Welcome to the fourth Weekly Briefing, for which I have received some very kind comments. also a number of you are providing news and pictures which all go to making the end result.
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
Help requested by the Oxfordshire Bus Enthusiasts Society
Can you help? Well-know author and historian Paul Lacey
(who is coming to speak to us in September) is after some information
regarding COMS operating to Henley-on-Thames. I attach his question below.
"I would appreciate it
if someone with a knowledge of COMS operations could give me a brief history
of COMS operating stage carriage to Henley-on-Thames, starting with the
origins but only needed up to 1946. It will be referred to when I sort out
the other operator histories for the town."
If anyone can help, please get in touch with me and I will forward your
contact details to Paul. Please fee free to circulate this request to anyone
you know who may be able to help.
Matt
Operator news:
Oxford's buses will see modified timetable changes because of serious traffic congestion.
Buses will have reduced frequencies to cope with the
serious traffic congestion in the city. This has been announced by the
city's bus company bosses and they say timetables for key co-ordinated bus
routes will be revised on Sunday, April 8th to 'improve reliability'.
This is to cope with worsening traffic
congestion in Oxford.
Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach have
worked together to adjust timetables and they called on local authorities
for more support 'to keep Oxford moving'.
Road works have caused major delays in Frideswide
Square and during the Access to Headington project.
Minor adjustments will be made to service frequencies
at the busiest times of day to 'provide improved reliability', according to
the bus companies.
On Saturday late
afternoons and early evenings, the Kassam
Stadium service will also be adjusted to
improve reliability.
Running time for the city5 and Stagecoach 1 service
will be adjusted to provide more boarding time at the busy St Aldate’s stop.
Increased running time will be introduced to the
City8 and city9 services to improve reliability.
Minor adjustments to improve punctuality are also
being made to Stagecoach’s service 10 during the busy afternoon period.
Some readers may be aware that the company is having open top conversions to
older Tridents. East London Bus & Coach, which trades as Stagecoach London
has applied for a TfL tourist service permit under the
megasightseeing.com name. Services would operate hourly from Tower
Hill, Park Lane and Belvedere Road. Expect further Tridents here to become
open top.
megasightseeing.com 18475 LX55ERY
"King Henry VIII" caught in Green Line
by an eagle eyed enthusiast.
Arriva did not have much to show in the way of differences this week but maybe the picture below is nearing the end of service for 6004.
Seen in the Eden Bus Station in company with MMC E20D 3107 both laying over
between duties. Malcolm Crowe on March 22nd.
MMC 3105 works the 32 approaching Wycombe Marsh on March 22nd by Malcolm
Crowe.
A late entry for this week's news is from Tony Bungay who writes
"Managed to get some pictures of Aylesbury’s other new logo solo 2495, both taken in Aylesbury, one on March 14th on town service 9, the other on town service 8 on March 23rd, amazingly destination has come out on both. Wright Volvo 3773 in the snow on March 1st on service 500 to Watford. Citaro 3909 also on 500 on 14 March, this appears to be a Hemel vehicle, note the different Arriva www site on side of vehicle."
Solo 2495 in Aylesbury on March 14th by Tony
Bungay.
Arriva Southern Counties 3773 in the snow with
route branding works the 500 in Aylesbury on March 1st by Tony Bungay.
I'm sure I've taken pictures of this bus working the Green Line 758 in
London. Well travelled for a branded bus for the 2 in Hemel !
Arriva Southern Counties Citaro 3909 works the
500 on March 14th by Tony Bungay.
This bus is recorded as being from Stevenage
depot, now I wonder?
A quiet week for this company but one of interest for me as I had to go to Flackwell Heath and was able to get some nice pictures of Carousel's services.
Scania 219 working the 36 through Flackwell Heath towards Bourne End on
March 22nd by Malcolm Crowe.
Later in the morning I pulled over to get this picture of E200 422 on the 35
to Flackwell Heath as it passed through Wycombe Marsh.
419, fully branded for the One sits outside the depot in company with
E200 420 both between duties.
I rather liked this shot of 423 on the Link 40 heading for High Wycombe,
sadly the clock in the background it wrong as it was 1307 not 1807.
Adam Green has sent a picture of buses recently introduced
into service in Hemel saying "Centre
bus have some ex Tower Transit E200 Both Buses will be used on the 46 from
Hemel Hempstead to Luton
562-YX12ASZ
Looking very smart, First Berkshire's Citaro 64039 on the Blue 8 - February
24th by Richard Sharman.
Grant Palmer
http://www.grantpalmer.com
This company is reported to have taken delivery of two new ADL E20D's. Has anybody got any pictures?
YX18KND |
AD E20D SFD8S1AR6HGY16517 |
AD H253/04 |
B33F |
3/2018 |
Palmer,Flitwick |
YX18KNE |
AD E20D SFD8S1AR6HGY16518 |
AD H253/05 |
B33F |
3/2018 |
Palmer,Flitwick |
New developments
On the website, the company is advertising for
minibus drivers. They will be required to work covering a 7 day roster
07:00-23:00 on a demand responsive operation according to the application
form. This may be similar to the old fashioned Dial a Ride style of
operation.
No cash will be taken, as all booking will be made by an app, which would also collect the money similar to Arriva at Sittingbourne with the business park there.
Further news of this will prove interesting.
Jim Wright advises he has seen Citaro 837 now back in Oxford from Carousel. When seen this bus was working 6 road.
Giles Woodforde
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.
YX18KOU | AD E20D SFD7S1AR6HGY16443 | AD | B39F | |
YX18KOV | AD E20D SFD7S1AR6HGY16444 | AD | B39F | |
YX18KOW | AD E20D SFD7S1AR6HGY16445 | AD | B39F |
It is not known what their use will be and we await details with interest.
Unusual buses in use on the 275 recently are recorded below.
W408UGM seen in Oxford on the 275 in High Street on March 20th by Nick
Cherry.
On the same day Red Eagle's W403UGM was pressed into service on the 275 as
seen here in Wycombe by Nick Cherry.
10905 working the 7 on Saturday March 24th taken by Jim Wright. The
provision of full rear destination screens is noteworthy, as is the use
of silver displays.
Steve Gee writes "I was on the M1 earlier
today and took a break at Newport Pagnell services. On exiting the
services northbound, I noticed Stagecoach MAN saloon 22945.
OV51KAE on the back of a recovery wagon.
I believe it is one the batch allocated to
Oxford originally, so thought this may be of interest to you.
It was in the company of another Kent based
vehicle, 34399, WA03WWZ, also on tow, which I have listed based at Herne
Bay on the reserve list. I don't think this vehicle operated with Oxford
though.
Many thanks to Ralph Adams for an update on this fleet including the recently acquired Volvos from Arriva.
Acquired vehicles
CW51TOP Volvo B7TL Tbs H49/24D ex Arriva
VLA 41 LJ53BCO
CW52TOP Volvo B7TL Tbs H49/24D ex Arriva
VLA 42 LJ53BCU
CW53TOP Volvo B7TL Tbs H49/24D ex Arriva
VLA 73 LJ04YWE
Modifications include three additional tip up seats
in the disabled bay and still keeping centre door. Painted bright green with
black roof and looking very smart today. No fleet name applied yet but they
will by Countywide (hence CW in registration)
Re-registered coaches
BKZ70 is now RA15OBR
NBZ70 is now RA15OBV
NDZ70 is now RA15OBW
Disposal
V11OCL Van Hool TDX25 now left the fleet.
Fleet renamed
YX63ZVR is now Kennetbus ex South Midland. This
means all AD Enviro 200 have the Kennetbus branding although I often see
them in use near Abingdon
Reseated
BK15AJX upseated from C46FT to C48FT
Olympians
Three Olympians are still operated. They have no
allocated duties after Easter and the planned sale has fallen through. It is
possible they will go for scrap
Many thanks to Ralph for those comprehensive notes. Now lets see who provides pictures of the above.
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