The Big Ben Tour Bus Draws International Attention
This October, Sault Ste. Marie received two very special international visitors – not for the Agawa Canyon, not for hiking, and not for fall colours.
They came for a bus.
Not just any bus, of course. Our proudly restored Big Ben Bus has caught the attention of bus spotters around the world… and two of them decided it was finally time to see her in person.
So, meet the gentlemen who crossed the Atlantic for the love of transit: Nigel John Eadon-Clarke from southeast London and Stephen Day from Brighton. Both retired, both endlessly friendly – and both extremely enthusiastic about buses. (This will become obvious almost immediately.)
To get the full story, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie joined them for a ride.
“Bus spotting is obviously a niche hobby…”
“Bus spotting is obviously a niche hobby…”
Nigel: “No, not in the UK – there are thousands of us!”
We learned very quickly that calling bus spotting “niche” is a rookie mistake.
According to Nigel and Stephen, bus enthusiasts can be found all over the UK, from London to Liverpool – taking photos, swapping stories, and yes, occasionally flying across the ocean to find rare buses.
Stephen estimates the community reaches “tens of thousands.” Not as big as trains or planes, he admits, but impressive enough to justify its own global grapevine.
How It All Started
Nigel’s passion began in 1967 through his school’s Transport Society – although the others were more into steam engines.
“I never got very interested in trains,” he says. “Standing on a cold platform waiting for one is not exciting. But with buses, you can go places and see different things.”
That curiosity eventually took him around the world: China, Hong Kong, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, New York – all to photograph London buses abroad.
Stephen’s story starts even earlier. His grandfather was a bus conductor, and young Stephen spent school summer holidays riding 30-mile routes with him.
“It was a whole new world to me, and that was what started the bug” he says.
Over the last decade, he’s photographed buses across the UK, Ireland, Europe – and now Canada.
“The colours, the shapes, the challenge of getting the perfect photo… it all stuck.”
So how did they hear about our Big Ben Bus?
Turns out Sault Ste. Marie has been on the international bus-spotting radar for years.
A Toronto-based enthusiast, Paul Bateson, publishes British Buses Abroad, a magazine for people who can tell you where every exported London bus ended up. (Yes – every one.)
Paul knew our Big Ben Bus came to Canada in 1989, ran tours in the Soo, eventually ended up in a scrapyard, and then – crucially – was spotted on Facebook being pulled out and renovated.
Nigel and Stephen have been watching the story unfold ever since.
Nigel: “We’ve been waiting three years to find out when it would be back on the road.”
When 2025 rolled around, Nigel decided he wasn’t missing it again.
“I wanted to see it 25 years ago, but missed my chance. When I heard it was restored, I thought – this is it.”
A crash course in Big Ben Bus history (told by two men who know every detail)
Here is what we learned on our ride:
- She was built in June 1973.
- Her chassis is a Daimler Fleetline, made by a company owned by Jaguar.
- The bodywork came from Park Royal in London.
- She entered service in July 1973 as MLK 684L.
- She served London until 1983, then worked in film production, and finally came to Canada in 1989 for Hiawathaland Tours.
Stephen and Nigel know this the way some people know sports stats.
What do the experts think of the restoration?
Nigel: “They’ve done a good job! The seats are very nice, the outside is eye-catching, and the engine sticking out the back makes it unique. There’s nothing else like it.”
They also shared a few fun quirks:
- Many people think the bus looks like it’s going backwards and this is because London buses moved their engines to the back in the 1960s when one-person operation became standard.
- London’s version had extra safety features (like interlocks that prevented movement if the doors were open) – which made them safe, but sometimes… temperamental.
- In the 1970s, UK labour shortages and supply issues meant these buses didn’t always get the spare parts they needed.
As Stephen put it:
“It eventually ran better in Hong Kong than it ran in London.”
And yes – Hong Kong bought 342 of them after London Transport decided to part ways with this particular model.
Where else are they looking for buses in Canada?
These two don’t waste a minute.
On their way to Sault Ste. Marie, they stopped in Beaverton and Deep River to photograph old London buses turned into food trucks. After their visit here, they’re heading to Penetanguishene and Sauble Beach where two more buses are slinging snacks.
“There are more in Canada than you realize,” Stephen says.
“But most don’t move. That’s what makes the Sault’s bus special.”
Their tour ends in Halifax, where a fleet of vintage London buses still carries cruise visitors.
A memorable stop in the Soo
For Nigel and Stephen, finally seeing the Big Ben Bus wasn’t just a sightseeing stop – it was a once-in-a-lifetime checkmark on a decades-long passion project.
And for us?
It’s not every day Sault Ste. Marie welcomes international bus royalty.
The Big Ben Bus is back on the road – restored, admired, and now officially the star of a transatlantic pilgrimage.
If you’d like to experience the ride these superfans flew 5,500 km for… you don’t even need a passport. Visit the Big Ben Tour Bus website for details!
