Issue nr 302
Thursday May 30th, 2024
Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/
From the Editor
Much variety in this issue with interesting developments and an update on Oxford Bus Electroliners !
As always we reach far and wide and the South Coast is covered by Adrian Small.
Grahame Wareham has put a lot into his weekly review of the corresponding fleet number/issue number.
Andrew Dyer opened flood gates on past operators in Oxfordshire.
In issue 303, next week, there will be a visit to Milton Keynes from Gavin Francis.
In this issue
Memories of fleet number 302 from Grahame Wareham
The AEC Society Road Run and Rally 2024
Rail Replacement in Beaconsfield by Derek Taylor
Rail Replacement at Staines by Andrew Webb
Allan James and operators who have ceased trading in the Oxford area
Buses in the Landscape
Fleet News & Developments
Latest delivery list of Oxford Electroliners
London Operations
South Coast operators from Adrian Small
Memories of fleet number 302 from Grahame Wareham
with additional pictures from Gavin
Francis and Malcolm Crowe.
My thoughts on the number 302.
(copyright RHG Simpson)
H836 at Cowley Road Garage in 1955.
H302 was a 1946 AEC Regent II/Park Royal
H30/26/R body registered KFC140 seen here in its post 1953 renumbered
form as H836 at Cowley Road Garage Oxford, before the G section
extension had been built. It was withdrawn from COMS service in May 1957
and sold to Warners of Tewksbury, via Deacon, (dealer) of Dorchester. It
lasted until 1966 with Warners and was sold for scrap in 1967.
The second COMS 302 was a 1961 Dennis Loline II with East Lancs forward
entrance H35/28F low-height body, registered 302KFC.
The images show 302 at Carfax in the City centre on service 2 to
Cutteslowe,
302 at City Church High Street Oxford on a 2 working to Sandhills Estate
and one of 302 at Gloucester Green after arriving on a 20B service from
Abingdon.
302 was withdrawn in September 1971 and sold
along with previously mentioned 301 to Stoniers of Goldenhill, Stoke on
Trent in October 1971, via TPE (dealer) Macclesfield. These two seemed
to stay as a pair and 301 was sold on to Cobholm, Great Yarmouth in June
1974, lasting there until 1977
OFC902H was the second of the Bristol VRT2/ECW H39/31F double decker's
diverted from Southern Vectis delivered in May 1970. .
Herewith the separate images of OFC902H which
of course was COMS 302 for a period in its service career.
(1 x OFC902H with Merediths
Malpas July 94)
In October of that
year 902 was involved in an accident with a HGV at the Dinton turn on
the A418 whist operating an 82 service from Aylesbury to Oxford.
Fortunately nobody was seriously injured but the bus was severely
damaged necessitating a return to ECW for repair.902 was transferred to
Bicester during 1975 and was renumbered 303 in September 1979 after
Oxford Station Bridge was heightened allowing 13ft 8in double decker's a
safe passage underneath. In July 1984 303 was transferred to the South
Midland business and renumbered CON3 for part of their contract fleet.
In June 1986 it was further renumbered 803 as part of the Transit
Holdings fleet but was then sold to Martins of Middlewich (dealer) in
November 1986. It was sold to Meredith's of Malpas in January 1987 and
10 years later passed to Cherwell Bus Preservation Group for complete
restoration which is still ongoing. As part of the restoration process
it received the mechanical units from sister vehicle OFC901H which was
about to be sold for scrap. As a final gesture when driving 902 back to
Oxford from its last operator the windscreen shattered on me about five
miles into my hundred and twenty mile journey!
F557NJM was 302 at Wycombe Bus renumbered from 402 in 1996.
It lasted there until Arriva bought the Wycombe Bus operation in 2000,
and thereafter for another year then sold to to Merseypride, Liverpool
in November 2001
Picturers by Malcolm Crowe in 1999.
HB11OXF was the current OBC 302 until this month when it made the trip
down to Plymouth Citybus/ Go-South West.
It was new in 2011 and was part of a batch of 17 ADL/E400H Hybrid
H47/31F double decker's for Park & Ride services.
It was withdrawn in April 2024 and reregistered OE11YMY prior to going
to Plymouth.
Another excellent contribution by Grahame. Ed.
The AEC Society Road Run and Rally 2024
with pictures from Nigel Eadon-Clarke
Rallies at The AEC Society
The Annual AEC Society Road Run and Rally, which attracts a turnout of over 300 historic vehicles, has now become established as a major vehicle rally in the commercial and passenger vehicle rally calendar.
It is a two day event held on the last weekend in May at the Newark Showground.
Much variety on show. Ed.
Rail Replacement as Beaconsfield by Derek Taylor
Some of the buses on RR to Beaconsfield last weekend, May 25th.
and the day after ........
RML 2440 was operating a shuttle service from
the station car park to the Railex model railway exhibition locally.
Seen on May 26th.
Rail Replacement at Staines by Andrew Webb
Andrew Webb
Railway engineering work at Staines
on May 26th saw bus replacement services linking Hounslow with Virginia
Water, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Woking. A variety of operators
sent a range of vehicles to operate the services.
Smallest was this anonymous looking Unvi bodied Sprinter from Sprinters
Travel at High Wycombe,
seen leaving Hounslow station bound for Woking.
At the opposite end of the spectrum were these two tri axle MCV EvoSeti bodied Volvo B8L from Imperial Coaches and Aldermaston Coach Lines, both seen at Hounslow.
The Aldermaston Coach Lines vehicle claims a
capacity of '100 passengers' on the side, although in reality two of
these would be standing as each has only 98
seats!
Xelabus of Eastleigh turned out this brand new Enviro 400MMC which has an impressive seats on the two axle E40D chassis.
It is seen at Hounslow preparing for another trip.
Allan James operators who have ceased trading in the Oxford area
Following on from the list of operators who have
ceased trading in the Oxford area, I have a few names, some of which may not
be familiar to some of your readers. Even this is not an exhaustive list.
Living away from the area now I cannot be certain that all the names on the
list have ceased, but they have not been mentioned for a number of years!
Abingdon Coaches (Pabst)
Blunsdon, Bladon
Byles, Kidlington
Carpenter, Leafield
Carterton Coaches
Chandler, Wantage
Charlbury Travel
Chown, Banbury
Eagle, Faringdon
Florey, Witney
Hall, Deddington
Hicks, Chalgrove
Hughes, Bampton
Leavy, Botley
Matthews, Brailes
Reliable (Bryan) , Didcot
Shurey, Nettlebed
Sims, Chipping Norton
Spiers, Henley (previously Butler)
Sumner, Hornton
Surman, Chinnor (passed to Wingrove)
Andrew Dyer in response
That’s really
interesting. Some great names there that I had forgotten. I must admit that
I thought Blunsdon's were still going, but I may well be wrong.
I know I’m old, but even I have never heard of Hall’s of Deddington and Shurey’s of Nettlebed ….it just shows that you never stop learning!
Andy Millwood from Kidderminster
Diamond are running these ex-Preston buses, the first couple of photos are
20181,
a Wright Streetlite and 30895, a Volvo B7/wright Eclipse taken at
Kidderminster Bus station.
Nick Ross
Very sad news about the Arriva Aylesbury and Wycombe garages, unbelievable in some ways. Attached is a photo of preserved Bristol VR EAP984V at Quorn after working a Loughborough shuttle at the Quorn bus rally on 18th May.
The VR's Gardner engine sounded very throaty!
Thomas Walker-Werth
I thought you might enjoy this shot of National Express route 737 coming out of Milton Keynes en route to Oxford today (May 24). This is an interesting route as it's the only National Express service that runs through the urban area of MK rather than just serving the Coachway. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop in the city centre, nor does it serve Buckingham or Bicester, neither of which enjoys any long-distance coach service since the downgrading of the X5. I've always thought other coach operators (Megabus or Flixbus perhaps) could easy gain a competitive edge against National Express by serving CMK instead of the Coachway.
Fleet News and developments
In issue 303, next week, there will be a visit to Milton Keynes from Gavin Francis.
Gavin Francis in Wycombe on May 25th
The Eden Bus Station with 2325, 4211and 6139 from
two angles.
Desboro' Road with 2952 an 3920.
Jack Cooper
3021 with an X7 in St Aldates on May 20th.
Neil Gow
Alerted by the continued appearances of buses tracking on route “5A” on Bustimes, I found and downloaded a new Wycombe 5-5A timetable.
1 Term Time Only
High Wycombe Bus Stn - High Wycombe London Road
Lidl - Wycombe Marsh General Havelock
Wooburn Green The Red Lion PH - Bourne End
Academy -Bourne End Railway Station
7A1
0735
0747
0755
0808
0820
0825
1 Term Time Only
Bourne End Academy - Bourne End Railway Station -
Wooburn Green The Red Lion PH
Wycombe Marsh General Havelock - High Wycombe
London Road Lidl - High Wycombe Bus Stn
7A1
1525
1530
1537
1549
1557
1610
5/5A High Wycombe to Bourne End
through Wycombe Marsh and Wooburn Green - buses
run every 20 minutes between High Wycombe and Bourne End with routes 5/6/7
- Valid from Sunday, May 19, 2024 to
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Does regional management even check the twaddle that
the subsidiaries are putting out? This must win a prize for the most amount
of misinformation you can cram into such a small document.
Exactly – and although the
malaise seems to be mainly in the south, I think the whole company will
eventually go down unless the new owners do something very rapidly.
I was out on them today (hence checking the timetables yesterday) and badly messed up getting a decent picture of 6139 at Penn pond by shooting at only 1/200th second – too slow for a mainly side-on picture. The irony is that the screen is still defective so I could have shot at any speed I liked. Later photos shot at 1/250th almost all have the screen cleared anyway, and later on in Wing the sun came out at exactly the wrong time – sometimes you seem to get days like that. I’ll see if there’s anything worth sending a bit later.
Nigel Peach
Attached are five pictures I took at Cressex today, 24th May.
2982 and 6144 outside the workshop.
4212 and 3014. 4212 has been out of service for almost three months now. The
note in the windscreen warns that the MOT has expired!
2326, which used to be called Peter, named after local busman Peter
Cartwright.
The second picture shows the message on the side of the bus which says "Your
usual bus is in for a service today, so this is our spare...". I am
surprised that this and 5458 still carry this notice, so long after they
were transferred to Wycombe.
I was very interested to read Luke Marian's message in issue 301 saying that
Go Ahead are looking to take over Arriva's facility at Cressex when Arriva
pull out. It seems a logical move. I wonder what additional buses Carousel
will receive and if there may be any plans to acquire some of the displaced
Arriva stock. Interesting times ahead.
I was speaking to someone the other day who uses the bus from Bourne End to
Flackwell Heath each day - a route that Carousel operated until about 18
months ago, when Arriva took it over. She told me that she is looking
forward to the return of Carousel, as since Arriva took over, the service
has been very unreliable.
Tony Bungay
Managed to get a couple of photos of newly repainted
Enviro 400 5461 in Aylesbury today. This vehicle arrived back at Aylesbury
midday Wednesday, I know as I saw it being towed through Waddesdon just
before midday that day!
I think this is probably the first of the Sapphire
liveried vehicles at Aylesbury to be repainted, whether any others will be
done in time before the proposed garage closure remains to be seen.
Incidentally it still wears Arriva Midlands legal lettering, a clue may be
to it’s next home.
On a different note I understand Redline is covering
the X7 route through Haddenham by diverting the X20, and Redline is also
covering the Princes Risborough – High Wycombe via Naphill part of the X9.
You probably have already heard this, plus more details possibly.
Gavin Francis in Wycombe on May 25th
534, 877 and 891 all seen in The Eden Bus
Station.
407 and 408 both working route 4 in Bridge
Street.
Jack Cooper
514 working its now regular 275 in St Aldates on
May 20th.
Neil Gow
It is suggested that Carousel are expecting some of 30 Alexander Dennis Enviro400s with 09 registrations that Go-Ahead is buying from National Express West Midlands in June.
In the last issue I quoted that new Electroliners were almost complete, however on checking back I note that 791 will be the last of the new deckers. Below is the current list provided by www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk Ed.
752 | BN24ZWW | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000480 | Wt AV216 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
753 | BN24ZWX | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000481 | Wt AV217 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
754 | BN24ZWY | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000482 | Wt AV218 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
755 | BN24ZWZ | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000483 | Wt AV219 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
756 | BN24ZXA | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000484 | Wt AV220 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
757 | BN24ZXB | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000485 | Wt AV221 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
758 | BN24ZXC | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000486 | Wt AV222 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
759 | BN24ZXD | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000487 | Wt AV223 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
760 | BN24ZXE | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000488 | Wt AV224 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
761 | BN24ZXF | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000489 | Wt AV225 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
762 | BN24ZXG | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000490 | Wt AV226 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
763 | BN24ZXH | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000491 | Wt AV227 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
764 | BN24ZXJ | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000492 | Wt AV228 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
765 | BN24ZXK | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000493 | Wt AV229 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
766 | BN24ZXL | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000494 | Wt AV230 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
767 | BN24ZXM | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000495 | Wt AV231 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
768 | BN24ZXO | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000496 | Wt AV232 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
769 | BN24ZXP | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000497 | Wt AV233 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
770 | BN24ZXR | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000498 | Wt AV234 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
771 | BN24ZXS | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000499 | Wt AV235 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
772 | BN24ZXT | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000500 | Wt AV236 | H44/26F | /2024 | City of Oxford |
773 | BN24ZXU | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000501 | Wt AV237 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
774 | BN24ZXV | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000502 | Wt AV238 | H44/26F | /2024 | City of Oxford |
775 | BN24ZXW | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000503 | Wt AV239 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
776 | BN24ZXX | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000504 | Wt AV240 | H44/26F | /2024 | City of Oxford |
777 | BN24ZXY | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000505 | Wt AV241 | H44/26F | 5/2024 | City of Oxford |
Note: 753 entered service on May 30th.
Allan Hollis provides pictures of new Electroliners passing through Grayson's Birmingham in the few days.
758, 764, 766 and 770 at Grayson's.
Jack Cooper
26 and 29 in St Aldates on May 20th.
676, 681, 685 and 687 in St Aldates on May 20th.
713 and 718 in St Aldates on May 20th.
749 in St Aldates on May 20th.
842 working 35 and 844 8 road in St Aldates on May 20th.
971 in St Aldates on May 20th.
608, presently under conversion for Carousel Green Line 102, seen on
February5th 2023.
Charles Powell
615 has now returned from repaint into fleet livery as seen on May 27th.
Jack Cooper
225 and 863 in St Aldates on May 20th.
In issue 303, next week, there will be a visit to Milton Keynes from Gavin Francis.
Gavin Francis in Wycombe on May 25th
YX12AXU in The Eden Bus Station with a 130.
In issue 303, next week, there will be a visit to Milton Keynes from Gavin Francis.
Alfie Guinea
Y358LCK and HJ02HFD seen at Aylesbury Bus Station on May 24th
Dave & Deric
We have just received the Stagecoach West Fleet Card
for Period 01 dated 24/05/2024.
Very little to report this month! These are the
changes that we have found, the changes affecting Oxford depots being shown
in yellow.
Out of
Reserve |
36096 |
Reserve |
To |
Banbury |
|
|
|
|
|
For Disposal |
15648 |
Swindon |
To |
Disposal |
|
34841 |
Swindon |
To |
Disposal |
|
|
|
|
|
Gone |
12006 |
Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
47621 |
Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
|
|
|
|
Andy Churchill
Jack Cooper
Three E400 with three differing liveries in
St Aldates on May 20th.
Lewis Anthony
668 loaned to TT working the X34 to Newbury
on May 25th.
In issue 303, next week, there will be a visit to Milton Keynes from Gavin Francis.
Jack Cooper
Looking very clean and tidy, 50435 and 50448
in St Aldates on May 20th.
London operations
Andrew Webb
London's drinkers are spoilt for choice this
summer with two more adverts joining those for Heineken and Brewdog already
plying the capital's streets.
Transport UK's LT773 is one of several to promote San Miguel, a
Filipino pale lager, seen here rounding Elephant and Castle on 25 May.
Later the same day stablemate Enviro 400MMC 2615 is seen in the same
location.
At first glance it would appear it is carrying
route branding, but is actually promoting '-196' from Suntory Soda.
The number refers to the temperature at which fruit is frozen in liquid
nitrogen before being pulverized and soaked in alcohol. The final beverage
contains the fruit juice, shochu, vodka and soda.
Northeastern University London is the English branch of the private American research university based in Boston, Massachusetts. Operating from a campus in St Katharine’s Way E1, it has recently launched this advertising campaign on London buses.
Stagecoach's Enviro 400MMC 11352 is seen at Mile
End on 25 May, about to pass local rival Queen Mary University of London on
route 25.
The offside is seen the same day on Go Ahead's WHV129 in the heart of
London's university district at Bedford Place as it picks up passengers on
route 14.
Adrian Small
Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth & Southampton.
1627 (HF66 CEK) - AD E400MMC repainted in the Purbeck Breezer colours from
UNIBUS.
6913 (LX06 EBP) - Vo B7TL/Wright, in the temporary Bluestar livery, but
operating in Poole.
2205 (HF54 HFU) - Vo B7RLE/Wright - nearly 20 years old.
3816 (HW62 CNK) - Optare Solo in the Morebus livery with ROUTE ONE logo.
1781 (HJ24 KDU) - New
AD E40D/AD.
32033 (RKZ 4760) - Vo B7TL/Ar open top in Weymouth, originally First
Southampton 803 (W803 EOW)
36100 (LX60 DXB) - Vo B9TL/WT open top in Weymouth, originally Go AHead
London WVL371.
63613 (BK73 AOF) - Wright GB Kite Electroliner, seen at Southampton Central.
YX24 OWA - AD E40D - Xelabus have 2 new E40D's, this being one on a contract
service in Southampton.
17 (YX24 OVC) - AD E20D - there are several new E20D's operating a private
service in Bournemouth.