Gravesend Classic Bus Running Day

Sunday 2nd July 2006

Prepared by Ian Smith, 19th July 2006

Part Four: Travels with RTW75

487, Gravesend to Singlewell and Northfleet.

When I came back from my perfunctory break I found that Roger Wright had found a Singlewell final destination blind, and had taped it into position, and had also set up an appropriate intermediate blind and route number.

(Unfortunately, I also returned with muck on my lens filter, which I didn't notice at the time, and which has degraded the pictures somewhat. Sorry.)

We took on a good load, and set off for Singlewell. On this bus there is no missing or sliding window behind the driver, and Roger did not know the route. So we arranged a rudimentary bell code for right and left turns before we set off. We negotiated our way round by Parrock Street and onto the Wrotham Road, and headed south. Having refreshed my memory of the route on RCL2260 I was more confident this time. We made the correct left turn off the A227 to head for the Singlewell road, and turned up that for the long climb up onto the hill behind Gravesend.

As we approached the end of the route I realised that I had a problem. We had not set up a "stop" code - and I didn't want Roger to turn left into our reversing spur. He almost did, but was fortunately baulked by a car, giving me the opportunity to go forward and tell him what we needed to do. We made the three point turn OK, and pulled in to the layby for a photo stop.

Then it was an exhilarating ride back down the hill, followed by a more sedate negotiation of the link between the two main roads. We headed down into town, turned left at the station, (where I nearly forgot to set down some passengers who had asked for it), and headed out along the Overcliffe. Roger and I had decided not to go in to Northfleet Garage with an open-platform bus, so we continued along to Northfleet Church, and then down the hill to The Plough. There we turned left towards Ebbsfleet International Station, rounded its roundabout and pulled up under the local railway.

We had an uneventful run back. We climbed the hill to Northfleet Church and ran along the Overcliffe. RF48 headed past us on a westbound Green Line service. We threaded our way round the Gravesend traffic system back to the Milton Road carpark, and stopped for a twenty minute break before our next turn, on the 498.

Gravesend

I started to make the rounds of what I had not recorded before. First up, because it was arriving, was the unusual open-top single-decker, M&D Regal HKL819, coming in from a well-loaded tour.

RML898 was sitting quietly in the visitors' enclosure. In the working park RF406 was between turns, having been out on the 489A, while Hants & Dorset 779 (a Bristol) had been busy in support of various journeys.

The line-up well illustrated the eclectic mix of buses operating, all representative of Gravesend types. Maidstone & District Reliance SC390 was set up for the local 23 to Chalk, Southdown Guy Arab PUF647 for the long-distance 122 route (which went to Brighton), RP21 for the London and Ascot Green Line route 701, M&D Reliance S6 for the enjoyable 47 route to Cliffe and RF281 on the South Orbital GreenLine 725.

Backing onto the western fence was Country Bus Rallies stalwart RF679, a typical forty seater of the early 1950s. It was back in business after engine repairs following the East Grinstead Running Day. Next to it was a bus brand-new into service, Arriva Kent Thameside's 3808, one of the Volvo / Wright Urban Fusion buses bought for the Fastrak route between Gravesend and Dartford. It too is a single-doorway forty-seater saloon. It is interesting to ponder the changes that fifty years have brought to bus design. Arriva had brought it along to give people a chance to sample its charms on short rides.

498 Gravesend, Painters Ash and Northfleet, RTW75

I didn't have an intermediate blind for the 498 service, but did manage a 498 and a Northfleet Plough on the front. Roger and I trickled down to the stop and loaded up again for the circuitous tour round the back-streets of Gravesend's estates. At least I knew the way. We set off into town, past the railway station and left into Perry Street. I found the right fork left and we chuckled along to Woodlands Park, then up the bank to the Battle of Britain. A quick right and left took us into the Painters Ash Estate. We cruised through the summery estate, and climbed up to meet Perry Street again - just as GS2 dashed across the end on the 451. We pursued it the short distance along to the roundabout, where it was held up behind an Arriva Dart SLF. It turned left, and we turned right, down into the dip. We found he straight-on exit from the roundabout, and climbed the bank to Northfleet Church. We ran down the bank to The Plough, and turned left. This time Roger pulled up before the bridge, before turning round.

While we we waiting the RCL came along on a 487 working, roared straight past us, turned round the roundabout beyond the bridge, and roared back the way it had come. In a more leisurely fashion we too got going again, and retraced our route round the edges of Gravesend.

We arrived back at Milton Road just behind RF600, returning from another foray on the 489A. There was still plenty of activity, and queues to shift. The Lioness purred out on an excursion. Roger was booked for another turn, but had to withdraw at this stage because of work commitments in the evening and the need to comply with Drivers' Hours Regulations.

We parked the big red bus in the middle ground, and I looked for another excursion. No M&D trips were scheduled in the near future, but here comes RT3148 on a 480A short working..

Part 5: 480A to Rosherville and back: RT3148

All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5