GS67

GS: The Guy Special

Prepared by Ian Smith

This page created 23rd October 2003

316 HH Hemel Hempstead - Bovingdon - Chesham Broadway
316 HH Two Waters (L.T.garage) - Hemel Hempstead

316 MA Ley Hill - Chesham Broadway - Amersham Station (Sundays)

316 route map

The 316 was an oddity in several ways, the most obvious being its joint operation with Rover Bus Services. It was one of the early routes to receive one-man-operated RFs for test purposes in August 1954, when the trials buses moved there from Leatherhead and the 419. The trials were deemed successful and when omo RFs began to appear in quantities, in July 1956, the 316 changed to GS operation, while other routes at Hemel Hempstead received the converted omo RFs.

At that stage it terminated at Hemel Hempstead bus station, but by October it was extended to serve an estate at Highfield, terminating in Paston Road.

The Sunday service ceased in October 1960. The Sunday-only local service from Amersham to Chesham and on up to Ley Hill, that used the 316 route up the hill out of Chesham, became the 316 on Sundays.

By 1962 the Hemel Hempstead terminus was at St Pauls Road.

London Transport pulled out of the joint operation on the main route entirely in May 1964, leaving it to Rover. The Sunday service from Amersham to Ley Hill was withdrawn in October 1965.
GS17 climbs out of Chesham, October 2003 GS32 at Ley Hill, October 2003

GS32 visited Chesham and Ley Hill during a Running Day in October 2003. This is the view as we climbed up out of Chesham towards Ley Hill. GS32 turned at The Crown, on the edge of the Common. Alas, we only had a 348 blind, not a 316.
From Chesham Broadway the route headed out northwards, then abruptly turned right off the main road to climb steeply up the valley side. At the top it forked, with the Sunday route to Ley Hill going on through Botley to reach The Crown at Ley Hill, on the edge of the common. The main route headed for Lye Green along the B-road, then turned east to head for Bovingdon Green. This necessitated leaving the "main road" for a loop through Bovingdon, before rejoining it for the run down a valley to Boxmoor. From there it was on into the rapidly developing centre of Hemel Hempstead.

Garage runs from Hemel Hempstead went directly to Two Waters garage using 316 blinds.

GS17 returns to Chesham, October 2003 GS1 visits Chesham, October 2003

GS17 made a return visit to Chesham Broadway for a Running Day in October 2003. Here it enters the Broadway wearing blinds for the Amersham Station - Ley Hill short working. Also visiting on the same day was GS1, arriving with blinds for the Hemel Hempstead journey.

Allocation

GS17 and GS83 were Hemel Hempstead's regular buses, covering the route from its conversion to GS almost until its surrender in May 1964, apart from overhauls. GS68 and GS80 were also there for some time, while others came and went as required. In October 1962 there was a change-round, following widespread displacements of GSs elsewhere in the fleet, and GSS 42, 51 and 52 arrived to complement GS17. 

GS16: 12/57 -  8/58
GS17:  7/56 -  7/59, 8/59 - 5/60 (o/h) 8/60 - 2/63
GS19:  5/60 -  9/60
GS22:  2/60 -  3/60, 1/61 - 8/61
GS28:  1/59 -  2/61
GS42: 10/62 -  5/64
GS51: 10/62 - 10/65
GS52: 10/62 - ?
GS68:  7/60 - 10/62
GS76: 12/58   (GR loan?)
GS80: 11/59 - 10/62
GS83:  */56 -  3/59 o/h 7/59 - 10/62

309 317

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