Issue 32
(OBP-248)

Monday 26th May 2003

next update week ending 7th June 2003


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 on
malcolmhc@aol.com

Probably one of the most interesting items of news to emerge in Oxford in many months is the appearance of a new operator, Full Circle Tours who have opened up in competition to the established Guide Friday /City sightseeing operation, more recently run by Tappins of Didcot.  Ralph Adams writes "The company is operating a half hourly service. They do not want to be seen as directly poaching customers which is part of the reason for the opposite way round. Similar stops, on opposite sides of the road are being used, but both are in Broad street and the Station. A second open top bus is A722UOE, ex West Midlands Metrobus. A third is due shortly, also to come from West Midlands.  The published timetable shows operations daily until 2nd November with a requirement for two buses. The operating centre is Springwell Garage, Kingston Bagpuise, which will garage the buses overnight and cover mechanical work."

Further details maybe found under the operators heading below.

Competition on the Oxford tourist circuit.


The ex West Midlands MkII Metrobus A722SOE is seen passing an Oxford tour bus in New road.

On a note of more concern and within the area covered by this news page, Stokenchurch, having already lost its 757 service between Oxford and Cambridge, is set to see a further loss to transport when, on July 6th, a new operator takes over the 275 from Arriva. The revised 275 is seemingly a county sponsored service and as such has been drastically pruned. There will be only be a service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Stokenchurch to Oxford which would give a chance for residents to visit Oxford. The other service will run Monday to Saturday at 1640 from Stokenchurch and from Oxford to Stokenchurch at 0830 daily except Sunday. I am really not sure who may be expected to use this daily service as it does not arrive in Stokenchurch until 0915 and returns at 1640. Equally any day trippers from Stokenchurch only have one choice arriving in Oxford at 1049 and returning at 1410, less than 4 hours in the city. Seemingly there is to be a Saturday service to Thame from the village but most people go on a Tuesday to the market in Thame. One supposes that somewhere in all of this the government wish for people to use public transport has been considered. Red Rose of Aylesbury are the operator awarded this service.


The 275, shortly to be run by Red Rose is presently operated by Arriva. Here ex Oxford Volvo 3843
leaves St Aldates for High Wycombe. Last Friday the service was being operated by a Lynx.


A busy time last Saturday afternoon in St Aldates.

Thanks to everyone who continues to send me information for this page which adds to the value of the site.

Malcolm Crowe, May 26th 2003.

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002

News of the local companies - 26th May 2003

Arriva serving The Shires

No further news yet of the cuts by this company in the Wycombe area.


Volvo 3843 again, this time passing through Marlow on the 329 to Reading last Saturday.

Steve Warwick writes

Fri 23rd May 

'Bouncy castle' 3819 on town route 2,  Optare Solo 0442 spent all day on route 4. 

Dart 3093 has been towed to Cummings at Wellingborough for engine repair under warranty. 

Sat 24th May 

Hemel Garage had Olympian 5127 on 500 Watford-Aylesbury. Olympian 5071 was working the 16 Quainton's today. 

Spotted Newlands SLF Dart 3178 in Berkhampstead fitted with a destination blind 353 SLOUGH showing. 

Also heard that Olympian 5127 is at last going to painted into Arriva livery.

City of Oxford Motor Services - The Oxford Bus Company.

New Scania Irizar coaches 35, 39, 40 and 41 have now returned from some post delivery modifications and should enter service next week. thus we can expect the final withdrawal of coaches 3, 4, 6, and 7 shortly, though coach 1 is presently being used by the driving school.


Coach 3 awaiting its next duty. This was re-registered R812NUD from R3OXF.


Coach 22 now sports X90 livery and is seen here in Victoria Coach Station on an evening working last Saturday..


As mentioned last week Trident 104 is now ready to enter service as a red bus.
Pending delivery of a new destination display, it has a temporary display limiting its use to 5 road.


Volvo B12B nr 31 passes Dart SLF 405 emphasising the size of these coaches when compared to the Dart..


Occasionally Volvo B10Bs reappear on the 5 road services and here 634 works a service last Saturday.


Nominally a low floor route, 13 road does have unusual workings if a problem occurs. Here 648 pauses in St Clements.


The difference in low and normal height Tridents can be judged from this picture.929 is seen with 110 and 106.

 I include the Oxford fleet list for those who missed it during the last weeks which can be viewed by clicking the link below.

Oxford Bus Company FLEET LIST 29th April 2003 .

First in Berkshire

Eddie Burbridge writes "Ref your latest news page :- First in Berkshire,  V154LUA was previously 3374 in the First York fleet.

Full Circle Tours.

Eddie sent a couple of photos of the new Oxford Full circle tour buses saying "Attached are copies of the photos that my son took in Oxford last Tuesday of the two buses in use on the Full Circle Tour

WTS272T - Ex Travel West Midlands 3272 (previously Travel Dundee 300  "Broughty Castle") - Alexander bodied Volvo Ailsa.

A722UOE - Ex Travel West Midlands 2722 - Mk 2 Metrobus

Eddie. on behalf of Andrew Burbidge.


Ex West Midlands Metrobus A722UOE photograph courtesy Andrew Burbridge.


Ex West Midlands/Dundee Volvo Ailsa WTS272T photograph courtesy Andrew Burbridge.


My own picture of the same bus, on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Services load on the Park & Rde stop in St Aldates.

More coaches are now appearing in the new livery and one operator quick of the mark is Bruce of Salburgh.


En route to Bournemouth from Edinburgh, BC51NAT leaves Oxford.

Pete's Travel


A recently acquired Dart SLF, R86XNE, works the X50 Sundays only Stratford service.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire & Stagecoach in Oxford

David Whitley, Marketing Manager of the company has asked for the latest attached fleet list (period 2 - 26th May 2003) to be published in this week's page. you will need Adobe Acrobat to view this file. Click on the Stagecoach logo to view. (you will need to rotate one of the pages to view)

getacro.gif (712 bytes)

Very few buses now remain in the old livery. Indeed the last two M A N s 22928 and 22928 are due for repainting very soon.


Dart 32058 still looks clean and tidy, though must shortly loose this livery.


Olympian 16438 set against the background of Nuffield College on New Road.


Vario 42372 pauses in between 44 workings. Seen here in bond Square, Oxford last Saturday.

Look Mummy !

The small boy in the push chair points to Tube 37 as it rounds the corner into New Road last Saturday.


Lynx 29127 gets a new livery as a training bus for Oxford. Photo courtesy David Whitley, Stagecoach.

Tappins of Didcot

Concurrent with the arrival of a new competitor, Tappins are placing their four ex Dublin Olympians in service and the latest is shown below, G951FVX. One presumes this will shortly be re-registered MUI7853?




.........51 seen as MUI7851 in Speedwell Street last Tuesday. photograph courtesy Andrew Burbridge.

Eddie Burbridge writes "Attached is a photo of MUI7851 of Tappins - Tappins, City Sightseeing - By Tuesday (20 May) G919FVX had been re-registered as MUI7852."

Ralph Adams writes "
The ex Dublin Olympians have now been given fleet numbers. G907FVX is 51 whilst G919FVX is 52. Normal policy is for the fleet number to match the registration number. At present the buses have not been reregistered. " (see above that the first two are now MUI7851/2. Ed)

Thames Travel, Wallingford


From this picture you would hardly know there was another bus company in Oxford.
Ex OBC 501 now working with Thames Travel seen in St Aldates an good place to see Thames Travel.


Another Thames Travel Dart, this time an MPD arrives from Wallingford last Saturday afternoon. nr 751.


This time nr 351 is seen working a 144 service to Wokingham. James Cusworth sent this photo
saying
Thames Travel 351 outside the Great Knollys Street depot.

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


James Cusworth sent this picture saying "I'm not actually sure it has an Oxford connection,
but it is of Titan GNF9V. According to the 1999 and 2000 Stagecoach handbooks,
it spent some time at Thames Transit until 1990 when it moved to Cheltenham & Gloucester "
(
The destination blinds have been changed from the original Manchester layout.. Ed.)


A club in the Cowley road hosts pop groups who arrive in sleeper coaches.
This one is seen last Friday and was the subject of the Traffic Warden's attentions.


Schiphol Airport is taking delivery of 15 Cobus 2700 buses for airside use.
Similar buses are in use at Stansted.


They are delivered on low loaders by road from the factory in Germany,
being too wide for delivery under their own power.

I welcome your photos for inclusion on this page. Please send them to me at
malcolmhc@aol.com

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

11th to 15th June 2003


Ray Jackson's painting of COMS 703 at Great Tew, Oxon.

An exhibition of paintings is to be held at

Witney & District Museum
Gloucester Court Mews
High Street, Witney
01993 775915

This is a most interesting site which I do recommend

For the national renumbering of The Stagecoach Fleet, I have been speaking to Bill Potter of British Bus Publishing. This company has produced a handbook with the full listing and details.

A special offer has been negotiated with Bill and he is prepared to let my readers have a copy of the new handbook for a reduced price of £15.25 (£1 less than the cover price) if you call him on 01952 255669 or visit the web site mentioning:

The Oxford Chiltern Bus Page.

The main site address is http://www.britishbuspublishing.co.uk/index.html  I am sure many of you will want to take advantage of this offer.

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002