RF627 at Welwyn North Stn

Hertford Running Day

Sunday June 4th 2006

Prepared by Ian Smith, 26th June 2006



Part 3: Navigating on a National: SNB257

Meanwhile, at Stevenage, red RML2623 had arrived hotfoot from Hertford on the through 390 service. I walked out to join Eddie Knorn on the National blinded for the 303, and took a photo from there (Hence the poor quality: reflections from the National windows have not helped at all!)

RML2613 at Stevenage RML2613 at Stevenage

303: Stevenage to Hitchin

The National, although driven by Eddie, turned out not to be one of his fleet at all. They were all indisposed, so he had borrowed SNB257 from its owner in Kent.

SNB257 at Stevenage SNB257 at Stevenage

There were still some Volvos around at Stevenage in Sovereign' local service liveries. Ex-Sovereign 143, now Arriva The Shires 3314, came in on a SB1 service sporting the smart and interestingSovereign livery, so different from the corporate blandness of Arriva's turqoise and cream.. Eddie pulled the National round to reach stop J, and we loaded up for the ride to Hitchin.

SNB257 at Stevenage SNB257 at Stevenage

It seems that perhaps even Arriva is not totally happy with its ice-cream scoop livery. As we passed northwards through the Old Town we passed another of the Wright Renowns, 3303, this time in the more-blue cow-horns style, heading south on the 301 trunk route.

We bowled out of Stevenage by the fast route to Hitchin, and in very little time were sitting in the bus lay-by by St Mary's Square.

Arriva 3303 in Stevenage Old Town SNB257 at Hitchin

303: Hitchin to Stevenage

We set off back to Hitchin. We had first to progress towards the station to find a roundabout to turn at. That was a familiar shape bowling towards us. It was GS62, coming back from Weston as a 383. It purred past. We turned, and pursued it back to St.Mary's Square. We went on, along to the old Hitchin garage, and up through the cutting to the roundabout for the road back to Stevenage.

GS62 in Hitchin GS62 at Hitchin Hitchin Garage

On our way into Stevenage we had company for a short while in the shape of an Ensignbus Lynx - ex-Cleveland G620GEF. We went our own way through the Old Town, and round to the bus station where we passed SNC168 just departing with the next 303 to Hitchin. It had made it after all.

Ensignbus Lynx SNC168 at Stevenage

390: Stevenage to Hertford

SNB257 was now forming the connecting 390 to Hertford. We headed south-east out of Stevenage, past Broadwater and Bragbury End. We left the New Town behind now, and scurried through the countryside, with the mute accompaniment of the Hertford Loop railway, suffering weekend engineering somewhere. We left the main road to enter Watton at Stone - or rather continued on the old road through the town. We did not visit the station, but did pull up at the bus-stop at The Bull.

Watton SNB257 at The Bull, Watton

Beyond Watton we returned left back onto the main road, and continued our rapid progress southwards. We passed RML2613 heading northwards on another 390 turn, and then a Leyland Tiger of Falcon Coaches growled past.

RML2613 on 390 Falcon Coaches Tiger

A few moments later we met Trustline's MetroRider 409 pretending to be a train. We rolled on towards Hertford, and eventually came down towards the town past Hertford North Station, where we paused for a moment, before driving round the town to the bus station.

Trustline MetroRider on Rail duties SNB257 at Hertford North Stn

Part 4: Hacking around Hertford



All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.


Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part 1 Part 2 Part 4: Hacking around Hertford