News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Sunday 19th December 1999 by Malcolm Crowe

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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Firstly may I wish all my readers a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas
I have much enjoyed bringing you this page each week and seem to have 
done so from many different places across the world.
France, Hong Kong and Australia to mention just a few.
Stagecoach Oxford were also sending Christmas Greetings on a few of
their buses including 922 seen here loading in Queen Street on Saturday.

This weekend saw the first snow of the year falling on Saturday evening and where I live in Stokenchurch, this snow was really quite thick. It was of course very cold and also for the first time the temperature dropped to -3º C which gave a really seasonal feel to the end of a busy day. Both main companies had extra capacity for the crowds of shoppers and also a number of unusual workings. 

Oxford Cityline had new Volvo 804 on the 16 to Minchery Farm. 
This is probably the first time this type of bus has appeared on this route.
The estate roads at its destination are not always suitable for such large buses
and the more normal fare is a Dart from the 501-520 batch !

The Christmas lights add to an already colourful Oxford bus scene !
Here we see Oxford 111 passing Stagecoach 834 on the Rose Hill Runner.

At the end of an eventful year for new buses Oxford Citylink 63 is now ready to leave
it's familiar haunts for pastures new. Seen here minus vinyls and ready for
a third owner. It's first was Shearings !

Another unusual Oxford Bus working was a new Volvo, 805, on the 4 to Rose Hill. Inevitably Olympian 208 put in an appearance on the Park & Ride with some journeys on the 400. Somewhat more surprising was the use of 648 on the 400 during Saturday. Stagecoach used both Oxford based Olympians other than on the Brookes University services. 514 on the 31 to Wantage and 516 on the 3 to Rose Hill. 

Comments were made by both companies that loadings had been high on Friday and they did not wish to get caught out on Saturday, the last before Christmas. 

The Oxford Tube continues to go from strength to strength and loading are reported as very high. Here the last of the 27 M A N double deck coaches is seen waiting to enter the Horspath Garage on a cold winter's evening last Thursday. A visit also revealed an addition to the training fleet in the shape of a Dodge G31/Wadham Stringer ex Forces bus.  Two have joined the fleet, the first being TR1 - D836TJO and the second seen below.

TR2 is as yet unregistered. Seating is down to 8 with a large table and seats for instructional purposes.
These Dodge buses are now the standard Stagecoach trainers. Old Bristol LH 3313 is seen in front.

A second Metrorider has appeared on Heyfordian's 7C service in Oxford. 481 HYE is seen here in St Aldates last Saturday, 
looking somewhat the worse for wear.

On the Wycombe front Nigel Peach emails me to advise that the Leyland National mark 2s are still hard at work, in spite of the fact that 526 has now arrived to join 522 and 524, ex London Darts. Some of the Mercs have  been parked up in Oxford and it thus seems that these will be withdrawn first in favour of the rejuvenated Darts.

We started this week with the snow and finish with a seasonal picture of Dart 421, seen today - Sunday - in Lane End amidst the snow and sun.

With the sun low in the sky, even in the early afternoon and snow on the ground, 
I wish you all,  A very Merry Christmas - have fun !!

 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