News
from Oxford, High Wycombe
& the surrounding areas
last updated Monday, August 24th 1998 - 1900hrs
Editorial
The six new Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties Palatine II 68 seat coach seated double deck bodies have entered service on route 280 from Aylesbury to Oxford. As mentioned before but repeated for good measure they are 5156-5161 - S156-161KNK and at a glance the registration looks like 5156 rather than S156 !! We include a picture of 5158 in Oxford last Saturday. Ironically one of the late afternoon arrivals in Oxford on service 280 on Saturday was operated by one of the ECW bodied Olympians, also seen below.
Although the weather was not so good as in past weeks, the City was still full of visitors and shoppers on Saturday making photography far from easy. We did however secure a numbewr of interesting shots of unusual workings of both Oxford Bus and Stagecoach.
Two surprises from Oxford Bus on Saturday were 207, Olympian decker, operating on 4 road and 623, Volvo single door saloon operating on 52 road. Both 950 and 970, Titans, were on Park & Ride, which had heavy loadings.
Stagecoach fielded 746 on X33 and we have pictures of this and the other unusual workings.
Oxford's 779 is back from Wycombe and has been repainted completing the batch of remaining Metroriders. Wycombe Lynx, 302 is back at home after 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 the first is now expected early this week (24-29August).
One of your Editors, Malcolm Crowe, spent a few days in Devon last week and we can bring you some interesting photos of Stagecoacvh Devon buses, including a couple of ex Stagecoach Oxford vehicles, now serving the inhabitants of Torquay. We also include a couple of other shots of current buses in that area including one of the ex London Titans which coincidentally are numbered 950-963 !!! - shades of Oxford Bus, although the Devon Titans are converted to single door. Finally a "Snoopy" is shown in SCD colours, still in service at Torquay. There was also a sad row of withdrawn "Snoopys" from the original batch of Oxford buses 100-139 (D100-139PTT).
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 IN SERVICE !
An offside shot of 5158, S158KNK operating
the 1505 service from Oxford to Aylesbury
on Saturday 22 August 1998.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Busy Oxford again !!
Saturday 22nd August saw another very busy day in Oxford.
Some unusual workings were recorded and these are shown below.
Olympian 207 is shown here on a midday working on the 4A with a backdrop of heavy clouds
which seemed to threaten rain most of the day.
623 was operating 52 road, which normally sees dual door Volvo saloons
and indeed this is the first time that Malcolm has seen a single door on 52 road.
To our knowledge this is the first Marshall bodied Dart to be repainted
since delivery.
505 is seen in Cowley Road garage on Saturday 22nd August.
Titan 950 and an ECW Olympian load in the City on service 300.
970 traverses the City Centre on its way to Redbridge Park & Ride on Saturday 22nd August.
Away from its seemingly usual haunt of the 7B, 746 was working X33's on Saturday 22nd.
When two of Stagecoach Oxford's Olympians get together they seem to fill
the street in Oxford.
Saturday 22nd August in the City Centre.
As mentioned above Malcolm Crowe spent a few days in Devon and we bring you
below a selection of vehicles captured digitally in the Torquay area, which in some way
have a connection with Oxford.
Once a regular performer on the X39 to Heathrow, this Mercedes DP was seen on the long 85 route from Exeter to Torquay.
All traces of "Gloria Glide Park & Ride" have long
since disappeared from what is now Stagecoach Devon 393,
used on local services in the Torquay area.
It seems hard to believe that not so very long ago the streets of
Devon and Oxford were awash with these little buses,
now fondly known as "Snoopys". Stagecoach Devon have repainted a few but
their days are numbered
and many others are withdrawn down in Devon.
It is currently possible to ride Titans between Newton Abbott to
Brixham, many still in London red.
This livery will last only until the end of the season when they are expected to be
repainted.
959 A859SUL is seen above in The Strand , Torquay, loading for
Paignton and Brixham.
It is interesting that they should have fleet numbers within the 950-963 series,
not disimilar to Oxford Bus whose Titans are numbered between 950 and 975 !!
Stagecoach Devon currently has three Alexander bodied Olympians
(901-903) of which one,
901 is based at Torquay for the Free Bus Service to Marks and Spencer, with 902 and
903 being based in Exeter,
where 903 is seen above in Paris Street Bus Sation
Regular Visitors to Oxford.
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
exhibts 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.
Visitors to this News page since 17th March 1998.
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