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

updated Sunday, 17th March 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 24th March 2002

  Issue nr. 190

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 190, which this week includes a record of Chiltern Railways' replacement bus services this Sunday. I also note the plans by Chiltern following their gaining a 20 years franchise from the SRA.

Chiltern Railways replacement road service operated by Dennis 4028 ex Lucky Bus of Watford.
Other Arriva coaches are seen in the background.

The magazine RAIL covers much news of Chiltern Railways in its March 6-19 issue. The rail company has a number of plans which could have quite an impact on our local bus and coach services. The reopening of the line from Princes Risborough' to Oxford, thereby creating a through service to london may well impact on the Oxford express and Tube services. Plans are also in hand (longer term) for a bus interchange and completely rebuilt station at High Wycombe by 2006. Bus links with Chinnor will be continued with Taxibus services being introduced at Aylesbury by the end of 2004.

These are certainly most interesting developments but do rely upon investment being available to achieve these and many more plans. There is no mention of the plan to build a new rail head at junction 6 of the M40.

Arriva's Dart 3815 passes Wycombe Rail Station on its way to Newlands Bus Station.

Hull City came to Oxford on Saturday and much to many peoples surprise left loser of a 1-0 match. The police were out in force to look after the visiting supporters as can be seen from the photo below.

I must complement so many of you who continue to send information each and every week, this is much appreciated and adds much to the page.

Well on to the company news in our area.

News of the local companies - 17th March 2002

Airlinks - Jetlink

Rescheduling of the 757 service through High Wycombe now means one can see two coaches in the town passing on service between Oxford and Cambridge. We see a Cambridge bound service leaving Newlands Bus Station today, whilst an Oxford bound service enters the bus station.

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

The next "Running Day" is planned for Sunday May 26th with a number of local routes being run as usual. There will be visiting Routemasters.

My regular Arriva correspondent Steve writes to note:

YES it was me on Scania 3146 on the 0715 dep to Oxford this morning! 3146 started on 326's this morning. Hence 3146 on the Oxford!. Still no blinds in the Scania's.

I noted on my excursion to Oxford today that all the buses I saw not ONE didn't have a correct Destination blind showing or without one, why can't WE do it!. Just for the records the following Wycombe buses are without blinds or incorrect blinds fitted: Scania,3158,3163,3169,3144,3145,3146 : Mercs,110,175,176,177,2244 : Olympian.5379,5074(broken) that's 13 vehicles.

I've just through this weeks News Page and have noticed one error - Olympian 5076 is in fact still based at Cressex and not at NBS as stated,  it was working 372's today.

Monday 11th March

Unusual workings today Volvo B6 (3116) ON 303's

Tuesday 12th March

Cressex Merc 2197 was on loan to NBS today been on various routes, 308,339 were two I saw it on. Unusual workings Dart 3811 & 3813 on 303's

Sat 16th March

Cressex

Leyland Olympian 5081 has arrived back in Arriva livery and was working 362's today. That just leaves Volvo 3139 & Lynx 3074 in blue/yellow livery. Volvo B6 Alexander Dash has arrived from Luton, lots of work needed for PSV in April so we will not see it for a while.

NBS

Leyland Olympian 5074 (No blind) worked the 0950 dep to Oxford this morning. It also worked the midday journey as well.

Olympian 5829 is still away having a full refurbishment.

The current Wycombe - Newlands Bus Station allocation is:

Olympians 5074,  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

Carousel - High Wycombe

Where are they now? Paul Coley sent this shot of VR 494 at Downham Market.

I was delighted to receive the picture above from Paul Coley of one of our old VRs still going strong in Norfolk. Once a stalwart of the 52 Blackbird Leys service, latterly the 5, this VR and its stablemates are now spread far and wide. Some are far away overseas in Kenya dn if you go back through the news archives you should find some pictures of those. Indeed if you buy green beans from your supermarket, and they come from Kenya, the workers who packed them probably travelled to work on a COMS VR!!!

The football on Saturday saw THREE Olympians running on fotball specials with 222 and 223 on 602s and 224 on 601 from the Rail Station.

The picture above shows reinstated Olympian 222 after working a football special last Saturday to Kidlington filling in on 2 road with a short working to Headington - Green Road. These buses are still in excellent condition and seemingly defy their 20 year age.

The picture above shows the running shift pits at Cowley Road Garage with new Lynx trainer T2 - C64HOM alongside Volvo coach 41 shortly to be withdrawn in favour of new coaches and loan Trident 929.

Vic Gacowski wrote to say, Volvo B10BLE 820 on 35 road this afternoon (Wed 13th)  Vic also says "Bus / Rail integration between Oxford Bus Company and Thames Trains is now advertised on posters with Oxford Bus Company Vehicles and Thames Trains Turbos. In case readers are not aware , both companies are part of the Go-Ahead group

Volvo coach nr 28 Y28OXF is back from Plaxtons following fitment of a toilet on the rear near side. This coach now seats 49 instead of 53 as when new. 27 will be the other coach to be so treated. It is back in service but the toilet is locked out of use until the launch of the new coaches due at the end of this month.

Recently purchased Volvo B10Bs with NCME Paladin bodies are being prepared for service. Work on 657 is well in progress with 658 in paint now.

Unusual working recently saw the following mentionable workings:

636 on 5 road Sat. 16/3

632 and 637 on 15 road on 12/3 and 630 on 16B 12/3

Most unusually not one Paladin was on 4 road on 13/3, the service being run by Verde bodied Volvos.

820 on 35 road on 13/3 all day with the remaining service operated by 610/1/2/3/4/9. Volvos 616/7/8/ 101 and 102 were on X3 on the same day.

620 was unusually on 2 road with Paladins 656, 645 646, 649. 620 is more normally on 35 road. On the same Wednesday 13th  Volvos 635 and 651 were on 15 road.

Newman morgan wrote to say that the local papers were carrying the following stories last week. "Wednesday March 13th reported that the OBC service to The Moors, Kidlington has been reprieved after April 2nd until October 26th by a County Council subsidy. The service will be reduced to 2-hourly with the Saturday service withdrawn. It seems that later this year OBC's Kidlington services are to be revised with a doubling of frequency to Oxford Airport and the Spires Business Park together with an increase from 1 bus per hour to 8 buses per hour through Lyne Road.

Thursday March 14th reported on a frequency increase from April on OBC's X3 Abingdon service. 2 Oxford bound additional journeys will be added during the morning peak hours Mondays to Fridays with an extra journey on Saturdays for people starting work at 9am. The 35/35A roads are also to see improvements."

Stagecoach in Warwick

Keith Wood writes to note: Olympian 915 has had it's destination display altered to Upper / Lower Case whilst Rugby B10M's 221 / 223-225 have got new style registration plates on the front but retain old style ones on the rear.

Timetables are now available on the WCC website for the new Sundays Only. Pete's services Birmingham - Oxford.
Also De Courceys are taking over Stagecoach service 54 Nuneaton - Hawkesbury and merging into their service 778 Nuneaton - Coventry. Timetables for this and the newly won 585 and revised 755 / 775 (also de Courcey's) are now available.

Interestingly a new 23.25 585 departure from Rugby to Brinklow will be operated by Stagecoach !

The H is making a comeback ! - at the end of April ! A new service 2 (ex TWM ?) will be extended from Jubilee Crescent to parts of Holbrooks. Two extensions will operate on a 45 / 45 minute basis. I'm not sure of the operator although as the service is extended to Cheylesmore I'm assuming it's an extension of TWM service 2 ?

Stagecoach in Oxford

Volvo PS 242 shares a Sunday break with MAN s 938 and 949, the newest, nearest the camera.

Newman Morgan wrote to say "I have just seen SiO No. 204 on the 27 road. First time I had seen this actual bus. I have noticed that these vehicles have a simpler dot-matrix destination display when Oxford bound. They simply show the route number (27/28/29) and OXFORD VIA A34.
Oxford on the upper line of the display with VIA A34 beneath it, the Via bit being stepped like a ladder. I must check to see what they show when Bicester-bound.

I did note SiO's No.205 in Bure Place, Bicester on Friday, first time I had seen this one. On the destination display issue I have noted several of these vehicles showing Bicester and ...... as a fixed display. That's Bicester and Arncott, or Bicester and Launton, etc depending on final destination. Bicester on the top line and the and .... on the second line. The Volvos 904-912 have also been seen showing the same display but the second line, the and....... bit, changes to read via Banbury Road, Summertown and Gosford. Previously 904-912 would show Bicester then Launton etc., via Banbury Road etc."

Changes advised by Ralph Adams are that the three Leyland Olympians now with SCiO are

500  B960ODU
501  B961ODU  renumbered from 502
504  C964XVC   renumbered from 501

It appears that SCiO wish to try to ensure at least some relationship with fleet and registration numbers.

It is suggested but not confirmed that these three buses, with coach seats, will replace the three London Tridents on the 77/77A Brookes Uni services.

I also understand that the Volvos 904-912 are to be renumbered into a similar sequence with the recently transferred Volvo/Alexander PS types 203, 204 and 205 etc etc

Ralph also says " Apparently 839 has now gone to SiW.  The 3 London Tridents have gone to BRS for secure parking with Brookes University vacation now on."


As a comparison to Oxford Bus running shift pits I post this shot of the Stagecoach
facilities at Horspath. Here we see MAN s 930, 920 and 926 receiving attention.

PHOTO CORNER
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