RT3254 on 716 at Stevenage

Hertford, Hitchin & Stevenage

Sunday June 7th 2009

Prepared by Ian Smith, 24th June 2009.


More around Hertford

Bircherley Green to London Road, RF4

Back at Bircherley Green it was raining. Prototype Routemaster RM1 sat in the bus station in the downpour.

RM1 at Hertford. RM1 at Hertford.

RF4 came in off its 393 out and back trip to Welwyn Garden City, and I went aboard to chat to Peter Penfold as we headed through the rain towards the stabling area in London Road. We followed RF406 out of the bus station.

RF4 at Hertford. RF406 at Hertford.

As we threaded our way out to the roundabout we passed RMC1500, heading in to Bircherley Green to take up a working. Whether it was a 341 or a 390 it was raining too hard to make out. It is only a short hop across to London Road, and by the time that Peter had parked there next to RF429 the cloud-burst was over, leaving desultory dribbles as we went to meet the other crews.

RMC1500 at Hertford. RF429 at London Road.

As well as RF627 and RF429, in the carpark were RM1699 and RF679, while out on London Road were parked Green Line RF281, RMC1476 and RF406.

RM1699 at London Road. RF281 at London Road.

London Road to Bircherley Green, RMC1476

Peter and I walked over to see Clive and Mike on RMC1476. They were just about to set off to the bus station to take up a 390 to Stevenage, so I stayed aboard for the short trip back to the bus station.

RF406 at London Road. RMC1476 at London Road.

350: Hertford to Essendon and back, RF627

Back at the bus station I found that GS2 had returned from Bulls Green and was resting at the end of Bircherley Green.

Ken Eveleigh arrived with RF627 for the 350 trip to Essendon, and I joined him.

GS2 at Bircherley Green. RF627 at Bircherley Green.

We loaded up and headed round Hertford and out onto the road west. We turned off into Hertingfordbury, and wound up the hill through the village. At Birch Green we made a photo stop in the sunshine.

Hertingfordbury. RF627 at Birch Green.

RF627 at Birch Green. RF627 at Birch Green.

We rumbled on to Cole Green, where we turned left, and passed under the Cole Green Way (which uses the old railway trackbed). We swung right then left through Letty Green, and dipped slightly to cross the River Lea before joining the B158. We headed west past Essendon Mill and swung left for the stiff little climb to Essendon. We gave passengers the opportunity to alight to watch the bus make the turn round the triangular village layout, then made the very tight turn at the top to descend the narrow lane past the church. Today there were no cars blocking the tight turn at the bottom, and Ken pulled up before the exit onto the main road for people to rejoin.

We rolled back the way we had come, down the hill to rejoin the 341 route briefly at Essendon Mill, then left to Letty Green and Cole Green. The road back to Hertingfordbury and Hertford was beginning to look familiar!

RF627 at Essendon. Cole Green railway bridge.

Back at Hertford we hit another busy patch. We arrived. RF406 was loading up, but agreed to my request to shut the doors for a moment so that I could get a picture of them: they are the unusual late-pattern "Uxbridge doors". RF366 pulled in alongside to disgorge passengers from a ride on the 308A.

Uxbridge doors on RF406. RF366 on 308A.

Green Line Mercedes Citaro 3907 took a stand for a few moments on its way to Harlow on the 724, while Trustybus Dart DM528 once more squeezed past into the end slot for the 311.

3907 on 724. DM528 on 311.

RF308 took over a stand to load for the quiet run back to Stevenage over the 384 route, while RF679 slipped into the stand vacated by the GreenLine Citaro.

RF308 on 384. RF679.

RF633 came chortling in on a 388 from Welwyn Garden City, to reload for a trip to Much Hadham on the 350A...

Part Six: East of Hertford

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

Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Six