Issue 186
(OBP-401)
Sunday
23rd July
2006
next update week ending 5th
August 2006
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Please note that any
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As a news page we
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Well, last week was a scorcher and much happened in Oxford. There was a new tour bus operator, an announcement of a large new order for Oxford Bus, the arrival of two ex Hong Kong Olympians to help out on the Oxford Tube, flash floods on Saturday with some excellent pictures from a reader, Thames Travel applying vinyls to one of their new Scanias, more pictures of Brookes Tridents in Devon and a host of pictures from our readers.
The question is where to start. Well in the order above I will cover the arrival on the tour bus scene of a new operator using a Routemaster.
Oxford Bus Tours http://www.oxfordbustours.com/
The Routemasters which appeared at the Bingo Hall on Cowley Road have at last appeared in service on the streets of Oxford, or at least one has. The company has a web site mentioned above and last week the first RM took to the road in livery.
The RM is seen here at The Plain
in company with the latest addition to the City Sightseeing fleet.
I think a good title for this picture by John Marsh is "The Old and the
new!!" I'll leave readers to work that one out.
Gavin Francis took some more shots and I include some below.
Gavin also sent a picture of the Routemaster involved when it was in service in London and his picture makes an interesting comparison. The shot was taken on 9th June 2005.
More pictures were taken by Peter Edgar and I thought the one below was really good.
His second picture was taken at the "depot" of this company and shows two of the fleet.
John Marsh took another picture of the RM in Broad Street.
Finally we have one by Chris Maxfield taken in Magdalen Street East.
Peter Edgar supplied a scan of the brochure being handed out.
Kevin Stevens sent this picture taken on the 17th July in Broad Street.
Further developments are awaited with interest.
Oxford Bus order further Citaros
Oxford Bus this week announced an order for a further ELEVEN Citaros, this time with Euro 5 emission standard engines. Delivery is planned before the end of 2006. This will take the total fleet of Citaros to 38 and represents an investment of £1,650,000. The buses will be used on enhanced service 13, introduced to coincide with the opening of the enlarged healthcare facilities at or near to the John Radcliff Hospital site in early 2007.
Philip Kirk, Managing Director of Oxford Bus said "this investment is a further testament to our determination to drive up the quality of local bus services in Oxford." He also said "...we lead the industry by leaping straight to Euro 5" (- currently Euro 3 is the standard). Philip goes on to say "Euro 5 really gets to grips with Oxides of Nitrogen" which is the remaining measured pollutant which is a problem."
The company also alludes to news of coach investment for 2007. Exciting times ahead for local enthusiasts.
Flash floods hit Oxford last Saturday
After a week of very hot weather with temperatures reaching 36°C, causing many problems where even city centre stores air conditioning units could not cope, Saturday afternoon witnessed a very heavy storm resulting in flask flooding on many roads in the area. Matt Bullock was on hand to record the event on the Woodstock Road and I must say the results are really good.
Unusually 638 on a 4 road working was seen
heading up the Woodstock Road followed by Dart 403 on the 6, its normal route.
The open top tour buses kept going and I think I can just see someone on the
upper deck. Brave souls.
Brookes Tridents on holiday - more pictures from Devon
I asked for some more pictures of our local Tridents from Brookes on their summer holidays in Devon. I am delighted with the response.
The Strand is the location for this delightful picture of Trident 18055 loading
by Debenhams.
Picture by Graeme Selway taken on 18th July 2006.
The first picture shows 18054 leaving Exeter
on the long X46 which takes 1hr 13 mins to Paignton via Torquay. Picture by
Graeme Selway.
The second picture shows the same bus, this time in Paignton Bus Station on the
12 which runs from Brixham to Newton Abbott with a running time of 1 hr and 24
mins.
This picture is from David Beardmore.
The third picture is again from Graeme Selway and shows 18055 leaving Exeter on
the X46 heading for Paignton.
My thanks to these gentlemen for their excellent contributions.
Stokenchurch gets new bus stops
The Bucks County Council have been busy in the past few weeks replacing the local bus stops. They are using very nice stops with clear indication of where they are. Most useful.
The clear details of the taxibus
service to Lewknor are very good indeed.
A new local website
Mike Knuckey has launched a new web site and writes "I have launched a new community website called mychilterns and would like to add a link to your website. Can you add a link to my site at http://www.mychilterns.co.uk "
News of an interesting rally
I received news of an interesting rally which would make a nice day out.
James Webb writes "Wonder
if your readers might be interested in the Avon Valley Railway/Bristol Vintage
Bus Group's rally and running day at Brislington Park and Ride in Bristol on
August 13? I know it's a bit outside the area but still an easy day trip.
I believe there are over 50 vehicles entered at the time of writing this, some
of which will be operating services to and from the Railway itself, the BVBG's
depot at Flowers Hill and possibly either Temple Meads or Bath Spa stations (not
100% sure on this one but they have in the past) which would make getting to the
event by public transport easier.
More information from
http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org
or
info@avonvalleyrailway.org
who will be
able to give you more complete details if you're interested - with a bit of luck
they might respond a bit quicker if you let them know I sent you.
And I'd better declare a vested interest...despite living in Oxford I'm a
volunteer conductor/stationmaster on the railway!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Thanks! James
Would readers who respond to the above please quote my site when doing so.
Again my thanks to all my contributors, both old and new.
Malcolm Crowe - Sunday 23rd July 2006
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date
News of the local companies – 23rd July 2006
Glenn Knight writes "Here are photos of W362XKX 4362 in the new Green Line livery photo taken on the 19/7/06 at Luton Airport."
Gavin Francis caught the same coach at the London terminus of the 757 in Buckingham Palace Road.
I took a quick picture in Wheatley last Friday which is in a way "Buses in the landscape". The Olympian is loading at the main stop in the village and is Oxford bound.
Gavin Francis took a nice picture of a relivered Volvo ex Oxford Bus/Wycombe Bus on the 74 route in High Wycombe.
One more of the recently acquired Darts, 480, has received the fleet livery and looked very smart on a Line 1 working yesterday, Saturday.
The most significant news this year is in the Editorial above. 11 new Citaros before the end of the year. They may be expected to be fleet numbers 849 to 859 and one wonders if the two Wilts and Dorset Citaros, 898 and 899 will then leave the fleet?
Two pictures submitted by readers this week caught an Airline liveried coach on the X90 and an X90 liveried coach on the X70. Traffic conditions at the roadworks in Thornhill have caused a lot of delay which is probably the reason this change of coaches happened.
Chris Maxfield
took the picture of 68 at VCS and Gavin Francis 21 in GG.
Nice liveries are always subject
to problems if a coach is involved in body damage. Here Gavin Francis pictured
57 minus rear fleet numbers and part of the lady.
Oxford Bus has
repainted a further Volvo B10B using the new style fleet name.
Gavin Francis took this picture in Queen Street last week. The bus looks very
smart.
More B10BLEs return from refurb.
The refurbishment of the B10BLE fleet continues and now 807 will be the next to go.
805 is one the most recent to return and looks very smart in this picture taken
by Gavin Francis last week.
Chris Maxfield was up at Plaxtons, Anston and took this picture of 806 which had
just emerged from the paint shop last week.
It was awaiting application of the vinyls.
Sadly not everything always goes according to plan and buses and coaches do
breakdown.
Peter Edgar was in the Cowley Road last week when 804 succumbed to
problems.
It is seen being taken back to the depot by Kardos.
Various reports have been made about NEx outshopping some Irizars in World Cup livery. As if signalling the end I caught this one hurrying along the M40 near Stokenchurch yesterday evening. It seems to be saying goodbye.
Red Rose
The 275 seems to produce quite some variety and Gavin Francis caught another unusual Dart on this route last week. Unusually it was traversing Queen Street, not its normal route.
R H Transport
Gavin Francis caught this mini bus working the 25 last week. It has double doors at the rear to give access to wheel chairs.
The Slimline Solo entered service and Gavin Francis caught up with the bus in the centre of Oxford. last week and was being prepared for service and was on card Juliet 3 today, Sunday. The pictures below show it ready for service last Friday evening.
47363 is seen heading along Park End Street towards the rail station. Picture by
Gavin Francis.
A new contributor, Vikki Lee, is responsible for
this nice shot of 47315 in Speedwell Street.
Vikki just went digital and this is one of her first efforts. Well done
Vikki !!
An M A N 22205, unusually on the U1 heads past the
rail station on its way to Harcourt Hill last week. Picture by Gavin Francis.
22057 has gained route 1 branding and is seen here
at Horspath garage.
Volvo B10M 20822, new to Manchester, but for along time now with Oxford has just
received its second repaint in the new livery.
A very new Dart with enormous fleet numbers works the 66 to Swindon last week.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
Returning from modifications 50116 is seen at Stagecoach Worksop in this picture from Chris Maxfield. taken last week.
The excessive heatwave caused a few problems with
the Neoplans which needed some immediate modification. To help to provide
continuity two South West Trains Olympians were borrowed from Stagecoach South
and arrived last Friday evening. They will be used to back up services on The
Oxford Tube whilst rectification work takes place on the Neoplans.
13652 stands alongside 13646 at Horspath depot last Friday evening.
Saturday saw 13652 operating a late afternoon service to London and I caught up
with it at Lewknor.
I then got a nice shot of it coming up the M40 heading towards London past
junction 5.
Thames Travel have now got round to branding their Scanias and the pictures below show the nice result.
Gavin Francis took this shot of 306 in Castle
Street last week.
Chris Maxfield caught 106 in St Aldates, also last 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
Gavin Francis took this picture today, Sunday, at
Binders Yard and wonders why it was there. I think it was in repaint.
It is an ex Stagecoach Scotland coach.
Gavin Francis also caught this little BL, 49, at Binders Yard. It looks very
smart.
Chris Maxfield took this picture of an Woottens
coach at Plaxtons last week, FN52GVF.
Also at Binders Yard today was this RML caught in the lens of Gavin Francis.
HISTORY IN PICTURES AND WORDS
If you have any pictures or historical memories and wish to submit
them for
this page please send them to the me at
malcolmhc@aol.com
An Alder Valley National
Simon sent this picture of AV National Mk 1 KCG627L which resides in the High Wycombe area.
Coming events
Running Day as advised by Peter Cartwright, Running Day Organiser Amersham & District Motorbus Society
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
|
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