Spottings & Jottings
Issue nr. 6 - 29th September 2009
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Welcome to issue number 6 which is somewhat later than planned due to my absence as I attended Showbus at Duxford last Sunday. The weather was glorious and I am sure everyone enjoyed the day with around 500 buses and coaches to look at. I was fortunate to have been able to take one of the latest Oxford tube coaches as an entry. Even more so as we were invited to be the representative for 2009 in the Buses 60 parade from Cambridge to Duxford, preceding the main event. My heading picture this week is one taken by Gary Seamarks of our coach arriving at Duxford. Another entrant from Oxford was one of the latest Brookes Scania entered by Oxford Bus. Both this and ours won awards in the event.
The main feature of the event must have been the dry weather and as mentioned earlier a very warm and sunny Duxford unlike some previous years when a boat might have been a more appropriate means of transport!
Picture taken by Gary Seamarks
Quite a lot has been happening over the past week with the launch of Carousel's new and revised services, transfers of Arriva buses from Stevenage to High Wycombe, new Citaros for uNO at Hatfield etc.
A final note in this issue is that I will be unable to produce full News Issue (295) for a couple of weeks due to the fact that I am about to go into a six day duty stint and will only have some time after 16th October. This means that a number of welcome contributions will have to held over until I can get around to publishing said full issue.
Spottings
Arriva always supports Showbus and this year sent one of the new Enviro 400s from Aylesbury depot. These buses are generally used on Line 280 from Aylesbury to Oxford.
The picture shows 5438 leaving Duxford and was taken by Richard
Sharman.
Glenn Knight writes "After Duxford I popped into Babbage Road & Norton Green Road depot with some very interesting finds. On site were 4362, 4363 and 4368 in School-Bus Yellow. Also 4367 now in Inter-Urban livery and pictured below."
I notice that the blinds are set for the 797
and still wonder why this coach has gained Inter-Urban livery?
Picture by Glenn Knight.
Nigel Peach has been busy observing in Wycombe and writes "I was surprised to see three more additions to Wycombe's allocation when I visited the Cressex depot today (Sat 26th).
Gavin Francis was in Wycombe yesterday and sent some interesting pictures of recent changes.
Volvo B6 3248 looking rather smart in Inter-Urban livery.
Picture by Gavin Francis.
Ex Hemel Scania 3162 looking smart in Blue route livery. Picture
by Gavin Francis.
Gavin Francis was in Wycombe on Monday and took a few pictures of Carousel operations including the branded Citaros.
The first picture shows a branded Citaro on the A40 - Picture by Gavin
Francis.
The second picture shows a DAF on the new route 740. Picture by Gavin
Francis.
As we've mentioned earlier at least one of the EVLs has gained a digital
display as seen above EVL7 - picture by Gavin Francis.
Noel from Carousel sent some pictures of the launch of the A30 service in Chesham last week. Noel says
"All the Citaros are now branded for the A30/A40/740 group of services, photos attached. There is one from the official launch taken in Chesham too. STL9 returned late yesterday from MCV having been converted to single door and upseated to 39. Fleet name vinyls are on order for the STLs and should be applied in the near future."
MB51 at Showbus, Duxford last Sunday - picture
by Glenn Knight.
Hedley Shanks writes "Just a few more pictures of recent acquisitions. The Paragons have just come from Plaxton coach sales ex Logan’s of Dunloy, Northern Ireland and the Volvo Olympians only arrived yesterday (18th Sept) and are obviously in ‘as acquired’ condition. We also bought N591NRH earlier in the year from sister company Finglands which I have also photographed just before it was sent for painting, as you can see it is reregistered KSK967, Steve Warwick will recognize this number plate from his days at Motts on a previous vehicle, a Plaxton Paramount 3200 DAF, I bet he has a photo!"
The Paragons have just come
from Plaxton coach sales ex Logan’s of Dunloy, Northern Ireland
The Volvo Olympians only
arrived yesterday (18th Sept) and are obviously in ‘as acquired’
condition.
We also bought N591NRH earlier in the year from sister company Finglands
which I have also photographed just before it was sent for painting, as you
can see it is reregistered KSK967.
Above pictures by Hedley Shanks.
Another recent arrival was pictured by Glenn Knight on a recent visit
to Motts.
As mentioned above one of the new Scania deckers attended Showbus where it won the award for the best New Millennium Bus. The picture from Richard Sharman shows this bus leaving Duxford at the end of the event.
J May sent news of bluestar 625 (K125BUD), previously with Oxford Bus Company, is only one of two now left in service with bluestar – 625 and sister 622 (K122BUD). Both are allocated to Totton depot where they tend to operate routes 4 (Southampton – Romsey) and 12 (Southampton – Calmore).
bluestar
625 seen in Totton, (A36 Salisbury Rd) on Saturday 26th September
- picture by J May.
I notice that, yet again, Nigel McCree is advertising an ex North East Trident - Plaxton President - for sale at £68,000 plus. I wonder if the six ex Brighton Volvo B10BLEs are to replace six of the Presidents?
The Oxford Bus Museum
Representing this museum, Neil Tidbury brought along his AEC Reliance, once a member of The city of Oxford bus company and resplendent in its livery.
"Another bus arrived today from Stafford Bus Centre. T413AGP, a Dennis Dart Marshall ex-Go North East fitted with Hanover Flip-Dot destination."
The delivery of the new Oxford tube coaches continues as recorded below.
Fleet Number | Registration Mark | due for delivery or into service |
50216 | OU59 AVC | after 08 Oct |
50217 | OU59 AVD | after 08 Oct |
50218 | OU59 AVE | after 15 Oct |
50219 | OU59 AUR | after 15 Oct |
50220 | 0U59 AUO * | into service 23 Oct |
50221 | OU59 AUT * | into service 24 Oct |
50222 | OU59 AUV | after 17 Sep |
50223 | OU59 AUW ** | into service 27 Sep |
50224 | OU59 AUX | after 24 Sep |
50225 | OU59 AUY | after 01 Oct |
50226 | OU59 AVB | after 01 Oct |
Note some changes & additional information :-
* 50219 and 50220 have switched
registrations from the first note given.
** 50223 was at Showbus and then operated the night service on Sunday
evening, 27th September.
Autumn Gold
Monday b21st September saw Stagecoach showing off two members of the 2009 fleet additions. A great deal of interest was shown in the two vehicles on show.
Showbus 2009
Several vehicles were at the event, some of local interest including a brand new Megabus Plaxton tri-axle based at Rugby.
The brand new Megabus Plaxton tri-axle based at Rugby, 54059 is seen leaving the event - Picture by Richard Sharman.
An ex Oxford Olympian, 16525, now with Stagecoach in Hampshire and just repainted, is seen leaving the event - Picture by Richard Sharman.
Stagecoach is a good supporter of vintage buses and coaches and their Bristol
FLF6G from Kettering was at the show. Picture by George Irvine.
News from Scotland
A very recent addition to the Tappins fleet was caught on camera by Richard Sharman. When painted into fleet livery this coach should look impressive.
Andrew Morgan and Glenn Knight both wrote to advise me that the new 59 plate Citaros have begun to arrive and Andrew sent some excellent pictures plus registration details.
Three pictures of uNO Citaro 317 (BF59 NHZ) on first day of service on route 603
not the intended route 602.
314 BF59 NHV
315 BF59 NHX
As ever Woottens had a good contribution to Showbus 2009 including two vehicles in the Buses 60 line up.
Their coach fleet was represented by two Plaxtons dating from 2006.
Above pictures by George Irvine.
Jottings