24 - 3

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Passport to Pimlico, released1949, is a fine old British film. here is part of the "trailer":-

When an unexploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, an area of London, it reveals a treasure trove and documents proving that the region is, in fact part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. The British Government attempt to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area. The 'Burgundians' fight back.

Amongst general shots of traffic, including trams and coaches, there are various pictures of London Transport route 24.

It is one of fbb's all-time favourite films.

The only photograph indexed on-line of the bus [RM1425] parked at Saint Priest in Lyon (see "24-1" : read again) in its oirginal form shows it on Route 24.

London enthusiasts can usually trace the history of all their beloved vehicles and oner such expert has logged hundreds of Routemasters and fbb gratefully acknowledges Ian Smith's work here. See "Ian's Bus Stop (read here).

Fleet number : RM1425
Registration : 425 CLT
Body code : 8/5RM5/8
Engine : Leyland O.600

Feb 1963 delivered new, to Aldenham works
and entered service service on routes 36A/B

November 1987 withdrawn from service

August 1988 bought by "Slug & Lettuce" (London)
April 1989 transferred to
"Slug & Lettuce" (Gloucester)

There is no such watering hole in 2013 but there is one such in Cheltenham?

May 1991 sold to Allmey (Eastcote)

fbb doesn't think Allmey trades any more, but some of their vehicles are depicted on-line. This one ...

... was originally a Green Line RS coach ...

... as in Ian Smith's excellent drawing, see link to web site, above. fbb can find no record of the Routrmaster at Eastcote but very soon it was sold on and went to France.

August 1991

bought by West London Bus Preservationists

then exported to France: Fiarce, St Egreve.

Here the trail goes cold. St Égrève is a suburb of Grenoble and there is a Cyril Fiacre (NOT Fiarce) on Rue Victor Hugo in Grenoble itself. He is a dentist! Was RM 1425 bought as a mobile dental surgery? Any information would be gratefully received.

an unlikely dental surgery?
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STOP PRESS

Our ever vigilant net-surfin', lorry drivin', lip smackin', thirst quenchin', bus watchin', blog readin' David has, in part, solved the problem. It's all about the Oyster!

Read all about it (here)!

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A few more transport related snippets from the "making of" Passport to Pimlico:-

The "rebels" boarded an Underground train as customs offficers ...

... and this was the set.

The chosen site for filming, showing the bus (again) and a distinctive pub then called "The Union Flag", ...

... can still be identified today. The pub closed in 1983 and later reopened as "The Corner Cafe" ...

... at the junction of Hercules Road and Lambeth Road; which, as the film's title suggests, are not in Pimlico! That cafe has, we understand, changed its name once or twice.

Tomorrow, therefore, we begin to take a closer look at London's route 24. And the 24 then ran (and still does) to Pimlico; but not via Lambeth Road!

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 Next Bus Blog : Monday 4th March