We rolled along to Peckham, where we pulled into the bus station, on the site of the old Peckham Garage. RT1702 was manoeuvred into a parking space, and set up for the 36A to Brockley Rise. Time for some Peckham running plates. After a minute or two the bus was sent over to the other side of the bus station, before setting on to the departure stop. Over on the main road Ensign's recently acquired Saunders RT1431 headed east for New Cross.
Through some torrential rain we headed east again, round the one-way loop at the bottom of the Old Kent Road, and back past New Cross Garage to New Cross. We curled around the one-way system and branched off up Shardloes Road, up to Brockley. Under the railway, and on up Brockley Road we went, to reach The Chandos on Brockley Rise.
The tight little stand at The Chandos, round a little triangle of back streets, was shared with service buses: Dart SLF LDP181 squeezed past on a P12 to Surrey Docks (oops, Surrey Quays now), and PVL238 was waiting to start a 172 trip to St.Pauls.
We set off back to New Cross Gate. As we approached the garage we saw RT1431 ahead, and passed it while it was loading. I went down to the platform. Would it catch us up as we passed through the busy junctions at the bottom of the Old Kent Road? Not there, but as we turned right to terminate it caught us up and roared past on its way to Camberwell and London.
RT1702 set down our wheelchair passenger, and reset the blinds as a 36 to Catford. The bus was heading back for Catford Garage, for a three-hour break before going out again in the evening to cover the Hither Green Station and West Kilburn legs of the 36 group. I had thought of going up to town, but the light was fading fast, and the weather was awful: neither conducive to good photography. So I stayed with RT1702 for the journey back through New Cross to Lewisham. On the way we passed Ensignbus' gold RML, and a Greenline coach from Maidstone on the 781. We continued along to Rushey Green in Catford, where the blinds were dropped for the garage run in to Catford Garage. There I said my thanks to the crew and headed for Grove Park by 136. There, as a final bonus, I was surprised by RML2665, still shuttling backwards and forwards on the 36B.
It had been an excellent day. My thanks to the organisers, and the bus companies and groups who supplied such an eclectic group of vehicles. Thanks to to the ordinary crews, drivers and conductors, who dealt so amiably with the public and enthusiasts on what must have been an emotional last day for many of them.
And my especial thanks to Lenny Fields and the 1702 Preservation Group, who made me so welcome aboard RT1702, and who made a memorable day into an unforgetable one.
Bus Stop
Part Three: New Cross
Part Four: 36A to Brockley Rise