Issue nr 315
Thursday August 29th, 2024
Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/
From the Editor
A week of many changes, especially in allocations with buses moving between operating companies, branding removed and fleet names applied.
Of course in two more days we will see the advent of 74 plates appearing on our roads and we have a new Pulhams coach, the first 74 plate recorded in these pages.
The electric buses for Oxford (OBC and SCO) are now entering service on more routes and those at Stagecoach seeming more in daily service. There .is however still a delay for SC with buses in storage at various UK locations.
As ever your contributions help to make this page what is has become, thanks again.
In this issue
First 74 plate picture
Recollections of 315 by Grahame Wareham
Thoughts from New Zealand by Andrew Dyer
Northern & Central France by Adrian Small
Half an Hour in Exchange Street with Tony Bungay
Roadworks on the Woodstock Road by Richard Sharman
Showbus 2024 reminder
Readers Write
A date for your diary
Fleet News & Developments
megabus update
London Operations
A 74 plate first from Charles Powell
Charles collected this coach on August 29th - PU74 HAM
note the digital rear view mirrors.
Recollections of 315 by Grahame Wareham
H315 LWL310 1946 AEC Regent II with Park Royal H30/26R semi-utility body renumbered H849 in 1952 withdrawn April 1958 and sold to Deacon (dealer) Dorchester and later resold to Cotter Glasgow in September of that year being withdrawn and scrapped by 1963.
| AEC Rt II O6617861 | PR B32515 | H30/26R | 10/1946 | City of Oxford | H315 |
COMS H315 - H849 LWL310 Cowley Road Garage Oxford
c.1951 GW collection.
315 315MFC 1961 AEC Bridgemaster 2B3RA with Park
Royal H43/29F body, the final member of this batch, initially based at Winey
depot. In 1970 received revised two tone red/green livery and reallocated to
Cowley Road Garage for non-OMO City duties mainly appearing on 1,2 and 8
services.
315 was withdrawn and sold to TPE (dealer)
Macclesfield in 1973 and resold to Meller, Goxhill, South Humberside in August
1973.
105 NUD105L 1973 Bristol VRTSL2 with ECW CH41/27F
dual purpose ultra-low (13ft 5in) body initially used on London services but
found unsuited to the climbs over the Chilterns. Allocated to Witney depot from
1975 and renumbered 315 in September 1982. Had been repainred into standard NBC
bus poppy red livery by 1981 and transferred to South Midland in July 1984. It
was withdrawn in this livery by September 1986 having previously been renumbered
605 in June 1986. 315 was sold to Martins Bus & Coach Middlewich being resold to
Jones, Minera, Wrexham, Dyma Fo Coaches in September 1986. It later passed to
Strafford , Coedpath, Wrexham in November 1988 lasting until March 1997 when it
passed to Dave Clements for preservation back in Oxford. After a lengthy
restoration it reappeared in 2013 resplendent in its dual purpose NBC livery.
315 HR11OXF 2011 ADL Enviro E400H Hybrid with
Alexander H47/21F low height (4.2m high) body finished in duo tone metallic
green livery dedicated to Oxford's Park & Ride services. In 2017 315 was
repainted at Bus & Coach World in Blackburn into OBC generic red livery for
general City services. Unfortunately for 315 it was never to enter service in
this livery as it caught fire on the M6, closing it for four hours, near
Sandbach on its journey back to Oxford on 11th April 2017., the image depicting
it parked at Lymm Services just before its thermal incident, fortunately taken
by Darren Beacher/R.Boyle. Probably the only photo of it in this livery.
Colour images supplied by GW but copyright D Beacher/R.Boyle)
Thoughts by Andrew Dyer from New Zealand
Thanks for another
great edition Malcolm. I particularly enjoy Grahame’s history of
particular fleet numbers, but didn’t realise that he was around to photo
the original 314!!!
You asked for
comments about the new Stagecoach livery and I have to say that I’m not
impressed. It looks very drab. Having said that it’s probably no worse
than the previous set of three liveries which are dismal. The old “beach
ball” livery introduced in 2000 is still by far the best in my view.
More importantly
(and it pains me to say this as a former subsidiary company Director) it
just says to me that Stagecoach are losing their way in terms of their
public image. Local companies used to have a clear target of vehicle
repaints every four years and whilst a frequency as high as that might
not now be needed with higher quality paint and spraying techniques,
there are buses around the country which clearly haven’t been painted
for a decade or more and look horribly scruffy.
A couple of weeks
ago I stayed with friends in Oxford and in a short walk from St Giles’
to Summertown I saw four liveries on the Banbury Road corridor ……beachball,
new local livery, Gold livery and yellow livery. To the average member
of the public this would look like four different bus companies on the
routes. If they’re now joined by the “electric” livery and this new one,
there will be six liveries in circulation which means that Stagecoach
won’t have a consistent image at all.
I understand that
the Oxford electric network is different, but other than that, I’d go
back to beachball and have a significantly accelerated repaint programme
to recreate a credible public image.
Well, you did ask !!!! …
Yes, I did. Ed.
by Adrian Small
I had holiday touring Northern and Central France in
June and managed to get some photos of various Towns/Cities that may be of
interest for the Overseas Interlude section.
Attaches below photos in order -
Location - Operator & Fleet Number - Vehicle Type
Laval - TUL 601 - Heuliez GX337 Linium Elec
Angers - Irigo 694 - Scania Citywide LFA Artic
Angers - Irigo 721 - Scania Citywide LFA GNV Artic
Angers - Irigo 410 - Scania Citywide LE11 GNV
Poitiers - Vitalis 633 - Iveco Urbanway 12 GNV BHNS
Poitiers - Rapides de Poitou 95221 - Isuzu Citiport
Chateauroux - Horizon 8956 - Mercedes Citaro C2 Hybrid
Montlucon - Maelis 91 - Mercedes Citaro K C2 Hybrid
Vichy - Mobivie 237 - Heuliez GX137
Orleans - TAO 7026 - Iveco Crealis 18 Hybrid
Blois - Azalys 2193 - Heuliez GX337 Linium Elec
how
Half an Hour in Exchange Street with Tony Bungay
I admit slightly cheeky of me, but I borrowed
the opening title format, from of a couple of Paul Coley's past
contributions.
Hemel Hempstead Depot now seemed to have gained
former High Wycombe 6139, as seen here on a Hemel bound X5 working.
So along with former Aylesbury 5462 also working
the following X5 seen here.
Hemel now have a vehicle from each of the closed
Arriva Buckinghamshire Depots. One wonders if anymore will surface.
In respect of 5462, one of your other
contributors commented on the fact it is now at Hemel. I cannot be 100%
certain, but I think after returning from repaint, it was only at Aylesbury
very briefly before moving onto Hemel, I saw it once looking totally
pristine working an X9 journey, then never saw it again until it reappeared
in Aylesbury Bus Station working the X5 on 29/7/24!
Red Rose Enviro 400 LK55 XKL working Service 100
to Milton Keynes. First time personally i have seen this route being worked
with a double decker.
I see on the Bus thread on UK Rail Forum, it is mentioned that the Citaros
are bound for Colchester and the Enviro 400's for Kentish Depots. There was
some surprised comment that 6139 has moved to Hemel.
A
slightly later update on Uk Rail Forum seems to suggest that Citaros at
least may not remain at Colchester.
As no doubt most if not all readers know, the Oxford Bus Company service to
and from Thame on Sundays is operated as an extension of Service 400, as
opposed to the usual 280.
Therefore, any passengers using this will have the experience of an electric
vehicle, as photographs of 702 and 713 on the outskirts of Thame on the
afternoon of 25/8/24 show.
As Redline also operate their X20 service half hourly, one can only wonder how long the frequency of 4 buses an hour will last to and from Thame on a Sunday!
Mike Dodgson
I enjoyed Tony Bungay's interesting and excellent history of the Oxford - Aylesbury service in issue 313. Tony said he was disappointed not to get a photo of an Arriva X7 passing an Oxford Bus 280, so I hope this one taken on Friday 12 July (from the top deck of another 280) makes up for this. Regards, Mike Dodgson.
David Bell
Attached are a few photographs you may find of interest. DU61 FVY ex-Reading
was I believe new to Lloyds of Machynlleth. It has been with Lynx since 2022
but has only just entered service with them as their number 81 after an
extensive refurbishment and repaint. It retains registration DU61 FVY unlike
sister vehicle 82 ex-DU62 FHK which has been reregistered UWW 2X. The
photograph was taken in my home village of Ingoldisthorpe heading for Kings
Lynn. There is also a shot of it in the bus station at Kings Lynn
A couple of recent sightings in Great Yarmouth are ex-Oxford Tube X28 CCT now owned by Completely Coach Travel of Costessey, Norwich. I'm not sure of its registration when with Oxford Tube. It is seen here outside Great Yarmouth coach park picking up workers to take them to Banham Poultry. Also present in the coach park was Pulhams Van Hool coach GL22 PUL
The Van Hool TDX27 Astromega. was new as Bluebird
Buses 50245 - SV12 DVW and is still wearing Oxford Tube livery from its time there
in 2019.
with thanks to: https://eastnorfolkbus.blogspot.com/2023/12/
Roadworks on the Woodstock Road by Richard Sharman
Work is due to commence at
the top of Woodstock Road to install a bus lane going out of the City
towards Wolvercote roundabout- in turn, this will mean a section of the bus
lane at the top of Woodstock Road towards the City will be removed. This
work is due to take a number of months.
However, to start with, a number of junctions are
having improvements for cyclists made, and these have started at the Old
Radcliffe end of Woodstock Road.
Meanwhile, at Thornhill Park & Ride, work is being undertaken on and around the main building and bus stop area. Buses and coaches now have to turn immediately right as they enter the site to access a new makeshift bus station.
SHOWBUS 2024 is taking place at the
Bucks Railway Centre on Sunday September 29th
https://www.showbus.com/subind1.htm
SHOWBUS REMINDER
Just a reminder that SHOWBUS now only seven weeks away. Entries are
not only strong, but include some impressive buses and coaches. They
are already in excess of 100, which bodes well for numbers on the day and we
hope you might be amongst them. Apologies if this email is duplicated but I
occasionally go boggle eyed cross checking the addresses!
Obviously arrangements are a little different to previous events with the
heavy organisational involvement of the Bucks Railway Centre. None
other than Mike Sutcliffe, the Leyland Bus Man, and well known author is
writing the programme this year and lead times are expected to be longer
than usual, so please try and get your entry in before the end of the month
to be sure to be included. Of course we appreciate that not everyone
can be sure that far in advance, you will be welcome to enter after that
date and whilst your vehicle will be included on our web listing, it may not
make it into print!
We will be operating various trips for visitors as usual. There will
be an hourly bus service to and from Aylesbury by Red Rose connecting to
buses and London trains, similarly an hourly service to Bicester serving the
Shopping Village and connecting with the Oxford BV1 electric shuttle to
Bicester North. Arriva will be operating an excursion from Milton
Keynes and another is available from Luton.
We also plan a shuttle, using double-deckers to Waddesdon Village for the
Manor and to Claydon House via Hogshaw Farm and Wildlife Park with single
deckers. Assuming your insurance is valid if you would like to
volunteer for one or more trips please email me at rally@showbus.com
Meanwhile enjoy the final weeks of the summer rally season and SEE YOU AT SHOWBUS
Geoff Wilcock
Word around Barnsley is that black is a base coat for some kind of
advert and also a 200mmc in same colour
9 of 23 Yutong electrics at Stagecoach Yorkshire Rawmarsh depot
Tony Gaze
Just thought I would send
you this photo of Alexander's 18/08/24
There were 6 Stagecoach
Electric vehicles in the yard (5 in the photo and 1 at the back of the yard)
SK74BCY, BDO, BDU, BDE,
BDV and BDY not carrying fleet numbers.
Presumably the last of the Oxford batch?
Fleet News and developments
Gavin Francis
The remaining buses at Arriva Cressex on
August 26th.
3580 and an E400.
Michael Penn
A photograph of Arriva The Shires 4108 (YJ 08 EEM)
in its recently applied advertising livery on the 321 route, not that you
can tell that from the photo.. This is one of the Volvo B9TLs obtained
from Arriva Midlands earlier this year. Double decks have been used on
the 321 and 721routes during the school holidays and their use is apparently
to become more common after successful trials. I wonder if any of them
will be in the dark blue Connect Herts livery.
There are to be more route changes in the Luton area from September 1st.
Details here;
Gavin Francis
63307 with an X74 on August 27th in Wycombe.
Jack Cooper
Pictures from High Wycombe and Reading on August 15th.
63315 with an X74 in High Wycombe.
25105 seen with an airport working.
Inter-company transfers at August 29th.
451-454 from TT to CAR 651-654 from OBC to TT 599 OBC to PUL
Repaint to CAR livery 80821. 80473 now away for repaint
Charles Powell
80482 seen in Henley on August 14th.
Gavin Francis
Recently transferred 208 on August 27th in
exchange for an ex NExWM E400.
229 with a 41 service on August 27th.
Single deck variety on August 27th.
Latest repaint are 80471 and 80472 seen on August 27th.
Maybe 80475 is away for repaint as this week 80477 has been the regular for
the 275 as seen in Chinnor on August 29th.
PMU 984 is seen in The Eden Bus Station on August 27th.
Jack Cooper
Pictures from High Wycombe on August 15th.
Malcolm Crowe
80822 and 80953 at t he depot on August 23rd.
Vikki Lee
244 has now left the fleet as seen on August
27th.
651-654 to TT
Richard Sharman
A number of 280 working's of late have seen electric buses heading off to Thame on the 280 instead of the normally allocated StreetDecks, although 651 has now been devinyled and is at Thames Travel.
757 is seen heading off beyond the SmartZone during the evening peak
on 27th of August.
Oxford Hospitals Charity is this years 'Brand the
Bus' winner, Electroliner 720 has now been outshopped in a bright pink and
white vinyl wrap for the good cause.
Charles Powell
£75 and others were to be seen at Bicester Village on August 27th.
Bob Chalmers
Bus No. 690 in it's new Milton Park livery - taken in Abingdon High Street on
Sunday 25th
as it 'changes' from a 44 service to a 33 service to Henley on
Thames.
I notice today that more 'internal' movements are going on - 651-654 seem to
have been 'debranded' and gone to Thames Travel - they were only recently
put into blue 280 livery for the new service to Thame. This now seems to be
operated regularly be Electroliners. Also 691 now apparently gone into the
new Milton Park livery. Let's see what next week brings.
David England
X36 service to Didcot awaiting
time at The Green, Grove.
X34 service to Didcot awaiting time at Great Western
Park.
651 with its branding for the 280 removed.
Lewis Anthony
651 seen with an X34 at Didcot Pkwy on
August 29th.
Richard Sharman
The latest Thames Travel bus to gain a new Milton
Park vinyl wrap is StreetDeck 690, now also named 'Mufasa'.
With the influx of 91 new electric double-deckers
in the city, the older vehicle types are now becoming far more noticeable,
912 and 942 are seen in the evening peak, still looking good for their age.
Sanjay Baker
452 and 454 both on the X34 yesterday morning, on what was their last days
with Thames Travel
before later on being transferred to Carousel in the afternoon.
652 and 653 working from their new home on August
29th.
690 wearing its new wrap for Milton Park on
August 24th.
80952 now rebranded for Thames Travel with a 33
on August 29th.
Mark Doggettstrong>
courtesy of Thomas Palmer
Motts we have recently taken
delivery of 2 nearly-new Volvo B8R Sunsundegui SB3 coaches.
These have come from Whitelaws
Coaches of Scotland, who owned them from new. They are 71-seaters, PSVAR
compliant, and will cater for our school services from September.
They are identical twin sisters, and are registered as
follows:
GB22MTT (SC22UMZ)
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
From
Jake Osman
Reading Buses have
announced changes to some ticket prices from Monday 2 September.
The company says the changes are necessary due to
increasing costs across the board, and the need to continue investing in
their services to provide the best possible experience for their customers.
The good news, they say, is that the government £2
single fare cap will continue to apply to all journeys at least until 31
December, so no journey will cost more than £2. The £1.60 Reading short hop
fare is also frozen.
Reading Borough Council’s
Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding that is supporting the heavily
discounted Reading All-Bus Day ticket is being reduced, meaning that day
ticket prices will revert to the previous price of £4.00 when purchased on
the Reading Buses app, or when using tap-on tap-off on the bus. Day tickets
purchased from the driver will be increased to £4.50 to help encourage
pre-purchase or use of tap-on tap-off, both of which help speed up boarding
times.
Robert Williams, Reading
Buses Chief Executive Officer said “Our fares still represent amazing value
given the level of cost inflation in recent years - the Reading All-Bus day
ticket is still the same price as the simplyReading day ticket was in 2016,
and now includes all other bus companies services in Reading”.
“We have seen some people
continuing to ask for the traditional tickets from the driver, possibly
because they like the reassurance of a piece of paper in their hand, so
would highlight that full details about your journeys, and receipts, can be
downloaded by registering your bank card with on our website or app – with
the added bonus that app tickets are also quicker to use and help to speed
up boarding times making the buses more efficient.”
The company said that fares below £2 will increase
by 10p. Most weekly tickets will increase by 50p or £1 depending the travel
zone, and there are equivalent increases to most longer term tickets.
Full details of the fares change can be found on the Reading Buses website.
Jack Cooper
Picture from Reading on August 15th.
Gavin Francis in Wycombe
The first Volvo/eVoRa has been fully branded for the X20.
Gavin Francis in Wycombe
The other deckerts recently reported seem to be in use at present.
Richard Sharman
It would appear a lack of double-deckers led to
at least two E200s sneaking onto the 1 and 8, normally double-decker
routes, on the 27th of August. Although a few deckers were also noted on
the 14.
Scania 15833 is captured displaying 'Proud to serve
Oxford', which alternates between 'Not in Service', as it turns at St. Giles.
Richard Sharman
Proving that the X5 is still a well used service,
11279 is seen departing Oxford with a nearly full seated load towards
Bedford.
Richard Sharman
The peak only S2X to Carterton, which initially
carried fresh air, seems to have now gained a regular group of passengers.
50433 is seen loading up on an evening peak journey.
Richard Sharman
Sunday 1st of September will see the withdrawal
of Stagecoach from operating on the England and Wales megabus network,
with the possible exception of Scotland to London services.
The England and Wales services will mostly be
undertaken by private coach operators, although full details are now yet
known, or confirmed.
As far as Oxford goes, it will see Stagecoach's
Walkergate depot in Newcastle no longer serving it after the end date.
Journey's through Oxford will now be operated by
Parks of Hamilton, and the current route will now be extended to operate
from Glasgow to Portsmouth. It looks like this extension will replace the
current M17 Glasgow to Southampton service via Bicester and Oxford Parkway,
which only operates on certain days of the week. Bicester and Oxford Parkway
will no longer be served.
It looks like some of the
current routes from Oxford will only be served on certain days of the week,
and others, such as Newport no longer served. Full details will be apparent
closer to the date of operator change.
Busway 54290 is seen
making one of its last trips on the network on the 27th of August.
Parks of Hamilton Volvo 9700 is seen at Oxford
Parkway on the M17, which will no longer be served after the 1st of
September.
London operations
Andrew Webb
As summer fades and cooler days beckon the fashion conscious will be auditing their wardrobes ready for winter. Eager to grab a share of this market is shoe manufacturer UGG who are promoting their new season collection on several buses,
including LT715 seen here in sunny Brixton on
28 August.
At first glance this advert for Thailand might be mistaken as targeting those in search of some winter sun. In reality it is promoting trade opportunities with the south east Asian nation. Metroline's VWH2334 is one of several to receive the wrap,
seen here at Angel on 28 August.
San Miguel advertised on five New Routemasters earlier in 2024. For their latest campaign it appears that 'conventional' buses are favoured,
including Go Ahead's WHV121 seen at South Kensington on 28 August.
Jack Cooper pictures from Heathrow on August 15th.
