Stop Press
The first two of the Panoramas arrived this afternoon at Horspath Road. Andy Churchill has provided pictures all but one being shown under the tube heading.
50421 seen on arrival at Horspath Road depot on November 6th.
Editorial
Recent weeks have seen some significant contributions from readers and now I think we may expect it to be rather quieter until some months distance. I have appreciated the regular mails with news and pictures and hope that you may be able to continue support for OCBP in the coming weeks.
First news is of the impending delivery of the first new Volvo/Plaxton Panorama coaches for the Oxford tube. I was very lucky to receive an original picture from Andy Stoppard who, whilst on a visit to relatives in Scarborough happened across 50424 on test near the factory.
Taken near Scarborough on October 26th
The coach looks rather better in the full livery as seen by Andy and I also hear that the first examples may arrive on today (November 6th) or very soon thereafter.
On November 6th Gavin notes that 50261-50265 had been reregistered heralding the arrival of the new coaches and Jack Cooper reported that one had been seen on delivery by a tube driver the same day.
It is perhaps a rather sorry baptism for these coaches as customers maybe somewhat limited in the early days. Also I still have to see a full list of the registrations on these coaches as the older Astromegas, 50261-5 are still carrying the cherished registrations originally from 1999 and the Jonckheere Monaco bodied M A N s which introduced double deck coaches to the Oxford tube services, now 21 years ago!
Jack Cooper visited Worcester and his pictures are shown under Readers Visits outside our main area. Also under respective operators below Jack took some great pictures on a very wet day in Oxford.
First depot yard on October 30th in Worcester by Jack Cooper.
Another visit was by Daniel Harwood to Brighton.
An autumn picture from Jack Cooper sees the changing backgrounds now that winter is upon us.
StreetDeck 902 is seen heading for Abingdon on a sunny November morning of the
5th.
Once again we are now in full lockdown in England which makes getting out and about much more difficult. I would only caution readers and contributors not to break any rules since there will be people who question if someone should be taking pictures in these difficult times.
National Express advise that they will be running a reduced service details link can be seen under their heading below
Jim Wright notes that National Express have ceased to serve Oxford completely from last Monday, November 2nd.
It is suggested that tube services will revert to the limited timetable effective November 16th
Fleet news and developments
Latest news and fleet list from Paul Swann
I have enclosed latest fleets Midlands and Southern
Counties
Arriva the Shires Fleet List November 2020
Southern Counties Fleet List November 2020
Late news is:
4209 to return to Wigston from MK, replaced by 2450
Stansted Coaches 7201,7204,7209,7211,7212 and 7213 are being transferred from Southern Counties to Shires 757 fleet permanently
Gavin Francis
7201 with a 757 service in Buckingham Palace Road on October 30th.
7104 heads for Hemel Hempstead with a 758 service on November 5th.
Jack Cooper
Three of Aylesbury's E400 fleet branded for the 280 Oxford service seen in the
early days of November.
Tony Bungay
3900 working the X60 in Aylesbury on November 3rd.
Note the poppy!
One thing appears to have happened in allocation as 860 was yesterday working the 98 in Didcot which suggest it has returned to Thames Travel.
Malcolm Crowe
A gathering of fleet members outside the depot on
November 5th. Most of the Solos appear to be back in service.
StreetLite 407 seen outside the depot on November 5th. This
has been absent from service for several days.
Pete Cabin
938 LX58CWG has returned to service
today Friday, November 6th working service 27 to Olympic Way to Pheasant
Drive.
So far no major changes to City services advised by November 5th.
Gavin Francis
Despite the poor weather, 364 looks smart woking 35 road on October 31st.
Jack Cooper
361 heads out of the city, bus full, on October 30th.
602 heads up along Park End Street from the station on a wet October 30th.
669 and 681 in service with Park & Ride roads on October 30th.
This is an odd picture since this bus showed being on routes 45 and 41 all day.
I think someone changed the blind for the photo!!
These pictures were added from November 2nd, 4th & 5th.
Still carrying its Carousel branding we see 220 working the November 4th.
During its service with Carousel it carried City branding and is back here
working a 15 road service on November 2nd.
352 is seen heading out of Abingdon with a background of approaching winter on
November 5th.
StreetDeck 658 is seen working 5 road on November 2nd.
Citaro 847 is seen with an 11X service heading for BMW on November 4th.
Phil Southall writes "Airline will be reduced from Sunday, November 8th to operate the pre July 19th timetable i.e. no service to Gatwick and 8 return trips to Heathrow daily."
IMPORTANT: Following the government announcement of the second national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, changes will be made to the airline services from Sunday, November 8th 2020.
For details, please
click here
The revised timetable now at Gloucester Green on November 6th.
Jack Cooper
Tourismos 33 and 40 showing The Airline services turning into Speedwell Street
on October 30th.
40 heads to London Gatwick on November 4th a service to be suspended from
November 8th.
Unfortunately, due to the new lockdown measures being imposed from November 5th, City Sightseeing Oxford open top bus tours will not be operating from this date until further notice.
Carfax Tower will also be closed from 5th November.
Jack Cooper
Jack caught 201 coming out of Speedwell Street on a
very wet October 30th.
Further pictures from Jack in the early days of November in the last days before
suspension of the city tours.
One thing appears to have happened in allocation as 860 was yesterday working the 98 in Didcot which suggest it has returned to Thames Travel.
Jack Cooper
The bus mentioned above, 844, is seen working its
recorded route 45 on October 30th.
On that same wet day, October 30th, in Oxford we see
854 with an X38 and 861 with an X40.
Connector branded 231 is seen with a 41 service on November 5th.
Citaro 866 now carries an interesting super rear wrap when working an X33 on
November 5th.
Gavin Francis
It appears that Stagecoach Yorkshire is still operating as of November 5th.
Stagecoach Yorkshire Levante III 54408 seen in London on November 5th, a misty
morning.
Jack Cooper
BB70BUS is seen in Southmoor on October 30th with a route 15 service.
Rhys Cutting
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Gavin Francis
Reading greenline
Gavin Francis
"Saw Redline KH55KMH tonight on the 643. It has been
repainted in new colours. The last time I saw it in Wycombe Bus Station it
looked a bit rough!!
Tony Bungay
The all Blue Double Decker is presumably a Red Line
vehicle as it was working their Service 4 from what is a temporary stop outside
the Tunnel that goes to Aylesbury Bus Station on Monday 2/11/20
The coach company, founded by Roger Richardson in Sheffield in 1976, has provided the Midhurst area with school transport and bus services for the last 30 years.
In a letter to parents, Bohunt School in Liphook said it had been sorry to learn the ‘sudden and unexpected news’ that the company had gone into administration on Tuesday of half term, during February 2019. Richardson’s Travel grew to be a familiar sight in and around Midhurst, with its blue single - and double-deckers operating on school routes and private hire for day trips and tours.
When Roger Richardson died aged 64 in 2011, his widow Christine said she would continue running the company.
The link below shows this bus in service with Richardson.
Buses will be unable to access Queen Street - 3, 8 & 9 services will not be able to serve stops E1 & E2 for the Westgate
A surprise arrival at Banbury is ex Stagecoach London Dennis Dart SLF 4 with Alexander Enviro200 bodywork, 36330 LX58CCV and new in October 2008, converted to single door and resplendent in the latest livery, ironically joining 37630 with a certain similarity of fleet number!
Andrew Churchill
Theo Freeman
"I have found out today that Banbury has received a short
E200 from London in the new livery. The fleet number is 36330 and had been
converted from dual door to single. I don’t know if it’s a bit late to include
in this weeks page but I do have photos as attached. It’s due to go out on
Tuesday for the Banbury town routes. Solo 47735 should also be retuning to
Witney next week.
Two more view of this bus in Banbury depot on October 31st.
Gavin Francis
and by The Cutty Sark, Greenwich working the 386 on May 23rd 2018.
A nearside picture of this bus in 2012 can be found at this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wagn1/7354207886/in/photostream
It appears that Hybrid 12009 is still at Oxford parked up at Network Oxford. It has not, as suggested in the last issue, been disposed of just yet.
Charles Powell
Pictured at the Warriner School on Friday 6th is Ex Stagecoach London
36330 about to depart on afternoon schools.
This is now based at Banbury and I’ve been told there are expected to be another three due.
Ciaran Bird
Ciaran visited Horspath Road depot on November 2nd
Ciaran also visited
Gold 15835 branded for route S3 is seen in Bicester with an S5 service on
November 4th.
Neil Bridges also pictured 36927 on the S3
Jack Cooper
Pete Leyman
Rhys Cutting
I welcome Rhys
who is a new contributor who writes "I've been reading the Bus Page for a good while but have never contributed, today (November 4th) I want to change that. I was in Witney doing a day in College and afterwards took some photos in the centre of town. You'll see them attached to this email I hope you'll like some (or all) of them.As a side note, I noticed the
Premier Inn Bus Stop (Witney) says buses 19, S2, X15 stop there & head for
Carterton / Abingdon. Whilst a few years ago this was true, I'm sure you're
aware Route X15 became Route 15 in July 2016, a consequence of the "Subsidy
Crisis". Over 4 years later it's still not updated. How abysmal!"
Back from long term repair work, 11235 is seen with an S1 school service in
Witney on November 4th.
Gary Seamarks
"News from Bedford is Busway 21221-5 are now on loan with the others all going back to Fenstanton. The loaned E300 from Cambridge have also returned home, (27855). along with 27646/7 , also arriving is Dart 34538 from store. Service revisions are/were ? due to take place at Bedford from 15/11 but perhaps that's back on hold now ? "
Marcus Lapthorn
The 906 from Oxford to Faringdon connecting to Swindon from August 30th 2020. serving Besselsleigh Greyhound 0800 : Southmoor Latton Close 0809 : Buckland Turn : 0816 Faringdon Fernham Road 0830 : Return bus leaves 1525. This service is for use by Faringdon School students only."
Many thanks to Marcus for this useful report and picture.
The first full picture was received from Andy Stoppard
"I took two photos (pretty much the same) and my son's were a near copy of mine. Normally he takes photo's from every angle but not this time. We were dashing up to Scarborough for a family holiday and had already made one 'accidental' detour to a bus depot on the way so my wife and daughter were none too happy when we saw this parked up and had to make a quick stop. Hope you can use the photos and if you ever see any others that you think are appropriate please use them as well."
Many thanks Andy, much appreciated.
Andy Churchill
New arrivals to Oxford on
November 6th 2020 are Volvo B11R / Plaxton Panorama 50421/50422 (YX70LUA/LUD )
and look pretty good .
Andy has provided a selection of photos of the new arrivals.
50421 in Engineering showing the covers over the side windows in picture three.
50422 also in Engineering.
One imagines that these two coaches will receive the cherished plates, T40UBE and T44UBE, in due course. Ciaran Bird notes below.
Ciaran Bird
I can confirm that 50262 has been reregistered from T44UBE to OW14LKA!
Gavin Francis
The way is now clear for 50421-5 to be registered with the T**UBE series.
Ciaran Bird
Gavin Francis
London operators from Gavin Francis
Metroline TE926 is seen working driver training duties on November 5th at
Hillingdon.
A few pictures taken on November 5th of DMS 2127 taken in Grosvenor Gardens. A other picture shows the same bus at Whipsnade Zoo. G.
Another wrap on BigBus AN333 which is quite striking.
Michael Wadman
Following on from previous weeks Michael writes
"Recently
we’ve had Pulhams of Bourton-on-the-Water and Fluck’s Luxury Coaches of
Stow-on-the-Wold, so how about completing the trio of operators from hyphenated
Cotswold towns with Barry’s of Moreton-in-Marsh?
And now
I’m wondering why Moreton is just ‘in-Marsh’ and not ‘in-the-Marsh’ like a
famous fictional RAF station.
Anyway, when I lived in Cheltenham, Barry’s used to work in on Thursdays from Aston Magna and the first two shots were taken during layover at Royal Well bus station."
AOM14K
– Ford R226 / Caetano, new to Bowens of Birmingham, seen in 1981.
HXS114H
– Ford R192 / Willowbrook new to Pattison, Paisley, seen in 1980
A more recent shot of CFX320T, Ford R1014 /
Plaxton new to the Excelsior Group, Bournemouth,
seen in Moreton-in-Marsh on a local
service on November
9th 1999.
As always many thanks to Michael for these reminders of times past. I remember Bowens when I worked in Birmingham with TAP Air Portugal and the use of our freighter services from Portugal to the UK for urgent spare parts for Caetano coaches, then popular in the Britain.
Daniel Harwood visits Brighton
Daniel went to Brighton on October 30th and has provided a number of interesting pictures.
before moving to Brighton for route 25X as seen here in Western Road, Brighton.
Regulars on route 5 are these Extended Range Electric buses and seen above 301,
303 and 323.
Volvo B9TL/Wrights 403 working route 6 as branded with 418 working the 46 in a
wrap.
Demonstrator 703 working route 1 and I seem to remember that this bus was at
Oxford Bus & Carousel some time ago.
Indeed this bus, SN64CTU, has been to many group companies in the UK and also to
Transdev.
Several StreetDecks are seen above, 815, 825 and 849 working a variety of route
in Brighton.
branded for the Portsmouth based 23 !!
Many thanks to Daniel for this interesting selection of Brighton buses and coaches.
Jack Cooper went to Worcester on October 30th
Volvo B7RLE Plaxton Centro's 66693 and 66696 seen in Worcester.
Many thanks to Jack for that short interlude in another city.
The latest update from Ross Newman
Ensign in October as follows :
VEHICLES
IN.
From Stagecoach Oxford : Trident LX55EPZ.
From Stagecoach Midlands : Tridents LV52HEJ / KX04RVJ /
MX54LPV Solos KN04XKJ / XKK / XKL
From Metroline : MAN’s LK57AYT / AYW / EHU
LK07AYN / AYL / AYE Volvo B7TL LK54FWP.
From Rubicon Classic Travel : Tridents LK51UYE /
LN51GMF.
From RATP London : Versa’s YJ60KGA / KGE / KGF / KGG /
KGP YJ12PKX / PKY / PLF.
From Go South Coast : Volvo B11RTs BW16CLV / CLY / CLZ /
LCL / LCM / LCN / LCO / LCP / LCT BV66WNX / WNY / WNZ / WOA / WOB / WOC /
WOD / WHO / WOJ.
From Lothian Buses : Volvo B7RLE’s SK07CGY /
CFY / CGG SN57DCV / DCX / DCF / DDA SN58BYM / BYR
From First W Yorks : B7L MV02VEH
VEHICLES
OUT.
Volvo B7TL X579EGK Trident T510SSG E400
SN09CFF : First Devon and Cornwall.
E200s AE59AWC / AWA / AWG / AWF : Cymru Coaches,
Swansea.
Volvo B7TL LT52WVO : Confidence, Leicester.
E400s LK58KGJ / KGO / KHH / KHG : Notts and Derby
Buses.
Scania YN04GLV : Redfern Travel , Mansfield.
Scania YJ60KGX Solos
YJ11EJC YJ09MHU MAN LK07AYN : Wealden
PSV, Tonbridge, Kent.
E200s YX10BFF / BDU : Wexford Bus, Eire.
Dart HW54BTX : Avondale , Glasgow.
E400 LK09EKO : Peoples Bus, Liverpool.
Volvo B11RTs BW16LCL / LCM / LCN / LCO : South West
Coaches , Yeovil .
Volvo B11RT BV66WOB : Young's Coaches,
Cambridge.
Scanias YS03ZKB / ZKK : Mike Lawrenson, Preston.
Volvo B7RLE SN55BJV Scania YN08DHP : Grayscroft
Coaches, Mablethorpe, Lincs.
Trident AE06GZV : Smiths Coaches, Stockport.
Volvo B7TL LJ05GLZ : Walters Coaches, Oxford.
Volvo B7RLEs SN57DDA / SN58BYM : MP Travel, Manchester.
Volvo B7RLE SN58BYR : AL's Coaches, Liverpool.
The
following all to Shelton Motors for scrap :
Tridents LX03ORV / LX55EPZ / LV52HEJ / LN61GNP /
LN51GKV
E300s : VX54MPZ / MRY / VX53VKB
MANs : LK57EHU LK07AYW / AYT / AYC / AYE.
Solos KN04XKJ / YJ57EHD
Dart : SN05DZX B7TL YJ51RRV
B7L MV02VCX E200s YX58FPF / YX10BFM
ENSIGN FLEET
124 and 125 sold to NAT, Cardiff.
703 sold to Go-Ahead Ireland.
Temporary E400s for TFL schools 970 / 71 / 72 / 73 sold
to Notts and Derby.
Additions
to replace 970-973 :
LK58KGU 976
LK58KHM 977
LK58KHU 978
LK58CNV 979
Vehicles on hire :
The Ensign Fleet E200s on hire to Yellow Buses Bournemouth have been replaced by ex Halton E200s