From the Editor

Sorry for the delay in posting recent issues due to domestic commitments 

A busy week from contributors with many interesting items

I hope to have the  next issue ready for Wednesday week

In this issue

Reading Buses success in UK Bus Awards

Oxford update from Gavin Francis

X5's Historical update by Tony Bungay

COMS 373 by Grahame Wareham 

Kevin Fuller visited Newbury

A coat of many colours for LJ09KPZ

The Remarkable Story of DMS 684

Readers Write

Buses in the Landscape

Fleet News

London operations

Readers visits outside our area

UK Bus Awards success for Reading Buses

Reading Buses were celebrating after picking up the Top Shire Operator award at the UK Bus Awards for the second-year running.   

Reading Buses toasted their success at the UK Bus Awards at the Troxy in London on Tuesday 25 November. The awards are the premier awards for the industry, showcasing the best and brightest in the bus and coach world, which promise that they will do their part for the industry in “recognising, rewarding and inspiring” operators and suppliers.  

Reading Buses were also named as third best bus company in the UK after claiming bronze in the overall Bus Operator of the Year category.  

Said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer; “We are delighted to be named Top Shire Operator once again. Against so many great operators, it is a huge endorsement of the way we run our company and how we try to put customers at the heart of everything we do. We owe a huge amount to all our employees of course – from those behind the scenes helping to keep everything running through to the drivers interacting with customers.” 

The company has a rich history in this category, winning Top Shire Operator seven times since 2012. 

“We are always very pleased to win our operator category” explained Robert, “it helps us to keep on our mission and stick to what we believe in, which is trying to deliver a quality experience to get people out of their cars and to choose the bus.” 

The past year has been a busy one for the company, with four new routes launched, eight route enhancements, new buses, great partnerships forged with local authorities to promote bus travel at Christmas and a record-breaking charity partnership to name just a few of their achievements.  

Said Robert; “whilst we are rightfully proud of what we have achieved and will celebrate this success, we are still not finished! We have a range of activities being planned for 2026 to continue raising the bar.”

Congratulations from the OCBP. 

Oxford Update 26^th and 27^th November 2025

from Gavin Francis

 

 

This week I decided to have 2 short visits to Oxford to update myself on any changes there.

On Wednesday I spent an hour at The Railway Station and firstly checked on progress at Botley Road and quite frankly it looked worse than ever with no sign of the road underneath the railway and there was signage saying it was not due to reopen in August 2026.

 

On the station forecourt the one change I did notice was that the Sightseeing stop has moved to the first stop on the left where the 400 used to stop and the 400 and 3 and 3A are now where the Sightseeing stop was.

 

   
The Blackbird Leys Route Oxford 5 and Stagecoach1 were as always very busy and the pictures show 80724 on Rte 1 and 80018 on Rte 5.
Just to add interest OBC were also operating Brookes liveried 80715 on Rte 5.

 

   
On City bus Routes 3 and 3A was City livered 80777 but again like the 5 were Brookes livered 80714 and 80715

 

 
Stagecoach operated routes S1 and S3 pass through the station, 11753 is on the S1
and my first sighting in the latest livery on 15991 on the S3.

 

One change I was not aware of is that the X4 now terminates at the station rather than in Magdalen Street.
Banbury’s Midland Red livered 37401 waits for its next trip back to Banbury.

 

The open top City tour continues throughout the winter months as shown by 80294 leaving the station.

 

It was then a 400 back to Thornhill Park & Ride and waiting there was Pulhams 80809 on Rte H2.

 

The following day I spent an hour at Redbridge Park and Ride and the first thing I noticed on arrival was the car park was virtually full and it was a struggle to find a space. I assume this is due to the congestion charge which now applies on certain streets in Oxford. This is due to be in place until August 2026 which coincides with the scheduled opening of Botley Road.

 

Many of the buses passing through here are from Thames Travel and they are using many buses previously in the Oxford City fleet and still retain the route colours which they received from new.

 

 
Rte X1 has its own colour branding as shown by 80671 but 80658 still retains its full City 5 livery.

 

Rte X2 has its own livery as shown by 80684

 

   
I did not seen any X3 branded buses on the day, 80676 and 80677 were still in full City Park and Ride livery
and to add to the interest 80958 still in basic West Midlands livery was also in service.

 

     
Rte X32 provided a wide variety of liveries, 80665 carried the correct route branding but 80607 was in red Brooke Bus livery,
80904 in Didcot Connector livery and 80689 still in orange livery from its days on Rte 8.

 

 
On the X40 was 80994 one of the latest tri-axle EVoSetis.. but by comparison was also 19 years old 80933.

 

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Rte 300 was fully Wright bodied electrics as shown by 80734 but today it was joined by ADL demonstrator 61000. 

 

 

Stagecoach 800 also stops here, this is basically staff transport to get drivers from the garage to the City Centre similar to OBC 500.
The route is driven by Oxford Tube drivers and today 80001 the first of the batch was being used.

This article shows the interest a variety at Oxford's Park & Rides. Ed

 

   
On the way home I stopped at Thornhill Park and Ride to get some pictures of the latest OBC wrap 80720 for one-eighty.org.uk.

 

As always an interesting couple of days in Oxford with lots of variety to be seen.

Tony Bungay writes about the X5's Historical Past

SNB 81 proceeds towards Aylesbury Town Centre on a dismal November day in 1985.
Originally this vehicle would have worn NBC Dual Purpose colours of half Green and White, As it worked Green Line services,
unlike the earlier LNC class it's bus seas were at least covered in a softer moquette covering.
Upon repaint it was painted overall leaf green without the white relief band. This vehicle later ended up in the London Country North East Company,
which came about as a result of the split up of London Country less than a year after this photo.    

 
SNB 183 loads at Hemel Hempstead Bus Station in the summer of 1987, as mentioned in the article covering the final weeks of the Arriva X5
the number 501 appeared on Deregulation day 26/10/86. This replaced the long established 301, and Monday to Saturday journeys continued from Watford to Harrow.
This being a Sunday photo the service was operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council and hence only run as far as Watford.
SNB 183 was originally SNC 183 and was originally a Green Line vehicle with much better coach type seating and luggage racks.
Country of NBC leaf green, but with a light green relief band. This vehicle later moved to White Rose Travel  (photo The Bus Archive)     

Turning into Walton Street Aylesbury, SNB 222 heads toward Aylesbury Bus Station near the end of it's 301 journey from
Watford. Behind is the distinctive shaped Office Block, known locally as the 'Blue Leanie'. Subsequent changes in road layouts
mean that Buses no longer can head this way to the Bus Station, but have to go a much longer way round!
SNB 222 was originally SNC 222, another Dual Purpose Leyland National used on Green Line Services.
After London Country and successors use it passed to Globe Coaches in Barnsley  

Wearing an overall advert for Data Efficiency, SNB 405 passes iconic Aylesbury Office Block, which as mentioned on previous photo,
is known locally as 'The Blue Leanie' This vehicle represents one of the later types of Leyland National  that London Country took into stock.
This variant without the distinctive rear roof mounted heating pod was classified series B, London Country built up a fairly large
number of these vehicles, which especially in summer saw them used on Green Line duties!  

Wearing the final London Country livery before the company was broken up, is SNB 255 just starting it's
journey to Watford, on a wet early April day in 1986. The livery still essentially NBC leaf green, but instead of white relief band and fleetname,
light green was used instead. In the run up to De regulation and the selling off of the National Bus Company
on a bit by bit basis, the familiar NBC double N symbol was less and less applied at this time. SNB 255 after London Country service, moved on
to South Yorkshire Transport and from there to Thandi Travel in Birmingham.

Seen at Hemel Hempstead Bus Station in Summer of 1986 is SNB 113 on a Watford bound 301 journey,
wearing overall advert for Brown and Merry Estate Agents, which had recently been applied.
Interestingly this vehicle was one of only a couple of this batch never to wear Green Line NBC half Green
and White Livery when delivered. It would become part of London Country North West in a matter of weeks,
and be written off by them in 1988.
The Rover Bus Service vehicle behind would be working the Hemel - Chesham service,
now a days operated by Carousel who continue to High Wycombe, (photo The Bus Archive)    

Another former Dual Purpose Leyland National used on Green Line services until superseded by the
RS/RB Coaches, is SNC now reclassified SNB 174, picks up passengers at Vale Park Aylesbury in 
the Summer of 1986. The break up of London Country, Deregulation of Bus Services and indeed the end of using
the 301 Route number were just a few months away.
Although now wearing the light green relief band, SNB 174 has still retained it's white fleetname and NBC symbol,
which can be seen, though faintly due to light reflection.
After London Country North West use this vehicle moved to Globe Coaches in Barnsley,
where ironically it was repainted in NBC Poppy Red and White livery (photo the Bus Archive)  

Been meaning to do this for sometime, but other tasks have got in the way. If you are interested and feel it is worthy of inclusion. As a follow up to the final weeks of the Arriva X5 I contributed back in the summer, thought some pictures and vehicles of the Route before it became the X5 may provide some interest, given the general date range of these photos, it could also qualify for Bus Scene 40 years ago! 

Grahame Wareham with Issue 373 of O&CBP

     

L373  OFC373  1950  AEC Regent III 9612A with Park Royal L26/26R low-bridge body.  L373 was renumbered to L149 in 1952 and was withdrawn from service in March 1963 and sold to TPE (dealer), Macclesfield, passing to Edmunds, Rassau in June 1963. It lasted with Edmunds until December 165 when it was sold to a Gloucestershire dealer for scrap in November 1966. 

   
 

373  KFC373G  1968  Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with Northern Counties H41/31F low-height body.  373 was used as a conventional bus for the first year of its life, mainly on 2 road but later on was used as a OMO bus on route 3's and 4's. It was repainted into the dual red and duck-egg green scheme in 1971 receiving NBC Poppy red livery in 1975 upon overhaul. It also lost its rear engine shrouds to enable the bus wash to clean the rear more efficiently in 1976 along with the rest of the batch. 373 spent spells at Chipping Norton and Aylesbury depots before being withdrawn in August 1980.

 
In August 1980 373 was transferred to Bristol Omnibus Co.'s Weston Super Mare depot becoming C7001. 

   

373  OX68BSC  2018 Wright Streetdeck HEVC Gemini 3 H49/33F low-height body. It was part of a batch of six ordered to supplement the existing Brookes liveried E400 MMC buses being used on the U contracts and the 400 service. This batch of buses were similar to previous Streetdecks but incorporated a Hybrid regeneration system to feed all the auxilliary electrical outputs required to operate the bus leaving the engine to power the gearbox.   In December 2023 a new fleet of Streetdeck EV's arrived releasing 373 and the other five diesel Streetdecks to be transferred to Pulham's for operation on the NHS Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals contract. 371 was re-registered M99NHS and received new vinyl branding to advertise the service. In 2025 371 was renumbered 80373 along with the Go-Ahead national identification of the OBC Group fleet.  

Newbury update from Kevin Fuller

Newbury on 27th November, and took a few pictures

     

 

Nice variety and liveries. Ed. 

 

Redline Buses LJ09KPZ working the 275

 

 

Today Tuesday 2^nd December the usual bus on Red Rose Route 275, High Wycombe to Oxford, green liveried E1RRT was replaced by Redline Buses LJ09KPZ.

 

 
LJ09KPZ started life with Arriva in London as ENL 36. It is pictured at Turnpike Lane on 6^th August 2012 and Arnos Grove Station on 2^nd May 2019.

 

 
In 2021 it was sold to Redline and was put into service more or less in its London condition
still with dual doors and London Buses Roundel. It is pictured in High Wycombe Bus Station on 30^th April 2021.

 

 
Later in the year it was repainted and converted to single door. It is pictured in Aylesbury Bus Station
on 26^th August and Norfolk Street, Oxford on 28^th December.

 

 
Redline buses were awarded the contract to run The Bucks University Campus Link service
between High Wycombe and Uxbridge and LJ09KPZ was suitably wrapped for the service.

 

   

It is now part of the Red Rose fleet and has had the wrap removed revealing quite a patchwork of paintwork,
no doubt it will be repainted in the future.

A nice story. Ed.