News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Tuesday, 3rd August 1999 by Malcolm Crowe

Firstly I would reiterate 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.

On the Oxford Bus front, the news of the week is the return to Oxford from Wycombe of Olympian 999. Many of you will know that this bus was built as a Leyland demonstrator for Singapore. It was located by Oxford Bus at a dealers in the North of England and after refurbishment entered service on the 300 road Park&Ride where its high seating capacity proved most useful. For the last year or so it has been with Wycombe Bus for which it received standard red livery. With the transfer of cascaded Olympians from P&R to Wycombe the opportunity has been taken to return 999 to Oxford. It is now operating 2 road in peak hours as a Q buster. It is not known will happen to this interesting bus when the Q buster season ends. 225 and 226 are now nearing completion for transfer to Wycombe Bus, for the first time in red livery. 228 went to Wycombe last week but suffered accident damage within two days, when an Arriva bus backed into the newly refurbished bus in Newlands Bus Station, Wycombe. One may imagine the annoyance of all concerned at Oxford and Wycombe, since a lot of time and effort is being put into refurbishing these buses (225-29) for transfer to Wycombe. It will be sometime before 228 can return to service. 229 was completed in Thames Valley traditional livery in time for the running day on August 1st and looked magnificent as it performed the 1000hrs journey to Stokenchurch. It is expected that Volvo B10B 619 will be given X3 dedicated livery in time for the frequency increase in September. There will be a basic 15 minute headway and the service was extended to Oxford Rail Station from August 1st.  The use of X90 branded vehicles on the X70 Airport service took place on several occasions on recent days with 2 & 5 both appearing at Heathrow. traffic delays or routine maintenance can cause this to happen. Ex CityLine Metrorider 781, now renumbered T3 has entered service with the training school and as a staff bus. It is now B8F !  Apparently due to modification work Red Olympians and even a Volvo B10B have seen service on Park&Ride services in the last week. It makes for an interesting scene in Oxford. 

Stagecoach Oxford has now placed further double deck M A N coaches in service with 59 and 60 entering service last week, again without full vinyls.  The full batch is now delivered and the latest issue of the fleet list shows only Volvo coaches, 18 and 25, remaining on strength at Oxford. The remainder of the fleet including ex National Express Rapide J456FSR are in store or reallocated within the Stagecoach group. The M A N deckers have not been without problems and several have been seen with troubles between Oxford and London. Doubtless M A N are working hard to resolve the unwelcome happenings. Ex London Olympians (526-530) have been seen on routes 1,7 and 10 over the past week and in reverse the continued use of branded M A N buses on routes to Didcot, Chipping Norton and even Heathrow still takes place.  Mercedes 324 is being prepared for use as a staff shuttle, being the last of the Thames Transit fleet to retain original livery, excluding the two remaining Snoopies 122 and 139. 122 is currently used as a staff shuttle so its days are doubtless numbered, whilst 139 is the Publicity vehicle. The public hearing into poor running of services by Stagecoach took place as indicated and whilst the verdict is not out, Stagecoach will be withdrawing from  the X33 and X39 routes. Abindgon will still have a full presence by Stagecoach with the 30 group routes. It is understood that Thames 

On overnight stop at the Green last Monday morning the normal Rapson National Express coach was replaced by one in full Scottish citylink livery, albeit with National Express seating covers. It was on the turnaround of the 739 Inverness service. 

Please click here to see 

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

Oxford 999 on layover during the day at Cowley Road. 
It has now acquired wheel trims and looks very smart.

Citylink nr 5 leaves Oxford bound unusually for Heathrow.
New Tube 60 can be seen behind nr 5.

Route branded Stagecoach M A N s often find their way onto other
than intended routes and here we see 931 on the 32A at Didcot Station.

An ex Manchester Volvo B10M/Alexander PS saloon, 
now with Stagecoach Cheltenham District. 
It was on the Swindon-Oxford service. 
M A N s , like those in Oxford replaced these buses at Manchester. 

Wycombe Bus 229 on its first run of its first day in service !
Beautifully presented in traditional Thames Valley livery.

This interior shot shows where the centre door has been replaced by
two pairs of seats. 

When I were a lad ! - Ex Thames Valley Bristol L5G/ECW B35R.
The picture seems to capture how a young enthusiast might have
seen his buses in the late '40s !!

A full report on the Thames Valley Running Day will appear next week

Surprise arrival at Wycombe is this London General "shed" !
- K132LGO from Merton Garage. 
The early Wright bodied Dart maybe not a pretty design
but I understand very workmanlike and nearly indestructible. Seen
here under evaluation in Wycombe and operating the 364 to Terriers.
These buses could replace ageing Nationals in the town.

Not to be outdone, Arriva sent Volvo B6 3015 as their contribution to
the Thames Valley running day. Arriva has many of the ex LTE routes
in the town. The bus was freshly painted and looked very nice.

Brighton and Hove, part of The Go-Ahead Group also have new 
Dennis Tridents but featuring East Lancs bodywork. 
Here we see 816 in dedicated livery for Metro 1A.
The last two of this batch of buses are convertible open toppers.

Earlier Volvo B10BLEs for the Go Ahead Group went to Brighton.
Here we see 236 with Wrights bodywork.

And finally, with similar spec. and similar registrations to the Oxford
Darts 501-520, Brighton 8, N508KCD on Metro 7.