SNB449 arrived, completing its last circuit of the morning to and from Abbey Station on the 361. RT1499 was quiescent in the bus lay-by during the lunch break, giving a good chance to look at its Cravens peculiarities: the five bay construction; the bottom window line and waist trim lower than the cab; the squared-off front projecting over the standard cab; the rounded back; the uneven window line and (not visible from this angle) the non-standard rear window; emergency exit and rear blind-box.
More Arriva single-deckers whirred past on trunk journeys, dressed in the interurban livery. These included 3270, one of the ex-gas-powered DAFs, on the 321 and Renowns 3304 and 3310 going opposite ways on the 301. It is nice to see Arriva appreciating the value of local identities after trying so long to suppress them under bland corporate anonymity.
More colorful were Centrebus 564 on the S2 to New Greens, Metroline DLF108 on the 84, Centrebus 582 (still in Sovereign livery) on the S7 and Universitybus 154 on the 602 to Watford Business Park. SNB449 had its blinds changed for the City Station loop service (341).
But before going for a trip on the National I was going to have a ride to Abbey Station on the RT. Lunch over, the crew climbed back aboard and we were away, over the crown of the town past the Abbey, and down the long hill towards Abbey Station. A Centrebus Dart laboured up the hill on the 320, shortly followed by a Mercedes on the 724. A mucky front window over the bonnet of the RT hampered identification (as well as degrading the pictures)
The bus timetable was designed to meet the trains at St.Albans Abbey. We were a little early so stood at the stop awaiting the arrival of the branch train.
While we waited one of the Heathrow Greenline Citaros made a stop too, before purring away towards Watford. Universitybus Dart 120 also made a call on its way to Borehamwood.
Once the train - and its passengers - had arrived, we set off again, turning round the roundabout and climbing the long hill up into the town. Once again, due to traffic, it was quicker to walk. Once up in the town Eddie ran along to the St Peter's Street roundabout and turned to be ready for the next run.
I left the RT there: Eddie pulled away again as SNB449 came round the corner onto St Peter's Street to run down onto the stop. I was welcomed aboard the National for a trip to the City Station. The bus felt very large compared with the RT, despite being just 8 inches wider. I took a forward seat, behind the enormous luggage over the front nearside wheel, and watched out through the great windscreen. We had an uneventful trip down to the station, although the swing round the corner at the traffic lights demonstrated just why the stop line is situated so far down the hill!
At the station we quickly exchanged passengers and set off back up the hill, following Centrebus Mercedes/Beaver 458 on the 304.
We passed a stream of buses leaving the main street as we made our way back up the hill and right along St.Peter's Street. Wall-to-wall buses in places: another Beaver heading for Colney Heath, a Wright Renown heading for Stevenage, local Dart SLFs 568 and 578 on the S5 and 320, a Wright Crusader on the 602 to Watford, another Renown, also on the 301 to Stevenage, and Dunstable Dart DR18 again.
We paused at the stop to allow passengers to alight, then rolled on up St.Peter's Street to stop in the bus layby at the site of the old garage. The winter daylight was fast leaking away, and I was thinking about making my return to Croydon. To further my decision RT1499 came rolling up the road, prior to making another run to Abbey Station.
The two buses parked in the other layby - opposite the old garage. The National left first, for another trip to City Station, and I followed on a minute or two later on the RT. We squeezed through the busy main street, where the market was winding up.
Down on the St.Peter's Street stop we took on a good crowd from the Model Railway Exhibition. Some wanted City Station, but on hearing that we were going to Abbey Station decided to go for the ride anyway. Centrebus "green" Dart 571, advertising Hertfordshire's Intalink, pulled in ahead of us. Soon we were off, through the traffic nexus one more time, then down the hill to Abbey Station. There I alighted. The branch train promptly pulled in. I went up onto the platform and joined Silverlink's 321427 for the rattle down the branch to Watford, where I found a very full Southern train waiting to crawl back to East Croydon via the West London line. It had been an interesting day. Without going more than half a mile I had seen a great variety of buses in this fascinating city. Now what would tomorrow bring?...
Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
Back to Ian's Bus-stop
Part One: Saturday morning
Part Three: Sunday morning