Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE

Visit the Archive Pages going back to 1998

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

updated Sunday 9th December 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 16th December 2001

  Issue nr. 176

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 !

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid week news please
let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com

Welcome to issue 176, bringing you, this week, a change of flavour from the usual. I spent sometime on Saturday morning in Henley and I include a report on what can be seen in a period of about one hour in that charming riverside town. I am also pleased to publish to replies to my editorials of recent weeks. These concern my comments on south West trains and my thoughts on trying to use public transport to get to my place of work. Add to that a good selection of photos and news reports and I hope you will all enjoy this week's page as much as those in the past.

 Henley was first on my agenda for Saturday and having made a leisurely journey through Medmenham from Marlow I parked up in the main street and paid the princely sum of £0.30p for a one hour parking ticket. I had thought that a lot of interest would have gone, since Reading Buses no longer operate the 328. How wrong I was! Indeed the 328 and 329 services are now almost all operated by ex Oxford Bus Volvo B10Bs but there are a number of other operators running services in and out of Henley to make it most interesting.

Having got a picture of Arriva's 3841 coming out of Thames Side by the Red Lion and heading up Hart Street on the 329, I set about finding what "was on offer" for the bus enthusiast. Hart Street is the stopping place for Reading bound 328 and 329 services, plus the X39(39) operated by Thames Travel to Wallingford and Oxford. Red Rose route 12 also serves the same stop on its way to Watlington. I was also just in the right spot at the right moment and observed Margaret's Mini Bus 134 service to Russells Water via Stoke Road, Nuffield and Nettlebed. Further up Hart Street , there is a cross roads with Duke Street and Bell Street. Services from Reading on the 328 and 329 serve at stop immediately in Bell Street, which is one way towards Oxford. It was very congested, since a van was delivering to the news agents on the corner causing some delays. Another group of services to depart from Bell Street are the Henley town services , H1, H2 and H3 operated by Chiltern Buses. The buses also serve Henley Rail Station where the Red rose 12 has its terminus. I tried to get some timetables but could not find any in the town. The timetable cases on the stops were up to date but there was no apparent coordination for the visitor to the town who did not know his/her way around.  However I enjoyed the hour spent there very much and will return on another occasion to get a wider picture and more information.

Henley centre looking towards the river with St Mary's Chiurch to the left of the picture.
A Chiltern buses Volvo B6BLE with East Lancs Spryte bodywork is
seen on local service H1 awaiting a crew change. The driver for the change over comes
 by van from Woodcote and the relieved driver returns the same way.
The bus in question is W992BDP, a 31 seater low floor new in 2000.

The day was, as can be seen, beautifully sunny but at this time of year the sun is always nearer the southern horizon making photography very difficult. Indeed Henley is no exception and there are very few places where a vehicle is in clear sunlight. The bridge over the Thames, built by William Hayward in 1786 is one place in the morning but it is now so very busy, one has to take ones life in ones hands to get any kind of shot, as can be seen lower down this page.

As mentioned above the 134 service from Henley to Russells Water is operated
by Margaret's Mini Bus, which is a Fiat J344MBX, seen here at the Hart Street stop.
It leaves around 1150 on a Saturday and seem well patronised.

Last week I mentioned in editorial about train conditions, in so far my experience of South West Trains was concerned. One of my regular readers was I think, somewhat incensed by my remarks and wrote "a letter to the Editor" regarding his feelings. I am publishing this in full since I think it gives a more balanced view of the matter. however I would just note that my feelings were not against a train operator rather the apparent difference in the way safety standards are applied when it comes to interior condition of seating and suchlike.

To the Editor.

Sir

As an enthusiast of all types of transport and regular reader of your page I must pass comment on last weeks editorial regarding your experiences of South West Trains. I am a rail user like yourself and in the last few years since privatisation the media has been full of the woes of our national rail system with the privatisation issue used as the focus for much of the criticism . Like yourself I have had poor journeys with missed connections many times but I have also been on time on many occasions as well. There are factors in your editorial which need taking to task. I do not believe railway companies get away with safety issues and I believe that every professional railman , and busman , is committed to a safe network. The SWT fleet of slam door stock is old but these units work to incredible pressures

during the rush hours moving many thousands of passengers each morning and afternoon. Commuting has grown over the years and I know that passenger volumes have increased. Using our Oxford Bus Page area as an example the Towns of Abingdon , Wantage , Didcot and Bicester have all grown dramatically over the years with large new estates sprouting up. In the case of Bicester Chiltern Railways are the local rail operator and they have moved forward to meet demand. They have reinstated double track which was singled many years ago and purchased new rolling stock. They are now a viable alternative to the West Coast on the London to Birmingham service. Chiltern Railways , Thames Trains and First Great Western are all promoting integrated Bus Links with through ticketing. On a recent Thames Trains journey I noted that the Thames Travel service from Goring to Wallingford is advertised on board. This is a good incentive to get more people onto the already hard pressed rail network. New rolling stock is coming slowly and SWT have some very nice new Class 170 multiple units. The latest publicity about Railtrack does not boost confidence but as more trains take to the

rails it is comparable with more vehicles taking to the roads. Things bunch up up when things go wrong and delays occur whether on road or rail. The recent Bridge Bash on Botley Road affected the trains over the top and buses underneath. The Train and Bus companies were not to blame yet I bet the public still vented their anger at them. When your train or bus is late is it actually the companies fault ? , I doubt many people stop to think it through.

One example of bus criticism was detailed when a correspondant recently noted on the page that the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford were considering a Nurses Park and Ride as the P&R 300 was so unreliable. In addition how many frustrated holidaymakers have lost beach or clubbing time sitting at our airports when a plane fails or is late.

Rail,Bus and Air Operators need their resources earning money and although some limited spare resources are available operators cannot have stock sitting idle just in case. I feel your comments about loose seat cushions needs putting into context. If one looks at the SWT network and number of services operating in the peaks then your seat cushion appears insignificant. I am sure the fitters will repair them eventually but I don’t think its the big safety issue to the trains safety you think it is. For example a bus can brake in emergency far more harshly than a train and is more likely to do so with other motorists about yet we don't have compulsory seat belts in buses. Should this be a consideration in these times of increased Health and Safety? Even a fixed cushion on a bus wont prevent one being thrown forward if the vehicle were to brake suddenly. Whilst Oxford Bus and Stagecoach are the "Big Boys" with large fleets and facilities the press and TV often cover smaller operators who get vehicles grounded on the spot by roadside checks. Of course there are many smaller operators with a fine unblemished record but one poor one comes to light every so often.

Our countries children travel to and from school on these vehicles every day so are they in mortal danger ?. The answer is actually no when put in to full context because for every grounded vehicle with a fault there are hundreds in tip top condition. This weeks editorial also focuses of this topic. The same must apply to South West Trains and other train operators if one looks at the number of seats per train and the number of thousands who sit on them in the peak hours. In the morning and evening peaks our countries Train and Bus operators have nearly every resource out on the road. Is Cowley Road or Horspath Road full of spares in the peaks with drivers sitting on them ? I doubt it.

I have followed all forms of transport for several years and have seen much criticism of all forms of transport yet our railways still suffer the most but to be fair train companies are trying to improve and this letter has already reflected some of these. There is nothing better than to interchange from Train to Bus using the same ticket . This was not possible just a couple of years ago.

With regard to complaints I recall an editorial some months ago in which criticism was levelled on this page at Cambridge Coach Services / Jetlink when an attempt was made to complain.

In conclusion I feel that the editorial on SWT was inappropriate for our News Page especially as our bus services are not rosy red themselves.

Our Page must be open and free to comment but above all it must be unbiased.

(Name and Address supplied)

Well, I think that puts both sides very well indeed. There is much I would agree with and if anyone feels strongly about items and comments on this page, then please do write to me. I am quite prepared to give all views an airing providing they do not render me liable to liable charges etc.

On my comments car vs. bus another correspondent from the North East wrote saying "...as an enthusiast living in the north I don't have anything to contribute to The Oxford Bus Page, but I was interested to read your comments the other week on the problems of public transport and hope you don't mind reading my response to that.

Until 2 years ago I travelled daily by bus from Harrogate to Leeds. I started doing that journey in 1985 when the journey took about 35 minutes. During the next few years the service was very inconsistent with too many missing journeys and overcrowded vehicles. However, Harrogate & District began to get their act together during the late 80s and slowly introduced better buses and a better frequency. Despite the increase in traffic and journey time to an hour or more on bad days, passenger numbers also increased, the fare representing good value for money especially when parking charges are taken into consideration, and the journey time by car was little different to that by bus - both suffered from the same congestion. Today, there are 6 journeys leaving Harrogate for Leeds between 7am & 8am where 15 years ago there were two. The point is that the operator can do much to encourage passenger growth with consistent good quality of vehicles, fares, reliability and stability.

The other side of this is that the motorist has to make a choice for public transport. Too often I have seen programs or read articles where people are challenged to do without the car for a week. They then attempt to do a journey which involves changes of service or 'awkward' routings. Conclusion? Bus is no good. But this misses the point. The bus can never be as convenient as the car and not all journeys can have a realistic bus equivalent, but in many cases the motorist could choose to use public transport with little difficulty.

The recent talk of quality partnerships is a step forward, but the only partnership that counts involves 3 parties. The operator provides a high quality service, the local authority deals with the infrastructure and the passenger (or is that customer?!) makes a determined effort to use public transport wherever and whenever possible. Each parties commitment should encourage the other two.

Utopian? Probably. But if we don't aim high then we will certainly fail.

I know the foregoing does not relate to Oxford but maybe there are some comments that could apply equally to other parts of the country including Oxford. Certainly traffic hold ups and roadworks make daily travel by bus an often tedious pastime. We do have some partnerships here in our area as witnessed by recent initiatives by Thames Trains. It would thus appear that locally we are aiming high but a lot more could doubtless be done.

I look forwards to further comments on the matter.

We draw nearer to Christmas and many towns are putting up Christmas decorations. Oxford's Queen Street lights were switched on recently but not before an incident occurred where a string of lights collapsed on a Stagecoach bus, which helped to minimise what could have been a serious incident for pedestrians.

Well, on to company reports and news. Within this section I have included various pictures of my visit to Henley.

News from the companies - 9th December 2001

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Arriva's 5841 (ex Wycombe Bus 621) leaves Thames Side and turns into Hart Street
on its way to Reading last Saturday morning.

The next service through Henley towards Reading was a 328 and 3844 is seen
here crossing the Thames Bridge with St Mary's Church in the background.
The bus has to make a full circuit of the town on the 328, since it picks up in Hart Street
before going around to reach the bridge. This bridge has often featured in bus photographs.
It is however, now very busy and I took a chance getting this one.

3853 heads to wards High Wycombe and will shortly pick up in Bell Street
after crossing Hart Street in the picture.

Arriva Volvo B6 3126 is route branded for the Slough Airport services but on Sunday was
operating in from Aylesbury on the 323 and its next duty was on the 372 to Chesham.

Transferred down from Cressex for the 275, Volvo B6 3243 was rostered for the 329
on Saturday and is seen here parked up on Sunday morning.

Wycombe news this week is that an Olympian from the 5825-5835 batch was seen in Oxford operating a 275 duty last Saturday. Reader, Edmund Tresham did not see which one it was, so if anyone knows please tell me. This is the first time a decker has operated this route since COMS days and the 75.

Pete Brown wrote to correct some observations made last week about various buses in Wycombe. He says "...Just thought I would just give some further information on an article which I think came from Nigel Peach about the only new buses to have been delivered to Lincoln Rd. The four NCME bodied Olympians (G129/30YEV and G131/2YWC) were not new to the Shires at all but came second hand from Ensign bus when they were quite new. Also the three V registered B6BLE's were delivered new to Garston depot and were transferred to Wycombe after about 8 months at Garston!

Nigel Peach writes to say "re the picture of 5822 last week,  It does look smart and I notice it has acquired new number plates. I expect the choice of destination was yours! By my reckoning 5822 has now gained its sixth different livery and possibly had no ordinary repaint of the same as before, if you see what I mean! It started life in the "Londonlink" livery, then the yellow Beeline, followed by the blue of the "Wycombe Coach Company". It reappeared then in standard Wycombe Bus colours, I think after an accident. It was then that its dot matrix front destination blind was replaced by the conventional one. The ElevenSeventy all-over advert then followed and now this new one." I think Nigel may well be correct? Nigel also noted that he saw 5822 for the first time in Wycombe on 20th April 1990, the very same he first saw G129YEV.

Steve Warwick wrote with some notes on Arriva this last week.

Tuesday 4th December.
5108 spent most of the day on 303's ( I had the pleasure of it for 3hrs). in fact the 303's had a varied mixture of buses today- Mini 2134, Dart 3817 & Olympian 5824 (complete with 303 on paper at front!)  Cressex school contract 963 (Seer Green-Grammar School) was operated (by myself) with Olympian 5829.

Wednesday 5th December.
Dennis Dart 3822 back on the road minus it's rear metal plate, sporting a new glass for the rear Hanover Display.

Enjoyed your photo of the Brentford team coach, what a excellent driver UP THE BLUES!!!

Pete Brown wrote noting -

1. G129YEV has been in service now for the last week around Wycombe. Its looking very scruffy these days with the old Travelwise panels just being replaced with plain blue or green ones.

2. Some of the ex. COMS Olympians have been working Lincoln Rd garage duties this week.

3. A151 FPG (I think) the Olympians transferred from Aylesbury has been busy around Wycombe on the 323 and 372

So it seems that 323 and 372 duties may well be linked?

BCC Optare 46 arrives in Marlow having operated from Stokenchurch and Marlow Bottom
on the 160 last Friday. It had a good load on this trip from Marlow Bottom.

Chiltern Queens depot at Woodcote was host to this line up last Saturday. They are from l to r
MUD25W, EBW107Y, PPJ65W, WUD815Y, EBW106Y AND BBW20W.
All but PPJ65W are ex Oxford Citylink and the last three are now withdrawn from use.

A general view of the workshops at Woodcote. Volvo B6BLE Y877KDP is in the shade
whilst Volvo B10M/Duple 340 PIL6580 (D343ENH) reverses out.

Surprise return to Wycombe depot is this ex Go North East Olympian JTY375X
still in Go north East livery. I thought they had all been repainted..

I wonder what the person answering 0191 460 5144 would think when the caller
said they felt your bus is smoking in High Wycombe!

Oxford Bus operates every 30 minutes on weekdays between Oxford and Didcot.
However on Saturdays the service is hourly. Seen here last Saturday at Milton Park,
en route to Didcot is Volvo B10B 612.

Trident 103 is now away for rectification work and will be red upon its return. 120 will be the next to go and will be green upon its return.

There was a delay to the fitting of the new blinds to 101, it should be completed this coming week.

This Mercedes has recently joined the Motts fleet from Clyde coast Coaches.
It has Mellor 25 seat coachwork and is seen near jc. 6 of the M40 on service M1 to Reading.

Trevor Wilson wrote regarding the Olympian coach featured last week. He says "...this used to do a Bucks CC schools contract - Chalfont St Peter to Chesham High School until the end of the last school year. Motts no longer have that school contract.

Richard (our son, used to go to Chesham until July) says the coach has very comfortable seats with useful luggage racks for school bags.

Motts put this coach on the school contract after one scholar raised a petition to Motts regarding the state of the previous bus. One of the previous buses was an ex Yorkshire registered Metrobus."

Red Rose - Aylesbury

Stagecoach in Banbury and Warwickshire

No news this week

Stagecoach in Oxford

A lot of work is in progress at Witney Garage renovating this ex COMS structure.
The removal of the old name is proving troublesome and even after the application
of some concrete coating, the old letters still show through.
Merc. 410 is seen waiting it next duty

Tracey wrote "NEWS FROM CHIPPY......................................

29/11/01, new liveried MERCEDES VARIO 377 replaced 410 at Chippy for the 488 Banbury service. A Vario will now operate this service in the future. 410 is to be used at Witney in future."

Volvo Olympian 521, in new livery, loads at Market Square, Witney last Saturday afternoon.

Tappins of Didcot

Coaches in this view are 418, 500 and 177. 500 is one of two Plaxton Viewmasters
on Volvo chassis remaining with this fleet. 500 is registered 500EFC but was new as NBL905X

Thames Travel, Wallingford.

S552BNV is seen last Saturday on service 39 loading in Hart Street, Henley.
Passengers for Oxford will change in Wallingford.

PHOTO CORNER
If you have a digital camera and wish to submit photos for this page please send them to the me at 
malcolmhc@aol.com

K&M Volvo/Van Hool 4465KM conveys the Wakefield RUFC team to a match through Henley.

I welcome your photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com

  OXFORD BUS PAGE CONTENTS