News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Sunday 26th 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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I do hope that you all had a great Christmas which was nearly white in Oxford but not quite.  I took the opportunity to nip into Oxford and catch the bus scene. The only service running was The Tube with an hourly service up to London. Otherwise the garages were full and all was quiet and peaceful.

Oxford Citylink coaches resting up on Christmas Day. 
Most of the Oxford Bus Company fleet was under cover, a luxury not afforded to many
companies these days.

The Christmas Day scene at Horspath Depot was similar with just a few Tubes out on the road.
The line up above totalled 17 M A N double decks with others around the depot.

Not a very seasonal picture but a shot of the 0900 Christmas morning departure 
from Oxford climbing up to Stokenchurch on a deserted M40 
on a very very cold morning. The time was 0932 and most people were still indoors !

The previous evening, Cowley Road was full of buses returning to the Depot around 1930
prior to the end of services on Christmas Eve. Most services finished around 2000hrs.

A few items of interest occurred this week and sightings were made. On Christmas Eve whilst I was driving on 300 road I saw an unusual performer on Thames Travels X39, Volkswagen/Optare City Pacer H847UUA was making an evening journey around 5pm. Cityline 809 was working on 2 road and unusually now Cityline Volvo 642 was working on 52 road.  Wycombe Bus Mercs 710, 712 and 715 have been withdrawn and are presently at Oxford awaiting disposal. The route number blinds out of these minis have been used in the little Wright bodied Darts now entering service in High Wycombe. 526 and 530 were in Oxford, nearing readiness for service at Wycombe and the last to go through works will be 527 which had yet to be started in the week ending 24/12/99.

ARCHIVE CORNER

I thought I would take the opportunity to bring you a few shots of Oxford in the last ten years. Much has changed and many may well have forgotten the buses pictured below but I start with two shots of then and now. The subject is Oxford Citylink 51 - L151HUD, a Volvo B10M/Plaxton Premiere delivered in 1993 and now some 6 years old. This coach is one six now being transferred from airport work to the X90. 51 is the most recent to join the X90 fleet, having emerged from the paintshop on Thursday 23rd December, just in time for Christmas.

151, as she then was, on 26th December 1993, departing for Heathrow.
The colours were as delivered and were to change in later life.

51 seen on 25th December 1999, just six years later, resplendent in a new coat of paint 
and taking a rest on Christmas Day !  Only Citylink services will run on Boxing Day.

Oxford has been host to a number of demonstrators over the years and what might have been may often be the case. Almost alone amongst the National Bus Company, Oxford resisted the Leyland National and even the Leyland Lynx. Although they made an appearance from the Wycombe fleet, none have ever run for the main Oxford Bus Company, except.... the Lynx example shown below.

Lynx Demonstrator appeared in November 1989 and is seen here working the
595 Park &  Ride service from Thornhill to Seacourt, now the 400. 
Having traversed Cornmarket -  now closed to buses - F74DCW is seen
approaching Gloucester Green Coach Station along George Street.
The bus stop seen has now been moved further down the street, nearer to GG !
The date 11th November 1989.

We started our column this week with the Tube, as well as Citylink and we finish with an evocative shot of the Tube as it was in December 1993.

On the 26th December 1993, we see one of the second hand Volvo/Ikarus Blue Danubes
nr 29 - F23LBW with a temporary member of the Tube fleet at that time -  ex Parks of
Hamilton, Volvo/Plaxton Excalibur J426HDS, which gained vinyls but not livery. Two sister
coaches J420 and 424 HDS did gain full livery and remained for a number of years, eventually
being replaced by the M A N double deck coaches earlier this year.

Our next  update will be next year, next century and next millennium. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year - 2000.  I am sure it will prove to be one of the most interesting yet. Thank you for helping to make these pages worth the effort and a special thank you to all of you who now regularly add to the contributions each week through your very welcome emails.

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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