The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  

Issue 157
(OBP-372)
Sunday 11th December 2005
next update week ending 23rd December 2005

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid-week news please let me know
malcolmhc@aol.com

This past week saw the end of normal Routemaster operation in London and we have prepared a special page to commemorate this event. I would also like to thank Gavin Francis and Wongers for providing the pictures and Gain for his editorial on the event. You can visit Wongers site at the following link http://www.wongers.fotopic.net/

Please click on the picture below to visit the special page.

Click on the picture above to enter the special page.

In view of this sad event I am restricting this page to "historical" pictures and information and current events will be included on next week's page.

Stepping back for a moment in time

From mails received it seems that very many of you enjoy a bit of nostalgia and this week I have been delving in my photographs from the 1980s and 1990s. I have also received a few interesting pictures from various contributors and I hope everyone enjoys this "moment in time".

The City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd and The Wycombe Bus Company

Go Ahead took over this company in 1994. Prior to that many interesting buses joined the fleet, sometimes for quite a short time.

I have browsed my collection and pulled a few pictures which should wet the appetite.

This week Terry Partridge kindly supplied two photos which I am sure will bring back memories to my older readers.

1985 saw the delivery of five Metroliner coaches followed buy a further three in 1986.
My pictures above date as follows. All are of the 7th coach, nr 907 C907GUD.
Picture 1 shows this coach at the Cowley Road garage on28tth September 1991,
the second shows this coach on the M40, London bound on 9th June 1992.
The third picture was taken recently in London on the 1sr April, where this coach is still used on London sightseeing.
Oxford withdrew the coach in August 1992 and sold it for further service when it spent sometime with Taylor of Widnes.
I wonder if any reader has a picture of during that time from the end of 1992 until 1994 when it joined London Pride.

 
Look carefully at these two pictures. The first one is of 601 when new in the summer of 1995. It is seen in Cornmarket.
(by the way this means that these buses gave good service for 10 years on Kidlington routes.)
The second is very interesting since it shows 651, yes 651 when new, once again on Kidlingtons.
The entire batch of 28 single-door Volvo B10B/Plaxton Verde vehicles was originally destined for the Go-Ahead Group North-East
 and indeed the first four (651-654) were actually registered by them, but only 651 was ever delivered to them.
651-654 arrived at Oxford in full GAG Gateshead & District livery, almost identical to the Cityline livery, complete with fleet names.
This explains the NRG registrations on this batch of buses.
 Initially these four vehicles were on loan and Oxford were only to receive the next 24, but events changed
and 651-654 were kept and renumbered 625-628. 625-627 were branded for X3 Abingdon Express service in 1996.
The end of their life in Oxford was signalled when 621 to 627 moved to High Wycombe with Wycombe Bus
and then sold to Arriva. They can still be seen around Wycombe to this day, often on the 328/329 to Reading.

In 1990 it was decided to rebody as buses some of the ECW B51 batch of Leyland Leopards delivered for the
190 London service in 1982. The bodies has proved troublesome when delivered and some of this batch
received new Willowbrook Warrior bus bodies over the summer of 1990
The picture above shows 33, now renumbered 633, when delivered.
This bus became a driver trainer in May 1994, being once again renumbered T4.
In 1999 it lost its registration to a private owner and became ABW310X

 
In 1984 as batch of 9 coaches were delivered, 4 being Plaxton 3200 bodies and 5 being 3500 highline bodies.
The latter 5 were for the airport services and I can remember at least one entering service in white livery as delivered.
Three were eventually transferred to the Wycombe Bus Company in 1993 numbered 1115-1117.
They were painted in a special livery for an Aylesbury-Wycombe-Heathrow service which lasted about 2 years.
They were sold in 1995 to Bennett of Newbury and eventually ended up with Heyfordian.
Dave Rogers mailed me this week to say one had turned up on e-bay and you may like to look at the link
eBay.co.uk: motorhome convertion/leyland tiger (item 4595987049 end time 13-Dec-05 16:37:10 GMT)
My picture shows the three after withdrawal at Cowley Road garage and the e-bay picture.

Five Olympians were purchased in 1990, mainly being used on the 5 to Reading or the 280 to Aylesbury.
During 1991 the could often be seen on summer Saturdays working relief services to London on the 190.
My picture shows 230 on the M40 on 10th August 1991.

In 1995 some second hand Bristol Vrs entered the fleet from Brighton and Hove. Indeed one or more worked
in B&H livery in Oxford but two were later transferred to Wycombe Bus Company.
In October 1996 all Bristol VRs were withdrawn from Wycombe almost overnight and replaced by
Mercedes minibuses, again second hand from London companies.
My picture shows two of the VRs 446 and 447 at Cowley Road after withdrawal.
They were sold to Partridge of Hadley Wood and 447 was eventually exported to the USA.

Green Line - London Country North West

Amersham garage as we would like to remember it. Here we see TPL94 and E registered Leyland Tiger
waiting its next duty,  probably on the 290 to Oxford from London. The date 19th November 1989.

Motts

Cornmarket when buses still held sway. Motts ran the 230 service to Oxford and here we see a Metrobus picking up its passengers.
The date is 28th September 1991

South Midland

A visit to Wantage at the end of the '80s revealed this interesting trainer. It was a Sunday and so it wasn't going anywhere.

Thames Transit

Thames Transit operated from 1987 to 1997 before being taken over by Stagecoach. One could always be sure to find interesting buses at Horspath. Transfers from other parts of the Blundred empire would arrive, stay awhile and then move on elsewhere.

Two Mercedes minibuses, 764 and 768 wait their time at Horspath garage. I'm not sure of the date.
Doubtless someone can help?

Armstrong Galley sent this picture of the much mentioned Leyland PD2 at Gloucester Green on its way to Woodstock.

Some more arrivals at Horspath, this time on 25th July 1992.
They are being prepared for service and their fleet numbers are on the destination screen.
I think that a younger Richard Sharman running across the left hand one?

Some Tigers arrived from Burton's of Brixham in 1993 and one also joined from elsewhere.
993 is seen at Gloucester Green on 6th November 1993

IVECO Demonstrators

Two demonstrators visited Thames Transit around 1994.

A dual door single decker operated on loan on route 20 and is seen here at Gloucester Green on 19th February 1994.

A unique double decker IVECO operated on route 1 around the same time but I do not have any other details.
I think this bus ended up with Filers in the South West?

The Mercedes minibuses were often in New road where they laid over between duties.
This is a nice picture of how things looked on February 2nd 1991.

At the time a lot was made of Harry Blundred's venture into the Docklands Minibus operation.
Only 2 years old, nr 101, was the first minibus to enter service in Oxford when Thames Transit was formed.
By 24th November 1989, when this picture was taken, it had been prepared for service in London.

Thames Valley

 
John Bristow wrote to enclose these two pictures saying
" I was interested to see the recent pics of Frogmoor B.S. and therefore at the risk of causing 'Frogmoor overload'
I attach two pics which I took there on a miserable January day in 1970."

Spencer's Coaches, High Wycombe

 
More pictures from Gavin Francis of this long defunct operator.
Gavin says "having read last weeks page I am glad to see that Nigel Peach also remembers Spencer's Coaches.
They did in fact have 2 RT's the other being RT 3507, and herewith is a picture of it.
Also is a Black & White picture of a Bedford/Duple coach of theirs."

Well I hope you have enjoyed this page with a difference. Back to the more usual fayre next week but if anyone has comments or contributions please contact me.

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I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this page and look forward to your continued support in the future.

Malcolm Crowe - Sunday 11th December 2005

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Mike Penn's photo page with much from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire

Chris Lowe's Photo page - mainly North West UK

The Oxford Bus Museum