History
Issue 108

Those were the days, Oxford...by Nigel Lukowski

"To borrow the old nautical phrase, although 'ECW Shape' might be more accurate perhaps?"


This bus has an interesting history starting life with COMS in June 1981 with whom it ran until October 1993.

 It then joined Happy Al's being rebuilt to single door and leaving them in 2002. During this year it was at Hardwick, a dealer in Carlton and Westbrook, Salford.
It then passed to Griffiths of Port Dinorwic, North Wales until 2008 when it went to Doncaster Bus Breakers, Doncaster (dealer for scrap)


PFC515W also joined the COMS fleet in July 1981 and after service with them joined the fleet of Hulme Hall, Manchester.
It is now preserved so maybe a chance to see or ride on it this coming summer.

And now some other ex COMS vehicles from Nigel.


Ex COMS
A118PBW -  now with Confidence of Leicester at their number 41.


Ex COMS
B124UUD again with Confidence as their number 45.

Both the above coaches were pride of the COMS fleet on the Airport services.


Once 205 in the COMS fleet now with Confidence as their 42.

 
Who could have imagined that this MERTHYR TYDFIL TRANSPORT MCW METRORIDER 505

which moved to Oxford for City Nipper services and finally ended up with Chester City Transport


Alpine Travel from North Wales
enjoyed the services of these two ex COMS Olympians which migrated from the city of dreaming spires
to the North Wales Coastline at Rhyl. G234 and 230VWL.

 
N603FJO a Volvo B10B-58, Plaxton Verde, B51F, left the Go Ahead Group and joined GHA Coaches as seen above. It was re-registered N8GHA for a period.
When GHA went into administration in 2016 it was sold at the first on-line auction (LOT 49) to with Mikro Coaches, Crewe.
It had been with Go North East following initial service with COMS.
606 is also pictured above with GHA Coaches.
Interesting reading on the GHA fleet may be found at the link below. They had three B10B's 603, 606 and 612.
https://sites.google.com/site/ronnewbe/gha-fleet-dispersal

   
Once the pride of the COMS fleet 33, OE02OXF is now with Happy Al's of Merseyside. In its previous and subsequent lives it is seen to the right.
Indeed once it left X90 service it ran for London General at the 2012 Olympics and then after Happy Al's it ran for TK Travel as seen in 2016.
When new this coach had introduced the Airline branding to the Oxford fleet. The second and third pictures from Gavin Francis.

And now contributions from Tony Bungay.

Tony Bungay writes to include some very interesting pictures saying "I don’t want to add to your workload, but as you asking about any info on Oxford  Henley routes, perhaps the following may be of use. Certainly in NBC days the two were linked by Citylink 390 as shown by the ECW Leopard taken in Wallingford Market place in summer of 1986 i think!

Although I have no first hand knowledge myself, in the TPC book on Thames Valley published in 1984, the network map shows the two places linked by routes C,E which went on to London, I would guess they were operated by South Midland. 

As you probably know Oxford-Wallingford  was/is on the route to Reading, in NBC days operated jointly by Alder Valley/COMS as service 5, the Alder Valley National photographed in Oxford summer 1985. The route later was operated by Beeline after Alder Valley was split. With the sale of Beelines Reading operation to Reading Transport, the route became 105 as shown by the photos of the Delta and the Vrt. Both taken in the early 1990’s."

   
Pictures from Tony Bungay (copyright)


Bristol VR 454 YBW601R in special livery 100 years of Oxford transport by Tony Bungay.


AEC Regal 727 in times gone by Tony Bungay


COMS 901 outside LT garage in Windsor by Tony Bungay

       
Carfax Tower has always provided an excellent vantage point for watching the Oxford bus scene.
Four views by Tony Bungay.

One for the record from Frank Brown

Frank Brown wrote saying "I came across this b & w photo taken at Slough bus station (adjacent railway station) and thought it may be of interest/use for bus page. It was taken by F.W. York dated 15th August 1970. The FLF on the left is D40 with D28 front right. The road is a lot wider than it is today with two way traffic rendering todays one way Brunel Way unrecognisable. The undercover Brunel Bus Station and Car Park has yet to be built, opening Dec 1975, itself replaced by the current new airport style terminus opened in May 2011."

 
With thanks to Frank Brown for providing this picture by F W York taken on August 15th 1970. (nearly 38 years ago)

With thanks to Nigel, Tony and Frank who have produced some very interesting photographs of times gone by.

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