From the Editor

An interesting week with some great pictures.

Various events take much of the content in this issue.

In this issue

Gavin Francis's local bus update

Gary Seamarks from Oxford

Nigel Eadon-Clarke pictures East Grinstead event

Xelabus event from David Gray

Grahame Wareham's memories of COMS 346

Kevin Fuller was in Maidenhead

Readers Write

Fleet News & Developments

London update

Norwich from Andrew Webb

Coventry from Andy Millwood

Jack Cooper views City Link in Scotland

Gavin Francis's Local Bus Update 29^th April 2025 

For a change this week I thought I would check out some local towns and decided to start in Chesham. Recently Carousel have taken over running some of the local bus routes.

   
To operate the local routes Carousel have hired some E200s which are in plain white.

YX25OJY is operating Rte 73, whilst YX25OHV is on the 149 although it would appear to be thinking about working OBC Rte 700. I wonder how many different destinations are on the scrolls.

 
The Rte 1 group have a dedicated fleet of Citaros but today there were other types on the route, E400 80225 and E200 80532

Red Eagle still have a small presence in Chesham in the form of E200 YY15GDK operating Rte 354

I then moved onto Hemel Hempstead.

 
Route 721 terminates at Waterside where 3940 and 3941 were parked.

     
From 18^th May Arriva are withdrawing their X5 route and Red Eagle have already started a similar replacement service 500.
Former Whitelaws W17ADL is seen at Waterside and in the latest livery YX72ONK is shown in Marlowes.

 
Arriva 5462 and 3759 are shown operating the soon to be withdrawn X5. 

 
     
Some Arriva buses wear the very drab and dreary livery Connect Herts livery in this case 3567 on Rte 20 and 3568 on Rte 302.
Many years ago similar themed branding was applied as shown by 3155 in 2008 and 3162 in 2006

 
In standard Arriva livery are MMC 6524, Streetlite 4331 and Versa 4213

Streetlite 1665 carries a super rear ad for Hertfordshire Saver Card

     
Red Eagle have a strong presence in the town and shown by SN15LRL on Rte 352, YX09FMK on Rte H11,
YX61GBE on Rte 1 and finally new arrival in white livery YY15NHJ.
This bus has had some new panels fitted and looks like it will soon be off to the paint shop.

Red Rose just run one bus in the town and it was the turn of Y21RRT today.

Centrebus have a single route (46) as shown by E200 588.

 
There is a DRT service operating in the town called Herts Lynx and uses Mercedes Sprinters shown by RJ74GZR and YE73RBU

 
Former Arriva London T82 is now a trainer but still carries its London fleet number.
It is seen in Marlowes and when operating in London from Ash Grove Garage on Rte 168 on 23^rd August 2012

 
National Express service 707 from Birmingham to Heathrow passes through the town as shown by Uber liveried BF68LCN and BV23ZVG

It was then a drive back to Amersham.

 
Pictured outside Tesco is Rte 1 liveried 80890. 

The road past Amersham Hospital is still closed and Carousel are operating a shuttle service between Gore Hill and The Hospital,
today it was the turn of red liveried Sprinter 81977 outside Tescos.

A fascinating piece covering area. Ed.

Oxford from a visit by Gary Seamarks

Few from last Fridays trip to Oxford, went down on 06.10 of MK Coachway arrive 08.15, back on 18.40 had 15202 one of the ex Busway cascades to Bedford, must say far less rattles than on the AD E400's, came back on 10871 its a decent vehicle that can certainly shift on the open road, and held its own up on the A34. 

Thinking this could be my last visit with OBC Citaro's only one was seen all day, having not been since last September changes were noticed. 

 
The OBC 80062 was taken from 15202 as were the 4 Tubes shot, both at 08.15. 

   
     

With the renumbering took an OBC and SC with same fleet number, be interesting to know of any other location where this is possible with 5 digit fleet-numbers !.

   
The Transporta and Interdeck are Aylesbury Vale Parkway on Sunday 27/4,
could not do nearside of  latter as drivers sunbathing with picnic, the Streetlite is Waddesdon. 

We are hearing that 10 E200mmc have bee purchased from Ensignbus Dealer to upgrade the East fleet, 6 due at Bedford, assume others are Peterborough of Fenstanton, 66 plates ex Warrington seems to be at least some of them. 

Also Whippet are off Flixbus from Mid June, thats about half their work gone as only few routes around West of Cambridge and the Universal Electrics.  

Assume you have seen the Universal Studios theme park being built near Bedford, opens 2021, its about  nearest bit is about 600 yards from our house, and opposite end is just across the East West Rail route from where I work !

Another interesting and varied article. Ed 

Nigel Eadon-Clarke at East Grinstead

     
     
   

     
 

     
     

A well presented display of buses representing a broad example of buses from the '40s through the '90s. Ed. 

Xelabus open day by David Gray

I visited Eastleigh today for the Xelabus open day which was a very well organized event by the company. 

Apart from being able to look behind the scenes, there were static exhibits and the opportunity to travel on some of the vehicles. There were two routes, one via Eastleigh town centre to Southampton Parkway railway station; the other a trip to Fair Oak and back. 

     
     
     
   

Grahame Wareham Issue 346 

L346 MWL980  1948 AEC Regent III with NCB L27/26R lowbridge body, These were the first of a long run of AEC Regent III post war chassis purchased from AEC which all had the larger 9.6 litre A213/A218 series of direct injection engines with a mixture of crash and later synchromesh gearboxes. This batch of fourteen buses were also introducing a new body supplier, that of Northern Coachbuilders of Newcastle upon Tyne, the only ones supplied to COMS. 346 was renumbered L122 in 1952. Withdrawn 2/61 and sold to Deacon (dealer) Dorchester later being sold to Edwards Coaches, Lydbrook, Glos in September 1961 along with sister buses MWL983 and MWL984, and converted with platform Doors to L27/27RD. It lasted with Edwards until 1970 until it was scrapped on site. The NCB bodies on these buses were almost as good as new when they were withdrawn, not a rattle or squeak to be heard! Bus preservation was in its very early days but one of these would have been the icing on the cake! 

 

346 346TJO  1964 AEC Renown 3B3RA with Park Royal H38/27F lowheight forward entrance  body. 346 was allocated to Cowley Road Garage operating on Oxford City routes. It was loaned to Alder Valley Reading from 29th April 1973 until, 3rd May 1973 being withdrawn in June 1976 and sold to Paul Sykes Organisation (dealer), Wakefield Road, Barnsley August 1976 passing to Barrowclough, Carlton(dlr) the same month for scrap.

     

 

David Beynon was in Windsor

These were taken recently during a couple of visits to Windsor.

     
     
   

Nice variety and some decent liveries. Ed. 

Kevin Fuller visits Maidenhead

I was in Maidenhead on Thursday 1st May, and took some pictures to reflect the changed service patterns which started in early April, whereby several of the town routes were transferred from Thames Valley to Carousel operation, along with some variations to some routes. 

Thames Valley 129, an Optare Solo in Windsor working a route 16 service to Maidenhead. 

Another Solo - Thames Valley 126 shows the shorter version of these buses at Frascati Way on service 228 to Henley. 

Carousel 80541, an ex Nottingham City Enviro 200 MMC, is seen on route 3 in Grenfell Road, nearing its destination.

Sister bus 80539 is in Maidenhead High Street working a route 7 service to Cox Green. 

Pictured on Frascati Way, Carousel Volvo B7RLE 80826 pauses for passengers on its 37 journey from High Wycombe to Windsor. 

Enviro 80541 again, seen on a 9 service to Cranbrook Drive waiting departure from Frascati Way.

Certainly things are changing. Ed.