Day 265 Two buses in NE London, the No 396 and No 397.

 The day started with me taking the 1035 train to London Bridge, there changing to the Jubilee line to Stratford. A few of the different transportation methods available at Stratford below

London Overground

Recently introduced 720104

DLR

C2C from Fenchurch Street

From there I caught the Elizabeth line four stops eastwards to Ilford, which is where the No 396 commences its journey to the King George Hospital in Goodmayes. The bus starts from bus stop C where the No 296 leaves on its way to Romford.

A No 396 passing me as I exited Ilford railway
station

A twenty minute duration service
 3 times an hour

London General's  SEe334

At 1156 I was aboard London General's electric single decker SEe334 and this returned me to the station via Ilford Hill and then past in the direction of Valentine park along Cranbrook Road.

Passing the Ilford Grand Hotel

We remained on this road to the Gants Hill roundabout; reached at 1206 and the  turned right along the Eastern Avenue (A12) to Newbury Park Underground station. We left the station at 1212 and continued east along the A12 until we reached the traffic lights at Little Heath. Here we turned right and then went around the triangle at 1222 and then down the road to the King George Hospital were the bus terminated at 1224. 

Bus terminates at this stop

Bus restarts from this stop

In order to reach the No 397 I needed to return to Newbury Park Underground station and therefore took the same bus with the same driver arriving at 1255. Here I went north on a Hainault train and then boarded the Woodford shuttle from there which was only a two minute wait. 

Great Eastern Railway supports
at Newbury Park

The two grey coloured trains are actually lines
of middle carriages from Central line trains

On arrival at Woodford I crossed over the bridge and caught another Central line train, this time destination Epping and alighted at Debden. There was a No 397 already waiting, Stagecoach No 37746. 

Stagecoach 37746 awaiting departure

Mostly two buses an hour taking 46 minutes

At 1332 the bus departed going left, then right then left again along Borders Lane. This lead to the bus reaching Traps Hill which I had recently used after doing the No 375 on the Vectare minibus to Loughton. Indeed the bus took the same route turning right and going down the hill to Loughton town hall and library. We then went left along the High Street and later left down to the Underground station arriving at 1346.

The Campus Debden (University of Essex)

In Loughton High Street

The bus returned to the High Street and resumed heading south and at 1350 we were in amongst the forest proper, but at 1353 left the Epping Forest Council area of Essex and entered Waltham Forest. This lead to a brief spell of driving again through forest on both sides but after passing the cricket ground the bus turned right into Whitehall Road.

ULEZ signs as one travels along Whitehall Road

 As the bus turned right into Forestside we were the only bus route on the road for the first time, but this didn't last long as at the 'T' junction at the end we turned left and entered Chingford High Street. At the green at the end of the High Street the bus turned left and entered Whitehall Road from the opposite end to earlier. It soon went right up Friday Hill but turning right it became on its own for the longest period of the route using Simmonds Lane, Endlebury Road, Heathcote Drive and finally Chingford Avenue. At the end the bus turned left and went down the hill to Chingford Mount where we arrived at 1415. Beyond this there was some roadworks which meant that we didn't reach the Sainsbury's Crooked Billet having turned right at the greyhound stadium until 1425.

Arrival at Crooked Billet Sainsbury's

To get home I took a No 357, having walked under the Crooked Billet roundabout, but over the North Circular to Walthamstow station. Here I took the Victoria line to Finsbury Park and a Thameslink Brighton train to East Croydon reaching home about 1730.

Day 264 To Northwest London for the No 395.

 I caught the 1200 train towards Victoria and alighted at Selhurst where I changed to the Watford Junction train which started there at 1216 and arrived at 1314 at Harrow and Wealdstone. 

Freightliner class 66 passing Harrow and Wealdstone

Bakerloo 1972 stock at Harrow and Wealdstone

West Midlands train 730042 arriving

Class 730 next to what they are replacing the class 350/2

Outside the station I took a No 140 bus towards Harrow town and arrived at Harrow bus station just as a No 395 turned up in front of us. So I boarded RATP 20299 at 1341 although it seemed that it was labelled RATP 20297 on the roof! It also said First bus on the back?

Boarding RATP DDE20289 at Harrow bus station

The bus headed left over railway tracks and then took Bessborough road in the direction of South Harrow with the road morphing into Lower Road and subsequently Northolt Road. 

Passing beneath Harrow school

Harrow Welsh Congregational church

This took us to Northolt Park Station and we went under the railway and right at Northolt fire station. Beyond this the bus swung right on its own along Newmarket Avenue, then left along Southwell Avenue which enters what is called the  Racecourse estate. 

On our own along Newmarket Lane

St Richard's church

After this we reached Dabs Hill Lane but as we reached Eastcote Lane there was announcement on the bus that we were under diversion. The bus should have gone straight over into Eastcote Avenue but it turned left along Eastcote Lane North.

About to turn left into Mandeville Road

We regained the normal route as we reached Mandeville Road and turned left joining many other buses before turning right on our own into Castle Road this then led us along a hail and ride section for the length of Castle Road.

St Barnabus Northolt Park

The bus then turned right at Oldfields Circus and Wadham Road and then right again into Oldfield Lane where the bus squeezes through a width reduction and enters Greenford. At the T junction at the end we joined with the No 92  and from here we then ran towards Greenford station. 

Penultimate bus stop

Before going under the railway the bus turned left and then left and right into Westway retail centre to terminate at 1420.

Bus turned around a roundabout and stops where it picks up to return to Harrow

DDE20289 awaiting its time to return

Bus journey booked to take half an hour
and runs every twenty minutes

At 1500 I boarded 165118 for the short journey to West Ealing and arrived within ten minutes. This train then left at 1515 to go back to Greenford. Next on to Acton Mainline by Elizabeth line at 1522 where I alighted and caught a No 440 to Acton Morrisons. From here I walked to Acton Town and then returned home via Earls Court, West Brompton and Selhurst.

Greenford station with no evidence of battery 
charging rail

Semaphore signal still on ex main GWR line

165118 arriving from West Ealing up the slope!

Reflection of Central line train in side of
 GWR train

South Greenford station

Castle Bar Park station

Drayton Green station

Looking back to buffers after 
165118 had left back to Greenford

Freightliner 66 heading stone
train through West Ealing

165118 returning to Greenford

165118 atop charging rail for
battery trains at West Ealing

Sign advising that you must assume
charging rail is always live

  

Day 263 Two buses that worked well together the No 393 followed by the No 394.

 After church sitting in the morning we caught the 1305 to London Bridge where we separated. I took the Northern line to Chalk Farm arriving at 1354. The bus starts from outside the Roundhouse theatre venue but although the service pattern suggested a 9-14 minute interval service it was almost half an hour  at 1422 that Metroline's DEM2682 arrived with the No 393 service to Clapton Lea Bridge Roundabout.

Bus service runs every 9-13 minutes and is booked totake 3/4 of an hour

The starting pace is the Roundhouse theatre

DEM2686 heading to lay over

DEM2682 of Metroline approaching

We passed the Underground station on our left and then picked up loads of kids in sports gear. We soon took the right Prince of Wales Road which lead via Kentish Town West station to Kentish Town High Street. We were accompanied by the No 46 on this road but after turning left up Kentish Town's High Street we took the right turn into Leighton Road which meant this was the only bus route that served the road. This road enabled us to turn right into Brecknock Road which I had recently used on the No 390. Indeed we followed that route across Camden Road and into York Way before peeling away to the East along  North Road.

Kentish Town Road

Old bus garage North Road

Travelling along this road we passed the Pleasance Theatre and then an old London General Omnibus Company garage now called Busworks. Apparently the building was built to repair horse buses in Victorian times. Going sharp left at the Caledonian Road junction we used Hilmarton Road to access Camden Road where wee turned right and took Parkhurst Road to the Nag's Head. Turning right here with took the Holloway Road all the way to Highbury Corner, where we arrived at 1500.

Great Northern Piccadilly and Brompton railway sign at
Holloway Road Underground station

Highbury Corner

From here we initially took St Pauls Road then Highbury Grove before taking Highbury Park once again as the only route serving the road and we did the entire road to Clissold Park. Here we turned right and then left along Stoke Newington Church Road once again as the sole bus route until after we had passed the church and then joined other routes into Stoke Newington. Beyond Stoke Newington having turned North up the A10 the bus took Cazenove Road to the Upper Clapton Road.

Highbury Estate

Leaside Road, alone again

 

There were considerable hold ups at this junction as the traffic lights seemed to badly phased and it took and inordinate amount of time to do the zigzag into Warwick Grove. Still on our own we then descended towards the River Lea and went under the Main line to Cambridge on Leaside Road, on to Theydon Road and then right up the hill on Southwold Road. At this stop it was announced the bus was terminating. It was by now 1536, so the bus had taken an hour and 14 minutes around half an hour more than its booked time for the journey, so the decision was understandable. It did, however, mean I had to wait for the next bus DEM2686 to do the next stops as far as the roundabout where I arrived at 1542 having only had to wait four minutes for the next No 393.

Disembarkation from DEM2682 at Clapton Station

Only bus at this stop

Last stop, just around corner from station, but had to be done by bus so on DEM2686

From here the journey planner told me it would take 9 minutes to reach Homerton hospital the start point for the No 394. I took a while to orient myself to the correct bus stop and then caught a No 425 for a few stops to the hospital. I must have just missed one as it wasn't until 1618 that a bus pulled up to terminate at Homerton Hospital.

The service should take about half an hour

I have been here twice before

Bus arriving to lay over

It was therefore not until 1626 that I was aboard Stagecoach's 37780 on my way to Islington Police station. Initially the bus followed the route of the No 236 to Homerton High Street, then left at Ponsford Street and under the London Overground lines to then turn towards Hackney along Morning Lane. Before we reached Mare Street the bus turned left down Valette Street so as to reach Mare Street just north of Richmond Road. The bus took Richmond Road so was immediately on its own. This lead us to a junction with Lansdowne Drive which we turned left into thereby running down the western side of London Fields park. This meant we joined with the No 236 briefly at Broadway Market before heading off alone again down Sheep Lane which took us to Ash Grove depot. Here the bus exchanged drivers between 1643 and 1645 and then set off along the Regents Canal and then over it to take Whiston Street to Kingsland Road.

This area was very much a mix of Victorian villas
and recent builds. Were the earlier buildings bomb damaged

St Leonards Hospital Kingsland Road

At St Leonards Hospital we stopped at 1654 and then continued south past the Museum of the Home but soon took a right on our own again along Falkirk Street, Crondall street and Pitfield and Buckland Streets to reach the New North Road. Here the bus when left at 1700, but came immediately subject to a diversion notice. This meant instead of turning right we headed straight down to Moorfields Eye Hospital and on the the Old Street roundabout. 

Regan way, a turning off Crondall Street

Approaching Moorfields Eye
Hospital

The route we took to get back onto City Road,
Bath Street

Having taken Old Street westwards the bus took the next right, Bath Street, which took us past the back entrance to Moorfields Eye Hospital and subsequently back on track at City Road. We then ran up City Road to the Angel Islington and then onwards along Pentonville Road. After a while we took the right turn Penton Street and then the right turn after Chapel Street Market, Tolpuddle street to terminate at Islington Police station at 1710.

Our destination Tolpuddle Street Islington

One interested No 394 bus
driver happy to hear
the purpose of my efforts.

The bus driver who very expertly brought me
 from Ash Grove depot to Islington

I then walked back to Pentonville Road so as to walk to St Pancras where I caught a Thameslink train home via East Croydon. There was however a points failure which delayed arrival home to around 7 PM.