A look at London Buses and a review of the latest one
Posted by Huw,
Considering that LEGO is a Danish company, models of London buses have arrived with surprising frequency, with six large-scale versions released over the years, and a multitude of miniature ones appearing in models of London landmarks.
The latest one, 40953 London Bus, will turn up next week.
Summary
40953 London Bus, 245 pieces.
£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 7.3p, 8.2c, 8.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The latest in a long line of models of Routemasters is the best small-scale version yet
- A better souvenir of a visit to the UK's capital than the tat they sell on Oxford Street
- Incorrect window:pillar ratio
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
313 London Bus (1966)
The first one was released not long after LEGO started making sets with instructions.
I presume that red windows had not yet been 'invented' in 1966 but, nevertheless, it's a remarkably accurate representation given the limited parts available at the time. It helped, of course, that the real vehicle is very boxy!
If you have one in your collection, I suspect the grey rubber tyres have perished by now.
384 London Bus (1973)
With arch bricks over the wheels, red windows, and stickers providing details on the front, this version from 1973 still looks pretty good by today's standards.
It was released two years later in North America as 760 London Bus.
3300006 London Bus (2011)
You wait ages for a bus to come -- as the British idiom begins -- in this case it was 38 years before the next one was released, but it was only a very limited release, available for a short time when the capital's first brand store opened at the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush in February 2011.
40220 London Bus (2016)
This one started life as a gift with purchase before being sold in British brand stores and latterly at LEGO.com.
Launched in 2016 and retired at the end of last year, it had a shelf life of over nine years, which is a long time for a set like this.
Being 4-wide, it's much smaller than 313 London Bus and 384 London Bus and, while it has benefited from the use of curved pieces on the roof and more modern wheel arches, its windows let it down somewhat: the ratio between window and pillar is not right at all.
10258 London Bus (2017)
The definitive version of the classic Routemaster vehicle is, of course, the 1,686 piece Creator Expert model from 2017.
However, it is not without its flaws, and one that sticks out straight away when viewing the picture here is the uneven size of the windows.
CapnRex101 wrote a rather nice review of it back when it was launched, which was initially in the London brand stores, before becoming more widely available elsewhere.
40953 London Bus (2026)
The latest iteration of the bus, some of which can still be seen on London's streets being used as tourist buses, will be released next week.
Quick look: 40953 London Bus
Like the early models, this one is 6-wide which has enabled the designer to model the iconic front of the vehicle better than was possible on the 4-wide versions.
Unfortunately, though, the windows still suffer from the incorrect window:window pillar ratio. I guess a SNOT solution, with bricks used on their sides and plates between them, was not possible on a model of this scale, so it was probably the best that could be done without resorting to printing pillars on transparent bricks.
Two different stickers adorn the advertising panels, one stating 'I Love London' and the other showing various landmarks and the union flag.
The bus is a number 24 which runs from Hampstead Heath to Pimlico. It does pass through Leicester Square, but it would display the destination on the bus' panels, not the location of the flagship LEGO store!
Presumably the registration plate, 40 953 LB, which follows no British standard, contains the initials of the set's designer as well as the set's number.
Interestingly, it's the the oldest unchanged bus route in London. [1]
The top deck can be removed but, other than stairs at the back, there are no other details inside.
Overall, it's a bit boxy and not up to Speed Champions standards, but it is a nice enough model that will make a good souvenir of a visit to the UK capital, even if it's going to be available without actually going there.
96 likes
49 comments on this article
Lost opportunity for Lego to have a go at producing a New Routemaster!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Routemaster
Never mind. Maybe next time (in another ten years)
I think 1973 is still the best (after the Creator Expert, of course). And CapnRex's review was indeed rather nice. I still remember the bit about the gum under the seat!
wow it looks almost, but not quite, nothing like a Routemaster!
Dare I say I prefer both the 1973 and also the 2016 version over this? It looks so solid, like a bunker on wheels. Not very inviting for passengers...
I have 384/760-2 but... STAMP galore!
I prefer the 2016 and 2017 versions, both of which I have. The box for the latter is a bit damaged from damp in the previous move, but intact.
40220 still on sale at Leicester Square yesterday at £6.79
The 2016 version is perfect for tourists to buy. It's small enough to carry in luggage, doesn't take up much space in your shelf, is similar in size to the postcard sets and even those unfamiliar with Lego will be able to assemble it quickly. It's no wonder it lasted 9 years.
This has a steering wheel, and a nice tall hollow interior. @Huw, can you please post a picture of how it looks with a few minifigs inside?
The 2016 one is a classic IMHO. That said, I'll be picking the new one up as the daughter loves a Routemaster, and this might get me my Knight bus back!
On another note - any update on the Amazon price tracker? I miss it!
@danishbricklayer said:
"The 2016 one is a classic IMHO. That said, I'll be picking the new one up as the daughter loves a Routemaster, and this might get me my Knight bus back!
On another note - any update on the Amazon price tracker? I miss it!"
Still working on .co.uk.
We got the same number of knight busses in less time
I've got 313 with perfect condition tyres, but also several rock hard and/or cracked tyres. Not sure if the condition depends more on how they've been kept for the last 60 years or the factory that originally made them.
I can't really see much point in 40220 being replaced with 40953... not bad but not really an improvement. A sound-brick might have been nice to recreate the distinctive London bus sound.
A 1960s/70s London Taxi would also be good!
You know, I think I would read the LEGO Times daily.
I would be down for a Speed Champions London bus set.
@Huw said:
" @danishbricklayer said:
"The 2016 one is a classic IMHO. That said, I'll be picking the new one up as the daughter loves a Routemaster, and this might get me my Knight bus back!
On another note - any update on the Amazon price tracker? I miss it!"
Still working on .co.uk."
Not to hijack this review, but it is not working on .com - no discounts at Amazon.ca nor are my watched sets appearing when discounted.
My brother had 760, I got two copies of 40220 and one copy of 10258, but while I watched the closing ceremonies to the 2012 London Olympics, I designed a minifig-scale, 8-wide Routemaster that's around 500pcs. The hardest part of designing it was actually finding a reference photo that allowed me to match the left and right window patterns, because not all of the windows are designed to open. Every tourist takes _one_ picture, so I could identify two distinct window patterns for each side, but I wasn't able to match them in pairs until I found a single photo taken down the length of the upper deck.
@Crux said:
"You know, I think I would read the LEGO Times daily."
If you’re on here, you pretty much are!
@Maxbricks14 said:
"I would be down for a Speed Champions London bus set."
I wouldn't mind an 'Everyday Champions subtheme, non race/hypercars, ambulances, busses, police car...Herbie, KITT, cars that don't scream speed, but are useful, memorable...
@Modeltrainman said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"I would be down for a Speed Champions London bus set."
I wouldn't mind an 'Everyday Champions subtheme, non race/hypercars, ambulances, busses, police car...Herbie, KITT, cars that don't scream speed, but are useful, memorable..."
Two out of three ain't bad. How about a Yugo? And I really don't think you can group either Herbie or KITT in "cars that don't scream speed". I'm pretty sure both of them used footage that was sped up to make them appear even faster than they were capable of going in real life.
I already have 40220 (and 853914), but I'm planning to get this one, too.
384/760 is still The One imho
You wait 50 years for a bus review, and then 7 of them all come along at once.
Huw, It is Hampstead not Hamstead (no, there isn't an american spelling....)
@Maxbricks14 said:
"I would be down for a Speed Champions London bus set."
It would just be a 'Champions' set . . . 'Speed' doesn't really apply in London traffic.
@jpmeier said:
" @Huw said:
" @danishbricklayer said:
"The 2016 one is a classic IMHO. That said, I'll be picking the new one up as the daughter loves a Routemaster, and this might get me my Knight bus back!
On another note - any update on the Amazon price tracker? I miss it!"
Still working on .co.uk."
Not to hijack this review, but it is not working on .com - no discounts at Amazon.ca nor are my watched sets appearing when discounted.
"
https://brickset.com/news/category-Amazon-com-watch
.ca is not working yet.
No bendy buses?
I'm sorry, this bus is full right up.......Git orf!
There's another one behind, another behind
Who'll happily transport you to the place you have in mind
I've fourteen standing down below and upstairs even more
If anybody else goes up there, they'll all be through the floor
I prefer the 1973 and 2016 versions.
The new one looks more like a block of flats on wheels to me.
I think the adverts look too short. If they were a bit longer they might have disguised the overall slab like look a bit.
Also the flared wheel arches stick out like a sore thumb and look a bit silly!
Are LEGO prohibited from making a minifig-play scale version or something? It's not that much smaller than the original Knight Bus.
> Presumably the registration plate, 40 953 LB, which follows no British standard, contains the initials of the set's designer as well as the set's number.
Presumably the 'LB' stands for 'London Bus', being the name of this set?
Huw notes for 40953 that some of the classic Routemaster buses are still being used as tourist buses. Also, there are (...checking...) at least three companies which have repurposed them for wedding transport and other promotional event hires. I encountered that on a holiday to London last year; IIRC, that particular vehicle had been repainted away from the iconic red (bit of a surprise).
@dcs34 said:
"> Presumably the registration plate, 40 953 LB, which follows no British standard, contains the initials of the set's designer as well as the set's number.
Presumably the 'LB' stands for 'London Bus', being the name of this set?"
That was my interpretation as well. Unless they're going to do a metric one of 18 576 KG...
Regarding the issue with set 10258 having uneven windows - the longer Routemaster models, such as the RML, did indeed feature uneven windows, caused by adding a 3-foot-long section in the centre to the standard RM design.
@Lexomatic said:
"Huw notes for 40953 that some of the classic Routemaster buses are still being used as tourist buses. Also, there are (...checking...) at least three companies which have repurposed them for wedding transport and other promotional event hires. I encountered that on a holiday to London last year; IIRC, that particular vehicle had been repainted away from the iconic red (bit of a surprise)."
When I designed my MOC, there were two routes that ran partial service (i.e. only for a select portion of the route) during daytime hours with the vintage Routemasters. I made mine Route 9 because I only had room for a single-digit number, and a few years later I learned that the double-digit route was no longer operating the vintage ones at all.
@mdtvandy said:
"Are LEGO prohibited from making a minifig-play scale version or something? It's not that much smaller than the original Knight Bus. "
Could be that they just don't see much desire for a classic Routemaster in minifig scale. They did 60407 a couple of years ago, though.
@J0rgen said:
"I think 1973 is still the best"
Agreed!
@mdtvandy said:
"Are LEGO prohibited from making a minifig-play scale version or something? It's not that much smaller than the original Knight Bus. "
Now that you mention it, it does seem surprising that they didn’t take this opportunity to build a minifig scale one.
Presumably someone decided that it would be too expensive for the impulse purchasers at Leicester Square, who surely kept the previous model in print for 9 years.
This was a great overview of all the versions, really enjoyed seeing the history of them.
@stefwaffles said:
" @mdtvandy said:
"Are LEGO prohibited from making a minifig-play scale version or something? It's not that much smaller than the original Knight Bus. "
Now that you mention it, it does seem surprising that they didn’t take this opportunity to build a minifig scale one.
Presumably someone decided that it would be too expensive for the impulse purchasers at Leicester Square, who surely kept the previous model in print for 9 years.
This was a great overview of all the versions, really enjoyed seeing the history of them."
Mine is over 500pcs, which would translate to about $50, or I’m guessing somewhere between £40-45? A bit more than impulse-range, I’m thinking, but I’m sure there would still be a market for it. It’s not a super complicated SNOT-ball, like a lot of my cars, either, so I don’t see them being able to significantly reduce the cost without making it ridiculously undersized. 8-wide is the minimum size needed to cram in two seats with an aisle down the center, and even then many of the seats won’t accommodate minifigs at all because their shoulders would hit the window pillars.
And there’s another weird issue I ran into when I actually got around to building it. The pole going up the spiral staircase in the rear is a single piece of yellow flex-tube, and to keep it straight it has to connect to the main deck, the upper deck, and the roof with clips. The result is a bus that’s designed to separate cleanly into the two decks and the roof for access to all the minifigs, but it’s impractical to do so because of how fussy it is to get the pole reattached in all three places. Also, the driver doesn’t have any legs. And I’m currently using a 2x2 round tile with film reel print for the steering wheel, but I need to see if I can sub in one of the fancy mag wheel hubcaps they’ve come out with since 2012.
But yeah, I don’t think the tourist market is going to be put off by this not being a minifig-compatible set, if all they’re going to do is build it and stick it with a bunch of other souvenirs.
Oh, and I forgot the minifigs! Mine has 18.5 minifigs and a horse inside, so probably closer to $100.
@Huw said:
" @danishbricklayer said:
"The 2016 one is a classic IMHO. That said, I'll be picking the new one up as the daughter loves a Routemaster, and this might get me my Knight bus back!
On another note - any update on the Amazon price tracker? I miss it!"
Still working on .co.uk."
Thanks very much - it seems to be working here now!
@PurpleDave said:
"Also, the driver doesn’t have any legs."
o_o Yeah, I can’t really see Lego emulating that particular design choice!
@stefwaffles said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Also, the driver doesn’t have any legs."
o_o Yeah, I can’t really see Lego emulating that particular design choice!"
Maybe they could bring back the old Racers fig body, as was used in https://brickset.com/minifigs/rac079 and other figures?
@TheOtherMike said:
" @stefwaffles said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Also, the driver doesn’t have any legs."
o_o Yeah, I can’t really see Lego emulating that particular design choice!"
Maybe they could bring back the old Racers fig body, as was used in https://brickset.com/minifigs/rac079 and other figures?"
I don't know that it would work. The specific problem I had was that the bus is 8-wide, and then the cab ends up being basically 4x4, with a 2x2 socket for the driver to sit in. That's fine, a minifig can sit in that because the windows create a wider space for the arms to fit. Except I also wanted that steering wheel, and there was no place to mount one, anywhere. The only way I could make that work was to swap out the driver's legs for a 1x2-1x2 up bracket, with a 1x2 plate on the front, and a 2x2 printed round tile on that. This presses up against the front of the socket, with the print facing forward, and kinda looks like a steering wheel. Again, I need to see if I can sub in a mag wheel hubcap now, as a white steering wheel looks odd on a Routemaster.
I was pleased to see parts of 2016 version in a second hand lot. I've visited London over 40 years ago and had nothing to show for it. Now I keep it built on my display.
Not a dedicated set, but there's a London bus in 10214 . A little bit smaller than others shown here though..
That window ratio is really off-putting but until i can satisfy my 10258 itch (as i tried with 40220 and 76446) I'll probably get at some point, being the predictable Londoner that i am.
@RikTheVeggie said:
"Not a dedicated set, but there's a London bus in 10214 . A little bit smaller than others shown here though.. "
If you go down the "Routemaster" tag (https://brickset.com/sets/tag-Routemaster), there are several sets not shown here. This article is concerned only with sets that *only* depict the bus. That said, they did leave out 853914.