The eight RFs (in numerical order)
RF319 amid familiar scenery at Malden
Fountain, where the trolleybuses on the 604
and 605 crossed the 213. Photos © Peter Larkham (2012), Andrew
Hicks (1961)
RF326 emerges from the side entrance of
Sutton Garage to take up service to
Kingston. Photo © Michael Perschky
RF354 pauses at West Wimbledon on its way to
Wimbledon Station.
Photo © Daniel Sullivan
RF366 on familiar territory.
Buses for the old Kingston bus station on Clarence
Street came round into Cromwell Road to enter the rear
entrance to the garage; the physical bus that is now RF366 spent its whole life working the
Kingston routes. Photo © Daniel Sullivan
RF368 approaches journey's end in
Kingston.
Photo © Peter
Larkham
Photo © Matthew Mabey
With thanks to London General, buses on the
213 were able to use the facilities of
Sutton Garage to lay over. Here, RF486
has just arrived, RF518 waits patiently and
a third RF heads off. Numerically,
RF486 was the newest RF in service and RF518
(having been re-numbered from RF299 in 1956)
was the oldest.
Photo © Keith Valla
Evening loads...
Homeward bound shoppers fill RF486's final
departure from Kingston.
Photo © Graham Smith
RF354 was a little ahead, and again full to the
gunwales as it passes Kingston Hospital.
Photo © Graham Smith
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Route 213
RF354 impersonates Harry Worth in Eden Street,
Kingston.
Photo © Steve Guess
A former Norbiton driver takes RF395 out of
Sutton Garage bound for Kingston.
Photo © Peter Larkham
Inevitably, the planned 15-minute headway was
not maintained in the Christmas traffic, although two RFs running
together were often both heavily loaded, such was
demand. London General drivers reported that the Sunday
timetable is difficult at the best of times, and they were clearly
struggling too.
Photo © Nigel Henty
RF354 heads off into the Kingston sunset.
Photo © Peter Larkham
RF319 leads RF486 down Kingston Hill, as seen
from RF368. Several commentators have referred to 'authentic
old-style London Transport bunching', which was definitely not
planned. Both buses in view are, however, full.
Photo © Peter Larkham
A static addition to the day was RT3775,
blinded for the 154 and parked at Sutton Garage.
Photo © Daniel Sullivan
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Route 200
Early morning layover. Thanks to the
kindness of the bus station supervisor, RF368 was offered a slot to
lay over prior to departing Kingston for Wimbledon. Two round
trips were run on the 200 from Coombe Lane to Wimbledon before the
buses took up service on the 213. Here, Epsom Coaches' Enviro
400 DD09 is on what is properly a Country Area route, and Abellio
Surrey's Dart 8002 is on the Sunday Kingston to Guildford service
515A, which incorporates elements of the 215, Country Area 415, 715 and 206, running
direct between Kingston and Hampton Court.
Photo © Daniel Sullivan
Such was the interest in the 200 (which last
saw RFs, and a Q, in 2008), that
fully-loaded RF368 had no passengers who wished to alight at the
Wimbledon Station stop.
Photo © Robert Dunnell
The second journey on the 200 was run by RF354,
seen here picking up at the start of its journey in
Wimbledon.
Photo © Steve Guess
A tale of two termini? The junction
marked by the finger post is the old Copse Hill terminus of the
200. Buses turned
in the road.
Photos © Geoff Ragg (2012), Andrew Hicks
(1962)
.. and finally
Well-used RF368 in Cheam.
Photo © John Parkin
A late entry - this fine shot of RF366 in
Malden Road.
Photo © Bob Lear
A comparison over 60 years. London
General's DOE51 contrasts with RF366 outside Sutton Garage.
Photo © Richard Kirwin
Two buses that were both well-loaded by the
time they ran into Kingston, RF518 and RF486, heading on from New
Malden. The road below this bridge was lowered before the one
at Worcester Park.
Photo © Richard Kirwin
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