Issue nr 385
Thursday, April 2nd 2026
Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/
From the Editor
My domestic situation has been difficult during the past 10 days and so this issue is shorter than usual !
Many of the contributions are held over to the next issue and I apologise if this disappoints some of you.
In this issue
Amersham & Districts Watford day - a taster
Grahame Wareham remembers COMS 385
Fleet News & Developments
New buses and fleet movements in the Go-Ahead group
London operations by Andrew Webb
Readers visits outside our area
Amersham & District Motorbus Society
with Tony Bungay
By chance I was able to attend
the Amersham and District running day at Watford yesterday 29/3/26. The event
centred on Watford Junction Station, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of
Green Line service 724, happily still operating, as well as the eightieth
anniversary of resumption of Green Line services after their wartime suspension.
The day was rather dull and
quite chilly due to a cool breeze, unlike some other days this month. Some
rather weak sunshine earlier in the day was a slight hinderance for photography
as it increased reflection from certain angles on destination displays!
Riding some of the recreated
services as is a feature of these events, afforded the opportunity of changing
onto another service at another destination. In this case Riverside at Hemel
Hempstead, where passengers if they so wished could change onto deeply rural
service 317 that proceeded through attractive countryside and villages. As shown
by a photo of T792 opposite The Bridgewater Arms pub Little Gaddesden
Arriva showcased an Enviro 200mmc superbly outshopped in
classic 1960's modernised RF style Green Line livery to commemorate the 60th
anniversary since the introduction of the service.
Due to the aforementioned domestic issues and large number of contributions on this subject, thjere will be more in the next issue.
Grahame Wareham remembers COMS 385
H385 OFC385 1949 AEC Regent III 9612A with Weymann H30/26R high-bridge body. In 1952 H385 was renumbered to H884. H884 was sold to J.Deacon (dealer), Dorcheaster on Thames in November1960 passing to Smiths of Reading the same month, where it was fitted with platform doors. It was withdrawn in June 1969 finally being scrapped during the following year.
385 MJO385H 1969 Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with
Northern Counties H41/28D low-height body. Part of an initial batch of
fifteen these were used on newly converted OMO operated duties, mainly 2 road
for the first few months of their lives and then spread out to most City routes
with some migrating to Witney and Wantage to operate into the City on cross City
services. 385 was allocated to Cowley depot for the majority of its first seven
years then finding its way out to Watlington depot. Because of window supply
problems there were two types of window fitted, some with slider units, as in
the 1968 batch, and some with full length hoppers. the vehicles were delivered
as follows: Slider windows 382,385,387-389,395,396. Hopper windows:
383,384,386,390,391-394. Also 383,385,387,389,393-396 had a ventilator in the
front dome as per the previous batch, but the remaining vehicles were not
fitted.383-385,388,389,391,393-395 all received the simplified two colour red
and green livery from 1971 onwards, the first being treated 394 in 8/71. The
remainder were repainted into NBC corporate poppy red which eventually covered
the whole batch during overhaul in 1976/7. The overhaul of this batch was
completed at Midland Red Carlyle Works and the vehicles had their rear engine
shrouds removed at the same time.385 lasted in the COMS fleet until August 1982
when it was cannibalised for spares and forwarded on to Midland Red Carlyle
works for final disposal for scrap.
385 JWV126W Leyland National 2 NL116L11/1R B49F. Originally
new to Southdown Motor Services in 1980 as their 127 it was transferred to
Brighton & Hove as 127 when privatisation forced a split in the operations of
services in Brighton and East Sussex. It was converted from B52F to B49F by
Brighton with the installation of a luggage rack and was eventually transferred
through the Go-Ahead Group to Oxford for Wycombe Bus duties in April 1996. By
then 127 had received a TL11 engine in place of its naturally asprirated L11
(Leyland 690) unit and it ran in High Wycombe until the advent of low floor bus
replacement in January 1999. It was withdrawn and sold to Kimes of Folkingham,
along with sister bus 128 JWV128W, 127 being reregistered YAZ4142, It ran
for two years with Kimes.
(I do not have any images of this vehicle GW)
Fleet News and developments
Gavin Francis
A couple from Carousel Depot today, 2 more of the new trainer and 1 showing a
bus from each of the 3 other Oxford based operators.
At the depo/t on March 28th.
April 1st 2026
A big surprise is the return on two ex WM deckers from Thames Travel plus
80518 repainted and from PULHAMS.
James Freeman
80832 in Cowley Rd Oxford on March 28th.
New EVs recently entering service.
Sanjay Baker
80411, 80412 & 80413 on 500s this morning,
March 28th.
Now operating the X52 Cheltenham Oxford route.
Charles Powell
Pulhams 80068 now transferred from Oxford on
March 28th.
Sanjay Baker
PULHAMS 80618 working the X52 on the morning of
March 29th at Gloucester Green..
Tony Gaze
Pulhams started the X52
service from Cheltenham to Oxford.
80619 photographed in Cheltenham on 30/03/26 about to leave with the 1047
service.
Peter Edgar
Photos from a trip to Witney this afternoon to capture PULHAMS X52 route.
Stagecoach have now ceased operating the S2 and S2X services..
London operations
Andrew Webb
Online health food store British Supplements has 5 buses wrapped in this green
based advert. Utilising 'conventional' double deckers rather than the new
Routemasters, the campaign is carried on three differing body styles as these
shots taken on 28 March illustrate.
Wright bodywork is represented by Go Ahead's WHV53 at Clapham Junction at the
start of another journey on route 35 to Shoreditch.
Marble Arch is the setting for Metroline's MCV bodied VMH2462 as it heads for
Angel on route 274.
Nearing journey's end as it leaves Vauxhall bus station is Go Ahead's EH225 which carries ADL bodywork
London bits and pieces
Pulham's Tourismo PU73HAM reached the capital on 28 March
with a National
Express working on service 040 from Bristol.
It is seen at Vauxhall whilst
heading for layover to await it's next duty.
Engineering work in the Wimbledon area led to a large rail replacement operation
from Clapham Junction on 21, 22, 28 and 29 March, bringing vehicles from a wide
area to work services. A selection of vehicles on 28 March show the
variety at Clapham Junction.
ALM Travel of Hemel Hempstead sent this Ilesbus Iveco which has been re
registered from RK74ZPS.
Also fitted with a cherished plate is this Enviro 200MMC from the Newbury and District fleet which took a break from its more usual work around the town.
In a very similar livery is this Yutong from the Passenger Plus fleet who
specialise in work place shuttle services.
Also usually found on workplace shuttles is this Wright Streetlite from the
Diamond Bus South East fleet
Weavaway utilised one of their fleet of Enviro
400MMCs in this smart navy colour scheme.
I've been visiting a couple
of South/South West localities recently, with a few photos attached.
1 - First Hampshire &
Dorset 33466 (WK66 CDU) E40D MMC in Weymouth on route 1 from Portland. This bus
has recently been transferred from the closed Cornwall operation.
2 - First Hampshire &
Dorset 33966 (SN65 ZDC) E40D MMC in Weymouth not in service. This bus has
recently been painted in the new Ultraviolet First group livery from the
Jurassic Coaster yellow livery.
3 - First South West (Buses
of Somerset) 30001 (YK25 OHJ) Yutong U11DD at Axminster Railway Station on route
30 to Taunton.
4 - First
South West (Buses of Somerset) 63700 (BN75 NWH) Wright
GB Kite Electroliner in Taunton leaving to go to Minehead on route 28.
5 - Go South
Coast (Morebus) 1643 (HF66 CFO) E40D MMC in Totton on route 6 to Lymington in
the new New Forest Breezer livery.
6 - First
Hampshire & Dorset 44951 (WK18 BVB) E20D MMC in Cosham on route 22 to Farlington
Sainsbury's. This is another transferred from the closed Cornwall operation.
7 - Stagecoach
South 26152 (SN67 WVW) E20D MMC in Portsmouth on route 23 to Southsea in the new
Steel Blue Stagecoach livery.
8 - Go South
Coast (Salisbury Reds) 153 (WX75 OCU) Mercedes/Mellor minibus in Salisbury on
route 29 to Shaftsbury.
And finally Isle of Wight:
9 - Go South Coast
(Southern Vectis) 1308 (HW26 FEV) Wt Streetdeck Electroliner in East Cowes on
route 5 to Newport.
10 - Go
South Coast (Southern Vectis) 1301 (HW26 FEH) Wt Streetdeck Electroliner in East
Cowes on route 4 to Ryde.
11 - Go South
Coast (Southern Vectis) 1306 (HW26 FET) Wt Streetdeck Electroliner in Newport
arriving from Ryde on route 9.
Salisbury last week when Go-Ahead placed in service the new
electric buses.
1 - Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 1338 (HV26 GXA) WT Streetdeck Electroliner on route
R1.
2 - Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 1340 (HV26 JVF) WT Streetdeck Electroliner also on
route R1.
3 - Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 1336 (HV26 GWY) WT Streetdeck Electroliner again on
route R1.
4 - Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 1324 (HV26 DWL) WT Streetdeck Electroliner on the
Stonehenge Tour in the new tour livery.
5 - Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 401 (HF75 YRR) AD E10EV on route R8.
6 -
Go-Ahead Salisbury Reds 402 (HF75 YRS) AD E10EV on route R2.
Hope these are also of interest for your webpage Outside the Area section.
David Ive in the Torbay area
I hope that all is well. Although, out of the Bus Page area, but you may be
interested in big changes that are taking place with the Stagecoach South West
bus fleet in South Devon. Over the past few months a new fleet of Electric
Vehicles has gradually been delivered for the Stagecoach depot at Torbay. These
comprise ADL Enviro400EV and ADL Enviro100EV types and Yutong E10 type. The ADLs
are in Stagecoach Local livery and the Yutongs are in Stagecoach Slate Blue.
These EVs have been entering service over the last couple of months.
Very soon Torbay depot will be completely EV. This means that all existing
diesel buses will be gone from the area, including Dennis Tridents. Over the
last couple of years, Torbay had built up a fleet of about 10 or 11 Dennis
Trident Alexander ALX400 vehicles, all over 20 years old. They were in a variety
of liveries including Stagecoach Beachball, Stagecoach Local, original
Stagecoach stripes, and even one in Slate Blue. As of last week there are no
Tridents in service in Torbay, although 2 have transferred to Plymouth, where
they are still operating in service, often on route 80, which takes them back to
Torbay.
The introduction of EVs will soon commence at Exeter and Barnstaple, with many
vehicles in store at various places in South Devon before going to the depots.
Having described the various Stagecoach liveries in use, I have seen a picture
of a new EV single decker for Exeter in a two tone green "Devon Bus" livery.
Interesting times!
Attached are some images of new ADL EVs and some Dennis Tridents. I hope all
this is of interest and use.
Here are photos taken earlier this year. These are all in Dundee. We have Electroliner 80221 and 80222, Single deck 74025
and a Moffat & Williams MMC bus.