Issue nr. 187
Monday, January 17th 2022
Issue nr. 187
Monday, January 17th 2022
Editorial
Following a better week except for some very foggy days at least the rain kept off in The Chilterns and contributors provided some interesting pictures.
THE item of news for the week was the arrival of a Go Ahead North East StreetDeck for trials with Oxford Bus and much is included hereunder about this bus and pictures of it working the now OBC X40 to and from Reading with an occasional trip working the X39. The bus with a larger than usual engine is here for trials.
The bus in question was caught in Westgate by Tony Gaze working
an X39 inbound service on January 14th.
Michael Wadman has provided a very nice article on route 408 in Surrey to be seen further down this page.
Grahame Wareham has, under Readers Write, answered and corrected some matters concerning the changes in route 2 - Oxford to Kidlington.
Richard Sharman spent time in Oxford recording the changes to be seen in the City in these early days of2022. I have grouped various operators under one heading below.
As ever Gavin Francis and Jack Cooper have been busy keeping us up to date with current workings. Jack also visited Reading on January 12th.
A panorama of the company bus depot.
Finally further allocation changes for Stagecoach West & Oxford are recorded by Steve Knight.
STOP PRESS !!
At long last the first of the two returned Astromegas from Scotland have made it to London. 50272 has still not appeared although it is in Oxford.
Looking care worn and hardly a good example of the Oxford tube.
In mid-December 2021, ADL Enviro 300 27701 has
transferred from Gloucester to Banbury in exchange for Scania/Enviro 300 28742.
ADL Enviro 400MMCs 10686/87 had returned to Oxford by mid-December 2021
following a period on loan at Swindon, then Enviro 400MMCs 10686/87 returned to
Swindon after a short period operating back at Oxford during December 2021.
10786 seen working the S6 from Oxford on January 11th
by Gavin Francis.
The reduction in vehicle requirement at Oxford will see four Enviro 200s transferred to Banbury as replacements for the four remaining Dart SLFs there (34471/72 and 34881/82). A charity tour took place over several Banbury routes using one of the remaining Dart SLFs from the depot on 16th January 2022. 34472 is due to be withdrawn after 16th January 2022.
34472 seen in Banbury depot ready for its "Swan Song"
taken by Theo Freeman.
The first fleet changes were reported on 7th January
2022 when Dart SLF 34471 was withdrawn and moved to Witney for storage with
Enviro 200s 36930/32 transferred from Oxford to Banbury.
Also due to transfer to Banbury from Oxford (as replacement for 34881/82) are
36931 and 36982.
Other Enviro 200s due to move from Oxford are 36769/70 to Swindon and 36928/29
to Stroud.
Private Hire Levante 59307 at North Bristol is now in
the Reserve Fleet.
Vehicles authorised for disposal are Trident 18090 (Gloucester); Dart SLFs
34733/40 (Swindon) and 35193 (Stroud) along with Optare Solo 47451 (Reserve
Fleet, Witney).
Withdrawn vehicles sold are Trident 18085, Enviro 200 37010 and Optare Solos 47241/44 and 47556.
We hope to have pictures of the final tour of 34472 for the next Weekly Briefing.
James Lambeth
This rather perfect picture of the Magdalen Bridge in Oxford hosts a visitor to the City.
Go North East 6377 / NK20BYV, the only Wright StreetDeck in England to be fitted
with Daimler's 6-cylinder OM936 engine,
passes under the Magdalen College bell
tower in Oxford on January 12th.
Currently on demonstration with Oxford Bus
Company on long-distance "River Rapids" routes X39/X40.
Richard Sharman comments
Go North East has taken delivery of the first Wrightbus StreetDeck in the UK to be fitted with the 7.7-litre 6-cylinder Daimler OM936 engine.
The engine, which is the same as fitted to the current Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2, will deliver more power compared to the standard 5.1-litre 4-cylinder Daimler OM934 engine. It will also allow for the top speed to be increased from the current 50mph with the OM934 engine.
NK70BYV will be trialled on Go North East’s interurban ‘X’ routes to compare against the native OM934-engined Wrightbus StreetDecks already in use.
Many more pictures of this bus appear under the Oxford Bus heading below.
A day in Oxford with variety
Richard Sharman
Richard has provided a selection of interesting pictures from recent days in and around Oxford.
The two active Van Hools remain busy performing multiple trips, racking up LEZ
charges?
No sign of the two Euro VI 14-plates entering service as yet. 50235 and
50250.
StreetLite 441 escaped the confines of Didcot for a trip to Oxford on the X2
last Saturday.
The lack of Enviro200s in the City is certainly noticeable now. 36760 is seen
working the 14A.
Some years ago there were complaints from
residents about the use of double decks !
Bedford's 10875 decided it didn't want to go on Saturday morning and came to a
halt next to the Odeon.
Within 20mins an Oxford depot fitter appeared with a laptop and solved the
problem, by this time 10874 had caught up with it.
With the current cold and wintery weather conditions it's difficult to keep
vehicles clean, especially on country routes.
15756 is seen having arrived on a 7 from Woodstock, although it probably
originated from Chipping Norton earlier in the day.
A number of Bedford's Enviro400MMCs are now carrying full 'Longer' livery vinyls
including 10872.
The last of Bedford's Enviro400MMCs to be repainted is former Stagecoach South
West 10499.
Just what Oxford needs, another hotel !!
Prospect Coaches are currently operating the M34 service from Nottingham to
Southampton via Oxford,
Thursday to Monday using Irizar i6 coaches. Two of which are 71-plates.
Some variety on the Arriva 280 with VDL 3816
seen at Carfax Corner.
Many thanks to Richard who also provided the excellent captions.
Jack Cooper visits Reading and catches up with various operators
Aldermaston Coach Lines and Jack saw these two vehicles on January 9th.
The same day and Barnes had an Irizar i6 YT69DWM working rail replacement on
January 9th.
Another "RR" bus in use was this NPC MMC SL69XWW seen in Reading on
January 9th.
The battle of Aylesbury
Paul Coley
Interesting that an Arriva 300 travelling to Aylesbury turned up with no one on
board and left with one person, followed 5 minutes later by a Red Line 130 with
7 people on board and left with 13 (everyone waited for it, rather than getting
on the 300). Wonder who’s winning this battle?
Arriva's 3798 nearing the end of its journey from
High Wycombe on January 12th.
Redlines AE07DZC with the 130 from Wycombe on the
same day.
Paul finds interesting news on this area.
Well, at long last the Omicron infection rates seem to be dropping and it is suggested that many restrictions will be lifted and we might just be able to get back to some form of normality ! So fingers crossed.
Fleet news and developments
Gavin Francis
7213 is seen in Buckingham Palace Road with a 757 working on January 10th.
A report elsewhere suggests that 7209 is out of use.
Jack Cooper
Seen in Reading is 3918, still minus any fleet numbers working the 850 on
January 12th.
Nick Ross
A foggy day at Leighton Buzzard with 3895 working an F70 on January 15th.
Of interest, courtesy Gez, disposals are of significant.
Midlands & The Shires
Vehicle disposals
Optare Solo M950 2451 (YJ08 XDK), 2498 (YJ58 PKC):
I think 2498 may have been at Wycombe when new
?
VDL Bus SB120 2702 (YJ54 CKF), 2704 (BU02 URY), 2737 (CX04
EHZ):
Scania CN94UB 3579 (YN05 HGC), 3580 (YN04 AHA):
VDL Bus SB200 3740 (YJ57 AZT):
Volvo B7RLE 3861, 3864
Volvo B7TL 4003 (FJ06 ZPV), 4017 (UUI 2913), 4018 (UUI2910), 4019 (UUI 2945),
4021 (UUI 2951), 4022 (UUI 2950):
All sold to Shelton Motors (dealer) for scrap
Sold
DAF DB250 4757 (FJ06 ZTD):
Mercedes-Benz O530G 5001 (BX04 MXG), 5003 (BX04 MYA), 5006 (BX04 NDU)
Sold to Shelton Motors (dealer) for scrap
Optare Solo M850 6009 (FJ54 OTX): Returned to Shropshire County Council
DAF DB250 6046, 6061 (FD02 UKP):
Sold to Shelton Motors (dealer) for scrap
Jack Cooper
On his visit to Reading caught up with this railair
coach on January 9th.
Kevin Fuller
A few pictures taken today, 15th January, in a foggy
Slough, of some current First vehicles, which hopefully are of interest to
readers:
Volvo hybrid 69921 collects passengers outside of
Slough bus station whilst working route 7 between Langley and Britwell.
Enviro 200 44561 in 'Trader' livery for routes
passing through Slough Trading Estate, lays over between duties on route 12 to
Burnham.
Also on route 7, Volvo B7RLE 69391 pauses on Wellington Street with a Slough
- Britwell shuttle.
The new buses have high-backed seats with seatbelts and USB charging points. The new buses follow GPL’s recent investment in contactless payment ticket machines and will be ready fitted with tap on, tap off card readers.
Does anyone have details or pictures of these two buses? They maybe ex Alexander stock vehicles.
Jack Cooper
Go North East's 6377 is currently
on loan to Oxford Bus for evaluation on the River Rapids X39/X40. What makes
this bus different is the engine, it had a Daimler OM936 engine, the other
StreetDecks have a Daimler OM934 engine. 6377 is the only 6 cylinder StreetDeck
in England so it makes it very unique! 6377 is in a generic version of the
Xlines livery.
Go North East are also getting rid of their Interdecks
(7150-7156), they are going off lese and the X9/X10 services will be operated by
Enviro 400mmc's, I am unsure the fleet numbers that will be branded for the
X9/X10.
Many more pictures from Jack are to be found under various operator headings.
Recently acquired 431 is still out of service, I am told awaiting a new engine. StreetLites have recently been used on Link40 but the Citaro is now the normal allocation, which should be 869 and 870.
Gavin Francis
The first picture I received of this bus was from
Gavin on January 12th.
356 is seen with a 5A working in High Street on
January 11th.
3 road now sees some blue buses and even a Brookes Bus, 363 in Westgate, 366 in
High Street as it Brookes 603.
I think a most unusual working was of Brookes 376 showing 15 road in High Street
on January 11th.
StreetDeck Micro hybrid 901 also in High Street with an X3 heading for Abingdon
on January 11th.
Jack Cooper
Oxford 220 seen in Wallingford with an X40 working on January 12th.
222 also seen in Wallingford heading for Reading with the X40 on January 9th.
Oxford's 223 and 252 with services in Reading on January 12th.
A 5A working in Butterwyke Place on January 10th.
6377 seen in Reading on January 12th.
The same bus seen in Westgate on January 12th.
Interior pictures taken at the depot on January 11th.
This rear view might suggest that this bus is away from home on January 12th.
James Freeman
Unusually 660 is seen working the 11 to WATLINGTON near Lidl on January 15th.
Jack Cooper
Tourismo 38 seen in Westgate with an inbound Airport service on January 12th.
I also note that maybe due to a shortage of serviceable Tourismo coaches the old ex X90 coach such as 68, 70 and 71 are seemingly more regular use mainly to Gatwick.
Gavin Francis
Bruce's BU18OSV with the 590 seen in Bulleid Way on
January 10th.
One of Edwards latest acquisitions BV71GYR with a 509 also in Bulleid Way on
January 14th.
Another contractor, Selwyns had BF21DCX in Bulleid Way with a notable
destination screen on January 13th.
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Jack Cooper
Reading's 233 seen with route 13 on January 12th.
Gas buses 419 with an 11 and 424 with a 3 on January 12th.
Still giving service to Reading is ex Stagecoach WA04CSX with a 23 on January
12th.
E200 651 working little oranges 19a on January 12th.
MMC City 717 working its branded 17 service on January 12th
758 is seen
in Stanshawe Road, heading
towards the depot on January 12th. We believe this was driven by Robert
Turner.
Green Line livery adorns 760 seen in Buckingham Palace Road on January 13th.
Now in JetBlack livery 789 is seen with route 1 on January 12th.
StreetDeck 906 is working the 13 on January 9th.
Paul Coley
The Spryte Y358LCK out in service
on January 12th, working the two hour round trip to Chesham.
Seen at Stoke Mandeville Hospital,
with no
one seemingly wanting to make the trip.
Allocation changes are recorded within the Editorial of this issue.
Andy Churchill
Here 15758 has now returned from repaint at SC Bristol and should enter service
soon - January 14th.
Gavin Francis
Now with paint job which is nearly 12 years old, 12004 is seen in High Street
working route 10 on January 11th.
Local livery is seen covering 36763 working the S4 in Magdalen Street East on
January 12th.
Jack Cooper
MMC 10677 is seen in Speedwell Street on January 15th, I'm not sure about the
destination !!
As mentioned under STOP PRESS Astromega 50274 made it to London on January 17th but 50272 is still not in service.
megabus services are now being operated by a number of sub contractors as our pictures each week show.
Gavin Francis
54276 is seen near VCS on January 10th.
Jack Cooper
Goldwings of Hayes operate this Tourismo - BV70UAP - for megabus
seen with an M7 to Cardiff on January 13th.
London operators
Jack Cooper
Jack caught this Caetano, abellio 1534, in Buckingham
Palace Road with a C10 working on January 13th.
Grahame Wareham
I just thought I would drop
you a line to apologise for the errors that crept in on my article on 2 road. I
did compile it in rather hurry which a fact not an excuse for the mistakes!
Alexander points out the first
one regarding the 22 City Centre - Risinghurst, I should have typed Kidlington,
not Risinghurst as the 22 was a combination of 20/21 service in the evenings and
on Sundays. Copy of a time table attached. The 20 also changed to a 21A later on
so somewhat complicated.
The service along The Moors in
Kidlington did get suspended for a period until Oxfordshire CC coughed up some
support money but the Begbroke Yarnton Kidlington service 4 Minibus service did
cater for locals who lived in the Moors with 4 trips per day. The severe speed
humps along The Moors absolutely played havoc with Bristol VR springs, they were
vicious and are still there.
TThe last point he made the
picture of 604, again I have got the date wrong, when you take colour neg film
from a small camera it can take ages to use the film up so I only had the
processing date. As luck would have I keep a record of all the COMS/OBC bus
driving duties I have carried out since 1975 on a spread sheet so it was easy to
find. The date should have read 5th September 2004 but I would also point out,
as I was driving that bus, that indeed it was going to Oxford Rail Station, most
of the 601-620 batch of Verde's had older blinds fitted as normally a 644-656
Paladin was used on this service and these showed Banbury Road Oxford Rail
Station.
Thanks to Thomas Knowles also for providing some older
historic information about the services. It was certainly simpler then.
Michael Wadman with a 408 memory day
On 16th November 1921 the East Surrey Traction
Company started route S6B between Guildford and Epsom. The following year it was
extended to Sutton and renumbered S8, in 1923 it was extended to West Croydon,
and in 1924 it was renumbered 408 under the Bassom system.
On 16th November 2021 the London Bus Museum
marked the centenary of what became the 408 by running RT3491 and RT4779 on a
free journey Epsom – Guildford – West Croydon – Epsom. The buses are seen in
Epsom, Guildford, and West Croydon bus station.
-RT3491-LYR910-Guildford-161121a.jpg)
-RT4779-OLD566-WCroydon-161121iia.jpg)
A memory of the classic days of the 408 as I remember
them: London Country RT3530 in Merrow in June 1972, shortly before the route was
taken over by Atlanteans (although I’m not sure why it displays the via blind
for short journeys) (photo by Keith Newton).
Those were the days !!
In the mid-seventies London Country suffered a severe
vehicle shortage which resulted in the hiring of several buses from a number of
operators, which is why Bournemouth’s Daimler Fleetline no 195 (CRU 195C) was in
Guildford on the 408 in December 1975. The blue and white hoardings behind the
bus surround the building site for the Friary shopping centre and bus station
(photo by Keith Newton).
With the breakup on London Country in 1986 the 408 found
itself operated by London Country South West, which later adopted the name
“London & Country”, although Guildford Garage, which provided some of the
vehicles for the route, became a separate subsidiary “Guildford & West Surrey
Buses” that also included the former Alder Valley operations in the town.
AN223 (EPH 23V), a Roe-bodied Leyland Atlantean, was
typical of the London Country ‘deckers that operated the route after 1972, seen
on layover in West Croydon bus station on 13th February 1993.
Much less typical was this Bristol VRT found lurking at
Leatherhead Garage on 25th October 1993. GTX 740W was new to National
Welsh and came to Guildford & West Surrey from Southend.
RM1183 also came from Southend, acquired by London &
Country in 1993 for a school service. On the five Saturdays leading up to
Christmas that year it ran as a duplicate on route 406 and 408 journeys, and is
seen here in Guildford bus station on a rather wet 18th December
still in Southend livery.
RM1183 ran on the 408 again on a couple of Saturdays in
April 1994, by which time it had been repainted into fleet livery. Seen on 2nd
April in Guildford bus station.
The 408
went low-floor in 1995 with a batch of Wright-bodied Dennis Lance SLFs
part-funded by Surrey County Council. LSL5 (M517 KPA) is opposite Leatherhead
Garage on 9th August 1997, and LSL9 (N527 SPA) in Guildford on 13th
July 1996.
Some
journeys continued to be operated by step-entrance vehicles, such as Leyland
National East Lancs Greenway rebuild no 430 (KPA 380P), seen outside Leatherhead
Garage on 11th February 1995. This was a former Alder Valley vehicle
that came with Alder Valley South’s Guildford operations in 1990.
An
unusual happening in the history of the 408 took place in the late ‘nineties
when the Nostalgiabus vehicle used on summer Sundays Surrey Hills Leisure Bus
433 from Guildford ran its positioning journeys in service on the route. Former
London Transport GS67 awaits departure of the morning journey in Cheam Broadway
on 18th May 1997, and former Grey-Green Bedford OB KYE 905 is in
Guildford with the afternoon return working on 5th May 1997.
The 408
suffered from straddling the boundary between Greater London and the rest of the
country, with their very different approaches towards bus operations. An attempt
to run the section within Greater London as limited stop was unsuccessful and
ultimately the route was withdrawn east of Epsom. Nowadays the 408 only runs
between Epsom and Effingham, the section on to Guildford being covered by the
479. If one wants to follow the traditional 408 route from West Croydon to
Guildford today, one must use five buses: 407 to Sutton, 151 or 213 to Cheam,
470 to Epsom, 408 to Effingham, and 479 to Guildford.
Until
recently, the truncated 408 was operated by Epsom Coaches. Dennis Dart SLF /
Plaxton V943 DNB, originally a Mistral hire vehicle, at Epsom Clock Tower on 16th
January 2004; Optare Solo YE52 FGU in Leatherhead on 31st July 2013;
and Solo E7 HRR, formerly YN53 SVO, also in Leatherhead on 5th
January 2015.
-SD22-V943DNB-Epsom-160104a.jpg)
-OP11-YE52FGU(YE52FHU)-Leatherhead-310713ia.jpg)
-EB07-Sefton-E7HRR(YN53SVO)-Leatherhead-050115iib.jpg)
Following Epsom Coaches’ withdrawal from Surrey bus services, the 408 was
assumed by Falcon Coaches, who normally use ADL Enviro 200s. YX70 OKV was in
Leatherhead on 31st August 2021, and YX68 UJR in Epsom on 16th
November 2021, the 100th anniversary of the route which takes us back
to where we started.
Very many thanks to Michael who has provided a most interesting article.