RF633 on 329 at Hertford

Hertford, Hitchin & Stevenage

Sunday June 1st 2008

Prepared by Ian Smith, 12th June 2008.


Sunday Morning at Hertford

Early Arrivals and Departures

Today I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in Hertford before wandering down to the bus station. There was no early morning GS departure to the fringe of the system this year, and my commitment in the afternoon would take me away from Hertford then. So a perusal of the timetables suggested that my best bet for the morning was to hang around Bircherley Green bus station and watch the comings and goings.

When I arrived RT3254 was already on the stand for the 0925 departure to Stevenage on the 390. The 390 between Hertford and Stevenage was a RF route, but Stevenage garage operated RTs on short workings out to Aston, so RT3254, which was to operate Stevenage local routes all day wore a short-working via blind.

A few ordinary services use the bus stations on Sunday too. Trustline have the Sunday contract for the 311 to Waltham Cross, and had ex-Metroline Dart/Marshall DMS11 in operation today.

RT3254 on 390, Hertford. DMS11 on 311, Hertford.

RF633 was due out at 0930, to head for distant Nup End via the 329 and then continue to Hitchin on the 329A, to work the rest of the morning there. GS2 was in the bus station too, for the fitting of the day's blinds.

RF633 on 328, Hertford. GS2, Hertford.

GS2, Hertford. RF633 on 328, Hertford.

RF429 arrived from Sussex with Alan Charman, and was followed into the bus station by Arriva's 3904, a Mercedes-Benz Citaro on Greenline 724 to Heathrow Terminal 5/4. That of course did not hang around, but quickly spun round the end of the bus station and was away.

RF429, Hertford. 3904 on 724, Hertford.

3904 on 724, Hertford. 3904 on 724, Hertford.

0925 arrived, and RT3254 departed for Stevenage. The Greenline RT looked magnificent as it purred away: a fine comparison with the modern Greenline coach that had preceded it.

RT3254 on 390, Hertford. RT3254 on 390, Hertford.

RF406 arrived, and stood beside RF429.

RF406, Hertford. RF406, RF429.

RF633 departed for Knebworth and Hitchin

Trustline's long Dart/Plaxton DPL1 arrived on the C4.

RF633 departs on 329. DPL1 arrives on C4.

The bus station started to empty as our buses went across to the "garage" at London Road. RF406 went, as did Steven Woods' Eastbourne 69, and John Huxford did a rounder through the town with GS2 to fetch his parents from the hotel.

69 twirls. RF406 goes off. GS2 comes back to the bus station.

I walked across to London Road. Guernsey Albion 77 was there, tucked into a corner. So too were RM 1699, to be used on the 341 to Hatfield, and Greenline RF269, ready for the 724 to Hatfield and 716 to Stevenage. RF627 was prepared for a foray on the 393, and RF406 for the 388 to Welwyn. Eastbourne 69 was to go out on the 331 to Standon.

Guernsey Albion 77, London Road . RM1699.

RF406, RF627, RF269. RF269.

I headed back across to Bircherley Green Bus Station...

Part Three: mid-morning at Hertford

Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Three: Mid-morning at Hertford