Issue nr 283
Thursday January 11th, 2024
From the Editor
An interesting period in the area covered including new buses, depot exchanges and route number revisions. 2024 will be an exciting one for enthusiasts.
We record the death of a well known driver latterly on the Oxford tube. His colleagues will remember him as friendly and helpful
In the news this week
Floods across our area cause many problems for public transport
John Owen Obituary
The Chester & Wrexham Charity Heritage Bus Running Day
Carousel to serve Heathrow with a revitalised Flightline service
Fleet News & Developments
Details of the new GB Kite Electroliners for Oxford Bus
Update from Pulhams
The 3X is launched from Thames Travel
Fleet update at Stagecoach West & Oxford
Buses in the snow! by John Marsh
Floods across our area cause many problems for public transport
Oxford High Street bus gate restrictions have been suspended due to flooding
The Oxfordshire roads currently closed due to flooding | Oxford Mail
Picture from Joel Forey (070124)
The recent weather problems are highlighted in the two articles as shown above. All operating companies have experienced problems with the flooding which was widespread, especially those with, routes along the River Thames and tributaries.
John Owen Obituary
1939 - 2024
John passed away on January 6th as advised by his daughter. John will be remembered by many in and around Oxford having driven for Stagecoach and City of Oxford MS.
A North Waleian still retaining his Welsh accent he will be latterly remembered as a long serving driver working the Oxford tube for many years in the 2000's, always helpful and cheerful.
I knew John well and we often joked about both having PCV licences taken around the same time in 1961 and we also had experience in the north and south central UK.
I am advised by his
daughter "John's funeral will be held on Wednesday, January
17th - 3pm at Banbury Crematorium, if anyone would like
to attend they will be more than welcome. John was a devoted husband,
father and grandfather who loved his family passionately.
John joined Stagecoach many years
ago and loved his time there so much, he made many good friends
with his colleagues who he thought so much of, sadly over the years
John's health deteriorated but he continued to live life to the full and
always with a smile on his face."
John was born on December 19th 1939 and died on January 6th 2024.
Ed.by Nigel Eadon-Clarke
As someone Cheshire born, I found this very interesting as I know Chester well. Ed.
Gavin Francis writes
"An
event not covered on this page before was the Chester and Wrexham
Running Day held on the January 1st.
A wide range of buses operated the D1 service between the two points.
Nigel Eadon-Clarke made the long trip from
South-East London to record the event.
Buses came from a wide range of operators throughout the country
including Midland Red, Brighton & Hove, Wallasey, Ulsterbus, London,
United Counties, Stagecoach and Merseyside.
A varied selection indeed, I well remember the first Atlanteans like the
Wallasey one above.
My first trip on one was a lowbridge version of James, Ammanford. Ed.
Carousel to serve Heathrow with a revitalised Flightline service
Heathrow Connections - Carousel Buses
Luke Marion, Managing Director of
Carousel Buses has advised the following. "We will
be converting our "102" service to a "Flightline" spec service and as
part of this some of the E400 MMC buses that have been displaced from
Brookes services will be being cascaded to Carousel and refurbished to
an improved specification. The first bus (609) went away last week and
refurbishment is now underway.
Gavin Francis comments "That's interesting, I suppose with a £2 max fare although it will take longer although it is a lot cheaper than using The Airline from Handy Cross."
Heathrow are making strong efforts to encourage the use of public transport through
I will publish more details as they become available. Ed.
Coach visitors to Oxfordshire
David Beynon
City Circle in St. Giles on the 4th.
Fleet News and developments
Malcolm Crowe
3580 was still at Cressex depot on January 6th.
Jack Cooper
Jack covered the last working of the 280 Aylesbury service on January 6th.
Citaro 3019 was the last bus to work an Aylesbury bound 280, leaving
Oxford Rail Station at 22:05.
The last decker working was 5469 leaving Oxford an hour before at
21:05.
I don't really understand why Arriva feels the
need to renumber everything at Aylesbury, especially when routes like
the 280 are well established route numbers ?
3816 seen in Hemel Hempstead on January 6th.
3870 working a 150 service at Milton Keynes on January 6th.
3879 with an X60 service at Milton Keynes on January 6th.
Joel Forey
The X7 on Sunday 7th operated by 3016 and 3816 in Oxford.
Thames Travel starts trial bus service to The Oxford Science Park - routeone (route-one.net)
Thames Travel 513 operating the first day of service on January 8th
Jack Cooper
405 is seen at Hemel Hempstead with a 1 on January 6th
Cressex Park & Ride sees many different buses such as 940 with the X8
on January 6th.
Malcolm Crowe
The PMU fleet at rest when seen at the depot on January 6th.
Herewith details of the GB Kite Electroliners
Subsidiary |
Product Name |
Body Number |
Chassis Number |
Registration |
Fleet number |
Oxford Bus Company |
GB Kite Electroliner |
AV257 |
SC5DSREXU23000229 |
BJ73WXD |
491 |
Oxford Bus Company |
GB Kite Electroliner |
AV258 |
SC5DSREXU23000230 |
BJ73WXE |
492 |
Oxford Bus Company |
GB Kite Electroliner |
AV259 |
SC5DSREXU23000231 |
BJ73WXF |
493 |
Oxford Bus Company |
GB Kite Electroliner |
AV260 |
SC5DSREXU23000232 |
BJ73WXG |
494 |
Oxford Bus Company |
GB Kite Electroliner |
AV261 |
SC5DSREXU23000233 |
BJ73WXH |
495 |
Jack Cooper
On a darkening night 26 is seen ready for a Heathrow departure on
January 4th.
The normal route for the remaining 300 Park & Ride sees the blue StreetDecks
as in early January.
In spite of the route branding here yellow 685
and orange 688 both on January 2nd.
James Freeman
Electroliner 709 with a 100 service on January 8th.
Electroliner
712 seen at Oxford Train Station on January 8th.
Electroliner 713 seen at Oxford Train Station on January 8th.
Electroliner 720 working the 11X on January 8th.
Joel Forey
39 and 40 pass in Oxford on January 7th.
219 and 222 were both working 5 road on that Sunday.
An odd choice for the 300 seen in Magdalen Street West - 308.
Seen at Carfax, 6 branded 668 is working the X1.
Strangely 902 was working the 6 on that day.
717 looking clean and new when working the 400 on January 7th, its first
day in service.
603 seen in Broad Street with an ST1 in early
January.
Electroliner 709 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.
Electroliner 716 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.
Electroliner 717 seen near Oxford Train Station on January 8th.
Charles Powell
First two Citaro’s have had there 99 branding taken off (which I did) and re-registered. EOA was K99 and EOB was L99. All five of the Citaro’s are staying with us.
AA68BUS
seen in Oxford on January 8th.
YX69NZE with a 63 service in Oxford on January 8th.
Tony Gaze
A few from Cheltenham today, January 8th - No
sign of any fleet numbers on Pulhams.
YX69NNB had Pulhams legal address but suspect it may be on loan?
YX69NNB has acquired the fleet number 615 from January 9th and is, today, operating the 99. Ed.
Jack Cooper
253 seen in Westgate on January 4th.
Loaned 699 seen in Oxford's Westgate with an
X40 on January 4th.
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Kevin Fuller
I had some time in Maidenhead on Saturday 6th January, and enclose a few
pictures of Thames valley vehicles taken in the town centre:
Solo 126 waits time on Frascati Way before operating a service 234 to
Waltham St Lawrence.
Also on Frascati Way, E200 MMC 670 picks up passengers for Bracknell
with a route 53 service from Wexham Park hospital.
This route, although hourly on Monday - Friday, only runs every 2 hours
on Saturdays, perhaps explaining the nearly full bus!
This vehicle has recently been repainted into this livery - it was
previously all over yellow with a blue skirt.
Expect further new Volvo/MCV buses.
Expect further transfers of E200s from Redline.
Dave & Deric
Our summary of the Stagecoach West Fleet
Card changes for Period 9 (dated 05/01/2024). As usual, changes
affecting Stagecoach Oxford/Thames Transit
highlighted in yellow.
New
Vehicles |
11758-60 |
New |
To |
Witney |
|
|
|
|
|
Transfers |
10750-52 |
North
Bristol |
To |
Cheltenham |
|
10982 |
North
Bristol |
To |
Swindon |
|
11238/40/41 |
Witney |
To |
North
Bristol |
|
11239 |
Witney |
To |
Oxford |
|
15737/38 |
Swindon |
To |
Stroud |
|
15984 |
Swindon |
To |
Gloucester |
|
18312 |
Swindon |
To |
Stroud |
|
18313 |
Swindon |
To |
Gloucester |
|
36109 |
Swindon |
To |
Stroud |
|
47553 |
Swindon |
To |
Stroud |
|
|
|
|
|
Out of
Reserve |
47735 |
Reserve (Witney) |
To |
Cheltenham |
|
|
|
|
|
For
Disposal |
47297 |
Cheltenham |
To |
For Disposal |
|
47621 |
Reserve |
To |
For Disposal |
|
|
|
|
|
Gone |
12004 |
For Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
15730 |
Swindon |
To |
Transfer to
East Scotland |
|
15732 |
Stroud |
To |
Transfer to
East Scotland |
|
15763/64 |
Gloucester |
To |
Transfer to
East Scotland |
|
18156 |
For Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
34838 |
For Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
50271/72 |
For Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
|
|
|
|
From 07/01/2024, operation of several services
in the Cirencester area transferred from Swindon depot to Stroud depot,
hence the reason why a number of vehicles have transferred from Swindon
to Stroud.
Adam Harber
I’ve been stuck at a
desk for the last few weeks and not been near any of the Oxfordshire
depots, so not a great deal to report. However, yesterday I was in
Bristol to help promote the changes to their 3X service and I got a
photo of one of the ex-Witney buses outside the depot, so that is
attached. Also in the photograph is 15532, which is currently allocated
to Stroud depot but was on loan to the Marketing department for the day
for our work promoting the 3X. This bus was new to Cheltenham depot when
the 94 between Cheltenham and Gloucester was first converted to Gold
operations, and still has the original leather seats inside.
Ex Oxford's 11236 seen outside the depot on January 3rd.
The photo tells a bigger story about the depot…
The old building is now 50% demolished, with the remaining being made
ready to be taken down, hence the scaffolding and white covers. Where
the buses are parked in the photograph was all indoors at the start of
the year, so it gives an idea of just how big that place was. Phase two
of the demolition will start at the camera end of the building and work
towards the far end, which will then become the site for the all-new
depot. Yes, there will be an Open Day when it’s finished, but that’s a
while off yet!
Tony Gaze
From Cheltenham today, January 8th - Trainer 27555 and Solo 47735 once
the pride of Banbury.
This bus has recently transferred from Witney (Reserve) to Cheltenham.
David Beynon
West's 15361 branded for the Cheltenham 10 on another 10 route in
Oxford's St. Aldates on January
10th.
Jack Cooper
MMC 11250 and 11238 both seen in George Street on
January 2nd.
MMC 11246 with an S5 in Magdalen Street East
on January 2nd.
MMC 11757 in George Street with an S1 on January 2nd.
MMC 15361 working the 8 on January 8th.
Scania 15991 with a 2 in Magdalen Street East on January 2nd.
James Freeman
11751 working an E1 at Osney Island on
January 8th.
First picture of 11760 the
latest to be delivered to Witney seen on January 8th.
Joel Forey
10783 with an unusual destination on January 7th.
15361 working the 10 at Carfax on January 7th.
Normally a double deck operation, the 8 saw E200 36927 at Carfax on the
same day.
Jack Cooper
10880 at rest in George Street on January
2nd.
Jack Cooper
The "poppy" bus 50452 at the top of New Road on
January 4th.
Jack Cooper
265 seen working the C11 in Milton Keynes on
January 6th.
Buses in the snow!
by John Marsh
Heading for North Cape from Honningsvåg a
Tide Volvo copes well with the snowy terrain. All in a day's work for
the driver.(John Marsh)
Two Volvos of Tide at North Cape
Deep snow in Honningsvåg (John Marsh)
Honningsvåg - picking up deliveries from the
pharmacist(John Marsh.)
Arctic Tours Volvo waits at the Igloo Hotel.
Do follow the link above which will show you what the area is about. Ed.