Editorial

Another busy week for your Editor with plenty to interest everyone. Interesting but sad news of more accidents involving low bridges and double deck buses. Also a nasty accident in Wales with a well know coach company. One can imagine that the authorities are getting concerned.

Locally the final StreetDeck for Thames Travel  has entered service, it is 909 and pictures are shown under the operator.

 
Ben Studley provided these pictures of 909 at Didcot Parkway taken on September 12th.
Something rather odd is that after more than four days in service it does not show on:
https://bustimes.org/operators/thames-travel/vehicles

Another unusual event was the use of a Stagecoach Hybrid for driver training. The picture below shows this bus in Woodstock.


Taken by Ciaran Bird on Battle of Britain Day, September 15th by Woodstock.

Of much interest to local readers will be the changes concerning the Go Ahead Group companies locally. Less than a week ago the buses in the picture below were running on Carousel service and now they have moved to Didcot. The picture from Ben Studley taken at the depot on September 12th shows this change.


Readers may remember that issue 121 had a picture of 846 working the 105 school service.


Scania 219 was back in Oxford but has returned to Carousel seen here working The ONE on September 16th by Gavin Francis.

An interesting sighting this week by Daniel Harwood was this Airline coach on a school service in the picture hereunder. He writes "On September 16th I saw that Thames Travel are running airline coach 21 (AF10 OXF) on the X32 to Didcot."

 
I have attached a photo, but it isn't great as the windscreen of the bus I was on was very dirty.

I am delighted to advise that two readers have provided more pictures of this working. They are Jack Cooper and Owain Morgan. Those pictures appear under the operator headings below.

The new 70 plate vehicles are growing in number and this week a total of nearly 200 were recorded on https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/ . strangely although one may see 70 plate vehicles on the motorway, those who live off the main roads do not see so many anymore.

For those of you who read British Buses Abroad I would like to mention that it is now important to ensure a subscription since an outlet where many people used to purchase this publication is closing down, that being The Ian Allan Bookshop near Waterloo. More details may be found at the link below.


https://busesworldwide.org/wp/?page_id=32

Paul Bateson, living in Canada is much involved in this publication and an example of his work may be seen in the picture below of Double Deck Tours, Niagara Falls.


These Routemasters are seen in the depot at Bossert Road on September 9th 2020.

Although I haven't featured pictures in "Buses in the Landscape" recently I feel the picture below from Nick Ross deserves an airing as a candidate for this feature.



Go Ahead North East runs a route from Hexham to Newcastle and this bus is seen near Corbridge on September 10th by Nick Ross.
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/10?date=2020-09-17&direction=inbound

One more picture from Nick Ross shows one of the  branded buses crossing a bridge near Corbridge.


6081 - NK62FKG crosses the narrow bridge over the Tyne at Corbridge with a Newcastle - Hexham service 10 on September 6th 2020.
The batch of branded buses 6071-6083 are split between Hexham and Gateshead (Riverside) and are Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse deckers.

Jack Cooper visits Beverley, Yorkshire


The smart new EYMS livery

Jack writes "Please see attached some pictures from Beverly Bus Station on Saturday, September 12th. 

 
East Yorkshire East Rider branded mmc 926 on an X46 service to Hull Interchange.  


East Yorkshire Gemini 2 748 on a 121 service to Bridlington. 
 


East Yorkshire eVoSeti 811 on a 246 service to Hornsea.
 


East Yorkshire eVoSeti 807 on a 121 service to Hull.

I really like the new EYMS livery, it looks fresh and inviting.

Another interesting picture from Nick Ross is shown below.


With its customers all wearing masks Leyland Olympian L827BKK once of Stagecoach East Kent

now a Redfern travel workhorse at Chesterfield on schools on September 10th 2020 

 

Daniel Harwood and an unusual visitor to Didcot

 
I have attached a photo of YJ13HLE, I saw this bus while at Didcot Parkway.

 I have no idea which company is operating it as there are no logos and the destination display was blank. I googled the registration plate and it looks like it was with Manchester Community Transport at some point. 

I am unaware of who is currently using this Solo SR.

David Beynon visits Bicester on September 14th


Grayline's contracted StreetLite for Elmsbrook - SK19EYJ.


Langston & Tasker have YX61FZJ dedicated to route 18.


Stagecoach Banbury's new E20D MMC 37630 with the recently introduced route 505. 

So, there is much to interest all. I do however wonder if sometimes I am leaving our area and adding too much on other areas of the U.K. 

I have included a résumé for those who don't want to go though the entire issue as a slight change to the normal layout.

Please tell me if you and ideas for things to be changed?  



There are now many services which can only be used by school children. A couple of pictures in High Wycombe by Gavin Francis highlight the change in our services due to Covid-19.


Here Optare Versa 2992 is seen with an S31 working in the Eden Bus Station on September 16th.
Also added is a School Children notice in the front window.


Citaro 3017 also shows the indications used on such services with an S800 from the Eden Bus Station on September 16th.
The School Sign appears to be missing.

 
As a result many buses are showing full due to the passenger loadings now allowed.

Of course in London, TfL has made the difference very obvious by the signage in its buses where school services are concerned.


Scania SP40073 shows the clear school service board in the windscreen as does the E200 behind.
The buses are seen at Martyrs Douay School in Ickenham on September 8th by Gavin Francis. 



An interesting collection of pictures from the past for this week's issue which I hope readers will enjoy.

Michael Wadman

There seems to have been a fair bit about Pulham’s of Bourton-on-the-Water in OCBP recently, so I thought maybe you might like some shots of their operations for History Corner. I’m afraid that most of these were taken a bit out-of-area in Cheltenham, mainly because that was where I was living in the ‘eighties. All of these vehicles were either operating, or on layover from, bus services, Pulhams having continued to use coaches on their bus routes until only a few years ago.


HDF 700L – Leyland Leopard / Plaxton, at Royal Well, Cheltenham in 1981 


HAD 868N – Bedford YRQ / Plaxton, at Royal Well, Cheltenham in 1981 


HAD 888V – Leyland Leopard / Plaxton, in Chipping Norton on 8th August 1992 


FDF 965 – Leyland Tiger / Plaxton, formerly DDD 122Y, at Royal Well, Cheltenham on 6th April 1996 


P361 UFH – Toyota / Caetano Optimo, at Royal well, Cheltenham on 11th August 1999 


C193 CYO – Volvo B10M-46 / Plaxton, new to Glenton Tours, in Northleach on 30th June 2001 


Y852 SDD – Mercedes Vario / Plaxton, at Royal Well, Cheltenham on service 809 on 8th December 2004 


YPL 764 – Volvo B10M-62 / Plaxton, formerly R120 CNE, new to Barry Cooper, Stockton Heath,
at Royal Well, Cheltenham on service 608 on 27th November 2010

And finally, a more recent photo of a rare opportunity to ride on one of Pulham’s ‘deckers:


Leyland Olympian / Alexander, PUI 9430, formerly FC 7535, new to China Light & Power, Hong Kong,
took part in the Icebreaker rally and running day on  January 1st 2016
and is departing from Newbury bus station on service 3 to Thatcham.   

See my flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwadman/

 

Hugh Jaeger on Oxfordshire County Council's use of £588,000

Did you see that the Oxford Mail's recent report about how Oxfordshire County Council is spending its £588,000 bus subsidy grant from the DfT attracted the interest of Sir Roger French? 

Last week Sir Roger made two day trips from Sussex to Oxfordshire to try two of the routes now subsidised by our County Council: Thames Travel route 45 and Pulham & Sons route 63. He has blogged about his visits and mentioned your Oxford Mail report.

https://busandtrainuser.com/2020/09/11/oxfordshires-back-funding-buses/ 

Sir Roger is pleased to find comfortable, modern buses in good condition running the routes. But he has some hard words for Oxfordshire County Council: "In Oxford city centre the 63 departs from stop E7 in New Road but you need a leap of faith waiting there – there’s not even a flag on the shelter to tell you it’s E7 let alone route numbers and no timetable on display either."

Sir Roger notes that OCC is spending £253,000 of its £588,000 DfT grant to reinstate three former bus services: routes 20, 63 and X8. But he is critical of the fact that OCC has spent no money to enable potential passengers to know about these new routes, or to know about the long extension of route 45 from Culham via Berinsfield to Cowley. 

Sir Roger blogs "...so far no news or promotion from the County Council. It's as if they've just gone through the motions of spending the money allocated by the DfT." He opines "...it's going to take a lot of hard work to raise awareness a bus route is back and ensure details of the timetable are readily available." and "A slice of the £588,403 should have been allocated to effectively promote and publicise the reintroduced routes as well as updating bus stop flags and timetables along the route." 

Sir Roger concludes "If this funding isn’t to be wasted for the next twelve months and passengers attracted back to make the services survive beyond September 2021 some serious attention is needed to raise their profile and make people aware. Otherwise come 2021 Oxfordshire's busless villages will surely be back to where they were in 2016." 

Bus stops on routes 63 and X8 

I have inspected routes 63 and X8. It may be just as well that Sir Roger has not yet seen route X8! Pulham's has dutifully put up timetables at every stop, but some of the OCC timetable cases they have had to use are disgusting! 

On route X8 the timetable cases in Churchill village are the worst: All either broken, cracked or covered in mildew. See attached photos. Those in Kingham village are little better: either cracked, mildewed or dirty.

 

Stops on the most important part of route 63 is even worse. From Hinton Waldrist to the centre of Cumnor I think there are 16 bus stops. All but two are on both sides of the road, so there should be 30 "flag" signs and 30 timetable cases.

There are two signs and one timetable case! They are all in Longworth. The signs are faded, peeling Stagecoach ones from the 1990s or 2000s that display out-of-date route numbers. See attached photos.

 

The timetable case in Longworth displays a timetable for route 43, which was a once-weekly service that OCC's Integrated Transport Unit used to run. See attached photo. Is there still a service on route 43? Has it run since 2016? I have searched in vain on OCC's website, so I have no idea. 

Route 63's stops in Appleton, Cumnor, Fyfield and Netherton are effectively invisible. Its stops in Eaton, Hinton Waldrist and Longworth are visible but have no timetable or up-to-date sign to say that route 63 exists. 

Appleton village is a mile long. Officially route 63 has seven bus stops in the village. Without signs, they could be anywhere!

 

One cannot but admire the efforts of Hugh Jaeger in highlighting these glaring errors and lack of proper publicity for services costing Half a Million pounds!

David Nutton visits Bicester

I very much look forward to reading your weekly bulletin and have done for quite a few years. I live near Southampton but am sometimes able to visit your area so find details of happenings in the area most useful, particularly the smaller operators.

On this theme last Friday I visited Bicester hoping to snap Charlton Services Ex Nottingham Optare Solo, and am pleased to say I was successful.

Whilst there I was surprised to see a Cherwell Valley Dennis Dart arrive. I must admit I had not come across this company before but looking on the Internet I see that their website mentions a sort of "Bus Club" service which I assume it was performing. Around a dozen people boarded but no destination details were shown.

My photo of the Dart is attached but I cant find its previous Reg No or history. The registration seems to have been transferred from another of their vehicles.


Picture from David Nutton.

Michael Wadman adds details on the above

Originally R404 XFL, new 11/97 to Papworth Trust, Papford Everard, Cambs (non-PSV). 

To Myall, Bassingbourn 4/06 

To Launton Transport, Launton 4/18 

Re-registered YEZ 7963, 11/19 

Not yet reported with Cherwell Valley, presumably a recent acquisition? 

Although I see on VOSA that one of the partners in Cherwell Valley is also Transport Manager for Launton Transport, and they share an OC at Grange Farm, Launton, so they may be connected?

Trevor Wilson refers to the item on issue 120 regarding Stagecoach 685

Matthew Kilburn wrote "I'm up in the north-east at the moment and wondered if readers might like to see this picture of a Stagecoach service in the area? "


Route 685, still run I think by Stagecoach Cumbria above with MMC 11158, rather than Stagecoach North East, on the B6528 at Throckley, heading west.

Trevor writes 

As you can see I live in Brampton, Cumbria and our bus route is the Cross Pennine 685 Carlisle <> Brampton <> Haltwhistle <> Hexham <> Corbridge <> Newcastle, about 55 miles and 2hrs 15 mins to 2hrs 30 mins end to end.  In the eyes of the public this is a joint service operated by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire (Carlisle Willowholme depot) and Arriva North East (Newcastle Jesmond depot).  [I get told the official regulations state Stagecoach and Arriva are not allowed to communicate with each other - so my guess it talks a County Council/Parish Council/MP to intervene to get the 'joint' service sorted out!] 

Stagecoach have 2 MMCs, 11157 YX68UXH and 11158 YX68UXJ obtained new and specifically allocated and route branded for the 685 service.  There was a batch of 20 MMCs of which 18 were delivered to Morecambe (White Lund depot) and the 19th and 20th came (redirected?) to Carlisle - the 18 into Morecambe were needed to up capacity running to/from Lancaster University and also Lancaster City has a low emission zone - the 18 replaced a PX12 batch of E400s from the main University route onto the secondary single deck University routes thus displacing the 08/58/09 reg single deckers out of Morecambe as well as no doubt providing a few more double deckers in total on the University routes.  There was then a SN19 batch of MMCs into Morecambe, more University buses, which displaced the PX12 E400s off the secondary University routes and most of the PX12 E400s were cascaded elsewhere, some into Carlisle allowing all the Carlisle ALX300s, mainly MX55s originally from Manchester, to go elsewhere, many back to Manchester.

Thanks to both for that interesting item from an area when people may visit the area.

Ian Rivett comments on a remark by Mike Stone

Ian Rivett writes about a point by Mike Stone on Go North East

Seems odd in the current circumstances for Go North East to replace double decks with Interdecks.

Ian writes "GNE ordered 31 StreetDecks and circumstances changed such that the Oxford area required new buses for contracts including the Bicester Village shuttle.

More as an instant expedient, a corporate decision resulted in 9 new StreetDecks being transferred to Oxford in exchange for 7 Interdecks, which will work XLines services X9 & X10 instead of the new StreetDecks.  In the meantime, some "dressed up" ex National Express liveried GNE coaches have received temporary branding and will be used until the Interdecks have all been repainted at Hants & Dorset Trim (see Page-2 "Bus News" - week 12/09/20).

Of course, these moves meant that some of the Interdecks carried three different liveries in 2020.  Those of the "X90", "Chiltern Hundreds" and "XLines".  Can't be many buses or coaches that can top that?

Not "odd", tell Mike.  These decisions were well publicised, but seem to have not reached Mike, somehow?

"Bus News" is what it is stated as.  It has nothing to do with C&BW nor Route One and is published weekly, rather like your newsletter.  Predominantly London centric, but covers news, events, pictures, fleet lists and fleet enhancements throughout the UK, with some tube and rail news thrown in for good measure, when appropriate.  It was first published in 2006 and has been published weekly ever since, including throughout lockdown. 

My 'thoughts' are not thoughts as such but a recount of what the Go Ahead Group actually stated, regarding the utilisation of their vehicles, especially with the requirement for new buses immediately for new contracts in the Oxford area. 

Thank you for your comments Ian on Mike Stone’s statement. I also did not have that background despite my good contacts in Go-Ahead. The well publicised reference was I now know to have been on London's Transport google site: https://groups.google.com/g/londonstransport which I have now joined on the invitation of Ian Rivett. Hopefully I will also be able to improve this page and what is published as a result.

Graham Low comments on items relating to Drings and Frostways

I was intrigued by the comment that FRP841 was (correctly) described as an LL6B, but that United Counties later fitted wider axles, making it an LWL6B. None of this batch Thames Valley (821-9) were ever LWL6Bs, and the photo shows this one was still an LL6B even after sale to Frostways! I have no memory of any LL6Bs later becoming LWL6Bs anywhere.

Thank you Graham for the useful correction. 

Berry's Coaches of Taunton has taken delivery of a new Volvo B11RLE with Plaxton Panorama double-decker bodywork


The new coach for the London service.

The coach will be used on the operator’s daily superfast services which link the south west with London. The low-floor coach features saloon tables, seat back USB chargers, baby changing facility and wheelchair access via front or centre door, usable overhead luggage racks on both decks, a PA/TV system and dual staircase for improved access and reduced loading times.

Stuart Berry, Managing Director of Berry's Coaches, says: “While coronavirus COVID-19 has proven a difficult time for our industry, including Berry's Coaches, this is an investment in the long-term future of our London Superfast Service.”

Paul Bateson visits Niagara Falls


More of the double decks used at Niagara Falls but seemingly not in use on September 9th when this picture was taken.

   
Three of the buses in local service use around Niagara seen by Paul on September 9th. 

 

North of the Border with Gordon Scott - our man in Drum Brae!

Taken on 12th August  at Edinburgh Bus Station. 

Stagecoach East Scotland Perth depot based,


Volvo B13R Plaxton Panther 54129 - BHZ 9549
seen arriving on M90 route at Edinburgh Bus Station.

Edinburgh Coach Lines 


Volvo B13R Plaxton Panther OIG1543. seen arriving at Edinburgh Bus Station.

Taken on September 12th by Barnton, Edinburgh.

Stagecoach East Scotland


Volvo B8R Plaxton Elite 53807 - YY65SXO working the X60 heading into Edinburgh.

Many thanks to Gordon for those interesting pictures.

 

Fleet news and developments

Paul Swann

The following 3 vehicles are now at Luton as there is a plan to move some Temsa's to Harlow / Ware to help with school coverage

BV20HRD 7202

BV20HRE 7203

BV20HRU 7214

The first Temsa went on Sunday, September 13th - fleet No; 7103. 

The White Arriva Bus and Coach Vehicles have been taken into the Arriva Shires Fleet with the following numbers 

Additionally 3532 that was on loan from Southern Counties has been transferred permanently.

ARRIVA THE SHIRES

HIGH WYCOMBE

3532-TS

LF02PNN

Bus Fleet

ARRIVA THE SHIRES

LUTON

3812-TS

YJ58FFA

Bus Fleet

ARRIVA THE SHIRES

AYLESBURY

3813-TS

YJ58FFC

Bus Fleet

ARRIVA THE SHIRES

HIGH WYCOMBE

2790-TS

YJ60GGO

Bus Fleet

Very many thanks to Paul for that timely update.

Gavin Francis

September 15th


Now fleet nr. 2790 the bus is seen leaving Eden Bus Station for Reading on September 15th.


Maybe at long last 3532 will loose the Southend branding?


A small Dart like 2297 is going to get full quickly.


StreetLite 2327 is also working the S33 but still seems to need a paper sticker in the front window.


Solo SR 2509 is seen with a 30 working.

 
Citaros 3015 and 3019 seen in Eden Bus Station.

 
So local services seem to be using both end destination screens and 3922 looks a real mess with a new blue corner panel
but at least 3924 is on its branded route !!


I can't see that 6000 looks full!!


Wright 6042 is seen working back to Aylesbury with a 300 service.

Good news! Green Line 755 and 757 are back and to celebrate we are tweeting at midnight :) 755 back to full commuter service. 757 24-hour service restarts now plus additional peak trips start again on Green Line 748/758/759 Extra journeys will run from Central London to Hemel Hempstead each morning and back to Central London in the evening, offering more flexibility.

arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/ad

 
Tourismo coaches 7201 and 7202 seen in Buckingham Palace Road on September 11th.


Motts MT09MTT laying over between school journeys on September 10th by Malcolm Crowe.

These are interesting times for the group companies in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and I hope someone can catch the Interdecks leaving Hants & Dorset Trim for the North East and their new lives.

As mentioned above there have been some changes to the allocation since the last issue. Scanias now are 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220 and 222. Citaros are 856-859, 860, 869, 870, 876 - 883, 884, 886 and 887.

Surprisingly 885 has never appeared in service so I don't know what is happening to that bus? Ex London 938 is still away for repairs.

Gavin Francis


219, now with Carousel branding, is seen leaving the Eden bus Station for Hemel on September 16th.


860, also with Carousel branding if not livery, is seen arriving from Thame with a Link 40 service on September 16th.


941 is seen leaving for Bourne End with a 36B service on September 16th.


Seen after school bus duties on September 18th, 870 also has a  Carousel logo on the front.

Malcolm Crowe


Solo 710, Citaro 882 and StreetLite 405 at the depot on on September 14th.


Citaro 883 at the depot on on September 14th. Note the Carousel logo !


860 seen in Studley Green on the first day it worked the Link40, September 16th.

Link 40 branded 423 has reappeared and from September 15th has been working the 337 Amersham - Slough route.

Mercedes-Benz OC500LE MCV Evolution's 873-875 have moved to Thames Travel with all branding removed and replaced by Thames Travel dash branding. They seem to be used mainly on the 45 Abingdon-Cowley route.

A few pictures for this week from my usual contributors which provide interest for readers who follow Oxford Bus.

Daniel Harwood


Daniel sent this picture of 838 when working for Oxford before conversion to the Aspire Gym bus.
The picture was taken in St Aldates on May 20th 2019.

Graham Low

 I note that the 4 has been split with City to Wood Farm now numbered 15 and often operated by B5LHs as in my picture, presumably because fewer are needed for the X13, after the arrival of 901-3.


363 is seen in High Street with 15 road service to Wood Farm on September 7th.


35 branded 309 is seen turning round by The Westgate on September 7th.
One supposes that there must have been good reason for this ?

Jack Cooper


A nice shot of 355 heading for Wolvercote with a 35 road service from Abingdon on September 10th.


651 in a  deserted Westgate on September 15th working 5 road.


A good shot of 903 clearly showing the full blind display for X13 road in St Aldates on September 15th.

I understand that coaches 21-25 have returned from Brighton and are being used on school service extras.

Jack Cooper

 
Here coach 24 is seen leaving Didcot Parkway after working a 136S service on September 17th.

Owain Morgan


Here is 21 at Cholsey on September 16th, the day that Ciaran Bird took a rear shot from his upper deck seat the same day.

 
Here again is 24 on September 17th taken on its school run to Wallingford.


Here is coach 37 leaving for Heathrow from Gloucester Green on September 11th by Gavin Francis. 

As mentioned  under Carousel 873-875 are now firmly established at Didcot and mainly working the 45.

Jack Cooper


Here we see 874 this time with a 41 service to Caldecott on September 10th.


A nice picture showing the connector livery of Thames Travel at its best, 908 is ahead of 231 on September 17th at Didcot Parkway.


Thames Travel 231 on September 17th at Didcot Parkway leaves with an X32 Oxford bound.


Thames Travel 908 on September 17th at Didcot Parkway leaves with an X2 bound for Wallingford.


623 is seen with a 98 service to Harwell Campus on September 17th from Didcot Parkway.

 
Brand new 909 is seen in Abingdon working an X2 on September 10th.


252 with an unusual display not seen before caught in Abingdon on September 10th.

Ben Studley


StreetLite 442 is seen with a service 98 at Didcot Parkway on September 12th.

Daniel Harwood


Connector 231 is seen heading for Wantage from Didcot on a dull day, September 3rd.


Citaro 868 follows out with an X32 to Oxford on September 3rd from Didcot Parkway.


Mercedes 873 leaves with a 94 to Blewbury on September 3rd from Didcot Parkway. 

Owain Dafydd Morgan

“Taking a 45 at Cholsey”. Coach 45 (SF61OXF) takes a breather at The Forty, having just completed a 136 school pupils only duplicate service on September 16th.


This coach is listed as being allocated to Thames Travel.

Gavin Francis


Start Hill, Stansted appear to be now operating Luton Airport service A1 as seen by SH189 on September 11th.


An Edwards operated Levante III - BU18OTJ with a 509 service - takes time on Elizabeth Bridge, Victoria on September 11th.


Something of a surprise to Gavin was this East Yorkshire operated Levante III, nr 3, carrying some unusual branding.
The livery is a flyover in Hull by a competition winner !  Picture taken on the 13th of the nearside which features these graphics.
 

Reading Buses charity open day goes ahead virtually this year

Reading Buses will ‘virtually’ host its annual Great Knollys Street depot charity open day this year, which was cancelled due to coronavirus COVID-19.

Last year’s open day raised £5,700, so the company was keen to find an inventive way to give visitors a chance to look behind the scenes from home.

As of today (14 September) through to Friday 18 September, people will be able to visit the bus wash, control room, an engineering workshop tour, and Reading’s colourful fleet through a series of online videos. The videos will be posted online daily on the company’s social media.

A text donation code is being supplied alongside the virtual open week in order to raise money for charity Sport in Mind. Donations of £2 can be made by texting SIM 2 to 70085.

Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams says:

“It will be appreciated that the inevitable cancellation of our open day presented a significant challenge as to how we could raise funds for our charity of the year and make sure people do not miss out on getting to look behind the scenes in 2020.

“In the past the control room and engineering workshop tours have normally been a sell out, so this is a great opportunity to get a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes.”

Chief Executive Officer of Sport in Mind Neil Harris adds: “this is a fantastic initiative that will make up for not being able to run the open day in traditional fashion this year.” 

Jack Cooper

Jack was in Didcot and caught up with two Courtney double decks on the Milton Park service at Didcot Station.


795 is seen passing Thames Travel 873 on September 17th as it heads for Milton Park.


797 is seen at the same point with Thames Travel 873 working a 94 to Blewbury on September 17th.


Another Reading bus on the 702 is seen in the latest livery, 762 in Buckingham Palace Road on September 11th by Gavin Francis. 


This picture taken on June 28th 2019 by Gavin Francis shows KX05KFF working a service 28 in Stokenchurch.
As of this week
this bus still shows the same destination - Stockenchurch which makes one wonder about the company concerns for its public image?


Running a school service timing to Chinnor is the bus similar to Redlines DKA pictured on the 130 in the last issue - YX12DKN - on September 16th by Gavin Francis.


Earlier pictures of KH55KMH shows is branded for Redline and looking very smart !
When pictured by Gavin Francis on September 16th in the Eden Bus Station it looks past its best!
However it is at least going to Stokenchurch !!

 


A very nice clear shot of the rear of CC70BUS in Abingdon on September 10th by Jack Cooper. 

Some fleet changes are in the latest allocation list which shows the following of interest.

Darts 34832 and 34882 at Oxford for school journey reliefs.  Witney has 10438 and 10439 on temp' loan. The new staff transport is 92898  MJ20VAM pictured in recent issues   and 47736 is at Crewe Engines for work,

Vehicles awaiting disposal are: 34466 at Banbury with 12009, 18469, 20936 and 52424 at Oxford.

Ciaran Bird

 
Hybrid 12004 is seen in Woodstock making driver training on September 15th.

 
Gold 15760 is seen in Woodstock on September 11th with the S3 School service not now worked by an Oxford tube as seen in issue 121.


There is a change to some S4 services which now show H4 as the run through to the JR. 28745 is seen on September 11th.

Daniel Harwood


At Oxford before returning to Witney 11233 is seen heading Wantage on August 28th.


During its extended stay at Oxford, 15533 is seen with an S9 to Wantage on September 5th.

Jack Cooper


It's that model again ! 10786 this time working the S8 in Abingdon on September 10th. 

The X5 from Bedford still sees variety as shown below.


21365 seen in Gloucester Green on September 13th by Gavin Francis.


54302 seen in Worcester Street on September 11th by Gavin Francis. 


Jim  Wright caught this SC Midlands Scania, 15675 working route 50 in Chipping Norton on September 9th.
The Stratford Blue livery makes a nice change. 


Where are the S6 Gold buses? Scania 15975 is seen in  Gloucester Green on September 12th by Gavin Francis. 

There are now 32 coaches available for service with all the ex megabus coaches returning to service.


Here 50245 is seen by the Westgate Centre on September 11th by Gavin Francis.

 
Ex megabus Astromega 50250 is seen heading to and from Wantage on September 2nd by Daniel Harwood. 

megabus services are still operating in spite of Covid-19 though capacities are limited.


These 900 branded Panoramas are often seen working the M11 in recent weeks.
Above 50413 is seen at Manchester on September 14th by Simon Langley.