Oxford

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

updated Tuesday, 28th May 2002
delayed from Sunday 26th May 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 2nd June 2002

Issue nr. 200
(quite a milestone)

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.

My apologies for the unexpected problems which resulted in my being unable to post this issue on Sunday as intended. These problems now seem to have resolved themselves and the outcome is I hope to have a new web address for the page shortly which will make it easier to find for new visitors and for my existing readers.

When I took over the Oxford bus Page from David Root around 4 years ago I didn't fully appreciate what I was letting myself in for. Here we are with Issue 200, which since I have missed a couple of weeks, means over 200 weeks or 4 years more or less. We have seen many changes during those four years and I am recollecting which have been the most significant highlights of those years in regard to our local bus and coach scene.

I list my majors in no particular order and wonder if anyone else has some thoughts which i may have missed. So lets see -

2. The introduction of 27 new double coaches all in one go by Stagecoach Oxford for The Oxford Tube.

3. The introduction by both major Oxford companies of low floor buses on city services.

4. The complete replacement of the Oxford Bus Park & Ride fleet with 20 new Trident double deckers.

5. A major identity change for airport services to Heathrow and Gatwick with the introduction of The Airline featuring coaches with toilets, the first time toilets have featured on Oxford Bus Company coaches.

6. The emergence of a major force, with a new company - Thames Travel - growing quickly to become well known in the Thames Valley.

8. The start up of a new coach operator in our area - Woottens coaches - growing from a couple of second hand coaches to a fleet which now includes new high spec coaches.

All these events have been covered in The Oxford Bus Page and many more. What do you think has been the most significant development in our area? Lets include it in Issue 201 which will also celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee next weekend.

Geoff Cunliffe, who visits Oxford from time to time from up North writes "Many congratulations on reaching your 200th edition of the Oxford Bus Page.

Whilst several of us contact you at varying intervals, I am sure your efforts are read by very many other enthusiasts, probably worldwide, who appreciate your news, views and authoritative comment.

I can made some guess as to how much time and effort all of this takes - and I really do not know how you continue to do it.

I must say I much appreciate all your comments but this letter from Geoff is most welcome and makes the hours spent on the page well worthwhile. Thank you.

This week I record the appearance of the old LNWR Oxford Station at Quainton Road - Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. (It didn't come by Arriva on the 280 and 16 either!!!) Who would have imagined all the years ago when AEC Regents worked the 1 to STATIONS that one of those stations would end up near Aylesbury. What an amazing world we live in!

This weekend saw another Thames Valley Running Day at High Wycombe, with organiser Richard Bond doing his thing again. A number of interesting buses were working a variety of routes once again. The 20 operated between High Wycombe and Bourne end with an hourly service from 10 until 4. Route 30 operated to Plomer Estate with six services between 1020 and 1620. The third route, number 35, operated between the Bus Station and Downley Common, again every hour. Finally route 36 operated via Lane end to Cadmore End.

The fare for an adult rover for the day was £5 and all the money raised for this event goes this year's charity, Wycombe Central Aid.

As promised, a report on our visit to the Wycombe Running Day:

This year's charity day re-created four old Thames Valley routes with 5 or 6 hourly journeys on each route:
20 High Wycombe - Loudwater - Bourne End
30 High Wycombe - Plomer Estate (Downley via Hughenden Avenue)
35 High Wycombe - Downley Common (via Plomer Hill)
36 High Wycombe - Sands - Lane End - Cadmore End

A fellow enthusiast and I arrived at the bus station soon after 11 am. Spoke to Richard Bond (the event's organiser) who was concerned about RM25 (VLT 25) which he had just driven on the Bourne End route. The performance of the bus was worrying him, and, considering this route incorporates no hills (it follows the line of the river) one could understand his concern - his next journey was the 30 including the negotiation of Hughenden Avenue which is very steep. However, RM25 performed very well, despite its heavy load. This bus from Arriva South London is in the celebratory Jubilee gold livery and looked very smart. It's amazing to think that this bus is about 45 years old now! (Whilst I agree that from a distance RM25 looked good, on closer inspection it became clear that the livery was nearly all vinyls. This covered the rivets in a strange way and the gold used to touch areas not covered by the vinyls was of a different shade. I don;t wish to be picky but it seems a great shame that for an event such as The golden jubilee and on our Capital's streets, they couldn't have made a proper paint job. I know, cost cost cost etc but vinyls are not exactly cheap either. Well at least the bus in Oxford for The Golden Jubilee is a proper paint job.)

Our next journey was to Cadmore End on Wycombe Lynx 3806 (F556 NJM). This is one of just 7 vehicles which survive in Wycombe from its Beeline days. The countryside looks particularly lush at the moment, and it was made much lusher by the torrential downpours we experienced on this journey and flooded roads too.

As lunchtime relief for the crews, Newbury Buses Optare Solo 123 (YG02 FVW) ran the 1300 departure to Bourne End. It was my first journey on one of these - fine but I don't like not having a back window to see out of. In Wycombe High Street we encountered a procession celebrating Mohammed's birthday and had to wait quite a long time. The driver was a Newbury man who didn't know the way to Bourne End, but the conductor, who was also navigating, employed some quick thinking, took us up Crendon Street, past the Railway Station into Totteridge Road then Bowerdean Road into Gordon Road and we rejoined the A40 by the cricket ground - no sign now of the procession!

The other Routemaster used was RML2333 (CUV 333C) also from Arriva South London. I think this was one of a batch that started life as a "green bus" in the Country Area.

My last journey was to Downley Common on Lynx 3809 (F559 NJM). These aging Lynx still perform well, but they have seen better days, and I suspect that sadly their days are numbered.

The final journey of the day was the 1620 departure on route 30. Surprisingly, instead of RM25 this was worked by Arriva Volvo 3853 (N413 NRG). However, the engine was making a horrendous noise, and other than driver and conductor it had nobody on at all. (I'm surprised they ran it!)

As usual there were many other visiting buses there. Old Thames Valley regulars K6A 446 (DBL 154) and KSW 748 (JRX823) were there with 446 putting in a special journey on the 38 (to Booker) for invited guests only.

Preserved RT3228 (KYY957) in Green Line livery was in attendance. A friend, Bernard Lewenden, told me that he remembered this bus being delivered. It started life at Staines depot. I remember it as one of a whole batch from 3226? through to 3254 which were cascaded from Green Line work to the country bus routes and all were allocated to either Wycombe or Amersham depots in the mid 1960s displacing all the existing RTs which had become worn out with all the hill work.

Two other vehicles were there: RML2531 (JJD 531D) and Jeffs provided Roe bodied Leyland Olympian TPD118X. This bus was one of 5 which joined Wycombe Bus in Dec 1998, but their tenure was short-lived, being displaced by the 5 Park & Rides from Oxford (225-229) in October 1999. This bus is now at Jeffs' Greens Norton depot used mainly for school contracts. Ironically, sister TPD109X joined Wycombe depot a few months ago (5379) from Arriva Essex.

Richard had told me that a Leyland National would be there but I didn't see one. Also an ex Reading Mainline RM. Sadly this had broken down at Maidenhead Thicket en route, so did not materialise.

As before, a number of the Arriva fleet were moved out to make way for all the activity. They were in the college car park, with notably 5827 (the only bus showing any sign of the old Wycombe livery, with its Travelwise colours) being hidden away at the very back!

So, an interesting if wet day. Less vehicles than some years but maybe the weather put some off. It was well attended despite the weather and hopefully a lot of money will have been raised for charity. Thanks to Richard Bond who does an admirable job each year and I know he had problems locating buses etc this time. Let's hope he is able to organise a seventh annual running day next year!

The Wycombe Running Day was marred to some extent by very poor weather with several heavy downpours but I think everyone attending had a most enjoyable day.

On a different note, another interesting building to appear in our area has been the station building on The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway at Chinnor. I include this as a comparison for the move of the Oxford station building. This time the building was constructed as a replica of the one still located at the original terminus of the railway at Watlington. I have a special interest in the building since I constructed a model railway based on the line over 20 years ago. I built a station like the one in the picture from a plan in a book plus several visits to the Watlington site.

A young man wrote to me some time ago regarding a picture posted of a coach at RAF Bicester. I received the following reply from Neil Gow who says -

Further to the correspondence about the Van Hool at Bicester, I'm afraid it isn't AEC GHP994L after all. If you check the attached photo you will see that apart from minor frontal differences, there is a significant major difference in that the GHP994L had six window bays and the vehicle at Bicester has four.

I reckon it is the Van Hool bodied Leopard that worked as executive coach PV1 with National Travel West, NUK561K. I've enclosed a copy of it taken at Stratford in 1980 for comparison, although unfortunately not a nearside shot.

Somehow I think Neil is right, my original shot at Bicester which started matters.

Stephen Le Bras wrote regarding a couple of items in last week's page. He says "I did not include the item on First in Berkshire ordering 8 Citaros for their 74/5/6 group of services, as I did not know if you were including news from the old Beeline. The Citaros were ordered in May and hopefully will arrive in Sept/Oct- see http://www.evobus.co.uk for Citaro news.

The Polish coach is a Neoplan N516SHD and has appeared at Windsor coach park. Interesting to see the extra long NX vehicle. I caught up with this at 4pm one Saturday in London a few weeks ago."

Newman Morgan wrote on a number of issues and I include his remarks here for clarity though they do refer to various operators on this page. Newman says "I have been quiet for a few days but we do seem to have stirred a passion for the old Thames Valley Traction Co in High Wycombe. I was interested to learn of Arriva's pending service changes at Wycombe and note the continued withdrawal of services albeit due to staffing and vehicle garaging constraints. I would like to nominate the Sainsbury's shuttle as one of the shortest bus routes in the country! It takes, what, all of 8 minutes to complete the circle to Dovecot and back.

Angela's big bus was in the Oxford Mail again last week. That's Angela's Coaches of Minster Lovell (?). Apparently the issue over the use of her 106 passenger double decker on the school run from Bampton still lingers on. Around 20 students are ferried every day from Bampton by parents who refuse to allow their offspring onto the vehicle for safety reasons.

I caught a glimpse of a Weavaway of Newbury ex-Hong Kong tri-axle decker on Garsington Road, Oxford the other day.

This afternoon I noted TA429 Headington bound at the Green Road roundabout on Route 77, whilst a second TA was in the queue heading out of town also on the 77. This was at around 5.50pm.

Last Wednesday's edition of the Oxford Mail (May 15th) carried a article on the Oxfordshire Playbus. The double decker is registered YS51 LS? - can't make out the last letter due to inconsiderate photographer and child worker (!) - but it looks like a Plaxton President bodied vehicle. The YS (Yorkshire) plate may render it another bodybuilder as I understand that the President is built at the old Northern Counties plant in Wigan. To my knowledge, the only body builder to register vehicles in Yorkshire is Optare of Leeds.

On a recent trip to Leeds I noted two of Reading's new Optare deckers heading south on delivery bearing Y for Yorkshire registrations.

Incidentally, for any London Buses specialists, the Ailsa that was London Buses No. V3, which I am pretty sure was built with both a front and rear door and two staircases before finally being rebuilt into single door and single staircase mode, is still alive and well working for Black Prince of Morley, West Yorkshire. Its reg no.is C103 something. Black Prince operate a fleet of Ailsa and Scania double deckers together with single deckers including Mercedes Benz examples on services competing with and complementing First and Arriva. The Ailsa is a regular performer into Leeds City Bus Station but is probably best photographed on the Headrow outside Leeds City Hall where there are bus lanes and relatively little car traffic.

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

A couple of shots this week make interesting viewing as they show Jetlinks on their new routing via Magdalen Bridge into and out of Oxford.

Martyn who often writes regarding Carousel emailed to say "I have read with interest your many reports this week about the situation in High Wycombe: Abbey Coaches have won the tender for both the Asda & Sainsbury Free Buses which Arriva have withdrawn. Asda runs Wednesdays only (starting on 29th May) and Sainsbury's is to be reduced from every weekday to Thurs/Fris only starting with Abbey on 30th May.

On your visits to the yard used by Carousel you may have noticed my ex London Country Atlantean AN262 (KPJ262W). My company (Optimum Bus Co) and Abbey Coaches have become connected from the 1st April. I am viewing an interesting vehicle tomorrow with a view to putting it to work on the new free bus services and will let you know the outcome of that. Don't be surprised to see the Atlantean out on them occasionally though! It is also likely that it will be used on some journeys to a Reading night club soon as well!"

Well several events of interest this week. Coach 28 has appeared with partial vinyls applied but still lacks anything on the rear. A surprise arrival, shown below is a volvo B12M/Plaxton C49FT, with OBC for a few weeks whilst rectification work takes place on older coaches. This coach is in all white livery and has had suitable vinyls applied for use on the X80 service to Gatwick. It has been well received by drivers.

Filling in for one of our regular buses last weekend, GRC890N is seen in the rain at Oxford Rail Stn.
It was waiting with other GF buses for the arrival of The Orient Express whose passengers
were to be treated to a very wet City.

Edmund Tresham writes with an interesting question. He says "I had a conversation with a chap working for the Oxford Classic tour and from what he said I understand that while the new red paint for City Sightseeing livery is cheap enough the vinyls which are needed to complete the livery are quite expensive. Could this be why only one has been treated to the new scheme so far? I also understood from what he said that all the classic tour vehicles in Edinburgh are now in City Sightseeing livery.

Only one of the four ex Edinburgh Olympians has received the new livery. Here 302
is still in the older livery when seen last Friday.

My goodness, don't they look long. S920SVM on the 50 during lay-over at the station.

Another station lay-over, Henley this time last Saturday with ex Shearings F49FNF on the 124.

Keith Wood writes "Stagecoach is pulling out of Coventry Pool Meadow on June 8th. City Centre pick up stops will now double as terminae. This will mean buses laying over at already congested city centre stops. This is a result of the Pheonix Project city centre redevelopment.

Stagecoach in Oxford

MAN 935, once a Blackbird flyer, now sports the new livery and is on route 3 last Friday.

Tube 4 , a Tiger ex Devon General, is seen in the late '80s , crossing Magdalen Bridge, London bound.
The coaches had toilets and shared the early working with two older Plaxton bodied Tigers also ex DG.
The picture was taken ealry on a Sunday morning hence the lack of traffic.

Neil Gow wrote "..just won't go away. TN431 was on the 7A today, seen on a Kidlington-Barton run at 0745 so must have run out pretty early."

Not content with getting out on the 7A last Saturday, this Friday evening TN431 was running on Blackbird Leys 1 road. That leaves the 3 as the only city service not worked by London Tridents during their stay - unless someone know better. Add to that Bicesters and the Oxford Tube, so that's not bad going considering there was supposed to be a condition that they were to be regarded as special and not for general use.

Speaking of Bicesters, single door Olympian 524 was on the 28 on Monday afternoon.

Also, MAN 932, which I think is the only one still in old Stagecoach white livery, has been running regularly on the 1 recently - a bit odd as this one isn't fitted with anti-assault screens."

Ralph Adams writes "Stagecoach 931 has now appeared in new livery, ex Kidington Cavalier. Not much to report recently. Still 3 Tridents, I was told there are now 2 London Olympians, but on the sheet showing parking the second could not be seen and nothing visible at BRS (you can see the yard from Securicor Omega parking area, but not registration numbers with the height of the fence).

I have just been reading http://www.stagecoachbus.com with the bus times. It is announced that 3 areas are now available, but not noting Stagecoach South Midlands. However all of the Oxford and Banbury services (except School service to Stratford) appear to have been loaded last week, with the date of last change plus date of loading. The file name includes the garage operating code (ox, wy, by, etc) The service 50, Stratford - Chipping Norton is also included in the ox series and in Oxford area. The ex Midland Red services are listed in the Warwickshire times, but does not include the service 50. This area does not appear to be complete yet.

I then looked in Stagecoach South/East Kent and each garage has a file but no entries. Stagecoach London was completely empty.

Obviously this is a large job and will probably see the end of all local websites (which I would find a pity), but if it is easier for potential passengers to find times, particularly if they are travelling to new places, that must be good."

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.

Indeed I turned out on Saturday to see the 103 and TB103 at Stadhampton but was greeted by the older W682MVV meeting up with Solo X383VVY. Sad really 'cos I waited quite a while to get this shot.

I am pleased to include further remembrances again this week and hope you will all continue to send thoughts in for future weeks.

Nigel Peach writes "Back to Thames Valley days!: The new old bus was, we think, KS 591 (FMO 973). The photo was taken from the top floor of the King George V pub on the A40 London Road between Wycombe Marsh & Loudwater (near B & Q).

Further to Newman's notes on the LDs, 810 & 811 had Bristol engines, the others were Gardner. There were also earlier LDs allocated to Wycombe 758/9/61 (MBL 839/40/42) & 786-8 (the fleet nos maybe wrong - I'm relying on memory!) (NBL 743-5). These had rear platforms whereas 808-814 had doors. The earlier ones had doors fitted later in life. I think 808, which disappeared from Wycombe from many years, reappeared later and was the bus used to "open" Newlands Bus Station in 1970 or 1971 by the then Minister of Transport.

I think Newman is right about the running numbers for the Stokenchurch buses.

More news as & when the memory triggers it off!

Well Guys, keep the info flowing, I really like this part of the page.

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

An interesting coach visiting last Sunday for the Rugby Final was this DAF/Van Hool
belonging to Eavesway, Y298HUA. Coincidence is the batch for Jetlink start at 301.

The team coaches, Sale on the left, FDJ75 (an old St Helens reg) and X61CNY on the right for Ponty.