Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated Monday 19th February 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 25th February 2001

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 !

A visit to that other place - Cambridge

This last week saw me in Cambridge for my talk to The Cambridge Omnibus Society. Everyone was most hospitable and I enjoyed a most pleasant evening. Prior to that side of things I had just over the hour to look around the streets of that city. Drummer Street Bus Station is I think quite well known in enthusiast circles and I must say that the building is most impressive. This can seen in the photo above, where buses draw under an awning to load. Parking for layover seems as limited as every other modern facility, this taking place on the left of the picture. I also saw my first decker in the new Stagecoach livery, a Dennis Trident 702. I tried to get a decent shot but the departing driver shot off as if leaving barrel of a howitzer ! The result in the twilight was a blur. Anyway "top marks" to the driver for thwarting me in my quest, even if his departure was so very fast! 

I had a chance to see the Park & Ride in operation with a variety of red and green buses on two distinct routes. The green one even passes along Cowley Road, though not the one Oxford readers know. The livery is restrained compared to many other places, though doubtless obvious to regular users. The one lasting impression left is of nearly being squashed by a fast moving, left turning example, which apart from giving me the fright of my life, also left behind three intending passengers, who were not at all impressed!! Indeed they were still loudly complaining 15 minutes later when the next one came along. 

The Whippet bus seen through the windows of my assassin bus would have made a lovely picture! The intending passengers were standing just behind me. Good old Stagecoach, thank you! Of course maybe there is a hidden agenda, emanating from Perth, to remove all bus spotters by whatever means possible. Better luck next time.

Another impression was of long queues waiting for extended periods for their rush hour homebound services from the city centre. I gave up waiting and repaired to a local restaurant for a quick meal.

One further surprise awaited me and that was the fact that National Express services appeared to depart from a street outside the bus station rather than inside. I waited for ages to get a shot of an Oxford bound service but had to be content with this CCS coach departing to Brighton. The sunset behind the trees was nice though and made a pleasant end to my bus spotting interlude.

A long weekend enabled me to catch up on a few matters and also enjoy a few duties on the Oxford express. One notable event is the reopening of the bus lane from Victoria Coach Station to Grosvenor Gardens, speeding up matters considerably. On my Friday duty however I was surprised to find resurfacing of the bus lane at the Grosvenor Gardens stop in full swing. Red shale was being applied to warn motorists off the bus only area but it meant stopping in the 2nd lane to board intending passengers.

I was surprised when leaving Oxford to see a yellow Mercedes/Plaxton Beaver of Whytes - Oxford (G928WGS) - showing a card in the window X30. It was terminating in Castle Street and parking up. Does anyone know what this service is ?

Company reports - to 17th February 2001

Airlinks

Unusual coaches continue to appear on the 757/767 services and last Saturday saw this Primrose Coaches vehicle from Co. Durham arriving in Oxford. It seems that it is on long term loan to Jetlink, driven by Jetlink drivers. (W433UMX) . It seems that often when they are short of coaches their own drivers act as pilots to hired coach drivers. A strange situation when driver shortages plague so many companies.

Arriva serving the Shires & Essex.

A sunny Saturday morning afforded the opportunity to get this rather nice shot of a very clean Arriva Olympian operating the 280 to Aylesbury. 5158 was following 5160 which passed minutes earlier showing NOT IN SERVICE. 

I was pleased to receive a some pictures from Matt Wheeler of Arriva buses in Aylesbury and these include a shot of 5382 - TPD115X in Aylesbury Bus Station on 14th February displaying the unusual livery carried by this bus.

PHOTO BY MATT WHEELER  ©

Word reaches me that all is not well in the Wycombe camp with only 3 out of 9 rostered buses running on the 326 one day last week!

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

Olympian 220 is still in the paint shop and will only emerge later this week. Coach 51 is under repair after a front end accident and it seems it may not return to service in Oxford. This is because the new coaches will arrive for service on March 1st and thus 51 will be replaced and sold before it is fully fit for service. Indeed the first of the new coaches is expected on or about 22nd March. Volvo B10B nr 613 was the subject of "a brick through the rear window" whilst on service at Grovelands on 2 road. It seems that an unruly element in that area are targeting the buses. One wonders how the residents would feel if the lost their evening services. 

The use of 643 on a Saturday evening 13B duty in place of the more usual Dart SLF was due to expected high loads of students. 

Noted a week ago and not reported was a new Volvo/Plaxton Excalibur on the 871 to Dublin. It was from Bus Eireann - VP106, 01D8052. The service goes through Oxford each evening around 2015hrs.

My Saturday duty, again on X90s, provided me this week with nr 1, the Volvo coach pictured above and arriving on the preceding service to my taking over. The O card can be seen in the drivers window. The mound of Oxford Castle at the bottom of New Road makes a nice background. I have often wondered just how many coaches carry a 1 registration these days. I can think of about 5 companies operating such examples, Flights being one.

The sun afforded this shot of 609 on 2 road turning out of George Street into Worcester Street, clearly showing how tight the corners are in some city centre streets, resulting in traffic lights controlling movement.

Vic Gacowski writes to note that 629 was on 35 road last Thursday. He also reports that the morning duplicate service on this road was in the hands of Trident 115 earlier in the week and later in the week Dart 501 was used on the same duty. He also noted Volvo 620, the Laser overall livery bus on the X3, we think for the first time.

Stagecoach in Oxford.  

The picture above shows George Street full of Stagecoach buses and a coach. The X5 was unloading on the street rather than getting tangled up in the coach station. It then carried on to the Rail Station and its layover prior to its return journey.

The next Volvo B6 scheduled for repaint, 840, was still in service last Saturday in the old livery. It seems that no repaints emerged this week for the Oxford fleet.

The 103 service runs through Horspath village where it is seen picking up last Saturday morning. A variety of types is seen on the 101 and 103 but often lately these routes seem to be the haunt of Mercedes minibuses.  

An obliging passenger took this shot for me of a Tube on its way to London. These coaches must make an impressive sight to passing motorists on their way to and from London, indeed with the frequency offered it is possible to see up to 15 different coaches during a journey from Oxford to the capital.

Swanbrook Coaches

Swanbrook now have their own Web Site which includes details of their service to Oxford. This is mainly worked by ex Oxford vehicles, especially the ex Shearings Volvo coaches, 61, 62 or 63. The address is given below.

http://www.swanbrook.co.uk

Vic Gacowski reports.

Since Vic sends me an interesting report each week, I thought it would be useful to include this in full under a special heading.

A trip this week including Oxford Station and a visit to Woodstock so took the chance to continue to Chipping Norton.

Stagecoach Oxford route 20 allocations

Chipping Norton allocations - 901 902 903 all in use

Witney allocations (on route 20)  - 363 and 727 .

Stratford X50 - 0835 and 1240 ex Oxford were operated by Tube 54

I can supply the allocation that worked  each journey from Start of day to 1645 - looks like just 3 CN and 2 WY allocations plus 1 Tube cover the complete route all day

Kingham Rail Link was 462 again and I can now confirm this stables at CN overnight. Assume runs to Horspath for fuel sometime.

Chipping Norton School Car Park at 12 Noon

Worths ex Oxford buses

216 - Olympian        780 - Metrorider

Cheney Titans

201 - A 864 SUL      202 - A 916 SYE

SCO

902 in between 20 Road Duties

(This appears to be a booked Stabling Point and may have replaced Parker Knoll ? an anyone confirm this ?. I will myself  when I get a chance in the future).

Thanks Vic.

  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

The M40 Service Area at Wheatley provides the opportunity to catch coaches passing
through our area. Saturday saw these two B&H coaches on a football excursion, heading north.

The lovely weather on Saturday provided good trade for Guide Friday.
They are still using this elderly ex Nottingham Atlantean. OTO549M.

Plastows at Wheatley provides stabling for a Goldline of Woodstock coach as seen above, OIL 5313
seen alongside one of three ex Wallace Arnold coaches operated.

A final shot of my Cambridge visit was of one of the 13 Whippet Leyland Titans, this one 
 ex Westlink T265. Two of the 13 came from Oxford ex 950 and 952. 
Sadly I didn't see 950 which I did enjoy driving during my early days at Oxford Bus.


PHOTO BY MATT WHEELER  ©

Matt Wheeler sent this picture of ex Aylesbury 3048 - BAZ6869 now with Arriva East Herts and Essex.
It is seen at Bluewater shopping centre, Lakeside on the 324.

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