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www.buszone.co.uk

April 2008

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| Site Last Updated: 28-05-08 |

28-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 610 has now arrived, registered MX56 HYA not HYB as originally reported. Thanks to Brian Coney for this. 816 has returned from repaint into maroon. Thanks to Michael for this.
  • Reading Transport MCW Metrobuses: 460 was sold to the Green Transport Company on 13th. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 53053 has been damaged by fire. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this. 60754 went on loan from Bracknell to Slough on 26th March. 64005 entered service at Slough the same day. 68571 has been withdrawn and transferred to First Hampshire on 15th April. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: AE57 FBA has received Newbury & district branding. KX08 LLO is actually OLO, and has entered service in plain white. Thanks to Gavin Francis for this.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 16618-20 have new MegaRears for UniRider and 20557 has a new MegaRear for Train to Gain.gov.uk. 20212 retains a MegaPanel for Text2Talk. 14034 has moved from reserve at Leamington to Rugby, possibly still in reserve. 40148/50/52 are rumoured to be for withdrawal from 1st June. Thanks to Keith Wood for this.

26-04-08:

23-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: The first ethanol Scania has arrived registered YN08 MKM in Reading Buses Bio Ethanol livery with purple route 17 branding. 816 is due to return from repaint tomorrow and 815 to go away in its place. 462 has departed for the Green Bus Company, with 464 and 469 due to follow.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 64015 has been repainted into the blue "7 series" livery. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this. 64016/7/9 should also have had their full branding applied by now.

22-04-08:

21-04-08:

  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 59 has been repainted into Espress livery and renumbered 37. Thanks to Ralph Adams for this. It also seems fair to assume that 58 has become 36. 60 has been repainted and renumbered 38, whilst 61 is the last one due to be done. 101 has been repainted into red Oxford Bus Company livery. Thanks to Malcolm Crowe for this.

20-04-08:

19-04-08:

  • News Page: Maroon OmniDekka in Service with photo of 817
  • Reading Transport Depots: Today is the 10th anniversary of Great Knollys Street depot becoming fully operational following the completion of the move from Mill Lane which commenced on 17th April 1998. New recent photos of the depot added 1, 2, 3, 4.

18-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 817 has been repainted into maroon route 20/21 livery, with 816 now away for repaint. Loaned 599 returned to service on 15th following the completion of the company's new ethanol fuelling station and the first delivery of ethanol on 14th. The first new ethanol bus is due to arrive next week. 107 has transferred from Newbury to Reading for repainting and rebranding for new route 40. 707 departed for Ensign by 16th.
  • Reading Transport Optare Excels: Former 951-5/7/9/60 have been advertised for sale by Rotala
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 20542/822 departed Banbury for Yorkshire on 11th, 20007-11 Oxford for East Kent on 13th, 16521 Oxford for Fife on 14th, 16522/26 Oxford for Bluebird on 16th, 16519 Oxford for Fife yesterday, and 16518/20 are due to depart Oxford for Fife tomorrow. 22940 lost its MegaSide for Virgin Media and MegaRear UK Bathrooms some months ago, and similar 22941 its MegaRear for UK Bathrooms. Meanwhile 22933/4 have a MegaRear for Helen & Douglas House, but not 22932. 22279 and 22209 had their revised branding for route 1 applied on 13th, leaving 22057 the only one left to be treated.

15-04-08:

  • Thames Travel Fleet List: Withdrawn 49, 67, 313, 151, 251, 351 are now thought to have departed, as have 152, 252 and 253. AE57 LYO is confirmed as 1157. Thanks to Ralph Adams for this.

14-04-08:

13-04-08:

  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: YJ03 GXM/N/P/R arrived and entered service during March. They have gone away for up-seating during the school holidays. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this. These vehicles are to be reregistered NBZ 70, NDZ 70, CW51 TOP and CW52 TOP respectively. Thanks to Bus Fare magazine for this.

12-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 974 was on loan to Newbury yesterday covering Vodafone duties pending the arrival of 51, 52 and 610. Thanks to Richard Aldous for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 64020/1 have been repainted into the blue "7 series" livery. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 103 has been repainted into red Oxford Bus Company livery with a MegaRear for Oxford Espress. 116 has a new MegaRear for Finders Keepers replacing its one for Jones, Robinson, Liddicot.
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: 313 and 104 have been advertised for sale.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: New are Bova Futuras YJ03 GXM/N/P/R which are being up-seated to C70F, two will receive the NBZ/NDZ 70 registrations from the recently departed Scanias. Also due very soon is MAN 12.240 / Plaxton Centro KX08 LLO. YN55 PYZ has also been sold to Turners, and YN55 PZB/K/S/T were sold to Dawson Rentals in exchange for the new Volvos. LUI 9693 remains at Greenham for sale. CW51/52 TOP will return to their original registrations and are also for sale along with WA05 DFG/J. AE57 FBA/B have had their Southern Railroad Company branding and unusual window surrounds removed. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this. CW54/55 TOP have also been advertised for sale.

10-04-08:

  • News Page: Silver Olympuses with photos of 840 and 861. Thanks to James Cusworth and Stuart Curwen respectively for these.
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 840 has returned from repaint into generic silver. Thanks to James Cusworth for this. 707 remains at Great Knollys Street along with 462 and 464. Thanks to Stuart Curwen for this. 51 had arrived in Reading by the morning of 9th. Thanks to John Whitehead for this. Meanwhile 1020, 1022 and 1025 have all lost their branding for routes 20/21, and it is assumed that 1023/4 have been done as well.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: Loaned 41267 was added to the allocation on 4th March. Withdrawn 64810/9 went into storage at Hayes on 26th March, 64819 having been in store at Slough. 64005 entered service on 1st April. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: NBZ 70 and NDZ 70 have been sold to Turners, Bristol. Thanks to Josh for this. Pictures can be found on David Oakley's fotopic site.

09-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 860/1 were in service today. Thanks to Andrew Cameron and Simon Oliver for this. 858 arrived on 3rd and was in service by 8th. Meanwhile the first ethanol powered Scania is expected in Hull at the end of the week, with the second approximately a week later. These two are expected to be operational for a launch on 23rd April.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: New are Volvo B12 / Plaxton Panther KX08 OMG-G. YN55 PZB/K/S/T left yesterday. Thanks to Michael for this.

07-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 473 has a new MegaRear for Subway. Thanks to James Cusworth for this. 51 was at Fleetwood Docks today, so the report on 3rd appears to have been premature.

06-04-08:

05-04-08:

  • First Berkshire: New photo of 43911 added
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 43911 is named Hercules, 43914 Apollo and 43916 Unicorn
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: 551 and 651 were returned to Dawson Rentals in January, and from there went to Flights Hallmark at Heathrow. 551 left there in early March and has now joined former 451 at Wessex Connect. David Oakley has photos of 451 and 551 on his fotopic site. AE57 LYS is confirmed as 1257 (not 1157).

04-04-08:

  • News Page: New life in New Zealand with photos of former 517, 519, 915 and 944. Thanks to Peter Thompson, Mac Head and Bus Fare magazine for this.
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 859 was in service on 1st, whilst 859 was in service yesterday. Thanks to Red Kite for this.
  • Reading Transport Optare Excels: Registrations and Ritiches fleet numbers for 902/3/7/8/11-15 confirmed. Thanks to Peter Thompson for this.
  • Reading Transport Optare Deltas: Details of 511-20 in New Zealand added. Thanks to Peter Thompson for this.
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 57 has been repainted into Espress livery from Airline and renumbered 35. Thanks to Ralph Adams for this.
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: New is MAN AE08 DKY. Meanwhile AE08 DLD has been numbered 108. Neither have air conditioning. Presumed short term loan vehicles T793 TWX, AE55 MVK and PL06 TFY have all been confirmed in service in the last two days.

03-04-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 860/1 arrived on 31st registered YN08 HYX/Y (not W/X as incorrectly listed on the fleet list), whilst 858 is also due if it hasn't arrived by now. 859 is registered HYW (not HYU as incorrectly listed on the fleet list). 51 has also been delivered to Reading for preparation, meanwhile the first ethanol bus reported to be nearing completion in Poland. 840 is about to depart for repaint into generic livery, whilst 706/7 (and probably 704) departed for their new homes on 31st.
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 857 was in service today. Thanks to James Cusworth for this.
  • Reading Transport Vodafone Routes: A revised network went into operation from 31st.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 64012 has been repainted into blue pending Heathrow '7 series' branding. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 15431 is confirmed as KX08 KZA (not KZC as previously reported), meaning that 15440 will be KZC once it arrives. 18394/6/7 transferred from Oxford to Witney on 29/30 March, whilst 20007-11 and 16526 transferred to reserve at Oxford pending disposal. 16518-21 are about to transfer to Stagecoach East Scotland, 16522/26 to Stagecoach Bluebird, 20007-11 to Stagecoach East Kent and 20542/822 to Stagecoach Yorkshire following the arrival of the Scanias. 34466 is to transfer to Oxford shortly, pending repairs to one of the Solos. The net result will allow Oxford 20228 and 20543 to go into reserve.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: Stratford 16538 has returned to service with 16534 away for chassis work. 90026 has been replaced by new Audi A4 SL08 HXW.

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