Chesham Running Day 2018 - Part 3: Back to Old, Back to Chesham

Check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Luckily, I made it over to the other stand in time to obtain the best seat on the bus. RT1700 had been drafted in at the last minute to cover for a broken-down Bristol VR (SFJ106R), so that was going to be my ride through to Great Missenden.

The only indication that this was, in fact, the route 27 bus for the day was the route number - no intermediate or destination blinds had been provided, but I guess they can be excused as it was a late notice cover! The journey was not what I had come to expect from London Bus Company drivers, as it was relatively slow, but we still made it to Great Missenden roughly on time. Being a service with only 3 trips that day, you would expect it to be rather busy. However, only the odd seat was taken on the upper deck with even fewer on the lower deck. As we grumbled into Great Missenden, I checked my timetable and realised that, even though buses were scheduled to meet here, the 359 and 394 weren't due out for about another 20 minutes.

10 minutes had passed before I heard the unmistakable sound of a heritage bus growling up the hill. The popular T792 had arrived, about to run the next 394 to Great Missenden. Surprisingly, I was able to board and obtain a seat easily - about half of the passengers had swapped on to the RT that was due out imminently on its next trip to High Wycombe, which looked as if it was going to be much better patronised than the one I had travelled on.

As expected, the bus hung around for 10 minutes before departure. Between those two times, RF600 (still in dire need of a repaint) arrived at the station and changed its blinds for the return trip on the direct 359. Unfortunately, everybody wanted the T, so the RF departed with under half load after the much busier and less direct 394. In previous years, the 394 has operated in a loop from Amersham, first going via Chesham and Great Missenden (this year's route) before taking what I can only assume was this year's 359 back, as far as Amersham. This year, the route was not just reduced, but also extended beyond Chesham all the way through to Tring, which seems to be a destination served in every most A&D running days - yet I've still not been there! We made very swift progress for such an old vehicle, meandering along the country lanes until we reached The Lee, which was a prime location for a photo.

Unfortunately, we did not seem to have the correct blinds - this is rather bizarre, because (as can be seen by the last photo) we had the right ones for the outward trip! If RF406's situation also applied to this bus, there were blinds from last year's running day, where most buses terminated at Amersham. Soon after, BN45 burbled up opposite us and deposited some people either wishing to get on our bus or just take photos. The odd person was able to squeeze on, then we were off and so was the BN, continuing its journey to the nearby Lee Common, a few minutes up the road.

A few minutes delay had been racked up at that stop, so the driver chucked the old thing around the corners a little, which made for an entertaining experience! Still, we made it through Chartridge (the 348B's terminus for the day) and off the small, single-track road to return to civilisation and, eventually, Chesham.

Upon arrival there, T792 returned to the buses' base today (Water Meadow Car Park) and many other buses turned around in the short space of time between that and my next bus. I managed to get some photos of multiple buses in almost perfect sun. They were BN45, having returned from Lee Common on a long run through to Tring and RF673 on one of the few 348B (Chartridge - Chesham - Hyde End) trips running that day, as a replacement for the 394C service that just covered Amersham - Hyde End in previous years.

 and RF673 on one of the few 348B (Chartridge - Chesham - Hyde End) trips running that day, as a replacement for the 394C service that just covered Amersham - Hyde End in previous years.

Neither of those were my bus, as I had planned a short return trip on a rather nice Routemaster next instead...

Continued in Part 4.

Chesham Running Day 2018 - Part 2: Modern-ish Wandering to Wycombe

Check out Part 1 here.

At 1058, AN262 pulled up to the stop, looking resplendent in its 'NBC' London Country livery.

After the bus turned round the triangle, I boarded along with a handful of others. The majority of those sat downstairs, leaving the seat behind the stairs free for me to enjoy the warmth of the sun on the fresh day. A prompt departure, lack of traffic and some swift driving along the relatively straight route meant that, by Chalfont St Giles, we were 2 minutes early and had gained another 2 before Chalfont St Peter, where the journey between them was only scheduled to take 5! We made the right turn into Chalfont St Peter's centre and passed the Church timing point, before RT3491 thundered past on a slightly delayed service through to Berkhamsted.

We continued straight down Nicol Road, then left into Grove Lane through the uninspiring Leachcroft Estate, then along the same road into Gerrards Cross, where we powered through the High Street before pulling into the turning circle by the Packhorse 5 minutes early, at 1129. We had 7 minutes stand time anyway, so the driver decided to perform an unusual manoeuvre to ensure the bus was facing the right way for photographs.

The blinds were changed to 'Chesham Broadway via Amersham Station' (this was one of the few trips that didn't continue through to Berkhamsted) and then, a few minutes late at 1144, we duly departed and made the speedy journey back through Leachcroft Estate, then right via Nicol Road and the centre of Chalfont St Peter. The route was clearly timed for an RT or something of a similar nature, because the AN had easily made up the time lost at the stand. Just after the village of Chalfont St Giles, a decidedly empty RML2456 was spotted heading the other way on the 1140 service from Chesham.

Amersham was reached a few minutes early and it wasn't just me alighting there - another gentleman pressed the bell before I did. I said my thanks to the crew, then exited for a trip that I would've missed if I'd completed the final leg to Chesham.

The bus waited at the stop for a few minutes, as departure time had still not been reached! Luckily, however, my next bus wasn't early and I had time for a quick break before boarding. In that break, RTL554 came trundling up the road from High Wycombe on a 305 trip. Yes, the 1000 departure from Chesham that I had seen at the start of the day took over 2 hours to complete its rounder!

My next bus was also a 305 - the only single deck trip on the route that day. SNB453 barrelled down the road to arrive at the stop where it was going to pick me up.

I hopped on board the colourful vehicle (which I had donated a little money towards preserving previously through destination blind purchases) for the lengthy but pleasant ride through to High Wycombe. Luckily, it wasn't too busy either and I got a good seat. Right, left, then left again and we were back on the main road that we had taken earlier on the 353. However, we were supposed to diverge and take a right at Chalfont St Giles. The key phrase there is supposed to, as the driver and conductor seemed to not realise we were meant to take this turning, so we continued on the main road towards Gerrards Cross, but the mistake was soon noticed by some passengers and also the crew, so we found a quick turning in Chalfont St Peter. By the time Chalfont St Giles' timing point had been reached, we were 5 minutes late. The trip that ensued wasn't overly amazing, but the bus was fun as it roared through the long route via Beaconsfield and Loudwater towards High Wycombe. The routes at the event were clearly timed for 'proper' vintage vehicles, (like RMs, RTs, RFs etc) because - along with the AN trip - the bus began running early, making up around 10 minutes over the journey!

The Bus Station was familiar to me from last year's event based here - this year, there were 3 routes travelling there: 305 and 362 to Amersham (305 via Beaconsfield, 362 via Penn Street) and the 27 'Thames Valley' service to Great Missenden, linking up with the 394 at the other end. I was going to travel on the latter service, and I could see it sitting over the other side of the bus station, due to depart any minute...

Continued in Part 3 and Part 4.

Chesham Running Day 2018 - Part 1: Arrival and a Rural Ramble

On Sunday 7th October, Amersham & District held their yearly Amersham & Chesham running day, but this year the normal car park was being redeveloped so they were forced to make Chesham Broadway the centre of the event. However, this added a little more interest for me as I had attended the previous two at the Amersham site.

Travel was, as always, not of any interest, so I'll skip straight to the running day.

As I walked up to Chesham Broadway, I could immediately spy a red double decker, which turned out to be RTL554 with my friends Peter driving and Bob conducting! This was ready to run the first trip of the day, a 10:00 service to High Wycombe over route 305 (the long way).

I had a selection of 4 different possible plans to choose from, two of which involved this trip. However, as it began filling up, I decided otherwise and opted for my first run to be out to Buckland Common, which I thought would be a very scenic trip. Well, I wasn't disappointed! However, as departure time loomed, there was no sign of the bus. RML2456 arrived from Uxbridge on a feeder service and RML2440 also turned up.

This was due to run the third trip of the day, the 10:15 362A to High Wycombe, the quick way. At the other end, it was due to meet with RTL554, which it blocked upon arrival at the stop! However, there was still the pressing matter of the RF... The minutes ticked by and the RTL departed.

Luckily, my fears were unfounded - at around 10:05, RF406 burbled up to the large queue, ready to take us all to Buckland Common and back. The queue was large and everyone only just about made it on the bus!

The immaculately preserved RF (one of my most-ridden examples) completed the Chesham Broadway triangle before emerging at the roundabout and turning right before heading up Bellingdon Road and continuing on to Hivings Hill. This part was just a housing estate, but I was getting very expectant for the next section. However, the bus was given a test up the first hill of the trip - after this, the roads became tree-lined and much more pleasant than they had been. Going through Bellingdon and Braziers End, the road was still relatively 'normal' (apart from the lovely greenery), but then we veered off left and it became a whole lot more interesting. The country lane was so tight that the driver had to sound the horn around some of the blind corners. The Buckland Common terminus was soon reached and, after a quick spot of reversing, there was time for a photograph. The friendly crew had somehow managed to adhere roughly to the scheduled arrival time of 10:27, although reversing took an extra minute or two.

Then, at 10:35 precisely, we were off again, heading along the same fantastic route as before. The blind corners posed some challenges, as we met a car just after one! However, everyone made it back to Braziers End unscathed for the trip back along Chesham Road, through Bellingdon and down the entertaining Hivings Hill before arriving back at Chesham on time, despite being given a minute less running time on the return trip.

At the Broadway, RM188 was loading up for the 1052 trip to Berkhamsted on the 353 and RML2412 had just terminated on a 362 from Ley Hill, seemingly a tad earlier than scheduled at 1055.

However, as appealing as both of these buses were, I had my sights set on the next Gerrards Cross service, as I had a feeling I would like the vehicle; I had only travelled on it once before!

Continued in Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Last Day of EOS London?

On 31st July, there was a rather special occasion in the Harlow area, so with something so (relatively) local, I had to head up there and do some EOS buses for the first (and last) time, along with the special trips with RM371 (running to the normal timetable).

I started the day by taking a trip to Stratford on board a packed, rush-hour c2c service as far as West Ham, before changing to the Jubilee Line for the final leg. This was unplanned as, up until the previous evening, I had intended to miss out the majority of the morning's services, but a friend persuaded me - It was a brilliant decision!

10 minutes after scheduled departure time, Ensign's RM371 pulled into the stand with some well-designed (but badly-sized) blinds for Route S1, the very short-lived (it only ran for 2-3 months and was ultimately what caused the demise of the company, I believe) express service between Stratford and Harlow.

Better late than never!

I had not seen the service bus (invariably an ED) that was meant for this trip, the 0845 from Stratford, so I assumed that we were running alone. Later on, I found out that it supposedly left extremely early. The hour spent travelling to Harlow was a pleasant, if rather bracing! As the S1 ran Express, I had deduced that it used the Motorway (M11) for most of the trip and - sure enough - it did.

Essentially the sum total of all the passengers on the bus - they're all enthusiasts!

The final approach into Harlow was, obviously, quite a bit slower than this, as the 'express' route wiggles through housing estates such as Staple Tye and Bush Fair. However, we missed Staple Tye as we were beginning to lose lots of time by now, being around 20 minutes late. Unfortunately, some other enthusiasts were waiting at Staple Tye... Whoops! We turned in to Harlow Bus Station and the blinds were duly changed to our next trip, the 87 all the way to Debden.

In and out again.

By the time the blinds were changed, we were still around 20 minutes late when we set off. On this trip, we did serve Staple Tye, but the others had given up by then! I had obtained the front seat by now and the run through to Epping Forest Shopping Park was less speedy, but still just as fun. After completing a pointless double run to Water Lane (even though we weren't going to serve either of the Sumners or Katherines housing estates), we were on the country lane to Epping Green before we knew it and, after passing through this delightful village at speed, Epping was fast approaching. News from the conductor soon came that we were not going to be serving Theydon Bois, which came as a huge disappointment to some people on board. Still, we continued along the main road to make up some lost time and - somehow - we reached Loughton almost on time!

Speedy Service!

Then, after leaving around 5 minutes late, it transpired that there were some roadworks on the normal line of route and thus we would have to divert around. However, the nearest alternative route included a low bridge - not the best for the people up top, like me - so we were forced to take a lengthy diversion via Buckhurst Hill to turn left, go over the Central Line then turn left again before resuming normal routeing at Oakwood Hill. It was only a short run to Epping Forest Shopping Park, where the turn is extremely awkward anyway and was blocked! Anyway, somehow we made it round and returned to the terminus stop... Or lamppost, more like!

Blinds already changed, RM371 stands next to the rudimentary bus stop.

Just as we were about to depart, HV02PCY passed on the duplicate for the trip we had just completed. That was good, as Theydon Bois would've been served! It was then, due to the delay, around 12 minutes after scheduled departure time that we left for Harlow. However, I wasn't going all the way because I hadn't sampled any EOS buses before, so (when compiling my plan the night before), I decided to alight early and change to a 13 in Epping Town Centre. Loughton was served and Theydon Bois was attempted, but roadworks meant that we couldn't have done it on the outward even if we tried! Having exited the bus after my first 3.5 hour-long trip, my chariot for the 13 arrived, with EOS's usual smart blinds!

Serving all the Walthams!

The 13 is a pleasant countryside route, running straight down Epping High Road before veering off to the right to head down Crown Hill and visit Upshire, where the Post Office was my destination, but but buses heading towards Waltham Cross couldn't turn in on the day I went due to roadworks. Nonetheless, my instincts - and my phone - told me that the buses heading the other way would still be able to, which was thankfully correct and it wasn't long until my next bus appeared, heading towards Harlow.

Finally, an orange and black bus!

Ex-Abellio Dart 744 rounded the corner and I boarded, after a little hesitation with the emergency ticket that had been issued on the Routemaster earlier on. Having already served some of Upshire, the loop's return serves the rest before making a right turn and just avoiding Waltham Abbey to begin the really fast section of route to Harlow. It was another surprisingly quick trip via Bumble's Green and we left that road shortly before making a right turn at Tylers Cross for the terminating section. Harlow Bus Station was in my sights; a planned 5 minute connection back to RM371 had shrunk to about 0 minutes, but luckily it was still running a little late and allowed a very quick trip into the Town Centre. The return trip was largely the same as far as Upshire, where we completed the little loop and sped through the pretty little town of Waltham Abbey before reaching Waltham Cross no more than 10 minutes later. Upon arrival, the blinds were speedily changed back to Harlow Town, ready for the return trip that was departing imminently.

Dartmaster and Dartpointer!

I was leaving soon too, so I speed walked through the Bus Station to board a Scania Omnicity on the Epping service, on which I would complete the Waltham Cross - Upshire section of the 13 and repeat the previously travelled bit too. The (now defunct) GHA-liveried bus whisked me along the lovely route back to Epping through Waltham Cross and Upshire, where a change was in order.

My poster in the window!

The Theydon Bois section of the 87 was still to be done, so that was what my next trip would tick off. I was rather sad when 744 (the ex-Abellio Dart I had already ridden) turned up, but I realised it was displaying 'Loughton & Debden via Upshire', so another bus would turn up soon to run the 87, I thought. Having asked the driver, I confirmed that it was actually the 87, so hopped on board.

Here we go again!

Luckily, on this trip, Theydon Bois was duly served before heading down the newly surfaced road that stopped RM371 completing this section earlier. Unfortunately, loose chippings made this section rather unpleasant, but it only lasted somewhere in the region of 5 minutes. After some children attempting to board without paying on the outskirts of Loughton, we were soon back near the Town Centre, but I decided to alight a few stops before and walk back to Homebase to pick up a modern 66 towards Waltham Cross. I waited... and waited... and waited... but then RM371 turned up towards Loughton Station, so I decided that I would have to miss out on a modern 66 and went open-top for the rest of the day!

What's that coming over the... hump?

It was only a very short trip to the Station before setting off back in the other direction towards Waltham Cross. Another exhilarating ride with Chris driving through some lovely forest and on very fast roads complete,  it was time for a trip to the pub to eat. At this point, Trevor (originally only a passenger) took over driving for the foreseeable future, as Chris began to realise that Arriva hadn't been granted their license to begin operating the ex-EOS routes from the day after, thus leaving many areas with no bus!

Much more respectable speeds!

This was discussed a lot with a friend over dinner in the pub, before it was time to head back out to make sure we could catch the bus again. By this point, it had reached 'Golden Time' and I could take some sunny photographs of buses turning into Waltham Cross Bus Station. Unfortunately, this had ended before the arrival of the RM, but I did catch some interesting 251 contrasts, just a few minutes apart...

Not the smallest bus out, as there was also a Sprinter Minibus!

But still in stark contrast to this!

Then, barely 5 minutes later, 371 rounded the corner into the Bus Station and picked us up for the return trip to Loughton. This was driven by Trevor and the difference was noticeable. When traversing the estates just outside Waltham Abbey, the bus wasn't being thrown around anywhere near as much! However, he didn't seem to have mastered the art of the brakes, as they kept on sticking upon departure from each stop. Golding's Hill was still a rather 'spirited' trip, but the bus was still around 15 minutes late at this point in time. The blinds were changed and we had been joined by another person I knew, Richard.

Penultimate Trip

We were off again soon after for the penultimate special service. The RM was scheduled to run the last ever 66 trip under EOS, but lots had happened and the final journey was destined to be substituted for a normal bus, which suited me as it meant I finished at Loughton instead and could return home more easily! The housing estates were duly served on the return trip, along with Waltham Abbey. Meanwhile, Chris was still a passenger planning some extra services for the next day after it transpired that Arriva were not officially allowed to start operating. Having dropped off the majority of our passengers, the final run was imminent.

Ready for its final run...

The only people braving the last trip were me and two other enthusiasts, plus a bloke who got off soon after at an estate. After that, it left just us three for the final trip, until Homebase in Loughton where another bid us farewell! For this trip, Chris (the original driver) took over again and the difference was so noticeable! I'm not sure how he did it, but in the end we went from around 10 minutes late to on time by Loughton. Having left Waltham Cross, we whizzed and wiggled through Waltham Abbey and then the curves of the estates hit us - we were barely staying in our seats! We easily reached the bus's maximum speed whilst passing under the M25 and the run through Epping Forest reminded me of some of Epping Ongar Railway's drivers... Chris was clearly 'giving it the beans', which scared me a little as we pelted through Loughton High Street, well above the 30mph limit! Soon after, we got into Loughton Station and said our goodbyes before watching the RM depart back to Purfleet Garage.

NOT the last 66!

Then, an ex-Go Ahead London ED took the honours of completing the last ever EOS 66 trip back to Waltham Cross, before working the final EOS service, the 2215 route 13 from Waltham Cross to Epping (a garage run) to end their few years of operation. FAREWELL EOS LONDON!

My video summary of the day can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-A2Lu6uO4A

Happy Travelling!

Potters Bar Bus Garage Open Day

On 28th July 2018, I took my first trip to a Bus Garage Open Day in years.

Travelling to Potters Bar

To get to Potters Bar (PB) garage, I decided to go the cheap way, not the fast way. By this I mean the really not fast way. It was another one of my GOBLIN adventures, with one of London Overground's dinky 2-car 172 'Turbostar' units sluggishly taking me round to Blackhorse Road before the complete opposite whisked me to Finsbury Park in the form of a 2009 Stock Victoria Line train. After some relatively short journeys, a 30-minute stint to Cockfosters would follow on the Piccadilly line. Sullivan Buses' RML 2272 was scheduled to run a morning single from the aforementioned Station to the Garage. Unfortunately, the best of plans always fail and, after questioning some enthusiasts waiting at the stop, I found out that the Routemaster had left mere minutes before I had arrived... Annoying! As it was, I hopped on a well-refurbished Sullivan Buses Enviro 200 instead, which pounded through the stinking fields to Potters Bar Station, where a short walk took me to the Garage. I could see an impressive line-up of vehicles in the forecourt and it was time to have a look around...

The Garage

Even before paying the £2.50 entry fee, the buses could be seen lined up outside.

Bursting at the seams already!

I walked in and took a quick look at the outside exhibits - RM70, RMC1497, RM1804, TA638, Fleetline 333, RM371, RTW467, RML2272 and RT113 were all lined up on one side, either on display or having worked their first duty already, in the case of the RML. On the other side, VP549 (Seemingly the control bus), President 524, RF518, Dart 238, RM1005 and a Dart in Stagecoach livery were lined up, with the dinky MA1 ready to work a service. I took a quick look inside the garage and browsed the stalls. Whilst in there, I splashed out and purchased a Harrow Weald Ultimate destination from a VW for £10 plus a Bristol VR model for £9. Sadly, the line-up of RTs (1702, 1784, 2083, 3254, 3775 and 4317) in there wasn't set out too well and decent photos couldn't really be taken. After that, I decided it was time for a bus ride - my personal main focus of the day, as I prefer that to static displays. Having consulted the timetable, I found that a bus was due to leave soon on the 242 to South Mimms, so I hopped on board the immaculate RLT139, from the London Bus Museum in Cobham, and we burbled away from the stop a few minutes early along the main road. South Mimms turned out to be a short run, actually much shorter than expected as it was horrendously overtimed; we arrived over 10 minutes early!

A rather remote location!

Then, we set off back for the garage along the same route, passing an RM along the way. The return trip was, again, horribly (or amazingly, depending on how you look at it) overtimed - in total, around 20 minutes was knocked off the 45 minute trip! Back at the garage, I knew that a bus that I like, P238MKN, was doing the other section of the open day 242 and I only had to let LT557 leave on the 716 to Hatfield before it arrived, so I got on for another short (and overtimed) trip, this time to Cuffley. We left the garage with room to spare, as people are generally more interested in 'Routemasters' (RMs, RTs, RFs etc) - P238 is still rather elderly, at 22 years old! When passing the Two Brewers pub, the light was just perfect for a photo stop... but people got in the way while the sun was out, so I had to make do with a less sunny picture.

Not sure what the 'festival' was, but it apparently contributed to the passenger numbers somewhat!

Cuffley wasn't far down the same leafy country lane, where we met DES794 operating a normal 242 towards Waltham Cross. Unlike the previous trip, we waited time before leaving for the Garage again, but when we did it was another brilliant run down the speedy country lanes. When the bus arrived back at Potters Bar, I walked back to the bus stop to see Ensignbus' RM371 (which I had only been on once before, but would end up going on a couple of days after this at the last day of EOS London) ready for a 626 trip as a Dugdale Hill Circular, so I joined the surprisingly short queue and hopped on board. Many recognisable faces were on board, so I said hello before going upstairs to obtain the rearmost seat on the right. The run itself was rather uneventful, but the bus was a fantastic ride - even with the Cummins engine!

Sorry about the overexposure, the sun was rather too keen!

After a quick photo stop, the bus re-loaded and we continued along the more circuitous return route, travelling along faster roads including under the M25! The 626 was the shortest of all the scheduled runs that day, being only around 30 minutes in length. However, the upshot of this was that it allowed me to complete another trip when I returned to the Garage. I was standing opposite the stop when Reading Buses' 'Rooftop Bus' pulled up so, running across the road to avoid other photographers, I enquired about the destination. 'Potters Bar Station and back' was my response, so I bounded up the stairs and enjoyed another 20-minute return trip, albeit also on a rather unexciting route. There was no time for a photo stop at the station and the bus continued on round a different route back to the Garage.

Going round in circles!

I had arrived with time to spare until the departure of RML2272 on the 298 to Cockfosters... Phew! I joined the half-full bus for the final run, a single to Cockfosters. Apart from a little traffic along the way, the trop got me to Cockfosters on, sadly, another re-engined Routemaster (although it was still a nice run) and I left, satisfied, to make my way home.

An extra service!

Overall, it was a fantastic event. Well done to all the staff and preserved vehicle owners, drivers and conductors involved!

This blog is still semi-kinda-going...ish...

Just in case anybody is actually reading this blog, I thought I'd give a little update.

I apologise for the lack of posts, but I'll be revising how often I write these (again). Sometimes I feel in the mood to write a blog post and other times I don't, so - since this is just a hobby - I'm only going to write them when I feel like it. Also, because of this, there will not be a lot of them, nor will they be overly detailed and not all the events I go to will be covered.

Since Hemel Hempstead, I have been to:

• Barnard's Miniature Railway Steam Gala
• Essex Bus Rally
• A day at Walthamstow Wetlands
• Potters Bar Bus Garage Open Day
• Last day of EOS London
• Spa Valley Railway Diesel Gala
• 5-day holiday in the North West
• Oxted & Westerham Running Day
• A special bus run with BL49
• Mangapps Farm Bank Holiday Gala
• Seaford & District Running Day
• A day on the Southend Open-top 68
• A day at the IWEMRC miniature railway
• Barnard's Miniature Railway Diesel Gala

So yeah... You won't see me writing a 1000-word essay for every one of them! I expect to do at least 3 from the list above, but I'm going out to things most weekends and during the week I'm busy too.

Happy travelling!

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!