Days out with RF453 & Friends
RF453 & friends are collectively known as the Wealdstone & District Group. All the buses in the collection are owned by John & Gill Hinson, outright or in partnership with other members of the group. It is through the kindness of John & Gill that I have enjoyed these days out.

At Home

Back Row
Leyland Titan PD2A/27 East Lancs body ETE494F Darwen Corporation 1967 used as shed Roof box RT1784 KYY622 1950 (1948 body), Park Royal White RT4275 NLE939 1953, Park Royal
Middle Row
Red doorless RF433 MXX410 1953 Green RF280 MLL817 1952 Breakdown Tender PWR961 1954 AEC Mammoth Major III, in Valliant Silverline livery
Front Row
Red RT1594 KLB716 1950, Park Royal Space for RF453 11CV ;-) YLX124X 1982(!) Citröen H, ex French Army

Cobham 5th April 1998

After 30 minutes of sheer panic caused by the non-running of the 07:20 service on 140 I met John & Gill Hinson at Harrow & Wealdstone Station for the car journey to Cryers Hill to collect RF453 and take my first RF ride in over thirty years. It was worth the wait !

Going to an event with a participant puts a completely new spin on the day. The 237 route number and AV garage codes displayed attracted a visit from one gentleman who had been a fitter on RFs at Hounslow, but had emigrated to Australia before RF453 was a Hounslow resident. He had moved to Melbourne to work on AEC Regal IVs fitted with "8 foot 2 an' a half by 37 foot bodies - crush loading and putting great strain on the chassis". We all know where that sort of bus design philosophy can lead.........

RF453 was a Houslow bus for the day

The Merlin & Swift were happier outside London

Somehow the Dart gets away with being too long and crush loading

Crowthorne 21st June 1998

Exhibitors are invited to drive their vehicles round the private roads of the Transport Research Laboratory and when they return to the display area they can be allocated a new parking spot giving constantly changing photographic oportunities. Today RF453 was a Kingston bus on route 71 wearing running number K9.

On the move or standing still. Front or rear. Anyway you want to set up the shot. A bus photographer's dream.
Just for fun we changed route numbers in between poses in the Crowthorne woods.

Route 202. The blinds have been changed to confuse the videographers.

215 to Church Cobham might have been more apropriate to the last outing

Among friends. The stewards managed to get a little RF group parked together

Showbus Duxford September 1998

In a day of two halves the morning went exactly to plan, even the 140 bus co-operated to get me to Harrow & Wealdstone Station early, John Hinson was early to meet me and we wizzed off to Cryer's Hill. Just for a change doorless RF433 was our transport of delight today. At the end of the day a passing motorist decided to ignore the police directions and embed his car into the side of a bus leaving the show ground. With one exit blocked a long queue built up at the other gate causing one of our party to miss their connection requiring a trip to Cambridge Station to re-arrange the tickets. There were a few interesting momemts repelling boarders as foreign students saw an English bus and expected to be taken to their hostels etc..

The entrance of a doorless RF is completely different to a bus built with doors

RF433 at Cambridge Staion

One of the first private hire RFs - RF13

Just a few of its class were preserved - MB641

Even fewer "Londoners" were saved - DMS132

Refurbished by (f)First and allocated to Uxbridge - DW26
Hot news of the day was the (f)First refurbishing of CentreWest's Dart Wright Handibus removing the RF like angled screen. Allegedly EC rules have banned a design feature which runs from the RF right through a generation of buses best forgoten to the DW.

Amersham Running Day October 1998

The annual Amersham Running Day found John and Gill working various routes crewed or OPO with RF453 and RF280 alongside other RFs and other preserved buses including a magnificent RLH seen in public for the first time in 17 years.

RF453 crew worked 398 - Gill driving & John conducting

RF280 OPO on 398 with John Hinson in charge

The side blind claimed only cosmetic restoration, but RLH32 looked immaculate !

Here's to Ninty Nine

I hope there will be days out in '99 and more photos to add to this colection. I might even aquire a copy of the photo of me working to prepare RF453 for an event.
Original graphics, photographic images and electronic derivatives © Martin G. Layton 1997/8/9