40726 hits to this page in January 2006 - thank you!

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 165
(OBP-380)

Sunday 12th February 2006
next update week ending 24th February 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

A somewhat quieter week has passed with limited time for photography but I am delighted that some of my regular contributors have captured the most significant events of the past week.

Oxford Bus have repainted a further Trident now back in service and they have also launched a new 48 page bus guide to City services. Also a further Volvo B10BLE has returned after refurbishment and entered service on City 15.

Stagecoach received the first of seven Tridents destined for the revamped Bicester services and these are some of the last ALX400s from the current order. It may be expected that the Enviro 400 will feature in the next order, yet to be announced.

I spent a pleasant hour in Wallingford on Saturday afternoon watching the operations of Thames Travel and hoping for a sighting of their latest 55 reg Dart. Sadly this was not be and in spite of being told at the garage that the new bus would arrive from Oxford at 1534 what did arrive was not a new Dart but an ex Chiltern Queens bus. Ah well, the best laid plans of mice and men.

I received a number of replies concerning cyclists and DDA compliant vehicles, showing your interest in such matters.

Derek Doling had already provided more photos from the '60s of Thames Valley and South Midland and this week I include some further pictures which now include Bristol LL6B buses from the '50s.

Premium routes network -

A network of high frequency bus routes around Oxfordshire.

To encourage bus use and help reduce predicted traffic growth over the next decade, we are developing a 'Premium' network of  high frequency bus routes. The network will cover main routes between Oxford and the larger Oxfordshire towns, as well as urban networks in Oxford and Banbury.

These developments will be phased in over the next decade or so at an estimated cost of £30 million and promise exciting new prospects for bus services in the county.

So says the County Council web site. One of the most recent is the X39 between Oxford and Wallingford operated by Thames Travel. As part of the programme, the service now operates hourly for much of the day between Watlington and Wallingford via Oxford, numbered throughout as the X39.

New bus stops are appearing throughout the route and one in Crowmarsh is shown below. I would however note that one stop in Berinsfield still shows Oxford Bus Company as the operator!!!!

Such stops have yet reach Watlington at the other end of the route where the stop is still one of the older type.

DDA Compliancy by Paul Dudfield 

The need for coaches to be DDA compliant has been know about for sometime so it is surprising that operators have not been specifying suitable vehicles and that manufacturers have been so slow in providing them.

The problem highlighted in lasts weeks OCBP about the problems which could arise if more than one wheelchair user wishes to travel apply equally to service buses. There is usually only space for one wheelchair. I suspect that the push for wheelchair access came mainly from London where services are frequent enough to wait for the next bus should the need arise. However, things are different out in the country. It would be a shame to be crowded off the return trip of your once a week shopping bus.

In reality, few journeys carry wheelchair users. The main beneficiaries of low floor buses are mums with baby buggies and those people who can walk but have difficulty with steps. Neither group is catered for by coaches with wheelchair lifts. This is not a big problem on National Express and excursions but could be a problem where coaches are used on what are essentially bus services such as Greenline or Stagecoach Express.

As yet there does not seem to be a modern equivalent of the old dual purpose saloon although the new split level Mercedes Citaro looks like a step in the right direction. On holiday in Austria last year I noticed interurban services being operated by 15m 6 wheel Mercedes Integros but I suspect these are not low floor. Perhaps we may have to use longer vehicles here. The other alternative, of course, is the double decker.

Cyclists and safety by Mike Farthing

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments on the webpage concerning cyclists and their complete disregard of traffic regulations.

I must also point out something which is just as disturbing. This is the running of red traffic lights by buses.

Working in Oxford on average 3 days per week I tend to alternate driving into Oxford or using the Thornhill Park and Ride. Both driving my car and being a passenger on the Park and Ride I have seen buses ignoring the changing traffic signals and sailing straight through when they had changed to red. There doesn't appear to be any one set of lights to be singled out.

The most recent incident was on Monday of this week when a local operators bus jumped a red light at the junction of Longwall Street and the Banbury Road rather than wait for the lights to cycle round.

(....nice pun at the end there Mike. I would note that all local operators are from time to time guilty of not following the highway code to the letter and hope that readers will take note if they are in a category. Ed.)

High Wycombe's new bus station

A source close to the work in progress suggests that work is being delayed by bureaucracy and that the completion date of July may be somewhat ambitious.

Quarterly Video Newsletter

I am in the process of working on a quarterly video newsletter which will be available on DVD, probably in the middle of March. Please let me know those of you are interested in receiving a copy. There will be a charge of £10 plus postage and packing, about £2. The content will reflect what is going on in the area covered by this page with the chance to really get the feel of how the area is developing. I would also appreciate receiving your thoughts on what you would like to be included? E-mail me at malcolmhc@aol.com

Forthcoming events

Don't forget to look further down this page for Coming Events.


Again my thanks to all my contributors, both old and new. Keep the historical info and  older pictures coming but don't forget the modern stuff.

Malcolm Crowe - Sunday 12th February 2006

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

News of the local companies – 12th February 2006

Nothing this week from Arriva but there are a couple of interesting articles on buses in Wycombe under the historical heading below.

Newman Morgan wrote some interesting notes on the new Agoros recently introduced by Carousel.

I was interested to read of Carousel putting into service three Irisbus Agora vehicles. These are a rare breed indeed in the UK, there is a small number in service with Norfolk County Council on a Norwich Park & Ride service and on other CC routes. 

As you will know the Agora, along with its close cousin the Heuliez GX317, can be seen the length and breadth of France with several thousand in service and in other areas such as the French speaking area of Belgium and in Spain. Interestingly a number of loyal Agora French operators placed in service Mercedes Benz Citaro (French built at the Setra plant) and then reverted to the Agora for later orders.  

The Carousel vehicles appear to be the Agora Line model which was introduced in 1998. The Agora Line was aimed at the 'périurbain' market, i.e. the longer routes from outer suburbs to city centre, and offered a higher number of seats with lower standing capacity than the Agora Standard. Notwithstanding the market intention of the Agora Line, several hundred are in service on city services in Paris and Lyon, and other cities. 

The rear of the Agora Line was designed by French bodybuilder SAFRA and it easily distinguishes the Agora Line from other Agora models. Agora Standard models are usually 2 or 3 doored with seating for between 24 and 28 plus up to 90 standees. The Agora Long is the articulated, 3 or 4 doored version, of the Agora Standard. There is also a Gas Bus version of the Agora Standard, a large number of which work out of the Créteil depot of RATP in southern Paris. Others can be seen in Strasbourg and elsewhere across France.  

The Heuliez GX317 is effectively a Renault Agora chassis, known as the Renault Citybus, married to a Heuliez body. The almost identical GX217 was bodied on Volvo chassis, with the articulated version of the Volvo chassis product being known as the GX417 and competed well with the Agora Long until the Heuliez model was taken off the market suddenly. 

Anyone hopping over to Northern France can see large numbers of Agora Standard Gas Buses and several Agora Long artics in service with Transpôle, Lille whilst the GX217 and GX317 Heuliez models along with Agora Standards and Longs can be witnessed in the fleet of Semurval (about to be renamed Transvilles) in city of Valenciennes, about 60kms from Lille on the A2 Bruxelles autoroute and on the border with Belgium. The Heuliez Gas Bus versions are easily identified by a roof top spoiler across the front of the bus. 

I understand the UK Agora models are fitted out by body builder Optare in Leeds. 

The Agora was introduced as a Renault product and with Renault's bus division subsequently being merged with Iveco, Agoras began to be badged as Irisbus Renault. In more recent times the Renault name has disappeared along with the Renault Diamond logo which has been replaced, as on the Carousel buses, by the Irisbus Dolphin logo. 

The Heuliez company has transitioned from joint ownership by Renault and Volvo into the Iveco family. 

The Agora is, to my mind, one of the most passenger friendly modern buses in Europe. They are light, airy, comfortable and noticeably rattle and squeak free. This latter point may have more to do with the much higher standards of maintenance demanded by French operators than appears to be the case with many operators, large and small, in the UK.  

I once witnessed an almost new Agora being ordered back to base in Strasbourg, France, by Monsieur le Controlleur because he noticed its rear engine door was not closed quite right. The controller opened the door fully then closed it gently as one would one's car bonnet. The engine door didn't lock into closed position and so the bus was sent to base for attention. No use of the boot to the door and slam shut concept to the door in that part of the world!

Irisbus is now the second largest manufacturer of buses in Europe behind EvoBus (Mercedes Benz). I was once informed by an inspector at the Cronenbourg depot of city operator CTS in Strasbourg that Irisbus is an English language acronym for Iveco Renault IS BUS. I am sometimes mindful to believe that the inspector may have been suffering from the inhaling of beer fumes from the neighbouring giant Kronenbourg brewery!  

The Agora was replaced by Irisbus in early 2005 with the Irisbus Citelis and although the last Agora models are now entering service in France, an early order for 40 Citelis Gas Buses is being delivered currently to Transpôle, Lille. Incidentally I would nominate Lille as Bus Etched Window capital of France!

Anyone interested in the French bus scene should browse the enthusiast website Transbus   www.transbus.org  Click on Réseaux for access to individual operator briefings and web links, click on Constructeurs for details of current and recent vehicles on the French scene. The language is French. For an insight into the operations of RATP, Paris, probably one of the world's largest bus operators, go to the enthusiast website Bus Parisiens  http://busparisiens.free.fr  (note no www.). The Etat du parc options on the right hand side of the menu page access an almost wholly up to date fleet list by vehicle type. Again the language is French.  

Next time I drive down from Bicester to Wycombe I look forward to sampling an Agora up Amersham Hill, a long way from the days of riding an RT or an RML up there to the RGS!!

Current fleet list

Centrebus, Luton


Glenn Knight sent this picture of a Centrebus Dart once and when new the property of Thames Transit, Oxford.

This last week saw the launch of a new city bus guide, doubtless the work of Best Impressions headed by Ray Stenning.

The introduction in the covering letter from the Managing Director, Philip Kirk, says that this is "a groundbreaking guide to local bus services just published by The Oxford Bus Company. The guide brings together bus times, maps of routes and precise details of where to catch the buses."

Well you can judge for yourself from the scan I am publishing which give a flavour to the handy sized pocket guide.

 

A further green Trident repainted red (104) has re-entered service last week. This time the bus has rear wheel trims borrowed from a Citaro to test reaction and practicality for such items to be fitted to other members of the fleet.

   
Again of interest is the retention of the super rear advert, the use of revised fleet name styles and the use of wheel trims on the rear wheels.
Pictures by Chris Maxfield and Geoff Cunliffe.

A further Volvo B10BLE has returned from Plaxtons fully refurbished but this time with city 15 branding.

      
821 with city 15 branding on what was I think its first day in service - Tuesday 7th - pictures by Gavin Francis
and the last one taken on the 8th February by Geoff Cunliffe.

     
Three Tridents two long serving red ones and one of the most recent repaints.
101 and 102 are taken by Geoff Cunliffe and 105 on city 35 taken by Gavin Francis.

Jeffs of Helmdon

Richard Sharman writes "It would appear Jeffs have now adopted Bowens corporate livery after experiments with Premiere 350 and Futura, and the result looks fairly good I think."

This week saw the arrival of the first of seven Tridents for the revised Bicester services. Details of the new batch are as follows:

Dennis Trident / Alexander ALX400  

Fleet       Chassis nr                 Body nr       reg

18393   

SFD33GBR65GX53766  

5409/27    

KX55TLK

18394

SFD33GBR65GX53768

5409/28

KX55TLN

18395

SFD33GBR65GX53769

5409/29

KX55TLO

18396

SFD33GBR65GX53770

5410/1

KX55TLU

18397

SFD33GBR65GX53771

5410/2

KX55TLV

18398

SFD33GBR65GX53772

5410/3

KX55TLY

18399

SFD33GBR65GX53773

5410/4

KX55TLZ

The first one arrived on Wednesday 8th from Falkirk and the remainder are expected any day now. An exact date for their entry was not available as we went to press.

 
18393 after a wash following its arrival at Horspath last Wednesday lunchtime.

 
M A N 22925 has returned from repaint and has also had the seating recovered in the latest style moquette.


Vario 42376 was working the 3 service last Friday and is seen here at Rose Hill in the lens of Gavin Francis.

 
A surprise visitor to Oxford depot last Friday was this Banbury based Volvo B6 in 500 branded livery.
I am wondering where I've seen that rear style before?


16521 has gained a new super rear ad recently and this is seen in this picture taken at Horspath last Friday.


A nice line up at Horspath last Friday which is of especial interest as it includes four Volvo-Paladins
which will become surplus upon the introduction of the new Tridents on Bicester.
It is not known where they will move to, if at all.

It is always nice to catch up with an old Oxford Tube and Richard Sharman has done just that yesterday.


One time Tube J499MOD is still going strong with Sewards of Wokingham. Picture by Richard Sharman.

I spent a pleasant hour in Wallingford on Saturday afternoon and took some nice shots of the various Thames Travel workings in the town.

          
The 139 runs hourly between Wallingford and Henley daily except Sundays when the X39 runs through to Henley.
The old OBC Olympian 208 is still in active service and the Pink Lady was on the short working of the X39 to Oxford.
The X40 seems to split in Wallingford and the RAF Benson portion is covered by the 132.

 
Gavin Francis caught 383 in this seemingly revised livery on the X39 in Oxford last week.

I am still missing a picture of the new 55 registered Dart from this fleet. Anyone help?

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

?

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

More on the past in High Wycombe

That GS in Hatters Lane

Lesley Francis wrote an interesting piece on this route.

The photo on last week’s page of the GS on route 442 brings back many happy memories. With much excitement I rode on this bus on its first day of operation on 3rd October 1965. 

The route served the Hatters Lane and Hicks Farm areas which had not previously had a bus route. The route ran from 10.00 to 12.30 in the morning and 14.00 and 17.30 in the afternoon Monday-Saturday. 

I lived at the top of Hatters Lane just out of view of the picture and during the afternoon I rode on it from the top of Hatters Lane to Wingate Avenue (1 stop) for the sum of 2d, all the money I had on me at the time. I remember my mother saying "They must have brought that bus out of the ark". I remember one of the drivers being Bert "Chalky" White from Wycombe Marsh.

The route ran every 30mins, departures on the hour coming out of Wycombe along the London Road, then going up Hatters Lane and down Hicks Farm Rise to Micklefield Road and back along the London Road into Wycombe. Departures on the half-hour did the reverse by going along London Road, then Micklefield Road, Hicks Farm Rise and Hatters Lane and back to Wycombe. 

GS 28 arrived at High Wycombe garage in September 1965 newly overhauled from Aldenham. It was the first time Wycombe had operated this type. Because of the hours the service ran, only one driver was needed. Obviously the numbers of drivers who could have driven the GS would have been restricted because a manual licence would have been needed. 

After 2 years GS 28 was delicensed and GS 21 took over until February 1968 when newly overhauled RF 612 arrived to take over the route. Because of the 2 steep hills on the route the RF would have been a much more suitable bus to operate the route. 

GS 28 went on to give further service until it was sold in March 1974 and GS 21 was scrapped in 1972. 

The thing I remember most about the GS was the Indian head and feathers which sat proudly on the top of the radiator. It still remains my favourite bus (even beating Gavin's RT!!)

I have attached another picture of GS 28 outside the Murco petrol station on Hicks Farm Rise and also one of the Indians head.

John Bristow writes "I thought readers would like to see the attached shot, taken at Bowerdean Crossroads on the first day of operation of Routemasters on route 363, my local route at the time.  Incidentally, my records indicate the first day as 20 February 1966 and not 21 February."

Some more historical pictures from Derek Doling but taken by Bill Legg

     
The pictures above show members of the batch of 1950/1 Bristol LL6Bs which operated for Thames Valley until the '60s.
564 to 568 were converted to front entrance around 1960.


The Windover coach 552 which joined the South Midland fleet in March 1960 but this photo is dated as 8th November 1958,
so either the date is wrong or The South Midland fleet history??

Coming events

An interesting opportunity to ride on a Routemaster - 19th February

Peter Cartwright has written to advise of a "running day" in High Wycombe saying "Please see the attached timetable for 19 February. We are hoping to produce a commemorative leaflet/booklet at no more than £2 which will help towards the cost of the day. It is hoped that both RML2440 and RML2412 will be in operation together with any other vehicles that might turn up."


A foretaste of things to come, RML2440 in Newlands last Saturday

Special Service to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Routemasters
introduced onto route 363 on 21 February 1966 from High Wycombe Garage (HE)
 

363 to Totteridge    

Sunday 19 February 2006 ONLY

 

 

 

 

HOLTSPUR North Drive

 

12.59

 

 

 

 

Beaconsfield Saracen's Head

13.03

 

 

 

 

Beaconsfield Station

 

 

13.07

 

 

 

 

Knotty Green Red Lion

 

13.10

 

 

 

 

Penn Post Office

 

 

13.18

14.38

 

 

 

Hazlemere Cross Roads

 

13.26

14.46

 

 

 

Terriers Cross Roads

 

        A

13.30

14.50

 

 

 

High Wycombe Easton Street

11.39

13.39

      B

 

 

 

Cricket Ground

 

11.43

13.43

 

 

 

 

Bowerdean Cross Roads

11.45

13.45

 

 

 

 

TOTTERIDGE Tyzack Road

11.53

13.53

 

 

 

 

A - Departs High Wycombe Bus Station at 11.37       B - Arrives High Wycombe Bus Station at 15.00

363 to Holtspur

Sunday 19 February 2006 ONLY

TOTTERIDGE Tyzack Road

11.58

13.58

 

 

 

 

Bowerdean Cross Roads

12.05

14.05

 

 

 

 

Cricket Ground

 

12.07

14.07

 

 

 

 

High Wycombe Crendon St

12.11

14.11

 

 

 

 

Terriers Cross Roads

 

12.21

14.21

 

 

 

 

Hazlemere Cross Roads

12.25

14.25

 

 

 

 

Penn Post Office

 

12.33

14.33

 

 

 

 

Knotty Green Red Lion

12.41

 

 

 

 

 

Beaconsfield Station

 

12.44

 

 

 

 

 

Beaconsfield Saracen's Head

12.48

 

 

 

 

 

HOLTSPUR North Drive

12.52

 

 

 

 

 

305 to West Wycombe

Sunday 19 February 2006 ONLY

 

 

 

 

HIGH WYCOMBE Bus Station

15.16

 

 

 

 

WEST WYCOMBE Swan

 

15.26

 

 

 

 

 

WEST WYCOMBE Swan

 

15.32

 

 

 

 

HIGH WYCOMBE Bus Station

15.42

 

 

 

 

Please note this service will not operate in the event of adverse weather - e.g. snow & ice due to the VERY steep hills on this route.

Some other events in 2006: 

Special trip over route 347 from Hemel Hempstead to Uxbridge on 19 March marking the 40th anniversary of RML type vehicles starting on that route from Garston & Hemel Hempstead garages.
 

Bus Running Days as follows:

Sunday 14 May - Slough/Windsor

Sunday 25 June - Hemel Hempstead

Sunday 1 October – Amersham organised by Amersham & District Motorbus Society

Running Day in Aldershot with details from Andrew Dyer.

I wonder if you could put a piece in your "forthcoming events" section about all the excitement that will be in Aldershot (not often you see the words "excitement" and "Aldershot" in the same sentence!!) over the weekend of 3 & 4 June this year. 

Stagecoach is organising an event jointly with the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group to celebrate 100 years since the first bus service operated from Aldershot to Farnborough in June 1906. There will be a running day and on Sunday 4 June we will be holding an Open Day at our depot in Halimote Road, Aldershot. As with the Portsmouth event last year, we hope to attract local families as well as enthusiasts and all proceeds raised will go to local charities. 

As Aldershot has such a strong history of Dennis operation, we are hoping to get as many different types of Dennis bus on site as we can. Do you have a contact at the Oxford Bus Museum who might be persuaded to bring a KFC Loline 2? Sadly, I don't think any of the Loline 1's or 3's that were on loan from A&D to COMS in 1969/70 have survived to enable them to make an appearance, although there will certainly be sister vehicles in the SOU xxx and AAA xxxC batches there.

Running Days as advised by Peter Cartwright, Running Day Organiser  Amersham & District Motorbus Society 

At last I'm able to officially notify everyone of the Running Days for 2006.

Sunday 14 May 2006 is the date for the second Slough/Windsor Running Day based on Slough Bus Station. Since last year a huge new Tesco store has been built adjacent and is now fully operational. Due to traffic delays experienced last year in Windsor an extra 5 minutes each way is being added to running times between Slough and Windsor.

There is no St George's Day parade to hold us up this year and the Queen's official birthday is 2 weeks plus later when her 80th birthday is marked. I know of no Royal Wedding planned for Windsor this year and, hopefully, timekeeping will be better on the Windsor routes.

An enhancement to the Burnham Beeches service is envisaged with the opposite way round the loop. There is also the chance to have double deck workings but terminating on the eastern fringe of the Beeches.

Another new route for this year will be a service through Windsor Great Park. Crown Estates are happy with this and I have a meeting arranged  with them on Tuesday 10 January. White Bus Services currently operate a restricted service here but not on Sundays & on only certain days of the week. Operation is likely to be by non-LT single-deck vehicles. A large number of vehicles is required including at least 16 double-deckers.

Some 40 years earlier on 15 May 1966 RMLs were allocated to Windsor Garage to work several routes in the area. RMC coaches had already been there for some time.

WR Garage operated many other types of vehicle including RT,RF,RC,RCL,RB,RS,GS,SMA,SNB,STL, T and of course some of these only operated in the London Country period. Additionally in the summer months Central area red vehicles were commonplace as green vehicles were reassigned to Green Line relief duties so any red-liveried vehicle would be welcome. At least 30 vehicles (including 5 non-LT/LCBS vehicles will be needed to maintain the schedules. 

As 1966 is the 40th anniversary of route 724 it is hoped to have a feeder to/from the Northern areas and to run the route from Slough through Windsor, Old Windsor, Runnymede to Staines. Via Runnymede, by the river Thames was the original routeing when it was extended from Staines to Windsor Castle. It did not serve Windsor Garage nor will it in 2006. The coach link to Staines will therefore be 724 this year in place of 718.

Anyone offering to operate a 725 from at least Kingston will be welcomed. Please let me know.

At the moment there is not an area for display vehicles  but every effort will be made to find one. Can I please ask anyone who came last year and was allocated blinds and who will/cannot come this year, to contact me urgently so I can collect them for re-issue to others. These are expensive and will be needed on the day.

Sunday 25 June 2006

This date in mid-Summer is for the first Hemel Hempstead Running Day to be based on the Bus Station. Arriva the Shires and Essex have given permission for us to use the bus station that day but like Slough this is an operational bus station and we will not interfere with their operations which are anyway much reduced on Sundays.

This is the normal date for North Weald which will not take place this year and the NLTS have no plans for a replacement event that day.

Discussions have also taken place with Dacorum Borough Council, Herts County Council and the police who have all been most helpful. I have also spoken to the Market Superintendent and am able to book and pay for stall space on the day. For those who don't know Hemel, the covered market is situated behind the bus station - an excellent location.

The market will have a hot food stall that day and another stallholder sells confectionery, soft drinks, ice cream etc. Ample toilet facilities are at the bus station.

Peter Gomm and I visited Hemel on Fri 6 January and, with advice from the police, have identified an area nearby for display vehicles in Dacorum Way and vehicles on long breaks can park in Queensway (formerly Bury Road) between Leighton Buzzard Road and Marlow's, the railway station on one unused bay on Sundays and the bus station itself can be used for shorter breaks without disturbing its smooth operation. Health & Safety issues have to be borne in mind. A requirement of at least 10 double decks and 11 single decks are needed. This excludes any duplication which will be needed.

A number of rural and inter-urban routes have been chosen for operation - 302, 307 ,312.316. 317.317a,318,319 ,320,330, 337 ,347,706,708, 724. The 724 is for a feeder service to/from Watford from the North and then a 708 to/from Hemel. At the moment I have nothing from the South - any suggestions/offers?  (THOSE IN BOLD HAVE TO BE SINGLE-DECK OPERATED). 

Certain places such as Berkhamsted Station provide good interchanges with rtes 317/a and 312 connecting there and also in central Watford with the 302 and 347 connecting.

The biggest interchange of all, of course, is the bus station.

Again in Hemel a wide range of vehicles have been operated e.g. GS,RF, T, RB,RT,RMC, RML,SNB,SNC plus several others. Like Windsor, Central Area used to loan their vehicles for weekend and bank holiday duplication. 

If anyone has blinds for any or part of these areas please let me know urgently.

Please respond as quickly as you can as I want to finalise timetables/duties etc asap.

I am paying a visit to Hemel this morning to see what it's like between 11.00 and 12.00

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

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

Links

Bus Services in Buckinghamshire

Bus services in Oxfordshire

Where are the Chilterns?

Visit this informative site through the link below.

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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