RLH48 off 353 at Amersham

Amersham

Sunday October 5th 2008

Prepared by Ian Smith, 19th October 2008.


An hour at Amersham

Back at Amersham I took the opportunity to find the mobile food van and sales stalls. Even on days like this the body needs feeding as well as the spirit. I found RLH48, back from its visit to Gerrards Cross, and enquired when it was going out next. Two o'clock. That gave me an hour to look at the buses on site (and those that arrived in the interim, of course). Also there was the Lynx that I had seen earlier on the 394, D101NDW, with a fascinating history of service on the London periphery (including Grey Green and Londonlinks).

RLH48 off 353 at Amersham. D101NDW at Amersham.

RF281 was there, representing the modernised era of GreenLine RFs, working the 724 between High Wycombe and Amersham.

In the bus park two buses stood side by side in London Country green and yellow: RF644, with the reduced-aperture blinds of the period, when RFs could be scheduled to undertake almost any Country service. In this case it was set up for the 394C. RML2412 was the other in London Country livery, blinded for the 362 to High Wycombe.

RF281 off 724 at Amersham. RF644 and RML2412 at Amersham.

I went on down to the visiting buses' corner. RM8 was there, looking good, as ever. Next to it was RM1033 in the later white band and bullseye livery of London Transport.

RM8 at Amersham. RM1033 at Amersham.

Tucked into the corner were Midland Red S15 5056, dating from 1962 but looking much older than RFs from a decade earlier, and RMC1476 in NBC green livery.

In the active bus parking zone in the centre stood RML2676 wearing blinds for the 305 - a featured route of the day. Next to it stood much older roofbox-bodied RT1784, still sporting a set of route 65 blinds but with a route card for the 359 in the cab window.

5056 and RMC1476 at Amersham. RML2676 and RT1784 at Amersham.

Prewar Brighton & Hove Regent FUF63 stood in the line too, looking good for its age (69).

Brighton & Hove FUF63 at Amersham. Brighton & Hove FUF63 at Amersham.

GreenLine liveried RMC1461 looked excellent despite the pouring rain. RM2116, in its London Forester show bus livery came in from a duty on the 359 and parked alongside.

Another arrival was RT604, which had been out far from its usual haunts, on the 305.

RMC1461, RM2116 at Amersham. RT604 at Amersham.

There were red RFs too, making a small bus-park of their own: RF406, off the 394C; RF457 off the 348 and RF486 off the 397.

RF406 at Amersham. RF487 at Amersham.

The line-up of buses on active duty included some "foreigners": Aldershot & District Reliance 543 was there, waiting for a turn on the 362, and United Counties Bristol Lodekka 712 looked the part for 336 lowbridge duties.

RF457, RF486, AD543 at Amersham. United Counties 712 at Amersham.

Green RFs seemed to be mostly out on service, but then RF667 came back from a 353 trip before circling the block and heading off again on the 359 to Great Missenden. RF636 also arrived, squeezing into the bus park.

RF667 at Amersham. RF636 at Amersham.

RT1784 pulled out from the rank and came out onto the stop for a trip on the 359 too.

RT1784 at Amersham. RT1784 at Amersham.

GS13 came in off the 332 and stood for a while in the rank, while its driver scrolled through the blind looking for the correct one for his next working on the 349 to St.Leonards.

GS13 at Amersham. GS13 at Amersham.

Looking slightly out of its time zone, Wootens' rebodied Leyland Tiger THL290Y was resting between journeys on the 710. More familar was RF281, coming round the loop to load for another trip on the 724.

THL290Y off 710 at Amersham. RF281 on 724 at Amersham.

Now, where was RLH48?...

Part Three: 336 to Rickmansworth

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

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Three: 336 to Rickmansworth