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

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

updated Sunday 26th August 2001
apologies for the delay in posting until Monday 27th August.
the next update will be on Sunday 2nd September 2001

   Issue nr. 160  

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 !

Welcome to issue 160, which includes news this week of developments at The Oxford Bus Museum & "The Cherwell Bus Preservation Group". Also news of more bus lanes in Wycombe and police enforcement of bus lanes in Oxford. 

Whilst Guide Friday launched a gas powered Fleetline two weeks ago, The Oxford Classic Tour still uses some very elderly Atlanteans of L registered vintage. 

Next week sees the launch of the new registration system and I saw my first "51" reg in Kidlington this afternoon on the Audi garage forecourt. It was OU51???. Somehow things will never be the same again!

As mentioned above The Oxford Bus Museum has started work, supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund, on extending and refurbishing the site at Long Hanborough. A new building has been completed which will serve as workshops, complete with a viewing gallery. The existing building is being cleared of all exhibits, in preparation for a rebuilding programme. When completed there will be space under cover for most of the buses and coaches now in this interesting collection. The web site is currently being updated and should be completed later this week.

The Wycombe papers are full of details of "more lights and more bus lanes" this week. The town is looking to improve traffic flows and as part of the changes and improvements several areas are in line for work. Three stretches of outbound bus lanes will be Micklefield Road and the approaches to Hatters Lane and Rayners Avenue. It is however intended to remove the inbound bus lane at Micklefield Road but extend the inbound bus lane at Hatters Lane. Other areas are due for changes relating to cycle routes and pedestrian facilities.

In Oxford news was announced of a police crackdown on the illegal use of bus lanes in the city. Any motorist found using a bus lane will face a £30 penalty ticket on the spot. Both main local bus companies responded by saying how much they looked forward to the action. They reported many complaints from bus drivers about the blatant abuse of the bus lanes.

Whilst passing through Bladon this afternoon I noticed that new Bus & Coach lettering had been applied to the roadway but sadly the vintage Bus & coach Stop signs needed a lick of paint. This must be one of the few places in the UK to sport such signs - i.e. Bus & Coach.

A picture of the Bus & coach stop in Bladon.

The newly constructed maintainence building for the Oxford Bus Museum.

   FROM THE DRIVING SEAT  
A weekly commentary on your Editors favourite pastime.

One of the interesting things about driving buses and coaches, is the variation in performance of apparently identical vehicles. This becomes especially obvious when one makes the same journey in two different coaches to London. The M40 has several hills encountered during the journey. The steepest is that leading up from the Oxfordshire Plain to the Chiltern Ridge by Stokenchurch. Some Volvo B10Ms will romp up this bank at 60mph, whereas others, especially the older coaches, struggle to maintain 45mph. Mileages on the older coaches are reaching 1,500,000 kms and the engines are understandably tired.  It seems that speed limiters are set by computer and regardless of what the speedo says, all are set at 62mph max. Whatever the situation, it can most frustrating to have passed several trucks, limited to 56mph, to be later passed, seemingly with ease on the bank on the M40. It is unusual to be overtaken by an Oxford Tube, since not only are they seemingly slower on the flat but they also have to rejoin the M40 at that point, having made a stop at Lewknor. Turning to the buses in the Oxford fleet, the Volvo B10Bs, especially the 601-643 batches, are very fast away from stops and can normally achieve 58-60mph on a run such as the X3 to Abingdon. The 645-656 batch are also fast but the newer 800 series Volvo B10BLEs are not quite so lively. The Darts are generally limited to 50 mph and the older 500 series are often gutless, especially when pulling away at roundabouts - just when you need to go! The same can be said for the Trident deckers, which do seem under powered and only capable of about 50mph or even less. Of course in general service in the city such speeds are unnecessary and only the older Darts are hard work to maintain schedules. I listened with interest to a Wycombe driver who had "enjoyed" 3834 (ex 504) on a 275 journey to Oxford on Saturday. He ended up running late on both journeys due to the fact that he needed better performance. The Darts also have a special feature when cold, they pull to the right when braking, a fact that no one seems able to explain.  

Whilst mentioning driving on the motorways, I wonder why it is that some car drivers hog the middle lane at 60 mph or less when the inside lane is clear. Then if they do use the inside lane, when you move out to overtake, quite legally, they speed up very slightly, so you pull back in. Then they slow down before repeating the whole process once again. I think there needs to be little more education of drivers to make the roads safer and more pleasant to use.

News from the companies - 26th August 2001

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Lynx 3345 is now fully a Wycombe depot bus, having full blinds for service. It is seen here
in Newlands bus Station last Sunday.

Nigel Peach writes to advise that Olympian 5833 has returned repainted. It was on the pits today in the bus station. It has now lost its rear ad for Whichford Honda. There are now just 5 D/Ds not yet in the new livery. I saw 4 of them today. Just coach 5823 eluded me so maybe, just maybe, that's now gone for repaint?  (Indeed 5823 has gone away for repaint to Watford) 

Nigel continues "One of the Aylesbury Greenways, 3044 IIL4821 was in the bus station on Aylesbury route 324. That sports the new livery. It's the first Greenway I've seen in Arriva colours". 

Pete Brown of Showbus comments that some unusual workings by the Arriva Aylesbury depot this last 10 days have seen the S reg Volvo Olympians operating the 323 evening service to High Wycombe.

Matt Wheeler writes to note - firstly, Alexander bodied Olympian 5100 (G650 UPP), formerly an allover ad for Mix 96 (Local Radio station), now carried full Arriva livery, and has been refurbished internally (like 5102 was earlier this year). It was seen arriving in Aylesbury from Tring on a short journey on route 500. Ex Colchester Greenway 3305 (JIL 2195) has been in use recently, mainly on the free Tesco buses from surrounding villages to the two Tesco stores in Aylesbury but has also had a couple of runs on proper services including 261 from Thame back to Aylesbury. 

The new building at Aylesbury's depot, which you noted under construction a few months ago, has now opened, as on driving past, I've noticed buses inside on hydraulic ramps/jacks. 

Finally, at the beginning of September, the next stage of work on the Oxford Road railway bridge (by the college) will start. This will involve the opening of a new bridge, currently single track only, to the north of the current one, for "town centre" bound traffic to use. At the same time the old bridge will be closed completely as it will be demolished to make space for the remaining 2 lanes of the new bridge. This will therefore "close" Oxford Road between the Gatehouse Road and Fowler Road junctions for traffic wishing to leave the town.  The reason the new bridge is wider than the old is to allow for a dedicated bus lane for town bound buses between Fowler Road and Gatehouse Road. The opening of the new span, which will not have a width or weight restriction, will allow certain bus services to resume their normal routes (town bound only, of course). The routes being 4, 5, 11, 260, 261, 262, 280. For the time being route 9 will continue to operate its revised routing in both directions.

One evening, I was in Aylesbury bus station, and saw 5103 arrive off a 280 from Oxford. It then parked up for a while before forming the 20:45 323 to High Wycombe. I've no idea if this is regular or not but it could be.  

Another newsworthy item is that there will be a rail replacement service between Great Missenden and High Wycombe (rail stations) this weekend as the railway line will be blocked at Rickmansworth. No idea who will be operating it, but I'm making a trip on Monday, so may get a few vehicle IDs and/or photos.  I know previously Wycombe Bus would cover this sort of work but it'll be interesting to see if they still do given the Arriva takeover. (maybe Carousel Buses Ed)

Neil Gow notes that Friday 24th  ex Nottingham/Buffalo dual-door Olympian 5079 made a very rare foray onto regular service, on route 57.  Later it was showing 260 to Thame but then headed for the depot instead, much to our disappointment.

Thanks to Neil, Matt, Pete and Nigel for Arriva news.

An interesting working alluded to above in From the driving seat is the use of Dart 3834 on the 275. This was seemingly caused by a number of failures on Saturday, leaving allocator no choice.

Revised football services in Wycombe now mean that only three buses are used for the basic services run by Arriva. The 502 runs from Penn, the 501 from Hicks Farm Rise, calling at the Railway and Bus Stations, meaning that only one bus is rostered for the 500 from the bus station. some retiming has occurred and of course extras are run for major games. The three bus service can cope with a gate of 5000 which is normal for for home matches. (No not all 5000 use Arriva!!!! Ed). As usual a very nice special timetable is produced by the club listing all services run by Arriva and Motts.

Fare increases are taking place on Arriva services and the passengers are advised by a notice on the doors. Carousel have not increased fares and they have a notice in the drivers window as seen below.

Cherwell Bus Preservation Group

Grahame Wareham has advised me of details of the vehicles in this group's collection. The group was formed by former members of the Oxford Bus Museum at Long Hanborough.  Whilst, at present, it is not possible to open the group's premises to visitors, should anyone have any questions or interest, these can be sent to me for onforwarding. malcolmhc@aol.com

Cherwell Bus Preservation Group

 list of vehicles

Cbpg180601

City of Oxford Motor Services (The Oxford Bus Company)

Wednesday 22nd August saw Olympian 224 on 2 road with 221 on 5 road. Also unusually Volvo B10B 636 was on 5 road. 220 put in appearance on 300 road. 

Neil Gow wrote to say that on Friday 24th "sighted four OBC Olympians within the space of 15 minutes today.  208 and 214 both on the 5 (208 stayed out for evening workings too), 221 on 400 and 223 on 4 road.  I wouldn't call any of these queue-busting operations, just looks to me like they are being used as general purpose spares.  Incidentally, they seem to have been conspicuously absent from the 22 this year, after it needed them so badly last year."

Dart 501 is in the paint shop under repaint, more details next week. No further Tridents have gone back to Alexanders at this time but 929 remains on loan. 

929 seen working the 300 last Saturday

Olympians seen last Saturday prior to working football specials on routes 601 and 602.
Advertising is now appearing on these and many saloons in the fleet.


Neil Gow sent this photo of coach 10 negotiating The Plain in Oxford, inbound from London.

Highlighting the increase in advertising on the rears of Oxford saloons 
plus the use of lower case on the destination blinds, 646 turns into George Street 
on a 2D working last Saturday.

At the end of the day!  929 shows it highbridge design compared to Oxford Trident 120.
Olympian 221 and two Darts share the picture.

 
Before the wars!
 Oxford loan buses feature again with this picture by Andrew Dyer.
East Kent AEC decker 826 operates 3 road to Rose Hill.

The Oxford Classic Tour.

Looking less than pristine, these Atlanteans still ply their trade in Oxford.
BFS14L waits for BFS48L to depart from Gloucester Green.

Red Rose, Aylesbury

Pete Brown of Showbus writes to advise that  Red Rose of Aylesbury have a new dart MPD on order (not sure what for), two ex Cardiff L reg Metroriders are due and so is an ex Trent Optare Delta. The Metroriders are to replace some old MCW versions and the Delta has replaced an ex Fife Leyland Tiger.

Stagecoach Group

Stagecoach Swindon & District use this ex Manchester Volvo/Alexander PS
on the 66 from time to time. 423(P823FVU) spent its Manchester days based at
Princess Road depot on services in south Manchester.

Stagecoach in Banbury  

Keith Wood writes to say "Breaking news this afternoon. George Dyer has reported three Optare Solos on the UK Bus fleet news newsgroup at the Optare factory today for Midland Red South . Thanks to him !  They Are -

601  KX 51 CRU
602  KX 51 CRV
603  KX 51 CRZ 

Currently these numbers clash with Leyland Nationals 602 / 605 at Nuneaton so maybe they are for the chop !

Also

I'm off to Banbury on Saturday (and possibly Nuneaton) and I will e-mail you all the news next week. I'm working on a spreadsheet with the current operators for Banbury's services now that many have been put out to tender and I've updated the new livery list correcting some mistakes I've only just noticed ! You'll get it all next week. 

Great news page this week but I'm glad we have nothing as complicated as the 50 up here !

Thanks to Keith for his reports.

STAGECOACH in OXFORD

Whilst visiting the Oxford Bus museum I spied this Dart on the 20 in Woodstock.
730 P630PGP was ex London and some red traces can still be seen.

Working the 29, Volvo 909 arrives at Gloucester Green last Saturday.

Following on from last week's article on 50 workings, here we see 
the 1415 Oxford Station - Chipping Norton service leaving Gloucester Green.

Neil Gow sent this shot of 934 last pictured working a 50 service in Stratford.
It is seen coming off Cowley Road.

Neil Gow notes that "I saw Thames Transit 901 on the 7A today - Lances don't often get onto city services.  Finally saw 759 arrive on a 105 and run off to the garage with 764 taking up the next departure - so it looks like Thames Transit are still running it after all. (It seems that TT take over the 105 on September 1st Ed.)

Swanbrook

Swanbrook's UJI1761 also sports an ad on its rear now.

Thames Travel

Thames Travel's V254BNV operating the X39. This bus bears no ownership vinyls.

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

This Applegates Setra operating a National Express 348 service to Bristol 
failed at Gloucester Green. 
It took up a stand for several hours whilst repairs were affected.

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

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