Editorial

This week's key news concerns the arrival, at last, of one of the new coaches for Oxford Bus being nr 39 and of course 30 already here and being used for training. Entry into service is planned for some of the new coaches in the next weeks and the remaining coaches will also enter service in the coming weeks. So plenty to look out for and photograph where possible.

Gavin caught up with nr 30 on Saturday, July 7th when it was parked in Gloucester Green. It is awaiting application of fleet numbers at this time. It is parked next to older coach 9.

 
More detail of the wheel chair lift on the new coaches as seen on July 10th by Gavin Francis.

Another surprise from Oxford Bus is a wrap for GWR on yet a further double deck, this time 221, which Gavin and some other photographed over the past few days.

 
221 in service on July 9th in Oxford by Gavin Francis.

David Allen with the Shuttleworth Trust and Nuffield Place car extravaganza

Grove, Shuttleworth Trust and Nuffield Place car extravaganza. 

   
Some of the buses present including the Morris Motors Bus from the Oxford Bus Museum 

 

Fleet news and developments

 

Richard Sharman


Inbound 5464 passes a late running 5463 running dead on Park End Street.
The repaint programme has transformed the look of these four year old E400s.

Tony Bungay


2990 working service 300 in Stoke road Aylesbury on 1/7/19 


4025 at Aylesbury College on Town service 9, not usually a regular route for these vehicles,
in addition the destination display appears to have a problem where the service  number should be!  3/7/19 


4021 in Exchange street Aylesbury on the 500 6/7/19 


More variety vehicle wise on service 150, 3340 in Aylesbury High street, a rare appearance of a Streetlite so far in Aylesbury  6/7/19.

 

 

Frank Brown

The unique former Go-Ahead London WDL1 (LX58 CWG) 2009 DAF Wrightbus Gemini 2DL arrived at Carousel in March numbered 938 - seen at Hazlemere Cross Roads on the Friday, July 5th morning nr 5 Downley - Sir William Ramsay School service.

 

Along with 2005 Volvo B7TL/Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini's 939-941 this bus is confined to school work due to London dual door configuration.

941 is the first receiving conversion to single door layout whilst 938-940 will be so treated during the school summer recess. 

Also when I passed by the depot during last week, Thames Travel's 914 was in the yard. It was, I understand, there for engineering attention and  MOT.

On July 10th StreetLites 403, 404 and 406 were exchanged with Oxford & Thames Travel's 219, 220 and 222. This is for the single deckers to work the new ST1 and ST2 services. 219 was in use on the afternoon of the 10th.

 

As noted in the Editorial some of the new coaches are now arriving. More details as they become available. Phil Southall advises that coach 82 has now departed to Mercedes and is off fleet. Next to go is coach 3.

Scania 221 has received a GWR overall wrap and has mainly been seen on 8 road.


Picture by David Beynon on July 8th.


221 at the Station stops on a 4A service by James Freeman.

Richard Sharman


Freshly wrapped 221 is seen departing the City on July 6th with service 8 to Barton.


BV18YGM was located at Gloucester Green on 6th of July for Driver Training. The operating of the wheelchair lift forms part of that training.


A recent super rear advert displayed on 77.


New nr 30 is pictured with coach 2 at Gloucester Green on Jul 6th by Richard Sharman.


Loaned Sprinter BU55EVM working PMU service on July 9th leaving Thornhill by Gavin Francis

See under Carousel for comments on 914.

As mentioned above under Carousel, on July 10th StreetLites 403, 404 and 406 were exchanged with Oxford & Thames Travel's 219, 220 and 222. This is for the single deckers to work the new ST1 and ST2 services. 219 was in use on the afternoon of the 10th. 

 

Three ex Nottingham City Scania Omnidekkers have arrived maybe for school services from September. Details are awaited. 

 

 


The Wash & Fuelling alley at Oxford is shown on July 7th by Gavin Francis. 

 

We are pleased to note that both 50272 and 50284 are now back in service as of late last week. Both have been off the road for some considerable time!

Two of the previous batch of Oxford tube visited Oxford on Sunday last, now working with Andrews of Foxton, Cambs. They are now repainted white with cherished registration P**MBC.

   
Pictures by Gavin Francis on July 8th in Oxford. The coaches above started life as 50202 and 50207. 

Smaller operators, London developments & local visitors

Richard Sharman

Brighton & Hove Volvo B11R/ Plaxton Elite 530 is seen visiting Oxford on the 6th of July. The Spirit of Sussex livery is not as eye catching as the former bus livery used on the coaches. It would appear 530 also got caught in some wet weather on the way up.

Former Weavaway Leopard YX65 ZJO is now with London Bus Group, and is seen visiting its former operating territory.

Bennetts of Gloucester Tourismo BJ16 KYB is seen operating NX Special Service W13 to Wembley.

 

My apologies to readers for the short content of this issue and I will pick up on left out items and other details, hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday next week.