Issue nr. 252
Wednesday, May 24th 2023

From the Editor

The first of the new Airline Tourismo coaches have arrived and details have been provided by James Freeman.

Botley Road Bridge closure update - Rail Replacement for Didcot - Oxford continues.

Gavin Francis reports on the Chiltern Hills Rally, Harlow Classic Bus Running Day, Stevenage and Harlow.

Date for your diary - Showbus flyby - Spotters' Corner - Readers Write - a video on the Leyland National.

Coach Visitors to Oxford followed by Fleet News and Developments.

If you wish to contribute pictures send them to :- malcolmcrowe@oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk  

    New Tourimo's start to arrive 

From James Freeman

Pictures 252/J Freeman/OX 24 at depot 240523 J Freeman MPEG-4 video.mp4

James Freeman was on hand to record the video and secure this picture of the latest Airline arrival at the depot on May 24th.

Botley Road Bridge closure update

pignbob

 
47831 works an E1 at Osney Island on May 23rd.

Rail Replacement for Didcot - Oxford continues

David Beynon

Some from the station coach park o n May 22nd.

pignbob

 
Reading's 791 seen with appropriate blinds on May 22nd.  

Chiltern Hills Rally

Sunday 21^st May 2023

Last Sunday our bus group was asked by the owners to take all 5 of their buses to The Chilton Hills Rally just north of Aylesbury. As usual we spent some time a few days beforehand checking and preparing them, this time concentrating on RF 26 which has not been out so far this year. This involves running it through the automatic wash, a thorough clean inside and the usual mechanical checks.

    
Having finished the cleaning we decided to make it a 725 service and affixed the side route panels and also the front destination blind.

Sunday morning the alarm was set for 05.00 as I had to be in Aylesbury for 07.00. I followed former London United SP 59 now owned by Transpora through the town on its way to the station to do Rail Replacement duties.

  
Transpora SP 59 and when owned by London United in Kingston in 2017.

Late correction from Gavin

Something has gone wrong with the picture of SP 59 at the start of my article. It shows fleet number SP40059 which is SP 59 but it has the wrong registration. It either has the wrong fleet number or the wrong registration!!

 
SP's 58 and 59  Any comments?

One by one the buses were brought out of storage and then any last minute preparation before the short trip to Weedon. 

RF 525, RM 1962 and RTL 554 ready for the off. 

We arrived at the Rally about 08.00 and parked them together.

They stayed until about 17.00 when it was time to bring them back to storage again.

Harlow Classic Bus Running Day Commemorating 60 years of Harlow Garage
Harlow Classic Bus Running Day Commemorating 60 years of Harlow Garage | 21/05/2023 - YouTube

Most of the group stayed there but I had decided I wanted to go to The Harlow Running Day held in conjunction with the 60^th anniversary of the opening of Harlow Garage, so it was a quick trip along the A41, M25 and M11 to Harlow to arrive about 10.30. There was a good display of buses, I counted 17 of which 1 of each is pictured below, although I may have missed some.

     
     
     
     

Pictured above, RF 180, RCL 2233, SM 88, RML 2440, RML 2456, RMC 1453, BN 45, RF 406,
RT 3254, RF 146, RF 281, RMC 4, RF 673, BL 88, GS 12, GS 15, and RT 1700.
All of the above pictures taken at Harlow Garage or Harlow Bus Station.

    
   
The above group pictures were again taken at Harlow Garage or at The Bus Station

Stevenage new bus station

I left Harlow about 13.30 and decided to call into Stevenage on the way back to take a look at the new Bus Station.

It is located near the Railway Station and is positioned North/South and as buses leave by the southern exit it makes a good location for photography.

Left Stevenage about 15.30 and drove back to Chiltern Hills Rally to help bring the buses back to storage which we completed quite quickly by 18.30. Drove back home to Stokenchurch for a 19.15 finish. A long day but very enjoyable.

My thanks to Gavin for his hard work in presenting his day out. Ed 

    Date for your Diary   

Sunday, June 18th 2023
SHOWBUS flyby Entry List

Martin Isles

Just over four weeks to go to till the SHOWBUSflyby and we are delighted to announce that the Bristol KSW used by Paul McCartney’s Wings group for their 1972 Tour of Europe is fully restored and heading to Brunel University on Sunday June 18^th where it was last on display at our first event fifty years ago in January 1973.

If you are planning to enter a bus or coach please send your entry in as soon as possible so we can timetable you into the event.  We can still cope with last minute entries though as in the past. Unfortunately this reminder is necessary as BUSES mag has failed to publish the promised advert in their latest issue.

A reminder that the SHOWBUSflyby can start from either end – RAF High Wycombe or Uxbridge anytime from 0930h.  Alternative joining points are High Wycombe Bus Station and Beaconsfield Services and either Brunel University for LEZ exempt vehicles or Oxford Road Bus Stop, just after the Cross Street/Cowley Road roundabout for those unable to enter the LEZ zone.  We also have statis display opportunities at Brunel (for LEZ exempt vehicles) and in High Wycombe town centre where the Traders Village will be held.

From the Uxbridge end, the route is primarily along the A40 as far as High Wycombe Bus Station, then heads through the Hughenden Valley climbing the Chiltern Hills to RAF High Wycombe (Strike Command) at Naphill.

Our previous SHOWBUSflyby during the pandemic in 2020 was well received and much acclaimed so we hope you will enjoy this one too as we celebrate fifty years of SHOWBUS 

     Spotters’ Corner   

George Candelin

A couple of nice Scottish coaches in Peartree Services, not so sure about the cars in the coach park though.   

Matthew Bullock

Nice to see the pic of the A49 cafe, shame it seems to be for sale. The bus is NNN471W, a Roe-bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68A/1R, the first of ten (471-480: NNN 471-80W) new to Nottingham in February/March 1981. They were unusual choices for Nottingham in being single door layout, and being to a standard NBC design rather than Nottingham's distinctive standard style produced by East Lancs and Northern Counties, apparently acquired to speed up deliveries when EL and NC could not supply quick enough! They were presumably a cancelled NBC order, and received a few Nottingham features such as the large Firestone HELP bumper. Attached is a picture of the last, 480 (NNN 480W), seen in August 1986 in Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, in the anti-deregulation livery, by which time it had a Leyland 690 engine and uprated rear axle as these buses were often used for private hire work.

Nigel Peach

When I saw Tony Bungay's picture in issue 250 it rang a bell. I have located two pictures I took of "The 49 bus" on 17th July 2019 (attached). Paul Statham (issue 251) is correct. It Is an ex Nottingham Atlantean. NNN 471W. It has deteriorated somewhat in the last four years!  

Thomas W W Knowles

Paul Statham is quite right in identifying the vehicle parked by the A49 as being ex Nottingham. It is, in fact, a Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68 registered NNN 471W. It was still there a few weeks ago as my son James saw it whilst I photographed it back in 2016.

    A video worth watching  

British Leyland National Bus Sales promotion video factory tour production manufacture and testing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=929&v=J3b9sHPSJGM&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rmweb.co.uk%2F&feature=emb_logo

      Coach visitors to Oxfordshire     

David Beynon

A European meeting at Redbridge today and a 23 plate Isuzu which appeared to be working for OMC Global in Becket Street, but may not be owned by them.

Three from Redbridge in the last 2 days, the German boot is still resident.

     Fleet News and developments   

Toby J France CMILT, CMgr MCMI
Head of Commercial – East & South Midlands - Arriva UK Bus 

Picking up on Paul Weal’s comments on Leighton Buzzard:

The new “Leighton’s Buses” network is operated from our existing outstation in the town, where we have more than doubled our workforce as well as appointing a pair of Lead Drivers from within the team to oversee runout.  LB outstation is indeed now operated as a satellite of Milton Keynes depot in consideration of operational bandwidth, and reach of engineering support (Luton already covering 757 in to central London). 

Printed copies of the leaflet are in the process of being distributed to every house in Leighton Buzzard by Central Bedfordshire Council.  They are also available from the Library, Rail Station, Town Council Offices, Information Centre adjacent the public facilities at Waterborne Walk Shopping Centre, and of course in leaflet holders onboard the buses.  We have had to replenish supplies to the depot twice within the first week, so there have been days when they’ve all gone by lunchtime! 

Paul’s comment that “local knowledge is everything” is an interesting one, with the route network designed locally by the LTA!

We’ve been doing some work to move fleet around across the business as part of a wider cascade plan that gives incremental benefits across multiple depots. 

In the latest move two Pulsars from HK moved to join others of their type at TN and release a further pair of Versas to HW, who in turn released to StreetLites to LN where they have replaced a pair of end-of-life MPDs. 

The next fleet changes at HW are anticipated to be the introduction of additional double deckers subject to some tree cutting works being completed.

Gary Seamarks

on a recent visit to Oxford.

Looking pristine 3031 works a 280 service on May 17th. Gavin Francis

   
Variety in High Wycombe on May 18th. 

Gavin Francis

   
Ex Glasgow 34385 seen in The Eden Bus Station in its new livery working an X74 on May 18th.

Kevin Fuller

69931 Volvo 7900H waits time on Wellington Street before working an 8 service to Heathrow via Windsor and Staines.

 
StreetLite Max 63315, although branded for the X74, is seen on Wellington Street with a 6 service from Maidenhead to Wexham.

 
69387 is a Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban, seen working a route 4 service from Heathrow to Cippenham. It carries the latest Bee Line livery.

Wright StreetLite 47693 is one of the buses transferred from Southampton earlier this year,
and still carries partial branding from its old life.
The picture was taken on Brunel Way, and the bus is laying over before working to Uxbridge on route 3..

 
69926, Volvo Hybrid heads a line up at the First depot in Slough. 

 
Also at the depot is Volvo B9R/Plaxton Panther coach 20810, used on the Guildford - Heathrow Railair service.

Wright StreetLite Max 63313 still shows its Platinum Jubilee livery, albeit without lettering, during layover on X74 duties in Brunel Way.
In the background is the fire damaged bus station - there doesn't appear to be any remedial work happening yet in order to bring it back into use.

34375 is one of the ex-Glasgow Enviro 400MMc's recently acquired for the 7 route,
and seen on Wellington Street as it turns into Brunel Way on its journey from Heathrow to Britwell. 

Gavin Francis

Chiltern Automotive have sold this one to somebody in Glastonbury. RF530 is seen on February 18th.

 
Now and then (April 1st 2015) YN07LFD seen in Stokenchurch on May 24th.

Neil Gow

Harlequin Travel and Chiltern Automotive are under common management and some Chiltern Automotive vehicles operate under the Harlequin brand also. LX06DZY is one of these, so is the Plaxton bodied Volvo B7TL IIG 9286.

Gavin Francis

 
244 and 407 seen in Bridge Street on May 18th.

Another Sprinter to join the PMU fleet is 987 and May 18th.

Matthew Sewell

Thames Travel make some journeys on the 102 as seen above with 453 in The Eden Bus Station on May 19th.

Gary Seamarks

on a recent visit to Oxford.

     
Some pictures from my visit on May 17th.

Jack Cooper

Not open top weather on May 19th when 203 was waiting for sightseers !

     
Tourismo's 37, 39 and 40 seen in Oxford in mid May 2023. These are soon to be joined by 24-29 seen at the top o.f the page.

     
     
May 20th and 21st saw these Oxford deckers hard at work in St Clements.

pignbob

With imminent departure of the remaining elites these photos are very appropriate. Ed.

   
 
     
67, 68 and 71 are seen at work on May 23rd.
Last day of these are on the 27th with new Mercedes Tourismo’s arriving. 

Gary Seamarks

on a recent visit to Oxford.

     
Thames Travel, nice change to see so many of their deckers in town, assume due to Rail closure ? 

Jack Cooper

621 has been rebranded from Milton Park blue to the latest Harwell livery seen on May 22nd.

923 seen in St Aldates on May 21st with  an X32.

Malcolm Crowe

I expect that Carousel were doing some maintenance work when 246 was seen in Wycombe on May 20th.

pignbob

     
Normally allocated to Oxford here 220 and 222 are seen working TT routes on May 22nd.

 
841 was also on loan to Didcot seen working a 63 on May 23rd.

   
As noted above 621 has gained new branding and is seen here on May 19th working the X2.

922 has been off the road for many weks but reappeared working the X2 on May 19th.
921 appears to have removed from t he operational list. Ed.

Gavin Francis

Gavin was visiting Harlow last Sunday and caught up with the 737 which calls en route to and from Stansted.

     
58 and 59 seen in Harlow on May 21st working the 737. 

Gavin Francis

 
This company has a very decorative livery as seen above by LJ08CZP on May 18th and as it was in 2019.

Gavin Francis

The 130 sees interesting variety and above is MX60GXK in Bridge Street on May 18th. 

Gavin Francis

Red Rose provides interest in its workings of the 40 and 275 through Stokenchurch.

 
YX11AEC has received fleet livery as seen on May 20th and earlier in January 2023.

Ex Yellow Bus YX12AKU ia now in full fleet livery as seen on May 18th.

Also ex Yellow Bus is YX12ARZ working the 275 on May 24th. 

Jack Cooper

Rain in Gloucester Green washes 11235 on May 19th.

 
10686 seen in Gloucester Green on May 19th working the S2.

11237 is seen with an  S7 turning into Park End Street on May 18th. 

Gary Seamarks

East's 10878 seen in George Street with an X5 on May 17th.

Charles Powell

Tube 50267 seen at OXC trimmers near Aynho on May 22nd.

Gary Seamarks

on a recent visit to Oxford.

Astromega 50272 seen returning from London on May17th.

50421 seen with the backdrop of Carfax Tower bound for London.

50447 seen at Queens Lane with a London service on May 17th.
(Taken Wednesday about 14.30... its 50447... tracker is not working, did notice issues with a couple of others.) 

Jack Cooper

Heavy rain in Gloucester Green covers 50443 on May 19th.

   
50447 in Gloucester Green on May 19th is now reporting in www.bustimes.org
50431 is still not reporting. Ed.

Matthew Sewell

Thames Travel 453 seen in The Eden Bus Station on May 19th working the 102. 

Jack Cooper

Linburg L22URG is seen in Oxford working an M34 service on May 18th. 

     London operations    

Andrew Webb

Making choices is the theme for two advert campaigns launched in London this week. 

Go Ahead's LT309, seen here leaving Oxford Circus on route 12, is the first example of a campaign promoting consumer campaign group "Which". 

LT239 from the Stagecoach fleet is wrapped the advert for Tinder,
targeting those seeking romance.  It is seen passing Chancery Lane station whilst on route 8. 

The final campaign to launch this week is one for the brandy Courvoisier. 

Abellio's LT166 is one recipient, seen here at Oxford Circus
as the driver checks the blinds are set correctly for another trip south on route 159.

Gavin Francis

on a visit to Harrow

 
     
 
Some of the interesting buses of Metroline and RATP to be seen in Harrow on May 17th.