RF421 at Chislehurst

Chislehurst and Sidcup Running Day

Sunday 23rd June 2002

Prepared by Ian Smith, 15th July 2002



Part 2: Chislehurst

DM1052 pulls away from Chislehurst on 228 RF383 at the Gordon Arms

DM1052 pulled away from the Gordon Arms stop, heading back to Sidcup and Eltham. I went in search of the Mayor and an RF at the Gordon Arms. RF383 was there, but no Mayor. A bus had gone to Bromley to collect her, but there had been a lack of connection. Phone calls to and from the Civic Buildings established the problem. and the Mayor headed our way by car.

Meanwhile I looked at RF383. It was wearing a slipboard as "The last 227". Well today there were going to be a few more! One of the 227's modern equivalents (on the Bromley-Chislehurst section) passed by, in the rather nice shape of Stagecoach SLD240 on route 162.

RF383 at the Gordon Arms on 227 SLD240 at the Gordon Arms on 162

Back on the stand, RF421 had arrived from Sidcup and was loading for a return to Eltham on the 228. A short Trident double-decker, Stagecoach TAS470, slipped past on the 160 to Sidcup Station, today's equivalent of part of the old 228 route.

RF421 at the Gordon Arms on 228 TAS470 at the Gordon Arms on 160

The RF was followed by Leyland National LS98 and Swift SMS369, working together on the 227 from Bromley.

SMS369 at the Gordon Arms on 227 LS98 at the Gordon Arms on 227

Another surprise was single-door Titan T1129 (now with Skylark PSV), which came round looking for the terminal stand. LS98 went off to explore the terminal working, and SMS369 pulled up to let green RF679 onto the stand on a 725 trip, followed tightly by RF429 on another 228. It was a bit busy.

RF679 at the Gordon Arms on 725 T1129 at the Gordon Arms on 228

Then the stand emptied, briefly. The Titan arrived back after completing a loop, loaded at the stop and departed on a 228. A Stagecoach Volvo Olympian, VN99, passed on a Sidcup-bound 160, and First Orpington's Volvo President VT1100 paused on a southbound 61. Twenty years of London double-deckers, just like that.

T1129 at the Gordon Arms on 228 VN99 at the Gordon Arms on 160 VT1100 at the Gordon Arms on 61

Then the Mayor of Bromley arrived, and officially inaugurated the event with RF429, at the Gordon Arms lay-by.

The Mayor in the driving seat The Mayor cuts the tape The Mayor in the cab of RF383

We went to cross back to the main stop, and Sidcup-special RM8 roared past on a 161. Why do I always just miss RM8? Also passing was stable-mate RF368, restored to doorless Central Area condition with route stencil over the doorway.

RM8 leaves Gordon Arms on 161 RF368 at the Gordon Arms on 228 Mayor with RF679 at the Gordon Arms on 725

To convey the Mayor back to Bromley the organisers ran a special 725 journey with RF679, and I hopped aboard for the ride.


Part 3: Bromley to Sidcup


Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop