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Part two of a two-part series

Yes, it’s been a while since I spent the day (well, a morning) sampling all vehicles on a new route – in fact, not since the launch of X-City Direct back in Dundee during October 2005. This was, however, a little different. As someone who remembers the buses (see part one) while up north, I felt old when they were rebodied. Now, of course, I feel totally bionic, but that’s another issue. For sake of time (I’m going out to work this afternoon), I’m only putting up the sampling of the Tigers in this post, I will type up the rest of my Monday later on.

So, yes, left Royston at 0540, train to Stevenage, then uno 635/634 to Hemel Hempstead. I’d allowed plenty of time, after getting caught up in the M1/M10 roadworks last Friday.

After breakfast, and a walk around Hemel, walked back to the bus station, and as I was crossing Bridge Street, W59 (B11 WTN) – originally Central D15, Kelvin Central 4305, Strathtay ST25 or 425 or 25714, arrived as vehicle 1 of the three-bus schedule, and chronologically the first departure, having left Chesham Broadway at 0831 to arrive at Hemel at 0908.

At the bus station, and there are now two main ways to Aylesbury from Hemel…

After displaying Aylesbury T1 for a brief moment, the driver changed to display to Chesham Broadway T1 (she was going through to Aylesbury, but was having some issues with the technology… the ticket machine was apparently due for swapping once she got back to Lye Green). Anyway, here is W59 (B11 WTN) at Hemel, ready for the first journey out of Hemel, at 0920. Note the little mini Tiger toys attached to the slipboard hooks in the windscreen!

We travelled out of Hemel, and despite what had been put up on the bus stops by Herts CC and Bucks CC, the service was not intended to go into Hemel railway station bus stances. We drove through Bovingdon, and the sight of a new-looking livery and name not previously seen before, was certainly eye-catching!

I got off at Bovingdon, Green Lane, to friendly thanks from the driver, before crossing over the road to wait for the next T1 heading back. This time, the bus (working 3) was W57 (THL 290Y), formerly new to National Travel East, then on via Andrew’s Sheffield Omnibus to Strathtay 428/25816.

Interior front shot – you can see some of the original Strathtay-style stickers remain on the bus;

After another brief stop at Hemel, where the driver went for munchies, the bus then prepared to work the second journey out of Hemel, the 1020 to Aylesbury.

I took this bus through to Chesham, and a few passengers waved the bus down on spec, were quite impressed by the vehicles, and the range of destinations on offer (including Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which is served direct).

A few more internal shots, this time from the back end of THL 290Y…

… and we got to Chesham Broadway, where I snapped the bus once more.

I went for a look around Chesham for just over an hour, and took some other pics, which I will post later.

W59 (B11 WTN) passed in back through Chesham on the way back to Hemel…

… before I caught up with the final working that I’d not sampled yet, (2), which was W60 (WWW 883) – previously Northern NLT5, Strathtay ST4, RoadCar 427, Strathtay 429 and 25817. The bus is seen here passing Chesham Library…

… before I took this bus from Chesham to Aylesbury. Again, positive-to-mixed response from the locals, and certainly a few who just flagged the bus down on spec were quite impressed with what was now on offer.

I don’t usually take pictures in Aylesbury bus station, as it’s too dark, but I rested the camera on the metal to try this shot.

So, I carried on for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening elsewhere across Herts, Bucks and London, but I was quite happy with what I’d seen so far.

You can see all the pictures from throughout the day here.