News
from Oxford, High Wycombe
& the surrounding areas
update Friday, April 16th 1999 - 2120hrs
This weekend has seen bright and sunny weather if a little chilly from time to time. Thus Cobham proved to be an excellent day and there was much on view. A very nice touch was that of the first London Routemaster RM1 next to RM2760, the last Routemaster. ex Chiltern Queens AEC Reliance EUD256K represented the Oxford Bus Museum and there was a chance to get a first impression of an Alexander ALX400 bodied Dennis Trident II, even if it was a Stagecoach version. To quote the driver, when asked how it handled etc., "IT'S A BIT LIKE A DART WITH ANOTHER DECK ON TOP". Certainly the steering wheel was reminiscent of a Dart. The bodywork seemed well finished and I liked the way the wheelchair access platforms came out at the press of a button. I think they are going to seem very different from the current Olympians when Oxford gets theirs. Finally whilst mentioning Cobham, your two Oxford Bus Page Editors joined a gathering of Web Masters during the afternoon and a picture is included below. It was very nice to put faces to names and some interesting exchanges of ideas took place. Certainly everyone seemed to like the quality of the pictures on the Oxford Bus Page site !
Still no Oxford Tube double deck coaches in service but one new, or at least new to Stagecoach Oxford, decker has arrived in the shape of the first of three single door conversions from Stagecoach Selkent, L114 C114CHM. It is fully repainted in corporate colours and has been numbered 527 in the Oxford fleet following on from the Volvo Olympians 514-526. It will be used on the Brookes University contract. L74 has returned to London in exchange. Another arrival from London is Dart 716 (NDZ 3016), a sister vehicle to 715, with the longer version of the Wright Handybus body. It was on the 7B on Friday 16th. Unusually on of the Volvo Olympians, number unknown - can anyone help?? - was operating the X50 Oxford-Stratford service on Saturday 10th. An Olympian was also in use on the 20 on Friday 16th - again it was not possible to ascertain which one.
Another unusual working took place with COMS on Saturday last when 628, almost always on 2 road - as mentioned recently in these pages - was out on 4 road operating the three evening working to Cumnor. Once again an ex London Volvo (644-656 batch) was observed 15 road. SLF Darts were this weekend confined to 13 road with an older 5xx series Dart thrown in for good measure. Friday saw a Dart SLF in use on the 4A, a probable first - also on the 4A the same day was 512, which now sports the "Low Emission Bus" vinyl on its rear end as found on the low floor Darts 401-10.
Last week I mentioned how clean wheels make for clean bus and Stagecoach is no exception, seemingly following the example of the Manchester operation and their new Chief Engineer , very clean wheels are becoming the order of the day. An example of an ex Manchester Volvo B6 is seen below.
This week we once again include a photo of an ex Oxford Citylink coach with Swanbrook's 122 passing under the Rail bridge on the Botley Road. Also included are some photos of the work taking place around the station area and note of the Arriva change to the 280 service which now terminates at the Rail Station.
STOP PRESS |
|
WEB MASTERS MEET !
Dateline Cobham 11th April 1999
Seen in front of an ex London green RT, are most of the Web Master who
attended a meeting held at Cobham.
Many of the Editors of some of the best British Bus Web Pages were present.
Ready to leave Cowley Road Garage on Saturday evening we see 628 more normally
associated with 2 road, but on this occasion operating Rose Hill-Cumnor. services.
10/4/98.
645 seen at Dean court earlier in the day. These are the buses normally assigned to 4
road.
Park & Ride Olympian 218 at work on 400 road and about to pass under
the
13'8" railway bridge on the Botley Road. Part of the works around the Rail Station
can be seen on the left of the picture.
Saturday morning saw some spots of rain and 208 is seen here emerging
from the
same bridge and passing the site of the old LMS station now removed to
Quainton Road,near Aylesbury. Work continues even though its Saturday.
The 52 road buses now all terminate at the Rail Station and 642 is seen
loading
for its return journey to Blackbird Leys.
Stagecoach 527, ex London Selkent L114, C114CHM, is seen being prepared
for service on the Brookes University contract. The single door conversion
can be clearly seen. It is now licensed to carry 91 passengers.
The centre door has been replaced by 1 double and 1 single seat.
A more detailed shot of the nearside.
L74, C74CHM, has now returned to London.
Clean wheels maketh a clean bus. 836 freshly out of MOT !
1010, the Bristol LH trainer bus proclaims its working role.
Other operators.
Following last weeks picture of 111, we now see ex Citylink as 122,
this Leyland Tiger/Plaxton Paramount 3500 is also serving Swanbrook on their
Gloucester/Cheltenham-Oxford service. Here in Oxford, it is about to pass under
the Rail Station bridge on the Botley Road. The footbridge, newly erected,
is an excellent spot for photography.
Stagecoach exiles in Barking!
As has been mentioned before in these pages, many of the former Thames Transit dual door Darts have found a new home in East London. Your intrepid co-editor Dave Root has tracked two of them down in Barking.
In return a number of single door Alexander Dash and Wright Handybus examples have arrived in Oxford, and the latest example to note is 716 (NDZ 3016), a sister vehicle to 715 mentioned in a previous update.
In this picture report we also see three other vehicle types encountered in the Barking area, one of a type not normally associated with this page!
L720 JUD is the former Thames Transit 3011, one of the first batch of 14 which when new introduced the Blackbird Flyer brand name. It is now PD720 in the Stagecoach East London fleet and is seen arriving at Barking station on a 368 from Chadwell Heath. Photo by Dave Root.
PD64 is the former 3018, M64 VJO. It is seen waiting to take up service on a 368, opposite Barking station. Photo by Dave Root.
Optare Deltas were once regular visitors to Oxford on Reading Buses' 105 service; however, following the takeover of the Oxford section by Stagecoach Oxford, the type is no longer seen in the city. Stagecoach East London is the largest operator of Deltas in the capital; here DA17 (J717 CYG) is seen in Barking. Photo by Dave Root.
A type still seen in Oxford, though only just, is the Leyland Titan. Of course, the vast majority of Titans built originally saw London service, and the Oxford Bus Company's examples are no exception, though South Midland did operate some former Manchester examples around Oxford for a while. Here we see an example of the type still at work in London, namely Stagecoach East London's T629 (NUW 629Y). Photo by Dave Root.
For those of us interested in railways, the name of Barking is most likely to make us think of heritage DMUs, being one of only five locations where these can still be seen at work on the national network. Silverlink operates a fleet of eight two-car Class 117s, and these can also be found on the Marston Vale line between Bletchley and Bedford, sharing duties on the latter with the three remaining Class 121 single car units. Class 117s are also used on peak hour Fife Circle services out of Edinburgh by Scotrail, whilst Class 101s are in use in the Glasgow and Manchester areas.
Here we see 117720 (cars 51354 and 51396) at Wanstead Park station. Photo by Dave Root.
Why not visit us ?
Our next Open days are The Gala Weekend - May 15th and 16th 1999.
A VR meet was held on the 22nd March 1998 - and you can see photos
of each VR that attended.
The 1999 Photo Report is now included on this site where you will find a
full report.
PHOTOS
ON THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN |
Photo Miscellany
contains updated photos which are added from time to time.
New photos were added on 16/4/98.
Take a look at our picture report from Manchester,
featuring ex-Oxford buses!
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