Issue nr. 213
Wednesday, July 27th 2022
Issue nr. 213
Wednesday, July 27th 2022
Editorial
The weather this week has been easier without the extreme heat and we have had a few showers but the forecast is that we are heading for a drought. The continued union unrest regarding strikes, especially for public transport adds to many travellers difficulties. A more local one is recorded by the "Bucks Herald" at the link below:
Bus services in Aylesbury Vale face severe disruption as Arriva workers threaten to strike
A number of changes took place over the last weekend including my local bus service from Stokenchurch.
https://bustimes.org/services/40-high-wycombe-thame
Pictures from the first couple of days are included below. Red Rose used one of the ex Whitelaw ADL MMC 200s worked the first Sunday service, SF66ARV which is well turned out and ran to time heading for Wycombe.
The weather was fine and sunny and the destination blinds clearly displayed
as SF66ARV heads out of Stokenchurch on July 24th. Picture by your Editor.
Many other changes also took place around our area with Carousel changing a number of routes.
For this issue we have some interesting events to record with the Truck Fest at Didcot, the celebration of Victoria Coach Station's 90th Anniversary providing some recreated historical services, RATP held an OpenDay at Fulwell Depot involving the appearance of the famous 667 route.
For this issue we also have a listing from SKM of the vehicles involved at this time in Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where transport is being operated by Stagecoach.
Paul Bateson has provided details and pictures of the Ontario Transportation Expo in his letter from Canada which is most welcome. Readers will see the latest offerings in Canadian transportation which is very interesting. As with many other locations around the world the electric age is upon us !
Grahame Wareham provides with COMS 213 history and as with previous weeks, this proves a fascinating interlude.
Jack Cooper
On July 24th Citaros 840, 842,
843, 844, 846 and 847 have been on loan to Thames Travel for the Truck Festival
service TF1, however some of them have seen regular service on other Thames
routes.
Jack's pictures give an idea of the Shuttle Service
for the event.
Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
https://www.birmingham2022.com/
Steven Knight has provided a list of vehicles presently in use at the event in Birmingham.
SKM listing of vehicles at BHX - Adobe Acrobat file
SKM
Reported Stagecoach vehicles in use on Commonwealth Games duties.
https://www.birmingham2022.com/travel
https://www.londonbusmuseum.com/victoria-coach-station-running-day/
Andrew Webb
As part of celebrations to mark the 90th Anniversary of London's
Victoria Coach Station a running day took place on 24 July.
Jointly organised by Thames Valley and Great Western Omnibus Trust, it featured
a range of vehicles running on three routes radiating from Victoria.
Short workings on route 11 linked Victoria with Aldwych, from where it is a short walk to the London Transport Museum.
Operated by traditional London double deckers, RT1705 leaves Victoria with
another trip to Aldwych.
Routemasters also operated on route 11, RM1397 is seen arriving back at
Victoria.
Route A1 ran to Hammersmith via Hyde Park Corner, recalling the Airbus routes which provided express links to Heathrow Airport.
Metrobus M1014 was delivered for the Airbus services, equipped with luggage
racks on the lower decks and coach seating upstairs.
When ousted by Alexander Royale Olympians in 1995 it
gained conventional bus seats throughout and spent several more years on more
mundane London routes. It retains these seats in preservation and is seen
here leaving Victoria.
The Leyland Titan represented the Metrobus' main competition for London orders during the early 1980s with London Transport taking large numbers of both. Titans tended to work from garages across the east and south of the capital and consequently did not operate on Airbus routes.
Preserved T961 offers a
glimpse of what a Titan operated Airbus service might have looked like, seen
here arriving at Victoria.
Royal Blue was a name synonymous with express coach operations, serving the south and west of England from 1880 until 1986.
ECW bodied Bristol SU MOD739 is
seen here at Victoria with a trip on route 090 which ran non stop to
Hammersmith.
Alongside is a Neoplan Tourliner from Hearn's Coaches which
will accompany it to Hammersmith,
a break from its more usual duties on Flixbus
services.
Parked side by side they demonstrate the increase in size and
comfort of coaches used on express services.
This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of National Express, a brand which introduced a common image for express coaches across England and Wales. In doing so it removed some well-loved liveries from the nation's highways, with company names applied to the predominately white livery.
Plaxton Leopard FDV803V carries
the Royal Blue fleet name as it leaves Victoria with a trip on the 090.
Deregulation of coach services in 1980 and
competition from overseas manufacturers were the dual impetuses that prompted
the development of more luxurious coaches with better on board services.
This Duple 425, so named because of its drag
coefficient of Cd=0.425, is an example of this. It carries the Rapide
livery, indicating that when new it would have offered a higher level of service
than was the norm at the time. One of approximately only 130 built, it is
seen here leaving Victoria on route 090 to Hammersmith.
Bristol Greyhound was another express operator to serve Victoria, clocking up nearly 50 years between 1925 and 1972.
ECW bodied Bristol LWL NHY947 also
ran on route 090, but is seen here heading for a break at Bullied Way coach
station.
Gavin Francis
...... who was in London between trips on his break.
Some background information.
Gavin writes "These guys are fitting 5G
masts to the top of the VCS tower, rather them than me!!"
More historical coaches.
More of the attending vehicles.
On July 20th Gavin was in VCS and recounts a tale with pictures.
Sitting Starbucks in VCS and noticed this lady was preventing the coach from leaving. It would appear to be a coach she wanted to get on but there was no way the driver was going to let her on.
There then followed a long exchange of opinions and a bit of a stand
off. More officials arrived but she would not move. In the end the coach had to
back up and along with other coaches had to go out the back way. She stayed
there a long time and the 2nd pictures shows just how many officials had turned
up in the end. Eventually she was coaxed inside.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/d1661trains/albums/72177720300812269
The album contains pictures of all of the old and new with some nice shots of the vintage attendees.
Open Day at Fulwell
Andrew Webb
RATP held an open day at their Fulwell garage, marking 60 years since the
withdrawal of trolleybuses from the capital's streets. Route 667 which
linked Hammersmith with Hampton Court was replaced by Routemaster operated route
267 which continues to ply between Hammersmith and Fulwell to this very day, the
extension to Hampton Court finally succumbing to standardisation in 2011.
Route 667 was partially recreated for the Open Day, linking Hampton Court with Twickenham The Albany.
RM1941, now owned by Manchester Bus Tours, looks in good form
recalling the route that its brethren replaced as it heads through Twickenham on
the first working of the day.
RM1941 was one of the final batch of Routemasters in London, operating with
Stagecoach on route 15. Manchester Bus Tours intend to use this vehicle
and several others on 'Heritage Route A', a tourist route linking Waterloo with
Green Park via Parliament Square and Whitehall; once TFL grant permission!
Whilst route 667 was never operated by green buses or RTs,
RT3491 makes a fine sight as it approaches the garage en route to Hampton Court.
Electric buses have returned to the area, albeit now drawing their power from
batteries rather than overhead cables. Many are based at Fulwell for
routes 33, 65, 281, 290 and 371, including BCE47070 specially liveried and
reregistered for the Platinum Jubilee. It is also seen nearing the garage
whilst providing a modern interpretation of electric route 667. Also, in
use on the route was standard red BCE47054.
The modern-day route 267 is worked by Abellio from their Twickenham garage. In reality this is the 'back half' of Fulwell, it having been divided into two several years ago.
LT786 reaches journey's end as it turns into Stanley Road.
The open day was centred on the garage forecourt and featured several RATP vehicles on display.
VH45213 is on of several Wright Volvos employed on a contract
with Kingston University linking halls of residence with the teaching campus.
Driver recruitment is a continual task, this Enviro 200 serves as a driver
trainer
with prominent advertising to tempt potential recruits.
Achieving for Children is an award-winning
not-for-profit social enterprise company who have partnered with RATP to convert
this Enviro 200 into a mobile workshop which tours schools in the local area to
highlight careers in engineering.
Andrew has provided an interesting report on this event and I am sure those who were unable to attend will appreciate this article and pictures. Ed.
David Ive
Here are two pictures of Arriva London buses on
route W3 for Buses in the Landscape. Both are taken in Alexandra Park.
One shows T216 climbing towards the Alexandra Palace from the Wood Green side.
The other shows T212 passing the Alexandra Place (or Ally Pally, as it is
known).
Originally built in 1875 to rival the Crystal Palace. In
1936, the first regular TV service was broadcast from here by the BBC, hence the
aerial.
Jack Cooper
905 with an X1 in Abingdon on July 18th.
Coach visitors to Oxfordshire
David Beynon
.... has provided more pictures of visiting coaches over the past week.
The coaches were at Osney Mead and provide an interesting contrast.
Fleet News and developments
David Ive
A picture taken locally.
Firstly, Arriva Platinum Jubilee liveried 6524 in Tring.
Photos on Flickr suggest this has a different design on the nearside. I
don’t know, I didn’t look!
Malcolm Crowe
Selection including 6000 seen on July 23rd.
Colourful variety in The Eden Bus Station with 5460 on July 2nd.
Variety at the depot in Cressex on July 2nd. Seems one of the Wright StreetLite
WF 2326 is away for repaint into the new blue livery. I wonder ?
Tony Bungay
Already featured a couple of times Queens Platinum Jubilee liveried -
6524 in bright sunshine on July 20th in Aylesbury on a Watford bound 500
journey.
Again recently featured repainted former Derby Sapphire 4400, working town
service 9.
I enclose this photo as it captures the immaculate finish.
In Aylesbury an uncommon appearance on service 500 of
a Streetlite, in this instance 4320
You may have seen, the front page of the Bucks Herald
the other week carried the story of possible strike action on Arriva. Of course
upon reading the article it concerned the ballot by the union of it’s members.
Certainly Arriva in Yorkshire, Manchester and I think Liverpool have been off
the road.
Problem for driving staff in Aylesbury without passing comment on the causes that have led up to this situation. Is if they are required to come out, it will inevitably benefit their competitors.
Jack Cooper
StreetLite 20169 is seen in Magdalen Street East
ready for another run with the 250 on July 22nd.
Gavin Francis
Flixbus 1-EUC-175 seen in Elizabeth Street on July
21st.
Astromega 1-SGA-809 also working from London July
21st.
A French coach FA-878-FZ seen in Elizabeth Street on
July 21st.
Ridleys are a major UK provider for Flixbus as seen
above.
This Union Jack addition to Whippet FX23 is a recent
change seen on July 20th.
Late news from Luke Marion, Interim Managing Director
Thames Travel 907 is now back with us and is going though MOT
test etc. prior to going back into service. This one had a non-fault incident in
which a HGV struck it head on but happily is now back repaired.
At Carousel we have 407 away for repaint currently. This will
be going into red. 214 is also being transferred back to
Carousel.
Gavin Francis
It is recorded that this decker is still in service with its new owner having
left Carousel sometime ago now.
Jack Cooper
Sunday, July 24th saw the return of the Chiltern
Hundreds 102 to Heathrow Airport, as part of this the night based journeys are
ran from Oxford Bus. One vehicle used on the night service was 605 from Oxford,
the other vehicle was a Carousel Citaro (879).
The 102 night journeys are operated by Oxford drivers
like last time. On a Sunday evening one bus comes from Oxford to cover the night
service, so I am sure we will see some more interesting workings!
Malcolm Crowe
The Wycombe depot on July 23rd.
MKDSFan
On Saturday (23rd July), I went on the final 105 journeys from both Chesham and Uxbridge. Unfortunately I was unable to take a picture of the last journey (the one from Uxbridge), but I did manage to take a picture of bus 431 after arriving at Chesham getting ready to depart on the last Uxbridge-bound 105 service.
Gavin Francis
StreetDeck 656 working 5 road in Frideswide Square on
July 24th.
Happening in the past few days, StreetDecks are
working to Reading with the X39/X40 as above with 662 on July 21st.
CSS 203 carries a good load in the sun on July 24th.
Jack Cooper
314 shows off the combination of the 6 and 35 Sundays
only on July 23rd.
515 is ready to leave with a 46 service in St Aldates
on July 23rd.
MMC 610 is seen with a U5 in St Aldates on July 23rd.
StreetDeck 662 is seen with an X40 in The High on July 21st.
StreetDeck 663 is seen with an X3 in Abingdon on July
18th.
Bob Chalmers
I've recently read that the X1 service is going to be modified from 28th August
2022. Apparently it will then run every 30mins (instead of hourly) weekdays and
Saturdays and will be routed through Abingdon via Bath Street, Wootton Road and
Dunmore Road instead of Oxford Road. Presumably Wantage bound buses will have to
go round the one way system and stop in High Street instead of Stratton Way (no
right turn out of Bath Street) If this is correct this would suit me fine as
there is currently nothing in this area of Abingdon. Do you have anymore
information on this proposed alteration?
Gavin Francis
Working the ST2 from George Street, 512 is seen on
July 21st.
Jack Cooper
206 is seen in St Aldates with an X32 on July 23rd.
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/timeline
Gavin Francis
Clarkes working the 007 on July 25th.
NEx Transport Solutions have a large fleet and here
BT66UUA is seen with an 025 on July 25th.
Here is the current fleet list for Solutions which makes for interesting study.
Edwards BV22VTW with a 401 and Go NE 7145 with a 426
on July 20th.
Weavaway are using their IRZ707 for a 403 working on
July 25th.
David Ive
Enviro 400 LK08NVL on the 50 in Wendover. Double deckers appear to be regular on
the 50.
Malcolm Crowe
SF66ARV
ex Whitelaw of Stonehouse operates first RR 40 on July 24th.
E19RRT (ex Whitelaw GW65GSW) again in Stokenchurch with a 40
working on July 25th.
see the history of this bus at:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/756182593691720885/
Sadly due, one presumes, to ticket machine problems the vehciles working the service 40 are still not recording on www.bustimes.org refer https://bustimes.org/operators/red-rose-travel/vehicles
Steven Knight has provided a list of vehicles presently in use at the event in Birmingham.
SKM listing of vehicles at BHX - Adobe Acrobat file
Tony Gaze
Been catching up
with Stagecoach West Photos lately.
Attached is a selection (taken
today, July 25th)
36379 was taken on 18th July
With some vehicles going 'on
holiday' to Birmingham there have been several loans
Stroud's 15527, 15528 and 15531 (25 July) on 94/94X in Cheltenham (21
July)
Stroud's 15530 on route 10 in Cheltenham (21 July)
Cheltenham's 36734 and 36387 on local Gloucester routes (22 July)
Cheltenham's 10751 on route 10 (25 July)
15738 on 51 in Cheltenham (25 July)
Finally today saw 11248 on 853 Cheltenham to Witney
I included this picture as it shows the changing
destination scroll. Ed.
Andrew Churchill
Now returned from repaint 15752 is seen in Horspath
Road works on July 21st.
Ciaran Bird
As it was out on a public road on July 20th, I can tell
you that 15966 YN14PKZ "the bullet bus" has returned to Oxford. As far as I'm
aware it's only a short term loan but at least we can have a play with it for a
few extra weeks!
Gavin Francis
E400 10068 has moved from Banbury to Witney seeing
use working the S1 as above on July 21st.
10437 and 10441 are seen on July 24th working service
1 by the Rail Station.
Gold MMCs 10780 and 10784 in Frideswide Square again on July 24th.
MMCs 11233 and 11242 seen in George Street working the S1.
On loan from West 15736 is seen at Horspath Depot on July 25th.
My old friend and once Gold 15966 had returned to Oxford - possibly a loan -
repainted and on July 21st.
More loans are 37021 and 37027 both at Network Oxford on July 25th.
Graham Low
I was interested to read about why we have Stagecoach vehicles from South Wales here. In case you missed my view of one in service at Queens Lane on the 8, rather than at the depot as your views are.
Robert Homan
Stagecoach Oxford 11248 about to leave Royal Well in Cheltenham
on the 10.10am departure to Oxford on July 25th, the first full day of
Witney operating the service.
Gavin Francis
The yellow MMCs which are
normally on the X5 are at The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham so we are seeing
older E400s on the route.
19574 and 19586 seen in Oxford on July 21st and 24th
working the X5.
The X5 service has been hit by cancellations as the two pictures below show.
Cancellations on July 25th and 26th.
Gavin Francis
...... remakrs that the destination screen used for the tube now operating express service are not as clear as previously. His photos below show the change.
Now it relies that the driver carefully checks boarding passengers !
Gavin Francis
Tiger European TY69GER working the M12 on July 24th.
Weardale's OU15ZWF was also in use on July 25th.
London operations
Andrew Webb
The Gray Man is a new film showing in cinemas and streaming via Netflix from 22 July. Several LTs have received this overall wrap featuring two of the stars, Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, prominently.
LT289 is one example, seen on launch day whilst awaiting departure from
Marylebone with a 453 to Deptford Bridge.
Kraken are running a campaign for the third time in an effort to tempt us to enjoy their dark rum.
This year's campaign features a different design, as shown off by Metroline's
LT749 nearing its destination on 24 July.
Disney are promoting three West End musicals in their latest all over campaign.
LT704 in Whitehall displays the offside for Frozen in Whitehall, 
whilst LT733 shows the nearside for Lion King and rear for Beauty and the Beast
at Marble Arch.
The Gala Bingo adverts reported a couple of weeks ago only lasted a couple of days before being taken off again. No one is sure why, speculation centres on either Gala were unhappy with the advert or TfL don't support advertising gambling?
Gavin Francis
.
...... visited Acton Green to catch up with some mentioned above.
As can be seen above the 94 now presents a challenge
to photographers to catch each variation including the green OVO ones. Ed.
Metroline LT749 showing two views of the Kraken wrap
on July 25th.
Seemingly a recent addition to CSS London fleet is
Stagecoach 15117 seen on July 20th.
Gavin also provides some interesting Big Green workings from VCS.
There were also some services to Reading for the TruckFest.
Chalfont here in Elizabeth Street providing an extra for TruckFest on July 25th.
Grahame Wareham
In 1972 COMS were fortunate in being able to
acquire four very young low-height Daimler Fleetline's from fellow NBC operator
North Western Road Car Company of Stockport. In fact the whole of North Western
were to disappear under the auspices of the 1968 Transport Act whereby the newly
formed Selnec PTE (South East Cheshire/North East Lancashire Passenger Transport
Executive) the Manchester area conurbation and surrounding area of North
Cheshire and South Lancashire were being made responsible for all public
transport operations formerly operated under state owned companies of BET/THC and
since 1970 NBC. This meant that any operating depots of the former North Western
Company within the area would merge into the PTE ownership and operating depots
outside that area would eventually be the responsibility of neighbouring NBC
operators Crosville (Biddulph, Macclesfield & Northwich) and Trent. (Buxton,
Castleton & Matlock, whilst the coaching interests of North Western passed to
Ribble at Preston under the wing of National Central Activities Group.
The Fleetline's, which were new in 1968, were the last North Western double deckers painted in traditional red & cream livery but these four had been allocated to Manchester depot and had received a repaint in 1970 into coach livery of cream and red relief for operation on the X60 Manchester-Blackpool service which was jointly operated with Ribble with their famous 'White Ladies'. The first of these was numbered 213 by COMS and was 245 JDB245F in the North Western fleet. It was a Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with Alexander H43/34F body to low-height design, similar in looks to Fleetline's 397-416.
213 was originally operated from Cowley Road Garage on City services but from 1974 migrated out to country depots ending its days at Wantage. In 1975 it was sent to Midland Red's Central Works for COF overhaul and returned with a fresh coat of poppy red and white corporate NBC livery.
213 and its sisters from
NWRCC were noted for their heavy steering whilst with COMS but were to the
slightly older Mk.3 chassis design. Upon withdrawal in October 1979 213 was sold
to Ensign Bus and exported to World Square, Kona, Hawaii in June 1980 along with
sister bus 215 JDB247F. I wonder if they are still there!
The new era 213 continued on in October 1982 when BBW213Y was delivered from ECW as part of the continuation of NBC order ON040 with twelve additional vehicles originally allocated to Western National.
Because the COMS. specification called for a dual door with central staircase,
the only low-height ones built, then it was agreed that the COMS complete order
would all be built and delivered over a six month period, and from my recollection a compromise which at ECW's
insistence was reluctantly agreed on by NBC finally at the last minute! A further condition of this transaction was that COMS
would release twelve Bristol VRT's, to be C.O.F overhauled at Western National's
Central Works, Fleet numbers 431-442, to be delivered by COMS directly after the
first order for Olympians were received. These became fleet numbers
953-962/950-952 in the combined Western National/Devon General fleet.
213 settled down to similar duties to the previously
delivered Olympians and received the same modifications, such as plain glass
upper-deck front bulkhead windows, steering dampers, yellow painted internal
entrance step. In May 1986 it received additional vinyl external advertising for
Eagle Star Insurance which incorporated a giant eagle in ContraVision over the
windows on the offside.
213 was extensively rebuilt by Bristol Bus & Coach along
the nearside after receiving severe accident damage at Chislehampton on 16/5/95,
after a fatal accident with a BMW car, 213 ending up in a field after crossing a
ditch to try and avoid the oncoming car. It was away from the fleet until 11/95
and on it's return became refurbished internally and re-liveried as a Park &
Ride vehicle.
213 was withdrawn in September
1999 and passed to Hedingham Omnibus as their L306 and converted to single door
and upseated to H47/32F until February 2010 when it was sold to Country Hopper,
Ibstock Leics. It was sold on to Britannia Coaches, Hitchin in November 2013 but
not sure of its existence of late.
I have no photos of the current 213 BF10OXF which is a Scania CN230/Enviro400 originally delivered to OBC in 2010 for 2 road/5 road City duties as part of the Transform Oxford joint operation of the said routes with Stagecoach Oxford. 213 has since migrated to Thames Travel at Didcot and is currently painted in Thames Travel blue and green.
Michael Wadman
Circle Line no 1927 (OHN 927V)
Circle Line no 1676 (E676 KDG)
Circle Line no 1310 (REU 310S)
Circle Line no 1608 (HDZ 2608)
Circle Line no 1676 (E676 KDG)
This is a bit odd. The
piece of paper in the windscreen appears to be indicating that the bus is on
town service L. But as far as I can tell that was never a Circle Line route but
would at this time have been with Cheltenham District, and the appearance of a
Circle Line vehicle on it would seem to be rather strange in the light of
Stagecoach’s pretence that Circle Line was nothing to do with them.
21st June 1997
LETTER FROM CANADA
Paul Bateson
Thank you for another enjoyable issue of the excellent Oxford - Chiltern
briefing. The time and effort that you must spend in preparing each issue
is appreciated.
I hope that your readers are interested with news from this side of the world.
On Tuesday, 19 July 2022 the Ontario Transportation Expo was held at The Toronto
Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Road. This bus show is jointly organised by the
Ontario Motor Coach Association, School Bus Ontario and the Ontario Public
Transit Association. It is normally an annual event but due to the
pandemic it was staged last in April 2019.
There was an interesting variety of vehicles on display ranging from minibuses,
school buses, transit buses and highway coaches plus the usual industry booths.
The buses on display were manufactured by Arboc, Blue Bird, BYD (Build Your
Dreams), Eldorado National, Ford, International, Karsan, Lion, MCI (Motor Coach
Industries), New Flyer, NovaBus, Prevost, Proterra, Temsa. An interesting
bus displayed was a New Flyer D40LF ex-Hamilton Street Railway that has been
rebuilt as an electric bus by Mississauga Truck and Bus Solutions (MTB).
A shuttle service was operated by the Toronto Transit Commission between the
host hotel, Delta Inn and the Congress Centre, I managed a picture of 3720
(New Flyer XE40) and 3757 (BYD K9M).
OTE, 19 July 2022 Pictures taken at the Ontario Transportation Expo on 19 July 2022. Please advise if you require any captions to the published pictures
Paul Bateson, Brampton, Ontario
I look forward each week to the Oxford – Chiltern briefing and its wide coverage
of events around the UK. As an
expatriate living in Canada, it is interesting to read of all the problems
currently being experienced by British bus companies.
A difficult time for everyone.
I hope that readers will be interested in news from Ontario.
On Tuesday, 19 July 2022 I attended the Ontario Transportation Expo held at The
Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Road.
This event is jointly organised by the Ontario Motor Coach Association,
School Bus Ontario and the Ontario Public Transit Association.
It is normally an annual event but thanks to the pandemic it had not been
held since April 2019 and this year was delayed until July.
There was a variety of buses on display featuring minibuses, school buses,
highway coaches and transit buses with an emphasis on battery electric buses.
The vehicles were generally well placed for photography on the perimeter
of the hall with many booths promoting products for the bus industry.
The bus manufacturers were represented by Arboc, Blue Bird, BYD (Build Your
Dreams), Eldorado National, Ford,
International, Karsan, Lion, MCI (Motor Coach Industries), MTB (Mississauga
Truck & Bus), New Flyer, Novabus, Prevost, Proterra, Temsa and Vicinity.
Photographing buses at a bus show requires much patience waiting for people to
move out of the way! I worked my way
around the display in a counter-clockwise direction.
BYD
Type D electric school bus.
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BYD C9M.
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BYD Battery Electric.
Temsa
TS30.
Karsan
Electric equipped with a bike rack.
Just
the thing for Oxford - who is going to order one?
Temsa
TS35E.
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Temsa,
sold to Coach Western Inc. fleet number 101.
Karsan
Electric powered by BMW.
Bluebird
school bus with bodywork by Girardin.
Ford
E450 bodied by Girardin.
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Prevost
H3-45.
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Novabus
LFS Electric bus with seating for 39 passengers.
Eldorado National remanufactured as the Axess.
Arboc Spirit Independence for the Wheel-Trans division of the Toronto Transit
Commission, fleet number W725.
New Flyer owns Arboc and displayed its Equess model.
The ADL Enviro200 has been discontinued in North America.
New
Flyer also owns MCI and showed off the J4500 Charge coach.
Taken out of service for display at the show was Brampton Transit 2157, New
Flyer XE40.
It was notable that there was no display by New Flyer of the Alexander Dennis
brand.
International
school bus.
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Proterra
Electric ZX5 with seating for 40 passengers.
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Mississauga
Truck & Bus displayed a New Flyer D40LF ex-Hamilton Street Railway converted as
a battery electric bus.
Vicinity
is a Canadian-based company that has been successful with its 30 and 35 foot
buses.
The bodies are built in China
and the final assembly is in Canada.
On display was the Vicinity Lightning.
The
Toronto Transit Commission operated a shuttle service between the Delta Inn and
the Congress Centre for Conference delegates.
This was an opportunity for the TTC to use its electric buses.
In this view is 3720, New Flyer XE40.
TTC 3757, BYD K9M at the Congress Centre.
Photographs
by PAUL BATESON
I am delighted to include this report which has much of interest to U.K. readers since the styles differ from those to which are used to seeing. Ed.
Chris Huntingford
Chris Huntingford writes:
"I've been using the new route 46 in Oxford, and it really is an insight as to
how valuable local buses are to people. There are regular users who repeatedly
tell the drivers that their social isolation has fallen dramatically because of
the route. Journeys that were previously very difficult or impossible can now be
undertaken.
Other factors helping the route are regular drivers, and the same buses,
including one with nice 46 vinyls. The simple timetable also helps, with one
driver today telling someone about their return journey from town "All you need
to know is stop H4 on St Aldates, on the hour, and I'll get you home".
DDo try the route - it is a real eye opener. And in these nice summer months, the
Great Milton end of the route opens lots of possibilities for rambling in the
countryside.
I am sure Oxford Bus will be delighted to read this letter. Ed.
https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/revamped-bus-service-connecting-oxford-great-milton-instant-success
