M A N - Jonckheere 68 seat Double Deck Coaches.
Service Launch - Saturday 1st May 1999
Saturday 1st May dawned bright and sunny, as indeed should all May Days.
Oxford was buzzing with activity and
late night revellers who had been
attending University May Balls were only just going home. Dinner Jackets
did indeed seem the order of the day and David Whitley,
Stagecoach Oxford's Marketing Manager, having himself also attended
just such a Ball, was on hand with his staff to ensure an excellent
lauch of a Multi million pound investment in 27 Double Deck coaches
for the by now famous Oxford Tube.
The first service was to carry
passengers free to celebrate the lauch and
a near full coach departed Oxford's Gloucester Green Coach Station
just shortly after 9am. Coach nr 37, T37BBW, made a fine sight as, with the sun
glinting on its new paintwork and livery, it set off for London Victoria
with George Fair, the Tube's Manager, at the controls.
Two more new coaches, nrs 35 and 36
followed at 9.24 and 9.36 respectively
the last one with a full load of paying passengers.
38 and 39 were at the Depot awaiting vinyls and 40 was in the process of being decked out.
By next Tuesday all six will be in service
releasing the reregistered Berkhof Volvo's
for service as Virgin Rail feeder coaches.
We now present a photo album of the
service introduction.
We hope that you enjoy the pictures.
37 having arrived at Gloucester Green awaits
its time to draw on the
stand for the 9am service to London.
The detail of the rear of 37 showing the advertising.
George Fair, the Tube Manager, opens the
first bottle
of Champagne for the lucky free riding passengers on
the Inaugural service with 37.
A queue of passengers wait for the 9am Tube to London
Before the first service left the happy
passengers are seen on the
upper deck of 37.
37 backs off stand at Oxford at 9am.
37 is about to pass 36 which has arrived to take service on the 9.24.
37 leaves Oxford bound for London.
Volvo nr 12 operated the 9.12 am service to
London
followed by nr 36 at 9.24 am.
Small point but 3 x 12 = 36 !!!
The old and the new from the back. 35 and 36
feature white backs
whereas all future coaches will have red backs.
35 leaves on the 9.36 am to London with a full load of passengers.
After the launch, works continued on
preparing nr 40 T40UBE.
This will be the next to enter.
38, T38BBW and 39, T39DJO await their turn for livery.
And finally nr 37 is seen here returning from
London on the M40
approaching junction 6 at Lewknor, its first stop en route to Oxford.
Saturday 1st May 1999 around 1240 pm.
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