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 11th November 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 18th November 2001

   Issue nr. 172

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 172, once again with many of you writing to me regarding developments in your areas. You will need time to get through this week's edition, one of the largest I have ever completed. Indeed it has taken 6 hours!!! your contributions have been most welcome and I hope this week that I have credited everyone correctly, used most of everything you have sent and not made any errors. I must say it is getting quite a task to edit.

Tragedy struck this week in two areas, Amersham and Oxford. Well the Oxford item was not so much a tragedy as an inconvenience when a hole appeared in Iffley Road. however Amersham was much more serious when two Arriva buses, parked overnight at the back of Tescos, were vandalised by unknown elements. Dart 3247 was a complete burn out as can be seen under the operators heading below.

I had an excellent outing on Saturday, visiting Marlow, Oxford and Bicester, where I was able to get some nice pictures for this week's page. This was in spite of a very difficult situation with low sun, presenting a challenge to get decent photos.

Marlow was interesting since from next Saturday 18th, service 328 ceases to be operated by Reading Buses and in future will be operated by Arriva serving the Shires. I took the opportunity to get some shots of services around 1030 in Marlow. Then it was off to Oxford to see what was happening in the Iffley Road. A hole had appeared on Thursday, some 14 ft deep, resulting in the closure of that road at The Magdalen Arms. As can be seen from the photo below, work has started on repairing the hole which could be completed as early as next Tuesday evening. It seems it was not as bad as had at first been thought. however bus services along the Iffley Road were re routed leaving the bottom half of the road nearer to Oxford without service. To overcome this problem Oxford Bus have provided a temporary service - route 40 - working a shuttle between the Magdalen Arms and the city. Two Olympians have been allocated to maintain the service which is operating on a half hourly basis until the road reopens. this included Sunday, bringing these veteran deckers back to Oxford on a Sunday.

The Iffley Road hole - A digger has arrived and the hole is being repaired.
Cars were using Warwick Street and Fairacres Road to avoid the hole but these roads
are full of parked cars and delays and congestion were inevitable.

A wonderful story appeared in the Bucks Free Press - front page with picture - this week. It seems that someone strung up a line of washing in one of the new bus shelters in Frogmoor, High Wycombe, much to amusement of passers by. No one knows who the culprit is and why it was done, save to say the washing was all clean. This reminds me of the tree on the way to Stokenchurch which is covered in old shoes. No one has ever seen anyone put the shoes on the tree, not even the locals. Eventually the tree was cut down by the council but the shoes remain. I went to Frogmoor this morning but the washing was gone. Sad, I would have liked my own picture.

Some of you wrote in to say what a problem photography was and I can wholeheartedly agree with you. These months before and after Christmas area really difficult, especially when the sun is out, as it was on Saturday. I did my best but these reflective number plates get burned out when the sun is so low in the sky. Also you can see a shadow of the photographer quite often, as in the picture above.

Coach & Bus Week carried a news item this week about 12.7 metre long coaches which are to be introduced from Bristol to london on National Express services. This is I suppose a step towards those 15metre behemoths we have read about. Another item of news from the same journal is the demise of Excelsior Bournemouth. Parent company Flights of Birmingham seemingly have put the company into receivership in order to protect Flights themselves. One wonders what will happen to Excelsior's National Express diagrams. I did see one ex Flight's Group coach now with Bahrat of Southall on the M40 yesterday but was unable to see if it was an ex Excelsior machine.

News from the companies - 11th November 2001

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Arriva's vandalised Volvo B6 3247 presents a sad sight in the yard at Cressex. It appears
beyond repair since it's value may not justify a rebody of an M reg bus.
Lynx 3064 seems to be in the process of being cannibalised.

The interior of 3247 is almost unrecognisable and still smells of fire.
A most unpleasant and senseless incident. Amersham based buses are now being
brought back to Wycombe each evening. This might mean that services in that area
could be placed in jeopardy. This is however a VERY personal view point and no one
in Arriva is suggesting this in even a remote way.
NCME Paladin bodied 3116 was also damaged but is repairable.

Wycombe developments this week are that Saturday 24th November (1915) sees the end of Reading Buses operating the 328 and three SLF Darts are being drafted in from other garages to release Volvo B10Ms to operate that route instead of the 275. I intend recording the demise of this long standing service in its present form and am also working on a history of the route, which goes back to Thames Valley days as the 28.

Nigel Peach wrote to send his reminiscences of the route from the '60s. I quote his comments - Following your request about info on route 28/328, I'm not sure that I can offer much, but some of this may be of interest & not otherwise duplicated by what you've already received. (I haven't as yet received that much Ed.)

My first memories of the 28 go back to the 60s. In Wycombe the route terminated in the bus station (then in Frogmoor near the Dovecot M/S car park. I think it was run by buses from Wycombe Marsh depot (as opposed to the Desborough Road depot which tended to serve the more local cross town services - vehicles were exchanged between the 2 depots probably daily anyway as WM had all the maintenance facilities etc). Many of the 28s used to terminate at Marlow, with probably one an hour going through to Reading. At this time the route was run only by Wycombe based buses. Reading was then head office of Thames Valley and we would often get Reading based buses to cover for long-term repair or maintenance cases. Whether these ran in on the 28 or not to save on dead mileage I don't know.

One memory is of 1951 Bristol KSW6G 601 (FMO 983). This bus overturned while working the 28 at Burroughs Grove (on the old Marlow Road just before the Marlow Bottom turning. This would have been in about 1964 or 65. Incidentally, 601 was numerically the first of 76 KSWs in the Thames Valley fleet. I remember it being out of action for some time and one thing I remember when it returned is that its number plate, previously in the unusual position of being at the bottom of the radiator grille (like its two sisters 602 & 603) was repositioned as a square one under the driver's window (as with all subsequent KSWs).

I have an aerial photo of the Frogmoor bus stn. It was one of a pack I purchased at some bus fayre probably in the 70s so I don't know who took the photo. It must be taken in the late 60s (it shows a couple of LHs which were G reg ie 68/69). The current bus stn replaced Frogmoor in 1970 (or maybe 71). There is a Bristol FLF at the bay which I remember as being where the 28 departed from. Would you like me to send you this photo?

On Sunday 13th April 1980 "Chilternlink" came into being and the 28 became the 328. "Chilternlink"  was a feature in one of the Buses mags I lent you and there is a picture of  VR 947 TPE 153S emerging from the bus station on route 328. In the back of the picture, scaffolding can be seen. It was when the Newlands M/S carpark was being extended over Tescos. By this time I was not quite so interested in buses as I was as a teenager or as I am now, but I've always kept a daily diary and my entries in April 1980 show that I visited the bus stn a few times during the early days of Chilternlink. I have noted that many buses had appeared, being cast offs from other depots of course - Leyland Nationals & VRs. The last FLFs had gone thus ending 2 man operation in the town.

Alder Valley - Chilternlink 635 HJB455W seen approaching Newlands Bus Station
in August 1985. I'm scanning some pictures of this period and hope to bring you more
in the near future.

I don't know if this was when Reading depot started to share the route - I really can't remember when that happened. I'm fairly sure it wasn't before then.

Thanks to Nigel for this most interesting contribution. I look forward to other readers memories of High Wycombe in the earlier days.

This week's training bus at Wycombe is this 1995 Iveco Turbo Daily with
Mellor 25 seat bodywork which came from Arriva Cymru in 1998. It is fully liveried for its new role.

Nigel goes on to say "Treadaway Hill (from Loudwater to Flackwell Heath) is being closed for 2 weeks from next Mon while they demolish a wall at the bottom. It's a banked wall which has become dangerous and belongs to Loudwater church. Buses will run non-stop from Loudwater to Wooburn Green, then up Whitepit Hill to FH, all the way along Straight Bit to the top of Treadaway Hill, then along Fennells Farm Rd & Oakland Way as usual. I think then when reaching The Green Dragon they will then go straight back down Whitepit rather than go back to the other end of the village again. By my reckoning this will add approx 15 minutes to the journey from Wycombe. Whitepit is also steeper than Treadaway & although evening & Sunday route 315 uses this road it rarely has a full load. I think some buses will struggle!"

Nigel then mentions "A few observations from my visit to Wycombe today: - Lincoln Rd Olympian 5081 B271 LPH was running bus stn route 341 at approx
1:30pm.  Lincoln Rd Olympian 5167 EWW 546Y was running bus stn route 327 & later 310 Lincoln Rd Lynx 3074? F404 PUR still in blue/yellow livery was in the back row of bus stn showing route 336. (It was still there today - Sunday. Ed).

With the recent disasters to Lincoln Rd vehicles I'm surprised they have any left to loan to "Bus Station" routes!

Our old friend 5074 is "up the side" near the exit, minus grille, unserviceable. (It was running the 326 on Saturday. Ed) Also there is SLF Dart 3825 displaying route 315. I saw this on Sunday evening showing 315 limping along Heath End Rd in Flackwell Heath making a lot of noise. It was taking the shortest way back to Wycombe rather than following the route.

Unusual working today: Merc Mini 2132 on the 303.

A correspondent mentioned the Oxford side destination on one of the Marshall Darts. (I think the other one has had its side destinations moved to the back.)

Today SLF Dart 3826 was displaying "Merry Christmas" on its side destination.!

Thanks to Nigel for that significant input.

Matt Wheeler wrote with some of his memories about times before Arriva including the X14/X15 services to Reading. He says " Back in Late 1989 what was then Aylesbury Bus & Red Rover (now Arriva the Shires, Aylesbury depot) received 6 G reg Alexander bodied Olympians. These are now 5099-5104, but were originally 649-654. The latter of these G654 UPP, fitted with DP/Coach seats, was delivered in a blue route branding livery for X14/X15. This was branded as "The Chiltern Connection" (or something like that), and the route was advertised as running Reading - High Wycombe - Aylesbury - Milton Keynes. How long this full length route lasted (or even when it started) I do not know, but within a couple of years the X14 and X15 ran Aylesbury - Milton Keynes only. I believe, as with route 325 mentioned below, that this route was co-operated by Aylesbury Bus (later to become Aylesbury & the Vale and then Arriva the Shires), Wycombe Bus and Reading buses Incidentally, although i'm pretty sure 654/5104 kept to its proper route most of the time, it did sometimes make the odd "escape" onto other routes. Most notably for me at the time was when it appeared on one of my morning or evening school buses that ran from the Aylesbury schools bus park to Thame. These were run as public service buses but timed for school students, one being 261 via Chearsley, the others being 280 (via Haddenham) and also 282 (to Kingsey via Haddenham). For the record, I was living in Stone at the time. (Although when i first started secondary school in 1988, Oxford bus actually ran some of the school buses to/from Aylesbury Schools bus park, but that's another
story entirely, for which i can try and write a brief "history" running from roughly 1990 to present).

Seemingly associated with the above X14/X15 long distance service was an evenings/Sunday service that latest until the mid 90's (certainly by April 1998). This was service 325. Which, on mon-sat evenings ran hourly between Aylesbury and Reading (operated by Wycombe Bus and Reading Buses), whilst on Sundays there was a 2 hourly service running the full Reading - Milton Keynes route, operated jointly between Wycombe bus, Reading Buses and Aylesbury Bus/Aylesbury & the Vale. With, I believe, one bus provided by Aylesbury, and one or two each from Wycombe and Reading. After the 1995 "route swap" between The Shires/Oxford Bus/Yellow bus, The Shires got the daytime Aylesbury - Wycombe service, but the evening and Sunday services were, for a couple of years still operated by Wycombe Bus.

From, I believe, 1998, Bucks County Council withdrew funding for evening/Sunday route 325. This led to Wycombe District Council providing funding for a Princes Risborough - Marlow services during evenings and weekends for a while, before Bucks County council found some more money, and effectively brought the evening/Sunday services to what they are today (ie 323 for Wycombe - Aylesbury and 329 for Downley - Wycombe - Henley/Reading).

I can't really go into detail as to what vehicles any operator used (apart from Olympian 654/5104 mentioned above), so hopefully someone else may be able to give you accurate information on that, although I would hope someone can provide a photo for your site of G654 UPP in its route branding livery.. And also, someone might be able to get more exact dates/route details for the various routes I believe were operated over the past 10 years or so.

Thanks to Matt Wheeler for that informative input.

Newman Morgan wrote regarding news of bus fire at Amersham. He says "Thanks for the update on the fire at Amersham outstation. I spent 10 years working in an office opposite the site of the old Amersham Garage. In fact for the first years of my working there the former LT/LCBS garage was fully operational. In those days it was a sizeable depot with double decks and Green Line coaches plus some single decks kept in the garage and the remainder of the single decks (virtually all SNB class Leyland Nationals of both A (with pod) type and B (without pod) type kept in the car park overnight. There would be around 25 vehicles, probably more, parked up in the car park.

Then came the planning application to demolish the garage and turn it into a Tesco Fuel Station. I remember the planning application was turned down as Amersham Garage had the longest single span beam (or was it just one of the longest single span beams) across the main garage entrance. Thus the building became classified under historic interest. One Friday the demolition men moved in and by the end of the day the garage had been razed to the ground.

Since that time a much smaller number of vehicles has been parked up overnight in the car park. I believe I am right in saying that for a short period of time vehicles were parked up overnight somewhere else in the Amersham or Chesham area.

The overnight allocation used to include two double decks (AN Atlanteans) that used card nos. 81 and 82 on the 362/372 road and they also worked certain duties on other Wycombe ex-London Country roads at times during their working day. These duties were replaced by all-Cressex operations eventually. Then there were 3 single decks for the 336 road, in more recent times reduced to 2 vehicles with the 3rd supplied from GR Garston. Varying numbers of single decks were kept there for the 353, more recently 3 vehicles. There was a period of time when one single deck duty would be just a morning run to and afternoon run from Dr Challoners Girls School at Little Chalfont plus a couple of crew shuttles to and from Wycombe. At various times during its history the Car Park outstation also worked duties on the 305 and 375 (375 now Red Rose). The vehicles used to work Amersham-Beaconsfield as 375 then Beaconsfield-Uxbridge as 305, back to Beaconsfield then back to Amersham.

During the period of operation of the Car Park outstation there has always been a staff rest room located a little down the street in a small garage-like building. This building lies close to the Café Uno restaurant and in front of it is the Amersham Memorial Gardens bus stop, i.e. the one before the main Old Amersham, Broadway stop. In fact on a vehicle travelling in the direction from Amersham Hospital to Amersham Station, if a crew change was to be made this would take place at the Memorial Gardens stop and not at the Broadway. Wycombe bound crew changes would take place at the Broadway stop. On some 336's crew changes took place round the corner in Gore Hill.

During the period of operation of the outstation there were spasmodic attacks on buses, usually at weekends. Old Amersham can be a magnet for youngsters with its collection of pubs and restaurants.

Whilst not as comprehensive as would be liked, I hope the foregoing gives an oversight of the outstations life."

Thanks to Newman for that enlightening piece on Amersham.

Thanks to Mike Penn for follow up on a question on ex Manchester Mercs last week. Mike says "Regarding your query about the ex Manchester Mercs at Aylesbury P179/81 FNF were still parked there on Thursday last week (November 1) obviously untouched.  In fact 179 was still parked in exactly the same place as shown in the photo on your web page.  There was no sign of the third one."

I have also tried to find out what is going on but so far no luck. Mike has also been back several times but again with no luck.

Arriva2108-rt260.jpg - taken from front/top deck of my bus to Oxford, the route 260 bus
is on Churchway in Haddenham making its journey away from the Church.
(Matt says "Unfortunately I managed to get the window pillar in the picture")
( I must say I rather liked the picture because its different and how it often is - Ed.)

Carousel Buses, High Wycombe

Martyn Pearce wrote to say "Not much to report except that GOG235W ex-W Midlands Metrobus is planned to be collected tomorrow by a bus breaker from Yorkshire. It is stripped of half its roof, most windows, all seats and running gear - a very sorry state indeed.

M1432 is now repaired (after its accident with Southend Pier whilst owned by London General) and is just having the seats reinstalled (coach-type seats, by the way) and is being repainted on site in High Wycombe into Red/White with gold stripes and fleet names. Expected to re-enter service later this week.

Service 400 (High Wycombe-Bourne End via Flackwell Heath) is now extended to MARLOW on most journeys.

I called at the yard this morning and came upon this Sullivan Buses Metrobus ex LT. It is ex M1276 and appears to have blinds fitted for use in High Wycombe. Of course from next weekend Carousel will start running the 1 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Charlton Services

Charlton's ex Oxford Tiger A114MUD crosses Magdalen Bridge last Saturday.
The shadows make photography very difficult.

City of Oxford Motor Services (The Oxford Bus Company)

The classic photo of Oxford - The Magdalen Tower as a background to 816 on 5 road.

News of the week is that Oxford Bus has a new route, the 40. A temporary route
to overcome a road collapse in Iffley Road, sees Olympian 221 heading that way.

Oxford Bus 221 reverses into Magdalen Road on service 40.

Having loaded the 1153 departs for the City Centre last Saturday morning.
Apart from the bus and a car, the road is almost deserted.

Volvo 648 turns towards Donnington Bridge from the Abingdon Road.
It is on diversion due to the Iffley Road problems.

The noon day sun catches the glass on Trident 120 as it head along Abingdon Road
on an X3 express service last Saturday.

Chris Strong sent this picture taken last week at Chester-le-Street depot.
Oxford's three Olympians 208, 223 and 224 - seen here - are still hard at work.

As mentioned elsewhere  service 40 was started following the road problems in Iffley Road. It will run until the problems are over and two Olytmpians have been allocated to operate the route. They are 221 and 222.

Training bus C66HOM is now ready for the road, so keep your eyes open and let me know if any of you see her out on the road. Work on the other two is now well advanced and the end of the Leopards must be only a short time away.

Thursday 8th November saw some unusual workings with 647 and then 649 replacing 816 on 5G card. Olympians 220 and 221 were hard at work on 2 road, though 221 was later replaced by 602. Monday 5th saw 222 on 300I card replacing 929 at some point during the day.  222 had earlier been on 2 road with 221 again. This same day saw 632 and 641 both at work on 5 road though 641 was later replaced by 803. On the same day again unusually 656 was on 15 road.

Heyfordian

Newman Morgan writes "...following on from Pete Showbus's comment over Heyfordian Olympians, this afternoon (Thursday) the following 
were at Heyfordian's Bicester depot in Murdock Road, off Launton Road:
JTY 366X minus engine in Go-North East livery
JTY 373X in Go North East livery
B245 NVN in Arriva livery.
The time was 3.30pm and there should have been two more out on the road. 
A few weeks ago I noted these two as an Arriva-livered vehicle and a United livered vehicle.
I will check at the weekend on these Olympians.

Further to my e-mail of this week I took a trip round to the Heyfordian depot in Bicester Saturday afternoon. 
In addition to the 3 Olympians already mentioned, two more are B253 PHN and B246 NVN. B253 will be ex-United by it's Darlington registration. 
These two were in all over Arriva blue livery (no white cow horns!) with large white 'heyfordian bus' fleetnames in lower case lettering positioned 
between decks at the rear and on the near- and off-side at the front sides of the vehicles. "HEYFORDIAN serving the School Run" might have 
been more appropriate"!! B245 NVN, mentioned in my earlier e-mail appears to be receiving attention as its engine cowl is now painted white 
(it wasn't in the week). Otherwise the vehicle is in Arriva livery (with cow horns) and devoid of fleetnames. 
The two ex-Go North East machines hadn't moved. Incidentally B245 and B246 NVN both sport rear route number boxes which looked 
to be four track boxes. So, it would appear there are 5 Olympians at Heyfordian's Bicester depot. The depot is actually an open air park 
on a light industrial estate (opposite the Oxfam warehouse) with a garage maintenance facility. 

The office facilities are next door in a different building. I am not sure how long Heyfordian have been here'; 
I believe this depot replaced their former, original base at Upper Heyford village, close to the former USAF F111 base. 

Hope this info will be of assistance to Pete Showbus.

Regards

Newman Morgan.

Roland Cox wrote, following my comments last week, saying"

The ex COMS Tigers with Heyfordian are still use, TJI 6301 for the last week is the regular coach on the 
Middle Barton to Oxford morning service and TJI 6304 was the coach on the midmorning service last Wednesday. 
Are there six Olympians B245/6 NVN B253 PHN,B255 RAJ and C265/6 XEF ex Arriva ?  (see above from Newman Morgan Ed.)

Jeffs

From Roland cox comes news that "Jeffs have another new Iveco coach this time with new reg. FE 51 -- -- -- "

Luxicars

Again from Roland Cox comes news that "Luxicars have moved there garage to Bankside on the old Kidlington station industrial site in the old Freshgrow building  I only found out because I had to go to a firm there for work!!"
 

Reading Buses - Newbury Buses

Rob Williams wrote in time for last week's page but I am sorry to say I missed including the piece. however it was of interest and I quote it now "Just a quick reminder that today (31st October) is Reading Transport's 100th birthday!

Whilst its not quite the Oxford area, an item not reported on the News Page yet is the order made for 14 new Optare Spectras by Reading Buses. Nine will be for a new Reading Borough council tendered night bus network and the remaining five for the town fleet.
 
The new night services, called "Nighttrack" are due to start on 25th November. During the day the Nighttrack buses will work a limited stop service to Green Park imaginatively called "Daytrack". And to link things in with Oxford a little, both First Beeline and the Go-Ahead group made bids for the contract alongside Reading Buses. Reading came out on top tendering £6,599,000 over five years, Go-Ahead came second with £8,165,000 and First came last (!) with £9,685,850. Added to this Reading also apparently offered some other extras that the others didn't - onboard CCTV and the introduction of off-bus ticketing.

It is sad to hear that Reading are giving up another of their rural routes (the 328), the 105 has been cut back so much that it has virtually been given up to Thames Travel."

Apologies for missing that news last week, especially Reading's 100th.

As mentioned above under Arriva, Reading Buses will cease to operate the 328 effective 24th November.  These two pictures below show the 328 traversing Marlow last Saturday.

Optare 510 passes Marlow Police Station, having picked up in Marlow en route High Wycombe.

Optare 503 runs out of Marlow, Henley bound just after 1030 on Saturday morning.
It will run alongside the River Thames on its way to Henley. Once upon a time I am
told that Thames Valley ran open toppers along this road?

James Cusworth wrote to say regarding Newbury Buses "Just to say that Newbury Buses has three Optare Solos on order for services in Didcot. I don't know if they're new services or not. Steve Annells mentioned a new 131 route from Didcot to Harwell Business Park and suspected Thames Travel would operate it, but they already have a service - 131 (Wallingford-Hagbournes) don't they?

Red Rose, Aylesbury

Leaving Bicester last Saturday was this Ford of Red Rose, Aylesbury - H63BKM.
It has Crystals DP20F bodywork and was on service to Buckingham.

Stagecoach in Banbury and Warwickshire

This very nice shot of an ex Oxford Tube was taken by Mark Pitman in Stratford-upon-Avon.
It is now number 12 in the Warwick fleet and runs for Virgin Trains.

James Cusworth wrote to note that "...on the DevonBus site (http://www.devonbus.co.uk) it says that Stagecoach in Warwickshire Solo 613 was loaned to Stagecoach Devon over the weekend 20th and 21st October for comparative trials against their two new Dart MPDs 201/202 (WA51OSE/WA51OSF).

Keith Wood wrote to say "Not much to report from Nuneaton. Leyland National 627 has joined 621 here after only a week at Rugby. Merc 709d 316 has rejoined the withdrawn pile at the side of the depot. The three extra Dennis Darts are not in service yet - R822 YUD is in PrimeLine livery but has no branding. ( I understand the Darts may be for route 48 Ed.) The expanded Monday - Friday service commences on November 26th. The Saturday frequency (30 mins) remains the same. No other new low floors were present on Saturday unless they were in the maintenance area which was closed off. Unless they are invisible Mercs 344/ 345 are not at Nuneaton despite other reports ! They are still on my Leamington list.

Have 832-836 been renumbered 452-456 ? This must mean P327 JND won't become 457 as it clashes with Banbury's 457 ! More confusion !

Keith continues "Went to Rugby to clear up the latest confusion about the B6LE's this morning. Here's the definitive answer.

451 P321 JND New Livery
452 P322 JND New Livery / Route "4" Branding
453 P323 JND New Livery / Route "4" Branding
454 P324 JND New Livery / Route "4" Branding
455 P325 JND New Livery / Route "4" Branding
456 P326 JND New Livery / Route "4" Branding

452 - 456 were 832 - 836 honest ! Whether they entered service as such I don't know ! They were numbered as such on 27/10/01 two days before Route 4 was re-launched. Whilst on the subject of Route 4 they were having some mechanical problems today (9/11/01) 3 B6LE's were in the depot whilst B6LE 451 Dart 103 and B10M 221 were filling in ! Also present were Banbury's B6LE 457 and Nuneaton's B10M 207 awaiting mechanical attention."

It seems I may have mis-credited some news last week from Keith Wood to Rob Williams. I apologise to both gentlemen for this error.

Stagecoach in Oxford

Neil Gow wrote to say "Not much to report this week. 948 (OV51 KAD) was on the 1 on Tuesday and OV51 KAE (945 I think - the black fleet numbers are difficult to see) on there today. Strange really, you would think companies would respond to the non-availability of matching registration numbers by making the fleet numbers more prominent. Instead Stagecoach make them harder to see." (Actually SCiO were awaiting fresh stocks of white fleet numbers hence the use of black ones - I am sure they will get round to changing them as soon as time permits. Ed)

Newman Morgan wrote to say.....in Bicester, a notice has mushroomed in Bure Place Bus 'Station' to the effect that Stagecoach's changes on the 25 - 29 roads due for this weekend have been put off until late-November.

Robert Williams wrote to say "Stagecoach Oxford withdrew their 34/234 Oxford to Newbury via Hampstead Norreys, Compton, Harwell, and Abingdon service after operations on 27th October 2001 having given up the West Berks/Oxfordshire C.C. tendered contracts. Newbury Buses started operating a new replacement service from the 29th: 9 NEWBURY, Hermitage, East Ilsley, Didcot.

M A N 915, picks up on Donnington Bridge Road last Saturday. I expect this change of routing
may have affected the Oxford 16 but that is often re routed on Saturdays via Iffley Road,
temporarily via Cowley Road to avoid delays in Abingdon road.

Matthew Wheeler sent this photo of 839 and 942 meeting at Carfax.

242 N816DNE has been transferred into Oxford from Rugby and is seen here
operating the 28 at Bure Place Bus Station Bicester last Saturday.
242 started life with Stagecoach Manchester as 816 at Princess Road Depot
running services in South Manchester.

Graham Mildenhall wrote saying "Don't know if this has been reported and I missed it but a friend reports having seen SiO 524 in a somewhat battered state in a local body repairers. He says that the nearside was quite badly damaged and that there was a hole in the roof. This, coupled with mud etc suggests to him that it has had an unplanned excursion off of the road into trees. Any further news I wonder?"

Stagecoach Oxford's David Whitley replied saying "524 left the road two weeks ago when running empty between Witney and Carterton. Nobody hurt, and no other vehicles involved. Bus checked for faults, but no faults found. Up to two months of repairs required before returning to service. A B10M has been sent to Witney on loan for the short term."

All the new  M A N s have now entered service older 938 has now gained corporate livery ex Blackbird Flyer and 940 appears the next one due to be repainted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STAGECOACH IN OXFORD - SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE OPERATIONS
OXFORD - DIDCOT - WANTAGE

Will be published this coming week as a special issue.

Weavaway, Newbury

Rob Williams wrote regarding a regular visitor to Oxford from this company "Hi - Weavaway Travel (Newbury) have sold MCW Metrorider coach B10M KC to an operator in Wales. Has anybody seen it or does anybody know who exactly it has gone to? 
A few notes to aid identification: It's registration plate may well have been changed, other vehicles sold by Weavaway have had their B10M XX plates replaced. The coach was new to Ipswich Transport as their 303 with registration G683 KNW, then it was re-registered wOI 3005 and later sold to Reading Transport where it became their 216. Reading sold the vehicle to Weavaway in May. Last known livery was all-over Weavaway red/maroon and it has some distinguishing vents drilled in the bonnet, an alteration made by Reading to most of it's MetroRiders. (There are a couple of Ipswich drivers at Oxford who might be able to answer some of the question.)

A picture of it in Weavaway livery for those interested can be found at  http://www.busweb.co.uk/rwill2805/Local.html   and one of it in Reading Goldline livery can be found at http://www.busweb.co.uk/rwill2805/Metrorider.html

Neil Gow wrote to say "Your correspondent who suggested my purple Olympian was a Weavaway one was spot on. I've seen one of their buses on this service both Weds and Friday this week. The ex COMS Tiger seems to be the usual vehicle".

Worths of Enstone.

Ex Oxford's L154HUD is seen resplendent in its new livery waiting time at Thornhill coach stop.

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

Tim's Travel of Sheerness in Kent own this Volvo B10M-62 with Berkhof Axial 50 bodywork
which was new to Limebourne. It is seen at Tescos Cowley last Saturday

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

  OXFORD BUS PAGE CONTENTS