RF679, T792 at EDenbridge Town

East Grinstead Running Day

Sunday April 26th 2009

Prepared by Ian Smith, 8th May 2009.


More 434

T792: Dormansland to Edenbridge Town Station via Troy Town

The post-war AEC Regal arrived at The Plough, on its only 434 working of the day, to Edenbridge (Hilders Lane). I strolled over to have a look. T792 is one of my favourites, ever since I first saw it at Stratford-on-Avon Rally in June 1970.

T792 at The Plough. T792 at The Plough.

RF679 - another favourite - came up on a parallel working, and squeezed past. I asked Laurie Akehurst, who was conducting T792, if he had any spare places. He said that he possibly had one, and so it turned out. I boarded the T and squeezed into the seat behind the driver.

RF679 passes T792 at The Plough. T792 at The Plough.

We set off, passing STL2377 which had arrived at the triangle from the 428. We headed into Kent, through Marsh Green and into Edenbridge. We were doing a clockwise loop, so after passing the Star and crossing the river we followed the new mini-bypass round the west side of the town, turning off along Stangrove Road to reach Crouch House Road - the lane to Troy Town.

We wiggled out into the countryside, and climbed up to the railway bridges at Troy Town, where we turned east along Hilders Lane. RF679 was waiting at the terminus, by the turnout onto the main road.

T792 at The Plough. RF679 at Hilders Lane.

We passed the RF and turned down the hill towards Edenbridge. We passed under the very low bridge at Edenbridge Station as a train passed overhead on the Tonbridge line. After the second railway bridge we looked for the turn-off to Edenbridge Town Station, turned in, and pulled up outside the station.

RF679 followed us in, and there was then a period of bus-shuffling as the varoius buses manoevred to turn and to pose in the sunshine for the many photographers.

Edenbridge Stn Bridge. RF679 at Edenbridge Town Stn.

T792 and RF679 at Edenbridge Stn Bridge. T792 and RF679 at Edenbridge Town Stn.

RF679: Edenbridge Town Station to East Grinstead

Then RF366 arrived to join in the fun. The turning circle at the station is tight, and with one RF trying to turn inside two other buses it was even tighter. But all was accomplished without mishap. I joined RF679 for the return trip to East Grinstead.

RF679 and RF366 at Edenbridge Stn Bridge. RF366 at Edenbridge Town Stn.

We followed T792 south through Edenbridge, past the Star (terminus for the 465/485), and out south along the Hartfield Road to the turnoff for Marsh Green.

T792 passes The Star. T792 turns off to Marsh Green.

We tailed the elegant Regal up through Marsh Green and up onto the high ground of Dormansland. There was not a connection waiting, so I continued forwards into East Grinstead on RF679.

T792 in Marsh Green. RF679 at the Plough.

The High Street was busy. We pulled up behind GS15 (working the 428)RT3148 was on the 409, as was Saunders-bodied RT3062, while RT3228 was on the 708 service to Godstone Green and Kingscote. Also servicing Kingscote was Metrobus Dart 376, on the Bluebell Railway 473 service, a duty normally undertaken by RML2310.

East Grinstead War Memorial. Metrobus Dart 376 on 473.

I went to buy something to eat, before my next foray..

Part Five: Oxted and back

Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Three Part Five: Oxted and back