Issue 175
(OBP-390)
Monday
1st May
2006
next update week ending 12th May 2006
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002
Visit
the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002
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.
If
you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid-week
news please let me know
malcolmhc@aol.com
Firstly my apologies for a missing update last week. This was caused by a real problem with my system following automatic updates from Microsoft. It seems that there is a bug in a couple of recent updates which cause ones system to slow down and one cannot open up or save files in various Microsoft programmes. After 5 hours of effort and phone calls to Dell - in India !! - the problem was resolved but by then it was too late to make the page. I can assure everyone that no one was more frustrated than me but at last I can make a double update as a lot has been happening.
The new development in High Wycombe proceeds and one wonders if the new bus station will open on schedule during July. Gavin Francis took a couple of picture earlier in April to show progress.
The new development at Wycombe with pictures by Gavin Francis.
The skyline of Wycombe is changing as a result and can be seen from some pictures included under Arriva taken by Gavin Francis.
Mike Chadwick
writes "....you
made passing reference on last week's page to the location of new bus station.
This is an issue of some concern for us proponents of public transport as a
realistic alternative: in the interim period whilst the rest of the Town Centre
development is under construction, it will not just be a much longer walk, but a
not particularly pleasant one circumnavigating the construction site.
I know Peter Cartwright is aware of the problem, and wonder whether he might
like to update us on his thoughts as the relevant WDC Cabinet Member. One
possibility that was mooted was for tickets for services from the west being
usable for interchange onto eastbound services for the station and High Street.
Might I cheekily suggest a more ambitious solution, which might match the
councillors' rather ambitious aspirations for the town! - a free circular
service (like Manchester's Metroshuttle) serving new bus station, Desborough
Road, hospital, Queen Victoria Road, and station. A single vehicle should be
able to provide a 10 minute frequency, and the existing Park-and-Ride would
supplement it on certain sections."
Delays to traffic and services resulting from work at Green Road, Oxford.
The first phase of the roadworks on the east of Oxford on the A40 approaches to the city started last Monday and during the week quite a lot of disruption to bus services resulted. At one stage on Thursday the journey time from Oxford city centre to Thornhill was taking in excess of 1hr and 15 mins. Stagecoach had additional drivers available for the Oxford Tube to take drivers out to Thornhill and return other services from there or Lewknor to ensure drivers were within their driving hours. The main work in the first week was to prepare a crossover facility just prior to Thornhill where contraflow working will take place in the coming weeks.
Details of the work can be found at the following link.
Green Road roundabout road improvements
May Day diversions.
This year the authorities decided to totally close the Magdalen Bridge from 0300 until 0900 following the multitude of accidents last year to revellers jumping off the bridge into the river below. The water levels are at an all time low and a number of students received serious injuries.
It is understood that Stagecoach were intending to operate via the Marston Ferry Road to the bottom of Headington Hill and it appears that OBC operated via Abingdon Road, Donnington Bridge Road and Iffley Road to regain normal route.
If anyone got any photographs of these diversion I would appreciate receiving same for next week's issue.
Service changes in Oxford from June 4th
I understand that RH Transport have gained the 600 service from Thornhill to the hospitals.
Stagecoach have gained the 14 service presently operated by Oxford Bus.
Some of the details may be found at the following link.
Service changes from 4th June in Oxfordshire
Forthcoming events
Peter Cartwright tells us that "the timetables/programmes for Slough/Windsor Running Day are now available." Click on this link TheRoutemasterreturnstoSlough.doc
Scroll to the bottom of this page for more information and events.
Again my thanks to all my contributors, both old and new. Keep the historical
info and older
pictures coming but don't forget the modern stuff.
Malcolm Crowe - Monday 1st May 2006
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date
News of the local companies – 1st May 2006
Gavin Francis visited High Wycombe in the middle of April and sent a number of interesting pictures.
Gavin Francis caught a number
of interesting shots on camera on 19th April 2006.
The first is of Volvo 3841 which is seen on a local service without any route
number and 2855 is shown with it new digital display on the 74.
Scanias 3203 and 3204 are seen in their new livery, 3203 with digital display
and 3204 not.
Volvo B7 is seen first on the 74 and secondly on the 345.
The 74 is now becoming a battleground between Arriva and First Bus and the use of double deckers is becoming the norm.
5133 is seen on a 74 working and 5130 has now lost its
overall advertising as mentioned below.
5113 leads a line of outbound buses and one can see the changing skyline in the
background.
5094 has gained a digital display and looks very smart.
All the above pictures are by Gavin Francis.
John Wood writes "On Saturday 22 April the 54 route (Aylesbury - Halton Camp) seemed to be performed exclusively by two ex London ECW bodied Olympians, 5851 (C36 CHM) and 5853 (D166 FYM). Neither of these are allocated to Aylesbury on my records so must be either loans or recent transfers. 5851 is definitely ex High Wycombe as it has a mega-ad on the rear for green route 31 and was first seen on route 54 on 13 April."
Mike Chadwick writes "Thanks for your regular references to the Sunday 342 - it may be seen by some as an idiosyncrasy but I see it as a very valuable tool for maintaining a high profile for our community. (Now it's lighter, maybe the Mon-Sat evening ones could make a guest appearance too!)"
Nigel Peach writes "this afternoon (Sun 23rd) at the Cressex depot I saw SLF Dart 3827 (P527 YJO). It has lost its "Red Route 33" branding and has been repainted. It has an ad on the centre of the offside, which also covers the windows, for The Octagon Centre in High Wycombe. It has also had its front destination equipment replaced with the new style Hanover display (presumably - it was switched of!)
One thing I've noticed about Arriva's Scanias that have just been painted in the new connexions livery is that 3203 has a new style destination display and looks particularly smart (I remember thinking how scruffy this bus looked when it first arrived from Aylesbury!) but 3204 still has the old blinds - or rather, no destination blind at all. It spoils its appearance. I wonder how 3205 will be outshopped!"
I visited Cressex depot today, 1st May 2006 and got a couple of interesting pictures.
The first is of Dart SLF 3827 which has had its red route branding removed, an
Octagon side advert put in place and a digital destination fitted.
The second is of the staff bus 2141 now in use to transfer crews to Wycombe town
centre. It has been reduced to a 16 seater.
The current fleet allocation for HW is 70 buses. These are:
Solo 0442, Mercedes 2171, 2196-8 and staff bus 2141, Volvo B6s 3110,5, 6, 27, 33, 38, 39 and 3242. Darts 3365, 3181, 3821, 2, 4,5,6 and 7. Dart MPDs 3482, 3837, 8 and 9. Volvo B10Bs 3841, 2,3,4, 53, 4 and 5. Volvo B7s 3861-7, Scanias 3144, 5, 6, 58, 63, 9 and 3203-5. Olympians 5094, 5106, 8, 9, 10,13, 20, 30, 32, 3, 4, 5, 44and 45.
3205 is presently away for repaint into Connexion livery and 3204 has now had a digital blind fitted.
News from this company has been sparse in the last few weeks but one item of interest is that it is rumoured that THREE ex Metrobus Tridents are to join the fleet. Noel Clarke sent the picture below of one at Binders Yard seemingly under preparation for service with the company. Does anyone have any further information?
Noel writes "As I was passing Binders last week I happened to notice one of Carousel’s “new” Tridents was being steamed, presumably in preparation for MOT. I snapped a quick photo with my mobile, it’s a bit dark but might be of interest to you.
One of our consultants at Wiltax was a senior manager at Metrobus when these entered service, apparently a rush job as they needed to be in service pre-millennium for the Dome, and he was less than complimentary about them. Hopefully their reliability problems will have been sorted by now, but I doubt they’ll prove as reliable as the Metrobuses. But we all know the old Metros are a VERY hard act to follow!"
A second Trident to be prepared for service is T403SMV. Does this mean that the
third is T401SMV?
Kevin writes "...just a small update from City Sightseeing Oxford that may not have yet filtered down to you. We have a second Volvo on order which is expected to arrive later this year. It is the same spec as Fl No 55 but hopefully we will not have the same problems with VOSA regarding tilt testing and the actual build this time. Presumably it will be a 56 regd bus making its fleet number 56 but I will let you know as soon as I get any further information."
Volvo B10BLE 802 was seen on return from refurbishment last Friday in Citi5 livery. One imagines it will re-enter service during the coming week. This is only the second for the 5, all others having been for the 15. This route now has 818-821.
801 is seen in
Queen St last week soon to be joined by sister 802.
A number of comments were made by readers about the wording on 818 which extols the virtues of living in Cowley and working in Oxford. You commented that the 15, for which this bus is branded, goes nowhere near Cowley. I am told by the company that an error was made by the outside contractor applying the vinyls and this one was of course for a Citi5 bus. It is not on 802 so one awaits developments with interest.
The incorrect branding - like the girl though !!!
104 looking very smart but working the 500 service. Picture by Gavin Francis.
The company also advised that the registration on coach 8 and 11 are being retained as is for the time being as they are still on "the books". Indeed Buses magazine for April got the registrations of the coaches on long term loan to the Birmingham Coach company incorrect. These have long been changed from the R9,10 and 12 OXF mentioned. In fact R12 OXF now graces the company's publicity van.
New Road,
Oxford and loaned W&D Citaro 899 passes sister 898 on its way to the rail
station strangely showing X4 which actually goes to High Street.
Picture taken by me on 27th April 2006.
Rob Williams notes "B10Bs actually regularly operate the first journey from the JR on the 10D each weekday night, the bus coming off the 14. When the bus reaches the station a low floor vehicle comes to take its place. From my observations one of the Darts seems to come from the 13 which picks up the 10C at 1900 from the Slade, and a Volvo B10BLE appears to come off the 5. I assume that a second Dart comes off the 6 to make up the complete 3 vehicle allocation which is usually 2x Darts and 1xB10BLE."
I am always on the look out for the unusual and the picture below was a lucky catch at Victoria Coach Station last week.
More pictures have been received confirming that two ex Glasgow Olympians are now in use on the 74 in strong competition with Arriva who operate the same route more or less on the same timings.
VDA 34275 works the 74 service and is entering Newlands Buys Station at the
end of its run from Slough. Picture by Gavin Francis.
The rear nearside and offside of the two buses working the 74 by First.
Pictures by Gavin Francis.
As mentioned in the last issue this company has received a new Ayats Bravo - Reg No: WX06 SLV - it has 82 seats and at present in white awaiting Heyfordian's livery to be applied.
Chris Maxfield is on the ball and sent this picture of the new coach between continental trips. (I saw it last week hading off down the M25. Ed>)
http://www.ayats.co.uk/news.htm
Magpie, High Wycombe
Seemingly a recent addition to the Magpie
fleet taken by Gavin Francis last week.
McLeans of Witney
A McLeans
Volvo taken by Chris Maxfield last week.
The variety of coaches used on the 737 always adds interest to the local scene. Last week there were two offerings, one "old" and one "new".
The first is now quite old, R200SPK and the second the sister to one
pictured in the last issue.
NEXP1, SP04HRL
Armstrong Galley sent this nice shot of the latest
"standard" coach for National Express seen here at Brighton.
It is noted that 100 have been ordered by the company.
Ken MacKenzie writes "Plastow have SG 03 ZJH and SG 03 ZES both ex Parks and both delivered from Volvo in March. Again I expect something has been sold or p/ex for these.
Any confirmation would be grateful."
Red Rose, Aylesbury
Dave Stewart writes "Sorry but you now say "in fact" (!) the R21 passed from First Uxbridge to Red Rose. Sorry, not "fact". It passed from First to Sullivan in March 2005, and then from Sullivan to Red Rose in March 2006."
My apologies for this confusion but often I can only report what I am told.
R H Transport
As mentioned elsewhere in this issue RH have gained the tendered service 600 from Thornhill to the hospitals effective 4th June.
A picture of buses at home taken by Richard Sharman
Pictures of some members of the RH fleet at work in Bicester & Oxford -
Chris Maxfield and Gavin Francis
The company have advised the following information regarding the upcoming changes to tendered services.
New Routes in Oxford from 4th June 2006
Oxfordshire County Council retendering will see changes to routes 5A/5B/5C, 7D, 44, 59, 600, U5 and new routes 14 to JR Hospital via Marston Ferry Road, 16 to Minchery Farm, 17 to Jericho / Cutteslowe and U10 to JR Hospital via Cowley.
Route 5A/5B/5C Oxford City Centre - Cowley Centre - Greater Leys
Service renumbered 12/12A/12B/12C with a revised timetable
Route 7D Oxford City Centre - Kidlington Airport
This service is withdrawn. Certain journeys on route 59 will be diverted via the Airport during the day, and certain journeys on Oxford Bus Company service 2/2A/2B/2C/2D will be diverted there at other times
Route 12/12A/12B/12C Oxford City Centre - Cowley Centre - Greater Leys
Route 12
Route 12A
Route 12B
Route 12C
Route 14/14A Oxford City Centre - Marston Ferry Road - JR Hospital
Route 16/16A/16B Oxford City Centre - Cowley Centre - Minchery Farm
Route 16 via Abingdon Road and Florence Park
Route 16A via Herschel Crescent
Route 16B via Iffley Road
Route 17 Oxford City Centre - Jericho - Cutteslowe
Route 17A/17C Oxford Station - Jericho - Marston Ferry Road - JR Hospital
Route 17A
Route 17C
Route 44 Oxford - Boars Hill - Abingdon
Grayline coaches will take over operation of this service with a revised timetable. Please contact Traveline on 0780 608 2 608 for more details.
Route 59 Oxford - Banbury
Monday - Friday off-peak journeys and all Saturday journeys will be diverted via Kidlington Airport.
This replaces the facility previously provided by route 7D.
Route 600 Hospital Park & Ride
RH Transport take over the operation of this service with a revised timetable. Please contact Traveline on 0870 608 2 608 for more details.
Route U5 & U10 Oxford City Centre - Cowley Road - Brookes University - JR Hospital
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Williams writes to note "34467-9 finally had their branding completed on Wednesday 19th, each now sporting horses on both sides and an X30 blob on the front.
We had 30 seconds after they had been completed to line them up and get a couple of extremely quick photographs. I attach the results - they were lined up in order 34467 (left) to 34469 (right)."
Photos by Rob Williams
Rob goes on to advise "20007 and 20008 have now transferred to Witney as expected and have been in service there this week. Of the other three left to go to Witney at least 20011 still remains in service at Oxford pending transfer, whilst I'm not sure about the current status of 20009/10. 20542/3 were still in use at Witney this week pending transfer to Oxford.
In the opposite direction 42383 has transferred to Oxford to replace the last 709D in regular passenger service."
Volvo 20007 on a Witney
working last week - picture by Chris Maxfield.
Trident 18197 which spent a few days at Chippy out station during the Brookes
holidays. picture MC
Olympian 16523 is more often on the 20 services, seen here in Broad St last
week.
Two Brookes Tridents, 18054 and 18199 pass in High St last week.
A high floor B10M on the 7 last week 20822 in Queen St with picture by Chris
Maxfield.
Several readers questioned the use of low floor M A N s on the 32 when there
were high floor B10Ms on low floor routes.
This is because low floor M A N s work the 27 group of route in company
with the new Tridents and one duty has
a 32 service in the middle of the 27 workings.
Here 22054 is involved in the working. Picture by Chris Maxfield.
The 59 is due to see some routing changes from the 4th June.
At present a variety of buses work the 59 including this Volvo B6 31852 seen
last week in Broad St.
Swindon
Marcus Lapthorn writes "at the Swindon garage on Wednesday 12 April were three brand new double deckers all without transfers on them yet. They are registered: VU 06 JDJ; VU 06 JDX; VU 06 JUL. They appear to have 'coach style' seating."
Dave Rogers adds "Two entered service today, but are intended for route 55, which has received 'Kick start' funding, but they are likely to be used on anything at present."
More pictures of the new buses for Swindon taken by Dave Rogers.
Dart 33939 with new advertising working the 66 last week. Picture by Gavin
Francis.
SLF Dart 33820 worked the X6 to Northampton last week. This is the first time I have seen this particular ex Oxford bus in Gloucester Green.
Another ex Oxford Dart is enjoying a new lease of life with Stagecoach Devon and I have some pictures to show it special livery.
32064 is now branded for a service in Devon -
pictures by Brian George.
First stop inbound to London is Shepherds Bush
opposite the Hilton Hotel. Here 50102 is seen unloading before heading off to
Victoria.
Two Tubes park up in Sammys each day and last week it was the turn of 50121 and
50122.
Time to see what was on the destination display. U4 ??
I read in the April issue of Buses that M A N Tube 50040 has now gained Megabus livery. Has anyone got a picture of this repaint? This was the very last of the old Tubes to leave Oxford.
Also a one time Tube Volvo Expressliner J456FSR has been withdrawn by Stagecoach East Midlands where it was the last manual transmission coach at Grimsby.
The take over of the Traction Group has brought two very interesting double deck
coaches into the fold.
The two coaches were MCW's last attempt to capture the market for this type of
coach way back when.
Metroliner 4000 - 50002 (99) HE8899 is seen in London and is currently
recorded as allocated to Leyton. Picture by Gavin Francis.
It is always interesting to see the offerings on certain routes when Megabus are
pushed for coaches.
Here a London Trident is seen as far away as Exeter. Picture by Graeme Selway.
The pink lady is seen in Witney on the X15 , its
intended route. Photo by Chris Maxfield.
Weavaway of Newbury
John Marsh sent this picture of a new Volvo on the
recently gained 48 service from Newbury to Swindon.
It is seen in Marlborough.
One of the new Woottens fleet seen in Oxford. -
Picture by Chris Maxfield.
Worth's of Enstone.
Worth's new Caetano Enigma pictured by Richard
Sharman
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
AKR Yarnton Express pictured
by Richard Sharman.
Wonder why this mini coach operator decided to visit Gloucester Green last week.
He was lucky not to get a ticket from the ever vigilant wardens.
Gavin Francis caught this lovely Lodekka up at
Binders Yard last week. Picture by Gavin Francis.
New addition to the Centrebus fleet at Luton - picture by Glenn Knight.
Ex Oxford X90 Volvo now with Wilts and Dorset seen here in London. - Picture by
Gavin Francis.
Coming events
Cobham 2006
The date for this year's Spring event is April 2nd.
Wycombe - Other events in 2006:
Special trip over route 347 from Hemel Hempstead to Uxbridge on 19 March marking the 40th anniversary of RML type vehicles starting on that route from Garston & Hemel Hempstead garages.
Bus Running Days as follows:
Sunday 14 May - Slough/Windsor
Sunday 25 June - Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 1 October – Amersham organised by Amersham & District Motorbus Society
Running Day in Aldershot with details from Andrew Dyer.
I wonder if you could put a piece in your "forthcoming events" section about all the excitement that will be in Aldershot (not often you see the words "excitement" and "Aldershot" in the same sentence!!) over the weekend of 3 & 4 June this year.
Stagecoach is organising an event jointly with the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group to celebrate 100 years since the first bus service operated from Aldershot to Farnborough in June 1906. There will be a running day and on Sunday 4 June we will be holding an Open Day at our depot in Halimote Road, Aldershot. As with the Portsmouth event last year, we hope to attract local families as well as enthusiasts and all proceeds raised will go to local charities.
As Aldershot has such a strong history of Dennis operation, we are hoping to get as many different types of Dennis bus on site as we can. Do you have a contact at the Oxford Bus Museum who might be persuaded to bring a KFC Loline 2? Sadly, I don't think any of the Loline 1's or 3's that were on loan from A&D to COMS in 1969/70 have survived to enable them to make an appearance, although there will certainly be sister vehicles in the SOU xxx and AAA xxxC batches there.
Running Days as advised by Peter Cartwright, Running Day Organiser Amersham & District Motorbus Society
At last I'm able to officially notify everyone of the Running Days for 2006.
Sunday 14 May 2006 is the date for the second Slough/Windsor Running Day based on Slough Bus Station. Since last year a huge new Tesco store has been built adjacent and is now fully operational. Due to traffic delays experienced last year in Windsor an extra 5 minutes each way is being added to running times between Slough and Windsor.
There is no St George's Day parade to hold us up this year and the Queen's official birthday is 2 weeks plus later when her 80th birthday is marked. I know of no Royal Wedding planned for Windsor this year and, hopefully, timekeeping will be better on the Windsor routes.
An enhancement to the Burnham Beeches service is envisaged with the opposite way round the loop. There is also the chance to have double deck workings but terminating on the eastern fringe of the Beeches.
Another new route for this year will be a service through Windsor Great Park. Crown Estates are happy with this and I have a meeting arranged with them on Tuesday 10 January. White Bus Services currently operate a restricted service here but not on Sundays & on only certain days of the week. Operation is likely to be by non-LT single-deck vehicles. A large number of vehicles is required including at least 16 double-deckers.
Some 40 years earlier on 15 May 1966 RMLs were allocated to Windsor Garage to work several routes in the area. RMC coaches had already been there for some time.
WR Garage operated many other types of vehicle including RT,RF,RC,RCL,RB,RS,GS,SMA,SNB,STL, T and of course some of these only operated in the London Country period. Additionally in the summer months Central area red vehicles were commonplace as green vehicles were reassigned to Green Line relief duties so any red-liveried vehicle would be welcome. At least 30 vehicles (including 5 non-LT/LCBS vehicles will be needed to maintain the schedules.
As 1966 is the 40th anniversary of route 724 it is hoped to have a feeder to/from the Northern areas and to run the route from Slough through Windsor, Old Windsor, Runnymede to Staines. Via Runnymede, by the river Thames was the original routeing when it was extended from Staines to Windsor Castle. It did not serve Windsor Garage nor will it in 2006. The coach link to Staines will therefore be 724 this year in place of 718.
Anyone offering to operate a 725 from at least Kingston will be welcomed. Please let me know.
At the moment there is not an area for display vehicles but every effort will be made to find one. Can I please ask anyone who came last year and was allocated blinds and who will/cannot come this year, to contact me urgently so I can collect them for re-issue to others. These are expensive and will be needed on the day.
Sunday 25 June 2006
This date in mid-Summer is for the first Hemel Hempstead Running Day to be based on the Bus Station. Arriva the Shires and Essex have given permission for us to use the bus station that day but like Slough this is an operational bus station and we will not interfere with their operations which are anyway much reduced on Sundays.
This is the normal date for North Weald which will not take place this year and the NLTS have no plans for a replacement event that day.
Discussions have also taken place with Dacorum Borough Council, Herts County Council and the police who have all been most helpful. I have also spoken to the Market Superintendent and am able to book and pay for stall space on the day. For those who don't know Hemel, the covered market is situated behind the bus station - an excellent location.
The market will have a hot food stall that day and another stallholder sells confectionery, soft drinks, ice cream etc. Ample toilet facilities are at the bus station.
Peter Gomm and I visited Hemel on Fri 6 January and, with advice from the police, have identified an area nearby for display vehicles in Dacorum Way and vehicles on long breaks can park in Queensway (formerly Bury Road) between Leighton Buzzard Road and Marlow's, the railway station on one unused bay on Sundays and the bus station itself can be used for shorter breaks without disturbing its smooth operation. Health & Safety issues have to be borne in mind. A requirement of at least 10 double decks and 11 single decks are needed. This excludes any duplication which will be needed.
A number of rural and inter-urban routes have been chosen for operation - 302, 307 ,312.316. 317.317a,318,319 ,320,330, 337 ,347,706,708, 724. The 724 is for a feeder service to/from Watford from the North and then a 708 to/from Hemel. At the moment I have nothing from the South - any suggestions/offers? (THOSE IN BOLD HAVE TO BE SINGLE-DECK OPERATED).
Certain places such as Berkhamsted Station provide good interchanges with rtes 317/a and 312 connecting there and also in central Watford with the 302 and 347 connecting.
The biggest interchange of all, of course, is the bus station.
Again in Hemel a wide range of vehicles have been operated e.g. GS,RF, T, RB,RT,RMC, RML,SNB,SNC plus several others. Like Windsor, Central Area used to loan their vehicles for weekend and bank holiday duplication.
If anyone has blinds for any or part of these areas please let me know urgently.
Please respond as quickly as you can as I want to finalise timetables/duties etc asap.
I am paying a visit to Hemel this morning to see what it's like between 11.00 and 12.00
Sunday 1 October 2006 - the 18th Running Day at Amersham.
As route 724 is 40 years old this year, apart from the feeders, I want to schedule a service between Watford and High Wycombe via Amersham - the original route south of Watford. This will be 29 years to the day since MA Garage took over duties from HE - High Wycombe Garage which closed the previous day, 30 September 1977.
This year should see the brand new bus station at High Wycombe open by this date and this would be the ideal place to terminate. More on this Running Day in due course.
It is hoped to celebrate 40 years since RMLs took over route 363 Totteridge - Holtspur in February 1966. Weather permitting it is hoped to have RML/RMLs running over the route on Sunday 19 February. Likewise a month later to run over the full length of Route 347 Hemel - Uxbridge which received RMLs on 20 March 1966. Anyone else interested in joining us?
Please feel free to contact me by phone 01494 437750 or by e-mail - Peter_Cartwright@wycombe.gov.uk - or post at 54 Guinions Road, HIGH WYCOMBE, HP13 7NX.
If you wish to be included on a mailing list where
I will advise of any mid week news & when
each News Page is posted
please let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com
Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date
Links
These are three most interesting sites which I do recommend
Mike Penn's photo page with much from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire
Chris Lowe's Photo page - mainly North West UK
|
James Smith writes "I'm reopening my Bus Model store (its being hosted at www.arriva-shires.co.uk/shop for the time being) and as an opening offer I'd like to give your readers the opportunity to buy a couple of local models at a reduced price.. Anybody wishing to purchase these items should contact me directly by email (arrivatheshires@aol.com) instead of through the store...Details Below:
CREATIVE MASTER UKBUS 1014 - DENNIS TRIDENT - OXFORD PARK & RIDE Normal Selling Price £19.99 - Oxford Page Readers £13.99
CREATIVE MASTER UKBUS 2012 - DENNIS TRIDENT - STAGECOACH BROOKES BUS Normal Selling Price £20.99 - Oxford Page Readers £14.99
|
|
A web site which has paintings of buses.
|
|
http://www.britishbuspublishing.co.uk/
The latest handbook from BBF was
on sale at Cobham and was the ever popular Stagecoach edition now in its 13th
year. As in earlier editions it includes the 2006 new bus orders. |
Links
Bus Services in Buckinghamshire
Where are the Chilterns?
Visit this informative site through the link below.
Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002
