I went to chat with the guys on GS15. They had been running GS15 as a Greenline duplicate all day, and showed me pictures of GS36 doing just that in its Northfleet days: running on the 725, and dressed ready for the 701. They were just preparing to go out as a duplicate to RCL2260 on another 725 trip as far as Swanscombe. So I went with the flow, and went with them.
GS15 took on its quota of passengers and set out behind RCL2260, which was also heading for Southfleet, dressed as a 702. We roared our way west through Gravesend and along the Overcliffe. Soon we descended past the Plough at Northfleet, and followed the RCL through to a supermarket, somwhere in Swanscombe (I think). There the two buses paused for a couple of minutes for photos to be taken, before starting the short return journey.
On the return journey we passed out of service Arriva Dart 3289, off the 499, and also met RF48 again, heading for Dartford this time, just below the Plough.
We climbed the hill to Northfleet, and ran along to the garage, where we paused as the sun dipped behind the rooftops. One of the home team - DAF/Plaxton Prestige 3914 - pulled up at the opposite stop so that we could compare buses with a fifty year age difference.
We went on through the rapidly gathering dusk into Gravesend. Entering the carpark we met RB51, heading out, presumably for home, and pulled up at the dolly stop for our passengers to alight.
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.
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