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| Great constructions With no separate chassis |
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THE EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS Austrian Franz Reichelt made history in 1912 when he jumped to his death from the first platform of the great, steel tower wearing a parachute of his own making. If only a column of thirteen Routemasters had been nearby, he could have simply stepped across. In total, 69 Routemasters would roughly equal the height of this Parisian landmark which is 986 ft (301 metres) tall.
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA, EGYPT This mighty edifice weighs in at 5.9 million tonnes - the weight of over three-quarters of a million Routemasters. With a volume of around 92 million cubic feet (2.6 million cubic metres), it's large enough to squeeze in around 33,000 Routemasters buses (if it's walls weren't so thick). The walls lean at an angle of 51 degrees, very close to the Routemaster's maximum safe leaning angle (48 degrees). According to some observers, these angles reveal an ancient connection between the two iconic structures - but this theory has recently been discredited.
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF SHWET ASHWAS, INDIA According to the Guiness Book of Records, this impressive motorcycling stunt consisted of 151 military policemen riding 11 motorbikes for 705 ft (250 metres) - that's almost the length of 29 Routemasters end-to-end. Compare this to the acheivement of stunt motorcylist Eddie Kidd. In the spoof spy movie Top Secret! (1983), Kidd cleared 14 double-decker buses that were disguised as German coaches (see also Flea).
PALACE PIER, BRIGHTON, UK Three thousand lightbulbs illuminated this world famous pier when it opened to the public on 20 May 1899. Extended in the twentieth century, this Victorian marvel is 1722 ft (525 metres) long. That's roughly twice the average distance between bus stops in London. And it's longer than 62 Routemasters.
SAINT PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, LONDON, UK The cost of building this London monument was £738,845 - that's less than the list price of four bendy buses. The top of the dome is 365 ft (111 metres) high - taller than a column of 25 Routemasters. Sir Christopher Wren embarked on the building of this neoclassical masterpiece in 1675. Built over two centuries before the first Wembley Stadium, St Paul's is still widely used as a measure of extreme largeness. It's advantages over the Routemaster for the measurement of mountains and sea trenches is acknowledged by the authors of this site. Sadly, since decimalisation, St Paul's has been outstripped in size by larger London buildings, such as the Nat West Tower. Today, this unit has largely fallen into disuse.
PETRONAS TOWERS, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Skyscrapers - you wait for ages, then two of them come along at once. The mighty Petronas Towers are 1483 ft (452 metres) high - that's taller than a column of 101 Routemasters. Like the celebrated bus, the skybridge connecting the twin Petronas Towers is a double-decker. This construction is one of the highest bridges in the world, flying 558 ft (170 metres) above the ground. A tower of 38 Routemaster buses would just about fit under it.
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA Built by Murgal emporer Shah Janan in memory of his much lamented wife, the Taj Mahal, Agra, India, was completed in 1648, exactly 306 years before the first Routemaster. Described by some as the most beautiful building in the world, this mausoleum stands on a raised, slab that's 186ft (57 metres) square. You could park 157 Routemasters on this mighty platform. In contrast, only two buses could safely be accomodated in the Taj Mahal in Crawley, UK. This offers a varied and exciting menu, accompanied by a refreshing ambience in a contemporary and stylish environment.
WORLD'S BIGGEST PREPACKED TUNA AND CUCUMBER SANDWICH Unconfirmed reports suggest a team of sandwich makers from Marks and Spencer and McVities made a prepacked sandwich that was 7ft (approx. 2 metres) wide and 9 ft 11 in (3 metres) long. This giant snack was packed with cucumber and tuna - the 'chicken of the sea'. You could barely squeeze three of these giant, tasty treats into a Routemaster (and passengers should always refrain from eating sandwiches onboard the bus).
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Copyright Sarah Angliss, Luciana Haill and Ivan Pope 2006 |