails". They had stainless steel handrails which, at the rear platform, had white tape called Doverite wrapped around them. Doverite tape is still available and the contact for its supplier is in the Routemaster owners association suppliers handbook which you will get when you join.
Your bus may have stainless handrails coated in orange plastic which will scrape off with a blade and an awful lot of patience. Yellow ex Arriva handrails are sandblasted and stove enamelled, and are easier to replace. The handrails you require are not scarce, apart from the front bulkhead and above bench seat ones, someone will surely have a set or two.
You may get a better response from the enthusiasts on this site if you give a little more information about your bus and your intended use for it.
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Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 21 2009, 2:50 PM
Hi steve thanks for the info.
Basically i work for a company that has bought four RML buses as yet and which are now in the process of conversion into Vegan Restaurants.
Please visit www.veganroutes.org for full information.
Vegan Routes has completed the first conversion of the first RML and the bus as such is waiting to be driven up to Leicester Square where her pitch is located opposite the Odeon cinema.
In all vegan Routes has spent in excess of £145,000.00 on the conversion of the first bus and she has now been valued at £160,000.00.
With regard the "White Rails" there is an image at this ( ) web address, these are the exact handrails we require.
Matt
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Hi Matt ,
Sorry can't help with handrails . Would it be possible for you to post photos of the work thats being done on your fleet ? (or perhaps email to me and I'll post them on here for you ?) Would be very interesting just to see whats being done .
Is your firm likely to be increasing the fleet at all ?
Thanks
Mark RML2391
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Steve Anderson RM531 (Login joshsdad) Routemaster Exch 32 Moderators 195.93.21.33
Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 22 2009, 6:23 PM
Hi Matt
This is a very emotive issue.......The conversion of routemasters into anything other than buses will always raise eyebrows. This routemaster is an iconic English bus and many people, myself included, prefer to see them restored to their former glory rather than be hacked about into something different. They are 50 year old classics after all.... However, herein lies the conundrum. Should people such as yourselves come up with new and innovative uses for the buses and keep them alive and in Britain where they belong, and where people expect to see them, or would people prefer to see them exported for further service or an uncertain future? There is of course no correct answer, they cannot all remain in Britain so what is the way forward for buses which are not "preserved" as such? The best enthusiasts can hope for is that some of the buses already converted into exhibition units are re-converted into such novel ideals as cafes and restaurants. I would also hope that such vehicles remain MOBILE and ON THE ROAD rather than static which usually means the end of the road. The conversion of "good" existing, unconverted buses which are preservation prospects for tomorrows enthusiasts is, in my opinion, most unwelcome.
Would it be possible for the surplus "bus" parts removed from your fleet during your conversion process to be donated to the Routemaster Association in order that they may help other enthusiasts?
You do not say if your handrails are yellow or orange, this makes a big difference to how easy they are to restore without the need to replace. They may simply need cleaning up and re-application of white doverite tape.
Good luck with your venture, hopefully the buses do not suffer badly during the conversion process but some photos posted on here would be interesting!
Steve, forum moderator
This message has been edited by joshsdad from IP address 195.93.21.33 on Aug 22, 2009 6:24 PM
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(Premier Login alans2708) Forum Owner 80.42.250.60
VALUED AT !!!!
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August 24 2009, 8:21 AM
huh!!,
''NOW VALUED AT £160,000 '' oh really and by whom exactly ?? .. there is no such animal / thing as a ROUTEMASTER VALUE other than some might say the 4 prototypes which are indeed unique therefore are priceless .. there are NO books such as 'GLASSES GUIDE or PARKERS' guide to car prices or other public bus & coach guide price books so any idea of what is EXPECTED to be paid for this is pure figment of overworked imagination .. You'll only get what someone else MIGHT be willing to pay to obtain it == don't hold your breath !!
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Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 24 2009, 8:59 AM
How much of the 160 grand was spent on the vehicle's health? That amount of money ought to see almost total restoration from hulk status.
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(Premier Login alans2708) Forum Owner 80.42.250.60
2 companies
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August 24 2009, 9:04 AM
2 companies have been involved so far Roy, one of whom we both know very well !! the other perhaps you know less so , and I hear ALL was not == whatever @£$%^& ??? etc etc .. !
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Hi Alan thanks for your most welcome and intellectual input on this matter.
As the said matter is Vegan Routes acquiring a set of white handrails i will only respond to questions and comments posted as such. I would of course just like to question how your own bus/buses got an insurance evaluation if such vehicles aren't able to be valued...?
Many thanks
Matt - on behalf of Vegan Routes
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I would also like to stress the fact the Vegan Routes takes the Routemaster buses' health in restoration very seriously indeed and hence the amount of money already spent on the first bus.
The bus was converted in an Essex party bus before we acquired it. As you can imagine it was not in a good state. I am very pleased to announce now that the bus has as many original features as we could possibly bestow upon it while keeping in mind our idea of a Vegan Restaurant. For of course, the idea of a restaurant on a routemaster bus is novel but the novelty lies within keeping the authenticity of the bus.
We have and will always have the buses health and original bests in mind!
Matt - on behalf of Vegan Routes
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Hi Matt,
with reference to my previous post , I can post some of your photos if you can email them to me
with your permission on the email. (email to m.allin@sky.com)
Is your company likely to want anymore routemasters in the future ?
thanks
Mark
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Yes as i mentioned in one of my earlier posts we have already purchased four buses and viewed another only last week. So yes, we will be looking to buy other buses in the future.
I'll send you the photos i'd like uploaded and you have my permission to upload them (i will also write permission in the email)
Many thanks
Matt - on behalf of Vegan Routes
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I suppose what you have to ask yourself is whether at this time of financial restraint, it is a good time to spend £145,000 on converting a Routemaster into a vegan restaurant. Only the bravest of souls would do this surely, and I cannot help but think I could build a nice pair of 3 bed semi detached houses for that kind of money ( not counting the cost of the land ). However would that be a better investment, who knows and after watching Countryfile on television last night perhaps the vegan route is the right one to take. I never realised the danger of all those innocuous looking beasts emitting huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Mind you, perhaps we should conduct a survey into the effect of the vegan diet on greenhouse gases, though in the company of friends who are vegans I have not noticed any eveidence of increased activity at that end.
The main point however is that another RM is looking well on the outside, the only issue of concern may be the amount of condensation created with all the cooking and breathing going on inside. I assume the fire precautions have been adequately catered for so too speak, it would be a great shame if it all went up in smoke further adding to the greenhouse effect. Anyway good luck with it and when I am in Leicester Sqare next, a veggie burger I will have, by the way how much will that cost.
Ed
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(Premier Login alans2708) Forum Owner 80.42.250.60
Insurance
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August 24 2009, 11:04 AM
The insurance value of any ROUTEMASTER is precisely what you've paid to acquire it in the first place as its impossible to prove what was done to make it the said value . Viewing the bus is one thing, knowing the cost of conversion is another and to get an identical replacement if considered an insurance loss for whatever reason is physically impossible. It matters not what you say its worth all you'll ever get is precisely what a buyer MIGHT be prepared to offer. Unlike with a car an identical replacement is possible depending on age of course , with ROUTEMASTERS all of us have precisely zero idea or knowlegde of their driven mileage as no mileage recording unit was ever fitted and until the 'hubometers' were fitted to service vehicles thats all one has to gone by and its seriously low considering the buses years of age and service potential mileage. So if you say this bus is worth this or that then its your word no one elses for what do you have for comparison purposes in such a market? ..offerring any sort of costs receipts to any commercial vehicle insurers is almost meaningless as there is nothing to go by other than markets price paid to acquire the vehicle + whats on offer and as you've paid this sum rest assured you'll never get anywhere near that back.
As I've said there are no bus&coach price guide books so its all up for discussion .... PVS the big bus scrap dealers would and did willing pay around £600 for every Routemaster ex London Transport and several folk have purchased some of these buses BACK FROM PVS to ' restore' them and the cost EX PVS = £2000 except RM 14 which is another story. Why the price difference from scrap >>>> by back for restoration...at one time PVS were getting decent money for scrap ALUMINIUM + all RM mechanical parts were returned to LT for further use so they only had the bodies to deal with, now the market has become radically different in that folk want RMs no matter what condition and PVS will sell them to anyone based on what the prices have been paid over the years for various parts that folk have wanted for their bus irrespective of what it is / was they wanted and as scrap RM parts sales have grown steadily so has PVS enhusiasism to sell based on what they can get. So todays probable best price you'll get for your bus is no more than £2000 for scrap and then PVS will get that back/make even more based on the buses gradual breakup as more of us go for parts to keep ours alive. The problem that again we all face is that even PVS are now getting short OR sold out of certain RM parts that were once readily there on the scrappers and that doesn't mean someone will suddenly start building them NEW AGAIN - we wish!! - as per the originals and hence making parts cheap and readily available indeed far from it, it simply means that sooner or later someones ROUTEMASTER will be outside the gates of PVS and manyof us will follow the bus in to get spares we know we'll need and that alone will make such costs vary like never before, basically ' UP ' .
Don't be fooled == you won't be the first!!
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Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 26 2009, 8:01 AM
Morning Matt.
I appreciate your comments about not reading all posts, but hopefully you will read this one.
Out of curiousity I ask the fate of the interior fittings, eg seats etc, as although they may be plentiful now if scrapping following conversion occurs, there is little chance of returning the bus to service use once the resturant has run it's course.
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All of the seats, spare fittings, etc, are all safe and sound in storage. We are just as passionate about our buses as you are yours and if for any reason the restaurants we to cease trading they would be returned to their former glory and sold onto enthusiasts such as yourselves.
Matt
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Re: Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
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August 26 2009, 9:42 PM
Hi Matt
Just a pity I'm not based in your part of the country as I would love to earn a living driving Routemasters again and would have been knocking on your door offering my services, I drove ex-London RMs in Glasgow for two and a half years back in the 1990s, you have also done a terrific job on RML2688's conversion.
BTW, I have just sent you an e-mail off the forum.
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Current Topic - Desperately searching for white handrails for a routemaster bus
![[linked image]](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/92/252550000_47a5c88aec.jpg)
) web address, these are the exact handrails we require.
![[linked image]](http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/RML2603/JohnRML2603-1.jpg)
