Route 386 Experience: Just Beyond the Fringe

Route 386 Experience: Just Beyond the Fringe

Wednesday 12^th June 2024

Tour Manager, Mike Kay, invites Friends to the recreation of another former LT Country Bus route.

 

Our ‘experience’ bus tours are an exciting development for the Museum Friends. After our first Green Line tour, we had over 30 emails saying how much participants enjoyed it. “And when is the next one?” they asked.  I am delighted to tell you that the date for your diary is Wednesday 12^th June 2024. Once again, the arrangements are made possible through the good offices of two of the stalwarts of the heritage bus industry: Roger Wright and Wes Tierney.

 

The vehicles on the tour will be a London Country RF and a GS; passenger numbers will determine any extra vehicles. The route we will follow is the really interesting 386 from Bishops Stortford station to Hitchin St Mary’s Square. This service operated via different routeings on different days of the week.  We will be following the Tuesday variant. This served Stevenage, Buntingford, Cromer, and Walkern. In Stevenage, we will visit the former sites of the SV-coded garages at Danestrete and Norton Green Road and the current site at Babbage Road. We will then “water the horses” in the new Stevenage Bus Station. At Hitchin, we visit the site of HN bus garage in London Road and the 386 terminus in St Mary’s Square.

 

When the Country Area was constituted, the idea was to encompass all bus and coach services around 25 miles from Charing Cross. The 386 extends slightly beyond this parameter in a couple of areas: hence “Just Beyond the Fringe”.

 

The RF and GS classes were built between 1951/1954. The GS, of which 84 were built, had 26 seats; they operated only in the Country Area. The RF operated as a red bus in the Central Area as well as in green, mainly with 39 seats, bur fewer on the sightseeing and Green Line versions. 700 were built in total.

 

Our day will conclude at Pearce’s Farm Shop at Buntingford, where we will partake of their gastronomic Afternoon Cream Tea. They have more awards than Roger Wright has RTs!

 

The timings are:

• Depart Bishops Stortford Station 10 30. 
• Return approximately 1730.

 

What is included:

• Return travel on the 386 route. Participants will be able to ride on both vehicles.
• A souvenir ticket and lanyard.
• London Country route map.
• London Country pin badge.
• Uniformed staff on the buses.
• Photo Stops.
• Pearce’s gastronomic Afternoon Cream Tea.
• Tour booklet.
• Services of your Tour Manager.

 

Total Cost £59

To book this Experience, please complete the On-line Booking Form

​More details and Booking instructions are also on pages 8 & 9 of the Winter edition of the Friends Magazine.