from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
News from:
Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas
updated Sunday, 28th April 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 5th May 2002
Issue nr. 196
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
News from:
Oxford, High Wycombe &
surrounding areas
updated Sunday, 28th April 2002
the
next update will be on Sunday 5th May 2002
Issue nr. 196
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 196, which this week includes some interesting items of upcoming rail replacement services, repainted buses and our general news round.
Mike Penn sent this delightful picture of RT398 when with Charlton-on-Otmoor.
Last week Andrew Dyer sent a 1971 fleet list which prompted Mike.
I am pleased to have the opportunity
to show two of the Oxford Bus team of engineers
who keep the fleet on the road. Nigel and Duncan are working on 640 at Cowley
Road.
This week's report will have a shorter than usual editorial due to the fact that Microsoft Front Page fails to save a backup copy of ones work and now at 2230 hours I've just lost a couple of hours work and feel like throwing the whole damn thing away. Better still Bin Laden is welcome to hit Microsoft anytime. I know, why didn't I save as I went, well i was really into the page this week and didn't think. I wonder how it is that their other programmes back up and Front Page doesn't.
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 - 28th April 2002
Airlinks
Airlinks have now put fleet numbers
in the usual place above the driver and ex Cambridge
Coach323 displays it fleet number whilst pausing at Stokenchurch en route for
Oxford.
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.
A picturesque shot of Dart SLF 3823 working a Sunday
329 out of Marlow bound for Wycombe.
The 340 as mentioned last week serves many hamlets on its way to Wycombe.
Here 5830 turns off the A40 towards Lane End. After serving several hamlets it
will rejoin
the A40 just prior to West Wycombe.
Steve Warwick writes with his usual update.
As per my text to you this morning Lynx 3807 was towed away AM to where I know not.
Friday 26th
Ex Cressex Lynx 3074 made an appearance at Newlands in it's training bus role, all painted white is Trainer livery.
Cressex borrowed DW 3815 today it worked the 346 to Missenden and 333 to Speen.
Nigel Peach also writes this week that "on
Tues 16th, Cressex Lynx 3063 E420 EBH was running NBS route 303.
Good to see that most buses now display destination blinds.
Visited the bus stn Tues 24th. - Lynx 3345 is still
around, on route 301.
Olympian 5829 seemed to be in trouble - an engine fire perhaps? It was being
hosed down in the engine compartment. It was parked in the bus stn in a way that
it was difficult for other buses to get past, particularly those trying to get
out of the 326 bays.
Haven't seen transferred from Cressex Lynxes 3068/9 on NBS routes yet. Those two
buses have coach seats whereas sister 3070 was downgraded to bus seats some time
ago."
I can confirm that 3345 has now gone and both it and 3344 are replaced by 3068 and 3069 from Cressex.
The current Wycombe - Newlands Bus Station allocation is:
Olympians 5074, 5379, 5822-35 (5827 is still in semi Wycombe
Bus/Travelwise livery) 5825 away for refurb.
Lynx 3068-3070, 3076, 3806/8-10
Dart SLF 3821-27
Dart 3811-20 3833 and 3834
Volvo B6 3127, 3138 ( are these B6s still allocated to Wycombe ?)
Volvo B10B 3841-4, 3853-5 3844 away for engine repairs.
Scania 3144, 3145, 3146, 3158, 3163, 3169
Cressex allocation.
Easy
Bus Y42 HBT (No fleet number-does it carry 0442 or not)
Mercs
:
2410, 2132
Mercs Plaxton Beaver:
2196,2197,2198
Volvo B6 Alexander Dash:
3242,3243,3244
Volvo B6 Northern Counties:
3115,3116,3126,3127,3138,3139.
Volvo B6BLE Wright Crusader: 3258,3259,3260
(For the LT H18)
Leyland Lynx:
3062,3063,3072, 3074
Leyland Olympian:
5108,5109,5110,5134,5135,5075,5076,5081,5167.
In the latest British Bus Fleets - Arriva Handbook 2002, 5379 is shown as a trainer!!!!!!
Charlton Services.
It was Andrew Dyer who sent last week's report.
Please see above for the picture of an RT in the 1971 fleet.
Chiltern Queens, Woodcote
News of the week
is the demise of Chiltern Queens coaching fleet, now sold to Horseman of
Reading. Rob Williams writes to enclose the photo below and says "Last week I
saw the Yand KP reg low floors in Reading, plus one of the old things (sorry I
can't be more specific on that one at the moment, but I shall endeavour to send
a pic later in the week).
However I am reliably informed that CQ were sold to Horseman Coaches from 7am
Saturday 13th April. The coaching side is be absorbed into the Horseman
operations and the buses developed into a true "village bus" network. The
existing Woodcote depot is to be kept, presumably pending what happens to
Horseman's current site by the M4 - it could be that they are made to move out
so that the site can be redeveloped in connection with the Motorway junction
there.
Leopard 591STT at Reading.
Guide Friday
Freshly repainted ex Nottingham
Atlantean MAU614P. There are now two buses
in this livery working in Oxford.
Oxford Bus (City of Oxford Motor Services) http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk
It is now expected that second hand Volvos 657 and 658 should be ready for service during next week. A great deal of work has been done on these two buses as can be seen from the photos below of 658.
The destination equipment has yet to be commissioned on 658.
Park and ride style seat covering has been used in refurbishing the interiors.
This rear view shows the lack of destination equipment and makes recognition
easy.
220 re-entered service from winter store for
the Rugby last Saturday. As can be seen
101 in the background now has electronic displays like 102 and 103.
644 caught working the 35 last Saturday. This
type is unusual on this route.
Unusual workings have seen Trident 103 on 35 road last Friday and demonstrator Scania 850 on 4 road.
Coach 28 has now entered works for repainting into Airline livery. 27 will follow when 28 is completed..
Heyfordian
Roland Cox writes "Heyfordian has a MB minibus N605JPG (with Wantage Grove W2 in the destination box) in blue bus livery with names and Metrorider 481HYE is now also in bus livery
I once awarded this bus the title of
"the scruffiest bus in Oxford".
Smartly repainted into Heyfordian's bus livery it was working
the Faringdon service last Saturday. 481HYE.
JDZ2602 passes Oxford Bus 614 working the X3 in St Aldates last Saturday.
Before anyone comments, friend Chris Maxfield was on board taking the photos.
Stagecoach in Warwick
Keith Wood writes "Went
to the Banbury Beer Festy on Friday and also had a good look at the buses. The
allocation of the SiB depot is below. B6LE 854 is in new livery (completing the
Banbury allocation of these vehicles in new livery). Merc 362 has had the bottom
third of it's rear advert painted corporate red. Oxford B6LE 840 P330JND was in
the depot in new livery. The two ex Oxford hybrid Ivecos are still inside the
depot.
Banbury allocation
Darts 106-108
Mercs 362 / 363 / 425 / 588
B6LE's 457 / 458 / 461 / 463 / 852-854 / 856 / 857
Olympian 963
Total 17
Rob Williams writes "now technically an ex Oxford Bus, S920 ANH is seen back
at home in Leamington on Friday 26th. It doesn't look as if it has even been
away! "
Stagecoach in Oxford
Once a Blackbird Flyer and now 793
is on City Circle at The Rail Station.
Ralph Adams writes "The
first ex London Olympian was on the road today - route 10 city circle. It
carries fleet number 528, so we were both wrong. Even more unlikely to have been
chosen is that the 3 Tridents are allocated 528/529/530 on the monthly
allocation, last produced 1st April 2002 (and it is genuine comment despite the
date) - All upstairs windows have been replaced - perfectly clear glass.
One driver informed me that the other 2 are also now in Oxford (not personally
seen)
At least one Red Trident still in use on 77 today (seen 2 out and back to
London, but may have been the same one)"
Andy Gilmour wrote "Just a quick note to say that Mercedes 455/6/61/2 arrived in Winchester depot of Stagecoach South East today (Sunday). 461 still contained a defect card dated 20/2/02 so presumably has been out of use for some time."
Thames Travel, Wallingford
Thames Travel's 103 operates through
Littleworth on its way to Oxford.
Here we see 270 negotiating the old railway bridge.
Woottons of Chesham
Woottens have a new Volvo B12M/Jonckheere mistral 50 - FE02FCC.
A revised fleet list will appear next week.
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
BU02DNE adorns this Caetano/Optima
which recently entered service with Cliff's Coaches
What a lovely line up. DBL154 is a Bristol K ex Thames Valley, the
National is NPK257R.
Next to that is a beautifully restored Bedford OB, LTA750 and finally a Bristol
LH - KWO569X.
All are seen at Ward Jones's yard at Cryers Hill near High Wycombe.
I welcome your
photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com
Visitor count since 19th April 1999.
