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

updated Sunday, 19th May 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 26th May 2002

  Issue nr. 199

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 199, which this week has a number of more interesting and historic photographs. Next week sees the open day at High Wycombe and we feature this week a number of old Thames Valley buses. This follows the articles received from several people about buses in the last century in Wycombe. It does seem strange to say "the last century", especially since those of my generation think of the 1800's and not the 1900's.

It is also expected that within 10 days, a new Guide to Bus Services in Wycombe will be published, though this will be a limited edition as a number of changes are expected in July. Indeed this week's Bucks Free Press reveal changes by Arriva, bringing the withdrawal of the free bus services to Asda and Sainsbury's. These are expected to remerge with a new operator. Further changes will see the withdrawal from school services by Arriva in Wycombe which probably will also see the end of double deck operation in the town by this operator. The article says that this will enable Arriva to operate a more reliable service. Coincidental with this move sees the closure of Cressex depot and all buses concentrated on Newlands Bus Station. There is hardly room for the present fleet at NBS and this will produce some interesting developments if they are to fit everything into NBS.

Last week I mentioned the matter of photography, following my problems with a security guard at the Park & Ride site for the Queen's visit to Marlow. your repliels are reproduced and I must say I found your comments most interesting. Steven Le Bras says "The question of zealous security bods opposing the anorak's right to photograph buses is a regular source of debate. I had just finished a day trip to Halifax bus station when I was escorted off the site for infringing WYPTE's rule on photography. They may issue you with a permit if you apply in advance but I had not come across it before. In Leeds, a similar ban seems to exist but on the highway, there is no restriction, unless you are obstructing a policeman in the execution of his duty, which is most unlikely!"

Al Parting ton wrote "Reference "illegal" photos - first I'm not a lawyer so don't worry about your cheque book - I only occasionally take photos of buses and have never experienced your problem. However , I take many of railways and was recently surprised when I was refused access to Richmond station when the Controller heard I was going onto the platform to take a picture of a train (steam special). I argued my case and he eventually relented with his get out that he'd turn the other way on this occasion! I have not had any problems since. I think a lot of it stems from a will by some individuals to try it on and play pretend policeman without any authority  - in your particular case it cannot be a criminal act so I'd just politely press ahead and suggest either he called the police (in which case the security guard would probably get "done" for wasting police time) or you could invite the architects to take civil action  - the guard would then make a complete idiot of himself as he'd have to find out your identification and if he used force to do that or indeed to prevent you from taking the photo, then he would be committing a criminal act of assault. yes, as you say, "I think the world is going mad" - but carry on taking the photos - I certainly will

Thanks to both of you for those comments. The comments and reports sent each week do help to make this page what it is.

Vic Gackowski has, as is often the case, found another interesting item for this week's page. He writes to enclose the following:-

BBC South Today 

Two part special broadcast on Wed & Thurs this week

The item focused on an exchange visit between Stagecoach , Winchester Depot , and local officials ,  and the bus authority and officials  in the Russian city of Nizhniy Novgorod located some 7 hours travelling time  East of Moscow. Excellent footage was shown of both operations and the contrast was remarkable. 7 out of 10 Russian people  are entitled to free travel which results in the bus operators making little or no profit. The Russian buses were Full and Standing (Crush Proportions)  all day and are very old , patched up with any available metal panels  and very dirty. They have just one lady driver. They laid on a good reception for their British visitors. In return  the Russian delegation  were impressed by Stagecoach and its operations  and found it most  strange to travel on a bus with only 7 passengers and plenty of empty seats. They were taken with the Park & Ride concept used in the UK .However the grass is not always greener on the other side and the Russians taught the Stagecoach delegation a few things and still had some  reservations about the British way of doing things.

as ever is much enhanced by all your contributions. If I have not responded to your e-mail personally, my apologies but this week time is short. I am preparing this update rather late in the day, its now 9pm when I am starting!

The picture below was taken as my KLM 737 approached Heathrow for a landing on 9 left. We, unusually, went further west the normal and I was able to get this shot of Loudwater, the M40, A40 and in the distance Wycombe. It is appropriate that my second photo which comes from Bernard Lewendon, a friend of Nigel Peach shows a London RT en route to Staines on the A40 shown in the picture.

The RT is on the A40 more or less in the upper centre of the aerial shot above.
RT3665 on route 441 to Staines seen on London Road.
Next Sunday sees the Wycombe Running Day.

My picture of an old Crosville RE passing near Gloucester Green last Saturday.
evoked a response from Trevor Wilson quoted below.

Trevor says The Crosville Group were running a trip from Chester to London and back. He notes that - these CRG's were very nice coaches.  I travelled on one from Liverpool to Oxford on the X1 back in, whenever these were new.  Apparently they go very well, fast that is.  (I lived in Southport at the time). This one was also at The Llandudno Transport Festival (1st May bank holiday) in 2000. 

Crosville had a batch and this one was kept at Chester as a spare and saw very few miles compared to those at Liverpool which ran the X1 day in day out - rather like the Oxford coaches piling on the mile day in day out.  The X1 was routed through Chester.

The Web Site address for the group is : crosville-motor-services@yahoogroups.com

On Saturday 12th May, Stev Grayham ran a re-run of the former Crosville X1 from Liverpool  Edge Lane to London Victoria with what I think is the best of all the former Crosville CRGs nr 106.
 
It started at Edge Lane at 07.30 and followed the route to London via Birkenhead - Chester  - Whitchurch - Prees Heath - Newport Salop - Weston under Lizard - Brownhills then into Birmingham Digbeth - Warwick - Stratford - Woodstock - Oxford - High Wycombe - Beaconsfield and onto London VCS to arrive around 17.00hrs. The return was at 1800 via the motorway.

What a lucky shot it was and sad it did not venture into Gloucester Green. Mind you the zealous official in that station would have been out like a shot for a parking fee!!!

Nick Webster wrote regarding a picture I included many months ago of a Godfrey Abbot Harrington Ceontender. Her says "I was hunting through search engines for the Oxford Bus museum when I discovered your very interesting site. One thing I was extremely pleased to see was the photograph of the Abotts Harrington Contender taken during a PSV outing in the sixties. We all have to have weaknesses and I'm afraid the Contender is mine... I own a 1954 Mk 3 version with the earlier bodywork. You might say that Harrington Coachwork is my "specialist subject". I am  trying to track down details of all the other Contenders made, a nearly impossible task but worth it to come across gems such as the photo on your site. I had never seen this coach before. Now the hard questions: although there is some text with the photo are you able to supply any other details? In particular of course the body number (which would have started INEG...). and the vehicle number (T48B.....)? I note that it was at the Commercial motor show. Do you know what year this was? In fact I'd be grateful for any information or leads you can give me.

I have my own site which among other things details the (continuing) restoration of my Contender. http://www.topolino.demon.co.uk/

Many thanks in advance, Nick Webster

So if anyone can help on this one please let me know and I'll pass the info on to Nick.

 Well read on for other findings and happenings in our area under the various operators headings.

News of the local companies - 19th May 2002

Airlinks

Some couple of shots this week make interesting viewing.

The first is of Jetlink Volvo 310 in VCS and alongside for coincidence is Flightlink 310,
well not fleet number 310 but registration is 310.

One departure of the 757 on Saturday saw Volvo V20, a K reg very early Plaxton Premiere
arriving at Gloucester Green.

Earlier in the day, Stort Valley Y824HHE had put in an appearance on the 757.
This is the second time, at least, that this coach has been to Oxford recently.
It is a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B10M built for the Birmingham-Stansted service.

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

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

Beeline, Slough

James Cusworth writes "I'm not sure if I'm in time for this weeks page, (Just!!! Ed.) but the LOTS website http://www.lots.org.uk states on the news page that BeeLine have placed an order for 8 Citaros for routes 74/75/76. At present, I'm pretty sure that Slough has all Darts, so these Citaros will be a great improvement.

Carousel.

I hadn't managed to get the offside of M1386 before, it has a splendid advert for services
provided by Carousel.

One wonders if, with the withdrawal of services by Arriva, Carousel may now see an increase in work and maybe fleet.

Oxford Bus (City of Oxford Motor Services)  http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk

Firstly my sincere apologies for the error last week. The picture of an old coach was of nr 4 and not 14 as stated.

A big thank to all of you who wrote. If nothing else it proves there is someone out there reading my labours. Thanks again to Tim Walton who this week includes another picture of nr 4, this time in Oxford livery in London.

Comments received included

Thanks for posting the picture. Just one note she was number 4 not 14! Anyhow please find attached a picture of her at Battersea whilst in COMS ownership. Regards  Tim Walton

and 

I don't like to criticize but YFC 14R was in fact number 4. RFC 14T had the honour of carrying number 14. Otherwise, thanks for an excellent website.
Paul Green.

I am sure you will agree this is an excellent photo.

Guide Friday.

Neil Gow writes "Most of the Guide Friday vehicles are parked in the open.  There are only room for a couple in the shed.  The premises are leased from and shared with a distributor of masonry, way down inside the Osney industrial estate.  Some skill is required in parking up whilst avoiding various chunks of stone!" 

Heyfordian.

A little coach from Heyfordian is 2622NU, a Toyota Coaster dating from 1990

Pete's Travel, West Bromwich. http://www.petestravel.co.uk

Following my report last week, Simon Langley wrote "Hi, my name is Simon Langley and I have been driving for Pete's travel for about 2 months now. The X20/X50 is worked from our garage at Coventry. The buses normally allocated for the route are Plaxton SPD bodied Dart SLF's which are R91/2 XNE and S920 SVM. The 2 R reg darts are half white/yellow. Though from time to time other buses do appear on the route, the other week I drove V941 DNB which is a white MPD dart. Hence the appearance of a decker on the route last Sunday. Hope you find this of interest.

Someone else told me that they had spoken to a Pete's driver and said how busy it can be on a sunday which may also explain the use of a decker on Bank holiday Monday.

Stagecoach in Warwick & Banbury

Keith Wood writes "Saturday at Nuneaton provided a full picture of the latest happenings. Volvo B6LE 469 was back in service in New Livery on Services Diagram 717 / 4 / 17. Next up for repaint should be one of 459/460. Indeed one of these was missing from the allocation on Saturday so may already be at Banbury.

Leyland National 702 is still at Nuneaton but 705 doesn't appear to have been replaced. Talking of which there are now 5 Nationals back in service at Rugby (705 / 706 / 710 / 722 / 772) after the dispatch of 753 to Oxford for Driver Training a while ago"

Stagecoach in Oxford 

All three Dennis 901-3 are now repainted. Here we see, with Jim Wright at the wheel, 902
leaving Gloucester Green for Woodstock last Saturday.

Tube 34 has lost the route vinyl's from the side windows. It was also painted before arrival
at Oxford hence the rather odd looking emergency door window on the offside.

Route 66 from Swindon brings a variety of buses, which last Saturday was Volvo PS 405.

Thames Travel

Fred Spresser from the company called this afternoon to advise that one of their two new Mercedes Benz Sprinters had arrived It is registered BD02HDV and a second will follow in a couple of weeks. At present it seats 14 but this will be reduced to 8 in due course. It is expected work on the 103 service.

Thames Valley Traction Company Ltd. (Historic)

This photo appears courtesy Bernard Lewendon who has allowed me to use a number of interesting
pictures which will appear in future issues.

I seem to have become a focus for many memories of Thames Valley buses in Wycombe. This week again we have further memories from readers which I include below.

Nigel Peach writers "Re your comment on last week's page re Bristol K 533 (FMO 8), which Edward Maun doesn't remember in Wycombe, there are 2 photos of it by the railway station among those that I lent you! This bus came to Wycombe depot probably in 1961 or 1962. I imagine it had previously been based in Reading because I remember it had an advert for "Loddon Bridge Motors" (which I think was in Reading) at the rear on the cream band between decks. (The other Ks all had adverts for "Job's Better Milk"!). As I've said before, it's amazing what I CAN remember from that period (mostly irrelevant!) compared with what I CAN'T remember of today! Incidently, there is also a picture of either 528 or 529 (which Edward refers to) on a Stokenchurch route, among those photos. (see above) - As Edward said, the other FMOs were KS & KSW s. Wycombe had KS 591 (FMO 973) (& 588 (FMO 970) for the last year or two of its life) and KSWs 601 (FMO 983) the first KSW, and from time to time 602 (FMO 984).

I really loved this shot but I can't make out which bus it is.  I'm also not sure where the picture was taken
except I'm sure it is on the A40. Also it appears brand new!

Newman Morgan wrote further "Would like to say a big thank you to Nigel and Edmund Maun for updating my recollections of the Bristol K's in High Wycombe. Yes, Nigel is correct, it was 2d to ride up the hill to the RGS.

With regard to Edmund's recollections of Stokenchurch dormy shed and the two TVT Bristol KSW's that were based there, these were replaced by two Bristol LD's, Nos. 810 (PRX 928) and 811 (PRX 929). Writing entirely from memory (again!), I recollect a batch of 7 allocated to Wycombe, Fleet Nos. 808 to 814, Reg Nos. PRX 926-929 and SMO 78-80). Nos. 810 and 811 were usually to be found on Stokenchurch duties but would be replaced by any of the other five from time to time whenever 810 or 811 required maintenance. I believe, and this would need to be confirmed, that the Stokenchurch rosters included a daily trip to Wycombe Marsh garage for refuelling purposes, interior cleaning and a wash and brush up. I will need to check my files when I find them but I think the two Stokenchurch car duty numbers were 31 and 32. Hopefully Nigel or another reader can confirm or update the above.

I used to have complete lists of the car running number duties for Wycombe (i.e. the 1-41/51-70/81-85 running nos.). I must search the loft and if I find anything I will email you. At the moment I have around 100 EFE models to move to get to the historic timetables and other bits relating to Wycombe bus routes in the 60/70s. I knew it was a daft place to put the EFE's!

Continuing the 'Wycombe of old' theme, I recall that in the early Alder Valley days two, and later three, Dennis Lolines were allocated to Wycombe, No. 797 with a superb rounded Alexander body and Nos. 854/857 (AAA 854/857C). 797 was registered, I recall, 797 DOR. I don't think the Wycombe clippies liked these machines as their front entrance sliding door was manually operated

Whites.

This company uses a by now elderly Dart on the X30 to Abingdon. G47TGW complete with "air con" pod on the roof, I wonder does it work?

Looking smart for its age, G47TGW in St Aldates last Saturday morning.

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

Looking rather futuristic is this Polish Neoplan seen in VCs last Saturday.

Latest offering on National Express services is this extended Volvo B12M featuring a lift for
wheel chairs in the centre bay added during body construction. WV02EUP leaves VCS.

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

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

  OXFORD BUS PAGE CONTENTS