Issue 169
(OBP-384)
Sunday 12th March
2006
next update week ending 24th March 2006
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002
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
The last week has occupied much of my time in office duties rather than out on the road, so pictures from my side are somewhat limited. However we have some great black and white pictures from Derek Doling, who has sent more of the Bill Legg pictures and Ed Maun has also contributed some Thames Valley snaps.
This week Ben Morroll has sent some interesting pictures from our area, as has Derek Dawson.
The cyclist piece from last week has generated some good replies, not all "on my side" which is great because the page should generate other points of view.
On Monday I had to visit the dreaded dentist and this gave me a chance to catch a few shots in High Wycombe. I was refuelling my car at Shell near Cressex and was surprised by how many companies use this facility. These include Carousel, Heyfordian and other local companies.
Here we can see a Carousel DAF, a
Heyfordian Volvo and a Marlow Coaches Volvo at Cressex Shell.
Time is somewhat limited as I had to spend some time at Green Line yesterday morning and am back in the office tomorrow morning early. So here we go.
Report from Reading by James Cusworth
Apologies for my lack of input in recent weeks - however there should be quite a lot going on here in the next few months.
Reading Buses have recently released their annual report for 2005 and it confirms that 31 new buses are currently on order for 2006, all Scanias. They are:
- 8 Omnidekkas for branded routes 23/24 (dark pink)
- 8 Omnidekkas for branded routes 25/26 (light pink)
- 10 L94UB/Wright Solars
- 5 high-spec OmniCity single-deckers for the Thames Valley Park contract.
Rob Williams` website www.buszone.co.uk confirms that of the 10 Solars:
- 4 are for branded route 37 (light blue)
- 1 is for an increased service on branded route 5 (dark green)
- 5 are to be in the all-routes grey livery
This will leave just three groups of routes; 12 (brown), 31/33 (dark blue) and 63/65 (orange) left to be branded.
The first ten Excels, 901-10 are due to leave this week for New Zealand, travelling to Southampton docks on the 16th March. There appears to then be a gap before the first 8 Omnidekkas are due to enter service on the 27th March. This will leave just 23 remaining out of a fleet of Excels which once stood at 64.
Optare MetroRider operation has recently ended in Reading, with 627 and 629 recently being withdrawn. I last noted 629 on the 28th Feb running out of service through the town centre. 630-2 remain at Newbury.
A few pictures from the last couple of weeks:
First
Berkshire’s 68522 was parked up in the Railair bay on Wednesday 8th
March. I think it is some kind of BMC?
Newbury
Buses` 457 brightens up a very grey day in it’s John Nike overall ad.
Another John
Nike overall ad is carried by First Berkshire’s 34279, which also carries a
remnant of the old yellow and blue livery.
Note that the fuel cap covers over part of the phone number, with the final 0
missing!
The Tridents
did make it to Reading during their brief spell at Wycombe as shown by 5432 at
the beginning of Feb.
Reading
Buses` Spectra 739 has recently returned to service after it met with a bridge
last year. It is only the second vehicle to be repainted into the new livery.
The other
repaint; 974 at Purley Post Office.
738 still
wears remnants of it’s overall ad for NightTrack, Reading’s network of night bus
routes,
but the contravision on the windows has disappeared, leaving headless people!
Thames
Travel’s 155 appears to be a regular on the X40, as seen here on 14th
Feb.
Competition between road and rail
I read in a daily paper last week that it is in fact not the railway operating companies who are cutting trains but the Government in the way they grant the franchises at this time.
It does however seem to indicate a problem for rail users vs bus and coach users where extra capacity can be provided much more easily as and when required.
I am also pleased to print a response from reader Simon Brown which is rather interesting.
Simon writes "You
chose an interesting title for one of your articles last week - “Competition
between road and rail”.
At peak times rail clearly offers greater certainty over travel time due to the
chronic road congestion into and out of Oxford and London, and although the rail
fare may be higher many people choose this way of getting to London. The number
of journeys by rail from Oxford has increased by 20% in recent years – how does
this compare to the London coaches, where at least one operator has reduced the
frequency of its service? A coach every ten minutes sounds good but how many
actually of these carry enough people during the day to make money?
There is clearly a role for both coach and rail travel to the capital, and both
have a good share of the market appealling to different people. The coach
appealing to price-conscious students and those not worried about journey times,
and the train for people where journey time is important and price is not the
main issue.
Incidentally, the saver return fare from Oxford to London by train is £10 – less
than the Espress and the Oxford Tube, and a cheap day “turn up and go” return
ticket is £17 – but then you expect to pay for a faster journey and ability to
walk around.
On a Saturday there are trains from London at 2052*, 2103, 2148*, 2215*, 2203,
2300, 2303 with the fastest journey* time being 57 minutes (longest time is 1hr
40 minutes). The 2215 ‘fast’ train ran did run as I was a passenger on it that
evening, and this was the last through train to Oxford because of engineering
work that has been taking place on most weekends since December."
So there you have it, the rail is better than indicated. Indeed down to personal choice but then thankfully there are some things left in this great country of ours where we have personal choice. Many thanks to Simon.
VCS from another viewpoint
As mentioned elsewhere I had to be at Victoria on Saturday and went in by car. I took these pictures from the car park which gives a nice vantage point.
Replies about cyclists
Following my comments last week and the report on a crackdown by Thames Valley police I, not unexpectedly, received several responses which I am printing in full below.
Ralph Adams writes "I realise that the weekly report is your own and that you can write what you like. However, you are going very strong on the anti cyclist process which I object to.
1. I do have a cyclist helmet but the air groves mean it is very cold in the snow and cold weather generally. I wear a fur hat in the winter to keep my head warm, and therefore my brains alert. If my head gets cold, I would be a greater danger on the road.
2. No mention is made of the state of the roads. Pot holes are bad in the gutter with dropped drains and yellow lines. Have you every tried cycling between the double yellow lines. If you hit the yellow, it is raised, shiny and throws you off track.
3. A high vis jacket is not brilliant in hot weather. My expensive one which is meant to be breathable and dry now lets in the rain. If the high vis applies to bicycles, it should also apply to cars for when the driver gets out of the car, opening the door straight into the cyclist.
4. Why can we not have flashing rear lights on a bike (we are told to avoid being confused as police cars - but the lights are red not blue). I get round the problem with a red fixed light on the bicycle frame and a flashing light fixed on my top box which is then fixed on a rack which is then on the bike. As the top box is not part of the bike, I maintain I am legal - but will the magistrates agree with my interpretation of the law.
I do agree that I find it frustrating when I stop at a red traffic light and suddenly another cyclist goes straight past me without stopping. Pavements are for pedestrians, unless marked as dual use. However, outside the City Centres, few people walk (which in itself is a pity), so it does make sense, although not legal, for most pavements to be cycle tracks, allowing buses the inside lane.
I should also add that exercise is something which is sadly lacking for many people. I cycle constantly as it is necessary for my heart to be pushed in order to keep healthy. It is also quite environmentally friendly - I use very little rubber on brake blocks and tyres, and no pollution except the carbon dioxide I breathe out pedalling along."
Ralph does have some very valid points and I fully acknowledge his protest at my being "too strong". However if he had endured some heart stopping moments whilst diving buses and coaches in Oxford he might have a slightly different viewpoint. If only more cyclists were like Ralph but as late as last evening when coming into Oxford with my wife, even she commented on how many cyclists ignored red lights and had no lights whatsoever.
Richard Griffin adds to the debate saying
"The
thrust of your regular writings about cyclists is well-founded and has good
intentions, and I agree wholeheartedly with suggestions to enforce proper rider
behaviour and use of lights; I must comment briefly on the other parts of what
you've written:
Helmets: Why on earth should cyclists be forced to wear helmets? They offer no
protection to anyone but the cyclist, and no protection against being crushed
under a bus! Indeed cyclists that wear helmets may subconsciously take more
risks and pose more of a hazard to other road users. Many studies have been
done, the mandatory-helmet-use debate has run and run worldwide for the last 15
years or so.
In my personal view, helmet-use comes a poor third behind rider-education and
clothing/lighting.
You mention a high-visibility jacket; use of a lightweight waistcoat or mesh
bib should also be permitted, as cyclists can work up a big sweat even in
apparently cold weather. I wonder also whether hi-vi vests are really necessary
during the middle of a bright summer's day if cyclists are already wearing
bright clothing.
Number-plates: the whole point is that the bicycle is not a motorised vehicles,
rather a low-cost low-impact zero-emission transport solution. Not sure where
you'd fit a number-plate where it would be visible to automatic cameras without
it causing a lot of wind-drag.
Cycle-path opposite your vantage-point: Yes, that cut-through between George
Street and Hythe Bridge Street is a marked cycle-path and, true to form (as per
my previous ramblings about cycle-paths), it generates conflict between
pedestrians and cyclists as each believes the other should give way.
Just released is a new draft version of the Highway Code, which seeks to enforce
the use of cycling facilities where they exist. Those of us from the real world
are NOT happy!
See here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4789146.stm
for a BBC News article;
the UK's
national cyclists' organisation CTC has a campaign here:http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4303
;
and to gain a full understanding of just why we are making such a fuss, here
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month/November2005.htm
is a wonderful collection of photos showing cycle-path engineering at its very
worst."
I think Richard makes some very valid points, especially in summer and warm weather.
Finally Kit Waites writes in similar vein
saying "Thanks
for your interesting news pages - really useful for keeping up to speed with
buses in Oxford (sorry for the pun!). The part about cyclists this week shows
the laughable and ineffectual stance Thames Valley Police seem to take on
cyclists not following road laws - how they think showing a receipt to get out
of a fine is going to encourage better cycling habits is beyond me. The only
thing that will is enforcing the fines, and hitting people where it hurts, in
the pocket. After seeing TVP stopping a cyclist for not having lights while
several more cycled past on Cowley Road you can see their problem, but it's a
danger to every road user at night, especially other cyclists who don't have
powerful headlights to be able to see unlit bikes.
Of course, TVP officers are limited not only by funds but also the fact they
seem to have very little grasp of the road laws, which doesn't really help
either - ironically their own policemen on bikes seem just as happy to through
red lights just as much as most cyclists in Oxford. Maybe if cyclists were
consistently
targeted enough to reach a critical mass keeping to the
Highway Code, rather than petulant two-week "campaigns", we might start to see
some real improvement in cycling in Oxford?
In case you're interested, BBC News has an article on
proposed changes to the Highway Code with cycle lanes here: -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4789146.stm
with this website: -
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month/
having some examples of cycle facilities, a
disproportionate number seeming to be in Oxfordshire.
Well Guys I am sure everyone has had their fill of cycling problems, not least the cyclists themselves, so, I promise to leave it alone for a long time to come. It has however highlighted some significant problems and I will close by wishing all cyclists a safe and pleasant journey in the future.
Quarterly Video Newsletter
I am in the process of working on a quarterly video newsletter which will be available on DVD, probably in the middle of March. Please let me know those of you are interested in receiving a copy. There will be a charge of £10 plus postage and packing, about £2. The content will reflect what is going on in the area covered by this page with the chance to really get the feel of how the area is developing. I would also appreciate receiving your thoughts on what you would like to be included? E-mail me at malcolmhc@aol.com
I am pleased to say that response has been quite good and work is in hand but the issue date has to be delayed until the end of April due to work commitments.
Forthcoming events
Don't forget to look further down this page for Coming Events.
Again my thanks to all my contributors, both old and new. Keep the historical
info and older
pictures coming but don't forget the modern stuff.
Malcolm Crowe - Sunday 12th March 2006
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date
News of the local companies – 12th March 2006
There are several contributions this week to include this operator.
Glenn Knight sent this picture of 3617 based at Luton saying
Here
is another photo for you it is Arriva Shires 3617 KE55 CVM on 100/101 this
morning.
http://glennsbusandcoachphotos.fotopic.net
High Wycombe has much rebuilding going on
including work in Desborough Road as this picture shows.
Ed Maun writes "I was intrigued by the photo of 3127 in issue 168 in High Wycombe displaying 300 to Uxbridge blinds! The 300 service ceased months ago! However some 305 journeys operate between High Wycombe and Uxbridge."
The picture which intrigued Ed Maun. Taken by
Gavin Francis.
Nigel James wrote saying "Please find attached, two pictures of green route 31 buses diverted via Widmer End whilst the Amersham Road was closed for resurfacing this weekend."
Pictures taken by Nigel James mentioned above.
John Wood from Halton writes "Wycombe Trident 5422 had made it to Aylesbury (where it joins 5431) and was on route 54 (Aylesbury - Halton Camp) on Saturday 25 February and the 280 on Monday 27 February.
The remaining Trident (5432) however was still at Wycombe on Saturday 4 March and was observed on a morning 345 in Great Missenden."
Ben Morroll visited Aylesbury and High Wycombe this weekend and took several interesting pictures including some at Arriva's depot in Aylesbury.
Coach 4038 is a training vehicle with Arriva now
and is captured in the lens of Ben Morroll yesterday at Aylesbury depot.
5836 sometimes seen in Oxford on the 261 is shown
alongside 5431 at Aylesbury by Ben Morroll.
3172 seen on the 9 to Stoke Mandeville at
Aylesbury bus station yesterday. Ben Morroll.
A rather nice shot taken by
Ben Morroll yesterday.
Heading up Desborough Avenue last Monday, Olympian L530 was on its way to Shell
Cressex to refuel.
Ben Morroll also sent two pictures of a recent acquisition of Carousel, before
and after.
It is rumoured that two Citaros from another Go-Ahead operator are due for the X3 service which is getting an increased frequency. These will I suppose be used until Oxford can get delivery of their own buses.
Derek Dawson caught two Heyfordian coaches on the by pass recently and one was a recently arrived Volvo from Parks.
SN02 NGL is a Volvo B12M with Jonckheere C53F bodywork new in March
2002 to Parks which joined Heyfordian from Ellaway & Bjelobaba,
Soulbury in February 2006
When with Parks it was registered HSK 649.
Some coaches operating the 737 service from Oxford to Stansted still show route number 757.
Shearings
Shearings have taken delivery of a
large number of new coaches this year.
Here is Volvo 819 - MX06 ADA caught in the lens of Derek Dawson.
Saturday 25th March sees the final day of operation by Stagecoach on the X4 service to Abingdon. The branded Darts used on the route are already losing their branding.
34469 had just been released for service on
Saturday 11th March when this picture was taken sans X4 branding.
Driver Training for the Oxford Tube obviously takes place on a Neoplan, however diversion route training on the route between Oxford and London and v.v. uses a suitable bus for the work on the day. This training ensures new drivers know what routes they can take when traffic problems occur. for example it is sometimes necessary to use Kensington Church Street when Park Lane is closed and so on.
22052 is seen last Friday at Green Line coach station Victoria, whilst engaged
on this duty.
Vikki Lee reports that "I know some of the new Tridents interwork (as reported on the 31) but I saw my first one today that was not on a Bicester. 18395 on the X4 in St.Aldates at 4.05pm."
Citybus Dave from Swindon writes "These Volvo's arrived at Swindon this week." and are pictured below.
I expect we will see these on
the 66 in due course.
Star Travel
John Wood writes ".....have sister Mercedes/Marshall to M248 UTM in the shape of M250 UTM also from Stagecoach Devon (40250) and in fleet livery."
Dave Godley writes regarding the picture of a Scania in Taunton saying "There was a public meeting of the South West Public Transport Users Forum (SWPTUF) at Somerset College of Arts & Technology. The 4 vehicles were there to display various forms of wheelchair access, as posted to the South West Yahoo group."
Woottens
A Woottens Volvo on Rail replacement work. Picture by Derek
Dawson
Z&S Aylesbury
Ben Morroll sent some pictures of a recent acquisition.
M407TCK when in service at Preston.
..................and now in service with Z&S.
PHOTO CORNER
If you have a digital camera and wish to submit photos for
this page please send them to the me at
malcolmhc@aol.com
?
HISTORY IN PICTURES AND WORDS
If you have any pictures or historical memories and wish to submit
them for
this page please send them to the me at
malcolmhc@aol.com
Thames Valley times by Bill Legg (via Derek Doling) and Ed Maun.
More pictures from Derek Doling who is scanning his collection of Bill Legg pictures.
TV 458 which came from Bristol
OC and was captured in Reading garage on 21st May 1961 - Bill Legg.
Bristol KKSW6B nr 6546 again
seen in Reading garage on 21st May 1961. Picture by Bill Legg.
Similar decker 658 this time taken in High Wycombe again by Bill Legg.
Another KSW6B, nr 697 taken at Reading garage by Bill Legg.
Bristol LS6B with coach seating seen at Victoria coach Station operating the A
service to Reading. Bill Legg.
A later KSW6B again seen in Reading labelled up for a relief duty on the B
service to London. Bill Legg.
A KSW6B with platform doors and coach seating working the B service to Reading
before leaving VCS. Bill Legg.
The KSW6Bs were replaced by Lodekkas which also had coach seating.750 seen above
was delivered in 1956 and worked its early life
on the A and B services between Reading and London VCS. It is seen on the 10th
April 1960. Bill Legg.
Pictures from Ed Maun
Ed Maun has supplied some of the earliest photos of TV buses which I have yet to receive. I do hope he has more to come.
A 1950 KS6B nr 588 seen at Reading, note the trolleybus behind working a 7
service to Stoke Row in 1955. Ed Maun
Another KS6B this time on the 1 to Wargrave in 1955
Parked up by Reading Station in 1955 when quite new we see LS6B 721 on the
Oxford service.
Again at Reading CRX198 a wartime Bristol K is seen between duties in 1955 and
very near the end of its life with TV. Ed Maun
South Midland and Thames Valley coaches by Bill Legg.
Only the third new coach to be supplied to South
Midland after the 1939-45 war, nr 41 and AEC Regal with Duple bodywork is seen
in London.
It lasted until October 1958 and is seen here on 13th September in the
same year with the photo by Bill Legg.
Another South Midland coach but one which originated with Thames Valley is 689,
which was transferred to South Midland in June 1958
lasting until November 1963 when it transferred back to Thames Valley. The
picture by Bill Legg was taken on 4th June 1961.
Coming events
Cobham 2006
The date for this year's Spring event is April 2nd.
Wycombe - Other events in 2006:
Special trip over route 347 from Hemel Hempstead to Uxbridge on 19 March marking the 40th anniversary of RML type vehicles starting on that route from Garston & Hemel Hempstead garages.
Bus Running Days as follows:
Sunday 14 May - Slough/Windsor
Sunday 25 June - Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 1 October – Amersham organised by Amersham & District Motorbus Society
Running Day in Aldershot with details from Andrew Dyer.
I wonder if you could put a piece in your "forthcoming events" section about all the excitement that will be in Aldershot (not often you see the words "excitement" and "Aldershot" in the same sentence!!) over the weekend of 3 & 4 June this year.
Stagecoach is organising an event jointly with the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group to celebrate 100 years since the first bus service operated from Aldershot to Farnborough in June 1906. There will be a running day and on Sunday 4 June we will be holding an Open Day at our depot in Halimote Road, Aldershot. As with the Portsmouth event last year, we hope to attract local families as well as enthusiasts and all proceeds raised will go to local charities.
As Aldershot has such a strong history of Dennis operation, we are hoping to get as many different types of Dennis bus on site as we can. Do you have a contact at the Oxford Bus Museum who might be persuaded to bring a KFC Loline 2? Sadly, I don't think any of the Loline 1's or 3's that were on loan from A&D to COMS in 1969/70 have survived to enable them to make an appearance, although there will certainly be sister vehicles in the SOU xxx and AAA xxxC batches there.
Running Days as advised by Peter Cartwright, Running Day Organiser Amersham & District Motorbus Society
At last I'm able to officially notify everyone of the Running Days for 2006.
Sunday 14 May 2006 is the date for the second Slough/Windsor Running Day based on Slough Bus Station. Since last year a huge new Tesco store has been built adjacent and is now fully operational. Due to traffic delays experienced last year in Windsor an extra 5 minutes each way is being added to running times between Slough and Windsor.
There is no St George's Day parade to hold us up this year and the Queen's official birthday is 2 weeks plus later when her 80th birthday is marked. I know of no Royal Wedding planned for Windsor this year and, hopefully, timekeeping will be better on the Windsor routes.
An enhancement to the Burnham Beeches service is envisaged with the opposite way round the loop. There is also the chance to have double deck workings but terminating on the eastern fringe of the Beeches.
Another new route for this year will be a service through Windsor Great Park. Crown Estates are happy with this and I have a meeting arranged with them on Tuesday 10 January. White Bus Services currently operate a restricted service here but not on Sundays & on only certain days of the week. Operation is likely to be by non-LT single-deck vehicles. A large number of vehicles is required including at least 16 double-deckers.
Some 40 years earlier on 15 May 1966 RMLs were allocated to Windsor Garage to work several routes in the area. RMC coaches had already been there for some time.
WR Garage operated many other types of vehicle including RT,RF,RC,RCL,RB,RS,GS,SMA,SNB,STL, T and of course some of these only operated in the London Country period. Additionally in the summer months Central area red vehicles were commonplace as green vehicles were reassigned to Green Line relief duties so any red-liveried vehicle would be welcome. At least 30 vehicles (including 5 non-LT/LCBS vehicles will be needed to maintain the schedules.
As 1966 is the 40th anniversary of route 724 it is hoped to have a feeder to/from the Northern areas and to run the route from Slough through Windsor, Old Windsor, Runnymede to Staines. Via Runnymede, by the river Thames was the original routeing when it was extended from Staines to Windsor Castle. It did not serve Windsor Garage nor will it in 2006. The coach link to Staines will therefore be 724 this year in place of 718.
Anyone offering to operate a 725 from at least Kingston will be welcomed. Please let me know.
At the moment there is not an area for display vehicles but every effort will be made to find one. Can I please ask anyone who came last year and was allocated blinds and who will/cannot come this year, to contact me urgently so I can collect them for re-issue to others. These are expensive and will be needed on the day.
Sunday 25 June 2006
This date in mid-Summer is for the first Hemel Hempstead Running Day to be based on the Bus Station. Arriva the Shires and Essex have given permission for us to use the bus station that day but like Slough this is an operational bus station and we will not interfere with their operations which are anyway much reduced on Sundays.
This is the normal date for North Weald which will not take place this year and the NLTS have no plans for a replacement event that day.
Discussions have also taken place with Dacorum Borough Council, Herts County Council and the police who have all been most helpful. I have also spoken to the Market Superintendent and am able to book and pay for stall space on the day. For those who don't know Hemel, the covered market is situated behind the bus station - an excellent location.
The market will have a hot food stall that day and another stallholder sells confectionery, soft drinks, ice cream etc. Ample toilet facilities are at the bus station.
Peter Gomm and I visited Hemel on Fri 6 January and, with advice from the police, have identified an area nearby for display vehicles in Dacorum Way and vehicles on long breaks can park in Queensway (formerly Bury Road) between Leighton Buzzard Road and Marlow's, the railway station on one unused bay on Sundays and the bus station itself can be used for shorter breaks without disturbing its smooth operation. Health & Safety issues have to be borne in mind. A requirement of at least 10 double decks and 11 single decks are needed. This excludes any duplication which will be needed.
A number of rural and inter-urban routes have been chosen for operation - 302, 307 ,312.316. 317.317a,318,319 ,320,330, 337 ,347,706,708, 724. The 724 is for a feeder service to/from Watford from the North and then a 708 to/from Hemel. At the moment I have nothing from the South - any suggestions/offers? (THOSE IN BOLD HAVE TO BE SINGLE-DECK OPERATED).
Certain places such as Berkhamsted Station provide good interchanges with rtes 317/a and 312 connecting there and also in central Watford with the 302 and 347 connecting.
The biggest interchange of all, of course, is the bus station.
Again in Hemel a wide range of vehicles have been operated e.g. GS,RF, T, RB,RT,RMC, RML,SNB,SNC plus several others. Like Windsor, Central Area used to loan their vehicles for weekend and bank holiday duplication.
If anyone has blinds for any or part of these areas please let me know urgently.
Please respond as quickly as you can as I want to finalise timetables/duties etc asap.
I am paying a visit to Hemel this morning to see what it's like between 11.00 and 12.00
Sunday 1 October 2006 - the 18th Running Day at Amersham.
As route 724 is 40 years old this year, apart from the feeders, I want to schedule a service between Watford and High Wycombe via Amersham - the original route south of Watford. This will be 29 years to the day since MA Garage took over duties from HE - High Wycombe Garage which closed the previous day, 30 September 1977.
This year should see the brand new bus station at High Wycombe open by this date and this would be the ideal place to terminate. More on this Running Day in due course.
It is hoped to celebrate 40 years since RMLs took over route 363 Totteridge - Holtspur in February 1966. Weather permitting it is hoped to have RML/RMLs running over the route on Sunday 19 February. Likewise a month later to run over the full length of Route 347 Hemel - Uxbridge which received RMLs on 20 March 1966. Anyone else interested in joining us?
Please feel free to contact me by phone 01494 437750 or by e-mail - Peter_Cartwright@wycombe.gov.uk - or post at 54 Guinions Road, HIGH WYCOMBE, HP13 7NX.
If you wish to be included on a mailing list where
I will advise of any mid week news & when
each News Page is posted
please let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com
Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002 to date
Links
These are three most interesting sites which I do recommend
Mike Penn's photo page with much from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire
Chris Lowe's Photo page - mainly North West UK
|
Ray Jackson Art
A web site which has paintings of buses.
|
Links
Bus Services in Buckinghamshire
Where are the Chilterns?
Visit this informative site through the link below.
Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002
Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002