Hemel Hempstead Running Day 2018 - Part 2

Continuation from Part 1

ROUTE 301 (BERKHAMSTED - HEMEL HEMSPSTEAD) - RT3491, LYR910

Finally, the break was over and the bus turned up from Aylesbury for the run in to Hemel.

Finally, a bus!

When it was pulling in, a passenger for the Red Rose 501 service (which starts from Aylesbury and travels through to Watford) asked where it was going and if they could use their concessionary pass on it, so I gave them the information - they seemed surprised when I told them it's free! This highlights the lack of local publicity of these events; they're always 'chock-a-block' with enthusiasts, but there are rarely any local people there and they usually have no clue what's going on! The run into Hemel Hempstead was rather pleasant, if the bus was a little busy.

The Green Duo!

When we arrived at Hemel Hempstead, RT3254 was already there and both the buses parked next to each other - perfect for photos!

ROUTE 337 (HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - DUNSTABLE) - RF406, MXX294

I'd discovered on my timetable that I could do the 'Dunstable triangle', swap buses at Dunstable (some buses ran Hemel - Dunstable - Berkhamsted and others ran Hemel - Dunstable - Hemel and met at Dunstable with a Berkhamsted - Dunstable - Berkhamsted bus if that makes sense. Mine was the latter of the two), and not repeat the 301 back from Berkhamsted - a 312 back to Hemel was due out as the 352 arrived.

Red shouldn't be here!

So I hopped on RF406, which was on the 337 and would allow me to do the first part of the 'Dunstable Triangle'. The ride was fantastic. We had a photo stop in the village of Studham which, although there were some nice floral arrangements, was fairly unremarkable. Before we reached there, we met RF600 heading back into town, also working a 337 but minus its front panel - this bus is clearly very prone to overheating! It was quite a while until we reached the spectacular Dunstable Downs, which has views over a very pleasant area.

What a view!

It was then quite a shock when the bus arrived into Dunstable from the beautiful views like that...

ROUTE 352 (DUNSTABLE - BERKHAMSTED) - RF308, NLE527

It was time for a colour change.

Red to Green!

Oh, and I changed routes too. I had been recommended the 337 and it lived up to my expectations, but the 352 met and exceeded them! The driver was so fast and we were bounding through the country lanes with fantastic scenery on a brilliant bus. 10/10 - would ride again! We whizzed through Ashridge and Whipsnade before arriving at Berkhamsted incredibly early. It was a fabulous run, but it was now time to do something undoubtedly less spectacular.

ROUTE 312 (BERKHAMSTED - HEMEL HEMPSTEAD) - RM2116, CUV116C

 I ended up sitting on RM2116 waiting to leave for almost 10 minutes! When we finally did set off, I discovered that I was one of the very few people on the bus who had 2 seats to themselves - did I smell or something?

Waiting... Waiting... Waiting to head back... and still waiting...

It was a comparatively boring run, but still quite nice. We ran out from the Station and turned left into the High Street, where we took the main road (along with the 301) into Hemel Hempstead, only deviating slightly towards the end to serve Two Waters. Along the way, we met an Arriva E400 MMC displaying the new logo on its LEDs and also BN45 running to Watford Junction on a 318 via Sarratt; I did get photos of both, but the person in front of me had a highly reflective red and white striped top on! Then it was time to go along the road and swing back into the bus station.

ROUTE 302 (HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - WATFORD JUNCTION) - MB90, SMM90F

MB90 caught my eye as it was pulling up to the bus stop. I took a quick look at the departures in the programme to confirm that this particular 302 to Watford Junction would connect with a different service at the terminus and, sure enough, it would!

Quick bus, quick route!

The 302 was one of around 4 buses during the day that would take the direct route to Watford and, sure enough, we got up to some quite substantial speed en-route. The journey was over in a flash and I'd clearly chosen the right seat; all the windows were open so I got a lovely draught! As ever, the bus performed flawlessly. We'd left Hemel much later than the 318 and 347 that we were timed to meet at Watford, yet they weren't there yet...

ROUTE 318 (WATFORD JUNCTION - HEMEL HEMPSTEAD via Sarratt) - BN45, GPD313N

The 347 takes an almost direct route to the East of the main road, while the 318 wiggles around country lanes to the West. Which one would I take? Well, it's obvious - I love twisty routes, even if the journey time is almost an hour!

A Watford Bristol!

RT604 had already arrived on the 347 from Hemel Hempstead and many passengers transferred to the MB on the direct 302 back. We set off between the other 2 buses with around 15 passengers including the driver and conductor - the BN can seat almost 30. This gives an idea of the sort of loadings achieved at this running day which, although excellent, was spoiled slightly by the intense heat. I was reliably informed that this was one of the rare times that the whole 318 had been recreated, as other running days saw it terminating at Sarratt (not continuing to Watford). The villages were lovely and quaint and the BN rumbled through without hesitation. We had to stop on a few occasions to allow vehicles to pass on the narrow country lanes, but other than that nothing hindered our progress and we made it to Hemel Hempstead Station for the run to the Bus Station, where we arrived almost on time!

BREAK

A quick glance over the timetable revealed no journeys leaving and returning in time for my return feeder, so it was time for a quick trip to the pub for a (non-alcoholic) drink! Along the way, an MMC and a Dart passed me in the High Street and I got back to the Bus Station just in time to see all the feeders returning; RF600 wouldn't leave until after most of the others.

RT604 returning on the indirect 725 to Croydon via South West London

A lineup to be proud of! RF406, T792, BN45 and GS13 stand at Hemel Bus Station. The BN is about to work the 307 feeder to Luton.

GS13 stands behind RT3254 having completed its final 317A run of the day. The RT is about to return to Harlow as a 724.

RETURN FEEDER - RF600, NLE600

Then, RF600 started its engine and pulled up to the stand.

The quick(er) way to Croydon!

The journey back to Central London took quite a while due to the traffic. I chose to alight at Victoria instead of Marble Arch due to the heat and my reluctance to travel on the Central Line. It was then a rather simple trip back home

Thanks to Amersham & District for organising such a brilliant event - a great time was had by all.

Happy Travelling!

Hemel Hempstead Running Day 2018 - Part 1

I've decided to write this post in a few separate parts, as the others seem to have been very long...

On 8th July 2018, I took the trip to Hemel Hempstead for the first time to the Amersham & District Running Day.

Travelling to Hemel Hempstead

Usually, the main part of the travel to these events is by feeder service and today was going to be no different. RF600 (yes, the same bus I'd got for 4 hours the weekend before) was operating a 708 feeder from Croydon via Central London. Normally my boarding point is Croydon, but I decided to splash out and travel through from Marble Arch to the event. My first method of transport was the bus to the station, then the c2c through to Fenchurch Street before walking to Bank and hopping on the Central Line as far as Marble Arch. From there, I had to find the seemingly elusive stop '14A', which didn't exist - the RF pulled up around 10 minutes late and the driver was similarly bemused by the lack of stop, so pulled up to the last one in the row.

We meet again...

I was greeted again by the friendly driver (and part-owner) of the vehicle and settled down into my seat before we left for the hour and a half trip through to the running day in Hemel Hempstead. As with last week, it was a pleasant ride and there was also a similar 'mishap' - the bus overheated again on the third sweltering weekend in a row, but we were soon on our way. RT604 ran the other feeder from Croydon round South West London and we were chasing it all the way to the old (now disused) bus station, where the event was based for the day.

The main focus for the event, Green RTs, parked in the bus station

The running day

ROUTE 317A (HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - BERKHAMSTEAD) - GS13, MMX313

My plan to travel to Berkhamsted on the 312 then take the 301 to Tring so that I could make one of the few morning 387 journeys was already scuppered, as the 301 that would take me wasn't running! A GS pilled up working the 317A towards Berkhamsted, but I was going to stay there and replan... Or was I? The conductor made 'last calls' and there were (surprisingly) still a few seats left, so I took one for the scenic 317A trip through the countryside. The crash gearbox certainly looked fun to drive with! Although it was a little jerky, the ride was absolutely fantastic and we even got a photo stop in the very picturesque village of Little Gaddesden.

Timeless scene!

There was very little traffic and, as you can see, the photographs that we captured could've been in the '60s! On the way through Northchurch, we met T792 coming the other way on a 352 towards Dunstable. It was a very pleasant ride, apart from the speed bumps towards the end - the 317A serves a housing estate on the way into Berkhamsted and doesn't serve the High Street, but only the Station.

Time to run...

I alighted at the station and walked as quickly as possible towards the NatWest bus stop for RT604 towards Aylesbury; I knew I could still make one of the 387 journeys if I caught this particular trip...

LUNCH BREAK

As you can guess by the title, I didn't make the RT heading up to Aylesbury. I did see one going in the other direction, but I hoped that RT604 would arrive soon.

Why did I let you go?

However, having enquired with another running day passenger, I discovered that the RT in question had left a few minutes early and so I decided to catch the next bus back towards Hemel Hempstead.

Different routing on the return trip

It turned out that there was a long wait for the next 301, so I decided to eat my lunch. At this point, I was questioning why I'd let 3238 go...

Continued in Part 2

Wandering around Basildon with PlusBus

Basildon is a location that I don't usually travel around on the buses as - I'll be honest - it's not the most scenic place and the buses aren't the most interesting. However, I had an incentive to visit there on the 7th July (the Basildon Model Railway Exhibition), so I took the opportunity to purchase a PlusBus ticket and go around on the buses for a rather pleasant morning out.

I took a lovely, cool, air-conditioned c2c Class 357 'Electrostar' to Laindon. I got 1/3 off by booking in advance. When booking, PlusBus looked like the best option, but I found out that PlusBus cannot be purchased from Laindon - you have to get a ticket to Basildon then exit the train early, as Basildon PlusBus stretches to Laindon. Routes 8 and 8A run to a stop around 5 minutes walk from James Hornsby School (the location for the Model Railway Exhibition) at a combined frequency of every 10 minutes. However, the 8 that was supposed to arrive at Laindon Station never turned up, so I had to wait around 20 minutes for a 3/4 minute bus ride... Oh well, I got there in the end!

You're late!

After that 3/4 minute bus ride, I walked for around another 5 minutes to reach my destination - James Hornsby School, for the annual model railway exhibition. I only took one photo there, but I can say that it was a fantastic show with around 30 layouts and many stalls (one of which I purchased a Class 20 from, which has subsequently been fitted with DCC Sound!)

Mini tube!

That was very good, but sweltering in the sports hall, where most of the layouts and traders were based. I exited, pleased with what I'd seen, and caught the half-hourly First Essex Route 9 from the stop on the other side of the road.

Just in time!

That gave me a fairly unremarkable ride through some housing estates into Basildon Town Centre, where I alighted and discovered that the NIBSBuses (A company I hadn't done before) 1A was due to leave on its 4th and final trip of the day in about 5 minutes, so - PlusBus in hand - I dashed over to Stand K and hopped on MK08UZK, one of their short Solos, for the long-winded journey to Pitsea.

28 minutes? What?

The reason the journey takes so long (28 minutes, when the 5/8 can take as little as 10 or 15) is because it wriggles through many small housing estates and even has to do a reversing manoeuvre mid-route! There was one other passenger who alighted around 1/3 of the way, then it was just me for the rest of the journey through pointless twists and turns! This was not a 'nice' trip as such, but more 'interesting'. I had a choice when I got to Pitsea - take the Dart Pointer at the stop on the 22 or wait for another bus due soon on the 28. I opted for the 28 and it was a mistake. While I (unlike most others) have nothing against Streetlites, they're very warm buses and the air conditioning doesn't necessarily do much to counteract that. You can guess by now that the bus that turned up was the aforementioned Wright Streetlite.

Sweltering Streetlite...

I decided to 'grin and bear it', as Basildon was not far away and I wanted to get home by now. We sped through Vange on the way back to the Bus Station, where I then took the short walk to the station and caught the lovely, air-conditioned c2c train back home. All in all, a nice little day out.

Happy travelling!

Eastbourne Running Day 2018

On 1st July 2018, I decided to venture slightly further afield than usual, to the Eastbourne Classic Bus Running Day.

Travelling to Eastbourne

Upon checking the journey planner the day before I left, I found that the District Line (and, subsequently, the c2c) wasn't running from Upminster to Embankment. Shuttles were running between Barking and Liverpool Street, but a better way to do this was to catch the bus to Romford before heading to Stratford by TFL Rail - or, as it turned out in the morning, Greater Anglia. Upon arrival at Stratford, it was a short walk to the Jubilee line for the trip to Canada Water, before changing for the Overground to New Cross Gate then the Southern train for the journey through to Purley. From there, I had a very long time to wait as I'd made the train before I thought I did and everything is at a 30 minute frequency that early in the morning. 09:20 was the departure time for RF600's trip to Eastbourne and my train arrived at around 8:40.

FEEDER SERVICE (PURLEY - EASTBOURNE) - RF600, NLE600

A rather long journey from Purley!

After a quick check that everyone was on board (and a comedic, aeroplane-style announcement), we departed, one short of the amount we anticipated. Then it was around 45 minutes of delightful countryside we took a quick stop at East Grinstead to load up with a few more passengers and have a quick comfort break at Sainsbury's.

Some mid-route fresh air!

A quick stop and then we were off again, along the rather pleasant A22 and some other roads for the final hour and a half stint to Eastbourne. The journey was relatively uneventful, as it was just a feeder service. It was at this sort of time that I was thinking that I should've got the train, because we ended up arriving closer to 11:30 than 11:10, meaning that everyone on the bus ended up only having around 5 hours instead of the previously advertised 5 and a half. However, this was expected as the owner expressed his doubts about timing at the start of the trip. 

Finally there, 30 minutes late!

The Running Day

ROUTE 197 (EASTBOURNE - FOOT OF BEACHY HEAD via Birling Gap) - 681, FDL681V

This is genuinely one of the most surprising things I've done at a running day: I joined the queue for buses just as the open top 197 was pulling in. Amazingly, I got a seat upstairs and in the open top section for the extremely fast and windy ride through the stunning countryside.

Beachy Head, almost 20 minutes early!

After a quick photo, we all re-boarded for the journey around the loop to Birling Gap and East Dean, but I requested the Foot of Beachy Head, as I'd already done the town before. The fields along the route seemed to be full of sheep...

Baa!

This journey was one of the best 50 minutes I've ever spent at a running day and I was kind of sad when the Foot of Beachy Head arrived, but the final stint is just like any other road.

LUNCH BREAK

The comparatively unremarkable Foot of Beachy Head was the perfect time for a quick lunch stop while watching the buses go by. Passing through were Eastbourne Corporation's AEC Regal AHC411, Sealink AEC Regent GJG739D and Leyland PD2 BJK672D, also of Eastbourne Corporation.

A sea of blue and yellow!

By now, I'd finished my lunch and I decided it was time to walk over to the stop and catch a bus. This happened to be another open-top Bristol VR, this time in the attractive livery of Southdown and heading back up to Beachy Head on a 97...

ROUTE 97 (FOOT OF BEACHY HEAD - BEACHY HEAD) - 617, UWV617S

A quick scan of the bus revealed a distinct lack of room on the top deck, so a downstairs seat would have to do.

No room up top!

The VR put in a sterling effort on the climb up to Beachy Head and managed to arrive about 10 minutes early, leaving a 20 minute wait for the return trip into Eastbourne Town Centre. However, the Sealink Regent was also there awaiting a trip back on the 97, and about to depart,...

ROUTE 97 (BEACHY HEAD - EASTBOURNE) - 739, GJG739D

so I hopped on board for the run back to the Station.

Less than half load!

The Regent was very juddery upon leaving the bus stops, but once a good speed (around 5/10mph) had been reached, that stopped and it began running smoothly. The main problem with the 97 route is that, as I found the hard way, there are lots of bumps and potholes. This particular Regent does not like bumps and potholes. I do not like bumps and potholes. All in all, it was an entertaining, but was rather less than comfortable. This was the bus that had an unfortunate accident with a digger(?) at the East Grinstead running day in April, but the owner/s have done a wonderful job - you'd never have noticed where the scratched up panel was! A short break at Eastbourne Station gave me time to consult my timetable booklet and decide which route to take next...

TOWN TOUR (EASTBOURNE CIRCULAR) - 352, CAP229

I selected the 'Town Tour', as that was leaving in around 10 minutes and would give me time to get to the front of the queue. What surprised me was when this turned up...

Fancy seeing you here!

Departure time was reached and we jerked away from the bus stop for the start of a rather uneventful but lovely journey round the town. We sailed through Hampden Park at the grand speed of around 30mph before looping back into the town for the run along the seafront - arguably the best part of the running day. Then it was the already covered Foot of Beachy Head and Meads section before pulling back into the bus station, barely late at all. Not bad for a 78-year old bus! I wasn't sure what my next trip would be until I spotted something decidedly more modern that had been on my 'to travel on' list for a while...

ROUTE 97 (EASTBOURNE - PIER) - DT29, G29TGW

The 'conductor' was giving the last call for the 97 to Beachy Head, so I thought 'why not?' and hopped on board. It was another rather empty bus, which it would be at most rallies anyway - most people want RMs and RTs. I thought we were going to take the direct route when we left the Station. However, my suspicions were soon proved wrong as the 97 takes a rather circuitous route to the Pier via Princes Park.

Unusual seaside visitor!

I speedily requested the Pier with the 'ROUNDABOUT' crew and hopped off after the pleasant ride. I was hoping to see another bus almost immediately behind, but no such luck. Seaford & District's 124 came and went and it was about 15 minutes until a bus finally turned up...

TOWN TOUR (PIER - EASTBOURNE)  - XF3, CUV53C

The bus in question was a new one for me, XF3. As it rumbled up from Princes Park, I flagged it down and hopped on for the trip back to the Station.

Another London intruder!

Off we went for the leisurely trip around the Town, although I'd joined around half way. This was another relatively empty bus, with only around 10 people upstairs and barely any downstairs! The run to the Foot of Beachy Head was, as always, lovely then we turned for the run back through Meads again. This was about the 3rd or 4th time I'd done this this year alone; it was no bother, as we pulled back into the station after a short but sweet ride. What next? There was an RT on the 15 to Hailsham sitting at the stop - I wasn't too bothered by that and it was a long ride, so I passed and waited for the 93 to Polegate. The time came and RF600 pulled up displaying '93 Polegate'.

Not bothered!

I didn't want another hour on top of the 2 I'd already spent and the other 2 I was about to spend on that bus, so I decided to wait for the 15:28 96 to Pevensey. The time came and went. By now, I was beginning to worry that if I did catch this bus, I wouldn't make it back in time for the feeder back. I waited and waited...

ROUTE 6 (EASTBOURNE - PIER) - 272, BUF272C

...but no bus arrived to do the aforementioned Pevensey trip, so I decided to board Seaford & District's immaculate 'Queen Mary' on the 6 towards Princes Park instead.

Meads Photo stop!

Again, we wriggled our way through Meads, but I hadn't done it this way before. Unfortunately, this particular 'Queen Mary' didn't take bumps very well - not great on the very bad roads through the area. 272 struggled a little on the small inclines, but we made it to the Foot of Beachy Head with relatively little trouble before repeating the seafront route to the Pier. I alighted with the knowledge that I wouldn't have time to continue to Princes Park and back, as the feeder was going to leave for Purley in around half an hour and I needed to stock up on drinks...

FEEDER SERVICE (EASTBOURNE - PURLEY) - RF600, NLE600

Having walked through the High Street and purchased the drinks in question, I arrived back at the Bus Stop, where the RF was already loading up - I jumped on board and settled down into my seat straight away. We rumbled off out of Eastbourne after a delightful day on the buses. The route back was pretty much exactly the same as the one on the way there, so I had around 2 and 1/2 hours to kill. The trip wasn't all plain sailing though, as we had to stop for fuel around 30 minutes in and the bus overheated around half way through the journey, so a quick stop was required,

Not just the bus that's overheating!

but we were soon back on our way and arrived at Purley just in time for dinner, so I popped into the Wetherspoons for some sustenance.

From a place far, far away... Eastbourne!

Now I will say what seems to be fast becoming my catchphrase. The journey back was, as always, uneventful. The c2c was closed through Upminster, so I took the route via Romford. 

A huge well done to the organisers and crews for making it such an enjoyable day.

Happy travelling!