A yellow Routemaster that visited France

摘要

This latest release from Corgi depicts one of the lesser seen overall advertising liveries on a London Transport Routemaster in the 1970s. RM1359, which in its original form had a Leyland rather than AEC engine, emerged from Aldenham Works in April 1974 promoting the French Channel port of Boulogne as the route of choice for car owners taking holidays in mainland Europe, a promotion supported by British Rail's Sealink ferries and Seaspeed hovercraft. As part of the campaign, it was taken to Boulogne the following month, hence the small GB plate on the nearside rear, close to the much larger one that formed part of the advertisement. It only re-entered public service that August at Shepherds Bush garage on route 88 and the advertising livery lasted just until the end of September. It was returned to the standard red at a time when politicians in London were railing against the apparent proliferation of Routemasters in what they saw as garish and inappropriate colours. It remained in service until 1987 and was exported to Sicily in 1992.