RML 2302 was delivered to London Transport's Aldenham Works in September 1965. She is one of the longer Routemasters – 30 feet long, with 72 seats. Her first base was Reigate Garage in Surrey but she was soon transferred to Godstone Garage where she worked alongside green Country Area buses on Routes 409, 410 and 411.
In December 1965 she was moved back into London to be based at Stamford Hill Garage where she operated on Route 67. In July 1967 she transferred to Highgate Garage to work Route 271. She was overhauled at Aldenham Works in April 1968 and in 1971 she moved to Muswell Hill Garage where she worked on Route 43.
In October 1972 she returned to Aldenham to be repainted with an all-over advertisement for the Evening News. This colour scheme was notable for being the first to be designed by a member of the public. Whilst wearing this livery she worked from Upton Park Garage before moving in January 1973 to Chalk Farm Garage, where she worked Route 2, and then to Putney Garage. In November 1973 she was repainted back to red and by 1975 she had moved yet again, this time to Stockwell Garage, before a further overhaul.
In 1991 her AEC engine was replaced by a Cummins C Series. In 1994 she travelled north to the workshops of South Yorkshire Transport in Rotherham where she underwent extensive refurbishment and modernisation at a cost of £20,000. Later in 1994 London Transport was privatised and 2302 passed into the ownership of London Central Bus Company of Warner Road, Camberwell, South London (part of the Go Ahead Group), moving to New Cross Garage to operate on Route 36. In 1995 she transferred to her final garage at Camberwell where she worked on Route 12 for the next nine years.
On 5th November 2004 RML 2302 worked some of the very last crew-operated services on Route 12 before retiring from service. The next day articulated Mercedes Citaro bendibuses took over operation of a shortened Route 12.
2302 was bought by Ensignbus of Purfleet, Essex who sold her to Brian and Diane Jennings, the present owners, on 5th December 2004. 32 buses were sold to preservationists from all around the country on the same day. On the journey back to Northallerton, North Yorkshire (where she is now based) she reached the highest speed of any of the buses (46 mph), gaining her the nickname “The Rocket” !