News Page
News of the local
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Issue 284
(OBP-497)
Monday 9th March 2009
(next update week ending 21st March 2009)
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Company & fleet news – 9th March 2009
Les Ansell sent me the following link for Aylesbury
February
Newsletter is now available at the link below
A nice surprise was the arrival of two new tri-axles for the Green Line 757 service Luton Airport to London but these two are in full easyBus livery.
4385 and 4386 seen at Luton Airport with only a
few days in service. M Crowe.
On the easyBus front a 28 seater appears to be being trialled on the Stansted-London run as seen in the pictures below. Certainly at times the serv ice is very full and could justify a larger vehicle than the current 19 seaters.
First picture by me and second by Gavin Francis.
Dear old 5836 has arrived at the end of the Arriva road and lies awaiting sale in the Cressex yard. One assumes it was withdrawn on the last day of February?
One of the VDL buses, 4524 leaves Wycombe on the hilly journey to Hemel. Adam
Green.
Originally delivered garbed in inter urban livery
in 2007, 2491 with its sister proved under powered and was replaced.
It is now at Milton Keynes garbed in green. G Francis.
Hemel Hempstead based 3173 is seen at the Wycombe end of
the 52 route between Wycombe and Hemel. Gavin Francis.
Most routes have gained new numbers but the 305 harks back to LT days in this
picture by Gavin Francis.
With a large fleet of tri-axles now in service one
wonders why this Scania bus was in service on the 757 on March 2nd? Picture by
Gavin Francis.
I do like the red and cream on these Red Route
buses in Wycombe but this one is not on its branded route but on the 45.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
Getting long in the tooth now, this old Olympian soldiers on at Wycombe. Picture
by Gavin Francis.
Somewhat newer and a very fine bus is 5148 but
still in somewhat bizarre fashion carrying branding for Hemel-Watford routes.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
All is revealed. After several weeks in dark blue
and white livery, Vario 2179 has now appeared in Tesco Free Bus livery.
Seen at Hemel by your Editor.
I have also seen this bus very recently on route 46 to Luton as I have also seen
the ex M K Metro one.
Red and cream again, this time the fully branded
side. Sadly the branding is not so good on the second one.
Picture by M Crowe.
A rear offside shot of one of the new Citaros
showing the 321 branding. M Crowe.
Enviro 400 with a full destination display (why is
the route number on the wrong side?) passing Oxford Castle. Photo by Richard
Sharman.
A further ex National Express Volvo B6 P247AAP has been sighted and is presumed working for Carousel. P235AAP has already been sold (seemingly why it operated in white) on but Steve Burns did mention there were other available.
Adam Green
visited Wycombe and took these pictures of Carousel's Baker St yard.
P236AAP again, this
time by Gavin Francis.
The flurry in repainting into the new colour scheme seems to have come a stop.
I mentioned last issue about the Y registered Volvos at Luton Airport.
Mike Bennett writes "Y186 HNH does appear in the British Bus Publishing First Bus Handbook 2008 at the top of page 105. It is one of two similar buses, Y185/6 HNH allocated to Luton Airport, and, as is suggested by the photograph, seems to have luggage racks suitable for airport use. They are numbered 66357/8 in the First fleet and are Volvo B7Ls with Wrightbus Eclipse N26D bodies, new in 2002 to Dawson Rentals but only owned by First from 2007.
However, on page 115 of the 2007 edition of the fleet book the fleet numbers 66357/8 refer to probably the same buses, but on loan from Dawson Rentals to the Dublin operator Aircoach Limited of Dublin Airport, with registrations 01D46133 and 01D45249 respectively. Here they are listed as N41F, so they must have acquired the extra doors on transfer to Luton Airport."
including Tappins of Didcot
News is provided of some arrival of second hand coaches, this by Steve Warwick and Ken
Gladstone.These are the new arrivals into Heyfordian.
Shearings 02 B12M Sunsun Sid YC02CHG Heyfordian Travel 28/02/09
Shearings 02 B12M Sunsun Sid YC02CHK Heyfordian Travel 28/02/09
Doigs 05 B12B Sunsundagi Sid FJ05ANX Heyfordian Travel
28/02/09
Hookways 01 B10M Jonckheere Mistral Y164EAY Heyfordian Travel 28/02/09
AAA Coaches 02 B10M Jonckheere Mistral SN51AAA Heyfordian Travel 28/02/09
Regards.
Ken Gladstone
and from Steve Warwick Heyfordian new additions to the fleet as follows
FJ05 ANX Vo B12B Ssd C49F 3/06 ex Doigs, Glasgow
Y164 EAY Vo B10M Je C53F 5/01 ex Hookways
Still to arrive
SN51 AAA Vo B12M Je C53Ft 12/01 ex AAA Coaches, Edinburgh
YC02 CHG Vo B12M Ssd C48FT 5/02 ex Shearings
YC02 CHJ Vo B12M Ssd C48FT 5/02 ex Shearings
A picture of High Wycombe based 2622NU just returned inv the new livery. Steve Warwick. B12HTL seen at The Wycombe Swan last week. M Crowe.
One of the more
recently acquired deckers, now in fleet bus livery. Glenn Knight
Hard to believe but
this elderly Leopard, minus badge, is still extant having not moved for 10
years. Glenn Knight.
http://www.nationalexpress.com/
The news that the Trathens Neoplans are being replaced in service on National Express route might be mourned by some but it seems that a lack of luggage space has often caused problems for these coaches. The new coaches are tri-axle Volvo/Plaxton Panthers and Gavin Francis has managed a few pictures of these fine new vehicles.
As is usual with Parks Group coaches the new coaches have LSK registrations.
Last week and some of the double deck
Neoplans were still in service. Pictures by Gavin Francis.
A Plaxton Paragon from Stagecoach
Yorkshire working the 310 service from Bradford to Poole - picture Gavin
Francis.
Levante tri-axle Go -North East 7101
works the 303 Liverpool to Weymouth service. Picture by Richard Sharman.
Selwyn's work a number of National
Express diagrams and here Van Hool 105 is seen on a 303 service to Southsea by
Richard Sharman.
Last Saturday during the time I spent on the junc. 5 overbridge on the M40 several OBC coaches passes through.
Coaches 40 and 41 having been
repainted still await any kind of vinyls on the rear of these coaches however
several other have Ashmolean adverts.
The Volvos used on the Airline services always look smart.
Registrations V14-17OXF are appearing on the crew buses used to ferry crews from the depot to the city.
Thanks to Phil Ashworth, the company has provided details of some advertising activities. you can see the result in the picture above of coach 35.
"The Oxford Bus Company has launched a couple of eye catching bus backs in conjunction with the world famous Oxford Ashmolean Museum.
It follows the special rears on two of the espress coaches last Autumn.
The aim is to keep the Ashmolean Museum in the public eye during a major rebuilding scheme.
In addition to Raymond Blanc, who’s famous Le Manoir restaurant is just outside Oxford, the other vehicle features an 8 year old Oxford Schoolboy Luca Abarno.
For the aficionados the two buses carrying the special designs are DENNIS TRIDENT 2/ALEXANDER ALX400 with 71 seats."
The final "white top" in the fleet has succumbed to the new livery. 104 has been repainted and will eventually sport the latest branding, first seen on double decks with the introduction of the ex North East Tridents.
105 does have branding as does 103 both seen above in pictures by Gavin Francis.
102 also has the branding with the Ashmolean advertising and is seen on 5 road
service by Chris Maxfield.
John Hammond sent this picture of 106 working 35A road in Didcot.
643
is a fine looking bus for one now entering its 13th year in service. It is now
one of only four such buses left in service with OBC.
Picture by Chris Maxfield. Note the wheel trims, unique to this class of vehicle
on 643.
Richard Sharman took this picture of coach 30 heading for London.
http://www.rhtransportservices.co.uk/
Richard Sharman provided a nice picture of one of RH s smaller vehicles which has had a repaint.
RH 701 ex Eastbourne Coaches B10M seen in Middle Barton 11th February R Sharman.
Perhaps the biggest news this week is the renumbering of the latest M A N deliveries which now take the numbers 22761-22771. Please refer to the table below for the full details. I have put the old end two figure number for cross reference purposes. We have quite a number of pictures of buses carrying the old fleet number and now more with the new fleet numbers. Additionally, a very welcome change is the registration of deliveries after March 1st with 09 plates, the first 09 plates on buses that I am aware of in Oxfordshire area.
Alexander Enviro 300 MAN A69 Chassis
Revised fleet numbers 050309
u.w. 9940 kgs
Fleet Number |
Chassis Number |
Body Number |
Registration Number |
22761 68 |
WMAA69ZZ09C012897 |
8307/7 |
OU09 BZR |
22762 69 |
WMAA69ZZ49C012899 |
8307/8 |
OU58 GKC |
22763 70 |
WMAA69ZZ39C013039 |
8307/9 |
OU58 GKD |
22764 71 |
WMAA69ZZ29C012884 |
8307/10 |
OU58 GKE |
22765 72 |
WMAA69ZZ19C012942 |
8307/11 |
OU58 GKF |
22766 73 |
WMAA69ZZ69C012760 |
8307/12 |
OU09 BZM |
22767 74 |
WMAA69ZZ99C012901 |
8307/13 |
OU09 ??? |
22768 75 |
WMAA69ZZ69C012905 |
8307/14 |
OU58 GKK |
22769 76 |
WMAA69ZZ09C012978 |
8307/15 |
OU09 ??? |
22770 77 |
WMAA69ZZ89C012940 |
8307/16 |
OU09 ??? |
22771 78 |
WMAA69ZZ19C013038 |
8307/17 |
OU58 GKO |
Three buses still to be delivered as at 8th March, registrations unknown.
One of the first 09 plates being prepared for service. Gavin Francis.
First day in service 9th March, 22766 by Gavin Francis.
The buses in service renumbered.
22763, 22765, 22768 (front and
rear) and 22771 in the city centre by Gavin Francis on 7th March.
Four of the new buses during early
type training, with their first fleet number, seen at Horspath depot by
Chris Maxfield on 23rd February.
Driver training with 22771, now
22764, at Cowley Centre on 28th February by Chris Maxfield.
The first day in service for this
type was 24th February and we are lucky to have this picture of 22769 (now
22762)
in service at Summertown on the 7/7A. Chris Birkett via John Hammond.
A nice line up taken by your Editor on 1st March in the early morning.
Looking crisp and clean 22775, now
22768, turns into the stop outside Debenhams in the city centre on 1st
March.
Picture by Richard Sharman.
Mike Bennett writes "I was in Oxford this Thursday 26th and just happened to see one of the new MAN / Enviro300s coming out of Magdalen Street East into Broad Street on a driver training duty at 14:50. Luckily the traffic lights held the bus for long enough for me to get out my camera and get some shots as the bus moved off."
As a result of these new deliveries some older members of the fleet are moving to pastures new. I am grateful to Martin Sutton, Managing Director of Stagecoach in Oxfordshire for details of these movements.
Disposals:
Volvo Olympians 16523, 16524, 16525 to Stagecoach South (going to Cheltenham
Festival next week and will be picked up from there).
Volvo B10Ms 20004, 20005, 20006, 20012, 20228, 20543 to Stagecoach South
M A N s 22920, 22921 to Stagecoach East (Northampton) - I understand
these are for route 8 Ed.
Internal movements:
Pointer Darts 34467, 34468, 34469, 34470 to Banbury for service 59
Volvo B6LE (which one to be determined) from Banbury to reserve.
Vario 42383 from Banbury to reserve. (This is the last Vario at Oxford, the
others having moved on to SC South for service from Dover and Herne Bay. One
exception is one that went to SC West for service at Coleford - 42376. Ed.)
Services X30 and 31 will become M A N operated.
So, there is very little time now for an Olympian ride in Oxford. These
buses were delivered for route 1, the Blackbird Flyer and operated on that
route with two doors for a number of years before moving to Witney where
they spent further time on the 100 and 200.
Volvos will still be represented at Oxford in the training fleet.
Volvo 20228
takes a break at Horspath on 28th February in this picture by Chris
Maxfield.
Two of the
Banbury based Volvo B6s receive attention in these pictures from Chris
Maxfield taken on 2nd March in the depot.
I am told that some refurbishment work is in hand on 31362.
Volvo 20543
loads for Wantage on service 31 seen in St Aldates outside Christ Church in
this picture by Gavin Francis.
M A N s 22924
and 22925 show the current 7 branding, these buses soon to move to Wantage
routes in these pictures by Gavin Francis taken on 7th March.
Brookes 18052
loads for Wantage on service X30 seen in St Aldates outside Christ Church in
this picture by Gavin Francis taken on 7th March.
There are only a few months left now before OBC takes over the Brookes
service and pictures such as that above will no longer be possible.
The
new order of deckers for SC Oxford is shown in this picture by Gavin Francis
taken on 7th March.
Enviro 400 15433 is seen on the S3 passing an S5 service worked by 15443 outside
the Randolph Hotel.
Jonathan Doran writes on matters SC South saying
"I enjoy dipping into OBCP from time to time, despite being some distance from your patch - I live in Chichester, so very much Stagecoach South country (indeed the Stagecoach South Head Office is at Chichester Bus Station) and Southdown country of old. I think you do an excellent job with OBCP, so well done!
I'm pretty confident your Marketing Manager will not have seen anything quite
like the Route 60 "flower power"-inspired branding down here! I speak as an
ex-Stagecoach man myself (and this is where I give away my age bracket!).
Although my career has ended up in the insurance industry I did have an
interesting time working on the admin side for Stagecoach South based in
Chichester during my university holidays in the mid-1990s. Indeed, I'm still
friendly with a colleague of mine from those days who is still there and now
works on the marketing side of the business. I retain a certain affection for
Stagecoach and hold it in higher regard than the other major groups - it became
my local operator here when it purchased Southdown 20 years ago.
Anyhow, it was a beautifully sunny day in Chichester today and at lunchtime I
got a couple of pictures for you of our former Oxford residents using my camera
phone. I think another go with my digital camera is called for, but you'll get
the general idea from these. I give you 33814 (R814YUD), a better view of the
side branding treatment on 33814, and the non-contravision super rear on 33815
(R815YUD). All of 33813-8 (R813-8YUD) have been treated identically. Different I
think you'll agree - enjoy!"
"On Saturday I found myself in Aldershot and couldn't resist the chance to try
out the Goldline concept. I think the pictures I took provide an interesting
comparison with those in the most recent OCBP of Oxford's new 'standard'
Alexander Dennis Enviro 300-bodied MAN 18.240 - indeed they make the Oxford
buses look very much like poor relations!
Goldline service 1 sets off from Aldershot Bus Station through North Camp to
Farnborough, then crosses the A331 Blackwater Valley Relief Road from Hampshire
into Surrey, serves Frimley, passes under the M3 on the way to Camberley then
heads up to the Old Dean Estate where it operates a one-way loop before
returning towards Aldershot. The round trip takes just over 2 hours, requiring
13 of the 14-strong batch 22741-54 to maintain the 10 minute Monday to Saturday
daytime frequency. The buses are specified to a very high standard which makes
one wonder why all buses cannot be like this. They are 41 seaters as compared
with the 46 seaters recently delivered to Oxford, but the leather-trimmed
Lazzerini Transito seats are so comfortable I think the sacrifice of 5 seats is
easily justified. The internal colourings are easy on the eye - in my opinion
black leather seats are too plain and stark (which is perhaps why I go for cars
upholstered in cream leather!), and the shade of blue used coupled with cream
piping accentuates the sense of luxury. Stagecoach South has never operated
the MAN 18.220 so this my first experience of the heavy-duty MAN single-decker,
and I have to say I was impressed. It has more of a feeling of solidity than the
lighter Enviro 300 chassis (as found in Portsmouth and on Winchester's park and
ride service) though I can't help feeling it would be even better with the ZF
6-speed auto option in place of the Voith 4-speed auto Stagecoach seems to
favour currently on heavy-duty buses (personally I've always preferred ZF to
Voith). Overall, though, a resounding hit for me, and I think what Stagecoach is
trying to achieve with the Goldline concept deserves great praise. I would be
intrigued to see an Enviro 400-bodied double-decker kitted out to Goldline
specification, however I think it would need to be a full-height version
to allow the concept to be at its most effective and excluding the Cambridge
park and ride fleet and the batch ordered for Selkent prior to the London
operations being sold Stagecoach haven't bought any, so I suppose the chances of
that happening are slim.
The emphasis is very much on 'Goldline' rather than 'Stagecoach' - note the use of metallic paint. A welcoming touch - the first thing you see on boarding is this on the sound-deadening flooring."
The interior looking from front to rear - note the Fleur de Lys motif on the flooring.
The interior looking from rear to front.
The ceiling is lined in blue carpet - I hadn't expected that! The sides are also
carpet-lined - with the Fleur de Lys motif again.
Leather-trimmed Lazzerini Transito seats - most certainly not your average bus
seats!
22753 pausing at Camberley Railway Station on the way back to Aldershot - note
you can see the driver is wearing the dedicated Goldline uniform.
The rear of 22753 - the blue metallic paint used looks particularly tasteful.
"I hope this gives you some decent material from outside your patch which you can use and which will be of interest."
Indeed it does Jonathan. Your article is much appreciated and I am sure readers will be most interested.
A few more pictures of the Goldline buses are to hand for comparison and interest.
Colin Grafham took this picture of 22749 at North Camp.
22751 at the depot
taken by Geoff Stewart.
This issue has seen lots of contribution from readers and some interesting pictures, one of which I include below.
I was interested
to see that the coach had gone from the X38, Exeter to Plymouth service but of
more interest to our area
is the ex Oxford Tube coach still in use on training duties. Picture by Dave
Godley taken 6th February 2009.
Two nice examples
of the new S branding taken by Chris Maxfield in GG on 7th March.
The Swindon M A N s
have settled in now after some early teething problems and the extra length is
obvious in this picture taken by Chris Maxfield in GG on 7th March.
Ex Manchester and
then Newcastle M A N 22207 on route 1 taken by Chris Maxfield at Carfax on 7th
March.
SC East 53602 backs
off ready for its journey to Cambridge taken by Chris Maxfield in GG on 7th
March.
from time to time
older Darts appear on the 66 and we think this is a first for 33502 taken by
Gavin Francis in GG on 23rd February.
Following the
unfortunate event with 53614, this older Volvo is being used on the X5 to cover.
Taken by Richard Sharman on 22nd February.
Another new Volvo 53608 is seen passing Scania 15442 in Magdalen St East. Taken
by Richard Sharman on 22nd February.
Gavin Francis visited Milton Keynes and caught up with ex Manchester Scania
15444 on route 4. This bus follows on from the Oxford batch.
In the Editorial there are details of the S3/50 service being worked wholly by Stagecoach reference is made to the buses working the services. Back in February Richard Sharman caught two Alexander PS Volvos on the service as seen below.
Alexander PS buses
20224 and 20225 working the 20 back in February Richard Sharman taken on 22nd
February.
Some nice pictures of 53615 in Cambridge loading and departing for Oxford on
28th February, taken by John Marsh.
The Neoplans are now entering their 6th year or will do so by June-August time but they still look smart and continue to ply the M40 between Oxford and London.
Heading for London
and Oxford respectively, 50120 and 50106 pass junction 5 on the M40 last
Saturday. M Crowe.
The Tubes take a
little while to gain speed when coming off Lewknor and climbing the chalk
cutting on the M40 but this one - 50109 was starting to gain on Oxford's nr 1
as the pair passed under junction 5 overbridge. The Tube was showing Sorry
Coach Full last Saturday.
Neoplan 50102 waits
for a place in Gloucester Green when seen in Magdalen St East last Saturday.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
I have received some nice and interesting pictures for inclusion in this issue.
This Volvo is still
giving excellent service and is seen here on a Sunday working to Reading.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
The latest M A N
saloon to enter service is this 58 plate bus - 158 - seen on the private shuttle
service 391. Picture by Gavin Francis.
John Hammond sent
this selection of Thames Travel buses operating around Didcot.
http://www.unobus.info/index.html
I would be pleased to receive any pictures of these buses, especially the deckers, on the 614 service to Queensbury or the 615 service to Rayners Lane. It would be nice to get some at those destinations.
Please refer to the excellent web site for fleet details and pictures. Use this link for the fleet list updated now.
http://www.woottens.co.uk/fleet.htm
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