Route 210: Sixty years from first RFsTuesday 11th September 2012Prepared by Ian Smith, 14th September 2012.210: Finsbury Park to The Spaniards: RF368When I returned, RF600 was just heading off up the hill, back to Golders Green, and RF368 had just arrived at the alighting stop in Clifton Terrace.There were plenty of other buses using the bus station, buzzing in and out, including Arriva's T2223 and T209 on the W3 and Metroline's VW1282 on the W7. RF368 came round onto the Wells Terrace stop just behind a Metroline bus on the 210, which absorbed most of the queue. Soi twas a more leisurely progress across to Archway and up Highgate Hill. Strangely, we met RF486 at almost exactly the point on the Hill where I had last passed her. By now RF486 was in front of a Metroline 210, as were we, having passed it on the Hill (at a stop!). We whispered through the Village, and chundered across the top of the Heath to Kenwood, where we passed RF491 coming the other way. Then as we approached The Spaniards, and after I had rung the bell to alight, we came up behind TD95, which was on a photographic tour for The London Bus Museum (Brooklands).
The Spaniards Inn Toll GateThe RF - and the EnviroTrident behind - hung back: getting past the TD AND through the narrow passage of the Toll Gate was not going to be easy. But it was done, and with its muted roar the RF was away and through the gap.Then the Leyland rumbled into action and made a clean passage through the gap, to the delight of the assembled multitude of photographers - me included. But today was about RFs, so I hung on here to see what came past. First buses through were a pair of EnviroTridents on the 210, one each way. TE1081, travelling east, was adorned with Olympics advertising for a banking product. TE838, going west, was nicer in traditional blue and red Metroline livery. Then RF600 nosed through the narrow passageway, heading for Finsbury Park again, while RF395 waited at the stop on the east side. I returned to the east side of the gate, where RF395 was still standing, waiting for a gap in the traffic, which was building up. RF368 returned, squeezing through the gap. I crossed the road towards RF395, which pulled away past the Toll House... Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
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