Double-Decker Diner

The RML2549 ex-London Transport Routemaster seen here at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.

RML2549 AEC Routemaster (1966) #

Image: RML2549 in its original London Transport days (1993).
Photo by Mike McDermott (via Flickr).
Click image to view in Flickr with full description.

1966: RML2549 was built with a Park Royal body and an AEC engine.
1966: Entered service with London Transport in September. Early operating routes included Route 6A, serving Queen Victoria Street, Waterloo, Fleet Street, and Aldwych.
1992: Refurbished with new engine and interior at South Yorkshire Transport in Rotherham.
2000s: Privatization of London Buses, RML2549 operated on Route 159 for Arriva London South in its final years, running from Marble Arch through Whitehall and Trafalgar Square down to Streatham Station.
2005: Withdrawn from service in December 2005.
2005-2014: The bus was converted into a mobile hospitality/promotional bar.
2014: Red Bus Bistro purchased RML2549.

RML2549 in service for Arriva London South: Chris Sampson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Click image to enlarge

RML2549 hired for the Hard Rock Café in Edinburgh: Michael D J Lamb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Click image to enlarge

RML2549 in Glasgow (2026) #

Fancy tea and scones on board a Routemaster while sightseeing in Glasgow or Edinburgh? It’s good to see these fine old buses having a new lease of life.

The RML2549 ex-London Transport Routemaster seen here at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.

Sources #

Disclaimer: I have no official connection to Red Bus Bistro.
I just love tracking down quirky pieces of transport history.