From the Editor

A varied but interesting issue for you this week with much follow on changes in  Wycombe.

There is some duplication of pictures but still much of interest.

In this issue

The first week of Carousel's expansion by Gavin Francis

Arriva's last weeks Part 2 by Tony Bungay

More from contributors during the final days of Arriva locally
and its replacing services

312 remembered by Grahame Wareham

Nigel Peach and a look at Arriva and Carousel depots in Wycombe

A sad end to Oxford Bus StreetDeck 657

Gloucestershire Vintage and Country Extravaganza

Overseas Interlude - Sardinia by Andrew Webb

Readers Write

Buses in the Landscape

Fleet News & Developments

Readers visits to Norwich and Cornwall

 

Recently implemented signage at The Eden Bus Station. 

The first week of Carousel's expansion by Gavin Francis

     
     
     
   
     

These pictures show Carousel working ex Arriva routes. Ed. 

Arriva's last weeks Part 2 by Tony Bungay

I have attempted to do these contributions in route order, as always you have a choice of what you feel may be worth using or not. 

Enviro 300 3580 a fairly unique vehicle type at High Wycombe, pulls off its stand at the Eden Bus Station, working Service 6 to Bourne End,
it had previously done a turn on Service 7. This vehicle also betrayed from posters inside that it had been at Hemel Hempstead previously. 

 
Meeting at Cookham Versa 5459 waits for Volvo B9TL 4210 both working Service 7,
the road here must be on a more narrow side, hence the Versa waiting. 

Entering Wooburn Green working a High Wycombe bound 7 is Enviro 400 5459, still wearing its now superfluous work for us branding. This vehicle was new to Aylesbury in 2014 wearing the earlier sapphire branding similar to that carried by Volvo 4210. It was also the first Sapphire branded vehicle there to be painted into the then new Bus livery. This vehicle to High Wycombe in 2022   

Heading towards Bourne End and onto Maidenhead is Volvo B9TL, unfortunately despite the destination display working it was not captured by the camera. 

 
Standing near Bourne End Station is Volvo  B7TL  6139, at one time Arriva Midlands 4002.

On this occasion the destination was not working, hence the 7 sticker on the windscreen!  Somewhere in front of the Bus prior to 1970, the railway line from the station would have crossed the road and continued to High Wycombe, in probably 20 years the folly of this closure of a useful connecting link was realised, more so now when it would if it had remained been a good connection with the Elizabeth Line!

Given the size of this contribution and space on your news page, i have decided to split into effectively two separate submissions. So, for next week i will submit a similar subject article covering routes X7 and X9, these will obviously be from the Aylesbury perspective and include a couple of possibly unique photos! 

Versa 2952 awaits next duty at the Eden Bus Station.

By now an out-of-date banner behind it still unfortunately remains on view advertising for Amazing People required for High Wycombe and Aylesbury. Roger French on his informative and interesting Bus and Train user web page made a similar observation when visiting High Wycombe! 

As may, or perhaps may not have been known to some people, Aylesbury and High Wycombe were moved from Arriva Midlands to Arriva Southern Counties area at the beginning of the year, whether Maidstone was any nearer than Thurmaston is open to question. Hemel Hempstead also having been placed under the same control when Arriva the Shires was split.

Purely as a consequence of being transferred this Volvo B7TL 6139 displays
what would now be the correct Legal Lettering for Aylesbury and High Wycombe vehicles. 

For a number of years a few people i have talked to, held the view that Arriva in High Wycombe would pull out, indeed I myself commented on this newspage when the then fairly new Enviro 200mmc vehicles were transferred away to be replaced by somewhat older vehicles. This having seemed a scene setter at other Arriva Garages which consequently closed or were sold. But despite this less than informed viewpoint, and given the so called 'glowing up' of the High Wycombe network last year, the announcement of the proposed closure back in May, was still a surprise or a shock, depending how it affected an individual. Arriva services at High Wycombe, at least from my observations, seemed fairly well used, and as a result of Council coordination, while there had been spats of competition between Arriva and Carousel in particular on Services to Amersham/Chesham and Henley and if I am correct Bourne End, these were fairy short lived. 

With the total withdraw from Arriva from High Wycombe, this has effectively broken the direct link in most if not all of South Buckinghamshire of Services that at one time were operated by London Transport/London Country/London Country Northwest/Luton and District(Chiltern Bus}/Chiltern Rover and Thames Valley/Alder Valley/Alder Valley North/Berks Bucks Bus Company(The Beeline)/The Wycombe Bus Company. These companies having changed owners, names, groupings etc until all by acquisition along the line becoming part of Arriva. Certainly, despite having a fairly substantial group of routes in High Wycombe. In this century in particular, has seen Arriva withdraw from a number of long-established routes. Some notable examples being Chesham/Amersham for many years numbered 362, Beaconsfield- Uxbridge or Slough, various numbers, but including 300/305/441/704/74 to name a few. These services in the main have become the sole preserve of Carousel, who indeed have taken on all the Arriva Services operated by High Wycombe. Whether as Carousel is owned by Go-Ahead Group who at one time owned The Wycombe Bus Company before sale to Arriva as the perhaps spiritual successor to Thames Valley is a question of personal perspective.

This selection relates to Service X9 at points along its route.

As many readers know the X9 number introduced this year, is the latest incarnation for what was many years the main service between High Wycombe and Aylesbury.

I use that phrase carefully, as the original main service between the two towns was Thames Valley 21/21A which actually operated along the main road via West Wycombe, very similar in fact to Redline 130. The route of the X9 between Princes Risborough and High Wycombe being the 31.

In Alder Valley early NBC days, the 21A was effectively replaced by an extension of the 31 to Aylesbury.

With the implementation of the Chilternlink MAP in April 1980, the 31 became the main service renumbered 323/324, the reason for the suffix variation on the 21 and two service numbers later was the once and hour serving of journeys serving village of Butlers Cross.

The former 21 was renumbered 321 and now only run four journeys or so Princes Risborough to High Wycombe only, initially operated by Alder Valley, it had various operators for the next 30 plus years, at one time some readers will recall Woottens of Chesham operating it under their Tiger Line branding.

The main service 323/324 in the early 1990's was subject to a spate of competition with Motts Travel (Yellow Buses), there being at one stage 5 buses and hour if i recall correctly!

It was rather unfortunate at times, that the then operator Wycombe Bus Company still had a number of unrepainted vehicles, mainly Leyland Nationals in former The Beeline yellow livery! The fronts at least received Wycombe Bus Red livery!

Later, on what had been essentially the old Thames Valley 21 route. Arriva launched the X30 on an hourly headway, followed later by Redline launching their competing 130, with the fallout from Covid the X30 was withdrawn, then reintroduced as a half hourly service between Princes Risborough and High Wycombe, competing with the 130. Later the X30 was reinstated back to Aylesbury, but given the fairly sparse in parts nature of the route south of Princes Risborough and at Saunderton a Rail service, it was eventually renumbered to X90 and operated a couple of journeys a day, leaving Redline 130 to be the main bus provider, and from 28/7/24, the sole provider as it took over the operation of Service X9 to, renumbering it 300!!       

Depending on the time of day, it can happen when attempting to get pictures in different places, the same bus features!

Hence the case with Enviro 5465, first seen passing RAF High Wycombe with its replica Spitfire and Hurricane outside, unlike the 1960's,
having the real aircraft outside as gate guardians are long gone, as they have become priceless!

Returning back to Aylesbury 5465 passes The Whip public house at Lacey Green,
sadly looking rather forlorn as it has befallen the fate of many such establishments this century and closed.

Maybe it will be rescued and reopen. As it was the hope of having a more picturesque photo did not materialise!   Behind the pub is the Windmill which at present has not got its sails.

I would say Paul Coley took his photo of 3731 from the front of the pub, that featured on news page 1/8/24!

5465 again! This time High Wycombe bound past the Market Stalls in Princes Risborough High Street.

Citaro 3023 heads up towards Loosley Row and the climb up the hill to The Whip public house.
This vehicle had previously been numbered 3909   

VDL/Wright 3731 heads along Bell Street Princes Risborough, after the reductions in May,
this from what I could see was the only vehicle at Aylesbury that was not an Enviro 400 or Citaro.

Citaro 3031 heads into Princes Risborough High Street, this vehicle previously carried fleet number 3931, as stated in last week's piece,
getting the destination display on Citaro's seems particularly hit and miss!
The position the photo was taken from what used to be the stop for north bound services, before the High Street become one way.

As can be seen the X9 went through some attractive places and countryside on its journey, much of it being in the Chilterns. 

 
Coming into Monks Risborough, itself these days being indivisible from the larger Princes Risborough, are Citaro 3016 and Enviro 400 5466 

The only Citaro at Aylesbury unrepainted and still wearing the discontinued 'MAX' livery is 3914, if I am correct it still carried a partially visible 300 branding on the rear panel.

On an X9 High Wycombe bound journey, this vehicle has just come through Little Kimble and past its small Railway Station.

In a minute or so it will past the site of the former Bernard Arms Public House, which in happier times would see Prime Ministers and International leaders such as Mikail Gorbachev as clientele.The road to the right of the vehicle marked the point where journeys to or from Aylesbury met or separated to serve Butlers Cross. Originally all 300 journeys came this way, much to the protest of residents in Little Kimble, later Arriva changed their minds and moved all 300 journeys via the main road and Little Kimble, probably as it enabled them to speed up the service. 

Enviro 400 5466 passes under this very recent structure, which the writer understands to be temporary.
 for the purpose of transporting materials for the construction of the HS2 Railway Line,
which will cross the road nearby.

Both X7and X9 have been impacted with delays caused by this construction  (probably the only Arriva routes impacted, at least until 27/7/24). Indeed, this journey was delayed by a lengthy traffic jam, caused by traffic lights the other side of this bridge. 

Enviro 400 5465 picks up in the village of Stoke Mandeville, near the Bull Public House, happily still open for patrons.
Despite having the same name, the famous Stoke Mandeville Hospital is actually on the outskirts of Aylesbury,
which was also served by the X9 amongst others. 

The next past from Tony will be in the next issue. Ed. 

More from contributors during the final days of Arriva locally
and its replacing services

Thomas Walker-Werth

I stopped by Aylesbury on Thursday 1^st August (on my way back from riding the former Aylesbury to Princes Risborough branch "bubble car" no. 121034 at the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway) to see the situation following the Arriva depot closure. I found lines of Citaros and Enviro 400s stored at the closed depot. I also popped into the bus station to see Redline's new route 300, which replaces Arriva's X9 on the slow route to High Wycombe (Redline's faster route 130 also remains in operation). It's strange seeing "Red Group" vehicles completely dominating the bus station now. More photos from the visit are here:

https://mktom.smugmug.com/2024/August-2024/UK-Bus--Other-Transport-August-2024

   

   

     

Neil Gow

I’m wondering how I avoided being in Nick Ross’ picture of 6144 at Tyzack Road, as I arrived on the 1055 arrival and walked down the road a bit to take this picture of the same departure as Nick. Also from the last day, 2957 in Totteridge Lane but no screen, 4211 on a late evening trip of the 2 and 2958 at Bourne End after arriving with the last ever service 7 from Wycombe (despite what the screens says) and about to return dead to the depot. Not quite the last Arriva bus to serve Bourne End though as there was (or should have been) a 6 half an hour later.

     

I also took time out during the day to visit Luton and Milton Keynes and catch the new X1 between the two – pictures are Volvo B8RLE 3969 at Leighton Buzzard, Temsa Safari 7105 and Volvo B9TL 4104 at Milton Keynes.

   
It looks like they cleared the site of most vehicles quite quickly.  

Regarding Nigel Peach’s comment about accommodating the increase in vehicles, Carousel have declared a second operating centre at Bellfield Road, High Wycombe, HP13 5GX for up to 40 vehicles. This appears to be alongside the existing depot and presumably refers to the Country Baskets site being used, although Google Maps places the postcode area slightly differently. They were granted an increase in vehicles authorised (i.e. operator licence disks) from 60 to 90.

312 remembered by Grahame Wareham

H312 LWL307 was an AEC Regent II with Park Royal H30/26R semi-utility body. This was the largest single batch of immediate post war vehicles delivered in one go so soon after hostilities but fortunately the body and chassis builders had been largely unaffected by enemy action having contributed in some form to the provision of defence weaponry. 1n 1952 H312 became (H846) in 1952 and six years later it was withdrawn and sold to Deacon (dealer), Dorchester and in May 1958 re-sold to Bedlington & District, Ashington where it saw out its days ferrying miners to the vast coalfields in the vicinity. In August 1960 it was retired and sold to Fleet Car Sales, Dunchurch near Rugby.

312MFC was a 1961 AEC Bridgemaster 2B3RA with Park Royal H43/29F bodywork and was allocated to Cowley Road depot for most of its life, initially working some of the longer country routes until the use of 72 seater was generally accepted on City routes. 312 remained in its original livery throughout its COMS days and was retired from such duties in March 1973 being sold (on paper) to TPE (dealer), Macclesfield but being repainted by COMS for O'Neal, Gillingham (The Kings Ferry) where it was then delivered but stayed only for a short while. In August 1973 it was sold to Ford, Althorn where it was operated in The Kings Ferry livery until it was purchased for preservation by myself and Mike Bridges in March 1978 and immediately given an external re-panelling and repaint being rallied over the next seven years. It is currently stored awaiting a new clutch and various other jobs but for the time being use as a seat store for the restoration of COMS AEC Regent V 194BFC.

     
     

102 NUD102L  was a Bristol VRTSL2 with ECW CH41/25F body delivered in March 1973. I t featured an ultra-low dual purpose seated layout for use on London express services. It was later altered to CH41/27F by the addition of single seats adjacent to the reat wheel boxes in the lower saloon. Upon recertification overhaul in 1980 102 was repainted into normal NBC bus livery of poppy red with white band and in September 1982 was renumbered 312 as was now classed as a normal bus and in July 1984 was transferred to Winey depot from Bicester In June 1986 it was again renumbered 602 upon transfer to the independent privatised South Midland operation based at Witney. It didn't stay long as it was soon sold to J.P.Wood of Craven Arms as staff bus for the Chuckie Chickens business as fleet number 22

 

312 HM11OXF  was an ADL E400H Hybrid with Alexand.er H47/31F body and was new in 2011 for Park & Ride services. In 2016 it was sent away for repaint into generic City red livery for more general use before being converted into a normal diesel mechanical bus by East Yorkshire Motor Services in 2018. With the large influx of Wright Streetdeck Electroliners in 2024, 312 was transferred to Go South West/Plymouth City Bus where it has become 5034 in their fleet. It was re-registered OE11YNF before departure from Oxford.

     

Pictures of 312 from Gavin Francis

     
 

My thanks to Grahame for his detailed history. Ed. 

Nigel Peach and a look at Arriva and Carousel depots in Wycombe

Well done on collating last week's bumper edition!

I visited Arriva's Cressex depot today (Wed 7th).

Just seven buses remain there, 12 days after operations ceased.
From left to right, 5460, 3580 (not in picture - it's beyond the two Citaros),
3027 in front of 3029, 6144 in front of 6139 and 3008.

I've always thought that 5460 was the smartest looking of all the double deckers based in Wycombe.

 Some pictures from Carousel depot on Wed 7th.

 
883 on the service road with 225 in the distance.

 
OmniDekkas 242 243 and 245 at the back of the yard. These are apparently now SORN and awaiting disposal.
No sign of sister 244, which is the only Omnidekka still showing on bustimes.org.
(Thames Travel examples 246-248 have also been withdrawn.) DOE15, latterly at Oxford is also in the picture.

Two pictures of buses at rest at the depot.

    
Two pictures taken in the new overflow yard showing three of the ex National Express West Midlands ADL Enviro 400s,

together with Citaro 870 ("Animal" from its time in Oxford) which has also been SORNed, awaiting disposal. 

It was nice that Nigel caught 870 and DOE15. Ed.

A sad end to Oxford Bus StreetDeck 657

Friday, August 2nd saw the demise of 657 which succumbed to fire whilst operating 11 road in Watlington.

A bus fire which saw the vehicle engulfed in flames closed a road in Oxfordshire.

The incident happened on Friday morning near Watlington leaving the road to be shut in both directions after fire crews were called at 7.24am. 

A spokesman for Oxford Bus Company confirmed one of the operator's vehicles was involved in the incident in Cuxham.

The driver was able to escape the bus without injuries and there were no passengers on the stationary bus at the time.

The spokesman said: “We can confirm one of our vehicles was involved in a major thermal incident in Cuxham this morning.

“The vehicle was not in service, was stationary at the time and the driver had safely disembarked before the incident occurred. No passengers or other vehicles were involved and there were no injuries.

“Our driver contacted the emergency services who attended the scene and we have now opened an internal investigation into the cause of the incident.

“We would like to reassure passengers that we have an excellent safety record, all our vehicles undergo regular, extensive checks and maintenance and incidents of this nature are extremely rare.”

Fire crews from Slade Park, Wallingford and Thame were called to the accidental fire of the stationary Oxford Bus Company vehicle before leaving the scene just before 10am. 

A spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of this fire was accidental and believed to be due to a blown tyre which then caused the vehicle's brakes to overheat.

Dave Richards, who lives in Watlington, said the bus "commemorated Oxford Bus Company colleague Sarah Waugh who died a little while back".

Pictures were captured and published in The Oxford Mail on the day. Ed.