East Grinstead Running Day

Sunday 27th April 2003

Prepared by Ian Smith, 19th May 2003

Part 3: Town Services

424 to Copthorne (Dukes Head): XF3

I looked at my timetable. 1255. Not much was leaving immediately - except XF3. I had been meaning to enjoy a ride on Martin Ricketts' beautifully restored Fleetline for some time, and here it was, just pulling on to the stand in King Street on a local 424 working to Copthorne. (East Grinstead enjoyed a number of long routes that had local East Grinstead short-workings, of which the 424 was one). Mind, how that 409 intermediate points blind slipped past the King Street "jumper" I don't know!
I rode inside, for the journey round through the town and down to the station, where we paused for pictures. Then it was out through the suburbs, passing Kentish Bus SNB250 on the way.

At Copthorne the bus turned and came back to the bus-stop by the roundabout, to await a connection with the 434. Most people alighted to take pictures. Some people changed stops for the other service. Then we were off again, enjoying the sunshine on the drive back into East Grinstead.

Back at King Street I watched preserved Strathclyde-liveried RM835 depart on a 409 to Forest Row, and GS1 load up for the journey to Oxted and back on the 494 again. GS2 came round on a 428 working to Dormansland too.

409 to Felbridge (Star) and Newchapel: RT2083

Then RT2083 came in from Forest Row, heading north to Felbridge and Newchapel. Short-workings to The Star at Felbridge were another East Grinstead local working. This time I took a ride "on top", round through the town, down to the station, then out to the north again. Nothing sounds quite like an RT. Riding on top - or inside - is an instant nostalgia trip back to the fifties and sixties.

We passed Felbridge and went on to the roundabout at Newchapel to turn. As we reached the Star again RT1700 passed on a 409 to Godstone.

I alighted to take photos, then rode "inside" back to East Grinstead.

494/428/434 to Dormansland (Plough): GS62

Back in King Street I bumped into Alan Charman, who wanted a mid-afternoon break from organising, and his hands on a GS steering wheel. He invited me to go for the 1445, a short 494/428 trip to Dormansland with him, and we walked up to the upper bus-park, where we paused briefly at RF672, next to SNB257 and SNC168.

We took GS62 round to the stand, to take on a full load, then pulled round through the town. We came up behind RT2043 at the War Memorial stop, but that turned right into the bus station. Red RF429 came the other way on a 434 from Crawley, recalling the early days of London Country, when unreliability iof the Merlins and Swifts made the company hire red RFs from LT (having had to transfer a number to Central Area before the company split!).

We left East Grinstead and Baldwins Hill behind, and headed for Lingfield. On the way we met GS1, which passed us at full speed on the return from Oxted. We turned off the 494 route at Lingfield and drove up to Dormansland, terminating at the Plough.

We had a few minutes for pictures at the Plough, before setting off for East Grinstead, using the scenic 434 route past Blackwell to head back into town.

Busy 10 minutes at King Street

As we pulled in to King Street RLH48 was just pulling out past the cinema to load up for the epic 708/725/353 return journey to West Croydon, Windsor and Berkhamsted.

A pair of Leyland Nationals came through the bus station: short London Country SNB257 and long Maidstone & District 3556. The SNB was working on the 428 (wide bus version via Newchapel), while 3556 was working the busy 473 link to Kingscote Station on the Bluebell Railway.

Country Area RF626 was working the longer journey on the 473, through to Crawley, while RM435 was still busy on the 409, heading for Forest Row. RLH48 set off.

RT1700 came through on the 409 back from Godstone. I walked down King Street to see RLH48 go past. RP90 came along with another Kingscote shuttle, followed by Greenline RF269 on one of its 708 short-workings.

Perhaps inevitably, as RLH48 approached past the traffic lights my view was blocked by a monster Sports Utility Vehicle, but I caught a view of its antediluvian rear end sailing away on its northward journey. It was followed by postwar elegance epitomised by Greenline RT3491 on a Copthorne-bound 424.

428 to Dormansland: GS1

I walked back up into King Street. After this flurry of activity there wasn't anything going anywhere, fairly naturally! What could I do during the next hour-and-a-half? GS1 had loaded up for the 1545 trip on the 428, and I noticed that it wasn't full (most unusual!). So I climbed aboard. We scurried round through the town, and out northwards again, through Baldwins Hill. We continued past Lingfield Post Office, and passed SNB257 returning on a 428. We went on, down under the railway by Lingfield Racecourse and up to the Plough at Dormansland.

At the pub we found RF672 working an additional 428. It was full too. We followed it back to Lingfield along the 428 route, and through to East Grinstead.

Part 4: Going Home.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

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