Delayed until Thursday, August 23rd 2018.

Editorial

Well, due to a number of reasons which I won't go into, the page this week is delayed until today, Thursday and it will be short and sweet.

I attended Gaydon on Sunday last, joining the Stagecoach in Oxfordshire's entry E20 MMC 37401 from Banbury depot. Outbound we were driven by Phil Pointer and on the return by Jack McGreevy. Banbury is probably the nearest point to Gaydon for any major bus company and a quick journey saw us arrive at Gaydon well ahead of the main bulk of attendees. Vehicles are always well laid out and reasonable photography was possible.
It was later in the day that the sun came round to enable more pictures of the parked vehicles to be taken.


Our MMC, 37401, is ready for departure to Gaydon with Phil Pointer at the wheel on August 19th by Malcolm Crowe.
This particular bus is of some national interest as it was the first MMC single decker in the Stagecoach fleet to enter service outside London.
It is pictured outside Banbury depot, now of historical interest as it was once in the Midland Red empire!
Picture by Malcolm Crowe.

A pleasant lunch with Les Burton was enjoyed in the restaurant in the the main building where the facilities are excellent. One was also able to see the display of cars at Gaydon and notice examples of cars I have once owned. The most striking point, seeing all the Austin, Riley, MG and other models is that in those days it was quite unusual to see other than British vehicles on our roads.

A number of vehicles were used for rides and I enjoyed three rides during my time at Gaydon. The first was on a West Riding Leyland PS2 with Roe coachwork and the second an third on the two PD2s once with  Manchester Corporation bringing back many memories of my earlier days in that city.

 
This coach is a Leyland PS2/12 operated by The West Riding Automobile Company Ltd, of Barnsley Road, Wakefield
 who had a batch of six, 720-725 (EHL 331 - EHL 336) which were coaches built by Charles H Roe of Leeds and delivered in November 1952.
Pictures by Malcolm Crowe.


Leyland PD2 3524 which entered service in 1958 was a Leyland PD2/40 with a Metropolitan Cammell H37/28R body finished in the 1958 version  of the Manchester livery with cream around the upper deck.
Manchester went over to spray paint around this time and on repaints even painted to window rubbers red. The buses looked really awful and one wondered, at the time, if it was advisable to stand still
near Hyde Road works as you could end up painted all red. They were lovely buses and this batch was from 3521 to 3568 all of which were transferred to SELNEC in 1969.
Picture by Malcolm Crowe.


Leyland PD2 3706 a Leyland Titan PD2/37 built in 1964 with a Metropolitan Cammell H37/28R body which was unusual at this time for an exposed chrome shell radiator and open platform.
In 1964 many operators were switching to the Atlantean but after experience with ten, 3621-3630, delivered in 1960 Manchester waited until 1962 before some Daimler Fleetlines entered service.
Indeed 3720 was the very last exposed radiator open platform bus to enter service in Manchester, the fleet of PD2/37s being 3696-3720. Thereafter the fleet moved to rear engines.
Picture by Malcolm Crowe. 

The weather was kind and the sun even put in an appearance by the end of the day. A short run back to Banbury and I said good bye to old colleagues and friends having enjoyed the day.

I will add a few more pictures of the event in the next issue.

There are two other points to cover in this issue with the rest left over until next week.

The first is the arrival of the new Brookes Buses at the Oxford Bus Company's depot and these pose an interesting question from the Managing Director, Phil Southall. Who will first to answer this question?

"What is the significance of the registrations?" Tell the Editor your answer.

 
371 OX68MBA and 376 OX68LLM at the depot on arrival from Wrights on August21st provided by Phil Southall - OBC.

The second item to record this week is a picture of Stagecoach Hybrid 12007. This bus is undergoing an overhaul in-house at Oxford and the bus is being fully repainted also in house. A point of significance is that painting is being done by hand using rollers and brush due to restrictions on spray painting regarding health and safety if suitable facilities are not available. When the bus re-enters service local readers will be to judge for themselves but from work that I have seen by the guy doing the painting and bodywork is very very good.


This is a real classic, caught on camera by Frazer Peddle, maybe whilst the bus taking a breather saying "'cor - all this paint is getting in my air waves" !!!

Ralph Adams also provides some useful notes for readers:

August 21st

Citaro 857 is looking very resplendent in red livery with Red One branding and High Wycombe – Amersham – Chesham route. The only snag is it was on T1 of Thames Travel. At least route 1 was correct!

856 and 858 are both back in Wycombe fully branded and now red. 859 has not been seen so far? Ed.

August 22nd

882 & 883 are both with Thames Travel (possibly both short term hires)

869 has been seen with Carousel. Ed.

August 23rd

Additional vehicle in use today on PICKMEUP was BT15KLZ, a Mercedes City 45. This has been used by a selection of operators since delivery.

Also from Ralph Adams are some notes as follows which will interest readers who follow the lives of Oxford tube Astromegas.

                   50202

GX09 OTM

VAN HOOL ASTRO

KIL

DISP

50203

GX09 OYF

VAN HOOL ASTRO

KIL

DISP

50205

GX09 OFE

VAN HOOL ASTRO

KIL

DISP

50207

OU09 FMZ

VAN HOOL ASTRO

KIL

DISP

50208

OU09 FNA

VAN HOOL ASTRO

KIL

DISP

50210

X77 SCB

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50211

OU09 FNE

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50212

OU09 FNF

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50213

OU09 FNG

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50214

OU09 FNH

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50215

OU09 FNJ

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50216

OU59 AVC

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

DISP

50217

X77 SCH

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

LOAN S/YORKSHIRE

50218

X77 SCK

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

LOAN S/YORKSHIRE

50219

X77 SCJ

VAN HOOL ASTRO

AYR

LOAN S/YORKSHIRE

50236

CN61 FAM

VAN HOOL ASTRO

RESV

KIL

50243

CN61 FBE

VAN HOOL ASTRO

RESV

KIL

50285

YJ14 LFX

VAN HOOL ASTRO

RESV

KIL

50286

YJ14 LFY

VAN HOOL ASTRO

RESV

KIL

50303

SF13 FME

VAN HOOL SLEEPER

RESV

JV

50306

SF13 FMK

VAN HOOL SLEEPER

RESV

LOAN TO S/EASTSCOT

50309

SF13 FMO

VAN HOOL SLEEPER

JV

RESV

50401

YX18 LKK

VOLVO B11RLE

NEW

KIL

50402

YX18 LKL

VOLVO B11RLE

RESV

KIL

50403

YX18 LKM

VOLVO B11RLE

NEW

KIL

50404

YX18 LKN

VOLVO B11RLE

NEW

KIL

50405

YX18 LKO

VOLVO B11RLE

NEW

KIL

53319

SV08 DHZ

VOLVO B7R

RESV

STR

53323

SF09 ACX

VOLVO B7R

STR

DELIC

54107

SF61 EYP

VOLVO B13R

KIL

AYR

54108

SF61 EYO

VOLVO B13R

KIL

AYR

54334

YX66 WNU

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54335

YX66 WNV

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54336

YX66 WNW

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54337

YX66 WNY

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54338

YX66 WNZ

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54339

YX66 WOA

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54340

YX66 WOB

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

54341

YX66 WOC

VOLVO B11R

KIL

AYR

 Not quite Oxford but the above is the movements from the Western Buses fleet card. Of note

·         50202-16 now down for disposal

·         50217-19 in Yorkshire for rail replacement (plus  50201/06/25 which went last month)

·         50220-6 already sold    50220 now with an Oxfordshire operator.

·         Kilmarnock vehicles replaced by 50401-5, the new Volvo - Plaxton Panorama double decks

·         The Ayr Van Hool coaches replaced by 61 seat coaches !!

 

Many thanks to Ralph for these very useful notes.

A full page will be on line next week.