GS67

GS: The Guy Special

Prepared by Ian Smith

This page created 23rd October 2003

388 HG Mardley Hill - Welwyn / Welwyn Garden City - Welwyn North - Tewin - Hertford (L.T.Garage)
388A HG Sele Farm Estate - Hertford (L.T.Garage)
389 HG Hertford - Ware - Stanstead Abbotts - Eastwick - Gilston - Sawbridgeworth

388 HG Mardley Hill - Welwyn / Welwyn Garden City - Welwyn North - Tewin - Hertford - Ware - Stanstead Abbotts - Eastwick - Gilston - Sawbridgeworth

388 HG Mardley Hill - Welwyn / Welwyn Garden City - Welwyn North - Tewin - Hertford (L.T.Garage)
380 HG Hertford - Ware - Stanstead Abbotts - Eastwick - Gilston - Sawbridgeworth

388 HG Mardley Hill - Welwyn / Welwyn Garden City - Welwyn North - Tewin - Hertford - Ware - Stanstead Abbotts - Harlow Bus Station

388 route map

The 388 was another of Hertford's long routes that changed considerably in size over the years. It had started with Peoples of Ware, running in a great loop from Bishops Stortford south to Sawbridgeworth, then west through Stanstead Abbotts to Ware and Hertford. Continuing on it went through Tewin to Welwyn, then turned north to head for Letchworth and Baldock. Motive power was provided by a Gilford.

London Transport took it on, and rationalised it into their network. In GS days the remnant 388 was a route that straggled across rural Hertfordshire, with several local foci. Welwyn was one, and later Welwyn Garden City, drawing traffic from Mardley Hill, Welwyn North, Haldens and Harmer Green. Beyond that was country lanes to Tewin, and most of the way to the outskirts of Hertford. The large developing estates on the west of the town had various transport offerings over the years, and a GS-operated 388A estate route was one for a while. In Hertford the route was unique in being shown on the bus maps as terminating at the bus garage rather than the bus station. In practice the terminus was on Ware Road, just short of Fairfax Road where the garage was, no buses operating in service to or from the garage along Fairfax Road itself.

In 1953, when the GS buses arrived at Hertford to take over from the Cubs, the 388 was Hertford (L.T.) to Mardley Hill or Welwyn Garden City, and the 389 worked between Hertford and Sawbridgeworth.

The 388A as a separate route was added in December 1954 as a "swinger" to provide a town service to the large Sele Farm Estate on the western edge of Hertford. It lasted until March 1956.

The 389 reached out from Hertford in the opposite direction from the 388. It ran along the busy main road to Ware, then south with the 310 and Greenline 715 to Amwell Cross Roads. There it turned east, and connected up the villages of Stanstead Abbotts, Eastwick and Gilston, before finishing at Sawbridgeworth. It had seven buses on weekdays, and four on Sundays. One early on Saturday afternoons ran as a short working to Gilston, returning as a relief three minutes ahead of a through working from Sawbridgeworth.

GS1 at Hertford, June 2002 GS2 at Tewin, June 2002

GS1 unloads at Hertford Bus Station in June 2002, during a well-attended running day. The same day GS2 pauses at the bus shelter in Tewin
GS2 at Welwyn North Station, June 2002 GS2 at Welwyn Church, June 2002
GS2 halts beside Welwyn North Station, and later terminated at Welwyn Church, again in June 2002.

388, 389 combined into 388

The 388 and 389 were combined as the new 388 in October 1956, working between Mardley Hill / Welwyn and Sawbridgeworth. The 389 number was withdrawn. The Saturday short to Gilston remained, now returning to Hertford ahead of a through Sawbridgeworth to Welwyn working.

388 split into 388, 380

This arrangement lasted until 1961, when the service was divided again. The 388 reverted to Hertford to Welwyn / Mardley Hill, and a new route 380 took over the Hertford to Sawbridgeworth workings. This was GS-worked too.

388 extended to Harlow, 380 taken over by 390

In May 1963 Harlow bus garage opened and the Harlow bus network was recast. The changes were many, but the 388 was extended again, reaching Harlow Bus Station, taking over part of the 390 route into Harlow. The 380 number disappeared, the RF/RT-operated 390 being diverted along its route to Sawbridgeworth instead.

Allocation

Hertford operated a number of GS routes, and the 388/389/380 requirement was taken from the pool.

387 389 (HA)

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