Day 116 to Northwest London to achieve the No 186 which melded nicely with No 187.

I started earlier than recently catching the 1000 towards Victoria. However, I needed to get to Northwick Park Hospital so in order to avoid Zone one I alighted at Balham and waited for the next train, the 1029 to Milton Keynes. This train was two minutes late but was right time by arrival at Shepherds Bush and crept past Wembley marshalling yards to reach Wembley Central at 1110.

Two of three mark three Caledonian sleeper carriages now redundant because the mark five carriages are finally in service with a Class 50 at each end.
Wembley Central station

Class 50 Defiance with Class 50 50014 at southern end

I crossed from the slow platforms to the tube/overground platform to board a train to Kenton, where I arrived at 1129. There were signs on the roads outside the station showing the way to walk to Northwick Park underground station and once I was under this I followed the footpath to the hospital.

Entrance to Northwick Park Hospital from Northwick Park underground station

As I approached a No 186  left from the layover point so I ran to where the bus stop was located last January to see the bus drive straight past. So having missed the 1139 I retraced my steps to the layover point where I found the first bus stop was now situated.

Metroline's VW1281 ready to take me to Brent Cross

At 1149 I departed from Northwick Park Hospital on Metroline's VW1281. The bus ran back past the old bus stopping point and took the left exit at the roundabout just north of the hospital. This lead to the bus running into Harrow on the Hill bus station from the direction of Harrow on the Hill. After a circuit we returned and headed for Harrow and Wealdstone station. Here the bus driver was exchanged, although this only took between 1204 and 1205 unlike the protracted occasions that have occurred on some times. The bus soon turned right along Lockett Road, the first time the route was the sole user of a road but once we had traversed this road at the roundabout another route joined us into Belmont as we breasted the bridge that used to be over the railway to Stanmore. Weston Avenue was taken at Belmont Circus which was again a sole user road until we reached Honey Pot Lane. From here the bus headed onward under Canons Park Jubilee line station and on into Edgware. There seemed to be a problem on the No 79 ahead of us at Edgware station which held us up about 4 minutes.  At 1232 the bus was in Edgwarebury Lane and turned right down the A41 to Mill Hill Circus.

From Mill Hill Circus we took Mill Hill Broadway where a van for Cancer
research, one of the two charities the odyssey is being carried out on behalf of.

Mill Hill telephone exchange-one of few still being used
for such purposes

From here the bus took Mill Hill Broadway where the bus joined the route of the No 114 for a time before switching to follow the No 204 through Colindale. The bus turned left along Aerodrome Road to rejoin the A41 to run into Hendon from there and on to Brent Cross.

Arrival at Brent Cross was at 1309 which was an 80 minute journey whereas the bus stop at Northwick Park stated it would take 84 minutes.

Arrival at Brent Cross

I then hopped back from Brent Cross to the anti-penultimate bus stop in order to board a No 113 along the A41 to Finchley Road where I hoped to board a No 187.

Brent Cross flyover from bus at bus stop to take me to Finchley Road

The bus starts down a side road beside the O2 Centre which lies alongside the Midland mainline.

Finchley Road looking north

Looking down hill from Finchley Road to O2 centre bus stops.
Third one from front was to be my mount.

An HST on the Midland Main Line, one of the diminishing number still in service

This was another Metroline bus but this time a single decker DE1654 which left at 1341. This bus does a circuit of the roundabout at the end of this road and heads back to the Finchley Road.  From the Finchley Road the bus headed south to the Swiss Cottage and further down the Finchley Road to St John's Wood tube station. At this station the bus turned abruptly right down Circus Road and then into Hall Road Maida Vale. We headed left down Maida Vale for a while before turning right down Clifton Road. The bus now follows the No 6 route along Shirland Road passing Kilburn Park Road where there was a No 31 and on to Queen's Park where we met the No 36 route half an hour after departure. Kilburn Lane took us to Kensal Rise and then the bus headed left along Liddell Gardens which became Doyle Gardens, at all times this was the sole bus route on the road. The bus made its way to Harlesden via All Souls Avenue and Wrottesley Road.

Probably a service no longer supplied at Park Parade Harlesden where this was taken

After travelling along Park Parade the bus came to rest at Willesden County Court where the bus exchanged drivers, this time taking two minutes. The bus ran down to Harlesden station and then turned left at the Grand Junction public house down North Acton Road to then take Standard Road through a plethora of industrial units. Once we had taken Park Royal Road to the right we were then within sight of the Central Middlesex Hospital which was reached at 1444, 63 minutes after departure as expected.

Arrival at the Central Middlesex Hospital Park Royal

To return home I caught a No 260 back to Harlesden station where I was able to catch a Bakerloo line train to Willesden Junction.

Waiting at Willesden Junction (High Level) 66221 passed taking a load
of Ford vans from the North London Line onto the LNWR

Here I caught a London Overground train to Clapham Junction and there a Southern train to East Croydon and finally the tram home.