Issue nr 290
Thursday February 29th, 2024
for past issues follow this link : Reporting the area since late 19 (oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk)
From the Editor
A very interesting week with several items of a more general interest. Also included are numerous pictures of the new entry into service of many more double decks and now some single decks.
Some road works at Carfax caused problems to local bus services in Oxford and Charles Powell has treated us to walk round the depot yard at Bourton. Tony Gaze caught up with two more ex Brookes HEV now in service on the 99.
Jack Cooper visited Newbury and Reading providing many interesting pictures.
Martin Dowling is bang up to date with pictures of the Yutong electric Demonstrator 1009 in Reading.
The ADL EVs for Stagecoach Oxford are mentioned with a first picture from Jack Cooper
Nick Ross visited Liverpool so altogether a varied page this week.
Jack Cooper was north of the border last week
Here are my photos
from Scotland. These are of Sightseeing Buses in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Night photos from Edinburgh and outside ADL at Falkirk.
City Sightseeing
Glasgow is operated by West Coast Motors. The service is given route
number C1 and operates a loop of the city with 22 stops in total on the
tour. I had taken a trip on the Glasgow Sightseeing on Sunday 18th and
it was very enjoyable. As I had never been to Glasgow it gave me a nice
overview of the city, and an idea on buildings and landscapes I was
after taking photos of.
The Edinburgh tour buses are operated by Lothian
and McGill's.
The Lothian tours are
operated under the Edinburgh Bus Tours brand, with 3 tours around the
city. These are the City Sightseeing Tour, Edinburgh Tour and Majestic
Tour. The Edinburgh Tour is a live guide tour. Lothian also operates a
seasonal 3 bridges tour to the Forth Bridges.
The McGill's tours are operated under the Bright
Bus brand, with 2 tours around the city. These are the City Tour and
Britannia Tour.
I had travelled on all
3 of the Lothian tours on Tuesday 20th. I had enjoyed these tours, as
they gave another good overview on another city I was unfamiliar with. I
had started off on the Edinburgh Tour, with the live guide who was
absolutely fantastic, and I would recommend this tour to anyone who
visits Edinburgh. After the live guide tour, it was onto the Britannia
Tour and then followed by the City Sightseeing Tour.
On the afternoon of
Tuesday 20th I had visited ADL at Falkirk. Unfortunately there were no
test or delivery runs leaving the factory during the time I spent there,
however I was able to get a couple of pictures of 2 Bee Network BYD
Enviro 400s with 24 plates. Also visible but slightly buried or in the
workshop were two of the new Stagecoach Oxford Enviro 400EVs, SK73 CZH and
80002. I had got a few photos of them however not the best because of
the places they were parked in.
On the evening of Tuesday 20th I had also taken a trip on the Lothian Airlink 100 from Edinburgh City Centre to Edinburgh Airport. This was to travel on the Enviro 400XLBs, which I thought were very nice buses and they were specced well for the Airport run with luggage racks and comfortable high back seats.
I'll share some more photos from Scotland over the next couple of weeks.
Variety in Watlington by Gavin Francis
Gavin has become fascinated by route 11 from Oxford to Watlington.
February 24th
February 25th
February 27th
February 28th
We imagine that with the arrival of the new Electroliner single decks the days of the Citaro may be numbered ?
February 29th
Epping and Ongar Running Day
The
annual Epping and Ongar Running Day was held last Sunday and as always
there was a good selection of buses to see.
Star of the day was the appearance of STL 2692 following a repaint and
refurbishment
Of local interest to our area was the
appearance of LNC 45. New in 1973 this bus started life on Greenline
work from Romford Garage
but soon moved onto Reigate Garage and appeared
on the 711.
My picture shows it outside the old London Country Garage at
High Wycombe.
It was bought by East Kent in 1984 and then spent about
the next 20 years in the Dover Docks area after which it was donated to
Dover Transport Museum.
My picture shows it at Showbus Duxford on 18th
September 2005.
As always the RT family was represented this time by beautifully
preserved RT 113, RT 1702 and RT 3238.
3 RFs were present each in a different livery, RF 13 in original
sightseeing livery, RF 180 in the country version of the GreenLine
livery and RF 136 in experimental white livery.
Both these buses have a GreenLine past although RMC 1513 carries NBC
local bus livery.
Also of local interest SMA 8 was once owned by
Prestwood Travel of High Wycombe and my picture shows it in their yard.
Representing some of the smaller classes of buses were GS 17, XA 1 and
RLH 48
Overall a great display of buses.
A Morning in Kingston
A few
days ago I decided to spend a morning in Kingston to catch up on events
there. I started going there 50 years ago when it was the place where
red Central Area RTs met Green Country Area RTs.
One thing that has not changed is that Rte 65
still goes to Ealing Broadway. BCE 47059 represents the new order
whilst
RT 840 is pictured on the opposite side of the road on 11th
October 1975.
Kingston like many other parts of London is now becoming the home of
many routes operated by electric buses.
Go-Ahead Ee151 on Rte 213, RATP BE37055 on Rte 371, RATP 47032 on Rte
281 and Transport UK 3006 on Rte 111.
For many years now RATP have operated the KU1 Kingston University
service.
The branding on VH45215 is now looking a bit worn and spare bus
in white livery ADE40304 was helping out on the route.
Part of the Superloop Network, SL7 passes through Kingston and today WVL
492 and WVL 493 were on the route.
In a few weeks time Rte 481 passes from RATP to Metroline and in service
today were two models of Volvo/Wright hybrids VH45142 and VH 45318.
Following the fire involving Optare MetroDecker MEe 12 the fleet was
withdrawn and has still not re-entered service,
Rte 200 now being
operated by a mixture of E200s and E400s.
Extra buses have been brought
in from other garages and there is possibly a shortage of the correct
blinds available. WHV81 and WVN37 are examples without full sets.
RATP operate a large fleet of E200 training buses. TDE 90010 and TDE
90072 pass through the town.
Two independents operate services into Kingston.
Falcon run the 461 on
which YX70OKU and YX23OYH are running
and White Bus Services operate the
458 and the pictures show BV73MKM and BV73MKF
The number of wraps in London drops dramatically after the Xmas period
but Ovo still have a number running. RATP BCE 47066 on Rte 65.
The
former terminus in Cromwell Road is in the process of being demolished
and replaced by a new one
and if you need to make a phone call whilst in
Kingston there are plenty of phone boxes to chose from, just got to find
one that works.!!
Oxford Bus Enthusiasts Society upcoming meetings
Wednesday 13 March
Graham Low: Where is that bus going? Destination displays down
the years
A nostalgic look at the many styles of display on a great variety of
buses form the 1950s to 1980s.
Wednesday 10 April
Short Annual General Meeting (the first since 2019!)
Ian Thompson: Crossley Buses: not a distress purchase
All meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m at the Norman Brown Room 2, Rose
Hill Community Centre, Carole's Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, OX4 4HF.
Oxford Bus Co service 3 passes the centre and services 3A and Thames
Travel service X40 pass within five minutes walk.
A bar is available after the meetings: there are snacks but no meals are
served. Parking is available.
Johnsons Coaches marks sales surge with 10 new coaches for 2024
Johnsons Coaches of Warwickshire is celebrating 25% year-on-year sales growth by committing to an investment in 10 new executive coaches this year.
The operator, which organised more than 650 holiday departures last year, announced sales of £17 million in 2023. It also enjoyed a 22% rise to 23,000 in passengers carried throughout the year.
Johnsons says “unusual excursions and luxury travel” has contributed significantly to the surge in demand. Visits to the Flying Scotsman, a VIP hovercraft experience from Portsmouth and 66 ski tours around in Europe have proved popular.
Its Luxury Traveller brand has particularly grown thanks to the wi-fi, large screen TVs and extra legroom provided.
Brent Ricketts
Just letting you know that I’m now back at stagecoach but In Barnsley which used to be South Yorkshire traction until Stagecoach bout it out in 2005 . Currently we have a varied fleet of mostly 2008 plate enviro 300s/400 and some newer Enviro 200s 19 plate
Here is one of our elderly e200s on one of our routes between Doncaster
and Barnsley.
George Candelin
Villager SJ23JCY in Witney on February 26th.
Jack Cooper
Edinburgh at night by Jack on his trip north of the border.
Coach visitors to Oxfordshire
David Beynon
From the last few days
At the Kassam,
At Redbridge
ex Truemans in Littlemore.
George Candelin
Slim pickings today,.
Just the one in St Giles
D16 FST,
better luck at Peartree
with VO13 AGE of Voyage and SK70 BUH of
Westbus.
Fleet News and developments
Jack Cooper
Arriva 3009 working the 800 in Reading on
February 15th.
Neil Gow
6144 has been tracking as SP HI (spare High
Wycombe) since arrival, as did 6139 before it and 6149 for a week or so
after arrival last year.
Richard Sharman
Roadworks are currently in place at the the
corner of St. Aldates and the High Street, causing delays to services
whilst new paving is being laid. Despite clear signs on bus stops,
students were still waiting at the stops for the 1/5 and the 400 at the
top of St. Aldates.
890 has returned as of February 29th but 889 is now with Thames Travel today working the X2.
Richard Sharman
Carousel's ADL Enviro200 533, although still carrying its Go South West
2203 number,
is seen on the 275, which seems to be its regularly allocated route
Due the new buses I have received a number of similar pictures but have included all your contributions in thanks to you everyone. Ed.
Allan Hollis - Grayson's on February 27th
The buses above have now been moved to
Oxford.
Bob Chalmers
Noted today that 'Airline' bus 23 was showing as being
on the X1 service - but in actual fact it is regular X1 670
- so assume a ticket machine change overnight - shame, would have been
interesting to see a 'coach' on the X1 service.
David Beynon
Oxford 727 which shows up the difference in the front ends quite nicely
Graham Low
492 today, February 29th.
Graham Mildenhall
Ox February 24th Oxford with a quick shot of Oxford Bus Company
727 on the 11X service in St Aldates
– first time I’d noticed this one
out in traffic.
Jack Cooper
Back from Scotland
now, and preparing to go to work tomorrow.
724 at Oxford Parkway yesterday on its first day out.
724 and 727 have
entered service over the past couple of days in Oxford. 724s first day
was on Friday 23rd on the 700 and 727 on Saturday 24th on the 11X.
Oxford Bus Company
Volvo B5LHs 353, 363 and 364 have been photographed at Manchester at Go
North West's Wigan depot.
Ex 632 has been given
fleet number 6996 at Go North East. It has been reported that it's been
repainted into the Toon Tour livery, however I'm yet to see any photos.
Ex 203 has been given fleet number 593 at
Brighton & Hove.
Ex 251/2/3/4 have been given fleet numbers
539/540/1/2 at Go South West. 539 & 540 have been repainted into
Transport for Cornwall red, with 541 & 542 entering service in River
Rapids blue.
James Brompton
197 seen on road test on Wednesday outside the wrights factory
492 again a first service day, 492 is seen in St Aldates on February
28th.
495 is seen in St Aldates on February 28th.
493 is seen in St Aldates on February 28th.
721 passes 723 in Osney on February 27th.
727 with an 11X service in St Aldates on February 24th.
729 with a 300 service in St Aldates on February 28th.
Richard Sharman
Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliner 493 is seen operating its penultimate
trip on the 11X on its first day in revenue earning service
Wrightbus Electroliner 723 is seen with an evening 400 departure
to Wheatley Campus from Westgate, on its third day in revenue
earning service.
Wrightbus Electroliner 728 is seen on its first in revenue earning
service on the 700, with an evening trip along the Marston Ferry Road,
Wrightbus Electroliner 729 had the
distinction of being the first of the blue and green SmartZone livered
examples to operate on the 300 P&R service.
This was 729's first full day in revenue
earning service, having only done one trip on the 700 on the previous
day. Note the different rear branding to the first of the batch
delivered.
Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliner 492 is seen on its first day in revenue
earning service on its fifth and final trip of the day on the 11X.
Stephen Owen from Wigan where some of Oxford's redundant buses are arriving.
So as the stored Stagecoach vehicles leave Wigan, more arrive from Oxford, fleet numbers 353,363,364, get out the yellow paint… with red dash boards they be easy to spot.
369 leaving Oxford along the A34 on
February 27th.
Charles Powell
The rarest vehicle to see in depot at Bourton. Used on the 68 and kept
at the Swindon bus company depot.
She had been to Mercedes in Tewkesbury
for some work and now nice and clean after I’d given her a wash.
Joel Forey
Pulham's B8RLE FF73BUS is the usual allocation on the 64, and is seen here at Swindon Bus Station early this evening.
Tony Gaze
Latest from Cheltenham
These two are due to be re-registered M99NHS and N99NHS but when the pictures were taken they had gained the cherished plates.
Jack Cooper in Reading & Newbury on February 15th
Lewis Nagle
938 is seen working the 136 at Wallingford Market Place on February 25th.
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Jack Cooper
Here are this weeks local pictures. These are from Reading, Newbury.on February 15th.
Reading Pictureview
Newbury & District Pictureview
Martin Dowling
A Yutong electric Demonstrator 1009
that Reading are trialing at the moment. It has a rather
comical appearance at the front with the white outlining of the
headlights. Pelican are the importers and dealers for
Yutong in the UK I believe.
Gavin Francis
LOTS report that Red Eagle have bought these 2 buses.
Gavin Francis
MX58KYT at the Tesco store in Reading on
February 2nd by Bob Stanger.
Graham Mildenhall
After some while with regular suspects on my local 25 Upper
Heyford-Bicester service, pleasant surprise this morning when this Red
Eagle Dart turned up! Not the best of pictures but grabbed on the phone
when I got off in Bicester.
Bicester Village Station later on so have attached that for you.
Then, yesterday, Saturday 24th, was treated to an even older Dart on the 25, this time a Redline one!
Picture attached, again at Bicester Village Station but unfortunately
the blind display didn’t come out,
I can assure you it was on the 25 though as I had just got off of it!
Richard Sharman
Red Eagle's former London United Enviro200 YX08 MDZ is seen whilst on loan to Red Rose
operating a 25 service to Heyford Park and
Andrew Churchill
Just a note is that two of the first new ADL E400 EVs for Stagecoach
Oxford are expected to be 80001 (SK73CZE) and 80002 (SK73CZF) and are expected to come down in the next
couple of days for essential training for both drivers and Engineers and
the introduction of the electric buses onto Stagecoach services is
expected to be the beginning of May 2024 .
Richard Sharman
The rural H5 route from Bicester to the JR Hospital has seen an increasing number of double-deckers in use over the last month or so.
Enviro400MMC 11246 is seen at the Bicester end of the route.
Jack Cooper
Stagecoach pictures. These are from Reading, Newbury on February 15th.
Stagecoach Pictureview - Newbury
London operations
Andrew Webb
British Olympian Asha Philip is spearheading Nat West's campaign encouraging people to set savings goals.
The advert is seen on
Stagecoach's LT384 on 24 February in St Giles High Street, the terminus
of route 8,
whilst resetting its blind after being 'turned short' on
route 55.
If your savings goal is for a sunshine holiday in Spain then Vueling's
airlines claim on the side of LT707 could help you achieve that aim
quickly
as a weekly bus pass in the capital is just £24.70. The
bus is seen at St George's Circus whilst operating route 68 on 24
February.
The latest addition to the Superloop network, SL3, linking Thamesmead with Bromley North launched on 24 February. Operated by Stagecoach it uses a batch of New Routemasters displaced from RATP when route 9 was lost to Metroline.
On the first day LT121 is seen at Abbey Wood station bound for North
Bromley.
The same bus is seen with its previous owner at Hyde Park
Corner on 17 July 2021.
Nigel Eadon-Clarke
February
28th was the first day on the road for 45005 and appearances of electrics on this route have been few and far between so far.
Reader's visits outside our area
Nick Ross
Two Liverpool images for your top website.
Viewed from on high in wild weather an Arriva
Volvo B5 passes the Southern part of the city on February 21st 2024
The on high viewpoint is the top of the cathedral spire, highly recommended for bus spotting but on a decent day!