Educating Tonbridge: 402 Varieties

[Chris]

Service 402 between Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks brings some of the more interesting suffixes currently operating in Kent to light, not just joining the ranks of the many As or Xs, or even satisfied with joining the more numerous Stagecoach examples with a B, the 402 is suffixed A, B and W (with I think only Hastings 22 having as many variants to one root?).

The 402A does not get shown off here, because despite my standing so close to the edge of the kerb I was at risk of falling off, Photographer's Law says you always get the person walking in front of you at just the wrong moment... That starts at the Tonbridge schools before heading northbound to Sevenoaks and on to Otford Pond. 

The 402B, seen here operated by 6205 (with Tunbridge Wells as usual ensuring that an obsolete livery doesn't have to look untidy) starts from Bennett Memorial School just north of Tunbridge Wells, extending beyond Sevenoaks to Riverhead and operating via Weald. The first attempt once again fell foul to a rogue pedestrian making life difficult for us both (they seemed out in force that day!), but a quick jog from where the Autocar bus is in the background and, for once, thanks to Tonbridge's heavy traffic, I was able to make a quick second attempt. 

The 402W starts, like it's A counterpart, from Tonbridge Schools, then extends beyond Sevenoaks a further half-hour or so to Westerham, hence the W. (one wonders why the other variants weren't called O and R with that logic!). Transferred from Southend 18 months ago, 6501 is seen here showing off the very smart destination arrangement with smaller-sized W, and two locations not otherwise seen on a bus in Tonbridge. 

Both taken on Wednesday, 20th March. 

Chris

[Stephen Jenner]

Hi

I think you forgot to post the pictures.

Best Wishes

Stephen

---

From: 'Chris' via Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024 23:40
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Educating Tonbridge: 402 Varieties

 

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[Chris]

Thanks Stephen - I think this is where I'm supposed to say something like "I wondered who was going to notice that"! 

Let's try that again... 

Chris