Day 169 After a number of recent trips being to East London this time its to Watford on the No 258

 As with many of the recent trips this was again quite a trek with the No 258's nearest part of its route at South Harrow. I caught the 1030 train towards Victoria alighting at Clapham Junction at exactly the time a London Overground train left for Stratford. I therefore had to wait twenty minutes on an increasingly bitterly cold platform one for the 1120 to take me to West Brompton. This journey took ten minutes and I then had a five minute wait for the District line train to take me the one stop to Earl's Court. This time my luck was in as a Piccadilly line train arrived for Rayners Lane as I reached the bottom of the stairs and by 1207 I had arrived at South Harrow Underground station.

Piccadilly line station

RATP 40429 awaiting departure

South Harrow market across
the road.

I found the bus was due to start just adjacent to the station and within five minutes I was aboard. The roadworks on the road to our left meant getting out of the bus terminal was a slow process and we had to wait for the second change of the lights before we could emerge at 1216. This bus was owned by RATP and was No 40429, one of the type that used to operate out of Hounslow depot but had been relocated to Park Royal. After passing through two more sets of lights were bared right and climbed Roxeth Hill, the only bus route to do so. At the top of the hill we turned left and went past Harrow School this time in company with the No H17. 

Climbing Roxeth Hill towards Harrow on the Hill

Passing through Harrow School buildings

Once past the school the bus descended along Peterborough Road and going at 1228 straight over at the lights we entered Harrow proper. Here the bus turned left to do a visit of the bus station before returning the way it had come to turn left and head for Harrow and Wealdstone station which reached at 1237.

Heading towards Harrow and Wealdstone
with a No 258 coming from Watford

Beyond this station the bus seemed to be constantly climbing. We passed the Harrow Weald garage at 1243 and went straight over at the roundabout at Uxbridge Road becoming the only bus route again on the road the bus had chosen. We climbed past Harrow College and the scene outside became increasingly rural. After Clamp Hill the bus reached Common Road where it turned left, joined with the route No 142, and left the Greater London area and entered Hertfordshire.

The No 258 is the only route heading North from
Uxbridge Road

The Hare at junction of Clamp Hill

Entering Hertfordshire at Bushey Heath

This took us into Bushey Heath and after a gradual descent we reached Bushey station at 1300.

Descending from Bushey Heath with Watford in the distance

 After a circuit of railway arches we passed by Watford High Street station and briefly entered the High Street. Unlike the non TFL buses the No 142 and No 258 turn left and head for the ring road. 

The Atria shopping centre Watford

Watford Junction terminus

This then leads to a turning for Watford Junction station where the bus terminated at 1310.

My No 258 in layover with a No 142 in front of it

There was a multiplicity of different colour schemes in the Watford bus station. Behind the red and yellow bus there were Arriva bluey-green buses. I also saw a double decker bus operated by Mullany which was operating the service to Harry Potter world.

I walked back into town and had a tuna baguette and tea at Greggs leaving there around 1410 and arriving at Watford High Street station in time for the 1418 to Euston. I changed at Harrow Wealdstone and had 28 minutes to wait for the Southern train to East Croydon. This then got me home at 1610 exactly 3 hours after arriving at Watford.