Swindon area - two reports by Mike Bennett
with photos also supplied by Mike Bennett

Swindon Bus Running Day – 15 October  -  by Mike Bennett

As I live in Highworth, my day started with a ride into Swindon on the white liveried Stagecoach RML 2665.  This bus, together with the ex Eastern Counties Stagecoach FLF JAH 553D, and ex BOC LD 969 EHW, was replacing 3 of the 7 buses needed on route 7.  This amounted to 18 round trips in all, 6 for each of the buses.

On arrival in Swindon Bus Station I soon transferred to ex Crosville KFM 767, the nicely restored Bristol L5G, for a “Mystery Tour” to Wootton Bassett.  However, when the bus reached Steam, the museum of the GWR, I had to alight as I saw that this area was being used as a rally site, so it was full of buses waiting for their next turn of duty.  Also Thamesdown Transport was running Fleetline/ECW UMR 199T, and open top KMR 175P from here on route 3 to Coate Water.

I stayed here for some time taking photographs and waiting for NHU 2, the very nice Bristol LSX prototype, to depart on its journey to the nether regions of east Swindon on ex BOC route 490.  Whilst running round the estates of east Swindon, we passed ex Swindon & District Titan GNF 6V on the reciprocal route 489.  In all 7 different buses were scheduled to run these two services, including a VR, an RELL bus, an RELH DP, an MW bus, and a Leyland National, as well as the two mentioned before.

Another very mixed selection of buses, including most of the various types of Bristol and 2 Nationals, was scheduled to perform on ex BOC circular routes 183A & C out to Stratton White Hart.

On getting back to Swindon Bus Station I saw one of the 2 VRs leaving on route 70 toward Marlborough – and you could have made the round trip to Andover during the day on JOU 160P.

My next trip was on ex Brighton, Hove & District FLF open top out to Wootton Bassett, and back via Wroughton – a very pleasant if somewhat windy journey.  This bus is owned by Ian Manning and Sholto Thomas, both of Stagecoach fame.  These two gentlemen were to be my conductor and driver for the last special journey of the day on Bristol LD 969 EHW, back out to Highworth at 1740.

My wife was with me for the first and last journeys and she managed to ride on more old vehicles than I did – you can’t ride and take lots of photos.  We both had a very good day; the weather had been perfect and we had a very good selection of buses to ride on. 

Many thanks are due to all of the owners who made their vehicles available for the day.  If only the event had been better publicised.  I got an email 3^rd hand about a week before the day.

Thamesdown Transport Depot Open Day – Sunday 16 October  -  by Mike Bennett

As I had not been around the new Thamesdown Transport depot in Barnfield Road, I thought that I might go to the Open Day before going on to visit the Oxford Bus Rally.

I used the P & R facility from the Outlet Village and arrived at the new depot on Thamesdown Fleetline/ECW UMR 199T just after 1000.  The weather was dull and this made the photographs around the depot easier to take, if somewhat flat. 

Being a Sunday, most of the buses were in the depot, and it was nice to see that all of the parking spaces were easily accessible.  There is also easy access to each of the repair bays inside the maintenance shed.  On the whole the new facility seemed well thought out – even to the extent of having two bus washes.

I was surprised to find only three visiting buses.  One of these was the Scania/Wright 1019 of Reading Buses – probably there because Thamesdown has ordered some similar buses for next year.  The other prominent visitor was Stagecoach in Cheltenham’s Trident/ALX400 18082, and inside the depot lurked an FLF still here after the Running Day on the Saturday.

The buses that I had not photographed before were the three Optare Solos, nos 401 – 403.  They are in all over white as they are on hire until the new Scanias arrive.  I have seen them on route 18 to the Orbital Shopping Centre, and from the indicator on one of them, they also cover the route 21 to the Great Western Hospital.

The main event for me was a ride through the bus wash – something I had not done since a trip to Plymouth City Transport 30 years ago.  This was enjoyed by everyone on board, especially the young children, for many of whom this had been their first ride on a bus.  Indeed it was nice to see many family groups going round the depot.

I had an interesting two hours, trying to get some indoor photos without using the flash (it is surprising what you can get when you rate a digital camera at ISO 1000).

It was now time to get back to the Outlet Village on the CVG6/Northern Counties JAM 145E to collect my car – home to Highworth for lunch and on to Water Eaton P & R for the Bus Rally.