Issue nr 307
Thursday July 4th, 2024
Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/
From the Editor
A different issue this week as some of my local contributors have been away. However I think we still have an interesting page.
I make no apologies for using so many of pictures of the new 280 service. The livery is one of the nicest ones I have seen.
The electric buses for Stagecoach are still awaited and just five are currently in use for training with two per day on local routes in Oxford.
In this issue
Cheltenham Classic Coaches run
The launch of route 280 from Oxford Bus
Grahame Wareham with his input for this issue - 307
Glastonbury by Adam Harber
New and acquired vehicle for local operators
Readers Write
Various follow up on Matthew Bullocks piece on private operators
A readers comments on happenings in High Wycombe
Andrew Dyer is in the U.K.
Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford sees bus services due a diversion by Matthew Searle
Fleet News and Developments
Andrew Webb reports from London Pride 2024
Andy Millwood from the Midlands
Gary Seamarks from Norfolk and Edinburgh
George Candelin visited Exeter
Anniversaries we're celebrating:
90-years since Associated Motorways was formed (1934);
60-years since Bristol RELH/ECW coaches entered service (1964);
50-years since Associated Motorways were branded NATIONAL (1974);
40-years since the last mass departure from Cheltenham Coach Station, (January 1984).
280 - Thame to Oxford City Centre | Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
It seems that history is repeating itslef with the introduction of a 280 to Thame by Oxford Bus. Four StreetDecks have been repainted into a new blue livery for the route which launched on July 1st. A number of contributors have pro/vided pictur,es and video of the event.
I make no apologies for so many pictures but it seemed a significant time for services in Oxford. Ed.
Peter Edgar
Photographs taken in Thame from the first day of route 280 being operated by the Oxford Bus Company. It was unfortunate that the first journey from Oxford operated by 651 suffered a failure in the Waterstock area and was replaced by one of the Park& Ride vehicles, nr 675.
I was a little
surprised to see that Thame was missing from the between deck branding
especially as the route number 280 is there and this is where the route
ends, I realise it is on listing below the lower deck windows.
With Arriva still operating ( until the end of July ) to Oxford along
with Redline and now OBC this must be a bit of an overkill particularly
between Thame and Wheatley where from my experience patronage is fairly
low.
pignbob
The four buses on day 1 and day 2.
Richard Sharman
An encouraging sign that passengers are already making use of the new
280 service.
A sight that wont be seen for much longer on the High Street.
652, 653 and 654 caught by the camera on July 2nd.
James Lambeth
653 passing 5463
at the top of High Street on July 1st.
"As it was and as it is to be".
James Freeman
for those who enjoy some video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3OTtMIpz4Q
Grahame Wareham with his input for this issue - 307
H307 was part of a batch of twenty-five AEC Regent
II's with Park Royal H30/26R semi utility bodies that were part of the first
post WW2 AEC buses delivered in 1946. In 1953 H306 became H841 in the
renumbering scheme. Withdrawn from Oxford service in 1958 and sold to
Deacon, Dorchester(dealer) in April 1958 being quickly resold to Warner, Tewksbury
the same month and converted to H30/26RD. It was withdrawn by Warner's in March
1967 in use as store by September 1967. It then was disposed of to a scrapyard
at Staverton in April 1969.
H841 at Aylesbury Market Place c. RHG Simpson
307 307MFC was the second of the 1961 AEC
Bridgemaster's with Park Royal H43/29F forward entrance bodies delivered in
1961. 307 carried an illuminated offside advertisement for Ward's furniture
store in Park End Street for all of its service life in Oxford based at Cowley
Road Garage and was actually the first Bridgemaster to be withdrawn in 1972. It
was sold directly by COMS to P. Jansen, Melbourne, Australia on behalf of Tolley
Scott Tolley (Tolley Wines), Port Melbourne, Australia 2/73. exported and used
as wine tasting hospitality vehicle and rereg. YHC032. Mostly seen around
Adelaide on promotional work and latterly race meetings.
307 in Queen Street, High Street & St. Aldates Oxford by c. GW
307 with Tollana Wines c. unknown
The last incumbent 307 was an H47/31F ADL E400H
registered HG11OXF delivered in 2011 as part of a batch of seventeen new
vehicles devoted to Oxford's Park & Ride routes. With the Park & Ride service
being extended to include Oxford Parkway a new batch of buses (662-681) were
introduced to P&R and subsequently 307 became relegated to 35 route service and
was repainted into a burgundy red livery in March 2017. On 25th October 2018 307
unfortunately had a 'thermal incident' whist on 35 service to Abingdon in Manor
Road Kennington with extensive rear end fire damage causing it to be withdrawn.
In December 2018 307 was towed to H & D Trim where its roof was removed and
other parts used to repair Go South Coast 1610 HF65AYO which had received
serious roof damage caused by a falling tree in the recent gales.
Glastonbury from Adam Harber
I’ve attached a link to
photos I took at Glastonbury yesterday. Not as many as I would have liked, but I
was only there for one day (Monday 1st
July) in a supervisory capacity, and unsurprisingly I was very busy.
Stagecoach operations this
year were as follows…
Stagecoach West running the
GF3 service to Bristol City Centre plus a Shuttle service to Castle Cary. They
used their own double-deck vehicles (Euro 6 for Bristol CAZ) form all depots
(except Banbury), with their own staff (from all depots) plus drivers on loan
from Stagecoach South Wales. Stagecoach South West (Devon) were also there
running shuttle services to the collection/drop off car park. They were using
their own staff that camped on site all week and ran with a mixture of their own
buses and four from Stagecoach West. The Devon operation also provided 24/7
engineering coverage.
I ended up covering two
journeys on the GF3 to Bristol using Gloucester’s Scania 15364 and I enjoyed
every minute of it!
Link to photos…
https://adobe.ly/4eKO3sB
An interesting report with some excellent photos. Ed.
New and acquired vehicles for local
coach operators
with
thanks to the June issue of Trident
Angel, Cryers Hill
ET24 AET
Scania K320NB4 / Mobi C74DL
GT24 AET
Yutong T122HDH GT-12 C53FT
Cheney Coaches, Banbury
CT73 NEY
Volvo B8R 12.5m / Sunsundegui SB3 C70FL
YD24 BUK
Yutong GT-12 T122HDH C53FL
Countrywide Coaches, Princes Risborough
OU24 ZTC
Neoplan Tourliner N2216 C55FLT
Red Eagle, Aylesbury
YX61 GBF
Alexander Dennis Enviro 200
Acquired from Kevs, Bromsgrove
Walters, Oxford
OU24 ZSV
Neoplan Tourliner N2216 C61FLT
OU24 ZSW
Neoplan Tourliner N2216 C61FLT
Allan James with follow up to Matthew Bullock's contribution
Many thanks for putting my request in issue 305 and for Matthew Bullock's
prompt reply in issue 306.
As before his short histories were very informative.
Going back to the pictures which accompanied his
contribution in issue 303 there was one of Surman's of Chinnor DUD 44 which
I have attached to help. The other vehicle in this picture is very
interesting. It is JTM 975 which, according to
BusListsontheWeb,
is an AEC Regent rebuild from an LTE STL Chassis number 0661/LTE/113 with a
Burlingham body. Was this also a Surman's coach at the time of this
photograph as the livery looks very similar?
Follow up on local private operators by Grahame Wareham
Just a few additions which may be helpful information regarding past operators
which Allan James and Matt Bullock have commented on.
Firstly Goldline of Woodstock seems to have been omitted. The founder and
proprietor Graham Parry originally worked for City of Oxford (COMS) as a fitter,
that's where I first met him as a work colleague, and I believe Goldline was
started up in the late seventies/early eighties. The registered office was in
Woodstock but I believe he shared a yard with Mervyn Blunsden in Bladon.
Goldline only had the one coach but always immaculately presented but I think
his first coach was an AEC Reliance, followed by a Leyland Leopard and at some
point a DAF. I used to help him out with spares whilst I was at COMS, as I did
with many local operators, but I now think Graham is retired.
Another operator that Matt mentions he would like more information on is
Frostways of Kennington. All I can add to this is that the former proprietor of
Frostways was Cyril Warmington who eventually went to work for COMS as did his
sons Gary and Paul . I remember them all fondly, and many of the jokes and
stories Cyril furnished me with!
Clair Williams, nee Jarvis, daughter of Jarvis married Brian Slatter. Ironically
we have the last two coaches operated by Jarvis (YWL134K) and Slatter's
(AUD310J) in storage awaiting restoration at the Cherwell Bus Preservation
Group. Both of these vehicles were acquired from their original operators by
Heyfordian Travel of Upper Heyford and latterly Murdock Road Bicester when both
former businesses were taken over and the same two coaches were sold to Pegasus
Coaches of Perth (Duncan Graham) from where we collected them back in 1997.
Heyfordian had reregistered AUD310J to Fil7661 and Ywl134K to FIL7663. Clair has
been very helpful, along with her daughter Susan, in providing me with
historical information and photographs of both Jarvis and Slatter's businesses.
I attach some picture of both vehicles in original and subsequent liveries.
AUD310J was actually the Oxford United Football Club ream coach from new until
being sold to Heyfordian.
Andie Broom from High Wycombe with comments on the upcoming changes
As ever I look forward to reading your weekly updates.
As a Wycombe resident I have welcomed Arriva’s exit from
the area. We’ve been suffering from a poor service and lack of investment in
area for many years.
Nice to see Carousel/Go ahead have stepped up to meet
customer needs.
Although from your previous issue, Carousel will be
getting ex NA West Midlands off lease cast off’s.
Just like Arriva, Go ahead seem to dump cast off’s in
Wycombe which seems disappointing.
Any way enough of my rants , Carousel have now
registered Arriva’s Lincoln Road garage for a total of 40 vehicles. The total
license is 90 vehicles, 40 for Lincoln road and 50 for Hughenden Avenue.
Wonder how the buses are going allocated across the two
sites?
Maybe the current Arriva routes will remain at Lincoln
Road until things settle down?
Maybe Carousel are being cautious with the additional buses as cost is always to the forefront of any company planning. Does any readers have further comments? Ed.
Andrew Dyer comments on his visit to the U.K.
This month is 54 years since is started working at Charlton-on-Otmoor Services as a school holiday job. To celebrate, I drove a school run for them this afternoon.
My allocated vehicle was MUI 7828. A 26 year
old Volvo B10M with manual gearbox….
lt has only been in the fleet since March
and has not yet been painted.
Attached a few photos of the yard at Charlton yesterday
afternoon.
Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford sees bus services due a diversion by Matthew Searle
Diversions in week
beginning 1 July around Frideswide Square near Oxford railway station
returned buses to Hythe Bridge Street for the first time in years. The photo
shows Oxford Bus Co. StreetDeck 768 with other buses in the street on 3
July. The modern block behind includes offices used by Wrightbus and
associated companies.
768 BN24ZXO in Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford during
diversions on July 3rd.
Fleet News and developments
So, the days are ticking by to the end of Arriva in Aylesbury a nd High Wycombe. There will still be repo/rts from locations such as Hemel Hempstead, Luton and Milton Keynes, thus I ask contributors to ensure we have updates for the company in its continuing areas. Ed.
Luke Marion provides some most interesting news.
The recent arrival of ten Trident-E400s from WMPTE
enables ,me to provide some news which will be of much interest readers.
We will be moving our fleet numbering to a 5 digit system in the not too distant
future as part of the roll out of a new Go-Ahead group engineering system which
requires all buses nationwide to have a unique number. Hence the 5 digits used
for these will be as follows:.
80951 |
BX09 PFE |
80952 |
BX09 PFF |
80953 |
BX09 PFG |
80954 |
BX09 PFK |
80955 |
BX09 PFO |
80956 |
BX09 PFV |
80957 |
BX09 PGU |
80958 |
BX09 PHF |
80959 |
BX09 PGV |
80960 |
BX09 PHJ |
The first 8 of these are Carousel and the bottom 2 are Pulhams.
Maybe a first when an ex London Citaro, 881, was used for th e 275 on
July 2nd.
Of note is that 409 has been repainted red whilst other StreetLites have been used for the 275.
Andy Campbell from Manchester
A very fresh 13183 at OM this afternoon, July
2nd.
Hard to remember its time with Oxford Bus.Ed.
Recently rostered for an electric bus, 612
worked the 3X on June 28th.
Latest additional buses arrive each week and above we see 777, 779, 784
and 786 during the past 6 days..
Richard Sharman
A luckily timed shot of CSS
Electroliners turning on evening tours of the city
New vehicles
N
GB24 PUL
Volvo B8R / Plaxton Leopard C72FL
N
GL24 PUL
Volvo B8R / Plaxton Leopard C72FL
N
PU24 HAM
Volvo B8R / Plaxton Leopard C72FL
N
UK24 HAM
Volvo B8R / Plaxton Leopard C72FL
Charles Powell
Ex WMPTE BX09PHJ and PGV at Bourton on June 29th.
Bob Chalmers
A 'naked' 683 on an X2 service to Didcot taken this evening (Thursday, June 27th) at 6pm.
Lewis Anthony
944 with a 44 working at Osney on June 27th.
Richard Sharman
A new arrival on the Oxford
bus scene is Grayline's StreetLite WF SN15 ABZ, last with
Airparks and has
airport racking fitted to the nearside of the vehicle
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Martin Dowling
Reading Buses have announced
plans to introduce a new service between Reading, Caversham, Shiplake and
Henley-on-Thames from Monday 29 July.
The new ‘aqua 28’ route will
run every 30 minutes Mondays-Saturdays and up to every hour evenings and
Sundays.
The move follows the
announcement from Arriva that they are closing their High Wycombe and Aylesbury
operations after 27 July, including the 800/850 bus routes that serve this
corridor.
Said Robert Williams, Chief
Executive Officer of Reading Buses “We often receive requests from the public
asking us to introduce a more regular and reliable service to Henley. We
understand that other operators in High Wycombe and Aylesbury are stepping in to
provide replacements for Arriva’s services. Our aim is to supplement those
efforts with a fast and high-quality service that we know we can operate
reliably as part of our ongoing network development.
We also feel very deeply for
employees affected by the closure, and would be happy to speak with any of
Arriva’s employees who live within a commutable distance of Reading about the
possibility of joining our award winning team, at what must be a very worrying
time for them.”
The company says that combined
ticketing will be introduced to allow travel onto the rest of the Reading Buses
network, where currently passengers need to buy separate tickets to make onward
journeys to places like the Royal Berkshire Hospital or Reading University.
Customers will be able to use Reading Buses’ tap on and tap off system to be
assured that they are only charged for the best value ticket for their journeys.
The new route brand ‘aqua’ is the latest addition to
Reading’s brightly coloured routes, and has been inspired by the River Thames
that also links the two towns. The buses themselves will run on sustainably
sourced bio-methane, keeping the carbon impact very low.
Full details are currently being finalised, and will be
published next month.
Lewis Hawkins
Here are some snaps of Reading Buses Open Day That I'd like to share with you
for next issue.
A most interesting display. Ed.
Still no official word as to the official introduction of the electric buses for this operator. A numer are stored at Chesterfield and more at ADL Falkirk. Ed.
Two for the price of one, 80003 and sister
80002 on July 3rd.
Richard Sharman
Enviro400EV 80005 out in service on the 2, sporting a new
advertising board.
Jack Cooper
19590 is recovered from Gloucester Green on June 27th.
50452 is now reporting on www.bustimes.com after problems with the ticket machine.
London operations
Andrew Webb - London's Pride 2024
London's Pride 2024 festival took to the streets of the capital on 29 June with
buses used as floats by some organisations. Starting at Hyde Park Corner,
the procession heads along Piccadilly, Lower Regents Street and Trafalgar Square
and onto Whitehall where the walking participants turn left onto Whitehall Place
whilst vehicles continue along a traffic free Whitehall allowing these images of
the day to be captured
Coca Cola chose this East
Lancs OmniDekka Scania N94UD to promote their Zero Sugar version of the soft
drink. Registered WA54LVN, it started life with South Somerset council as
a playbus. After a period registered W7OOH when used as a beauty salon
(https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/General%20observations%20101.html)
it has now lost most of its roof for its current
role.
TfL contribution to the procession was 3406 from the Transport UK fleet, making
its second appearance in the event after debuting in 2023.
Routemasters featured strongly in the parade.
Stonewall Housing, a charity supporting
homeless members of the LGBTQ+ community, hired RML2621 from Premium Coaches.
Completing the line up of four Routemasters was
RM1087 from the Traditional Travel fleet.<
Gavin Francis and Nigel Eadon Clarke
From Nigel Eadon-Clarke taken in Park Lane at the Pride
event last Saturday. It is now registered WA54LVN.
We know this bus as it was often see in Carousel's yard registered W7OOH when
wrapped for a cosmetics company.
Andy Millwood from the Midlands
First is new electric bus E189 at Sutton Coldfield
,Second is a Green Chaserider enviro 581 at Lichfield
Third is a Carolean bus at Walsall, these are being used on route 19 to Bloxwich
Fourth is an electric Diamond Centro bus WET 859 at Walsall
Gary Seamarks travels to Norfolk & Edinburgh
End of a busy week, saw
a trip to Sheringham for the seaside, hence these are 'only phone images' these
were all taken at the Station within 30 minutes.
Tried flying instead of Rail, plan was Train to Luton
then 08.10 flight in at 09.30, catch bus into City for about 10.15, return from
City 20.00 for 21.45 flight into Luton at 23.05, for train back to Flitwick, at
this time of night the trains are every 15 mins, and home by Midnight
Now actual times, flight was delayed out of Edinburgh
to work ours back, we departed Luton at 11.05, arrive Edi 12.15, got to City at
13.10, return was delayed by 45 minutes, slow at getting us off plan on remote
stand by bus, got to Station to find next 3 trains cancelled so landed up on
00.49 train home for 01.30, in this case train would have been much quicker !!
Edinburgh images, of note the shot of TB3 was taken at 7.30 pm !
George Candelin visited Exeter
Exeter to have a look at the new bus station. Just had to take a few photos of the various brandings.
Country Bus
Things have certainly changed since my visit in 2008 Ed.