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

updated Sunday, 10th March 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 17th March 2002

  Issue nr. 189

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.

Visit the Archive Pages going back to 1998

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

Welcome to Issue 189, which this week includes a Sunday spent visiting local operators including Carousel, Motts, Plastows and Red Rose. There is always a lot of interest in such visits and Binders Yard near High Wycombe is one such place.

A subject in these pages in recent weeks has been the lack of destination blinds on many buses in our area. John wrote to ask "is it legal to run a local service bus without a destination. Is a route number sufficient?" I am sorry that I cannot answer this question officially, maybe a reader can. However reliability of modern equipment seems to leave a lot to be desired. Oxford Bus 805 has problems with its front equipment and I have lost count of the Arriva buses without blinds. Stagecoach have problems, especially when transfers occur. Thames Travel also often lacks correct settings which is understandable when new routes are started. I well remember that North Western, my local operator as a child, often had to use DUPLICATE when the correct destination was unavailable..... and who remembers the THC companies (see the bus above) who often used SERVICE and a route number. Many smaller operators to try to use correct blinds so all is not lost.

Gordon Brown wrote following last week's report "I think I've spotted an error on your page for 3/3/02. Your correspondent writes: "The A34 was closed for a while tonight between Green Road and the Risinghurst turn..."

As you will know, the A34 doesn't go anywhere near the Green Road Roundabout. I assume they meant the A40.

Also, with regard to the '5-minute' rule, the current rule is that buses can run up to one minute early, or five minutes late. The main change to the registration rules will be a longer notice period. The rule change involving '5 minutes' is as follows: Currently, an operator can vary a service without notice, as long as the time does not change by more than 5 minutes. When the new rules take effect, operators will have to notify all changes to service, regardless of how small. As far as I know, the allowance for buses to run +1 to -5 will remain, although I may be wrong on that point."

Thanks to Gordon Brown for those comments.

Although somewhat outside my area of coverage Stephen le Bras brings sad news of the demise of a quite good operator. He also mentions my photo of the Frist Bee Line bus fronm last week. Stephen says "Interested to see the Barbie 2 photo of a First (beeline) Dart on route 74 but I think you will find it is 215, not 216. These buses are currently going through a repaint cycle which has reached 215, with 216 expected back imminently allowing 217 to depart for its repaint.

The surprise in Windsor this week has been the demise of White Rose. Their 442 Staines Heathrow via Staines service is now worked by newcomer Leggs Coaches based in the Brooklands/Cobham using an ex Stagecoach SCB 7223 in a nice yellow with orange stripe and red back. "

White Rose were building up a good fleet of quite new buses - Caetano Darts and a large fleet of ex London Metrobuses. When I spoke to a couple of VI guys in Staines last week, they commented on how well run White Rose was. Sad!!!!

T747 was painted in Gold Livery to commerate a London Buses event in 1983 and renumbered T1983 at that time.

Hope this information is useful - your website is excellent and required viewing every Sunday (if I'm not driving at the time!). Keep it up!! "

Thank you Matthew for your input and comments.

I've added some web site links for various operators. I hope you find these useful. Do come back to this site afterwards!

Well on to the company news in our area.

News of the local companies - 10th March 2002

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Nigel Peach wrote "I appreciated your efforts in getting Olympian 5379 repainted for me!! I suspect you also had a hand in that destination of Ongar. Incidentally, if you ever did a history of the buses in that part of Essex, would you call it "Look back in Ongar"?! (The old ones are always the best....or maybe not!).

I don't think I've ever seen an SLF Dart on the free Sainsbury's shuttle. But last Friday (1st) 3823 was running it, and today it was 3824."

The current Wycombe - Newlands Bus Station allocation is:

Olympians 5074, 5076, 5379, 5822-35
Lynx 3070, 3076, 3344, 3345, 3806/8-10 (3807 is wfu)
Dart SLF 3821-27
Dart 3098, 3633, 3634, 3361, 3811-20
Mercedes 2224
Volvo B6 3127, 3138, 3243
Volvo B10B 3841-4, 3853-5
Scania 3144, 3145, 3146, 3158, 3163, 3169

3098 has gone, as reported by Mike Penn.
I think Darts 3361 has also gone - I've not seen it lately.
3633/4 should read 3833/4.
3834 is around still. I think it must have been 3833 that was towed away the other week.
Merc 2127 is still around,at the back of the bus station today, next to 3807.
Re 3807

Thanks to Nigel for that input.

As mentioned previously Carousel has taken over operation, on behalf of Arriva, route 325 to Marlow on Saturdays. This is a BCC sponsored service.

Matt Wheeler writes to note " last Saturday (2 March), one of Luton's Dart MPDs was parked up in Aylesbury Bus Station at about 8:30. I think it was 3280 (V280 HBH). Also, yesterday (9 March), there was an unusual choice of bus on Route 500 (Aylesbury - Watford). Instead of the normal East Lancs bodied
Scania, one of Aylesbury's contributions was instead Wright bodied Dennis Dart 3354 (J404 XVX) including full blinds. (see attached photo of it in Hemel Hempstead Bus Station). The other two of Aylesbury's contributions on route 500 on Saturday were more usual 3164 and 3165 (N714/5 EUR).

Ralph Adams, a regular Stagecoach correspondent writes to note "Arriva Greenway 3305 was on the 280 to Aylesbury on 6th March. I cannot recall seeing one previously (often on the 260 though)"

When I visited Aylesbury depot today, Sunday, I have to note that buses were parked in apple pie order. Types were parked up in groups and there was plenty of space for buses returning to depot to be refuelled and washed.

A general view of the Motts depot at Stoke Mandeville. A winter Sunday is often a good time to visit these type of operators. Motts also has another yard on the Aylesbury-Thame road.

A new arrival to the fleet is this Mistral 50 on Volvo chassis. till looking good, despite the awful super rear ad, ex CCS 325 leaves High Wycombe
bound for Oxford, today Sunday.

Work on ex trainer Leopard 21, which is going to the Oxford Bus Museum is almost complete. It really does look superb and will make a visit to the Museum even more worthwhile this coming season. It is due to handed over shortly.

The picture above shows the one of the latest acquisitions, one of two Volvos from a dealer, L52 and 53UNS, 657 (L52UNS) under repaint in works. It compares nicely with 647 one of the ex London route 88 Volvos. The differences are very clear.

New bus shelters have been erected in Oxford in a number of locations. We can one in the picture above giving much needed shelter to those waiting for the Park & Ride services.

I enjoyed a duty on airports this last Saturday, with coach 17 and then 26 on my two trips to Heathrow. The colleges are breaking for Easter and large numbers of students were returning home, many to Heathrow.  I really can't imagine what some of them have in their cases. It is struggle for two to get them into the luggage lockers. I thought the photo below gave a nice impression of the end of the day for Oxford Bus. 26 shares the parking area with 27 and an X90.

As a point of interest Olympian 222 has been reinstated for use by the driving school. however it has appeared on both 2 and 5 roads last week. 223 and 224 are now available for service extras, 5, 18, 601 and 602 roads.

Plastow's of Wheatley.

I mentioned that this company had another Mistral 50 coach. It is W1BUS and pictured below.

Red Rose, Aylesbury. http://www.showbus.com/redrose/index.html

You can see full details of the Red Rose fleet in the Showbus web site. This includes the latest Dart due to arrive in two weeks.

Stagecoach in Warwick

Keith Wood & Rob Williams took a trip last week and write to note:

Stagecoach in Banbury

The Banbury paintshop has been busy lately. Not previously reported as being in new livery are B6LE's 463 (P353 JND) & 853 (P853 SMR). Dennis Darts 104 (ex Rugby) and 105 (ex Nuneaton) are back at Banbury to cover for B10M's 203/204/235 which have been transferred to Oxford. 101/105 were working the X59 Banbury - Oxford on Saturday with 104 in the Depot. Merc Vario 588 T588 SKG has been transferred from Leamington and was working the B1/B2 Cherwell Heights Circular. Merc 811D 425 has been reinstated and was working the 488 to Chipping Norton.

In the Depot were Oxford Iveco Electric Buses 247/248 L247/248 FDV whilst fresh out of the Paintshop was Nuneaton's Volvo B6LE 470 (P350 JND).

The current Banbury Allocation on Saturday was :

Darts 101 / 104 / 105
B6LE's 457 / 458 / 461 / 463 / 852 / 853 / (854 not seen on Saturday) /
856 / 857
Mercs 362 (Overall Rear Advert added to it's New Livery) / 363 / 425 /
588 / Plus one other out of view.
Olympian 963

Total Vehicles 18.

Stagecoach in Nuneaton

Stagecoach in Banbury Merc 709D 361 (N361 AVV) was in Nuneaton Depot on Saturday. This and 363 (still at Banbury) have the new Beachball Logo added to their Stripe Livery. Stagecoach in Oxford vehicles in store at the Depot were :

306 K306 ARW; 307 L307 SKV; 426 L326 YKV; 427 L327 YKV; 428 L328 YKV; 461 N661 VSS; 462 N662 VSS.

There was no sign of Chiltern Coaches 70/76 - Have these been reinstated to cover the current Chiltern disruption ? or have they been sold ?

Also there was no sign of Leyland National 727, whilst active 702/705 were in the Depot resting, sadly not in use on this day !

Finally B6LE 467 P357 JND has been repainted into New Livery (presumably at Banbury) with 470 to follow into service this week.


Other News

On our way to Nuneaton we noticed work being undertaken to Kerbs & Shelters between Foleshill Road and Wheelwright Lane in Coventry in connection with an extension to the Foleshill Road Showcase Route. SiW services 57 / 157 Coventry - Bedworth - Nuneaton - Hinckley - Leicester use this route every 15 minutes. Currently Nuneaton's large allocation of B10M's are used on the routes. However with SiW routes 48 & 50/51 already being Low Floor and sharing part of the route plus Travel West Midlands placing Dennis Tridents onto it's 4A between the Coventry and Rowleys Green when the Showcasing is complete plus Arriva Fox County already running Low Floor B10BLE's on it's Nuneaton - Leicester joint service with SiW can we expect to see an order for new low floor buses or secondhand Low Floor buses this year ? This would free up a large number of B10M's for Oxford and elsewhere ?

I saw the 20/50 piece last week - very interesting ! The Centro website confirms that the Holbrooks Showcase route will receive "Brand New" buses from both companies TWM / SiW. I'm assuming that when this year's Group order is announced (this should be soon shouldn't it ?) we should be able to predict the type and quantity of vehicles being received. Last year Optare Excel's were bought and I've sampled these buses which have excellent ride qualities. I would imagine that SiOx will then get the B10M's for "country services" and the last Leyland Nationals will be withdrawn. It looks like Buses magazine was correct in predicting the end of the Leyland National this year.

From Sunday April 7th Pete's Travel  - http://www.petestravel.co.uk/ will be operating all three services between Birmingham and Oxford on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays providing a through service ! The X20 / 50 & 20 services will still be operated separately but by the same bus so you don't have to change buses and with through fares being available ! For those in Oxfordshire not used to PQH it will be an interesting way to get to know them ! and will provide some great photos of those quality yellow buses beneath "The Dreaming Spires"

Rob writes "A possible transfer from Oxford to Leamington is Merc 373 (S373 DFC), which I noted coming into the depot in Leamington on Friday evening after apparently being in service in Leamington. It still had Oxford logos. Also sat right at the front of the depot was Merc 338 totally stripped down, apparently ready for a fresh coat of paint. B10M 232 also has had it's DM display reprogrammed to lower case. (373 is swopped with 613 on a temporary basis)

Rob Williams  http://www.buszone.co.uk

National 721 has been transferred to Oxford for Driver Training duties.

Stagecoach in Oxford

Andy Gilmour writes to note - Attached are photos showing 409 freshly repainted and converted to B43F layout by Plaxton at Anston. Now 409 with Stagecoach South East; being collected from Winchester depot by Eastbourne depot on 10/3/02. Still fitted with its Barking depot destination blinds - why couldn't the work include fitting 3 track number blinds? or even electronic equipment?

Vic Gackowski writes "Nothing much but I saw Lance 902 under tow leaving Horspath Road this morning. If the Garage cant repair it where was it off to ?. It was heading North on the ring road."

Thames Travel.

A letter from Vic Gackowski

Went in to Oxford today and tried out the SOLO on the Gloucester Green to Oxpens Shuttle. Great little vehicle , I like it.

Whilst at Oxpens 1400 - 1430 was noticeable that passengers were few in number or at least well down on the normal throng of GG . It may have been an illusion as all normal buses were elsewhere and passers by are few .Jetlink , Swanbrook and National Express were however using Oxpens.

As you may know there are very basic plans to relocate Oxford Railway Station to a site further south of its present location and almost in line with Oxpens Coach Park. These plans are only talk at present .From the Temporary Coach Station I was very aware that you can see and hear the trains just a couple of hundred yards away as they accelerate out of Oxford.

Road and Rail in a purpose built interchange , what a prospect and benefit if it ever happens.

With SiO 902 seen being towed away I can confirm that 904 was in its place at Chippy today.

Also noticed today were OBC Single Door 612 and Dual Door 639 on 5 road.

SiO 7A road soldiers on with the batch of Lowliners in dedicated Barton Livery whilst 1 & 3 Roads were in the hands of reliveried ex Blackbird Flyer Lowliners and the latest batch delivered in the new livery.

I also noticed a Vario on Witney's 11 road which may be something new and on Oxfords 44 Road a 7xx Dart. 44 Road was always a 3xx Vario or 4xx vehicle and Darts on this road are rare. I reported a 7xx Dart during the Vario withdrawal but it appears to have stayed on.

Thames Travel were using Varios and Darts on 101 / 103 / 105 today plus again a Thames Trains 132 branded vehicle on the X39.

It was also noticeable that although the Route Number was visible on the 103 and 105 services seen the Destinations displayed were "THAMES TRAVEL"

Regards

PHOTO CORNER
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