Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
Oxford, High Wycombe &
surrounding areas
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
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updated
Sunday 18th November 2001
the
next update will be on Sunday 25th November 2001
Issue nr. 173
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"
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Welcome to issue 173, which this week includes news of disturbing events on the Barton Estate. I am also pleased to include a most interesting article from an ex Stratford Blue driver who remembers driving Stagecoach in Oxford's 501 when new.
I am afraid that this week's update is somewhat shorter than that of last week but will I hope prove interesting and informative to my readers. Contributions from many of you help to add to the quality and news content and I look forward to your support in the coming weeks. We are now in the run up to Christmas and the days are getting shorter. Photography is most difficult since there are only a few hours in each day when it is possible to get a decent result.
Last Wednesday I was pleased to attend a Road Operators Safety Council workshop, held at Volvo Truck & Bus Ltd in Warwick. Mike Garnham, Divisional director, Safety and Environment - Highways Agency was a key speaker. "Bus and coach travel is safe, and that's official" were in his opening remarks. Mike explained the safety ethos of the Agency and talked about the research and innovations taking place to promote safe driving. He spoke of the research and innovations taking place to promote safe driving. The was also talk of accident investigation at "accident cluster" locations, of HA standards - set and enforced to minimise surprises for drivers - and of controlled roads.
Dr. Jo White, Research Fellow at TRL, talked more about controlled motorways. The stop-start driving, that has become all too familiar on today's congested motorways, is termed shockwaves. Merging and diverging traffic and late hard braking are known causes of shockwaves. Feedback from the pilot scheme of variable speed limits on the M25 suggests that controlling motorways through those variable speed limits can reduce the effect, producing a smoother flow of traffic, enabling more reliable journey times, reducing accidents (probably in the region of 12-14%) and providing for less stressful journeys.
Sgt William Boyle and PC Peter Lomas of Thames Valley Police in Oxford increased the workshop's awareness to identify conflict situations, showing us how to respond, within the law, with particular reference to the use of force. (It was interesting to read in this week's Coach & Bus Week how a driver lost his PCV licence for attacking a driver of a rival firm's bus. Ed.)
One interesting development on the M25 is that the variable speed limit is being installed on the section from Jc 16 to Jc 15. This should be operating very soon now.
On the subject of problems in Barton, Neil Gow wrote to say "Oxford Buses got some footage on BBC South Today today. There was an item about services in Barton being withdrawn following more surfing episodes by the local youths. Apparently services started again this morning but could be withdrawn again at any time." Vic Gackowski also wrote to say "Oxford Bus withdrew services at 5 PM Thursday but resumed at around 6.30 PM. Later they withdrew services for the rest of the evening this time joined by SiO who had stone throwing incidents. The problems appear to be around Underhill Circus.
Sadly some residents are unmoved or worried by events and are quoted as stating they will be complaining to the companies about being told to alight from vehicles at London Road Roundabout. They quote young mothers at one end of the scale and old age pensioners at the other." (I understand that Stagecoach in Oxford also withdrew services during a similar period Ed.). Vic then noted:
ITV 6.00 PM CENTRAL NEWS SOUTH - LEAD ITEM
BBC 6.30 PM SOUTH TODAY - LEAD ITEM
Last evening , Thursday , Oxford Bus and Stagecoach in Oxford suspended all operations through the Barton Estate after bus surfing reached an unacceptable level.
David Whitley spoke on ITV whilst an OXFORD driver spoke on BBC . Overall fears are that someone will be killed one day. Several youngsters were also interviewed most of whom were fully aware of the practice. One even mentioned people opening engine covers.
Fears are for the long term provision of services through the estate and the serious effect it would have on the many hundreds of innocent users who may lose their service due to a few mindless individuals.
The police are being given new anti social behaviour powers which can result in court orders and even curfews.
As it was peak tea time viewing it made quite an impact as lead item on both programs and it comes hard to those of us who make bus operations our hobby. One can only feel for the drivers who being on their own must be even more apprehensive now.
Vic goes on to say that "Later the fire brigade had to deal with a car fire in Fettiplace Road.
To clarify matters further, it seems that young people were handing off the rear of buses passing through the Barton Estate, a practice which is, of course, exceedingly dangerous. This is not the first time there have been problems in the area, as not so long ago air rifles were being fired at passing buses, which again resulted in the short term withdrawal of services. One wonders what people would think if a youngster was killed in the process of these actions. Then one presumes something would be done.
Don't forget that the last Reading Buses operated 328 is in fact the 1915 on Saturday 24th November and not as stated on last week's news page. Apologies!
The problems on Oxford's Iffley road were resolved by 1630hrs on Thursday evening and thereafter temporary service - route 40 - working a shuttle between the Magdalen Arms and the City was withdrawn. I am advised by one of my correspondents that this service was paid for by Thames Water.
Vic Gacowski wrote to say "Last nights Oxford Mail --- Managers at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Woodstock Road may set up a Mini-Bus Park and Ride from existing P&R Car Parks but using their own Mini-Bus vehicles. Nurses pay up to £20 for a hospital parking permit but getting a space is difficult. The hospital only has 300 spaces. Nurses state the 300 Park and Ride is too unreliable for their shifts. One manager is quoted as waiting 25 minutes for a 300 which is supposed to be every 6 to 8 minutes.
Earlier this week the John Radcliffe in Headington introduced leave the car at home incentives . Staff can get 20% off bus seasons and bike racks and showers have been installed for cyclists at the hospital."
Finally one of my readers commented that he found it difficult to read the page due to the coloured background. I am, as always, ready to take on board constructive criticism and wondered what others may think before changing the style of the page? Let me have your comments please.
News from the companies - 18th November 2001
Arriva serving The Shires & Essex
Arriva's National Greenways are still predominant at Aylesbury and Simon Ayres
took this short of 3048 at Luton on service 61.
Also still in the blue and yellow livery is 5108, an Olympian which came from
Motts in 1995
It was previously a play bus in a London Borough and had been so since new in
1988.
It must be one of the lowest mileage Olympians of its age as when purchased by
Motts it only had 1500 miles on the clock.
The all-over advert bus for 1170 Radio, now itself renamed, is Arriva's 5822.
It is seen here by Booker on the 339 to Lane End last Saturday.
It is now one of few remaining ex Wycombe Bus deckers not repainted into Arriva
livery.
Wycombe developments this week are that no further buses are away for repaint. Also there is no further news on the three SLF Darts expected from somewhere in London. The November issue of Buses magazine states in fleet news that thirty two Olympians (5083-5107/30. 5392-6/9 - F & G reg ones) are being refurbished by Arriva Derby. Provisional plans were for SIX to go to Wycombe for the 362/372 but none of my contacts are aware of these plans.
Mike Penn wrote to include an interesting photo. He says "here is a picture of Luton & District 654 (G654 UPP) on service X15 at Bletchley Bus Station in its special livery on September 26th 1992. I have photographed this bus several times in Southend including once when it was in this livery. The coach seats make it a good choice for these summer Saturday express services"
Mike is sending through a lot more information for my upcoming article on the 28/328 and I never cease to be amazed at how the net works.
Matt Wheeler and Martyn Pearce wrote in with a few interesting notes. I quote "just a few quick notes you might want to include for this weeks update....
1) Over the past couple of days, driving past the Arriva depot in Aylesbury, it looks as though the Alexander bodied Merc 709Ds have gone. (I think Matt means the ones from Manchester advised in recent weeks)
2) Friday, around 12:30, Olympian 5078 (A 698 EAU), was in service on route 5 (usually a Mercedes minibus).
3) Today, (Saturday), in Aylesbury Bus Station, saw Plaxton bodied Dennis Dart 3099 (K447 XPA) parked up having operated a journey on route 61. (Photo below)
Aylesbury based Scania 3163 (N713 EUR) has now received Arriva livery (again, as with 3164, without route 500 branding, having previously had route 500 branding on its "The Shires" livery). This means all Aylesbury's Scania single decks are in Arriva Livery. (or 3166 carrying an all-over ad livery with Arriva front-end).
(and from Martyn) ...on Thursday just gone I witnessed Arriva The shires Olympian 5823 D823VTF hit the side of Tesco's where it boarders with High Wycombe bus station. This looks from the state of the side of Tesco's to be a regular happening and is is very poor design. Not much damage to the bus, no glass broken but the near-side roof dome is now missing. (5823 was tucked away in Newlands Bus Station, nose in, last Saturday Ed.)
Oxford Bus (City of Oxford Motor Services)
The return of 102 from rectification
work by Alexander's has seen it turn red.
It is seen here in Cowley Road Garage next to 120 but with a varying amount of
blue.
102 was seen working a 300 service on Friday evening.
Oxford express Volvo coach nr 14 has acquired a full route display
in the windscreen area above the driver. This coach is an unbranded spare for
use
on any of the express routes. Hence the need for a more visible destination
display than
the one in other Excaliburs in the lower nearside windscreen.
The light was poor on Sunday and although I am not pleased with this shot
at least the new destination display can be clearly seen.
New training bus C66HOM is now complete and ready for service.
Oxford Bus' bodyshop has made a fine job of refurbishing the bus ready for its
new role.
It would, however, have been very nice if someone could have painted the Leyland
badge silver!
As mentioned elsewhere service 40 was discontinued after 1700hrs on Thursday when normal services were possible along the Iffley Road.
Monday 12th November saw Dart SLF 403 running on H card on 5 road for part of the day, a most unusual occurrence. At this time Volvo B10BLE 818 was on 2 road! Similar 812 was also on 13 road, also very unusual. 222 was, on the same day on the 40 road.
Trident 101 has now gone away for bodywork, as 102 has returned as a blushing red bride!!
Reading Buses - Newbury Buses
As mentioned above under Arriva, Reading Buses will cease to operate the 328 effective 24th November. The picture below shows the 328 having arrived in high Wycombe last Saturday.
Optare 506 after arrival in High
Wycombe from Reading last Saturday.
Stagecoach in Banbury and Warwickshire
This shot of a SCiW Solo on route 66
was taken when I attended
the ROSCO Workshop mentioned in the Editorial
Keith Wood wrote
to say "Pete's and Johnsons start 3 experimental services on a Sunday from
the 18th in Leamington & Warwick.
Details and timetables on the WCC website.
Sunday Leamington services 66 / 67 / 68 are experimental run up to Christmas services. The 66 is run by Johnsons of Henley the others by Pete's. If successful they may be extended beyond Christmas. Full details are available on the WCC website. Stagecoach isn't into Sunday services because Sunday services are usually paid as overtime (at least they used to be in Nuneaton !).
"Leyland National 702 is back at Nuneaton. I think what's happened here is that 702 and re-instated 727 were loaned to Rugby for the school half term week to cover for 228 and 242 going to Oxford and before 451-456 entered service the following week ! Both vehicles then went back to Nuneaton to cover school duties which used to be run by Darts (displaced to new service 717). Any way 702 passed me last night on it's way back from school duty outside Nuneaton Library. 721 doesn't appear to have moved yet and is still at the back of Nuneaton depot.According to UK Fleetnews 231 P559 ESA is at SUC Bedford for a repaint. Should be back next week I'll let you know when I see it."
Stagecoach in Oxford
Jim Wright, author of this week's
article on "964" was driving 527 last Wednesday.
Here we see 527 at Oxford Rail Station awaiting time to go to Gloucester Green
for its next duty.
Richard Sharman to say "Some
one wanted to know about Banbury changes since Oxford takeover - all repaints
now done at Banbury.
Iveco Electric buses 247/8 in store at Banbury. Arriva Fox 1109,109 CRC
noted in Alcester on PH at 8.30pm last night.
A bit of news for you is that Wright Bros, Cumbria have two ex
Oxford Tube Ikarus Blue Danube's for sale.
These being former Brighton showbus 24,J499 MOD and one of the H91? PTG batch,
the PTG one having gained a new style Ikarus front
since leaving Oxford, there going for £35,500.
The Stagecoach Merc/Carlyle's that where listed as leaving Oxford a few week's
ago have turned up at Stafford Bus Centre
and are for sale at £4,450. Its a shame 367 has left the fleet as this came to
Oxford from the Docklands as a burnt out vehicle
but was totally refurbished and re-engined, being converted to manual in the
process.
367 served its early years on the Heathrow route but when that ceased it ended up on Didcot area services."
Tracey Wright wrote to advise that "Last night (13/11/01) National 753 XOV753T arrived at Oxford for conversion to a Trainer"
Leyland National 753 which has been
transferred to Oxford for training purposes.
A history of Stagecoach in Oxford Olympian 501 C964XVC
by Jim Wright
Leyland Olympian 501, with ECW C42/29F bodywork, C964XVC started life with Midland Red South back in 1986. It was one of a batch of three 962-964 delivered for the then newly introduced X16 from Stratford to Coventry. Painted in National Bus Company, dual purpose livery, it was fitted with coach seating of the style in use at that time. The seats were acknowledged as very comfortable being trimmed with the same moquette in use on National Express coaches of the period (1980-1990).
These buses were also very popular for Private Hires additionally working on express services to Birmingham, Bristol and London. During the late 1980's they were often hired to City of Oxford Motor Services for their 190 service to London from Oxford on a Saturday.
I well remember driving on one of these hires on a summer Saturday at that time. I ran from Oxford to London Victoria as a 190 where I was then directed to operate a National Express service 555 to Birmingham Digbeth. This was, at that time, a "Rapide" non-stop service. This was then followed by a duty on the 830 from Digbeth to Oxford.
On the 8th June 1990, the National Express livery was replaced by a new image. A Stratford Blue livery was applied and the old name re-launched. 964 was one of the buses so treated, with the bus being named "Roxanne" after a local swan. I well remember how smart it looked.
It was hand painted in Stratford garage and became very much the garage pet. 964 was a great pleasure to drive, being very smooth and on the motorways it could hold 60 mph for mile after mile. Passengers always commented on how smooth and quiet the bus was.
Recently the bus, now Stagecoach Banbury's 964 was transferred to Oxford and renumbered 501. I had the chance to drive it once again, more than ten years after the first time. It still has the same coach seats, though the downstairs ones have been retrimmed in Stagecoach colours. Indeed it was seven years since I had last driven the now old girl. It seemed tired and sluggish when compared to those years ago, with a hardened suspension and a few rattles developing. The two row destination blind has been replaced by a single row blind.
I drove 964 on the 77 Wheatley Campus service and was pleasantly surprised by one passenger, who when alighting, said how comfortable the seats were. Also the passenger commented on how smooth and quiet the bus still seemed.
The pictures above and below show 964 as it is today. The opening front upper deck windows have gone and the single line destination can been seen. The bus is in quite good condition and the interior is clean and tidy as can be seen below.
Further news from Tracey Wright about
501 - on 12/11/2001 the bus made a very rare appearance on route
50....................
09 25 Oxford -Stratford
11 20 Stratford-Oxford
13 15 Oxford-Stratford
THEN ON ROUTE
26.....................................
15 00 Stratford-Alcester Grammar School
15 50 Alcester Grammar School -Stratford
THEN BACK ON ROUTE
50...................................
16 08 Stratford High School -Oxford
Jim should have driven the bus on 18 10 route 50 Oxford-Chipping Norton out
station but it disgraced itself by refusing to start. All the passengers were
put onto
the 18 40 to Stratford.
Ralph Adams wrote saying "...seen in St Aldates this morning was 837 on Wantage duties, still in old livery. I thought it was going to NN and your comment that its new number is not available seems to bear this out that it is not going.
709 & 728 - 1 is in new livery, the other at BY on repaint" (728 was back at Horspath today repainted but without any vinyls. Ed.)
Ralph also commented on the route 3 during the recent problems on the Iffley Road "....the electronic displays on route 3 state - Rose Hill via Iffley Road. Service 3A (from Cowley Centre) just have 3A Rose Hill. This is the reason for the outgoing route destination as 3A - but it also showed the passengers that it was not a normal 3.
Further to the special on Didcot and Wantage services by Vic Gacowski, Vic writes to say "...it may be worth reminding readers that the 34 and 234 roads detailed in Special Issue 1 "South Oxfordshire Operations" under Mini Bus workings were withdrawn on the 29th October. Newbury Buses now operate their new roads 6 and 9 in to our area but terminate at Didcot Rail Station and do not serve Oxford. There will therefore be a reduction in the number of SiO Mini Bus Cards. When time permits I will update readers."
Andy Gilmour wrote regarding Vic's piece saying "...excellent piece of work - just the sort of information that is so interesting to a specialised audience like the Oxford Bus Page readership but which is never likely to be published in more mainstream enthusiast publications.
Vic has done an excellent job yet again - it's just a shame that as usual SiO have altered some of the services since the survey - as you are no doubt aware Newbury is no longer served with Newbury Buses now reaching Didcot."
938 has now been repainted from Blackbird Flyer livery into standard livery.
It has not yet gained fleet numbers.
Thames Travel, Wallingford.
Oxford's Dart 501 has now been purchased by this company and will eventually be repainted all white. Meanwhile previously mentioned Dart P830BUD was returned to the dealer without it having been operated. It was replaced by another Dart T417MNH with Plaxton Pointer B36F bodywork wef 13/11/01.
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
Vince of Burghclere operate this Dennis Javelin V862FPF, seen this Sunday in
Marlow.
I welcome your
photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com
Visitor count since 19th April 1999.
