RT1700 at Otford Pond

Swanley & Sidcup Running Day

Sunday 8th July 2007

Prepared by Ian Smith, 21st July 2007.



Swanley to Orpington and back (RMC1461)

T1102 had dropped me off at Swanley Garage. The GS parked outside the doors was now GS2. BL49 and RF383 were there too.

GS2 at Swanley Garage. RF383 at Swanley Garage.

The BL rolled off northwards, and the RF to the south. RT1702 arrived on its 241 from Sidcup Station. I climbed aboard for the short ride up to Birchenlea Estate. On the way we met RF429, heading out for another round on the 241. Once there I spotted RT3148, parked between turns on the 477.

RT1702 at Swanley Garage. RF429 at Birchenlea Estate. RT3148 at Birchenlea Estate.

Metrobus Dart 313 was carefully squeezing between RMC1461 and RML2699.

313 at Birchenlea Estate. RML2699 at Birchenlea Estate.

RF28 was parked next to RT3148, waiting for another GreenLine turn, but my attention was on RMC1461, just preparing to depart on the 477. I swung aboard and took a comfortable seat on the deep cushions.

RF28 at Birchenlea Estate. RMC1461 at Birchenlea Estate (taken earlier).

We rumbled down to Swanley Garage to pick up, then set off down thee straight to Swanley. But this time we turned left, onto the Orpington Road, soon swinging right into Azalea Drive to make the loop to Swanley Station. Not that the station is visible - just an alleyway through to the station entrance. After the station stop the Drive took us back to the main road.

We passed through Crockenhill and passed along the B258 towards St.Mary Cray. This was one of my teenage bike routes back to Bromlley from the Darenth valley, but I never recall seeing a bus on it then. Today we met one: still in blue/cream, Arriva Dart 3285 came rumbling along on the present-day 477, heading for Dartford & Bluewater.

Swanley Garage. 3285 on 477.

The lane narrowed, becoming as I remember it from forty years ago. The Routemaster slowed to a gentle stroll, hugging the road centreline along through the green tunnel. We emerged into the outskirts of the Crays, and met DMS41466 emerging from the terminal loop of the R6 at Burrfield Drive.

B258. DMS41466 on R6.

We squeezed through St.Mary Cray, meeting RF600 heading back towards Swanley, and headed through onto Orpington High Street, where we met more buses, including Metrobus' Omnidekka 905 on its way to the Ramsden Estate.

RF600 in St.Mary Cray. 905 on 353.

To my surprise, when we reached the War Memorial we turned left instead of right, and headed up Spur Road towards Chelsfield instead of going to Orpington Station. It seems that TfL does not take kindly to the way that bus enthusiasts and photographers have wandered about over the bus park at Orpington Station on previous events. We drove out onto the Orpington by-pass, then quite suddenly made a right hand loop to pull up at a bus-stop. We had arrived at the Goddington Lane terminus.

RMC1461 at Goddington Lane. RMC1461 at Goddington Lane.

After a break we set off again, back down to the War Memorial and along Orpington's busy High Street. Amongst other buses in mid-Sunday afternoon we met new Enviro400 19132 on the 61, Trident 17276 on the 208 and Metrobus Dart 351 on the B14.

19132 on 61, Orpington. 17256 on 208, Orpington. 351 on B14, Orpington.

We crossed over into the narrower confines of St.Mary Cray. We squeezed past DMS41360 on the local R3 route.

DMS41360, St.Mary Cray. Red Lion, st.Mary Cray.

We threaded our way through onto the Crockenhill Road, and choggled down the green tunnel once more. We pulled in at the Crockenhill stop to let the service bus dash past. Then it was Swanley station, Swanley, and the straight run south-east to Swanley Garage.

We pulled up past GS2 and RF429, just as T1102 arrived from the opposite direction.

GS2 at SJ. RMC1461 at SJ. T1102 at SJ.

I alighted and spotted Colin Rivers and John Huxford, so went to have a chat..

Part Five: Welling Station and back


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


Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part Three Part Five: Welling Station and back