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

updated Sunday, 21st April 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 28th April 2002

  Issue nr. 195

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 195, which this week includes photographic contributions from a number of readers. Many thanks to you all.

I have also been trying to get some more scenic photos and will be interested in your comments on my efforts.

One of those rare occasions when one is in the right place at the right time.
Here we see Arriva 5156 in New Road, Oxford on route 280 with Oxford Castle in the background.
Much to my surprise this Virgin hot Air Balloon suddenly appeared overhead. Lucky huh?

During the long winter months, I thought this spot would make a good background
for a nice shot of Arriva working the 328/329 service to High Wycombe.
After a 10 minute wait and running over 5 minutes late, Lynx 3345 rushed by
Medmenham Church appearing from the gloom of the over hanging trees.
Steve Warwick reckoned this bus was due to be transferred. Not yet Steve,
this was Saturday morning around 11 am.

Geoff Cunliffe writes to say "first, my usual thanks to you for the continued and ever-growing supply of information from Oxford and the surrounding districts. I hope to be passing through, albeit fleetingly, in the middle of the week beginning 29^th. April.

I have been playing with my collection of 35mm colour slides and I am attaching some JPGs in case they may be of interest to you. I am still not convinced I have mastered this scanner thingy yet and the definition may not be as good as it should be.

Anyway, the views were taken in 1959. They are:

City of Oxford Motor Services AEC Regent III number 920. Bodywork? Pictured in Woodstock on service 44 to Oxford

Black & White Bristol L/LL/LWL(?) number 126. Bodywork? Duple?? Pictured in Stratford passing the former Bus Station on an Associated Motorways service to Cheltenham. This stretch of road is, of course, now one-way (the other way!).

Thanks to Geoff for these interesting pictures. I look forward to further contributions in due course.

Newman Morgan wrote "Just a line to mention that the railway line between Bicester North and Banbury was closed all day Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I noted the following operators providing coaches:

Fosters of Aylesbury (2 x Volvo Van Hool), Taylors of Aylesbury
Derwent Travel of Aylesbury,
Grayline of Bicester (2 coaches),
Catteralls of Southam (3 coaches).
Also parked in Bicester North car park was a coach in Swanbrooks (of Gloucester) livery
but this may have been a recent acquisition by one of the contract operators.

On Sunday I noted the following operators (1 coach each):-

Bowens of the West Midlands,
Jeffs of Helmdon,
Avon Valley Coaches of Stratford On Avon,
Starline Transport Solutions of ?? ,
Price Travel of Snareshill (where ever that is!).
The above lists are by no means a complete list of operators.

I don't know if Kings Sutton was served; I drove through there on Saturday afternoon and it was difficult to get a car through the place with parked vehicles everywhere, let alone a coach. We are of course rapidly approaching the 17 day shut down of the line to complete the installation of double track between Bicester North and Aynho Junction. The job is being done by Birse Rail. To make matters more annoying about a third of the Bicester North station car park is currently out of use for resurfacing and remodelling work.

Many of you will remember I included some pictures recently taken at Bicester north of coaches from the above companies.

This last week was a busy one for me with the usual trip to Amsterdam and much work on the revised Oxford Bus Company site. There was a nice article in Coach & bus Week on the launch of Oxford's new Airline coach services, including two of my pcitures.

Of some interest also was an article two week's ago in the magazine Transit, being a feature on the Oxford-London express services. It is now an amzing 15 years since the launch of The Oxford Tube by Harry Blundred, the then owner of Transit holdings or Thames Travel as it then was.

Their service started with a fleet of ex Devon General Leyland Tigers with Duple Laser bodies fitted with 44 seats and toilets. They even had a hostess service which in 1993 got somewhat out of hand when the hostesses, or at least one of them, offered more than tea or coffee. Indeed an article in The Sun of February in that year headlined Bus girl axed for selling sex. The fare in those days was £2.97 return.

Today there are up to 9 services per hour with The Oxford Tube running as many as 87 journeys per day, Monday to Friday and rival Oxford Express 53 journeys per day in the same period. It is claimed that The Tube now has 1.6 million journeys per year and The Oxford Express 850,000 per year. The fare is now £9 return and both operators provide service throughout the 24 hour day/night.

The competing train service, also run by a Go-Ahead group company, Thames Trains, offers 3 trains per hour and claims 1.03 million journeys annually. However their fares range between £13.80 and up to £30.20 in the peak.

Stagecoach comment today that "If Harry Blundred had still been in charge, we would not have had a £4.5 million investment in new coaches, made in 1999, by the Stagecoach Group, who see this service as a flagship of the Group.

The Oxford Express is also being upgraded by cascaded Volvo/Plaxtons from the airport services with no coach older now than four Plaxton Premieres dating from 1997, with newer Excaliburs bodied coaches from 1998 through to 2000.

The major difference at present is the lack of toilets on the Oxford Express but the operators seem to cater for differing markets, with older more mature passengers using the blue coaches and younger persons, especially University students favouring the Tube.

The article also highlights the comparisons between Oxford and Cambridge, served by National Express with only 16 departures per day. And that is compared to as many as 140 per day to Oxford. An amazing difference leading to the rightful claim;

THE MOST INTENSIVE EXPRESS COACH SERVICE IN THE WORLD.

Oxford Express 18, shortly to be re-branded X90 London, loads alongside Oxford Tubes
50 and 51 for London Victoria. whilst both services go to Victoria it does depend upon
which Victoria one requires. For the coach station  take the X90.

Thank you again to all who continue to send information each and every week, this is much appreciated and adds much to the page and so on to the company news in our area.

News of the local companies - 21st April 2002

Airlinks

The Stansted 757 service now follows the more recognised route out of Oxford via High Street and St Clements. It used to go via Banbury Road and The J R Hospital. This means coaches now turn right out of Gloucester Green rather than left up George Street.

Here we see DAF D317 turning into Worcester Street last Saturday on an afternoon
working to Cambridge. It is passing The Opium Den Chinese Restaurant recently
repainted into a less than subtle colour scheme.

I know that companies need to supplement revenue by advertising but the new fashion
of rear end advertising often spoils an otherwise nice livery. Super rears are more usual
now but I do feel this tacky bus advert does nothing for an otherwise nice livery.
D308 loads at Heathrow Central Bus Station last Saturday.

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.

Another effort at a more interesting picture sees 2197, more often seen in Uxbridge,
on a Sunday 323 working from Aylesbury, passing the new fountains in Frogmoor,
High Wycombe. Indeed Frogmoor used to be the main bus terminus years ago.

Some would say that country bus routes are not so good, since the stops are too far apart.
The 340 from Radnage to High Wycombe takes in a number of small hamlets on its way to town.
Last Saturday 5834 had just 8 passengers on board as it turned towards Widmer End by The Peacock.

Chris Maxfield sent this picture of Arriva 5159 displaying its new destination blinds
whilst loading up in St Aldates last week.

Charlton Services.

Andrew sent some most interesting details relating to this operator.

I've just been up in my attic and found a folder of papers with details of all the Oxfordshire independent operators fleet lists in 1971.

I worked in the school holidays at Charlton-on -Otmoor Services at the time and thought that some of your readers might be interested in a dose of history!

The Charlton fleet was as follows in Feb 1971:-

KGU 239 1950 AEC RT/Saunders ex London Transport
JXC 177 1949 AEC RT/Craven " " (delicensed)
HLX 215 1948 AEC RT/Weymann " "
HLX 310 1948 AEC RT/Park Royal " "
LUC 104 1951 AEC RT/Weymann " "
KLB 664 1950 AEC RT/Park Royal " "(being broken for spares)
KXW 431 1950 Leyland RTW/Leyland ex London Transport
OFC 384 1949 AEC Regent 3/Weymann ex COMS via Taylors of Bicester
MCY 407 1955 AEC Regent 5/Weymann ex South Wales Transport
332 BHA 1956 Leyland Tiger Cub/Duple ex Gliderways, Smethwick
416 DHA 1957 " " " /Harrington " " "
719 FHA 1958 " " " " " " "
414 DHA 1957 " " " " " "(being broken for spares)
GBL 873 1951 Bristol LWL/ECW ex South Midland (delicensed)
WUM 501 1956 AEC Reliance/Plaxton ex Wallace Arnold
UOT 589 1959 AEC Reliance/Duple ex Fleet Coaches, Hampshire
8650 WY 1961 AEC Reliance/Duple ex Wood of Brighouse
TBD 3 1958 AEC Reliance/Duple ex York Bros, Northampton
ANL 814B 1964 AEC Reliance/Plaxton ex Armstrong of Westerhope
EAY 700C 1965 AEC Reliance/Plaxton ex N&S of Leicester
TGJ 488 1956 Beadle-Commer Integral ex Timpsons
5559 FD 1962 Bedford J2/Duple minibus ex Stones of Dudley

Thanks indeed for this, maybe some has some photos to illustrate the article?

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

Heyfordian

We don't very often see Heyfordian vehicles in Reading so I thought
that I would send you this photo of Jonkheere 7395 LJ
opposite Reading Station on Wednesday 17th April.
Thanks to Rob Williams for this contribution.

Stagecoach in Warwick

Keith Wood writes "I'm sorry about the 205 confusion. The bus had been missing for 3-4 weeks (3 different surveys) but was back in service on 12/4/02. I thought it may have been swopped with P677 NOJ but I see this hasn't happened. (see picture below Ed.)

A large number of ex Oxford buses are gathering at Nuneaton. Among them are a Dart / Plaxton and more Mercs including the previously mentioned list. 655 N655 VSS is one of the new ones and the Dart was N78 VJO (I think !). The vehicles are stacked up pretty tightly again at the side of the depot making it difficult to view. SiW Dart 101 is among them.

I'm intrigued by recent withdrawals from Oxford of Merc Minibuses and Dart / Plaxtons. Is this the result of the recent service cutbacks in Oxfordshire and are these vehicles for sale to other Stagecoach companies ? Also can anyone tell me why Banbury has received the three K reg Darts 106-108 in place of 101/104/105 apart from the obvious reason that 101/104/105 are knackered !

I recently travelled on the 717 Birmingham Airport - Nuneaton service on Dart 110. I was the only passenger on the vehicle until it reached Gun Hill (over half way). Indeed the driver seemed surprised to see me board at the airport ! I also took the new 50/51 route through Keresley Village which accesses a bus only road by passing over retractable bollards ! to complete it's circuit of the village and new industrial areas.

In answer to the question does Pete's produce any timetables etc - I've never seen any except on their website ! which is very well maintained however !

Volvo B10M 234 N804 DNE which was missing from my last two Leamington surveys was in Coventry last night in New Livery. This brings the total of New Liveries to 80 vehicles.

From 29/4/02 Banbury service B8 will resume it's traditional route via Sinclair Avenue in Ruscote replacing Cheney's B9. The service will revert to it's 20 minute frequency which was the norm before competition between Stagecoach and Cheney broke out ! Funny how things come around isn't it?

Rob Williams writes "A couple of things from Keith again:

Merc 334 has been put back in service in Leamington Banbury 854 in new livery

Stagecoach in Oxford 

That illusive 839, P677NOJ, that Keith mentions, still in Oxford and unusually working the 7s

Jim writes to say "Chippy bus 901 has arrived back freshly repainted from Bedford. Bus 903 is next to be treated and already has been rubbed down and panel work completed."

901 was in Gloucester Green on Saturday, as was 902.

One of the problems with a super rear is when glass gets broken. 203 shows off new glass
 but one is left wondering what the ad is all about.

M A N 940 recently repainted from Blackbird Flyer livery waits for the lights in New Road.
In the back ground is a red London Trident on the 7A, see below and Alexander demonstrator,
929 on the Park & Ride service of Oxford Bus.

Unexpected performer on the 7A last Saturday was london Trident TA429.

Tappins of Didcot

Working a private hire in Oxford last Saturday was Volvo/Van Hool N171LHU.

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

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

No, nothing to do with Oxford but seemingly from Ramsgate or nearby.
HIL8435 is I think a Leyland Tiger but from where I know not.

Dawlish Coaches Bova a long way from home, rounding the corner in style.
P928KYC passing near Gloucester Green last Saturday.

Newport Transport run coaches, the last time I saw this particular coach was
two summers ago in Weston-super-Mare. J97NJT waits for lights in Worcester Street.

National Express newcomer on the 310. - New Plaxton-Volvo KU02YUG.
It must from Leeds, oh of course UG is not Leeds anymore. Sad really.

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

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