East Grinstead Running Day 1998
Sunday 26th April 1998
Prepared by Ian Smith,
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created 7th May 1998.
Preparations
TMR took me to East Grinstead. Having spent the Saturday helping the team to
prepare the four buses, I was eagerly anticipating the ride from the
Group's headquarters across the Kent and Sussex borders to East
Grinstead. The group did not travel in convoy. The two essential service
buses, GS56 and RF255 went on ahead, while the rest of us started a
reluctant RT2291 (the fuel switch had inadvertently been turned off during
maintenance, leaving enough diesel in the fuel line for pre-positioning
the previous evening, but not enough to start!).
GS56 and RT2291 to East Grinstead
Once the problem was found and cured we set off. I travelled in RF13, the
tail-ender, driven by Ray. Before long we began to see glimpses of the big
red RT ahead of us. We caught up with it when Mike paused in Pembury to
make some family arrangements for the day. I swapped onto RT2291 for the
journey on through Tunbridge Wells. RF13 followed close behind until
the low railway bridge in Ashhurst forced us to part company.
RT2291 perforce made a large detour on B roads to avoid the 13' 3" bridge, but
nevertheless we arrived in East Grinstead in good time. RF255 and GS56 were
parked conveniently for their duties, while the RT and RF13 were parked out
of the way in a corner, either side of a Metrobus Dart.
Early departures
We went to watch RF255 off on her first duty at 10.15, heading for Kingscote on
the 473 Bluebell Railway connecting service, a duty that she would remain
on during the day.
King Street Bus Station
Then there was time to look around the other buses on the stands and in the
bus park, and say hello to friends. Gill Hinson (Wealdstone & District) was just departing in red
RF453 on the 494 to Oxted, and King Street was full of buses - as it would be
all day.
Shortly after it was John Hinson's turn with their green RF280.
The bus park was filling up: some of the Cobham regulars were parked prominently:
T504, TD95 and RT593, plus a variety of other RFs and RTs. RMs and other modern
buses were mainly parked at the back.
This was predominantly a 1950's and
1960's day, concentrating on operation by GS, RT and RF types, with XF1 and
RP90 providing a more modern Country touch, and RLH 48 later adding a soupcon of
East Grinstead magic. Alan Charman's organisation created the period atmosphere
superbly, with the buses operating routes based on East Grinstead as they
once would.
Except that they were rather more frequent than in the old days, the
connections worked, and many of the buses were full! The bus-station, King
Street in East Grinstead, resounded all day to the mellifluous tones of RF
and RT engines, with the occasional chirpy growl of the GS's Perkins diesels.
RT 3775, tired after a long spell in service with London & Country, was still there.
"Service" buses worked in from all over: Greenline 708s from Hemel Hempstead
and London; 409s from Croydon and 424s from Reigate (the last using XF1 and
RLH48), bringing in informed enthusiasts and recreating scenes from the
Country Area Heyday.
GS56 to Oxted and Holland
But soon it was time for work: Mike and Trevor set the blinds on GS56 for the
494 service to Oxted Station, and pulled her round onto the stand for the 1050
departure. We loaded another fifteen passengers at King Street, and a few
more at the bus stops in the High Street and at the station
(These had been fitted for the day with reproduction LT bus stops signs with
appropriate route plates).
Then it was off along the back-road to Lingfield Station (complete with an
unscheduled detour to serve Lingfield Park Race Course).
We turned at Lingfield Station (another of the day's
connection node points), where we exchanged some passengers,
and continued northwards. As we went, other buses came the other way:
we had already been passed by the 708 from Hemel Hempstead and RF315
on an early 494. Now we met GS62 on another 494, with bad news: Gill had
suffered a puncture on an inside rear tyre at Tandridge. Colin in GS62
had taken as many passengers as possible, and would notify control in
East Grinstead. Could we help? We soon pulled up opposite the stranded RF453,
and took a few more passengers with us on the trip north:
At Oxted station we picked up yet more passengers for the 465 short-working
up through Old Oxted and across the speed bumps to Hurst Green and the narrow
turn-round loop at Holland.
Passports checked, we made our way back to Oxted station, where the blinds
were reset for the 494 return journey to East Grinstead, and the last five
seats filled. With a full load, the climb up out of Oxted brought a mighty
roar from the little diesel!
XF1 to East Grinstead
At Lingfield Station we met Alan Charman with XF1 on a 409 short working to
East Grinstead, and I transferred to the Fleetline for the main-road ride
back to East Grinstead station.
RT2043 to Lingfield
There I changed onto Roger and Dawn Stagg's RT2043, northbound on another
409 short to Lingfield Station.
This was a lovely quiet ride, with not many
passengers aboard the immaculate RT, and was an opportunity to chat.
RF315 to East Grinstead
Back at Lingfield I found RF315 waiting, having just turned on a 428 working
towards East Grinstead. I hopped aboard, for the ride again to East Grinstead
station. On the way we passed a GreenLine RF wearing 708 blinds, and T504
sporting 712 blinds, both carrying heavy loads northwards.
At the station I changed again, rejoining Dawn on RT2043 for the short ride up
to King Street. I wondered whether to continue to Forest Row, but lunch called
and I alighted at the bus-station to find the TMR team in RT2291.
King Street Bus Station
The lunch break also gave me an opportunity to see what else was in the bus park.
There were four GSs now: GS1, GS42, GS56 and GS62. RLH 48 had arrived, as had
several RMs, but RTs, GSs and RFs still dominated, busily coming and going
from the tight parking area to go on a duty or return for a break. RT604,
in London Country livery, unexpectedly joined in the fun, helping to relieve
the passenger pressures of a very busy day with some extras.
RF308 to the Stone Quarry Estate
After lunch I went for a short 424 excursion on RF308 (another extra) up to
the Stone Quarry Estate terminus, and returned on it to King Street.
RF4 to Dormansland

A few minutes later came the opportunity to ride on Peter Penfold's Private
Hire RF, RF4, on a 428 service out to Dormansland (Plough Inn), another of
the booked connection points.

Out there I found red RF530 waiting on the
434 connection to Edenbridge (but didn't have time for the trip, unfortunately),
and RF308 on a 434 service the other way back to King Street.
I climbed back aboard the latter, and enjoyed the short trip down into town.
RLH 48 pulled out from the Stone Quarry Estate ahead of us, and stayed just
ahead all the way down to the High Street.

RLH48 to the Stone Quarry
I looked round the display area again, then enjoyed a trip up to the Stone
Quarry Estate again, this time aboard the immaculate RLH. It was packed,
humid and steaming upstairs, so I enjoyed my favourite downstairs seat, at
the rear nearside, chatting to the conductor, who was also enjoying the
marvellous day. I alighted to watch the bus turn in the T in the estate,
and boarded again for the trip into town via the station.

(left)RLH 48 is signalled back by the conductor at the reversing T in Stone Quarry Estate.
(above) Younger members of the public were fascinated too.
RF255 to Kingscote and back

Now it was time to find Mike again, as he was to drive TMR's RF255 (in
Metrobus blue / yellow livery) on one of its 473 workings to the Bluebell
Railway's station at Kingscote. Guided by the conductor (from London and Country)
we headed south-west out of East Grinstead through the bluebell woods to
the busy little station. Another RF was already in the station approach
when we arrived, and we were followed in by RP90 and yet another green RF. It
was tight and busy - it takes several buses to absorb a train-load of passengers!
We carried a full load back to East Grinstead station, where I said my farewells.
Northbound services bound for Hemel Hempstead and West Croydon paused at the
station bus stands on their way north, as the people and buses dispersed at
the end of an excellent day.

Thanks
My thanks go to the organisers - in particular Alan Charman and his team for
their meticulous attention to detail in scheduling and preparations for
drivers, blinds, bus-stops, route-cards, duty timetables...
Also to all the drivers, conductors and inspectors who made the day such a
pleasant one for riders like me. Last, but not least, to all the vehicle owners
for entrusting their precious vehicles to the crowds. They seemed to enjoy it:
the enthusiasts, the Bluebell day-trippers, the local folk on a nostalgia trip,
the local kids discovering that yes they could travel round the town all day for free.
It was MAGIC!

Buses I saw in Service at the Running Day:

- RF4, Private Hire, Peter Penfold
- RF255, Metrobus blue, TMR Preservation
- RF280, unmodernised, Country green, John & Gill Hinson
- RF308, London Country,
- RF315, Country green,
- RF366, Central red, Jim Andress
- RF453, Central red, Gill & John Hinson
- RF530, Central red,
- RF534, late Central red, Mike Nash
- RF626, Country green, Brian Peacock & Dick Garbutt
- RF633, Country green,
- RF672, Country green, Paul Morris & Dave Jones

- RT593, Country green,
- RT604, London Country NBC green,
- RT2043, Central red & cream, Roger & Dawn Stagg
- RT3775, London & Country green, London & Country
- GS1, Country green, John Huxford / Model Road&Rail
- GS56, Country green, TMR Preservation
- GS62, Country green, Alan Charman
- RLH 48, Country green, Richard Proctor
- RP90, GreenLine, Paul Morris, Mike Nash, Andy Baxter
- T504, GreenLine, London Bus Preservation Group, Cobham.
- XF1, Country green, Alan Charman, Dick Garbutt, Brian Peacock

Other buses at the event, that I didn't see in service.

- TD95, Central red, London Bus Preservation Group, Cobham.
- RF13, Hampsons of Oswestry, TMR Preservation
- RF28, modernised GreenLine
- RF213, modernised GreenLine
- RF486, Central red
- RT2291, Central red, TMR Preservation
- GS42, Country green
- RM597, undergoing repaint
- RM1224, undergoing repaint
- DMS132, Central red
- FirstBus 293


Routes worked
- 409 West Croydon - E.G - Forest Row (with Lingfield Station short workings)
- 424 Reigate - E.G - Stone Quarry Estate (with short workings)
- 434 Edenbridge - E.G - Kinscote (plus short workings)
- 428 Dormansland - E.G
- 465 Holland - Oxted Stn - Edenbridge Stn (with Holland - Oxted Stn shorts)
- 473 Kingscote Stn - E.G - E.G Stn
- 494 Chart - Oxted Stn - E.G (with short workings to Oxted Stn)
- 708 Hemel Hempstead - E.G

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