Editing AEC Routemaster (section)

==Production==
[[File:Arriva South London Routemaster RML2577 (JJD 577D) route 19, 10 August 2004.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Arriva London]] RMLs on [[London Buses route 19|routes 19]] & [[London Buses route 38|38]] at the intersection of [[Tottenham Court Road]] & [[Shaftesbury Avenue]] in August 2004]]

Production of mechanical components was undertaken chiefly at [[Associated Equipment Company|AEC's]] [[Southall]] site (though a significant number had [[Leyland Motors|Leyland]] engines) with body construction and final assembly at [[Park Royal Vehicles]].<ref name=AECSouthall/>

Although regulations already permitted 2-axle double deck buses up to {{convert|30|ft|m|2|abbr=off}} in length by the time the Routemaster went into full production, the majority of production examples were {{convert|27|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=off}} long, the introduction of {{convert|29|ft|11|in|m|2|abbr=off}} "long" types being delayed by union resistance to the extra work for conductors.<ref name=CountryBusRML>[http://www.countrybus.org/RML/RML.html The Long Buses Part 1] Country Bus</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Class!!Type!!Headlights!!Length!!Number!!Notes
|-
|RM||standard bus with rear staircase and open rear entrance||Single||{{convert|27.5|ft|m|2}}||2,123||
|-
|RML||long bus with rear staircase and open rear entrance||Single||{{convert|29.91|ft|m}}||524||
|-
|RMC||standard coach with rear staircase and doored rear entrance||Twin||{{convert|27.5|ft|m|2}}||69||
|-
|RCL||long coach with rear staircase and doored rear entrance||Twin||{{convert|29.91|ft|m}}||43||
|-
|RMF||long bus with front staircase and front entrance doors||Single||{{convert|29.91|ft|m}}||51||all except one for [[Northern General Transport Company]]
|-
|RMA||standard coach with front staircase and front entrance doors||Twin||{{convert|27.5|ft|m|2}}||65||for [[British European Airways]] and used with a luggage trailer
|-
|FRM||stretched bus with front staircase and front entrance doors||Single||{{convert|31.3|ft|m|2}}||1||new shaped rear engined single operator prototype
|}

===RM & RML class===
[[File:Acton Depot March 2002 2.JPG|thumb|left|Last built RML2760 with prototypes RM1, RM2 & RML3 at [[Acton, London|Acton]] in March 2002]]

London Transport took delivery of 2,123 RMs and 524 RMLs. The RML was a standard RM with a distinctive and seemingly out of place half-window section added in the middle giving eight extra seats. This was not a dramatic change, as it took advantage of the modular design approach of the Routemaster that would be copied by other manufacturers.<ref name=CountryBusRML/> The RML code was originally used to identify the "Routemaster Leyland", with what became the RML originally designated the ER (Extended Routemaster).<ref name=CountryBusRML/> The RM and RML had an area beneath the rear staircase where, when not collecting fares, the conductor could stand without obstructing boarding/alighting passengers. Seating was provided for 64 passengers on RMs (72 on RMLs).

===RMC & RCL class===
[[File:Routemaster RCL 2233.jpg|thumb|upright|Preserved RCL2233 in London Transport [[Green Line Coaches|Green Line]] livery]]

The RMC was a coach version for [[Green Line Coaches|Green Line]] routes. RMCs had modified suspension and interiors to allow a longer range and more comfortable running, an electrically operated door instead of an open platform, and a semi-automatic gearbox with higher gear ratios.<ref name=CountryBusRMC>[http://www.countrybus.org/RMC/RMC.html The Coach RMs] Country Bus</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/29th-june-1962/57/routemaster-double-deck-coaches-for-green-line-rou Routemaster Double-deck Coaches for Green Line Routes] ''Commercial Motor'' 29 June 1962</ref> The RCL was a long version of the RMC with a larger engine and similar coach-style features.<ref name=CountryBusRCL>[http://www.countrybus.org/RCL/RCL.html The Long Coaches] Country Bus</ref> Seating was provided for 57 on RMCs and 65 on RCLs.<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-october-1964/28/larger-routemaster-coaches-for-green-line Larger Routemaster Coaches for Green Line] ''Commercial Motor'' 30 October 1964</ref>

===RMF & RMA class===
The RMF and RMA class were production versions of the front entrance Routemaster, primarily for non-London and airline use.<ref name=CountryBusRMF>[http://www.countrybus.org/RMF/RMF.html The Forward Entrance Routemaster] Country Bus</ref> Like the RMC/RCL they had an electrically operated door, but at the front of the bus, along with the staircase. After being exhibited and demonstrated to other operators, the RMF attracted little interest, apart from an order from [[Northern General Transport Company]] (RMF) and, in a short version, from [[British European Airways]] (RMA).

====Northern General====
[[File:Northern Routemaster.jpg|thumb|left|Preserved [[Northern General Transport Company]] 2105 in livery as delivered]]

The [[British Electric Traction]] subsidiary [[Northern General Transport Company]] introduced the RMF in 1964/65, with an initial batch of 18, followed by another 32 and later joined by the prototype RMF1254.<ref name=CountryBusRMF/><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/2nd-december-1966/72/ltb-sells-rm1254 LTB Sells RM1254] ''Commercial Motor'' 2 December 1966</ref> This order created considerable interest and raised eyebrows within the bus industry, as Northern had been one of the biggest investors in the new rear-engined [[Leyland Atlantean]]s.

However, Northern shared many routes with the [[United Automobile Services]], which operated the [[Bristol Lodekka]], and the Atlantean did not match their performance and passenger satisfaction, so Northern brought in the RMFs as a better match. They were fitted with [[Leyland Motors|Leyland]] engines and a higher-ratio rear axle for operation on longer trunk routes.<ref>[http://www.northernroutemaster.co.uk/ Northern Routemasters] Northern Routemasters</ref> Other notable differences were a standard, single-panel front destination blind, sliding windows and a one-piece driver's windscreen.

[[File:Routemaster bus PCN 762 Northern General 2099.jpg|thumb|upright|Preserved [[Northern General Transport Company]] 2099 in red and cream pre [[National Bus Company (UK)|National Bus Company]] livery]]
[[File:RMF27712016.jpg|thumb|left| Modified [[Northern General Transport Company]]  2101 originally RCN701<br />(Beatrix – EYY 776B)<br /> Currently owned and being upgraded by the "London to Japan in a Routemaster Bus project"<ref>{{cite web |title=London to Japan in a Routemaster Bus |url=https://www.facebook.com/japanorbust/ |website=Facebook |access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>]]

They operated in various ''Northern'' red and cream liveries<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lewisham/northern/2115.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723133943/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lewisham/northern/2115.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 July 2018 |title=Image of Northern General 2115 (FPT 585C) in Northern livery |publisher=Myweb.tiscali.co.uk |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lewisham/northern/2116.html |title=Image of Northern General 2116 (FPT 586C) in Northern livery |publisher=Myweb.tiscali.co.uk |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> receiving the poppy red corporate livery and NBC ''Northern'' fleetnames in the [[National Bus Company (UK)|National Bus Company]] era. The RMF fleet wore the long-standing adverts characteristic of buses in the north-east of England, "Shop at [[House of Fraser|Binns]]". Northern Routemasters were well liked by their crews: the high axle ratio meant a good turn of speed on long-distance routes such as [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] to [[Darlington]], and power steering was well appreciated on busy urban services in [[Gateshead]] and [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]]. Their service in the north also produced the odd sight of a Routemaster with a [[rollsign]] "X1 Scandinavia", connecting with the [[DFDS|DFDS ferry]] from [[North Shields]] to [[Scandinavia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lewisham/northern/2121.html |title=Northern General 3105 (FPT 591C) with destination blinds for service X1 to Scandinavia |publisher=Myweb.tiscali.co.uk |access-date=19 April 2013 |archive-date=23 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723133945/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lewisham/northern/2121.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

However, throughout the 1970s it became increasingly uneconomic to have conductors on inter-urban services. Despite driver and customer satisfaction, Northern had little option but to replace them. Northern placed a large order for [[Bristol VR]]s with [[Eastern Coach Works]] and [[Willowbrook (vehicle body builders)|Willowbrook]] bodywork in 1977 to replace them. Withdrawals began in May 1977 with the last withdrawn in October 1980. Most were scrapped although 14 were sold to London Transport. Only one entered service, as an open-top with [[London Coaches]].<ref name=KBlackerVol2>{{cite book|last=Blacker|first=Ken|title=Routemaster Volume Two 1970–2005|year=2007|publisher=Capital Transport|location=Harrow Weald|isbn=978-185414-303-7}}</ref>

====British European Airways====
[[British European Airways]] purchased 65 RMAs built to the shorter length (with trailers) in 1966/67 for use on its [[airport bus]] service between the [[West London Air Terminal]] and [[Heathrow Airport]].<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/2nd-april-1965/52/bea-orders-65-trailer-towing-routemasters BEA Orders 65 Trailer-towing Routemasters] ''Commercial Motors'' 2 April 1965</ref> They were geared for 70&nbsp;mph running on the [[M4 Motorway]].<ref>[http://www.countrybus.org/RMA/RMA.html The BEA Routemasters Part 1] Country Bus</ref> Withdrawals started in January 1975 with [[British Airways]] discontinuing the service in March 1979. All 65 RMAs were eventually sold to London Transport.<ref name=KBlackerVol2/><ref name=CountryBusRMA2>[http://www.countrybus.org/RMA/RMA2.html The BEA Routemasters Part 2] Country Bus</ref>