Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated - Saturday 2nd April 2000

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

Problems with the pictures ! - sometimes it seems that the pictures do not load.
I have found a solution which does work normally - 
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
Good luck !

Another busy week in Oxford and now High Wycombe. Several changes are occurring and it is going to be a much revised scene within the next few weeks. Looking at pictures of only a few years ago, one can further appreciate the changes which have taken place.

I have realised that many of you may still view the pages at 800x600 resolution. This will mean that you often have to scroll to see the page fully. I am working to try to rectify this problem but would like to hear your views and comments. 

Fleet News week ending 2/4/00

City of Oxford Motor Services.

The new image for the Oxford Bus Company is appearing, firstly on the coaches with Oxford express replacing Citylink. Only a very few coaches remained by this weekend with the old identity. Cityline is also disappearing and the new logo is appearing on city buses. some of the 5xx Darts are now carrying the logo. 

This Sunday saw the route number changes mentioned last week take place and the new numbers are listed below.

New deliveries this week have included Volvo coach 22, not yet in service plus Volvo B10BLEs 817 and 818. This leaves only 820 and 821 to arrive. 15 road has changed over to the new low floors but spare buses from 5 road have had to be used in the meantime.

Several change are happening at Wycombe and you can read all about these under Wycombe but there are a number of bus transfers affecting the Oxford fleet. These are the transfer of 621-628 to Wycombe with 621, 623, 625 and 626 ready for transfer as this is written. 202 and 206 have returned from Wycombe and are at Cowley road  awaiting disposal. 

It seems there will be nine Olympian Q busters this summer. These will include 208, 214, 221, 223 and 224 and it will be most interesting to see which other buses are chosen.

Volvo coach nr 19 entered service on April 1st , operating the 0400 Gatwick service.

The family Gacowski have made several observations this week and Vic advises that  on Monday 27th March - 634 was on 52 Road . For Thursday 30th March sightings included 409 on 16 Road and 810 on 2 Road  Saturday saw the 8xx series on 15 Road these being 811, 815 and new 817.

D Presdee wrote to say that he saw 818 late last week at the Tesco Roundabout on the Oxford Ring Road bearing delivery number plates. Presumably en-route to the Cowley Road Bus Garage. 

Stagecoach Oxford.  

David Whitely, Marketing Manager of Stagecoach Oxford reports that Merc 358 has now been sold for scrap (it was an accident victim) . Volvo coach (ex National Express Expressliner nr 22 has been sold to Stagecoach Bluebird. Mercs 327, 329 and 344 plus Atlantean 500 and training buses 1010 and 3318 have also been sold.

Wycombe Bus Company.

525 and 529 have now arrived at Wycombe and were in service last Saturday. Ex Oxford Volvo B10Bs 621-628 are moving to Wycombe and will be used on route 329 at least. These Volvos are really excellent buses and the crews at Wycombe should enjoy driving them as a welcome change from the Nationals and Mercedes ! At least one Volvo is due in on Monday 3rd April for type training. Olympians 202 and 206 have been withdrawn and were noted at Cowley Road apparently for disposal. It appear likely that a number of other older Olympians will also be withdrawn from Wycombe and may return to Q busting in Oxford this summer. Watch this space for news of these changes.

I will be pleased to receive your reports for this section
Please send your reports to MalcolmHC@aol.com and thank you for all your sightings, they are most welcome.

  PHOTO CORNER
If anyone else has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Last week I showed a picture of Stagecoach Oxford 1200, a Dennis demonstrator
 filling in for 901-903 having mods. This bus was with Oxford Bus in the mid '90s 
and Neil Gow has sent us this picture of the same bus.

Another interesting shot in 1998 of ex London Volvo on the Cityline X3. 
This type is usually restricted to the 4 road. (photo Neil Gow.)

Devoid of any identity Oxford Bus 628 operates a late afternoon service on 35 road 
last Saturday.  This bus will shortly move to High Wycombe, joining its sisters. 
It was until recently an all over advert for the X90 service and a regular on 2 road.

This week saw the delivery of further new Volvo B10BLEs for 15 road.
Here newly arrived 817 poses alongside sister 816 which is ready for service.

The new Oxford express is seen here on the M40 as Volvo nr 7 speeds towards Oxford 
operating a mid morning X90 service on Sunday 2nd April 2000.

London bound, Stagecoach Oxford Tube nr 34 , pounds up the Stokenchurch cutting 
on the M40 heading for Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria with a late morning service 
on Sunday 2nd April 2000.

Displaying the new logo for the Oxford express, 57 awaits time for the 0140hrs departure 
on Saturday 1st April 2000. The place , of course, Victoria Coach Station, 
in the wee small hours when only Oxford operates services from that point !!

An excellent photo taken by Oxford express Manager, Stefan Soanes
of Stagecoach Oxford route branded M A N 937, off to Stratford on the X50 and 
soon to be a long way fro it's normal haunt of Blackbird Leys.

Ex Oxford Volvos ready for transfer to Wycombe Bus last Saturday at Cowley Road.
The line is from l to r - 623, 626, 621 and 625.

Returned to Oxford for disposal we see Olympians 202 and 206 
with an earlier withdrawal Mercedes 710. 1/4/00.

Last of the refurbished Darts to arrive at Wycombe is 529, seen here on April 1st 
working an early afternoon service to Lane End.

Reading Buses Optare 938 on layover in Wycombe on Saturday 1st April.

~~~

Stokenchurch loses a good service ! 

And finally, in more than one sense, Cambridge Coach 302, operated its last day through
 Stokenchurch  on April 1st, which as if by some cruel quirk of fate was the start
 of NO Sunday bus services to that village on the edge of the Chilterns. 
CCS will now operate non stop between Oxford and High Wycombe thus speeding up
this airport service, or at least that's what the posters say. I wonder, if when the M40 is blocked
as it so often is during the summer, we shall see CCs coming through Stokenchurch again !
So for the car less - I suppose there are some people without cars ! 
- Stokenchurch is now isolated from public transport. 
Is this what the government wanted I wonder. What will Mr. Prescott say now !!!!

302 is seen leaving Wycombe Bus Station displaying the revised livery now used.

 If anyone has any further news please email below.

Malcolmhc@aol.com 

It adds to the interest of the page which I'm sure everyone appreciates.

You can still view 
the Tube launch report  
and 
the Oxford Bus P&R Trident launch - Dateline Tuesday June 1st 1999  
Click above

THE OXFORD BUS MUSEUM