News
from Oxford, High Wycombe
& the surrounding areas
update Saturday, April 24th 1999 - 1930hrs
The weekend was quiet in terms of bus activity in the Oxford City.
Following our photo of the Cobham Meeting of Webmasters we include a close up picture this week and a note of the names we have so far. If you are or know who the missing names are please let us know .
Left to right, standing:
Mike Dawes - TMR Bus Preservation Kevin
McGowan - London Bus Preservation Trust
Nick Abbott - Ipswich Transport Museum Dick Gilbert - Classic
Buses
Steve Annells - The Bus Station Matt
Wharmby - The London Bus Page
????????? - LET US KNOW Ian Smith - Ian's
Bus Stop
Ian Armstrong - London Transport Bus Routes John Hammond - First
Bus Page
Richard Haughey - Cambridge Buses
Left to right, kneeling:
Malcolm Crowe and David Root, Oxford Bus Page. Gareth Perkins - Ipswich Bus Page
Yet again no further news on the Oxford Tube double deck coaches arriving.
Saturday evening saw COMS 625, ex X3 road, out on 4 road operating the three evening workings to Cumnor. Oxford Bus Titan 970 is now YAZ 8773 (formerly KYN 308X). T4, ex coach 33, a Leopard with Willowbrook Warrior body, which was VUD 33X has as mentioned been reregistered ABW 310X (note correction). Its original registration was sold to a local enthusiast and is now on his car. Continuing our mention of registrations we have been advised that unlike many companies Oxford has secured a consecutive block of registrations for both batch of new buses due in May/June. Thus the Tridents will include 111, T111DBW and the new Volvo B10BLEs will run from 801 to 815 including 806 normally reserved for Peugeot.
This past weekend has seen the application of Go-Ahead Vinyls to all the COMS fleet. Until now only 401 carried such labelling.
783 now, as with all other COMS vehicles, carries Go-Ahead branding.
Another two Tube coaches have now been reregistered, one of which was mentioned in our Stop Press last week. Firstly nr 14, which was N43 MJO is now 3063 VC, this registration donated by coach nr 3. A few days later nr 19 (N45 MJO) received registration 9258 VC from nr 6. The two former Wallace Arnold Volvo/Plaxton Paramounts which acted as donors have reverted to their original registrations G543/544 LWU. These coaches were transferred to the Tube fleet by Stagecoach last year, joining four similar ex-WA coaches from the H-UWR batch. These latter vehicles were formerly used on the 390 route (now the X39).
One of the latest Tube reregistrations, 3063VC ex N43MJO fleet nr 14.
Seen here on the M40 London bound on Sunday morning 18th April.
Further Stagecoach news is the arrival of further ex-London Darts, of all three types. Previously mentioned was 716 (NDZ 3016) which joins sister 715; this has been followed by another "small shed", 749 (NDZ 3149) joining 746-8. Finally, two more Alexander Dash bodied examples have arrived, 711/4 (N611/4 LGC) joining 709/10/12/13 of this type. All the new arrivals are in full corporate livery and have been noted on various city and country services.
STOP PRESS |
|
Ready to leave Cowley Road Garage on Saturday evening 17th April, 625 until
recently in X3 Abingdon express livery and now seen on local CityLine routes.
Citylink coach nr 51 speeds Gatwick bound having left Oxford Gloucester Green
at 12 noon, It is seen passing Stokenchurch some 35 minutes later on Sunday 18th. An unusual working on Monday 19th April saw sister coach 50 in use on the X90; it is normally allocated to the Heathrow and Gatwick services.
Citylink 42 operating the X90 London service follows 51 on the X80
and is seen passing the Post Office microwave tower which dominates the
local scene in the Stokenchurch area.
Manchester interlude.
The Alexander ALX300 bodied M A N s are now being delivered to other
Stagecoach group fleets and are receiving route branding, albeit not quite
so striking as those in Oxford. Here we see Manchester 158 operating an
Airport service, passing through Northenden Village en route to Manchester.
The 105 was part of Manchester Corporation's Limited Stop Network.
In the '50s North Counties bodied Daimler CVG5's were the normal
fodder for this fast service to the City Centre.
Following our earlier picture of the ex Kenya Bus Dennis triaxle
deckers,
several more have have now entered service with 680-692 now in operation.
Here we see 686, M686TDB, on a late afternoon service to Northenden.
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 examples to arrive are noted above.
For the full picture report see last week's news page in the Archive; in this 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.
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!
Visitors to this News page since 17th March 1998.
Visitor count since 19th April 1999.
The Oxford Bus Pages are hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page