Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated Sunday 7th January 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 14th January 2001

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 !

.......................and so to the first report of 2001. For many of us a quiet week with some people, like myself, still being on an extended break. By now the first repainted Wycombe Bus should be back at home and I include a picture of Olympian 5825 all ready for its MOT. The weather has been mixed over the past week but one main thing is the lack of cold weather, with temperatures reaching double figures during the first 3 days of 2001.

This has of course brought flooding again and Angel Meadow is still flooded as I write these notes, as is the area at Wheatley by the river. 

Company reports - to 7th January 2001

Abbey Coaches, Desborough Rd, High Wycombe - CAROUSEL

Nigel Peach reports that a company called Carousel (Abbey Coaches of Desborough Road according to the legal ownership panel) now runs the 400 Its usual vehicle is KJW 296W. They also run another (unnumbered) route from Wycombe to Beaconsfield station. Nigel has seen  seen BYE 183V on this. 

Airlinks - Jetlink (Cambridge Coach Services)

The Cambridge-Oxford services see a large variety of coaches these days. A Volvo/Plaxton with burtons Legal lettering but Classic livery, T13VCC, operated several journeys towards the end of the week. Today, Sunday, saw another unidentified Burtons coach leaving Wycombe towards Cambridge around 1515hrs followed by a Kenzies coach Oxford bound at 1530hrs. This carried two crew, one of whom appeared to be showing the other the way. how on earth intending passengers are supposed to know what coach to catch is beyond me. Also I was told that several recent journeys have been curtailed or cancelled due to breakdowns. Travellers, or customers as National Express like to call the person paying for the service, are missing flights at Luton and Stansted as a result. What a change from the reliability of Cambridge Coaches. One also reads that Airlinks have had certain restrictions placed upon them now that they have a monopoly on services to and from Stansted ! Finally after nearly SIX weeks I am still awaiting an explanation as to why my mother was charged £6 for an Oxford-Stokenchurch journey, which should have cost £3. 

Arriva serving the Shires & Essex.

Some confusion is evident over the renumbering of the ex Wycombe fleet and nothing is fully certain as yet. 5825 has returned to Wycombe with that fleet number. We shall have to wait and see what happens finally but from this weeks report it can be seen that the confusion continues.

A visit to Newlands Bus Station last Friday by Nigel Peach revealed 5828 as the first bus he saw in Arriva livery. It was in Newlands Bus Stn at lunchtime showing route 363. Later he saw it on the 301. When he passed back through the Bus Stn. just before 3pm 5825 was also there. When I visited today I was told that 5831 (231) was now away for repaint. 226, 227 & 229 were all still in original liveries (229 is still carrying Thames Valley lettering ! ). 

The plan of renumbering is most confused concerning the Volvos. The current plan held at Wycombe garage is for the following renumbering.

621 to become 3841 (N621FJO)
622 to become 3842 (N622FJO)
625 to become 3843 (N413NRG)
626 to become 3844 (N414NRG)
627 to become 3853 (N415NRG)
623 to become 3854 (N623FJO)
624 to become 3855 (N624FJO)

As can be seen below some renumbering has actually taken place already, in addition to those pictured below 626 has become 3844. To my well ordered mind this seems a complete mess and has no logic. However, with my enthusiast hat on, maybe it is some logic which alludes my simple view. Only the powers that be at Luton can answer such questions ?   

504 still carries Oxford Bus vinyls on the rear !!!!!!!

Another renumbering is that applied to the batch of ex London Darts, two of which have been renumbered. 525 has become 3815 and 530 has become 3820.  Olympians renumbered are 240 as 5822 (D822UTF), 229, 230, 233 and 234 all taking 58xx numbers. No Mercedes seemed to have been renumbered nor were any Lynxs. Indeed the foregoing seems to be an up to date picture as at 1500hrs on 7/1/01.

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

New Years Day saw all but the Express fleet at rest in the garage. As there was only a very limited coach service on that day, many vehicles were in the garage when a colleague visited.

Wednesday saw me covering an X90 duty which finishes at 0330hrs. This means an 0130 departure from Victoria and the picture below shows how deserted VCS is at that time of night. Not even a cat was around, only a cleaner, number 4 and me - oh and a number of night stop coaches parked up for the morning rush.

Volvo coach 4 seen at Victoria Coach Station, London on the 0130hrs to Oxford.

Whilst OBC do like their buses to be seen only in full livery, I could not resist this shot of 647 undergoing repaint.
The quality of the work of the painters is exemplary and all vehicles are brush painted, the finish being superb.
Chris is seen here hard at work on the Volvo, which will take the road towards the end of this coming week.

Stagecoach Oxford.  

Limited services were run on New Years Day by Stagecoach and 936 is seen approaching Cowley Road garage of OBC on the Blackbird Flyer. When the new livery takes effect it will be interesting to see how Oxford SC tackle the branded buses. 908 is expected to be the first bus in the new livery. It is under repair after heavy accident damage and is expected to return to Oxford in the next week or so. 

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

Ex Oxford Olympian 212 now with Hedingham alongside an ex Wycombe Bristol VR.

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