GS67

GS: The Guy Special

Prepared by Ian Smith

This page created 23rd October 2003

348 MA St Leonards/Buckland Common - Bellingdon - Chesham - Chesham Moor
348A MA Pond Park Estate - Chesham Broadway

December 1953 was the month of Amersham's changeover from Leyland Cubs to GSs. The 348 and 348A were among the recipients. The route had only recently been expanded in scope, with the addition of the local Chesham Broadway to Pond Park Estate service to provide for the new hill-top estate.

348 map The route's southern end was at Chesham Moor in 1953, avoiding too many parked buses near the Broadway, where waiting was strictly limited. Passing through Chesham and visiting the Broadway, the routes then headed north up Hivings Hill. At the top the 348A turned off and folded back into the estate, while the 348 headed north-west into the Chiltern countryside. GS2 on 348 at Bellingdon Bull

GS2 pauses at The Bull, Bellingdon, on the October 2003 Running Day

Bellingdon was soon reached. The stop was outside The Bull public house, naturally! Some services turned here. Others went on up through the woods to a crossroads, where the bus wiggled westwards towards Buckland Common.

The terminal point at Buckland Common was tucked away round the corner from the pub. From the St.Leonards road there was a sharp right onto the road to Cholesbury, followed by a sharp left past the pub onto the back-lane to St.Leonards, and another sharp right onto the narrow lane to Parrott's Farm. A reverse turn could then be made into a dead-end lane.

GS62 at Buckland Common GS62 at Buckland Common

Buckland Common during the October 2003 Running Day: GS62 has arrived and backed up the back-lane, while GS2 is parked on the corner next to the phone box, Victorian post-box and notice board.
GS34 at Chesham Broadway Some buses did not turn in at Buckland Common but went on to serve St. Leonards, a long half-mile further up the road. Again there was a reverse turn, but into the back-road to Buckland Common. (Later, when omo RFs took over, this back-lane became the route, creating a loop to serve both terminals)

Garage runs to Amersham were made in service using 348 blinds.

The GSs were displaced by RFs in October 1962, when the entry into service of the RMC Routemasters suddenly made the RF3** converted buses redundant in Greenline service and they reverted to bus use.

The short-working 348A service from Pond Park Estate terminated at Chesham Broadway. 348s either turned here or continued to Chesham Moor. GS34 turns on the October 2003 Running Day.
336A 361

Bus Stop GS GS Routes bus histories photo refs