News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

updated - Sunday 13th February 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 !

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This weekend I have enjoyed a spell on X90s and had the opportunity to see the good loadings on both companies up to London. Stagecoach Tubes are now beginning to carry fleet numbers on their destination scrolls and some of those seen include 38, 47, 55 and 60. It certainly makes it easy to identify which coach is passing you.

It appears that the transponders on the two main companies vehicles are now working and these change the traffic lights in the City Centre as the bus approaches. It should certainly help to speed up the flow of traffic. However private cars are still , in the main, ignoring the signs banning such traffic from certain roads in the City and since OTS has been in being since the Spring of 1999, nearly a year ago, something needs to be done to solve this problem. Otherwise why have OTS ?

Roadworks in Headington are causing delays and the use of the main bus stop for City bound services is most difficult to depart from at this time. 

Saturday evening around 9pm a large convoy of coaches (about 6) and Police escorts (about 10)  were seen heading towards the Headington roundabout off the M40, carrying the Afghan skyjack victims, who were being transferred to Moreton-in-the-Marsh ! The coaches were mostly Plaxton Paramounts but I was unable to see more than that. 

Fleet News week ending 13/2/00

City of Oxford Motor Services.

The buses in works this weekend included 54 receiving attention in works plus 615 which has now lost its rear end advert for a local Indian resturant. I just missed a picture of  nr 620, which carries advertising for Laser Quest, Gloucester Green, Oxford.  Coach nr 53 has emerged in X90 livery and will shortly be followed by 55 now in works. This will then release 59 for sale, where 62 has now appeared with Swanbrook in their livery. 

Interesting workings on Saturday included 801 on 22 road and 804 on 300 road. I think yet again there was also one of the low floor Volvos on 2 road. Friday saw coach nr 7 departing on 0800hrs X80 service to Gatwick. This coach has X90 livery !  

On Saturday a very serious accident involving three cars closed the M40 for a short time and emergency support at the scene included the Air Ambulance helicopter from Denham, which landed on the off slip road just beyond Swakleys roundabout ! Such problems delay the X90 services and often cause changes to rostered vehicles. Coach nr 12, in Airport livery to operate a Saturday morning service to Victoria. In my case I was rostered for coaches nr 4 and 51 on my duty and ended up with 43 and 5 !!

Stagecoach Oxford.  

Olympian 516 was operating the 31/32 group routes on Saturday. See above for comments regarding the use of fleet number in the destination display of the Tubes.The main driver training is now being done on ex MOD Dodges and I just managed to get a shot of one last Friday, see below.

Wycombe Bus Company.

Olympian 235 is back at Wycombe following accident damage repairs to the rear end. It now sports several differences which can be seen in the photos below. Dart 521 is ready to be delivered to Wycombe and is probably the first odd numbered one to be received. Those delivered are now in regular use and appear all over the Wycombe network.

Arriva serving The Shires.

A visit to the depot on Sunday in Wycombe revealed that very few Nationals and National Greenways are left, having been replaced by Lynxs. 3069 (H409ERO), was in the garage but none were seen on the road. Saturday once again saw 2142, the Sainsburys livered Mercedes on the 300 to Oxford and on Sunday all three R reg Mercs were in the garage, these normally being used on the R9 route at Uxbridge. (2196-2198) . In fact the depot seemed rather empty and I am wondering if , apart from the lack of withdrawn buses - a feature lasdt time I visited ! - the allocation has been reduced ?

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 and thank you for all your reports, they are most welcome.

Photo Corner week ending 13/2/00
If anyone else has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Citylink coach 54 alongside Volvo 615 which has lost its rear end advert now.

Citylink nr 7 departs Gloucester Green on the 8 am to Gatwick last Friday, 10th February. 
More normally this would work the X90.

Tube nr 55 shows the use of the destination screen to display fleet numbers.
This feature is normally only used once the coach is running on the M40.

A long shot of one of the two Dodge training buses now in service with Stagecoach Oxford. 
These buses are ex MOD and many such buses are now in service with 
Stagecoach group companies throughout  the UK.

Heavy traffic in Headington due to roadworks leaves an opportunity to catch a 
M A N Blackbird flyer working the 77 Brookes service last Saturday afternoon.

Arriva 3069 takes a rest on Sunday 13th at Wycombe depot.
These buses have been seen on the 300 service to Oxford where Lynxs are somewhat unusual.

Arriva 3126, not yet repainted into corporate livery but carrying route branding
for the Heathrow group of routes running through Slough.

These two photos clearly show the changes to the rear of Wycombe Bus Olympian 235 following accident damage repairs.

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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