News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Sunday 9th January 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.

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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 !

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Fleet News week ending 9/1/00

City of Oxford Motor Services.

Cityline 619 - an X3 Abingdon branded vehicle - worked several journeys on 300 road Park & Ride service on Saturday morning. It was eventually substituted by Trident 117.  Cityline Volvo B10B 653 - ex London VN - was at work on 2 road for most of the day as was new Volvo 801.  Cityline Olympian 208 was once again out on 400 road and seems presently to be the only one of the old Olympians in regular service with Oxford Bus. Others will doubtless return to service on Q busting duties this summer. Oxford 224 is still at work in Wycombe but is the only non Wycombe bus to be so used at this time. The other old Olympians so used have returned to Oxford, having been replaced by the renovated Darts from London General. Finally for last week, a dual door Volvo - 641 - appeared on the X3 on Saturday, which is again unusual. Oh ! and 620 is in for repaint. 

Reader Rob Latchford advises that 208 was in use on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, putting in appearances on 400 (Tues), 300 (Wed) and 4 road on Thursday (4C on all three occasions that he saw it on that day). On all three days, there were two 8xx vehicles in use on 2 road, with 6xx onto 22's and on Thursday a 6xx was on the 2C/2D. He suspects that these appearances are a regular thing now. Also on the three days there was one Dart and One 6xx on the 22. Last but not least Rob advises that a 6xx worked on route 12 (the new one) on Thursday but he wasn't able to see which one.

Stagecoach Oxford.  

Volvo Olympian 514 was on City Circle 10 and sister 516 was hard at work on service 3 to Rose Hill last Saturday.  Several M A N coaches are still appearing with missing wheel trims. On Saturday last at least one was on the X50 to Stratford.   M A N saloon 919 - a branded "blue top" - was seen on route to 20 Woodstock on Saturday with 913 operating on the 105. Coach number 3 which had been in use on the X1 or 100 has not been seen for sometime now. Finally Stagecoach would appear to have had a bumper New Year with some 2000 passengers using the Tube to get back from London on New Year's morning. Pity we missed this with our camera ! 

Wycombe Bus Company.

It appears that all the even numbered Darts from London are now in service - 522, 524, 526, 528 and 530. Odd numbers should start with 523, now in the paintshop at Oxford and 527 has entered works to begin its refurbishment ! 241 is in Oxford for attention. Monday sees the closure of Cookham Bridge for repairs. during the 5 months or so, that will take, a new route has been introduced - the 316 - serving the route from Cookham to Maidenhead. It will be operated by a minibus on an hourly headway. During the closure the 317 cannot serve Cookham, hence the new route. 

Cambridge Coach Services.

The 75 service is now maintained almost exclusively by the Volvo/Plaxton Premiere 350 batch 301-309, with only very rare appearance of any older coaches. I did see new 325 on a working before Christmas and the night service is generally maintained by the latest batch 320-324, which have toilets.325 is the coach fitted out for disabled people with tail lift etc.

I will be pleased to receive your reports for this section, which I have revamped and hope meets with everyone's' approval. Please send your reports to MalcolmHC@aol.com. 

Photographic Corner week ending 9/1/00
If anyone else has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Cambridge Coach 308 catches the midday sun as it leaves High Wycombe - Newlands Bus Station
on its long journey to Cambridge. Sunday 9th January 2000

Stagecoach Swindon & District 422, P822FVU leaves Oxford's Gloucester Green Coach Station
en route to Swindon on service 66. Saturday 8th January 2000
These Volvo/Alexander PS's were new to Stagecoach Manchester, this one working out of 
Princess Road Depot which is in Moss Side, South Manchester.

For those of you familiar with the Oxford Park & Ride Tridents, you may be interested
to see the STRAIGHT staircased version in use by Metroline on the 16s in London.
They have semi-coach seats and a bright blue interior as opposed to the green of Oxford.

Oxford's paint shop was also host to Wycombe Dart 523 which was nearing completion.
As can be seen in these two shots the work done by Oxford is excellent and with the use of
brush painting almost traditional !

Another nice paint job produced by Oxford was the traditional livery applied to Wycombe 229 last summer
for the celebrations of Thames Valley at the August 1st Running Day. It is seen here in the company of
Wycombe Olympian 230 and loaned Oxford Olympian 224. You may remember that your Editor enjoyed
224 on an Oxford duty to Didcot on 35 road just before the Olympians were replaced by Volvo Saloons.

Cityline Volvo 653 passes Queens College in Oxford's high Street on Saturday morning last. These buses
are normally found on 4 road.

Brookes University branded Volvo Olympian 516 is seen leaving Queen Street Oxford last Saturday
on a mid afternoon working to Rose Hill. With the new term fast approaching this bus will be back on its
more normal 77 route carrying students on the outskirts and rarely venturing into the City Centre.

As the sun sets, late on Saturday afternoon, one of Thames Travel Mercedes Varios (309) passes
Park & Ride Trident 120 at its stop on New Road on the 300 to Pear Tree. Nuffield College is seen to the right.

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 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.

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

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THE OXFORD BUS MUSEUM