Day sixty nine to Ealing for the No 112 and then the No 113 back to Oxford Circus from Edgware.

The first trip in December 2018 saw me on the 1020 to Clapham Junction where I arrived at 1055. I was intending to catch the London Overground to Shepherds Bush thereby to catch the Central line westbound to Ealing Broadway. The display on platform 1 stated that the 1046 to Stratford was waiting but as the train did not depart until 1102 I assumed the system had not updated since the previous train had departed. This train arrived at Shepherds Bush at 1120 and by 1138 I was watching a freight train of 30 hoppers pulled by class 59 59201 through Ealing Broadway station.

Numerous bus stops around the green outside Ealing Broadway stations

DEL2064 approaching Ealing Broadway station

There are a good many bus stops scattered about the roads outside the railway station but eventually I found bus stop F which was where at 1151 I boarded Metroline's DEL2064 bound for Brent Cross Shopping Centre.






The bus headed initially east towards the North Circular and then turned North along this road to the Hangar Lane Gyratory. After this the bus followed a minor road that ran alongside the A406 to Stonebridge Park tube station. As the bus was a single decker it was difficult to take photos when on board so we will have to make do with photos at the beginning and the end of the journey. The entire journey was only booked to take 31 minutes and given after Stonebridge Park we passed swiftly along the North Circular Road I can see how this is achieved. However, in the rush hour there must be great uncertainty as to the arrival of this bus.

Disembarking from DEL2064

DEL2064 running off to rest before returning SW'wards

We finally reached Brent Cross Shopping Centre at 1224.

I could have walked around the corner and caught a No 113 to Edgware, but since I planned to catch that bus back from there I thought it would be more interesting to use another bus. Thus I tried the No 186 which runs from Brent Cross to Northwick Park via Edgware. This bus takes a convoluted route but at times was running parallel with the No 113.

Behind a No 113 in the No 186 as we headed north out of Hendon

Buses awaiting departure at Edgware bus station

Metroline VMH2452 arriving from layover point

The No 113 is now provided by new-well (2018), Volvo MCV Evo Seti hybrids and at 1328 I boarded Metroline's VMH2452 at Edgware bus station. The bus initially repeats the No 107 and for that matter No 186 route back to the A41 along Edgwarebury Lane. At Northway Circus the A41 meets the A1 just after bridging the M1 and the bus run along the A1 crossing the Bunns Lane bridge where there used to be a railway line from Mill Hill East to Edgware. At Five Ways Corner the routes split with the bus following the A41 again towards Brent Cross, 3 miles distant.

View through surprisingly mucky window given newness of the bus of Five Ways Corner

As we waited at Hendon the bus driver received a call on the radio about an incident at Brent Cross and to be wary about hold ups.

The queues in central and left hand lane as we approach Brent Cross Flyover

We were indeed lucky not to be held up as the left and middle lane was solid as we headed to the Brent Cross Flyover. Once on the flyover we could see the problem-there was a motorbike on its side and emergency services in attendance at Brentfield Gardens and because lorries couldn't get past, traffic was backing up in all directions. We were mercifully unaffected and carried on to meet the Finchley Road south of Golders Green to reach Swiss Cottage, St John's Wood and finally Baker Street.

The roadworks next to Baker Street station caused a brief hold up

After a brief hold up at the  road works we crossed the Marylebone Road and on down to Oxford Street. In the changes that happened in April 2017 the No 113 now turns east whereas before it turned west to finish at Marble Arch. Today the bus reaches Oxford Circus and then turns left to disgorge the final tenacious passengers at Margaret Street. This we reached at 1445.

Christmas decorations displayed along Oxford Street

The No 113 should turn away to the layover point before returning to Edgware

I had hoped to catch a train quickly on arrival at Victoria but the 1500 to Epsom was cancelled as were some others, so since it was in I caught the 1506 to West Croydon. This train takes an inordinately long time to reach its destination, not helped by the nine minute wait at Norwood Junction. Thus I didn't reach my home station after a change at West Croydon until 1608.