News Page
News of the local
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Issue 281
(OBP-494)
Saturday
31st
January 2009
revised and updated on Thursday 5th February 2009
(next update week ending 14th February 2009)
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Company & fleet news – 4th February 2009
I must apologise for the delay in getting this page on line but work has been of the first priority. The delay has had some benefits and I can bring you pictures of a surprise arrival at Arriva, high Wycombe and a number of pictures of buses and coaches in the snow. Indeed London saw no local services on Monday 2nd February, when some National Express services and those of The Oxford Tube and Oxford espress ran an almost full service throughout the day. Well done to those companies. Even the A6 and A9 services from Stansted and the 757 from Luton were missing for much of the day. I can confirm that the National Express 737 service ran from Oxford to Luton and Stansted, although the 0100 service arrived with a 2 hr delay at Stansted. The following services all ran to time though due to very bad road conditions Hemel Hempstead was not served until midday. Arriva at high Wycombe were obliged to withdraw service on the hilly routes around the town and it is rumoured, though not confirmed, that gritting in the area was not all that it should have been.
Thursday 5th February saw further disruption due to the snow and services in the outlying parts of Oxfordshire we severely hit. London and airport services ran again but the 737 service to Luton and Stansted was worst hit with coaches unable to reach Hemel and Luton for most of the morning. Indeed the 0630 and 0905 services operated from Wycombe to Stansted non-stop and the 0430 never got further than Luton Airport Way. Indeed access to the actual airport, as seen on BBC News tonight, was only on foot. The service returned to Oxford early this afternoon with many outgoing passengers still on board.
More snow is forecast for tomorrow morning and to quote Pete on BBC London News, just in time for the morning rush hour !!!!!
As mentioned above some services in High Wycombe were unable to run on Monday but one must acknowledge that there are many very hilly routes from the town.
I am rather surprised that there appears an anomaly in the positioning of the route numbers on the latest deliveries. Those based at Hemel and Watford have the route numbers on the right hand side of the front destination whereas those Aylesbury are on the left which according to Government guidelines is incorrect. I wonder why?
Aylesbury seemed short of a Citaro today (4th Feb) and passengers on the 300
were treated to leather seats on 3446.
Nigel Peach writes
"With new buses in Aylesbury and Hemel, a few displaced buses have come to Wycombe.You have already reported Olympians 5147/8 from Hemel. All Leyland Olympian 5132 (H202GRO) has returned to us from Aylesbury and an additional Scania is 3143 (N693EUR) joining five of its sisters. I'm not sure where this has come from - my book says Luton, but it has an advert for something in Aylesbury.
As to what these vehicles have replaced, maybe 3143 is in for 3841, the ex Oxford Volvo B10M which hasn't reappeared after its accident in November. All Leyland Olympians 5120 and 5118 would both appear to be under cannibalisation at Wycombe. They seem to be withdrawing these G reg examples - I notice that a number from this batch that were at Aylesbury have gone. (Wycombe now have just two left, 5121 and 5122). Arriva have a very large number of similar aged Olympians, so it will be interesting to see in what order they are replaced. I was expecting 5836 (WLT916) to depart. This ex London Olympian is by far the oldest around but it still seems to be working its specific daily run."
Olympian 5836 continues in service at Wycombe. (4th February). It is seen above
on a school working on 20th January on the Ibstone Road.
There were some problems with the cooling system, hence the smoke at the rear.
"The back row of the depot is the graveyard for a number of buses. Pictured on a sunny Saturday (17th Jan) are Olympians 5120 and 5118 (G290/288UMJ). Also in that row are Volvo B6 3115 (L315HPP), Volvo B10M 3330 (M234TBV) (both earlier accident victims), Iveco, ex Trainer, 4036 (L500 BUS) and a green Dart(?) which has been there for about a year. All are in different stages of dismantling."
Nigel Peach and Peter Chinfield both mentioned an unusual Dart at Wycombe and
today I was able to photograph same as seen above.
I presume there are problems with one of the regular buses and 3482 is not
acceptable???
Peter Chinfield writes
" an unusual bus in Arriva red is V421.DGT. which was parked in the Eden bus station on Saturday lunchtime with a cardboard printout U9 in destination box with an A4 33 in windscreen. I am not sure were this has come from. G656.UPP. has found its self back in Luton transferred from High Wycombe but H202GRO has found its way back to Wycombe from Aylesbury - no electronic blinds yet installed - just the usual blank yellow in destination box with A4 paper in windscreen. It's been on service 32 for the last 2 weeks."Glenn Knight writes
"Leyland Olympian 5106 - G656UPP has been transferred from High Wycombe HW to Luton LN . This was on School service this morning and Staff Shuttle around 11am."
Two buses which started life with Sovereign are now fully integrated into the
Arriva fleet.
As mentioned elsewhere the original VDL easy access coaches from the 797 have
been transferred to Stevenage for the 797.
On his way back Adam was followed by the one 58 plate Citaro delivered for the
724 service.
Ben Morroll sent a nice selection of Arriva buses taken in and around Watford a week or so ago. One is very interesting. A new purple route??
The new Enviro 400s on the 280 are now gaining branding and I caught up with 5434 last Sunday morning.
Pictures by M Crowe., Note the position of the route number.
The new Green Line coaches are now almost tonally in control of the London 757
route.
Those with orange rears have now gained easyBus branding.
4072 is seen arriving at Luton on 3rd February, this is the only one without
large numbers above the drivers cab window.
My second picture shows 4381 with easyBus branding.
Citaro 3914 is seen at Luton Airport on 3rd February with the rear of NEx SC
59211 on the 737 service.
Arriva 5435 in Oxford as seen by Richard Sharman.
Stephen Le Bras notes that on Saturday 17th January "4372 on the 757 seems to have lost its offside driver's window fleet number- if it ever had it.
4066 is still unbranded on the 797 whilst the driver of 4367 was looking for Stevenage to go with the "Central London" on his blinds for the 797. He did find "Oxford", though!"
Arriva subsidiary Air Link - Excel.
This company which operates the Airlink service from Stansted to Ipswich now has one of its two main coaches in Love Bus promotional livery for Heart FM.
http://www.heartipswich.co.uk/Article.asp?id=1107641
Carousel Bus, High Wycombe
The company has at last got a proper permanent yard on Baker Street, High Wycombe where the bus can be secure. This follow unfortunate experiences with the previous parking locations where damage was done to a number of buses by mindless vandals.
The new yard to Baker Street with strong security fencing.
Two recent arrivals on fleet strength come from National Express and are Wrights
bodied Volvo B6s. They are P235AAP in white and P236AAP in red used on Line 1.
Picture by M Crowe.
Further pictures are provided by Gain Francis of this bus now and when in NEx
service at LHR.
The buses retain their large luggage areas.
Geoff Stewart writes "Looking for a bit of help, please. I wonder if any of your contributors knows the chassis number of the third Irisbus Agora - C3WYC - in the Carousel Fleet? Got info for all the 20 odd others up and down the country, but drawn a blank with this one."
City Sightseeing - Oxford
John Hammond writes "City Sightseeing Oxford's ex Blue Triangle Dennis Trident V904FEC undergoing conversion to open top. The second such bus to be converted."
Osney Mead,
Oxford 30/1/09.
Two more pictures of 904 under conversion from Richard Sharman.
Tri-axle Go-Northern 7100 is seen arriving in Oxford from Liverpool on the
Weymouth service. G Francis.
England liveried Volvo/Caetano at
Stansted last week. It was on a 727 working.
Mark Eason writes "You state on your news page (Sunday 18th Jan) that there are some new coaches for the Portsmouth NX routes as Luckett's Travel have taken over the routes.
There are in face 12 new vehicles, all "58" plates, which have replaced the entire Portsmouth fleet. They are all Scania Caetano Levantes."
The fleet list is below, all vehicles being Scania K340 EB4, with Caetano Levante bodies. Seating code is C49FTL
X4951 FJ58AHE
X4952 FJ58AHF
X4953 FJ58AHG
X4954 FJ58AHK
X4955 FJ58AHL
X4956 FJ58AJY
X4957 FJ58AKF
X4958 FJ58AKG
X4959 FJ58AHN
X4960 FJ58AJX
X4961 FJ58AHO
X4962 FJ58AHP
The X number at the beginning is the vehicles fleet number. X denominating National Express. 49 showing it's seating capacity, and the last 2 digits showing the vehicles position in the fleet (so 4901 would be the first 49 seater in the fleet, 4950 the 50th 49 seater in the fleet etc).
Stephen Le Bras writes "I was interested to see the photos of the new Luckett's Levantes. X4954 is AHK, not AHN; it was the one I snapped at Victoria last Saturday but regrettably the display did not come out- as sometimes is the case. These displays do seem to use a very odd font."
Dave Francis, who runs a National Express interest site
notes the following new two axle Levantes with Selwyn's Travel, Runcorn.FJ58AJU
FJ58AJV
Silverdale Travel of Nottingham have
FJ58AJO
Yeomans Canyon Travel now have FJ07TKD once with Arriva at Milton Keynes.
Volvo B6 Wrights Crusader 30 seaters P235 and 236AAP have now appeared with Carousel in High Wycombe. q.v.
This company ran services between Oxford and London plus airport services last Monday when a number of operators failed to run including TfL.
Coach 38 leaves Gloucester Green on Monday 2nd February, the day when so many
operators failed to run.
A most unusual sight was this
Citaro on the Gatwick bay at Gloucester Green.
Picture taken 2nd February by Gavin Francis.
The engineering department have gained a cherished plate on their van as seen in the picture above taken by Gavin Francis.
Blue Star 625-K125BUD-FairOak-300109 James May. This bus was once in the Oxford
fleet and has served the Blue Star fleet for many months now.
RH Transport
An interesting picture has reached my desk from Richard Sharman.
RH 106 seen in the snow at Bladon.
The S series enjoyed a launch last week and Chris Child, Marketing Manager of SC in Oxfordshire has sent some nice pictures.
Trident 18132 is seen in Witney at the launch suitably decked out.
More balloons and some of the staff who were involved in the launch.
A number of readers sent pictures of the bus used on S series routes displaying the new destination displays. Craig McConn who does such a good job on the destination displays of the SC buses produced his own S for use on the buses which required writing a special little programme. The normal S ended up looking too much like a 5.
The buses operating the S series routes.
Pictures by Gavin Francis.
S1/S2 series bus
S3
series buses.
S5
series buses.
Pictures by Richard Sharman.
S1/S2 series buses
S5 series bus.
New cove branding has appeared on the Tridents as seen below. Pictures by M Crowe.
Further interior branding brightens up the bus very much indeed.
Monday 2nd February was very quiet in Gloucester Green save for this S3 laying
over.
This Trident, 18393, was about to loose its Tube super rear in favour of new S
branding.
SCE 47125 on
the X88 service in Gloucester Green. G Francis.
M A N 22936 has received a repaint and now carries some branding I have not seen
before.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
Whilst the branding was being completed, it would appear that Witney were short
of a bus and used this Solo on the 200.
Pictures by Gavin Francis.
Various
pictures of the new Volvo coaches now in service on the X5.
The rear branding is I believe most
effective.
Pictures below by Gavin Francis.
Pictures below by Richard Sharman.
Pictures below by Gary Seamarks
Pictures below by M Crowe
A snowy scene in Oxford's George Street on Monday 2nd February.
The Oxford Tube comes out on top against the snow.
Services throughout this week of difficult road conditions due to the snow have been maintained and on Monday 2nd February it seemed that only the Oxford Tube was running in London.
With the time
approaching 8 am Gavin Francis caught some snowy scenes on his way into
Victoria.
The lack of other traffic is significant as is the lack of any other buses or
coaches.
Waiting for departure
to London just before 9 am, 50133 makes a brave sight in the heavy snow fall. (M
Crowe)
Gavin's return to
Oxford was made once again in seeming isolation to any other traffic - Holland
Park Avenue sometime after 8.30 am.
Waiting for departure from Oxford to London just before 9 am, 50133 makes a
brave sight in the heavy snow fall. (M Crowe).
When Gavin returned to London around lunchtime he recorded the deserted bus
station at Victoria on Monday 2nd February.
Still no other public
transport or even cars around at midday when Gavin returned to London with
50104. The snow is still falling.
On another subject.
John Owen brings 50125
into Speedwell Street through the very narrow path in the road works on St
Aldates.
A little bit of history.
From Gavin Francis taken on 25th January, he says "I think this is an old Tube but cannot find any record of it. It was working on Rail Replacement today between Oxford and Banbury. From Stagecoach I know Wiltax had it and it is now owned by Alder Valley South. Driver says it still runs OK but is a bit tired. I wonder how many miles it has done?"
Indeed it was fleet number 7 new in 1993 and ran until 1999 when replaced by the Jonckheere double deck coaches.
Z & S Aylesbury
Some nice pictures taken in Leighton Buzzard, Oxford & Milton Keynes by Glenn Knight.
YJ06YPU Optare
Spectra on 165 to Aylesbury taken in Leighton Buzzard (Z&S International)
M401TCK Optare Metrorider on 2E to Newport Pagnell (Z&S International)
Please check back in a few days for a further and final update of this issue. (5th February 2009)
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