RF633 rolled down the slope after a trip to Horsham and back on the 414. It was good to see RF633 back in action after its engine rebuild. It was followed by SNB449, which had earlier worked in from Staines on the 462 to Leatherhead.
RP21 was just about to depart on the 1245 service 414 to Capel, and pulled past parked GS2. SNB312 was parked behind the GS.
I ventured just a little further down the line: GS15 was resting between short-workings on the 449, and RTL139 was almost ready to go out again on the Summer Sunday 93 to Epsom.
But my twenty minutes were up, and Peter was restarting GS2. I climbed aboard. We set off up the ramp towards the stop, passing on the way RFW14 and Stevensons RTW178. I would have to have a better look at these when I got back.
We loaded up at the stop, and ran along to the roundabout, where we turned north towards Dorking Station. Beyond the railway bridge we turned up west, to climb up a long leafy avenue of big suburban houses. We turned off where the road turned south, and continued west towards the start of Ranmore Common. There was a long mile of uphill grind as we climbed the North Downs escarpment, largely with trees on both sides blocking out the view. But there were occasional glimpses over the valley to the tower on Leith Hill. The gradient eased as we emerged onto Ranmore Common.
We passed some girls on ponies at the top end of the Common, just before the road swings right to meet the junction with Dog Kennel Lane - the LT terminus. Peter reversed the GS round the corner into the lane, and stopped.
Again we pondered LTs choice of an isolated turn-round point. As at Leylands Road there is nothing here: a farm and convent half a mile up the lane, Effingham two miles along. Strange. Peter changed the blinds and we rolled back down across the Common, down the hill, and down through leafy Dorking to Dorking Station, and back to Pippbrook.
Peter parked the GS out of the way. We watched as RF48 came in to park as well, after a foray on the Ramblers' Bus (417). As we walked back up towards the tea-stand RF600 came in too off the 449.
A decent ray of sunshine suddenly illuminated RTW178, standing next to RTW75.
Blue Triangle had brought down both buses for the day, to work on the 93,
having loaned the yellow RTW for use on its
I moved on to look at RFW14, which has been around several times this year.
I had nearly an hour before my "trip of the day" on RT3148,
so I went up into town to find a hole in the wall.
Up in the town I met RF366, coming in on a 425 trip from Shere.
Walking back down I came across RTL139 making the right turn into the bus park.
I looked at the trade stands, and made my way to RT3148..
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.
Part 5: RT3148 does the Dorking Panhandle
Back to Ian's Bus-stop
Part 1
Part 3
Part 5: RT3148