GS67

GS: The Guy Special

Prepared by Ian Smith

This page created 19th November 2003

433 DS Coldharbour - Dorking - Dorking North - Ranmore Common

Dorking started out with two GS routes, the 433 and the 449. Both had been Cub operated, and the GSs took over in December 1953.

The 433 route stuck out of both ends of Dorking: to the north it passed the important station of Dorking North, for trains to and from London, then it turned off the Leatherhead road to climb up through suburbia, then onto the North Downs to visit the scattered community at Ranmore, terminating apparently at nowhere, at the road junction at Dog Kennel Green (where presumably it could turn and stand without inconveniencing anyone)..
To the south-west of Dorking it quickly was into the narrow lanes leading up around the wooded Greensand of Leith Hill, to end at the tiny - but pretty- village of Coldharbour. In the GSs' early days it was a very popular place to be on Sundays, for the village was just under the slopes of Leith Hill, the highest hill in south-east England. Hence the blinds destination reading as Coldharbour: for Leith Hill. But outside of school times and weekends the commuter and shopping needs died off with the motor car revolution, and in its last days the route was sadly under-used. It survived, perhaps surprisingly, until October 1968.

GS62 at Dorking, August 2003 433 map GS42 at Dorking, August 2003

GS2 at Ranmore, August 2004 GS2 at Coldharbour, August 2004

GS2 operated a full 433 between Ranmore (Dog Kennel Green) and Coldharbour on a Running Day in August 2004.

Allocation

Dorking required four GSs to manage its two routes in the early days, but by the end was using just the one - GS42 - on the 433. 

GS6: 11/62 -  2/63
GS16: 1/59 -  7/59
GS29:11/56 -  5/60
GS32: 8/57 - 11/57
GS36:12/53 - 12/56
GS37:12/53 - 10/57
GS39: 2/63 - 12/66
GS41:11/53 -c11/56
GS42:12/53 -  2/55, 12/66-10/68
GS44: 4/62 - 10/64
GS45: 3/55 -  5/55,  2/56- 8/57 o/h 11/57 - 10/62  
GS82: 7/59 -  4/62
GS83: 5/55 -  7/56

London Country Heritage Services

433 DS Dorking - Dorking North - Ranmore Common - Polesden Lacey - Horsley - Clandon - Guildford

Surrey County Council sponsored a number of leisure services on Summer Sundays during the late nineties, which included a route loosely rooted in the old 433. This new 433 operated between Dorking and Guildford, taking in Polesden Lacey - a noted tourist attraction not far from Ranmore Common. There it connected with a Routemaster on a 410 Summer Sunday service from Westerham. The 433 used a couple of GS buses: GS13 which had been reacquired by London & Country and repainted in Country Area green with gold London Country fleetnames, and GS67 from Nostalgiabus (their No.7), which wore their burgundy livery with white lining.

GS13 at Dorking, September 2001 GS13 at Dorking, September 2001

GS13 wore its London Country 433 Surrey Sunday blinds when it came to the September 2001 Running Day at Dorking.

422 434

Bus Stop GS GS Routes bus histories photo refs