East Grinstead Running Day

Sunday April 23rd 2006

Prepared by Ian Smith, 7th May 2006

Part 5: 410, 409: Oxted, Reigate, Godstone, East Grinstead, RT3871

410: Oxted to Reigate

It seemed a long wait at Oxted Station, especially after GS76 went off, back to East Grinstead. There was some debate amongst those waiting as to which side of the station we should wait on, but we stayed on the west side, discussing the history of the transition from RLHs to RTs to RMLs. After some time a red RT appeared from under the notorious Oxted Station Bridge, which for so long had required RLHs, until LT rerouted the 410 to miss out Oxted and put on the RTs instead. (It was not long before the Council found that it could, after all, dig out the roadway under the bridge!)

Anyway, RT3871 pulled up, with Paul Brophy driving. The blinds were reset, and we were off.

For a change - and because with the weather we were not going to be making photo stops - I went upstairs, and found a seat at the front. The front windows were rain-spattered, but that didn't matter too much. We passed through the remains of Oxted (West), and pulled out onto the main road as RF366 came down the hill on the next 494, closely followed by GS15.

Further up the hill we passed RT604 heading for Oxted. It looked like that connection was going to work. We roared on to Godstone, where we passed the site of the old garage and turned down the hill to make a loop of the Green. RF4 was waiting there on a 708 to East Grinstead, behind XF3 waiting to leave on a southbound 409. Passengers were exchanged, but I stayed on the RT.

Although I have been along the A25 several times in recent years on RF679, this was my first trip along it on an RT since the sixties, when we used the 410 to get to Reigate on Country Rovers. I enjoyed the ride westwards, the road toying with the Greensand Ridge through Bletchingley and Nutfield. Eventually we dropped down to Redhill Station and under the railway. Today we did not call at the bus station, but wound round through the town and west through suburbia towards Reigate. We passed one of Metrobus' Caetano- bodied Darts heading for Redhill on the 420.

In Reigate we wiggled past the old Market Hall, where the STLs, RLHs and RMLs used to stand ready to leave for Bromley. It is one-way now, so we could not return to wait there. Instead we turned at a roundabout and pulled up at a stop to change the blinds.

410: Reigate to Godstone Green

I travelled back eastwards "inside". Paul was still hurrying along, making up time. Again we wound round through Redhill, and spurned the bus station. But we were held at road-works traffic lights under Redhill Station, and were joined by a breathless couple who had left a much earlier service at Reigate Garage, which was then missed by subsequent buses. They had caught a service bus to Redhill Bus Station, and then saw us go past and stop at the lights. We went on through the persistent rain to Godstone Green.

409: Godstone Green to East Grinstead

After a quick change of blinds at Godstone Green (route numbers and via points as well as final destination), we headed south down the A22 to East Grinstead. On the way we passed a Green Line on another 708 journey, and then red RML2731 on a northbound 409. Both passed in a flurry of spray.

We came into East Grinstead, and followed GS34 up through the town, and round the corner to the stop opposite the War Memorail. GS15 went the other way.

On the journey south I had scoured the programme looking for something to do once I reached East Grinstead, for the time was just coming up to four o'clock. It didn't look promising, and then....

Part 6: SO224, SC390 on 135

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

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part 1 Part 4 Part 6: SO224, SC390 on 135