Welcome to the third Weekly Briefing, a format which has been very well received by all who read the missive! As ever events continue to provide interest for this page and I must thank all those who have provided news and pictures.

The weather was this weekend has seen the return of some snowy showers and as I write this I am looking out on a covering of white.

I have received some interesting pictures from Cheltenham and also other interesting pictures from our area, especially Reading/Newbury where some unusual workings have taken place as recorded by Bob Morley with explanations provided by David Rouse of Reading Buses.

High Wycombe has also provided interest with some allocation changes in the Carousel fleet.

I have a notice of an upcoming meeting from Matt Bullock and a reminder of the Olympian Tour mentioned last week.

Oxfordshire Bus Enthusiasts Society - Tuesday, March 20th

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 20 March at The Tee Hotel, Church Way, Oxford, OX4 4EY, starting at 7.15 p.m. Our speaker will be our well-known member Ralph Adams. He will tell us about the fascinating history of Maidstone Corporation from its earliest days with trams, then buses and trolleybuses, and in its last few years running tendered services in London until its demise in the early 1990s. The talk will be accompanied with a great variety of pictures of this remarkable operator. 

As usual there is a wide variety of English and Indian food available beforehand. 

Don't forget our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 17 April, which will be followed by a "Show and Tell" time. Please bring up to three items of interest to members, other than photographs, for what I am sure will be an entertaining and interesting evening.

Leyland Olympians Running Days - Saturday, May 5th.

A reminder that a group (the Leyland Olympians yahoo group) has organised a trip which will feature seven of the assorted, interesting and rarely reported Olympians from the fleet of Walters Limos, Forest Hill on Saturday 5th May. Our format takes each bus out in turn for a 45-70 min run around the area allowing fans of the type to enjoy rides and photograph as many vehicles as possible during the day and anyone else is welcome to come along on the day and join us.

This is a private hire and if anyone wants to ask anything they must e-mail me at:

chrismartin13601@hotmail.co.uk

Operator news:

Recently transferred in from Aylesbury 6310 is seen in the Eden Bus Station on March 16th by Malcolm Crowe.

Al blue in the Eden Bus Station, except for Carousel's 709, on March 16th by Malcolm Crowe

 

Nigel Peach provided a much better pictures of Solo 709 in its new white livery. I noticed that this bus was working the 36 yesterday, March 16th! Having asked for a picture my request was answered!!

Solo 709 works the 1A at Eden Bus Station Wycombe on February 22nd by Nigel Peach.

I am told that Citaros 837 and 838 have left Carousel and returned to Oxford as of March 16th.

One is always interested in unusual working and on March 16th Mercedes 785 was pressed into service at short notice on the 40 to Thame. Below we see it rushing into the bus station some few minutes late for the service.

875 on March 16th by Malcolm Crowe.

The three ex Thames Travel green Scanias 912-4 also see little all day use. However on March 16th 913 was pressed into service on the 1A to Chesham Pond Park.

I am sure customers enjoyed a spirited ride on this Scania taken by Malcolm Crowe.

Richard Sharman provided some colourful pictures of the First operation in Berkshire. One is shown below with more to come on issue 109 main pages.

First Berkshire's 64047 works the Orange 4 on February 24th by Richard Sharman.

Heyfordian's latest Mobipeople 70 Seaters PO67EXB-C taken on February 23rd by Richard Sharman.

Graham Low writes "I seem to remember you asked for pictures of COMS training buses and so here is a view on Donnington Bridge today of Optare Excel 963 which I am fairly sure came from someone minor, via Go Ahead South Coast to Carousel - but please check this as I am not certain!! Unfortunately there was a lot of traffic so not a brilliant view, I'm afraid."

Tempo 963 YJ56WVT an Oxford trainer seen on March 13th by Graham Low.

Many thanks to Graham as I have, indeed, been looking for a photo of one of these buses for quite some time.

 Diversions (February - May 2018)

Interesting if anyone can provide pictures of X90's on this diversion.

Please be aware that with immediate effect until the end of May 2018, Phase 2 of the Baker Street two-way project will be in place with temporary traffic signals and lane closures at the junction of Marylebone Road and Baker Street. We will endeavour to serve Baker Street at all times but in peak times, our London bound X90 services may need to use a dedicated diversion route which does not serve Baker Street to avoid any serious congestion. However, they will observe the bus stop at Sale Place on Praed Street, very close to Edgware Road Station. Oxford bound coaches will not be affected.

Click here for more information on the Baker Street Two Way works. 

Bob Morley writes "Some very unusual workings into Newbury this week which are recorded below."

 

“Jet Pink” Reading Buses route 25 pink liveried gas bus 431 working on the Newbury to Reading Jet Black service on Monday, March 12 by Diane Morley

“Jet Purple” Reading Buses route 17 liveried  bus 223 working the 11.55am Newbury to Reading Jet Black service on Thursday, March 15 by Bob Morley

 

Green Line liveried Ensignbus demonstrator with temporary Reading Buses fleet number 301 on a drivers Jet Black route learning trip on Tuesday, March 13 by Bob Morley

This is the kind of thing which makes our hobby interesting and worth following.

David Rouse of Reading Buses came up with some answers as follows.

The pink single deck is Reading based so it would have been put out at short notice to cover a reading based jet black 1. 

223 is a Newbury based vehicle for the moment and was covering a Newbury based jet Black run due to the original JB1, bus 1205 having a golf club thrown at it, smashing a top deck window. The window was fitted and buses swapped over again that afternoon. 

Bus 301 was due to go back to Ensignbus this week so was kept off the road. Driver route training can be done in anything so it was the logical bus to take. The bus returned to Ensignbus at about 1130 on March 16th!

Many thanks for the information from David.

1212 "Vamoozing" its way to Windsor on February 24th by Richard Sharman.

Thames Valley 4 seen departing Slough for Windsor working route 2 on February 24th by Richard Sharman.

 

Red Eagle have a rather impressive web site which shows many of their buses.

http://redeagle.org.uk/

Red Eagle SF54KHV works the 28 in Bridge St Wycombe on March 16th by Malcolm Crowe. 

 

tube 50277 heading home on the A40 in the late afternoon of February 24th by Richard Sharman.
I particuarly liked this picture which seems to capture the atmosphere of a tube operation. Ed.

This operator has some ex Arriva Trident/ALX400s one of which is registered CW51TOP. Can anyone advise where these came from please?

Richard Sharman advises "The Deckers that were being used on the Bicester Village P&R are now withdrawn and stored at Diamond's Kidderminster Depot."

 
Wessex 40404 parked up at Kidderminster 030218 R Sharman

 

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