Hertford Running DaysSaturday 7th, Sunday 8th June 2014Prepared by Ian Smith, 29th June 2014.381/372: Coopersale Common and Toot Hill to Hertford: RF633381: Coopersale Common to Toot HillI had not realised that the 381, for part of its existence, did not terminate every time at Coopersale Common, but continued in a loop back round through Epping and on to Toot Hill. So the blinds were changed on RF633, this time to a 381 to Toot Hill.We reboarded, and went forward, under the Epping-Ongar Railway to meet the North Weald road. There we turned left to run into Epping. We met Townlinks' Dart SLF LX51FFW heading to Harlow from Ongar, then paused again on the High Street stop. We set off again, turning down towardfs Epping Station. This time it was Green Line-liveried RT3238 that was toiling up the hill with a 339 to Ongar. We continued down to the valley bottom, and ran eastwards, passing the Merry Fiddler before climbing up through Colliers Hatch to Toot Hill. At Toot Hill we located the turning point, just beyond the Green Man, and alighted while the bus made a turn using a side-road, with the direction of conductor Larkham. The bus tootled back past the pub to halt at the bus stop. The blinds were changed for the return journey as a 381 to St.Margarets Station.
381: Toot Hill to St.Margaret's StationSome of us walked down the bank to the crossroads where the short-lived extension to Ongar had turned off to Stanford Rivers. There we found positions to watch RF633 pootle down the hill.We reboarded just downhill of the crossroads, and trundled down through Colliers Hatch for another pause at The Merry Fiddlers. We settled back aboard the comfortable RF. Almost dozing (except Peter and Peter, of course), we climbed back up into Epping, which we passed through uneventfully. Again we missed out the Beaconsfield Estate, and headed out over the rolling countryside. We passed through Epping Green (another short-journey turning point), and rolled on past Tylers Cross and Roydon. We dived dowm into Stanstead Abbotts and into St.Margarets, where Peter pulled round to terminate on the station forecourt.
372: St.Margaret's Station to HertfordThe blinds were changed again, to 372 for the final run to Hertford. We headed west to Amwell Cross Roads (now a roundabout of course), and north towards Ware. We by-passed the town beside the New River and Ware Crossing. We followed an Arriva Trident (6018) westwards towards Hertford, where we pulled round into the carpark in London Road.
Post-script: 390: Hertford to Stevenage StationThe RF was heading off to Stevenage for an overnight stay. I was heading to Stevenage Station for a train to Cambridge. So I hitched a lift. Peter put up appropriate 390 blinds and we motored north, up the main road, not worrying about excursions off it into Watton and Broadwater. After dropping other folk at the Bus Station Peter kindly took me round to the station...and another day to come!
Part Three: 384: Stevenage to Hertford. Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
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