Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated -Monday 3rd July 2000
(revised 4th July 2000)

The next update will be on Sunday 9th July 2000

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

Problems with the pictures ! - sometimes it seems that the pictures do not load.
I have found a solution which does work normally - 
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
Good luck !

A busy week with limited scope to produce more than a limited edition.

I was called on Tuesday by my contact at Stagecoach,, who advised me that new Tube "66"  had returned and a photo shoot was duly arranged. 

This event had to provide this weeks' Scoop as other news was limited. The expected diversion on the Barton Estate produced a surprise from OBC in the shape of a Merc ! 

Fleet News week ending 1/7/00

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

The Barton Estate shuttle has seen the most unexpected use of a Wycombe Mercedes, transferred over for the duration. 717- G117PGT) is the bus in question and we now include a photo below. The route operates from Barton (Fox) to Fettiplace Road and has the temporary route number 2W. It started yesterday, 3rd July and will run for about 6 weeks. It runs every 15 minutes from 0900 to 1200 and will always be operated by 717. Stagecoach operate in the afternoon, see below.

Metrorider 783 has been sold but details of the new owner is not so far known.

Q busting has started with the arrival of the foreign language students. Olympians such as 208, 214, 220,221, 222, 223 and 224 are assisting and put in turns on 2, 4 and 35 roads.  One duty for 3 weeks from 3rd July to 21st July is for STS from Abingdon to Oxford. The bus used also provides welcome relief capacity on the 35 road in the morning peak.  

Stagecoach Oxford.  

The news item of the week was the chance to get some advanced photos of M A N coach 66  as the new coach turned out to be. After much deliberation the number W66BBW was booked and fleet number 66.took the road from July 1st.

Stagecoach participate in the Barton Shuttle as mentioned above. They take over from 1215 and run until 1500, again every 15 minutes.

Volvo 912, until now an advert for Bus Points, is now in corporate livery and has been returned to service at Witney. 

I will be pleased to receive your reports for this section
Please send your reports to MalcolmHC@aol.com and thank you for all your sightings, they are most welcome.

  PHOTO CORNER
If anyone else has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Oxford Tube 66 is seen at Horspath Road Depot prior to entering service.
More pictures are shown below.

A different use of vinyls will allow the identificcation of 66 from afar !
This is the only coach to have the oxford tube logo on the rear.
 Space is le3ft for the adert now appearing on many coaches.

Another company and another "coach". 
Arriva 3068 - H408HRO- now at High Wycombe is a Leyland Lynx, 
originally so fitted to operate to Luton Airport. 
The seats were some of the most comfortable I have sampled.

Airlinks - former Speedlink - Scania/Van Hool, seen on the M25 bearing a new Airbus livery.
Is this a portent of things to come on the 757 and 767 services, I wonder ?

Olympian 214 awaits departure from Abingdon on the STS/Relief service to Oxford.
Note the Cityline vinyls, still in place some months after disappearing from the
rest of the bus fleet.  The date is 4th July 2000.

2W service at The Fox, Barton Estate, awaits time for the first journey of
the morning of this temporary 6 week service to Fettiplace Road.  4th July 2000.
The service started on Monday 3rd July 2000.

A map of the 2W road, the roundabout is at Headington on the A40.

Volvo B10B, nr 629 has just emerged from the paintshop
 when this view was taken early on the 4th July 2000

 If anyone has any further news please email below.

Malcolmhc@aol.com 

It adds to the interest of the page which I'm sure everyone appreciates.

THE OXFORD BUS MUSEUM