Issue nr 283
Thursday January 11th, 2024

From the Editor

An interesting period in the area covered including new buses, depot exchanges and route number revisions. 2024 will be an exciting one for enthusiasts.

We record the death of a well known driver latterly on the Oxford tube. His colleagues will remember him as friendly and helpful

In the news this week

Floods across our area cause many problems for public transport

John Owen Obituary

The Chester & Wrexham Charity Heritage Bus Running Day

Carousel to serve Heathrow with a revitalised Flightline service

Fleet News & Developments

Details of the new GB Kite Electroliners for Oxford Bus

Update from Pulhams

The 3X is launched from Thames Travel

Fleet update at Stagecoach West & Oxford

Buses in the snow! by John Marsh

Floods across our area cause many problems for public transport

Oxford High Street bus gate restrictions have been suspended due to flooding

The Oxfordshire roads currently closed due to flooding | Oxford Mail

Picture from James Freeman (080124)

Picture from Joel Forey (070124)

The recent weather problems are highlighted in the two articles as shown above. All operating companies have experienced problems with the flooding which was widespread, especially those with, routes along the River Thames and tributaries.

John Owen Obituary

1939 - 2024

John passed away on January 6th as advised by his daughter. John will be remembered by many in and around Oxford having driven for Stagecoach and City of Oxford MS.

A North Waleian still retaining his Welsh accent he will be latterly remembered as a long serving driver working the Oxford tube for many years in the 2000's, always helpful and cheerful.

I knew John well and we often joked about both having PCV licences taken around the same time in 1961 and we also had experience in the north and south central UK.

I am advised by his daughter "John's funeral will be held on Wednesday, January 17th - 3pm at Banbury Crematorium, if anyone would like to attend they will be more than welcome. John was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who loved his family passionately.
John joined Stagecoach many years ago and loved his time there so much, he made many good friends with his colleagues who he thought so much of, sadly over the years John's health deteriorated but he continued to live life to the full and always with a smile on his face."

John was born on December 19th 1939 and died on January 6th 2024.

Ed.by Nigel Eadon-Clarke

As someone Cheshire born, I found this very interesting as I know Chester well. Ed.

Gavin Francis writes "An event not covered on this page before was the Chester and Wrexham Running Day held on the January 1^st. A wide range of buses operated the D1 service between the two points.

Nigel Eadon-Clarke made the long trip from South-East London to record the event.

Buses came from a wide range of operators throughout the country including Midland Red, Brighton & Hove, Wallasey, Ulsterbus, London, United Counties, Stagecoach and Merseyside."

A varied selection indeed, I well remember the first Atlanteans like the Wallasey one above.
My first trip on one was a lowbridge version of James, Ammanford. Ed.

Carousel to serve Heathrow with a revitalised Flightline service

Heathrow Connections - Carousel Buses

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Carousel Buses has advised the following. "We will be converting our "102" service to a "Flightline" spec service and as part of this some of the E400 MMC buses that have been displaced from Brookes services will be being cascaded to Carousel and refurbished to an improved specification. The first bus (609) went away last week and refurbishment is now underway."

At this time details of livery and schedules are not known but it is an interesting development. Readers have expressed various views and it took a long time readers, Ed Maun to draw my attention to a line about this in the January issue of Buses magazine.

Gavin Francis comments "That's interesting, I suppose with a £2 max fare although it will take longer although it is a lot cheaper than using The Airline from Handy Cross."

Heathrow are making strong efforts to encourage the use of public transport through

I will publish more details as they become available. Ed.

Coach visitors to Oxfordshire

David Beynon

City Circle in St. Giles on the 4^th.

Fleet News and developments

Malcolm Crowe

3580 was still at Cressex depot on January 6th.

Jack Cooper

Jack covered the last working of the 280 Aylesbury service on January 6th.

Citaro 3019 was the last bus to work an Aylesbury bound 280, leaving Oxford Rail Station at 22:05.

The last decker working was 5469 leaving Oxford an hour before at 21:05.
I don't really understand why Arriva feels the need to renumber everything at Aylesbury, especially when routes like the 280 are well established route numbers ?

3816 seen in Hemel Hempstead on January 6th.

3870 working a 150 service at Milton Keynes on January 6th.

3879 with an X60 service at Milton Keynes on January 6th.

Joel Forey

The X7 on Sunday 7th operated by 3016 and 3816 in Oxford.

Thames Travel starts trial bus service to The Oxford Science Park

Thames Travel starts trial bus service to The Oxford Science Park - routeone (route-one.net)

pignbob

Thames Travel 513 operating the first day of service on January 8th

Jack Cooper

405 is seen at Hemel Hempstead with a 1 on January 6th

Cressex Park & Ride sees many different buses such as 940 with the X8 on January 6th.

Malcolm Crowe

The PMU fleet at rest when seen at the depot on January 6th.

Herewith details of the GB Kite Electroliners

Subsidiary	Product Name	Body Number	Chassis Number	Registration	Fleet number
Oxford Bus Company	GB Kite Electroliner	AV257	SC5DSREXU23000229	BJ73WXD	491
Oxford Bus Company	GB Kite Electroliner	AV258	SC5DSREXU23000230	BJ73WXE	492
Oxford Bus Company	GB Kite Electroliner	AV259	SC5DSREXU23000231	BJ73WXF	493
Oxford Bus Company	GB Kite Electroliner	AV260	SC5DSREXU23000232	BJ73WXG	494
Oxford Bus Company	GB Kite Electroliner	AV261	SC5DSREXU23000233	BJ73WXH	495

Jack Cooper

On a darkening night 26 is seen ready for a Heathrow departure on January 4th.

The normal route for the remaining 300 Park & Ride sees the blue StreetDecks as in early January.

In spite of the route branding here yellow 685 and orange 688 both on January 2nd.

James Freeman

Electroliner 708 seen at Cowley House on January 8th.

Electroliner 709 with a 100 service on January 8th.

Electroliner 712 seen at Oxford Train Station on January 8th.

Electroliner 713 seen at Oxford Train Station on January 8th.

Electroliner 720 working the 11X on January 8th.

Joel Forey

39 and 40 pass in Oxford on January 7th.

219 and 222 were both working 5 road on that Sunday.

An odd choice for the 300 seen in Magdalen Street West - 308.

Seen at Carfax, 6 branded 668 is working the X1.

Strangely 902 was working the 6 on that day.

717 looking clean and new when working the 400 on January 7th, its first day in service.

pignbob

603 seen in Broad Street with an ST1 in early January.

Electroliner 709 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.

Electroliner 716 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.

Electroliner 717 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.

Charles Powell

First two Citaro’s have had there 99 branding taken off (which I did) and re-registered. EOA was K99 and EOB was L99. All five of the Citaro’s are staying with us.

Taken on January 8th.

pignbob

AA68BUS seen in Oxford on January 8th.

YX69NZE with a 63 service in Oxford on January 8th.

Tony Gaze

A few from Cheltenham today, January 8th - No sign of any fleet numbers on Pulhams.

YX69NNB had Pulhams legal address but suspect it may be on loan?

YX69NNB has acquired the fleet number 615 from January 9th and is, today, operating the 99. Ed.

Jack Cooper

253 seen in Westgate on January 4th.

Loaned 699 seen in Oxford's Westgate with an X40 on January 4th.

including Courtney, Newbury & District & Thames Valley

Kevin Fuller

I had some time in Maidenhead on Saturday 6th January, and enclose a few pictures of Thames valley vehicles taken in the town centre:

Solo 126 waits time on Frascati Way before operating a service 234 to Waltham St Lawrence.

Also on Frascati Way, E200 MMC 670 picks up passengers for Bracknell with a route 53 service from Wexham Park hospital.
This route, although hourly on Monday - Friday, only runs every 2 hours on Saturdays, perhaps explaining the nearly full bus!
This vehicle has recently been repainted into this livery - it was previously all over yellow with a blue skirt.

At the main bus stop in the High Street, Enviro 200 663 pauses whilst working local route 7 to Woodlands Park.

Expect further new Volvo/MCV buses.

Expect further transfers of E200s from Redline.

Dave & Deric

Our summary of the Stagecoach West Fleet Card changes for Period 9 (dated 05/01/2024). As usual, changes affecting Stagecoach Oxford/Thames Transit highlighted in yellow.

New Vehicles	11758-60	New	To	Witney

Transfers	10750-52	North Bristol	To	Cheltenham
	10982	North Bristol	To	Swindon
	11238/40/41	Witney	To	North Bristol
	11239	Witney	To	Oxford
	15737/38	Swindon	To	Stroud
	15984	Swindon	To	Gloucester
	18312	Swindon	To	Stroud
	18313	Swindon	To	Gloucester
	36109	Swindon	To	Stroud
	47553	Swindon	To	Stroud

Out of Reserve	47735	Reserve (Witney)	To	Cheltenham

For Disposal	47297	Cheltenham	To	For Disposal
	47621	Reserve	To	For Disposal

Gone	12004	For Disposal	To	Gone
	15730	Swindon	To	Transfer to East Scotland
	15732	Stroud	To	Transfer to East Scotland
	15763/64	Gloucester	To	Transfer to East Scotland
	18156	For Disposal	To	Gone
	34838	For Disposal	To	Gone
	50271/72	For Disposal	To	Gone

From 07/01/2024, operation of several services in the Cirencester area transferred from Swindon depot to Stroud depot, hence the reason why a number of vehicles have transferred from Swindon to Stroud.

Adam Harber

I’ve been stuck at a desk for the last few weeks and not been near any of the Oxfordshire depots, so not a great deal to report. However, yesterday I was in Bristol to help promote the changes to their 3X service and I got a photo of one of the ex-Witney buses outside the depot, so that is attached. Also in the photograph is 15532, which is currently allocated to Stroud depot but was on loan to the Marketing department for the day for our work promoting the 3X. This bus was new to Cheltenham depot when the 94 between Cheltenham and Gloucester was first converted to Gold operations, and still has the original leather seats inside.

Ex Oxford's 11236 seen outside the depot on January 3rd.

The photo tells a bigger story about the depot… The old building is now 50% demolished, with the remaining being made ready to be taken down, hence the scaffolding and white covers. Where the buses are parked in the photograph was all indoors at the start of the year, so it gives an idea of just how big that place was. Phase two of the demolition will start at the camera end of the building and work towards the far end, which will then become the site for the all-new depot. Yes, there will be an Open Day when it’s finished, but that’s a while off yet!

Tony Gaze

From Cheltenham today, January 8th - Trainer 27555 and Solo 47735 once the pride of Banbury.
This bus has recently transferred from Witney (Reserve) to Cheltenham.