Routemasters in Vancouver (aka My Summer Job!)

In this post, I will post a few pictures of the shorter RM and the longer RML-class routemasters recently imported to run in beautiful Vancouver! As a student, I was very fortunate to have received a summer job opportunity to train and become a bus operator, for the first time in my life! I worked with Gray Line "Big Pink Sightseeing" for the past summer from May to September, and in the process realized one of the many childhood dreams I've envisioned as a transit enthusiast: driving the iconic Routemaster! Just as I originally anticipated, these buses are fun to operate: clumsy and heavy, smoky, LOUD, "*very* old-school" is perhaps the easiest way to sum it all up! There are 2 RMs and 2 RMLs operating in Vancouver for Gray Line, seasonal "hop-on-hop-off" sightseeing services during summer months only (between May and September). The RM-class routemasters originally ran in Niagara Falls as sightseeing buses, while the RMLs (RML 2466 and RML 2564) were imported from Ensignbus back in December 2010? (If anyone knows more on the background stories of these two RMLs, or have photos from their original days in London, please do share!)  Anyway, I'll save the speech and let us get straight to business..........photography becomes MUCH easier when you are playing both roles of the photographer and the driver at the same time!

Gastown:


Robson Street:


Chinatown / "Millennium Gate"


Stanley Park:


Stanley Park (Rose Garden)


And the remaining photos were taken with my iPhone:

Behind the wheel..........


RML + RM!


and one last photo..........


A friend of mine came for a ride with me one day, and recorded this video onboard RML2564:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E8wqtgse4E

Here's the entire collection of all photos that I took over the course of 4 months:

http://www.trans-continental.ca/coaches/BigPinkSightseeing/

Not sure if anyone's planning to visit Vancouver in summer 2012..........but in case you do and you would like to photograph + ride a Routemaster in Vancouver, feel free to give me a shout before you come by and visit! PM for more details =) On an off-topic note: I recall running into a bus fan from HK at Canada Place back in July I believe.....in case you are a member on this board, please allow me to apologize for not having been able to do more in accommodating, for I was in a hurry to leave for a charter on that day!

Enjoy!

Dave

[ 本帖最後由 NewFlyer 於 2011-12-8 19:16 編輯 ]

so u did drive the bus?
must be a valuable experience to operate a bus company ..
what is your major of study?