We caught up with RF28 at the War Memorial, and tagged along behind to the station, and on out through Baldwins Hill into the countryside leading to Felcourt, and through to Lingfield Post Office.
At Lingfield we turned west onto the road to Newchapel Roundabout. But once there we did not turn left for East Grinstead, but continued straight on towards Copthorne. We crossed over the staggered junction at the B2037, and headed down to the Dukes Head, where we pulled up to await connections.
After a moment or two RT604 duly roared up from the Crawley Down direction, and turned round the roundabout. This meant that RF269, which had hung back to facilitate good photos, had to pull forwards to let the RT onto the bus lay-by too.
We set off again, southwards past the western fringe of Crawley Down, to Turners Hill, where the two coaches pulled up at the stop on the edge of the green.
Then it was on again, down through the bluebell woods t6owards Kingscote. We passed under the Bluebell Railway, turned right, and passed back under a second tall arch to reach Kingscote Station. There the two coaches turned on the station approach. Modern Darts can whisk round without a problem, but the older buses need to make a slight reversing movement. A train had just arrived (pulled by the gloriously-liveried SECR C-class 060), so there was plenty of custom waiting. The pair of coaches were due to stand a while, but David in RF269 was persuaded to take his eight and set off back to East Grinstead. I joined Toby Prescott in modernised RF28, intending to use that coach to get back to East Grinstead.
The Southdown Leyland Leopard, 2722CD, then arrived, followed by RF633 on a westbound 434. They both turned in the station yard.
The RF left first, off up the leafy lane, followed shortly by the Leopard. But then RML2317 arrived on the 473, and my plans changed...
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.
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Part 4: Routemasters
Part 5: Routemaster again