Hertford Running Day

Sunday June 4th 2006

Prepared by Ian Smith, 5th July 2006

Part 7: Roving with RFs

I boarded RF4 for the short trip from Hertford Bus Station to the London Road "garaging" area. RF600 came in on a 350A as we left the bus station, followed by the Golden Boy Dart on the 395 and RT604 on the 341.

RP21 was sitting quietly in the carpark, having been operating Tours during the day. RT4317 was a visitor, just basking in the sunshine.

Eastbourne Regent V No.69 was also taking a rest, next to RM1699 and Guernsey 77. I walked back to the road. The sound of a re-engined Routemaster was heard, and RML2364 came in to park.

I walked back to the road to look at the RFs. RF281 was resting after a stint on the 715. Earlier in the day it had worked in from Bishops Stortford via Standon, and would return that way in a little while. Sister Greenline RF, unmodernised RF269, came in after a trip on the 308A, passing RT3496. The RT was resting after a speed-hump in Ware had torn the back of its platform while it was out on the 395.

393: Hertford to Hertford Heath and return, RF4

I joined Peter Penfold on RF4 and we headed for the bus station, on the way meeting RMC1476 which was busy on the 341. We loaded up for the 393 and headed out. RT3148 came in from Ware on the 395, followed by RM1699 arriving to take out the next 341 service.

We left Hertford on the London Road, and turned off onto the old road to climb up to Hertford Heath, where we turned on the triangle in front of the pub. The landlord came out to enquire why he had been blessed with a visitation of old London buses during the day and we explained.

Then it was back down the hill to Hertford. It was about five o'clock, and the bus station was choked up with the final arrivals and with the buses loading for home-going long-distance feeder services. Thus on our way in to Bircherley Green we met RF366 arriving back from the 308A and then preparing to head for Potters Bar on the 350A, and RT3254 coming back in from the 390.

SNC168 was patiently waiting to head north as a 331 to Buntingford, after which it would continue as a 188 to Royston. Squeezing in to the busy bus station was RF486, back from a late afternoon trip to Chapmore End on the 333, and about to depart as a 715 to Dorking via London.

RM1699 arrived back from its trip to Hatfield on the 341.

Homewards on RF627

I located RF627, and Ken and I set off for our long trip to the West Midlands. We headed west for St.Albans, where we picked up the old A5 for the run north. We passed through Markyate and on to Dunstable. Once again there appeared to have been a vintage steam vehicle rally at Leighton Buzzard, but this evening there were no long queues of traffic. Before Dunstable we passed a Sentinel steam lorry heading south under its own steam, and a traction engine pulling a caravan. At Dunstable, on the old LT boundary we saw a road-roller being carried on a low-loader. We rolled on into the evening, carrying with us lots of good memories and lots of exposed film.

Many thanks to all who had any part in providing a splendid weekend: the bus owners, drivers, conductors, the controllers, the timetable planners, the stall folk, the letter writers, the phone-call makers, the council people who said yes, the police, the sponsors, the programme compilers...
My especial thanks to Ken Eveleigh for providing transport to and from the event, and to the bus crews who put up with me during the day.

Buses that I saw:
GS2, GS17, GS60, GS62, GS64
RF4, RF48, RF269, RF281, RF366*, RF406*, RF486*, RF600, RF627
RT604, RT3062*, RT3148, RT3254, RT3496, RT4317*
RMC1476, RM1699*, RML2364*, RML2613*
Eastbourne 69
Guernsey Railway 77
RP21
BN61
SNC168, SNB257

All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.

Ian's Bus-stop Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6