Day 114 Two buses in NW London the No 182 and 183.

My plan was to catch the 1120 to Clapham Junction but on arrival at the station at 1112 I found the next train was the 1130 with no mention of the desired train. This meant I had to go to Victoria as its time of arrival at Clapham Junction would be exactly the time the London Overground Line train would have left for West Hampstead. Thus I was to incur the extra cost of venturing into Zone one that I hoped to avoid. At Victoria I took the Victoria line to Euston and then the Northern line to Camden Town, where I crossed through the tunnel to board an Edgware train to Brent Cross station and I arrived here at 1245. I have now done this journey a number of times so knew how to cross the North Circular and get to the shopping centre bus station where the No 182 starts from.

Bus stop where I have previously caught the No 142 to Watford

Metroline's VWH2194

Leaving Brent Cross Shopping Centre

At 1255 I climbed about Metroline's VWH2194 from Harrow Weald garage  and set off for Staples Corner. Here the bus briefly followed the North Circular Road before swinging south along Coles Green Road. Where this road intercepted Crest Road the bus turned right and continued to follow the route of the No 245 as this road lead into Tanfield Avenue. At Dudden Hill Lane the bus went into the Neasden underpass and into Neasden Lane North where there was a short hold up. The bus then continued to utilise this road as it climbed Blackbird Hill. At the roundabout at the top of this the bus bared to the left and we headed for Wembley. We passed Wembley Park station at 1318 and then moved on to Wembley Stadium station at 1325.

Above the entrance to Wembley Park station a Metropolitan Railway plaque dated
with the year it opened for the Empire exhibition.

Passing along Wembley High Street the road towards Kingsbury was blocked by roadworks

Beyond these stations the bus turned right to take the road past Wembley Central station and then on towards Sudbury, with Wembley fire and police stations on the left and Barham Park to the right. At Sudbury the bus turned right where the No 92 had gone straight on many moons ago. At 1343  the bus entered the London Borough of Harrow near Northwick Park Hospital and ten minutes later we arrived at Harrow bus station. After this the route takes Headstone Lane briefly and then Greenhill Way which took us back to Station Road where we turned left to head for Harrow and Wealdstone station.
Beyond this the bus slowly climbs towards Harrow Weald bus garage and then onwards to the roundabout with Uxbridge Road.

Approaching Harrow Weald bus garage

Taking Uxbridge Road westwards we continued until we reach Bannister playing fields where the bus took a roundabout and headed back to terminate facing eastwards where I disembarked at 1411.

Journeys End

Journeys End

The TFL journey planner before I left home suggested the only sensible way to get to Pinner, where I needed to catch my next bus in the sequence, was to return to Harrow on the Hill Underground station and take a train north. I resolved to walk as that convoluted journey would take 37 minutes and it was only 1 1/2 miles distant. As I crossed the roundabout on foot a bus numbered H12 came by with Pinner as its destination. I missed this bus and saw on the bus stop that it ran every ten minutes or so. Even so I would have had to pay for it so walked to the Harrow Arts Centre where I briefly visited the Morrisons for a comfort break.

Crossing the LNWR mainline I tried to catch the Wembley Arch  as if  it crossed the railway track, but sky almost too bright.

Beyond the LNWR mainline I entered Hatch End where another No H12 passed by but I continued along Uxbridge Road until it was indicated that I should turn left for Pinner. At this point I arrived at a bus stop for the No H11, H12 and H13  and since an H11 arrived I jumped about for the three minute journey to Pinner station.

RATP 45208 at Pinner

Old and new on the No 183

Across the road from where I alighted at 1453 there were two RATP buses which purported to be for the No 183 route. One, a newer Volvo B5LH Wrightbus SRM class VHR and the other an almost ten years older Scania N230UD Omnicity .

RATP 45208 arriving after layover on opposite side of the road

It was the 2016 built bus that provided my mount at 1458, RATP 45208. This bus set off along Pinner Road. First it travelled under the Metropolitan line and later back over it, running through North Harrow and on to reach Harrow bus station beside Harrow on the Hill railway and tube station at 1514. The bus initially heads towards Harrow and Wealdstone station but then turns away to the right to reach the roundabout above the Metropolitan line where the bus took the left road to Kenton. We stopped at 1523 at Kenton station just after a freight train ran through heading north. The bus remained on this road and at times was the only bus service on this road as it approached Kingsbury Circle.

One of the RATP Scania Omnicity buses outside Kingsbury station

Roe Green Park was passed at 1536 and after we passed by the Kingsbury Mandir there was quite a panoramic view across London to the south.

Looking down over London with the North Downs beyond

The bus subsequently took the A5 Edgware Road briefly south before squeezing up a very narrow road with parked cars both sides to reach Hendon Station.

One of the Class 222 on the Midland main line at Hendon

Beyond the station the bus goes straight on the reach Middlesex University where the bus was asked to wait for three minutes at 1548. At The Quadrant the bus took the right towards Golders Green and then having crossed the North Circular Road we passed large numbers of evidently Jewish residents attending synagogue.

Northern Line tube train crossing the road and into
Golders Green tube station

Golders Green High Street

The bus reached Golders Green bus station at 1602 and then I had to make a choice how to get home.

RATP 45208 at Golders Green bus station 

In order to minimise cost I thought I would catch a No 139 or 328 to West Hampstead London Overground station. Here I caught the first train and waited at Willesden Junction station for a train to Clapham Junction.

Sunset as viewed from the higher platforms at Willesden Junction station at 1640

After purchasing a medium latte and a ham and cheese croissant here, I boarded the train  to Clapham and then caught an Epsom train to Mitcham Junction, subsequently a tram to Wandle Park and finally a No 407 bus home. It still cost me the maximum journey fare, so I might as well have come home the quick way through Zone One. DRAT!!