The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  

Issue 200
(OBP-414)
Sunday 29th October 2006
next update week ending 11th November 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

To see the pictures full size just click on the small one

The OCBP launched on 1st October 2002 or just over 4 years ago and in that time I have tried to bring you a page with items of interest, some contentious items to provoke discussion and a selection of photographs each week to record the passing bus scene as seen by myself and various contributors. I hope I have succeeded and I must extend my sincere thanks to all those who have contributed and made the OCBP a page to be read near and far, by those often in some authority and I hope the page has contributed to local life in some way.

I am also aware of the responsibility this brings to me as the Editor and I hope I have not trodden on too many toes in the process. I do remember including a picture of a bus being recovered to the operator's premises on one occasion and I thought how it showed the skill of the recovery driver in placing the bus in a row of other buses in the depot. Unfortunately the operator did not see it in the same way and I received a call, at a time when I was working in Holland, to remove the offending picture as soon as possible. On that occasion I did as requested but I have tried to retain an independence in what is published and I am grateful that this is appreciated by most operators in the area.

Of course I must remember that the forefather of this page is The Oxford Bus Page started by David Root in 1998 and the first page still on line goes back to August 1998. You can find it at the following link and it records the arrival of the Arriva Olympians with NCME Palatine II bodywork still active some 8 years later on the same route, the 280 from Aylesbury.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/6995/archiveindex/160898.html

David was working for The Oxford Bus Company at the time having given up his university studies to drive and I include the picture of Volvo 642 with David at the helm. Looking at this picture one can record the changes between now and then, livery, name, route number and type on the route. In 1998 a number of these Volvos lacked the now customary front wheel trims. The bus is pictured just a cross the road from the old COMS depot on Cowley Road.

oxf642root1.jpg (45453 bytes)
You will find a picture of 642 as she is this week lower down the page

I was thinking how I could celebrate this milestone in issue 200 and thought I would select four pictures and four events which I feel place on record events in the spirit of the OCBP. There have been many changes and perhaps the four most significant have been the following.

Of course there are so many other items I could have chosen but I hope readers will agree that these four items are some of the most significant developments and events in the area covered by this News Page.

On the photographic side this proves very difficult indeed and I have been spoilt for choice. Anyway here goes. The pictures reflect things I saw and was involved in over the past four plus years.


Reflecting on what was, Leyland Leopard, prepared for display in the Oxford Bus Museum stands alongside COMS 703 from another time.
Both vehicles represent a dual purpose coach for service in Oxford.


The next picture shows a coach number 1, this one being a Volvo B10M-62 with Plaxton Premier 350 bodywork in X90 livery at Gloucester Green.
The date was 3rd November 2002 and this picture remembers the X90 service in its heyday.
The coach is now with Wilts and Dorset, the registration graces a Scania/Irizar PB on the airport services.


The 31st January 2003 saw heavy snow falls on the Chilterns and this chilly scene shows traffic on the move again after the hill had been closed
all morning due to ice and compacted snow, which made the climb near impossible for heavy vehicles.
One can just make out an Oxford Tube climbing out of Lewknor on an early afternoon service to London.


Earlier in the same month, the 4th January 2003 to be precise, demand on the London services was so heavy, Oxford Bus pressed Tridents
into service and here red liveried 101 is seen approaching the junction 5 overbridge at Stokenchurch hotly pursued by an Airline coach.
The Trident has a full display for the X90 not often seen on this class of bus.


This day after I recorded the floods at Wheatley and managed this picture of an X90 on its way to Oxford.
Flooding to this level has not been seen since this time, January 2003 until this last week when these fields have shown some small signs of flooding.


There have been several coach fires on the M40 in recent years, as recorded on this page.
On 15th June 2005 a coach carrying military personnel succumbed near junction 5 on the M40 and the remains can be seen above.


"Heading towards a storm"
Recent months have seen some pretty good storms and resultant flooding. This last week was no exception.
Travelling passenger on the Tube can often present some good photographic opportunities and I rather liked this one to end this photographic interlude.

To finalise this part of this 200th News Page some of you ask what goes into to preparing the each week's edition. Well it generally starts with keeping an eye on my mail to see what reports come in and any pictures submitted for publication. After this it is keeping ones camera handy and ones eyes open for the unusual. Often it is not possible to get a picture of an unusual working , a new vehicle or a repaint but sooner or later that opportunity often presents itself. I keep in touch with people like Gavin Francis and Chris Maxfield who will also try to get any pictures they think will add to the page. I keep in touch with the various companies through a variety of sources and then on a Friday look in the local papers to see what has been happening.

I always try to respond to each and every e-mail which keeps me in touch with all those who write to me.

Then on either a Saturday or a Sunday I start the preparation for that week's page. During the week I cut and paste the various e-mails received onto a notes page with operator headings. I transfer those pictures which I intend to use to a file for the upload for that week. I then need to resize and edit each picture and give it an appropriate title with the photographers name. All of this can be very time consuming but it makes preparing the actual page that much quicker.

When all is ready I start with the editorial and then work my way through the page. When all is complete, a process which often takes three or four hours, I upload the files to my server and then send off the e-mail advising those my mailing list that the page is on line.

The responses I get from so many of you make it all worth while but just occasionally one does have to fight off the overwhelming desire to call if off for at least one week.

Well, it's off towards number 300. Please keep your support coming in.

Cycling in Queen Street, Oxford is a real problem

Last week whilst taking some pictures in the centre of Oxford I was nearly struck down by a cyclist in Queen Street who was totally ignoring the "no cycling" signs displayed at each end of the street. As can be seen from the pictures below there is no mistaking these signs and yet there were so many cyclists breaking the law I wonder why we bother to have signs at all. It seems that the police are stretched to a point where they cannot spare the man power to resolve the problem. If one adds the three cars I also saw going through this street at the same time (1345) we really do have a problem.

The buses are at least going in the same direction and are big enough to be seen. However the cyclists seem to me to present an altogether different problem. The riders mostly have dark clothing on and merge into the crowds walking around. I wonder if such behaviour would be tolerated in other countries where one can end up in jail for far less?

I am including 10 pictures taken in a space of 10 minutes to emphasise the problem. Pity the poor pedestrians and bus drivers who have to avoid these cyclists.


The signs seem clear to me. Cyclist number 1.


Again the sign seem clear but maybe I'm wrong and the cyclists don't have to obey the rules?


The above pictures were taken in less than 10 minutes in Queen Street.

For the record the time was between 13:46 and 13:53 last Thursday. So, more than 10 cyclists in 7 minutes flouting the law. The restriction lasts from 10am to 6pm. This is eight hours or 720 minutes.  This gives the possibility of around 1 cyclist per minute from my observations or 720 cyclists per day.

The Cornmarket was a very different picture I am pleased to report. In my walk from one end to the other I saw only one cyclist riding down what is a no cycling street.

As mentioned earlier cars were also using Queen St and one driver was telling a pedestrian that she could not see nay sings preventing her from driving up the road.

 

I think something should be done.

My visit to Milton Keynes - Part 2

Following last week's page I had an interesting response from Andrew Burbidge who says "I like the photo's of the MK fleet on this weeks page, and one surprise was the Solo (24) on the 5 to Lakes Estate. 

Not only is this service usually in the hands of larger buses (i.e. the Caetano Darts and the Scania's), the Solo depicted is usually found in Northampton, and is actually branded for the 11 there (Northampton Bus Station - Parklands Estate). 

I have a feeling that this service is still operated from Milton Keynes despite there now being an depot at Northampton."


The Solo in question.

I remarked last week that the Arriva influence following the take over seemed minimal but one Arriva bus in the Central Bus Station may have a claim to proving me wrong.


According to my allocation list for Arriva this bus is based at Watford ??


This bus is not mentioned in the BBF Arriva fleet list for 2006-7. It has wheel chair access at the rear and was working a seemingly normal route.


There were several overall advert buses around including this Solo nr 10 on route 8A to Bletchley.


Another Solo in advertising livery was nr 15 on the route 14A.

 
Further Solos were to seen operating on the 8/8A service from the Rail Stn.

   
Quite a few Darts were evident and those above are representative.

Having been not quite comfortable with this "city" I will make a return visit next year, if only to see how Arriva is making its presence felt.

For those who would like to see more pictures of Mk buses may I recommend the following web site.

DJ Hancock's Stagecoach United Counties, MK Metro & Beds Bus Photos 

http://ancocks2006iews.fotopic.net/ 

Gavin Francis visits Hemel Hempstead - part 2

Some more pictures from the visit by Gavin. Hemel seems an interesting spot in our area where buses can be seen from as far away as Stevenage.


Nominally allocated to Garston as an auxiliary vehicle Gavin found this vehicle in Hemel.


Vario 2178 is allocated to HH and is seen on route 322.


A Dart, 3232 branded for routes 2 and 3 in HH.


Smartly turned out in the latest Arriva livery this ex Sovereign Volvo B10BLE is seen in HH having come from its home at Stevenage.


Another Volvo, this time a B10B, once again from Stevenage and on arrival in HH.


Ex Sovereign & ex Stagecoach this Volvo/Alexander PS, 3332, is seen in HH having come from Stevenage.
In Between 1996 and 2000 this bus was in the Ribble fleet allocated to Fleetwood.


UNO services operate this Dart/Wright on various services including the 634 out of HH.

Sovereign sold its Hertfordshire operations in various areas to Centrebus who outline their services on an excellent web site.


http://www.centrebus.co.uk/Herts&Beds/Herts&BedsHome.html

 
Two Darts on the 320 route which connects HH with
Watford - St Albans - Wheathampstead - Harpenden & Redbourn.


Thank you to all those who been with me since day 1 and to those who have contributed each week to help make this page so special.

Malcolm Crowe - Sunday 29th October 2006

Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date

News of the local companies – 29th October 2006

This has been a quiet week for news of Arriva although there are numerous pictures on this News Page. I have heard that the Dart MPD in red, nr 3482, based at Wycombe is to be replaced as the spare bus for the U9 contract so I took a picture of the bus whilst it is still red. Does anyone have any pictures of the Wycombe buses working the U9?


Seen in Wycombe last Saturday leaving the Eden bus station.


The X32 route generally sees a Solo from Aylesbury but last Saturday the route was operated by this Vario, 2247, seen on its break in High Wycombe.


Scania 3205 on the 362 and caught in the lens of Glenn Knight last week.


Carousel's Dart 480 seen in High Wycombe on the 400 to Bourne End last Saturday morning.


The last of three Tridents, T411, purchased from Metrobus and now resplendent in the latest Carousel livery.
This one is working Line 2 and the use of only Wycombe in the destination shows the local flavour of this company.

Kevin Stevens writes regarding a request for information saying "Alistair Liddle asks "Can you tell me if any of the Lothian Atlanteans which were down on the Oxford Tour are still there or have they been sold on or scrapped?" 

In October of 2003 all 4 buses returned to Edinburgh, 2 one week and 2 the following.  On each occasion we departed Osney at about 05.00hrs and arrived at about 14.30hrs where having handed the buses over were accommodated in one of the hotels for the night before flying back Easyjet to Luton the following morning. 

I was one of the drivers who went up the first week and for an October day had a very dry and trouble free journey, the views were magnificent as we trundled up the M6 at a stately 48mph !! 

To the best of my knowledge the plan was to respray them into the correct colour scheme for Edinburgh and put them into service. 

As a footnote to this I would add that when we arrived in Edinburgh the map we had been given proved not very helpful so I stopped a local bus, a sister bus of the one I was driving and asked directions.  The drivers suggestion was that we follow him into the city centre and he would direct us from there.  We therefore spent the next 20 minutes or so stopping at every bus stop along the way.  It is amazing that even with "Oxford Tour" painted all over them we still attracted passengers who wanted to travel on our buses !!  On arrival in Princes street he directed me to follow another bus which took us past their garage."

Thanks to Kevin for that comprehensive reply.

Colin Grafham took this very nice picture of one of the ex London Darts at work in the leafy lanes of Berkshire at Englefield Green. This batch of buses has moved far and wide since leaving London.

Colin writes "Went out today to get a few pictures and to mark the 20th anniversary of D-Day, De-regulation that is! Therefore I thought I'd share this one with South West Group as there are/were some of these Ex-First London vehicles down in Devon & Cornwall. Now with First Berkshire as DML41166 (R166TLM) seen at Englefield Green on route 43 to Slough - 26 October 2006."

Grant Palmer

Glenn Knight sent some nice pictures of this operators latest acquisition saying "...here are two pictures for this weeks page. Grant Palmers latest addition is MX56 AAK, a Plaxton Primo B28F seen in Market Square in Luton.

 

Chris from Banbury writes to say "....just thought that I’d let you know of a new arrival to the Heyfordian allocation at Wycombe. It seems to have appeared over the last few weeks and is a standard Dart in full Heyfordian coach livery as opposed to the blue Heyfordian bus livery. 

I am unable to provide you with a number as it has only been observed at speed from a train as we pass the yard. 

The destination blind is showing "School Bus" but no route number. The yard still has its allocation of 4 Olympians that seem to be mainly used on schools work. 

Keep up the good work."

Thanks for that Chris, I was passing the yard yesterday, Saturday, and saw the Dart in a good spot for a picture. There were only two Olympians so I wonder if there has been some reduction in the allocation?

The Dart in question is one which I last Saw at Banbury and reported in June 2005. It was working the 81 Bicester-Banbury route and looked very splendid with wheel trims.

The link for the page is http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/140605.htm


Still displaying the route 81 L409GPY is now working in High Wycombe on a schools run.
The question is what is now working the 81? The Oxfordshire bus map states Heyfordian still operate this route.


Whilst at the yard in West Wycombe I took a few more pictures and noted that two of L reg ex Stagecoach Volvos were on hand including L585JSA.


Three of the Wycombe allocation last Saturday.

I wrote to Heyfordian asking for a current fleet list but so far have not received any reply. Also I am still hoping someone will send me a picture of the Bravo Ayats now in full fleet livery.

Two recent repaints returned to service are Volvo B10BLE 810, also fully refurbished and Dart 402 now in the latest livery. I understand the Darts are being repainted at Oxford.


Here we see 401 on route 6 which is the route I imagine the three buses (401-403) are being retained for.
One expects they will gain some form of branding for the 6 as at present they do look rather "bare"
The remaining seven buses will I understand move to Diamond Bus in Birmingham.
I wonder if they will lose their cherished registrations?


One of the problems with the latest coach mirrors is that they are placed in line for damage rather easily.
Poor old nr 2 of the Oxford espress fleet is seen on the M40 last week having suffered two mirror replacements both of which are not in livery.
However for those who like to surprise friends, you can see this coach from afar and tell them it will be nr 2  BF53 OXF.


When Volvo 808 returned to service from refurbishment a few weeks ago it did so minus any fleet number.
It now sports two differing types which are not the same as most of the rest of this fleet.


642 was pictured above in the latter days of the last century on the Cowley Road.
Here it is last week unusually on the 15 which normally has low floor Volvos or Citaros.


Citaro 843 poses for the camera in Magdalen Street East last Thursday, sadly minus a front wheel trim.
The difference branding makes to this livery can be appreciated when comparing same to the picture of 401 above.

Gavin Francis caught a couple of the new Neoplans whilst in London last Thursday. I must say that the lack of wheel trims does nothing to enhance these fine coaches.


"827" poses in Sammy's by the side of an Oxford Tube. (Apologies for the fuzzy quality but it shows the difference quite well between the two models.)


A nice crisp shot of "808" waiting to take up service last Thursday. The lack of wheel trims is noticeable. However the provision of an upper deck front
windscreen wiper is also of note as is the Neoplan branding missing on all the Stagecoach models.


A nearside rear view showing the length of these coaches.

The National Express 737 service provides a considerable variety in types. Whilst in Wycombe last Friday I caught an ex Tayside coach on this service.


NEXP3 is seen leaving the Eden Bus Station last Friday en route to Stansted.

John Marsh writes to send some pictures of the new Newbury Scanias which are operating the Vodafone contract. You can see more on John's photos at the following link : http://busesandcoaches.fotopic.net

   

Don't forget that you can get all the latest news on this operator and also Reading and many other local operators at Rob Williams site http://www.buszone.co.uk/

Brookes services often need lunchtime relief's to overcome delays in the mainline service due to traffic congestion.


Here we see 16518 on a lunchtime relief at Wheatley Campus. This bus is often allocated to the outstation at Chipping Norton.


Another Olympian, this time 16520 from the Harwell outstation working a midday 32 service to Didcot last Thursday.


Trident 18393 is the "spare" bus for the 27 route where most buses are based at the Bicester outstation.
Last Thursday 18393 was on a mid day 27C working at Magdalen Street East.

The rear branding on the Neoplan Oxford Tubes has now been applied to nearly all the fleet of 25. There are five different types of which four are shown below.

     
The remaining version will be shown next week.

Keep your eyes open for the different messages, often different on each side of the coach.

London Green Line is always interesting as some unusual vehicles turn up on Megabus services, especially from Barnsley where Stagecoach has taken over Yorkshire Traction.


Last Thursday provided this Volvo decker on one service. The lack of its correct SC fleet number is notable - 16938


Another service was operated by this Scania coach which again lacks the SC fleet number - 59651.


New to Chesterfield and now based in Scotland, 50145 is seen on a morning departure to Edinburgh last Tuesday.

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 caught a few unusual workings in London last week.


Gavin tells me that this type on the 11 is most unusual, it is one of the new London General Enviro 400's.
The girl somehow colour co-ordinates with the bus !!!!!!


Another bus off its normal route was this all time overall advertising liveried bus Transdev TLA4 normally on the 94.
It has never been in fleet livery and now sports a revised advert for "Phantom".
Seen here at Victoria on the 148 which is now receiving new Scanias with bodies built in Poland.


HISTORY IN PICTURES AND WORDS

In a recent edition I mentioned Houses Coaches of Watlington. Alan Bennett wrote this week and I am publishing his most interesting comments in full.

Nostalgia. I just found this site http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk while doing a search for an ex-employer of mine, namely Arthur House. 

In your issue 127 http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/080505.htm , there is a passage about House's of Watlington buses, and it states that the livery was black and orange. I'd like to correct that, if I may. I drove for Arthur House (the proprietor) from Xmas 1969 through to June 1972. House's buses were maroon and orange.

Black and orange was the livery of Tappins Coaches of Didcot at that time. 

One of House's buses featured in issue 127, "Bedford SB (8?) with Harrington Crusader mk. 1 bodywork seating 41" registration YLF 359 was there when I worked there, and I drove it many times, along with its sister YLF 358. My memory is a little hazy now, but I'm also sure we had YLF 347 on the fleet. 

All the buses on that company were quite old when I worked there, the newest being manufactured around 1962, if my memory serves me correctly, and I was quite surprised how well they kept going without breaking down :)

I do remember we did a lot of contract work for Surman Coaches of Chinnor, later to become Surman-Wingrove Coaches, and besides private hire and school runs, we used to do service buses from Watlington to Henley On Thames, Reading, and Wallingford, and taxis. Also, we ran a works bus for Austin-Morris (Leyland) and Pressed Steel Fisher at Cowley. 

Best regards, Alan Bennett

I then asked Alan if he had any photos and commented that I felt sure the coach I travelled on was black and orange. (It was an ex British Airways Leopard. ED.) 

Alan replied

Sorry, but I don't have any photos now. A few I did possess have disappeared over the years. 

As for the colour, it was definitely maroon, not black. In case my memory was playing tricks, I just phoned my brother-in-law Bob, who drove for House's of Watlington from 1967 until 198, and he has confirmed the colours as maroon and orange.

However, there is a possibility that the coach you travelled in was purchased by Arthur House from Tappins, as my bro-in-law said Arthur did buy some more buses to replace some of his aging fleet between 1978 and 1982, from two or three different companies in the area, so that one may have been black and orange. Actually, Tappins of Didcot still have orange and black livery, but not as much black as they used to have back in the 60s/70s/80s. 

http://www.tappins.co.uk/coach/fleet.html

I wonder if Surman/Wingrove coaches of Chinnor are still in existence? I can't find any mention of them on the internet. I live in Cheltenham now, and pop over to High Wycombe to see friends from time to time. Next time I'm passing, I'll drive through Chinnor and take a look.

I don't even know what year Arthur House closed the company down. The last time I was in the Watlington area, in 1999, they had disappeared, and new houses had been built on the plot where the garage used to be. (Houses at House's LOL). 

Regards, Alan.

I replied to Alan that there was no such company in Chinnor now but does anyone have any pictures or recollections of this company?

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

Coming events & models

DVD s by Robin Clare

The full details of DVDs available from Robin Clare may be found at his web site :- http://www.robinclare.co.uk/

Latest Citaro models revealed

Dave Rogers sent the following press release.

CREATIVE MASTER NORTHCORD - PRESS RELEASE 

Mercedes-Benz Citaro - ukbus 5004 Arriva Manchester  -  ukbus 5007 Oxford Bus

 

Creative Master Northcord Limited is proud to release two brand new liveries on its well known Mercedes-Benz Citaro casting. Both models have received significant, yet different, modifications to the tooling in order to represent, as close to 100% accuracy as possible, the real buses on the roads. 

ukbus 5004 represents fleet number Arriva North West’s 2851 (CX55 EAA). This Mercedes Citaro is one of three such vehicles with dedicated route branding for service 700 and with the destination set to Manchester. The model features a redesigned interior layout that includes the reduced seating capacity and luggage racks. 

Starting on 29th October 2005, Arriva North West’s service 700 runs from Manchester’s Piccadilly Railway Station to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. For the service, 3 Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses were purchased and numbered 2851-3. They were painted in the same style and colours as the Scania OmniCity buses that already operated between John Lennon and Liverpool city centre. 

ukbus 5007 represents fleet number 830 (X13 OXF) of Oxford Bus Company. 830 entered service in December 2003, to upgrade the X3 & X13 Oxford – Abingdon services. The bus was painted in a new and distinctive livery designed by Best Impressions. 

ukbus 5007 features the smooth, curved windscreen with the destination display set behind the windscreen glass rather than the protruding destination found on the Park & Ride Citaros in the fleet. This feature is one of the standard specifications on other Citaros that the Go-Ahead Group has purchased. 

Mercedes-Benz Citaro ukbus 5004 and 5007 models are each a one-piece casting whose clean lines accentuate the square-mounted, double-glazed windows and the livery application on which all logos and lettering are clearly legible. Another main feature on both models is the extensive portrayal of handrails. The headlight / indicator units at the front and indicator / tail light units at the rear are made of individual components to look more realistic.

 

The brand new single-door Mercedes-Benz Citaro bus models will be distributed by John Ayrey Die-Casts Limited (UK), Porte Publishing Company (Japan) and Concorde Hobby Shop (HK) respectively. The ukbus 5004 and 5007 models are limited to 1700 pieces worldwide respectively. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Model Buses for Sale
prices revised with immediate effect

I have a revised deal on Models for your readers...

Each of the following models are available for the following price : 

Each Model = £10.00

Postage is £4.00 regardless of the number of models.

UKBUS 1014 - CREATIVE MASTER OXFORD P&R TRIDENT

UKBUS 5002 - CREATIVE MASTER OXFORD P&R CITARO

 

UKBUS 2012 - CREATIVE MASTER BROOKES BUS TRIDENT

 

CORGI ORIGINAL OMNIBUS OXFORD ESPRESS EXCALIBUR

Once again this offer is only available by emailing me direct at modelsmk@aol.com

More models are for sale on my eBay store, http://www.modelsmk.co.uk/shop

Thanks!    James

Would readers who respond to the above please quote my site when doing so.

 

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

Bus Zone Logo (2421 bytes)

Mike Penn's photo page with much from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire

Chris Lowe's Photo page - mainly North West UK

The Oxford Bus Museum


Ray Jackson Art

A web site which has paintings of buses.
Nice present for a Christmas or Birthday wish list !!

http://www.rayjacksonart.co.uk/index.htm
 

 


Stagecoach Handbook for 2006
from British Bus Publishing

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.
It includes all the latest takeovers and as ever is invaluable
in keeping track of this now very large fleet.

As in earlier editions it includes the 2006 new bus orders.

Links

Bus Services in Buckinghamshire

Bus services in Oxfordshire

Where are the Chilterns?

Visit this informative site through the link below.

back to home page
Map showing the Chilterns Hills beginning in Oxfordshire in the Thames Valley and stretching north-east through Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire to Hitchin in Hertfordshire. The highest points are over 250m. There are various water courses running from the Chilterns to the South East.

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002