From the Editor 

Revised liveries and a focus on Bracknell and Maidenhead with more to come.

Thanks to who have supported this issue and those to come.

In this issue

Midland Interlude from Keith Briant

A visit to Oxford with  Tony Bungay

Grahame Wareham remembers COMS 367

Matt Cooper goes South

Fleet News and developments 

Andrew Webb with the latest London wraps

Jack Cooper north of the border

 

Midland Interlude from Keith Briant

Keith Briant

I said this week I would focus on some unusual sights and briefly pop into Coventry Transport Museum. I've added a few newsworthy items in as well.   

Inside Coventry Transport Museum is a local celebrity known as 'The Sky Blues Bus'. It is the last Daimler Fleetline built in Coventry. Delivered new to Coventry Corporation Transport, 125 (PDU125M) with an East Lancs body was delivered new in September 1973, seven months before the fleet was absorbed into West Midlands PTE. It was controversially converted to open top after allegedly receiving roof damage which some sources dispute. It was famously used to transport Coventry City Football Club after they won the FA Cup in 1987 as the front page of the Coventry Evening Telegraph dated May 18th 1987 shows.

 

With the team's football stadium back in the same ownership as the club for the first time in over 20 years and the team currently doing well, expect a local campaign to get it back on the road again of they win a trophy this season. The museum trustees have resisted such calls in the past.  

With Remembrance events rapidly approaching. It was good to see Stagecoach Midlands 15677 (KX10 KGT), a Scania N230 on the same day as the earlier photos awaiting departure for Stratford outside the Transport Museum. It's 'Stagecoach supporting the armed forces'. livery is eye-catching and thought provoking.  

Slightly further north, Arriva Midlands withdrew the last of their Scania Omnilinks in September. The last examples were found in their Midlands North fleet. The company has donated 3505 (YN08 HZS) to the Transport Museum at Wythall and did a handover on 20th September. 

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/tamworth-bus-bows-out-in-style

Here similar 3507 (YN08 HZU) is seen in Lichfield and 3503 (YN08 HZP) back in 2018 in Nuneaton when a number of the batch carried a special livery for use on the 65 Tamworth to Nuneaton service which served the Horiba MIRA Technology Park on the edge of Nuneaton.  

 

I've previously illustrated some of the more unusual buses that have appeared in Nuneaton on rail replacement work during the year and these three were all seen in early summer. Diamond Bus 30987 (YN64 FWX) is an unusual Scania K230UB with Irizar i3 bodywork seating 24 aquired from Midland Classic in 2022. This bus was new to Menzies at Heathrow Airport. The Dennis Dart with Plaxton/Transbus Pointer bodywork is becoming an increasingly rare type. GX53 MWJ is a former Stagecoach South example now owned by Guru Travel.

Similar, but dual door and ex Metroline PFZ 222 (LK08 DWX) was operated by South Derbyshire Coaches and was photographed shortly before their operator licence was revoked at the end of June.  

I've been reminded this week how many common vehicle sights seem to have almost vanished very quickly. Accessibility regulations were certainly needed, but probably hastened the demise of a few types. Now best described as a shed (!), R78 GNW is a Dennis Dart SLF with UVG bodywork new to Speedlink, passed to Travel Ludlows, then Warwickshire County Council who loaned it to Johnson's of Henley-in-Arden for use on contracted services. It can now be found at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. Although behind a fence, it is visible from the main car park. When it was parked here a few years ago it was in an immaculate condition. 

 

The beginning and the end! A few miles east of the previous photo, a  celebration of Midland Red's Coalville depot was held at Snibston Colliery Park on 7th September, organised by the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust. There was a good display of former Midland Red buses which I'll highlight more in a future week. Here Midland Red's first Layland National 101 (HHA 101L) - build number 00230, is photographed next to one of their last - 808 (BVP 808V) - build number 06675. A lot happened in eight years! There was a time when those of us of a certain age would avoid these buses. How times change! 

 

Finally, "short back and day return sir?" A visit to the Prince of Wales pub in Hinckley is to be recommended, if only to see this in the car park. JGY 964K is now a barber shop entitled Barbering by Bailey. A Bedford VAS5 with Willowbrook bodywork. It was one of two new to the Metropolitan Police in 1971, fitted with 26 seats. Now a non runner and supported on blocks, it was seen on the traction engine rally circuit until a few years ago. 

A most interesting piece. Ed. 

A visit to Oxford with  Tony Bungay

Had some time in Oxford on Tuesday 7/10/25, and took a number of photos, some of which I attach.

I say this as Oxford generally features quite largely on your weekly Newspage, so leave it to you to use as you see it to avoid any excessive repetition! 

Most are self explanatory Malcolm, but include a Stagecoach Training Bus and a former West Midlands Enviro 400 in use on Thames Travel.

The where to board your Bus photo reveals that Arriva 280 and X8 are still the Services to Aylesbury! Despite the fact the 280 ceased to be used by Arriva as a route number by early 2024!

Included are a City of Oxford Training Bus, a rather quick shot of it I am afraid, so it is not the best quality!

And another Arriva artifact, this stop in Churchway Haddenham is something of a mystery, as Service 260 was not a regular service to Haddenham, unless it was perhaps a school journey? City of Oxford certainly did operate the occasional 260 journey via Haddenham in the late 1980's!

Whatever, Arriva have not operated the 260 for 10 years plus and indeed stopped operating the long established 280 double run down Churchway for even longer!

   

 

   

The Oxford area offers great interest as seen above. Ed. 

Grahame Wareham remembers COMS

L367  NWL715 1949 AEC Regent III with NCB L30/26R lowbridge body. L367 was renumbered L141 in the new divided series in 1952.  L141 spent its life at most of the country depots to the west of the City and was withdrawn in January 1963. It was subsequently sold to Transport (Passenger Equipment) Ltd. Macclesfield (dealer) in March 1963. It was sold on in October 1964 to C. Hoyle Wombwell Diesels (dealer) Wombwell, Barnsley where it was scrapped.

   

367  DFC367D 1966 AEC Renown 3B3RA with Park Royal H38/27F forward entrance low-height body. 367 spent its early life as a Oxford Cowley Road based bus used on City routes. 367 was the final vehicle converted to OMO in 1972 and was later recertified spending most of its life at Witney depot. It was one of three of the batch which went into poppy red NBC livery without receiving the 1970 two colour scheme. It was sold to Ensign Bus (dealer) in March 1978 and immediately dispatched to E.Beckett (dealer), Carlton, Barnsley for scrap in September1978, but cut up by G.Jones Metals (dealer), Carlton, Barnsley due to the shutting down of E.Beckett's Carlton yard..

     

 367 V17OXF  2013 Volvo B5LH with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 low-height H45/27F body. It featured  Volvo parallel hybrid technology using battery power when available to move the bus up until the first gear change into second gear where the engine automatically starts and the bus proceeds as a normal diesel bus. 367 was originally delivered in red City livery and operated mostly on service 2. In May 2018 it received a colourbus livery to commemorate Oxford Pride as recognizing increasing diversity which OBC and many of its staff supports. In 2022 the route 2 buses were rebranded as route 3's and 367 plied this route until February 2024 when it was dispatched to Stagecoach Manchester to run the franchised services on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester becoming 13191 in that fleet, It was reregistered OE62ZSD prior to departure on 24th March 2024 and was very quickly repainted in the TFGM canary yellow.

     
     

I'm sending you Issue 367 slightly early as I am using a new laptop which hasn't got all my images on yet so I have got to do some more scanning when I get the old PC back (I'm also changing from Windows 10 to 11).

I'm also sitting doing my PCV Driver CPC courses over the weekend and partly next week which at 7 hours a throw may get in the way of sending Issue 367 at the normal time. 

Interesting to see years of development. Ed

Matt Cooper goes South

I think that phrase was used by detective Colombo if I remember correctly! One more view of the midlands this time in Weedon. The accidental link is the old Weedon railway station would have been accessed each side of the bus stop. The West Coast Mainline still runs through here with only stations at Wokverton and Rugby featuring today. There was once a branch line from Weedon to Leamington Spa.  

But anyway, back to the bus! 28627 (KX12 AMO) is the only example of the batch of fifteen Enviro 300-bodied Scanias to be painted in the yellow ‘distance’ livery and never really used on a journey of any distance! (Except maybe to Leicester) Members of this batch seem to be everywhere around Northampton and I’ve always quite liked them. The wheel trims add to the appearance of the bus. It is working between Daventry and Northampton which also sees Enviro 400 -bodied Scanias previously used on Stagecoach Gold services in a number of locations.  

A quick PS to my last email, Northampton Scania 28627 is one of a pair (28626 and 28627) that wear the yellow ‘distance’ livery.  I thought there was only one so treated! 

After a superb weekend at Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. I attended the Wightrider event on Saturday which is organised by and centred on the IOW Bus Museum in Ryde. They are very lucky to have the old depot as their home and I hope the weekend raised a good sum of money.  

The selection of photos show what was on offer. Very much split between ‘older’ types i.e.. the last millennium and more ‘modern’ examples such as Dennis Darts etc. some of which are 20+ years old themselves!  

The Plaxton mini-Supreme (RNE 692W) had a Bedford chassis and offered a great ride around Seaview.
Its proud owner (and former proprietor of Vista Coaches) was at the helm. A big bus feel to a little vehicle!  

 

The Royal Blue Bristol RELL (OTA 632G) gave an excellent and incredibly smooth and comfortable journey to Quarr Abbey, so good I decided not to join the monks and returned to the museum on the coach! The level of comfort offered in the ECW-bodies vehicle would not look out of place today on a luxury vehicle. The semi-automatic transmission no doubt appreciated by the driver!  

We had a trip to Sandown on the former Southdown Leyland Leopard (KUF 199F)
which was to a part coach spec with overhead luggage racks but with bus seats. And a manual gearbox!  

The advantage of being based in a bus depot is the museum has ready-made engineering facilities. The ongoing work on the 1927 Daimler looked really good and the bodywork is certainly taking shape. Some specialist skills needed I’m sure and it will be great to see this vehicle on the road in the future. Certainly a bygone era!  

The modern minibus represents Western National under the Badgerline era , the detailed roller blinds on this (and numerous others) was a really nice touch, this one even colour coded to WN’ s style of the time. Even an RT had a full set of IOW blinds applicable to the event. Not even First Northampton circa 2000 could manage that !  

The ‘driver’  of the Top Deck Travel Bristol FLF seems to have been waiting for his relief for some time…!

David Gray has provided a comprehensive report on the Wightrider event which I will publish next week. Ed.