At last some of the answers to one of the great mysteries of the age: The outgoing Routemaster bus weighs 7 tonnes and does/did 13mpg. The Johnny come later ‘Bendy Bus’ weighs in at 18 tonnes and does 4.5mpg-a mile a litre in new money. (Thank you Mr Ben Brook of the save the Routemaster campaign) Is that of any concern to the Merse I hear you whisper? Well yes; we have (NO12) Routemaster on temporary duty at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm. Permanently barred from Scotland as even at only 7 tonnes it can’t cross the Chain Bridge.
And these statistics are also helpful as easily mastered comparisons for Rural Societies like ours( now we are familiar with double decker buses) as in ‘The Slurry on Farmer O’s field weighs the same as two Routemaster buses!’ ‘ While that heap of muck on Farmer C’s field weighs slightly less than a Bendy Bus. Vivid, ain’t it.

Also useful for Pub Quizzes. What is most harmful to the environment: (a) A Bendy Bus(b) Farmer O's slurry or (C) a Routemaster Reply : A bendy Bus. Follow up expert question: What is more harmful to the environment and damaging to remaining rain forest in Berwickshire: (a) A Routemaster or (b) Farmer O's slurry. Answer (b) How do we know that-ask Mr Brook. Engines on the Routemaster, replaced only a very few years ago, conform with EU environmental standards as well as running on ultra-low sulphur diesel. No contest really.  ¶ 12:30 AM