New Routemaster: Liveries and identifying marks

Liveries and identifying marks of the New Routemaster bus.

Liveries & livery markings

Like most other TfL contracted service buses, NBFL's must be painted red all-over. The only logos allowed are the London Bus Services white 'Buses' roundel on both sides, in the lower portion, between the wheels, and the operator logos (see below). An early exception to the all-over red is a special silver livery applied to LT150, celebrating the Year of the Bus, which also saw some red buses receive the special YOTB roundel. Subsequently, some buses have appeared in all-over advert schemes.

Standard red livery

• 
  Standard London livery (offside) on LT91
• 
  Standard London livery (nearside) on LT89

Non-red buses

LT150 in silver

• 
  LT150 nearside
• 
  LT150 offside
• 
  LT150 front

Roundels

• 
  Standard TfL Buses roundel
  (unknown)
• 
  Year of the Bus roundel
  LT43

Hybrid mark

In common with other early hybrid buses in London, the first NBFL's wear the green hybrid mark, applied on either side just behind the front wheelarch. It was only applied to buses in the series LT1 to LT40 (i.e. the prototyes & route 24 batch), later deliveries don't have it. The NBFL is a series type hybrid, meaning only the traction motor drives the wheels, connected directly to the rear differential. The motor is powered by the battery pack, which is charged by the diesel engine (acting as a generator), and through regenerative braking.

• Engine: 4.5 litre 185kW Cummins ISBe 4 cylinder in-line diesel
• Battery pack: 75kWh lithium ion
• Traction motor: Siemens AC, 174bhp; 1844lb ft

• 
  unknown

Hybrid cleaner air mark

In common with other London buses, at some point during 2014, a new mark for hybrid buses emerged, being applied to some NBFLs after they entered service. This mark is also applied on either side, but appears further toward the rear, just in front of the rear wheel arch. It comprises a green graphic leaf device, and some white wording - 'Hybrid Cleaner Air For London' (with 'Cleaner Air' in larger font than the rest). The same device is also used on purely electric buses, with 'Hybrid' substituted for 'Electric' (c.f. the EB class)

• 
  LT80 in United livery, with no mark (29 October 2013)
• 
  LT80 in United livery, with the clean air mark (9 February 2014)
• 
  LT30 (13 October 2013)

Operator logos

Unlike most other TfL contracted route buses, the operator logo only appears on the sides and only in one place - between the decks at the front. By law, the company name and address of the operator is written at the bottom of the nearside.

• 
  Arriva logo (LT1)
• 
  Go-Ahead (London General) logo (LT57)
• 
  Metroline logo with coloured strapline (LT14), used on route 24 batch
• 
  Metroline logo with white strapline (LT110), used on route 390 batch
• 
  London United logo (LT70)

Manufacturer/model markings

Manufacturer marks

Unusually for a UK bus, neither Heatherwick Studios and Wrightbus are represented on the exterior by way of badges/logos/insignia, and neither is the model name (they are however represented internally, see below). The only exterior marque is a simple solid silver coloured badge on the front below the windscreen, in the shape of the TfL/London Buses roundel.

• 
  Silver roundel on LT20

Model badge

While not represented externally, the model name "New Bus for London" plus the name of all the project partners are given on an internal plate, mouted in the rear staircase on the back of the rear destination display.

• 
  LT1
• 
  LT7
• 
  LT150

Individual vehicle identification

Fleetnumbers

Presumably because they are leased, all New Routemasters in London service are assigned fleet numbers in a uniform series, regardless of operator. Unlike most other TfL contracted route buses, the fleetnumber only appears in one place - underneath the operator logo (on both sides) - see #Operator marks. Designated the LT class, buses are numbered sequentially in the format LTx, where x is a number starting from 1 (the design mock-up used a one off fleetnumber of MN0123). The series covers all buses - it began at LT1 (through to LT8) for the batch of eight pre-production prototypes, then continued from LT9 once the production buses started being manufactured, and has subsequently included the later Euro VI prototypes. The numbering of the fleet is as follows:

Caption key:

• Date/s of registration
• Fleetnumber range & total buses (in brackets)
• Initial allocation^{Note A}

• 
  LT1 to LT8 (8)
  2012
  Pre-production buses for route 38 trials (Arriva)
• 
  LT9 to LT40 (32)
  2013 (Apr/Jun)
  Production buses for route 24 (Metroline)
• 
  LT41 to LT68 (28)
  2013 (Aug)
  Production buses for route 11 (Go-Ahead)
• 
  LT69 to LT94 (26)
  2013 (Oct)
  Production buses for route 9 (United)
• 
  LT95 to LT117 (23)
  2013 (Dec)
  Production buses for route 390 (Metroline)
• 
  LT118 (1)
  2013 (Dec)
  Replacement for accident damaged LT62 (Go-Ahead)
• 
  LT119 (1)
  2013 (Dec)
  Additional bus for Go-Ahead
• 
  LT120 to LT147 (28)
  2013 (Dec)
  Production buses for route 148 (United)
• 
  LT148 to LT171 (24)
  2013/4 (Dec-Feb)
  Production buses for route 10 (United)^{Note B}
• 
  LT172 (1)
  2014
  Euro 6 prototype (Arriva)
• 
  LT173 (1)
  2014
  Euro 6 prototype (Arriva)
• 
  LT174 to LT175 (2)
  2014 (Apr)
  The remainder for route 10 (United)
• 
  LT176 to LT187 (12)
  2014 (Mar/Apr)
  Production buses for route 38/N38 (Arriva)
• 
  LT188 (1)
  2014
  Euro 6 prototype (Arriva)
• 
  LT189 (1)
  2014 (Jul)
  Euro 6 prototype (Go-Ahead)
• 
  LT190 (1)
  2014 (Jul)
  Euro 6 prototype (Metroline)
• 
  LT191 to LT238 (48)
  2014 (Mar-May)
  The remainder for route 38/N38 (Arriva)
• 
  LT239 to LT272 (34)
  2014 (May/Jun)
  Production buses for route 8/N8 (Stagecoach)

• Note A - while the delivery schedule generally followed the progress of route conversion, since day to day use of the buses is down to the operator, as individual operators gain more than one route it will not be unusual for individual buses to appear on routes other than their initial allocation. However, their allocated operator is unlikely to change (at least in large numbers) until the route contracts are re-tendered, and presumably then only if the route changes operator

• 
  LT10, originally delivered for route 24, seen operating route 390 on its first day of operation

• Note B - Route 10 batch bus LT150 entered service early as the silver launch bus for the Year of the Bus. After the launch it was then used on route 9, before transferring to route 10 once that was converted.

Registration plates

The first 900 members of the NBFL fleet carry registration plates of LTZ 1xxx, where xxx is the numerical part of the fleetnumber, with leading zeros (e.g., LT1 is LTZ 1001). The last hundred have been allocated registrations LTZ 2101-2200, leaving LTZ 1901-2100 vacant. TfL were given special dispensation to use this unusual format - while the Northern Irish 3 letter 4 digit format is used in Great Britain, the LTZ series was not due to be issued for another 10 years. This LTZ scheme was only adopted in 2012, after several buses were already in service. The eight pre-production prototypes (LT1-LT8) were originally allocated plates in the the post 2001 standard GB format - LJ61 CJE (worn by LT1 when first unveiled in Northern Ireland); LT61 A/B/CHT (worn by LT1/2/3); LT12 D/E/F/G/HHT (worn by LT4/5/6/7/8). Five of the eight protoypes, LT4-LT8 (the only ones still operating in London in 2013) were subsequently re-registered into the LTZ series. Additionally, four of the earliest production buses (LT9 onwards) initially wore standard plates (LK13 FJE/J/F/N, on LT10/11/12/16), but these have also since been changed. The design mock-up (MN0123) wore the fictional plate BU12 HHJ.

• 
  BU12 HHJ plate on MN0123
• 
  LT61 AHT plate on LT1 (but being driven on a dealer's plate)
• 
  LT12, still wearing LJ13 FJF on 22 September 2013
• 
  LT4, re-registered as LTZ 1004 by 4 January 2014
• 
  LTZ 1020 plate on LT20
• 
  LTZ 1111 on LT111, one of the more distinctive plates made possible under this scheme

Running numbers / depot codes

As seen on other London bus types, all the production NBFL buses (i.e. from LT9 upwards) have been fitted with the small slot holders on their bodywork needed to display running numbers. A numbered card is placed in this slot as a way for ground controllers to track which bus is operating which specific journey. There are two holders on each bus, one on the nearside directly behind the front wheel-arch (i.e. on a red background), the other on the offside directly behind the driver's side window (i.e. on a black background). For visibility, the numbers on the running cards themselves are usually white or yellow, on a black background. Unlike other London buses, the running number slots are not accompanied by a depot code (1 or 2 letters) painted in white directly onto the bodywork, next to the slot.

• 
  White "306" card in LT42's nearside slot
• 
  Yellow "41" card in LT80's nearside slot