We set off again northwards, along the narrow strip of ribbon development that stretches all the way to Crotdon. Ww passed through Hamsey Green, and negotiated the roundabout at Sanderstead. We rolled down the long hill towards Sanderstead Station - and missed the right turn. We pulled up, and turned in to Sanderstead Station forecourt to turn. Students of south London route history will know that we could not have gone straight on: having passed over one railway, we would not have got under the next. We turned, and made our way back onto the tortuous route required of double-deckers: alongside the Oxted railway line to the B275, left under it, then immediately right in face of another low bridge. A narrow road now led north between the railway lines before turning left under the Purley lines. We wriggled our way through South Croydon, as far as possible sticking to the old route, and made our way past East Croydon and the shopping centre. We passed several other buses on the way, and caught up with DW100 just before West Croydon.
We pulled round into West Croydon bus station. We were a little early, so sat in a bay out of the way until time. One of Metrobus' new East Lancs bodied Darts was resting between bouts on the sinuous 367 to Bromley, while Arriva's standard Dart PDL128 was resting from the 450 next to DW100 off the 403.
We set off again, on the westward leg. And promptly pulled up hard just after the first bus-stop. It seems that the event timetable had us stopping there rather than the bus station. A rush of enthusiasts joined us, and we set off again, over the tram tracks and on past Waddon. We headed west along the Country bus route through Beddington.
RT3491 came the other way in Beddington, on a 408 heading for West Croydon. We were following one of Arriva's DAF/Wrightbus Cadets on the 410. A modern successor to the Greenline 725, an express on the X26 to West Croydon, came in the shape of Metrobus' OmniCity 541.
Then, past Beddington Park, came RT604, heading for Chelsham with a 403, wearing the NBC green and white that it gained for working this route in London Country days. It was followed by another of Arriva's Cadets, two foot longer DWL9, on the 407, today's remnant of the 470 between Sutton and Caterham.
We ran into traffic past Carshalton Pond. There was a gaggle of photographers there, waiting to see something come over the bridge. A few deigned to notice our passing. We went on into Sutton, changed out of all recognition from my Green Rover days. A Greenline RF waited at the lights, presumably on a 711 short-working. We went round the one-way system and escaped to the west.
We soon reached Cheam, with the curve round the brick wall of Nonsuch Palace. We curled round East Ewell on the A232, with its separate suburban access roads on each side. At Ewell we turned left onto the Epsom Road, and ran along into Epsom. After a turn round the one-way system we came to a halt at the Clocktower.
Meanwhile GS42 arrived, wearing appropriate blinds for the 481 Wells Estate service, and pulled up behind the RT.
I gave up my front upstairs seat, and sat behind John Huxford for the short run back to Sutton. On our way we passed RT3491 heading west for Epsom. I alighted at Sutton, having arranged to meet up with the crew at Wallington for the return home. RF600 came across the traffic lights on an eastbound 725, presumably having turned "round the block".
I headed for the stop on the south side of the block, eager to catch a bus to Sutton Green to try some RF routes...
Part Three: 80A to Walton-on-the-Hill
Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
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