Issue nr. 198
Tuesday, April 5th 2022
Editorial
This week has seen an increasing number of Covid infections reported and it is now difficult to buy test kits. Well, so far my wife and I are free "fingers crossed" and here is another issue, number 198.
The main report this week is from the recent event at Detling where three contributors have supplied pictures which cover the event in detail. Thanks to Andrew Webb, Gary Seamarks and Tony Bungay.
Jack Cooper has provided his usual weekly contribution which always adds much to this page.
Jack's picture of Airline 40 at Gloucester Green with the snow falling records
the weather variety in the past week.
Taken on March 31st.
A slightly unusual view of 6 road bus 667 on March 30th.
Thames Travel's 906 is seen on April 3rd in Abingdon where the weather had
changed again.
This week we have contributions from outside our area including Portsmouth in pictures, a link to a visit to Plymouth and The Hope Valley in Derbyshire.
Also we have notes of changes to services in Buckinghamshire affecting Arriva and reductions in Oxfordshire.
https://southeastbusfestival.wixsite.com/sebf?fbclid=IwAR0tQ0dOIvoiQuJa7HSIUA0K2DaqVy7itM6zISJxUGaz0AMoKi_EVQHyciY
Detling Showground
Andrew Webb
Spirit of Sussex is the private hire division of Go Ahead Brighton and Hove. On display in the South East Bus Show at Detling on 2 April was this former Oxford Plaxton Panther Volvo B11R, AF14OXF, resplendent in fleet livery. Delivered new to Oxford in 2014 for the 'airline' service linking the city with Heathrow and Gatwick, the service was either suspended or reduced significantly as passenger numbers at both airports during the pandemic. Until transferred to Sussex the vehicle spent time working route 11Xin Oxford as seen on 3 June 2021.
2022, like many other years, gives bus operators to mark anniversaries with
special liveries.
Uno started as Universitybus in 1992 as an inter campus shuttle for the University of Hertfordshire, a function it continues 30 years later despite having expanded significantly to serve an area stretching from Northamptonshire to north London under the 'Uno' brand.
To mark the anniversary this Wright Volvo has received special '30 years and counting' branding, seen here on display at the South East Bus Show at Detling on 2 April.
This bus is one
of a batch Uno acquired from Dawson rentals following a spell working for Arriva
in Malta.
It is seen pausing outside Marks and Spencer in Sliema on 29
December 2014.
Ensignbus is 20 years older than Uno, having started in 1972, and is still run by the Newman family. Having operated a variety of bus services alongside the famous dealership, the modern Ensignbus operates a well regarded network of services around Thurrock as well as being prolific on rail replacement. The company also operates a large fleet of immaculate heritage vehicles.
To mark the 50th anniversary this Wright
Volvo has been repainted into this gold livery,
making its public debut at the
South East Bus Show at Detling on 2 April.
The most significant anniversary of 2022 is the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, an anniversary which is unlikely to be repeated by any of the current heirs to the British Throne.
Several operators are marking the Queen's 70
years of service with special liveries. Three were on display at the South
East Bus Show at Detling on 2 April.
Stagecoach South have this Enviro 400 MMC in a Platinum variant of the latest
Stagecoach 'local' livery.
Reading Buses have also selected an Enviro 400 MMC as the canvas for their
Platinum livery.
Go Coach have adorned this Enviro 200 MMC to mark the occasion, one of a batch
recently acquired from Abellio in London.
It retains both the dual door layout
and former operator's fleet number.
When London Country was
formed from the country operations of London Transport in 1970 the dedicated
'Fast Track' bus service linking Dartford, Greenhithe and Bluewater was just a
figment of a bus planner's imagination.
Until the start of this month Go Coach operated the short lived AZ service over the Fast Track, alongside Arriva who run the main services.
With Arriva's Streetlite and Go Coach's Enviro 400 both entered for display in
the South East Bus Show on 2 April
the opportunity was taken to pose the two side by side.
Both operators marked the 50th anniversary of the formation of London Country by repainting a vehicle into the green and yellow livery initially used before National Bus Company green became the norm.
Kent County Council plan for the next generation of Fast Track buses to be electric. During the summer it is planned to operate this Volvo electric bus in service on Arriva's routes.
Seen at the same show, it has MCV
bodywork on Volvo's new BZL chassis and is the only single deck example.
It will, therefore, provide useful operational data to both Arriva and Volvo.
Low floor Dennis Darts, once considered 'modern' buses are now at least 16 years old, having been replaced in 2006 by the Enviro 200.
Several
preserved examples were at the South East Bus Show on 2 April, outnumbering the
number of preserved RFs and Leyland Nationals on display.
The Plaxton Pointer body was the most common version of the SLF chassis, with two versions produced.
Local operator Maidstone and District took this
now preserved example, the livery recalling an era when low floor step free
access was a key marketing message.
The blind promotes the 3 April charity
running day centred on Lewes which raised funds for the Ukraine relief appeal
Former London SLD359 heads a trio of preserved
Stagecoach Pointer 2 examples, with former Peterborough AE51VFX and Fleetbuzz
AE51VFV behind.
Stagecoach also took large numbers of Alexander ALX200 bodied Darts, including SLD329.
It bears the remnants of the City
Motor Omnibus Co Ltd applied when operated by Ensignbus.
Metrobus operated relatively unusual Caetano Nimbus Dart SLFs, 379 being a
preserved example
recalling days spent operating the company's Redhill - Sutton
route.
Also now preserved is former Go Ahead London General MAL15, one of the batch of Mercedes Citaro 'bendy buses' which took over the Red Arrow network in May 2002.
Seen in the sun at the South East Bus Show on 2 April,
the same bus is seen when
new at Waterloo garage on 1 June 2002 and in Bournemouth on 30 August 2013.
Detling was a good spring opener,
although Very cold when the sun went in we escaped the white stuff all day till
we got back to Hertfordshire !.
The Jubilee buses added to the event, but for me the star was the Silver Star Atlantean, after over 130 rallies since the late 1970's this was the first time that our paths crossed !
Other pictures from Gary are included below.
One noticed that Finnair never flew to Istanbul from
London, maybe next time we will see TAP Lisbon?
Reading and Stagecoach South side by side!
This surely must be a real oddity and matches those
Routemaster converted to normal drive by Northern many years ago.
Tony Bungay
I went to the show at Detling on April 2nd and as you can
see it was a nice bright day, though at times the placing of the sun made
photography slightly difficult, must not complain as although chilly it was a
very pleasant day to the awfulness of 48 hours previously!
Photos are self explanatory.
London Country retro liveries seem to be in vogue at the
moment, with Arriva and Go-Coach. Sullivan buses seem to have
adopted a similar style, that was shown at Showbus last year, and fleetingly
appears in the latest Lloyds bank advert.
If the
next edition had been due April the 1st
I would have been tempted to add that the cut down Routemaster, was one
operators attempt to adapt to reduced passengers!
It is actually on a trailer for a company called
Expeditional that offers Bus Driving experiences.
It’s Leyland National 50 years, there were four here, but
could not get the Southdown one in.
Arriva were well represented as seen in these
pictures.
.... and the training and fleet examples.
Electric representation - abellio 3415.
Some of the last Olympians were those with Capital
Citybus.
Another East Kent was this AEC Regent PFN874.
London buses were lighter on the ground than usual.
Fleet Buzz livery covered this Dart.
Recovery comes in all shapes and sizes.
This Lioness used to be owned by Colin Shears in the
West of England and I can claim to have driven this in Exeter. Ed.
So very many thanks to my three contributors, I am sorry that I am unable to get around now to see such events but the pictures are most pleasing.
VEHICLES IN.
From Stagecoach Highlands : Volvo B7R’s SP07FCY /
SV08DHO Volvo B12B SV09EGY.
From Brighton and Hove : Scania YR58RUU.
From First Essex : Trident LK53EYV.
From Go Ahead NE : Scania’s NK56KHJ / KKF / KJZ / GJO /
KHH / KHL / KHW / KHZ / KKH / KKL.
From Arriva London : E400s LJ59LZD / LZE /
LZF / LZG / LZH / LZK / LZL / LZM / LZN / LZO / LYT / LYU / LYV / LYW / LYK /
LYO / LYP / LYS / LXP / LXR / LXS / LXT.
From Go Ahead London : E400s LX58CWW / LX56ETZ
Volvo B5LHs LX61GXE / GXF. E200 LX09AYK.
From Plymouth Citybus : Volvo B7TLs LX54GZD / GZE /
GZF.
VEHICLES OUT
Scania YN05HCO : Hardwicks, Barnsley.
Scania BYZ2386 : Coastal Liner, Wolverhampton.
Scania YR58RUU : Candy Coaches, Slough.
Solo GP02DPV : GardBus, Eastleigh.
Volvo B9TL’s SN09CVF / CVK : Herberts Coaches, Shefford,
Beds.
Volvo B9TLs SN09CUV / CUH / CUJ / CUW / CUY
: Imperial Coaches, Slough.
Volvo B9TLs LK59CXF / CXN / FCO : First Devon and
Cornwall ( converted to part open top)
E200 AJ58PZM : Mike Lawrenson, Preston.
Scania JFZ7006 : Heyfordian, Bicester, Ox.
Volvo B7RLEs GN07AVK / M : Ambassador Travel,
Great Yarmouth.
Solos NK54DFC / DEU : Cotswold Green , Gloucester.
Volvo B9TL’s LK59CWY / CWR : Faresaver, Chippenham.
E200 GN08CHH : South Eastern Coachworks, Faversham.
Volvo B7TL’s WU02KVF / LT52WWP : Decker Bus,
Southampton.
E200 LX09AYF : HGV Training NW5.
E400s LJ09CBF / CCE / CAX : First Scotland East
(converted to part open top)
Dart BA52GHA, Galleon Travel, Stansted.
Dart DG52TYP : Avondale, Glasgow.
The following all to Shelton Motors for scrap :
DAFSB120 NK04FPA.
Dart SN03LDU
Volvo B7TL LK54GZD.
Volvo B5LH LX61GXF
E400 LX58CWW Trident LK53EYV
ENSIGN FLEET.
Volvo 130 has been painted in special gold livery to celebrate Ensigns 50th anniversary.
Bucks County Council
https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/buses-and-trains/changes-to-bus-services/
Readers will find a number of changes and this will reflect in the next allocation list from Arriva the Shires.
I do not know if you have already heard about any of
these changes, but it appears Watford/Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe will be
seeing changes. As is service 280 which is stated to be Aylesbury – Oxford every
30 mins, with Thame – Oxford being every 15 mins.
Certainly the Hertfordshire C.C Intalink website confirms
the Watford/Hemel changes with service 500 going back down to every 30 mins
frequency. It seems to me Arriva have gone back to the pre Covid type service,
at least on the 280 and the 500.
The Airline Oxford Bus Company
Oxford to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports via High Wycombe Coachway: Timetable changes with service increased to every 30 minutes between Oxford and Heathrow Airport, journeys will continue to Gatwick Airport every 2 hours.
So interesting times ahead with plenty to record.
Coach visitors to Oxford
David Beynon
David's first 22 plate is this Dunwood Scania YN22YND seen by St Giles on April
5th.
Jack Cooper
Ellisons Neoplan RE14ELL seen in St Giles on March 31st.
Scotland & Bates Tourismo BV19YJO looks immaculate in Beaumont Street on March
28th.
Fleet news and developments
Some pictures included from Detling above include a number of Arriva buses.
Jack Cooper
3796 is seen at Oxford Rail Station working the X8 on April 1st.
Jack Cooper
Looking clean and tidy 20171 is seen in St Giles with a 250 working on March
31st.
I note that the coach below has been acquired via Ensign being new to Ulsterbus.
JFZ7006 when in service with Ulsterbus as 1006 - picture by Richard
Covey.
There is an interesting letter from Frank Brown concerning my comments in issue 197 below under Readers Write ,
A new route has appeared worked by Mercedes Sprinter each day, the SS2. Normally 980.
Jack Cooper
367 seen at the train station working 13 road on April
2nd.
667 and 669 showing their new spring coats but why are some fleet numbers on the
right and some on the left?
Citaro 841 is back from NHS duty and has been running on several routes since
returning now seen on March 29th.
I note that 843 is also back !
Citaro 842 seen in its original 4 road livery without branding on March 30th
working a 4B.
From Saturday, April 9th, Airline services to Heathrow will be increased to every 30 minutes. From this date services to Gatwick will remain 2 hourly. New timetable can be found here:
https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/airline-service-changes-0
Tourismo 33 is seen in nice sunlight in a changeable
day heading for Heathrow on April 1st.
Graham Welford
Cymru coaches GO63OXF ex Oxford Airline working Rail
Replacement at Oxford Station last week.
Jack Cooper
632 is seen in St Giles on a nice sunny day - March 28th.
Jack Cooper
Scania 206 is seen working the 94 in Didcot on March 29th.
StreetLite 442 is seen working various routes in Didcot on March 29th.
A nice clear picture of 454 working its usual route, the X36 in Didcot on March
29th.
StreetDeck 621 records the interworking of routes in Didcot on March 29th.
623 starts it journey to Oxford from Didcot with an X2 on March 29th.
Again on March 29th Citaros 849 and 850 show the placing of fleet numbers.
912 is seen working an X32 in Didcot on March 29th.
After many months at Thames Transit 939 still carries Carousel branding on
March29th.
Sister to the bus seen in Stokenchurch working School Service is 942 in full
Go-Ahead London livery on March 29th.
New coaches to record.
BV22VTL | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915133 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTM | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915160 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTN | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915175 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTO | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915178 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTP | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915408 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTT | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915428 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTU | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001915430 | Co | C59FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards,Llantrisant |
BV22VTW | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001917547 | Co | C57FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards Coaches, Bristol |
BV22VTX | Sca K410EB6 YS2K6X20001917655 | Co | C57FLt | 3/2022 | Edwards Coaches, Bristol |
Jack Cooper
Arriving from Birmingham, Levante III 275 is seen
bound for Heathrow with a 210 service on March 31st.
It also looks like Pulhams are withdrawing a few routes soon, one being the 63 into Oxford. All the services are listed on their website - https://www.pulhamscoaches.com/bus/
Dave & Deric
Please find our summary of the Period 12 Fleet Card
dated April 1st for Stagecoach West.
Acquired Vehicles
36734-36 West Scotland
to Cheltenham
36737/38 West Scotland
to Swindon
To Reserve
18087
North Bristol
to Reserve
27553/54 Gloucester
to Reserve
34564
Swindon
to Reserve
34590
Stroud
to Reserve
47688
Cheltenham
to Reserve
19128 Stroud to Disposal
27517
Reserve
to Disposal
34597
Swindon
to Disposal
34618
Swindon
to Disposal
34785/88 Gloucester
to Disposal
47549
Reserve
to Disposal
47552/57/58 Reserve
to Disposal
59307
Reserve
to Disposal
Robert Homan
36734 in service in Cheltenham on 1 April. It doesn't show on Bustimes and is
given as allocated to Ayr.
As the picture shows it still had "Western" fleet
names.
Please find our summary of the Period 12 Fleet Card
dated 1st April for Stagecoach West.
We’ve picked up the
following changes to the Stagecoach Oxford
fleet:
To Reserve
28744/45 Banbury
to Reserve
50233 Oxford to Reserve
Jack Cooper
Entering Oxford along St Giles we see MMCs 10669, 10683 and 11246 on March 31st.
On March 31st , as today April 5th Gold 28744 is working the S4 from Oxford to
Banbury.
E200 36766 is seen working the 489 in Chipping Norton on March 29th.
Later E200 36981 is seen in St Giles with a 14 service on March 31st.
Jack Cooper
Here MMC 10874 is seen with an X5 on a very sunny March 31st.
Gary Seamarks
Two days in one here,
Northampton (Trident town) on Friday 1/4 and Detling the following day.
Ex West Gold 15523 working the 1 and 15525 working the 88 to Silverstone.
18152, 18158 and 18199 seen hard at work in Northampton.
Jack Cooper
Scania 15676 is seen working the 50 in Chipping Norton on March 29th.
Sadly 50272 is off the road due to an incident but 5074 has appeared now on www.bustimes.org
Jack Cooper
The Hull Monty working the M34 and heading for Gloucester Green on March 31st.
Gary Seamarks
from Northampton
Working service 21, uno 285 is seen on April 1st.
London operators
Andrew Webb
Ovo Energy has wrapped five electric double deckers into this green scheme to promote the company.
Two RATP buses display the advert on the two types of electric double decker currently plying the capital's streets.
ADL/BYD
BCE47025 pauses in Oxford Street, whilst Optare Metrodecker OE34035 awaits
departure time at Clapham Junction.
Fenty Beauty is advertising a new lipstick with this advert, currently carried on two New Routemasters.
Metroline's LT552 shows differing images on both
sides of the bus at Victoria.
Also at Victoria is Abellio's LT163, freshly wrapped in an advert for a
collaboration between Calvin Klein and Palace,
the latter being well known to
skate boarders.
My thanks to Andrew for these excellent pictures.
Andrew Dyer
Michael Wadman's excellent
series of pictures from Cheltenham District Buses (there's no '&' by the way!)
brings back so many memories as I was District Manager for Cheltenham from
1984-90 and then one of the company's Directors from 1991-97.
Attached another picture from that era showing a young me
in between Leading Driver Phillip Bird and Controller the late Gary Read
launching the new "Metro" Minibus network in October 1985. C633 SFH was the
first of a batch of 16 Ford Transits for the initial Cheltenham minibus network
and the photo is taken in Bradley Road, Cheltenham. They were amazingly tough
and cheap to run little machines. Everyone thought they'd be dead within five
years, but most gave 12 or 13 years good service with C&G.
Michael Wadman
More from Michael showing Cheltenham & Gloucester days in the '90s.
Bristol VR JOU160P in Bath on March 20th 1999.
Ex Manchester 818 now 418 with C&G in Gloucester on
August 11th 1999.
Working for National Expres, C&G 553 seen at
Elizabeth Bridge on August 30th 1998.
At a later time C637SFH is seen in Cheltenham on June
21st 1997.
C&G 732 is seen at Cribbs Causeway on January 5th
1999.
Seen in Cheltenham 927 is a Dennis/ALX200 on August
11th 1999.
Follow up for item on route 101 in issue 197
Gavin Francis
.... Gavin provided some pictures of the buses mentioned in issue 197.
RMC 1461 as it was in Green Line livery - April 30th 2014.
RT4188 when in London service in 1973 and 1976.
4188 when in Canada on June 23rd 2004 by Paul
Bateson.
GAL WVL239 working the 127 on August 17th 2016.
Frank Brown
To clarify recent reports re Carousel’s ex Konectbus blue Link40 dedicated Citaros:- 886/7 (HF55JYZ/JZE) were removed from the overspill yard by PVS Barnsley during March. Similar 885 (HF55JYY) has been stripped for spares having never turned a wheel with Carousel and is out of general view in the back of the garage. 884 (HF55JYX) was a fire victim last April – scrapped. Two further Konectbus Citaros (426/9 HF55JZD/JZJ)) arrived last July but have never entered service (spares donors), these are the two visible through the garage doors and along with 885 are likely to be removed for scrap in the near future. Link40 journeys are now red vehicles, interworked with routes 1/39.
I must thank Frank for that clarification which is most useful.
Grahame Wareham replies to Michael Wadman in issue 197 - Issue 197 - Readers WriteI can confirm that LS Travel
(FSU637) purchased former
Scania coach 15 LF61OXF. Due to an error with the fixing of the VIN
identification plates at Plaxton, 11 LF61OXF & 15 RF61OXF swapped fleet numbers
in 1/2013, becoming 11 RF61OXF & 15 LF61OXF. Of course just to complicate
matters further 15 became 44 and was repainted white, which is the giveaway in
the picture of LS Travel's coach as the air-con pod is white.
11 RF61OXF became 82 and was painted into X90 grey
livery, including the air-con pod. This vehicle has yet to surface with a new
operator and is currently SORNed, whilst the registration for LF61OXF doesn't
exist bur FSU637 does so that is another way of confirmation.
Peter Cartwright
Once again an interesting page today but I think one of the captions ins incorrect. Leyland National 147 is quoted as being in the Cressex area of High Wycombe. The scene to me looks like the Lane End Road junction with Hillbottom Road in Sands which is some way from Cressex which was not served by the 338.
Neil responds
Peter is absolutely
correct, the picture is taken from my former workplace in Hillbottom Road,
Sands. I don’t what possessed me to call it Cressex. Please thank Peter for me!
Neil Gow
Very interested to see LX06 DZY now identified with
Harlequin Travel. Here’s a picture I took of it on the 683 at Stokenchurch today
and in the high-res version you can clearly read Chiltern Automotive legal
lettering on the side. Chiltern Automotive have also taken over HCC contracted
service 318 in Watford (the ex Chiltern Bus Solo MX58 AAJ is usually used), but
I’ve also seen Harlequin Travel mentioned as the operator there. I wonder if
Harlequin Travel is another name they are using?
There is of course already a company called Harlequin Travel, who have operating centres at Wycombe Air Park and Binders Industrial Estate, but up to now they have only operated coaches.
Derek Taylor
Couple of pictures taken April 3rd from the Rail Replacement to Beaconsfield whole service provided
by HCT single decks from Hackney.
David Ive
I hope that you are well. Last week, during the wonderful weather, we went up to
the Peak district for a few days. I was mainly photographing Railway subjects,
in particular the stone trains around the Buxton area.
However, there was one bus I wanted to photograph, due to its unique and
attractive livery, and, thanks to bustimes.org, I managed to find it. See
attached photo.
First Sheffield 37494, a Wright Eclipse Gemini/Volvo B9TL, is branded in "Peak
Link" livery for Route 272
from Sheffield to Castleton in the Hope Valley. The
photo shows it passing through Hope village.
I hope that it may be of use to you. Keep up the good work with the website.
Jack Cooper
in Portsmouth on March 26th.
First E400 33896 working a Park & Ride service.
First StreetLites on local services.
First E20 MMCs 67278 and 67283 working STAR branded routes.
Levante III X551155 (that a long number !) with an 030 to Fareham.
Stagecoach South 26146 with a 23 and 26152 with a 21 branded for Portsmouth!
E300's 27865, 27867 and 27874 which work local routes in Portsmouth.
James Freeman
My flickr album of coaches on my trip to Plymouth
on the
April 2nd 2022
https://www.flickr.com/photos/d1661trains/albums/72177720297820537
There are some more new galleries from visits this week, they are a bit outside
the area but hopefully of some interest.
https://grahamkiddle.smugmug.com/
Many thanks to these contributors.