Bus Shite

[Inspector Morose]

My first punt on a Titan, back in 1994. Westlink was still owned by West Midlands at the time and sent one up for the Acocks Green running day. I had officially left WMT a week or so earlier but as the person organising the service (the 1 to town and back as extras to the regular service) knew me, I got dibs on piloting this in to Brum and back a couple of times.

I also managed to scrounge a drive of WDA4T to Chatsworth House for some rally or another. Both rode superbly, felt solid and were an all-around driver's machine (maybe apart from the heavyish steering). WDA still had a high ratio diff and had been converted to semi-auto so that was my favourite of the tiny sample that I've driven.

[cms206]

On 18/10/2023 at 01:34, cms206 said:

London update: this all turned to shit.

Suppose I should update this...

Cumbernauld had no work, so I have ended up doing a nine week  straight spell in London; I return north on December 3rd for a week's holiday, then back down until New Years eve; this is likely to change as London don't want us down here over the festives.

Bow continued along the no shifts line, but I got a start date at Barking on October 30th for induction and type training; this left a gap of a week or so. I asked Barking if they had a preference for routes to learn, and was told 62s and 145s.

I utilised this week well, and learned the 62, 145, 167, 179, 362 and 462, then reported for induction and type training at 0830 on Monday morning.

"Transfer from Bow?"

"Yeah"

"Interesting. You've done mirrorless Enviro 400MMCs?"

"That's all I drove at Bow"

"Well they trump everything so no type training required; if you can drive a 400 you can drive a 200. Did you manage to do any route learning?"

I handed over my six learned routes.

"Fuck, you've been busy! Fancy a shift today?"

And so it began... Enviro 400MMC 10321 became my first steed at Barking, 222 duty on the 145.

The week continued; 145 Mon-Wed, 179 Thurs, 145 Fri and 462 Sat; took today off for the Chalk Farm running day. This coming week is 179 tomorrow, 167 Tues/Weds, 62 Thurs, 362 Fri, 167 Sat and 462 Sun.

 

On my last report from Bow I had 26 Enviro 400s outstanding to tick off; I managed to do 11352, 11358, 11359, 11360, 11366, 11369, 11371, 11382, 11396, 11398 and 11399 before leaving Bow, meaning I managed all bar fifteen - 344, 348, 350, 354, 356, 361, 363, 364, 376, 379, 380, 383-5 and 391.

Barking is a better fit for me as a driver - better routes for a start - so fingers crossed it works out!

My first week at Barking's ticklist is as follows...

Enviro 400MMC

10319, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328

Enviro 400MMC Hybrid

12399

Enviro 400 'Classic'

10174, 19773, 19775, 19783

Enviro 200MMC

36632, 36638

 

Not got a laptop down here so another (small) phone camera dump is all I can offer!

 

Next update... whenever, if anyone is still interested in the London split saga?

[Yoss]

20 minutes ago, cms206 said:

Suppose I should update this...

Cumbernauld had no work, so I have ended up doing a nine week  straight spell in London; I return north on December 3rd for a week's holiday, then back down until New Years eve; this is likely to change as London don't want us down here over the festives.

Bow continued along the no shifts line, but I got a start date at Barking on October 30th for induction and type training; this left a gap of a week or so. I asked Barking if they had a preference for routes to learn, and was told 62s and 145s.

I utilised this week well, and learned the 62, 145, 167, 179, 362 and 462, then reported for induction and type training at 0830 on Monday morning.

"Transfer from Bow?"

"Yeah"

"Interesting. You've done mirrorless Enviro 400MMCs?"

"That's all I drove at Bow"

"Well they trump everything so no type training required; if you can drive a 400 you can drive a 200. Did you manage to do any route learning?"

I handed over my six learned routes.

"Fuck, you've been busy! Fancy a shift today?"

And so it began... Enviro 400MMC 10321 became my first steed at Barking, 222 duty on the 145.

The week continued; 145 Mon-Wed, 179 Thurs, 145 Fri and 462 Sat; took today off for the Chalk Farm running day. This coming week is 179 tomorrow, 167 Tues/Weds, 62 Thurs, 362 Fri, 167 Sat and 462 Sun.

 

On my last report from Bow I had 26 Enviro 400s outstanding to tick off; I managed to do 11352, 11358, 11359, 11360, 11366, 11369, 11371, 11382, 11396, 11398 and 11399 before leaving Bow, meaning I managed all bar fifteen - 344, 348, 350, 354, 356, 361, 363, 364, 376, 379, 380, 383-5 and 391.

Barking is a better fit for me as a driver - better routes for a start - so fingers crossed it works out!

My first week at Barking's ticklist is as follows...

Enviro 400MMC

10319, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328

Enviro 400MMC Hybrid

12399

Enviro 400 'Classic'

10174, 19773, 19775, 19783

Enviro 200MMC

36632, 36638

 

Not got a laptop down here so another (small) phone camera dump is all I can offer!

 

Next update... whenever, if anyone is still interested in the London split saga?

I parked the car near the Hampstead Heath terminus this morning and saw the Fleetline go off on its first run so we were probably very close. 

So how does accommodation work when you are down here? I mean do Stagecoach pay for it and is it decent? I'm imagining a sort 1950s style boarding house run by a Mrs Wilberforce as in The Ladykillers or Hell Drivers. 

Route 62 is practically rural by London standards. I'm sure you already know it was the last route to use RTs in 1979. 

[cms206]

2 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I parked the car near the Hampstead Heath terminus this morning and saw the Fleetline go off on its first run so we were probably very close. 

So how does accommodation work when you are down here? I mean do Stagecoach pay for it and is it decent? I'm imagining a sort 1950s style boarding house run by a Mrs Wilberforce as in The Ladykillers or Hell Drivers. 

Route 62 is practically rural by London standards. I'm sure you already know it was the last route to use RTs in 1979. 

We can't have been far apart!

Accomodation isn't too bad, I'm in the Holiday Inn Express in Canning Town with the Bow, Plumstead, Lea Interchange and West Ham drivers, the rest of the Barking contingent are at the Travelodge in Barking; not sure where Ash Grove's drivers are, or what other garages have been hit with us out of town types. Stagecoach pay us London wage (£18.85/hr) for a ten hour day, plus £36 for every day we're away from home, plus a tenner a week for laundry, our travel to and from home for each trip, accomodation, oyster, the lot.

Theres probably around 150 drivers on loan or on split contracts from other Stagecoach companies at present but this may well increase; TFL have allegedly stipulated that from the end of the financial year no contractor will be permitted to use agency drivers. No bad thing from what I've seen in my time here, and we have been told by local management that we are considered a medium to long term solution.

At present there are drivers from Aberdeen, Aberhill, Glenrothes, Dunfermline, Cumbernauld, Ardrossan, Kilmarnock, Ayr, Dumfries, Stranraer, Newcastle  Hull, Grimsby and Lincoln at least on either loan or split contracts.

The 62 isn't that rural when you've done the 167... Loughton is so far out the Arriva buses are blue again 😂

I do like to research routes and whatnot - the 62 was converted to RM operation after the RTs in 1979, but only for eight months before Ts took over which I *think* makes it the shortest duration of full allocation of RMs on any route in London?

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, cms206 said:

"Interesting. You've done mirrorless Enviro 400MMCs?"

"That's all I drove at Bow"

"Well they trump everything so no type training required; if you can drive a 400 you can drive a 200. Did you manage to do any route learning?"

I handed over my six learned routes.

"Fuck, you've been busy! Fancy a shift today?"

Sounds like they like you. I doubt many are so interested.

[Yoss]

You know more about the 62 than I do. I only know it as they used to have a Barking bus rally every April to commemorate the end of the RTs. They would all congregate in the town hall car park during the day then go off on a route 62 convoy in the afternoon. There was always a photo stop somewhere with fields either side hence my rural comment, though I've no idea where that was. 

It's wierd to think I did my first Barking rally in 1985 which was only six years after the RTs went but at that time 1979 felt like distant history whereas now six years ago seams like the day before yesterday. I guess that's just getting old. 

[busmansholiday]

Keep up with the updates, they are interesting.

I was there for the end of the RTs, was it really 44 years ago ?

[busmansholiday]

12 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

My first punt on a Titan, back in 1994. Westlink was still owned by West Midlands at the time and sent one up for the Acocks Green running day. I had officially left WMT a week or so earlier but as the person organising the service (the 1 to town and back as extras to the regular service) knew me, I got dibs on piloting this in to Brum and back a couple of times.

I also managed to scrounge a drive of WDA4T to Chatsworth House for some rally or another. Both rode superbly, felt solid and were an all-around driver's machine (maybe apart from the heavyish steering). WDA still had a high ratio diff and had been converted to semi-auto so that was my favourite of the tiny sample that I've driven.

We borrowed an ex Manchester one for a local enthusiasts tour some years ago. Was actually quite pleasant to drive but the biggest amazement was how little fuel the Gardner engine used that day. 

[83C]

Only driven a Titan once, and that was from Winkleigh to Portsmouth for export. The M27 at 42mph was exciting*

Other than that it was a nice old motor to drive, steering definitely on the heavy side of things as noted by @Inspector Morose, but it accelerated well and stopped well.

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

Bus used as an off grid camper finally removed from a residential street!

https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/23902988.falmouth-glasney-road-bus-removed-four-years/?ref=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR0tNLQtI4B2IxHWR_9IcF1PvQff1BvtmY_tkU-85ih68DmrTHwQjzluzdc

[quicksilver]

Didn't manage a photo but I've just seen this looking rather out of place in Milton Keynes

Arriva Southend painted it into the old Southend Transport livery a few years ago. They were going to scrap it but MK decided Southend's scrap was good enough for them to use in service.

And in a complete contrast, in front of it was one of these experimental autonomous buses.

[Remspoor]

19 hours ago, cms206 said:

Suppose I should update this...

Cumbernauld had no work, so I have ended up doing a nine week  straight spell in London; I return north on December 3rd for a week's holiday, then back down until New Years eve; this is likely to change as London don't want us down here over the festives.

Bow continued along the no shifts line, but I got a start date at Barking on October 30th for induction and type training; this left a gap of a week or so. I asked Barking if they had a preference for routes to learn, and was told 62s and 145s.

I utilised this week well, and learned the 62, 145, 167, 179, 362 and 462, then reported for induction and type training at 0830 on Monday morning.

"Transfer from Bow?"

"Yeah"

"Interesting. You've done mirrorless Enviro 400MMCs?"

"That's all I drove at Bow"

"Well they trump everything so no type training required; if you can drive a 400 you can drive a 200. Did you manage to do any route learning?"

I handed over my six learned routes.

"Fuck, you've been busy! Fancy a shift today?"

And so it began... Enviro 400MMC 10321 became my first steed at Barking, 222 duty on the 145.

The week continued; 145 Mon-Wed, 179 Thurs, 145 Fri and 462 Sat; took today off for the Chalk Farm running day. This coming week is 179 tomorrow, 167 Tues/Weds, 62 Thurs, 362 Fri, 167 Sat and 462 Sun.

 

On my last report from Bow I had 26 Enviro 400s outstanding to tick off; I managed to do 11352, 11358, 11359, 11360, 11366, 11369, 11371, 11382, 11396, 11398 and 11399 before leaving Bow, meaning I managed all bar fifteen - 344, 348, 350, 354, 356, 361, 363, 364, 376, 379, 380, 383-5 and 391.

Barking is a better fit for me as a driver - better routes for a start - so fingers crossed it works out!

My first week at Barking's ticklist is as follows...

Enviro 400MMC

10319, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328

Enviro 400MMC Hybrid

12399

Enviro 400 'Classic'

10174, 19773, 19775, 19783

Enviro 200MMC

36632, 36638

 

Not got a laptop down here so another (small) phone camera dump is all I can offer!

 

Next update... whenever, if anyone is still interested in the London split saga?

My dad drove the last day of RTs from Barking on the 62s. He hated OMO buses. which he was forced to drive afterwards. I used to get the 145 from near my house to my nan and grandads in Dagenham. The 148 was a better choice though.

[Yoss]

I've kept a couple of pictures back from yesterdays running day and added some from my archives for context with a little story. You might want to go and make a cup of tea.

Here's a couple of RTs outside the Wellington pub at Waterloo on the 68.

That upper bridge never used to be there either. It's the footbridge from Waterloo to Waterloo East. We used to use lower open one.

Anyway, the Wellington was our local pub for many years. Whatever we had been doing during the day, wether it was just messing about on RMs or if we'd been off on a train somewhere we would always stop off in the Welly before catching our train back to Southampton. This too has changed beyond recognition inside. It was never a rough pub but just an honest, no nonsense sort of place. Did really cheap food, like £2.50 for sausage egg and chips. Had a big Irish contingent too. Waterloo had a sizable Irish population in the old days, I doubt that's the case any more. It even had several old Irish classics on the juke box that all the old men at the bar would sing along to.

So, October 24th 1986 was the last day of Routemasters on the 68. We had been on them most of the day and decided to pop in to the Wellington for tea and a couple of pints. We came back out about 9.30pm and went and stood at the northbound stop. This was under the bridge here (I took this pic on Sunday).

It soon became obvious that the service had collapsed. Obviously for a lot of the conductors it was their last day so they probably just didn't turn up. The few 68s that did turn up were already Metrobuses.

We decided that if nothing turned up by about half past ten we would go home. That's because in those days there used to be a Waterloo to Weymouth mail train at 22.52 with a couple of passenger coaches tacked on the back. This was always our chosen train home as it had a class 73 on the front which were very rare on passenger trains and what they did do was mostly nocturnal (the Gatwick Express didn't count in our minds). But I digress...

After what seemed like a very long time a Routemaster finally appeared heading south. This means we had to leg it from roughly where this photo was taken to that bus you can just see on the right of the picture.

Admittedly we had a head a start because we saw it coming off the roundabout but it was still a full on sprint. Obviously we made it or this story wouldn't be worth telling. It already had a few bus cranks on it and it transpired that not only was it going to form the very last Routemaster operated 68 it was the only one left on the whole route. The bus was RM 2037. Regular readers will know I went on to own that bus twice for a total of twenty years, and indeed, I still consider it to be my bus even though I sold it again three years ago.

But back to 1986, we stayed on the bus until it finally rolled back in to Norwood Garage about 01.30 on the 25th of October. I took this picture about midnight at South Croydon Garage, the southern end of the 68 and I think it's one of the best RM photos I have taken. I like all the reflection.

 

So seven months later we were lucky enough to have Routemasters turn up here in Southampton and one of them just happened to be 2037. It's not as big a coincidence as it might at first seem as CityBus specified all Leyland engines and there weren't that many left in London at that point but it was still a nice surprise and we had an instant favourite in the CityBus fleet. For the next 20 months I travelled on Routemasters almost every day even if it was just a quick return in to town after work. 

CityBus finished with them on January 14th 1989. Me and my friend Barry badgered them to put 2037 on the last bus and amazingly they did it! So now we were a part of the bus's history we felt we had to buy it. At the age of 20 and not even having a driving license. Luckily we knew somebody else who wanted one who could drive them so we said we'd buy it jointly with him but it had to be 2037.

And so it was in March 1989 the bus became ours but our relationship with it started outside the Wellington on that night in 1986. If we'd given up and caught the train home it wouldn't have  been a significant bus to us when it arrived in Southampton and I don't think we would have bought it 

So here we are back at the Wellington probably in the summer of 1989. Still in its CityBus livery but with a few embellishments we had added by then.

The silver grille was a Norwood thing. All their buses had silver grilles by then so being an ex Norwood bus we thought we would join in.

And fast forward to October the something (the nearest Saturday to the 24th) 2006. I organised a re run to commemorate twenty years of the end of the 68. I had only started my second period of ownership in June that year so a hastily added white stripe and fleet numbers were applied. The gold fleet names had to stay as those transfers eat themselves in to the paint and only a repaint would remove them.

Note also the semi working illuminated advert panel. It had all been working at the start of the day. All the time I owned it different bits would work at different times. 

The adverts are the same ones it was carrying on that fateful night in 1986. Fortunately they were simple black on white and black on yellow affairs so I gave a local sign maker some photos and dimensions and they made them up for me.

It's amazing to think that in itself was now 17 years ago so it's now 37 years since that fateful night. Hope I get another 37!

[cms206]

23 hours ago, Yoss said:

You know more about the 62 than I do. I only know it as they used to have a Barking bus rally every April to commemorate the end of the RTs. They would all congregate in the town hall car park during the day then go off on a route 62 convoy in the afternoon. There was always a photo stop somewhere with fields either side hence my rural comment, though I've no idea where that was.

That would have been Marks Gate I think; not done a 62 yet but I did take a photo at the terminus when I went out to learn it.

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

I've kept a couple of pictures back from yesterdays running day and added some from my archives for context with a little story. You might want to go and make a cup of tea.

Here's a couple of RTs outside the Wellington pub at Waterloo on the 68.

That upper bridge never used to be there either. It's the footbridge from Waterloo to Waterloo East. We used to use lower open one.

Anyway, the Wellington was our local pub for many years. Whatever we had been doing during the day, wether it was just messing about on RMs or if we'd been off on a train somewhere we would always stop off in the Welly before catching our train back to Southampton. This too has changed beyond recognition inside. It was never a rough pub but just an honest, no nonsense sort of place. Did really cheap food, like £2.50 for sausage egg and chips. Had a big Irish contingent too. Waterloo had a sizable Irish population in the old days, I doubt that's the case any more. It even had several old Irish classics on the juke box that all the old men at the bar would sing along to.

So, October 24th 1986 was the last day of Routemasters on the 68. We had been on them most of the day and decided to pop in to the Wellington for tea and a couple of pints. We came back out about 9.30pm and went and stood at the northbound stop. This was under the bridge here (I took this pic on Sunday).

It soon became obvious that the service had collapsed. Obviously for a lot of the conductors it was their last day so they probably just didn't turn up. The few 68s that did turn up were already Metrobuses.

We decided that if nothing turned up by about half past ten we would go home. That's because in those days there used to be a Waterloo to Weymouth mail train at 22.52 with a couple of passenger coaches tacked on the back. This was always our chosen train home as it had a class 73 on the front which were very rare on passenger trains and what they did do was mostly nocturnal (the Gatwick Express didn't count in our minds). But I digress...

After what seemed like a very long time a Routemaster finally appeared heading south. This means we had to leg it from roughly where this photo was taken to that bus you can just see on the right of the picture.

Admittedly we had a head a start because we saw it coming off the roundabout but it was still a full on sprint. Obviously we made it or this story wouldn't be worth telling. It already had a few bus cranks on it and it transpired that not only was it going to form the very last Routemaster operated 68 it was the only one left on the whole route. The bus was RM 2037. Regular readers will know I went on to own that bus twice for a total of twenty years, and indeed, I still consider it to be my bus even though I sold it again three years ago.

But back to 1986, we stayed on the bus until it finally rolled back in to Norwood Garage about 01.30 on the 25th of October. I took this picture about midnight at South Croydon Garage, the southern end of the 68 and I think it's one of the best RM photos I have taken. I like all the reflection.

 

So seven months later we were lucky enough to have Routemasters turn up here in Southampton and one of them just happened to be 2037. It's not as big a coincidence as it might at first seem as CityBus specified all Leyland engines and there weren't that many left in London at that point but it was still a nice surprise and we had an instant favourite in the CityBus fleet. For the next 20 months I travelled on Routemasters almost every day even if it was just a quick return in to town after work. 

CityBus finished with them on January 14th 1989. Me and my friend Barry badgered them to put 2037 on the last bus and amazingly they did it! So now we were a part of the bus's history we felt we had to buy it. At the age of 20 and not even having a driving license. Luckily we knew somebody else who wanted one who could drive them so we said we'd buy it jointly with him but it had to be 2037.

And so it was in March 1989 the bus became ours but our relationship with it started outside the Wellington on that night in 1986. If we'd given up and caught the train home it wouldn't have  been a significant bus to us when it arrived in Southampton and I don't think we would have bought it 

So here we are back at the Wellington probably in the summer of 1989. Still in its CityBus livery but with a few embellishments we had added by then.

The silver grille was a Norwood thing. All their buses had silver grilles by then so being an ex Norwood bus we thought we would join in.

And fast forward to October the something (the nearest Saturday to the 24th) 2006. I organised a re run to commemorate twenty years of the end of the 68. I had only started my second period of ownership in June that year so a hastily added white stripe and fleet numbers were applied. The gold fleet names had to stay as those transfers eat themselves in to the paint and only a repaint would remove them.

Note also the semi working illuminated advert panel. It had all been working at the start of the day. All the time I owned it different bits would work at different times. 

The adverts are the same ones it was carrying on that fateful night in 1986. Fortunately they were simple black on white and black on yellow affairs so I gave a local sign maker some photos and dimensions and they made them up for me.

It's amazing to think that in itself was now 17 years ago so it's now 37 years since that fateful night. Hope I get another 37!

I remember the Wellington well. Used to go there en route to Twickenham on international days in the 80s. It wasn’t as packed as the pubs around the ground , so we drank there and got the last train to Twickenham that would get us there for kick off. After the game we’d go back there and catch the last train back to Kent.

[Yoss]

9 hours ago, cms206 said:

That would have been Marks Gate I think; not done a 62 yet but I did take a photo at the terminus when I went out to learn it.

It could be. These were taken at the 1987 rally I think.

 

But that wasn't the terminus at the time. I assume from the fact you say there is now a 362 and a 462 that the route has been split up over the years.

The terminus then was Barkingside, seen here.

It looks like people didn't buy new cars in those days. The only thing that says the last two photos weren't taken in the 1970s is that mk3 Granny.

[cms206]

The 362 shares the 62 route between Chadwell Heath and Marks Gate; it runs Grange Hill to King George Hospital.

The 462 only shares about 300 yards with the 362, running Ilford to Limes Farm Estate. Both 362 and 462 are minibus only.

London route numbering isn't what it used to be 😆

[cms206]

I'm the last bus to Loughton tonight; this has been a decent night and a thoroughly pleasant run.

[Remspoor]

How to be a London Bus driver. Another blog.

 

[martc]

Brent Cross bus station

1980

2023

 

[martc]

[martc]

Northumberland St NuT.

[busmansholiday]

19 hours ago, martc said:

The old Kai Tek airport in Hong Kong, flew into there a couple of times in the 90's.  You really could see what people were watching on their TVs if you sat on the right hand side as the plane banked sharply right between the tower blocks just before landing.

That's a freighter version of the 747 though above the KMB Alexander RH bodied Olympian.

[martc]

Piccadily Circus, 1910.

[The Old Bloke Next Door]

Because of the backlog of orders for electric bus charging kit delaying the new NXWM buses entering service, some have already been built for 6 months.

Yardley Wood garage have had to keep Tridents running longer than originally planned. Veteran 4393 now the last remaining 2002 vehicle in the fleet passed a fresh mot  yesterday (with no advisories).

Here it is at seven years old.

[cms206]

If anyone is about in That London at a loose end tomorrow, another vintage running day.

 

[sierraman]

On 05/11/2023 at 19:39, Inspector Morose said:

My first punt on a Titan, back in 1994. Westlink was still owned by West Midlands at the time and sent one up for the Acocks Green running day. I had officially left WMT a week or so earlier but as the person organising the service (the 1 to town and back as extras to the regular service) knew me, I got dibs on piloting this in to Brum and back a couple of times.

I also managed to scrounge a drive of WDA4T to Chatsworth House for some rally or another. Both rode superbly, felt solid and were an all-around driver's machine (maybe apart from the heavyish steering). WDA still had a high ratio diff and had been converted to semi-auto so that was my favourite of the tiny sample that I've driven.

Why did those London Titans have black and white plates? 

[Yoss]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Why did those London Titans have black and white plates? 

Because London Transport were a law unto themselves and could do whatever they wanted?

[Yoss]

5 hours ago, cms206 said:

If anyone is about in That London at a loose end tomorrow, another vintage running day.

 

I can't make that one but I've just been sent this.

Is it too far in advance to know if you'll be down here that day? Could you volunteer to drive on the 62? I'd love to drive an RT. The pre select seems like a good idea even if it seems a bit counter intuitive at first.

[cms206]

50 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I can't make that one but I've just been sent this.

Is it too far in advance to know if you'll be down here that day? Could you volunteer to drive on the 62? I'd love to drive an RT. The pre select seems like a good idea even if it seems a bit counter intuitive at first.

Just now I'm not sure! I should be in Glasgow (not best pleased... though as the comment on the screen grab is me, that may have been noticed!!) but my London schedule has shunted forward a week after new year so god only knows...

If I'm at home I'm planning to take the Friday/Saturday off and travel down for it.

Sadly I don't think us plebs'll be trusted with an RT, would assume the museum will use their own drivers.