News
from Oxford, High Wycombe
& the surrounding areas
last updated Sunday, August 16th 1998 - 2100hrs
Editorial
A STOP PRESS Item is news of the arrival of six Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties Palatine II 68 seat coach seated double deck bodies for service 280 from Aylesbury to Oxford. These have now entered service and all six had been noted in Oxford by your co-editor by 22/08/98. They are 5156-5161 - S156-161 KNK and are very fine looking buses indeed. These are the first Arriva liveried vehicles to be allocated to Aylesbury and a promotion took place in points along the route on Friday and Saturday last. A leaflet with details of the service also include one FREE return trip voucher for passengers to sample the new buses. Phots appear below for your interest.
This weekend has been, yet again, a warm and pleasant one in Oxford. The city was thronging with visitors and shoppers alike.
One of your editors of The Oxford Bus Page, David Root - indeed our founder ! - was at the helm of 642 on Saturday afternoon on 52 road. David is now a fully fledged driver the The Oxford Bus Company and judging by the smile on his face, enjoying it enormously.
At last I was able to get a further picture of one of the ex London Darts in service with Stagecoach Oxford. I can now bring you in service pictures of 712 on the Wantage road routes. 709, 710, 712 were on routes 30 and 31 on Saturday and once again 746 was on the 7B Wood Farm . 747 is now in the paintshop and should enter service shortly in white. I am advised that 746 will attend the Oxford Bus Museum Open Day tomorrow, 16th August, which will make an interesting visitor.
Lynx 302 is near completion of a major body overhaul in Oxford works. 302 has been fully repaneled and has received modification to its back end. The livery is changed with white down to waist line.
Stagecoach Oxford had expected the new Varios with Alexander ALX100 bodies during the week ending 15 August but this was not to be and as of 15th August none had arrived.
The remaining Oxford Bus Metroriders have all now been repainted with 777-83 all completed and looking very smart indeed. 779 is now back from Wycombe, but was displaying 331 Thame when noted, suggesting that the destination unit still contains Wycombe route data - this would explain why it seems to have been restricted to non-PCV use as a staff bus. The earlier batch 769-776 are now entering service with Chester City Transport and we understand 775 is now 275 with Chester.
Titans were in service again today, 15th, on the Park & Ride with 975 looking very smart indeed. 950 is back in service 20/08/98 after spending time in works for repairs following minor accident damage.
We hope you continue to like this short section, which will give us the opportunity to comment on the local scene in an informal way. Please Email me, Malcolm Crowe, with any comments.
NEW OLYMPIANS ARRIVE !
An offside shot of 5161, S161KNK prior to
entry into service.
The first S registered double deckers for service in Oxfordshire.
The near side view of 5161, showing off the route branding applied to these buses.
Rear route branding to encourage customers onto the new buses.
The comfortable interior with 29 lower deck seats. 39 passengers are carried upstairs.
One of the first applications of a
"Dot Matrix" welcome to passengers in the lower saloon.
"TRAVEL THE SHIRES WITH SHIRES"
A new feature on the upper deck is two pairs of rearward facing seats imemdiately in front
of the back row of seats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of your Editors hard at work !
Not so easy to see but co-Editor David Root is at the helm of 642 doing what we are sure he likes best !
Oh dear, not a photo of me !!!
(sorry about the lighting, too sunny outside but I couldn't resist including this picture
- Malcolm Crowe)
Busy Oxford !!
Saturday the 16th August saw Oxford brimming over with visitors and shoppers alike.
Most buses were needed for service and we bring a selection of company vehicles working hard providing much needed transport for tourists, foreign students, shoppers and workers alike.
975 was in action on the Park & Ride and is seen here on service 300 opposite
Debenhams.
506 was operating 60 road, which has recently been upgraded from Metroriders. The growth in passenger numbers has justified the investment in putting Darts on the route.
At last we can bring you a picture of 712 in service. This is an ex London Dart repainted into corporate lvery. We think it looks very smart.
Coaches on The Oxford Tube seem to have been spruced up and this Berkhof
bodied Volvo B10M looks very smart. It was waiting to leave the garage to take up service
on a lunchtime departue to London.
A surpirse visitor to Stagecoach service 100 on Saturday 15th August was Dennis Dar/Alexander ALX200 nr 822. This bus has been at Witney for a week now and replaces the dual door Olympian type normally allocated to this route.
News of the week is that Wycombe Bus is to get its own web page. Services and fare will be featured and it is hoped that this will generate additional traffic for this very active company. Details will be featured shortly in these pages with Links to this new site. It is expected that the buses will also get the site address added to the rear of each vehicle , as with the parent Oxford company.
779 is still with Wycombe covering for vehicles away at Oxford for
various work. Further transfers of Leyland Olympians are expected in due course and the
Leyland Nationals are not expected to remain beyond the middle of next year.
ARRIVA SERVING THE SHIRES UPDATE
Now in service are the brand new Northern Counties bodied Olympians,
5156-61 (see above). For the time being service 280 between Aylesbury and Oxford still sees the G reg Alexander bodied Olympians as well. The 300 service from Uxbridge is
maintained by an assortment of buses including National Greenways (also examples of both Mark 1 and 2 Leyland Nationals, BVV 545T (20/08/98) and SVV 588W both being noted recently) but on Saturday 15th
August, the service was being operated by one the Volvo B6's normally allocated to this
route. Seen here arriving in Oxford on the lunchtime service. On the morning of 22/08/98 an interesting vehicle was in use on the 300 - National 2 nr 3899 (GFR 799W) in full Arriva livery, which if I remember correctly was a Ribble bus but initially used as a Leyland demonstrator.
Regular Visitors to Oxford.
We will include a picture in this spot on a regular basis of visiting operators
buses or coaches from further afield.
Our second offering is a Hallmark Neoplan awaiting tour passengers on a recent Sunday morning in the centre of Oxford.
Photo
Miscellany contains updated photos which is being done on a regular basis,with new
photos 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!
Open Day was 16th August 1998, Sunday. Full details on the page
We were delighted to welcome Jennifer Frew seen
above with 928. She travelled for over 20 years
on route 4 from Westbury Crescent into the City and was thrilled to see
one of our exhibits displaying this route during the Open Day. Her picture with this bus
was therefore a must. A real coincidence !
A VR meet was held on the 22nd March 1998 - and you can see photos
of each VR that attended.
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