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

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updated Sunday 30th September 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 7th October 2001

   Issue nr. 165  

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 165, which this week is on time. It has been a busy week and I appreciate input from a number of regular correspondents.

Firstly I would like to make a suggestion. I am proposing to compile a mailing list of anyone interested in brief updates of news items during the times between News Page issues. If you would like to be included in such a mailing list could you please let me know, so that I may add your name . It is important that you give your permission, since the data protection act does not to allow such lists without the permission of the individual concerned. Also I can assure you that such a list would NOT be given out to anyone else. I think it is a nice idea but welcome your comments. Write to me at malcolmhc@aol.com.

News is given in local Oxford papers this week, of developments regarding The Westgate Centre. It seems it is to be larger than at a first planned, subject to planning permission following a public enquiry. This may affect the proposed bus station and I would welcome any news on this matter.

This last week has seen Traffic Census work being completed on many roads in the area. The A40 at Sandhills was the scene of one of these surveys last Friday. Traffic was heavily congested for much of the day, due to an oil spillage on the A34 from the M40 into Oxford North and the resultant diverted traffic. At the stage I watched matters a couple of PCVs took 25 minutes to get from Wheatley as far as Sandhills. This is normally a journey of 3 to 4 minutes maximum. Such delays have a severe impact on bus and coach services and undoubtedly affected London and Airport services. The Arriva 260 and 280 services plus Stagecoach 77 buses going to and from Brookes were also seriously affected.

Stagecoach London TA429 working on route 77 from Brookes University escaping from
the traffic delays leading up Sandhills lights. It had taken 25 minutes from Wheatley!

Resurfacing work in the Cowley Road has taken its toll on reliability this week and will continue for another 7 days. St Clements roadworks are still in progress but delays are not as bad as in recent weeks. Botley Road appears completed now but work is due to start soon on Headington Hill.

Scenes on Cowley Road during last week, when resurfacing work caused delay to traffic.

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

Relating to the delays at Sandhills mentioned above, I would note the frustration felt by many as a result, not the least, those drivers trying to maintain a schedule. When considering coach operations under such circumstances, it is of course the law that rest periods are taken and all companies try to maximise the legal utilisation of staff. When a delay occurs, often it can result in following services being affected due to drivers being unable to carry out their rostered duty. In times when driver shortages are a national problem, this can have serious affects on reliability. Services must be operated, otherwise it can draw the attention of the Traffic Commissioners. One can only sympathise with all those involved in the headaches caused by the aforementioned problems. It can and does affect all operators, however large or small. Under the circumstances one can only but admire the reliability achieved by our local companies. It does not always work out but one can be sure that every effort is made at all times to ensure satisfactory service levels are maintained.  

The lengthening shadows of a late September afternoon, with the trees, frame
Oxford express nr 24 returning from an airport journey,
having suffered a 25 minute delay in traffic approaching Sandhills.

News from the companies - 30th September 2001

Airlinks

The Jetlink service from Cambridge to Oxford is now reduced to two hourly throughout 24 hours. Coaches now enter Oxford along the same route followed by other express service. This is down Headington Hill, St Clements, High Street and the City Centre. Whilst it had been expected that the newer coaches would be moved to other routes, the new DAF's were still evident during this last week.

D309, operating the 1400hrs from Cambridge (Drummer Street), is seen here passing Sandhills.
It had also been caught for 25 minutes in the traffic delays on the A40.
Its scheduled arrival time in Oxford was 1600 and this photo was taken at 1620. Its arrival in
Gloucester Green would not have been before 1640 and I think it should have left Oxford
at 1610hrs. That is the schedule shown in the new timetable.

325 is still the most regular performer, out of the older coaches, on this route, seen yet again on Saturday working the 1010hrs departure from Cambridge to Oxford. When seen in Stokenchurch this coach was more or less to time.

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Arriva 2820 still remains at Newlands Bus Station , though is supposedly withdrawn.
Nigel Peach mentions this bus in his report this week.

Arriva still operate the 300 from High Wycombe to Uxbridge. This service replaced the
290 London-Oxford service some years ago and ran from Uxbridge through to Oxford.
The 275 replaced the High Wycombe-Oxford portion and the 300 remains as stated above.
Here we see 5134 operating an early morning journey along London Road.

The Palatine II bodied batch of Olympian deckers continue to operate the 280 from
Aylesbury to Oxford and 5159 is seen here approaching Oxford.
It has picked up at Risinghurst and is being overtaken by Oxford Park&Ride 113,
which runs non-stop to Headington, thereafter stopping only at St Clements before the city.
Even during the evenings when all stops are observed it is most unusual
to pick up anyone at this stop on a P&R service.

Olympian 5822  was seen being towed down the M40 on Thursday afternoon, seemingly on its way to Watford, probably for repaint. 

Nigel Peach wrote to say "Went to the bus stn today. (think this was Wednesday Ed)  Olympian 5822 was in there in the back row nose-in. So, has it not gone for repaint or have they only done the front in order to retain its 1170 advert. (It was not repainted when I saw it Ed). That could be why it's back so soon. .I don't know. The remaining "non Arrivas" were both around (5827 & 5829). Maybe Merc 2127, still in blue/yellow will soon go for repaint - maybe it's gone by now?

Lynx 3344 was in the bus stn showing route 275. Sainsbury's Merc 720 is still there. I wonder why - maybe its advertising contract is not up yet!

Repainting of the Wycombe Bus fleet is now so far advanced that only two buses,
of those remaining in service, are not in Arriva livery. These are Olympian 5827in Travel
Wise livery, seen on the far wall in this shot, and 5829 still sporting Thames Valley livery.

Lynx 3810 was operating the 340 in Stokenchurch on Saturday morning. It is now unusual to see deckers on this route, following serious tree damage in Ibstone.

City of Oxford Motor Services (The Oxford Bus Company)

There are now only a few of the Marshall Darts left in service at Oxford. 515 is seen here
on Cowley Road approaching the depot, whilst working on the 5B. Of course 501 and 509
 are loaned to Thames Travel.  It seems that 512 and 513 are withdrawn.

When a changeover occurs during the day, it sometimes happens that the "correct bus" is not
available for the route in question. Here we see Volvo 642 working the 5 road which is rostered for
a low floor Volvo B10BLE 8XX series bus.

Work proceeds on the new training buses and C63HOM has now moved into the paint shop. C66HOM is still in the PSV shop with work still to start on C64HOM. It seems it will still be a few weeks before any enter service. In the meantime T3(ex 23) and T4 (ex 33) soldier on. T1(ex 21) is out of action with fuel pump problems and will probably not run for Oxford again.

Some post delivery work is required on the last batch of coaches 23-28 and this will be done by Plaxtons. Whilst the coaches are away it is expected that a Volvo/Paragon will be loaned to Oxford but this is not finally confirmed. 23-28 will be retro-fitted with side and rear destination equipment to meet the latest regulations.

New service 18 to Herschel Crescent was unable to start as planned on Monday 24th September due to roadworks neat the destination. It is now hoped that the service will start in a couple of weeks when the repairs are completed.

Heyfordian (High Wycombe Depot)

Changes in the fleet allocated to High Wycombe seem to focus on the three Olympian school buses. Of the original three only JTY375X remains and the other appear to have been replaced by two ex Arriva north East examples. These are B253PHN - shown in the photo below - ex ANE 7253 last reported at Durham and B255RAJ ex ANE 7255 again last reported at Durham. 7255 is in Arriva colours, whilst 7253 is in what were United Auto colours. Both buses have ECW bodywork and date from 1985.

Stagecoach Group

The new London Tridents entered service last Monday, 24th September. The are covering route 77
to Brookes University. TA433 is seen here on its way from Brookes to Oxford last Friday.
The late afternoon sun acted like a flash blocking out the registration plate. LT51FKG.

Stagecoach in Banbury, Warwick, Rugby and Nuneaton.

Sadly no news this week. I was also unable to find time to get to Banbury for some photos. Sorry folks.

Stagecoach in Oxford

The new livery requires quite some preparation work, when repaint time comes along.
Here we see 728 (P628PGP) an ex London Dart being prepared last week at Oxford.
This is a Witney based bus where it has now returned.

Like its competitor, SCiO also fields non low floor buses on low floor routes from time to time.
Here Dennis Lance 902 works route 1 where it was following a 75x series Dart into Oxford on the same route.
These Lances seem to work more on city routes now with appearances on 3 and 7 routes.

Volvo/Paladin 911 is seen here on route 1, loading at Carfax.
These buses seem very popular with Stagecoach drivers in general.

New corporate logos have been applied to M A N 928 still in its old livery, seen here
alongside Olympian 516 in Horspath Depot today, Sunday.

This weeks Oxford times carries an article about the Bicester services not stopping at certain stops on the Bicester-Oxford A34. I intend to visit the site of the stops in dispute and bring you more details in a future issue.

Tracey from Chipping Norton writes to say that "Midland Red South/Stagecoach in Warwickshire 964 (C964XVC), a Leyland Olympian ONLXB/1RH with ECW BC42/29F bodywork arrived last week. It has been renumbered 501 in the SCiO fleet". Thanks for that piece of information. I think I saw it at Horspath on Friday last. This bus is normally now rostered for the 50 to Stratford. Olympian 514 is now allocated notionally to Chippy.

Neil Gow writes regarding the Brookes service 77. He says "I nipped up to Headington to look for a Trident on the 77, but just saw regular performer 516 at that point.  If you look at the timetable you might wonder why they need more deckers - it gives the impression just two vehicles are still needed for the service.  The giveaway is in the small print at the bottom.  Some morning, lunchtime and evening trips are duplicated, e.g. three buses leave Headington at 0830-0835 with two leaving Wheatley at 0830, and the 0940 ex Wheatley uses four buses.  This makes a PVR of five, plus in addition a morning 77A now gets an Olympian (ex minibus).  I think using the Tridents only for duplicates though is bit of a waste for brand new vehicles. (I think it is part of the contract which, of course, any operator is obliged to fulfil. Ed). 

I can also think of some better work for them.  The Blackbird Leys road was subject to gross overloading yesterday, with buses of both companies leaving passengers standing at the stops.  With deckers available at both Cowley Road and Horspath Road you wonder what the companies are up to.  Surely one or other by now should have worked out they can earn some extra pennies at the others expense by getting some low-floor deckers out onto that road."

(Well this is one for both companies to answer. Maybe they would like to comment and I will be delighted to publish their answers. Ed.)

TAPPINS OF DIDCOT.

THAMES TRAVEL, WALLINGFORD.

A rain swept view taken this afternoon, Sunday, of the TT yard at Wallingford.
both COMS Darts plus the new Y reg Darts are in the picture. you can just see
the Oxford livery on 501 and 509, whilst the fronts are painted white.

Some weeks ago James Cusworth wrote regarding service 105 and I quote his notes for your interest.

"Just a few notes to add re route 105. This was previously The Bee Line service 5 operating between Reading and Oxford. In 1992 when Reading Buses took over The Bee Line's Reading and Newbury routes it became route 105 and was operated jointly with Oxford Bus. RB used Leyland Nationals ex-Bee-Line and later on used Optare Deltas and Optare Vectas. Oxford Bus used Olympians, almost always from the 230-235 batch. (James mentioned 225-229 batch but they were always P&R buses prior to moving to Wycombe, whereas 230-235 were purchased for the 5 and 280 Ed.) A few years later, Reading Buses took control continuing with Optare Deltas and Optare Vectas. Then, a weight restriction on Skew Bridge (Basildon) forced RB to use Optare Metro-Riders on the route so it was decided to cut it to operate Reading-Wallingford only. Stagecoach Oxford started operating the Wallingford-Oxford section using the same route number, with connections at Wallingford, thus making it still possible to travel Reading-Oxford. RB then cut their section to operate Reading-Pangbourne only in July 2000. By this time, Stagecoach had doubled the frequency of their section to compete with Thames Travel's X39. By this time, TT had also commenced a service to compete against RB in the form of route 132(Calcot-Pangbourne-Wallingford-Benson). They later re-routed it into Reading Town Centre instead of Calcot. RB cut the Reading-Pangbourne service again to operate at peak times only which it still does now, leaving Thames Travel's 132 service as the main service. Route 132 is also inter-worked at Reading with route 144(Reading-Wokingham) and uses Optare Solos and Dennis Dart MPDs. Now TT have the Wallingford-Oxford section too, it is interesting that the operator cover almost all of the former Bee-Line route 5 in the form of routes 105(Oxford-Wallingford), 135(Wallingford-Moulsford) and the section of 132 between Streatley and Reading (except it operates via Upper Basildon whereas route 5 operated via the main A329 road through Lower Basildon). Presumably, the vehicles on order for route 105 are Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 like the 2 MPDs bought for route 144."  -  Thanks to James for a most interesting input.

Vic Gackowski has been busy again and this week we can bring you his observations on their Oxford services.

A Thames Travel Vario - R846JGD - operating an X39 journey to Jericho.

OXFORD SERVICES - VEHICLE OBSERVATIONS 1330 - 1930 - FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2001

M501VJO (EX OXFORD DART)

105 1251 CHOLSEY - OXFORD 1348
105 1355 OXFORD - CHOLSEY 1454
105 1454 CHOLSEY - OXFORD 1548
105 1555 OXFORD - CHOLSEY 1654

M509VJO (EX OXFORD DART)

105 1351 CHOLSEY - OXFORD 1448
105 1455 OXFORD - CHOLSEY 1554
105 1554 CHOLSEY - OXFORD 1648
105 1655 OXFORD - CHOLSEY 1759

S552BNV  (VARIO / BEAVER) 

105 1630 OXF SCI. PK - OXFORD 1652
105 1725 OXFORD - WALLINGFORD 1825

V254BNV  (VARIO / BEAVER)

X39 1640 WALLINGFORD- JERICHO 1732
X39 1737 JERICHO - WALLINGFORD 1835 

V270BNV  (VARIO / BEAVER) 

X39 1615 WALLINGFORD - HENLEY 1638
X39 1640 HENLEY - OXFORD CS 1730
X39 1745 OXFORD SA - HENLEY 1837
X39 1910 HENLEY - OXF STA 2009
X39 2010 OXF STA - HENLEY 2105
X39 2110 HENLEY - WALLINGFORD 2132 

V390SVV (VARIO / BEAVER) - X39 BRANDED

X39 1210 HENLEY - JERICHO 1332
X39 1337 JERICHO - WALLINGFORD 1435
X39 1440 WALLINGFORD- JERICHO 1532
X39 1537 JERICHO - HENLEY 1705
X39 1710 HENLEY - JERICHO 1832
X39 1837 JERICHO - WALLINGFORD 1935

V399SVV  (VARIO / BEAVER)  X39 BRANDED

X39 1310 HENLEY - JERICHO 1432
X39 1437 JERICHO - WALLINGFORD 1535
DEAD TO BAMPTON
18 1710 BAMPTON - OXFORD CS 1752 VIA A40
18 1800 OXFORD CS - CLANFIELD 1900
DEAD TO WALLINGFORD DEPOT 

R848JGD  (VARIO / BEAVER) 

X39 1540 WALLINGFORD- JERICHO 1632
X39 1637 JERICHO - HENLEY 1805
X39 1810 HENLEY - OXFORD SA 1905
105 1910 OXFORD SA - WALLINGFORD 2004

X249VWR  OPTARE SOLO

105 1651 CHOLSEY - OXFORD 1756
105 1810 OXFORD - WALLINGFORD 1904

THE ALLOCATED VEHICLE ON ROUTE 18 (OXFORD TO CLANFIELD) JOURNEYS BELOW WAS NOT OBSERVED

18 1400 OXFORD - CLANFIELD 1500
18 1504 CLANFIELD - OXFORD CS 1600
18 1600 OXFORD CS - OXFORD 1700

Thanks to Vic for a good afternoon's spotting notes. I hope that readers find these sort of notes interesting. Let me know if you have any comments.
Certainly they will provide some interesting historical information in years to come.

Thames Travel are not averse to super ads on the rears of their buses as this
shot of X181XNH shows. This bus is not seen in Oxford very often.

Ralph Adams writes to say that "John Woodley told me Thames Travel M501VJO has been involved in an accident". (however as far as I could see when taking photos there did not seem any significant damage - Ed). Ralph continues - "Seen at Carfax today, Thames Travel had the same Dart MPD at 0955, 1155, 1555, but a Solo came in at 1755. A different Solo went out at 1810, and the 1805 approx on the X39 was a Vario. So the 105 in at 1755 must go on to Clanfield. On weekdays, I believe the 1810 comes in from Clanfield.
I only saw the only half of the service once - it was Dart 509. - I have seen the Falcon on some day time journeys this week (probably in connection with 501 above)"

Thanks to Ralph for that update. COMS 501 was of course involved some years ago now, in a major front end fire and had its front totally rebuilt.

Neil Gow wrote to enclose the photo of 509 shown above. He says "Enclosed is a picture I took yesterday of one of the two Thames Travel Darts, as promised a couple of weeks ago.  Incidentally, TT seem to have redefined a step-entrance Dart as an easy access vehicle - see the publicity from their stop in St Aldates" Thanks for that Neil.

(This ties in nicely with the observations above from Vic Gackowski - Ed).

Woottens Coaches.

Michael Wootten writes to remind that the coach pictured last week,  UIB 4752, was originally with Barrow in Furness as C913XEO.

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

One of the problems with a tourist/university city is the large numbers of visitors.
Often they arrive by coach and have to set down and picked up.
Here we see two Anslow coaches picking up on the very busy bus stops in high Street
at Queens College. The lead coach is Plaxton Première 320, NIL 8646

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

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