Reading Transport Fleet List: 723 and 961-4
are shortly to be repainted into a new generic livery of
silver (in place of the charcoal) and beige with a non-silver swoop. 11 entered
service with the others on 23rd, whilst 12 has been held back by Scania for development
work, but with delivery expected soon. 963 remains at Newbury to cover. 971-3 are
confirmed as being withdrawn on 13th, and were swapped with 961-3 on 14th. 942, 961/2/4
were withdrawn from Newbury on 20th, and 630/1 on 21st. 630/1, 942, 961/2/4 were swapped
with 6-11 from Reading on 22nd ready for 23rd. Thanks to Brian Coney for this. 630 may
have replaced 632 in the Reading ancillary fleet.
A Wrightbus Hybrid double decker that is due to be shown at
the Bus & Coach show in November, is expected to visit Reading in December for the
benefit of Local Authorities, councillors and developers. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
Reading Transport Optare Solos: 123 has been
repainted into the new Newbury livery, first appearing in service on 28th. Thanks to David
Wilder for this. 120/1 have replaced 630/1 in the town fleet and had lost Vodafone logos
by 27th. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
First Berkshire Fleet List: 64812/4/6/8 may have gone on loan to First Hampshire from 11th/13th
October, but reports are unconfirmed. Thanks to Brian Coney for this. Meanwhile 64816/8
were withdrawn on 2nd. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.
Horseman Coaches Fleet List: Three Volvos
arrived today and L904/52/55 NWW departed as expected. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: 34112 is now confirmed in service alongside 34113. Warwickshire County
Council owned 47027 has also returned to the company, and re-entered service recently in
Countylinks livery. Thanks to Keith Wood for this.
29-10-06:
Reading Transport: Link added to DJ Hancock's
site with photo of ex 752
with Bedfordshire County Council
Reading Transport Optare Spectras: 751 is
reported by the PSV Circle as having passed from Shamrock to J G Coaches in August, so
there appears to be some confusion regarding its new owner. Hopefully things can be
cleared up in due course. Meanwhile 752 is confirmed as having passed from Shamrock to
Bedfordshire County Council in August. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
28-10-06:
Reading Transport Optare Spectras: 751 has
passed from Shamrock to Westbus at Hounslow who are managed as part of Armchair, the
coaching side of Metroline. Thanks to LOTS for this.
Horseman Coaches Fleet List: Three Volvos
arrived on 25th bringing the total to five, with L905 NWW departing the same day. Three
more are due on Monday when L904/52/55 NWW should depart. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for
this.
Reading Transport Fleet List: 942 has been
returned to the leasing company, and is being offered for sale by Southdown PSV. 971 had
joined 970 withdrawn at Reading by 14th with 961/3 also present there that day. Unlike
6-11, OmniCity 12 has yet to be shown as registered on the DVLA website meaning it may be
this one which is not yet in service.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: 34118 has returned from refurbishment. Warwickshire County Council
47027 looks set to rejoin the Warwickshire fleet shortly following changes to tendered
services elsewhere. It is currently in store at Nuneaton. 40143 may have been withdrawn.
11 new Optare Solo Slimlines have been ordered for Witney to replace Varios 47371-75/77-82
and Darts 32627-30 following changes to services in Witney and Carterton from 10th
December, although delivery is not expected to coincide with this date.
23-10-06:
News Page: New Scania OmniCity Vehicles for
Vodafone with photos of 8, 9 and 7&9
Reading Transport Fleet List: 6-10 are
confirmed as in service today. 963 temporarily remains in use at Newbury on Vodafone
services, whilst 120/1 appear to have been transferred to the Newbury town fleet.
Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: NK51 UCL is
to be fleet number 904 - note the registration is NK not NX as previously reported
22-10-06:
Reading Transport Fleet List: 475 has a new
MegaRear for Ikea replacing its one for the Ant Bully. Thanks to James Cusworth for this.
Horseman Coaches Fleet List: L902/948 NWW
departed on 20th to Filer, Stanton Wick, Somerset. The second three new Volvos didn't
arrive as planned, but are now due in the next few days. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for
this.
19-10-06:
Horseman Coaches Fleet List: The first two
of the new Volvo B12B / Plaxton Panthers arrived yesterday, with three more due tomorrow.
The vehicles are not going to enter service until the new year, at which point they will
be registered. L903/951 NWW departed in exchange, with L902/905/948 NWW due to depart
tomorrow. To cover in the meantime M659 SBL, N660/2 VJB and T10/20 DMB have been
temporarily returned to service. The new Panthers differ from the first ones in having a
longer front overhang and a wider door so that a wheel chair lift may be fitted if
required in the future, they have destination equipment, a reversing camera, a DVD
player and more, but no rear window. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
Weavaway Travel Fleet List: The two new Bova
Magiqs on order are WA56 ENV/W, one arrived on 10th and the other was at the dealership
today. H251/6/7 JJT have been reregistered LUI 9693/4/5. Former W341 MKY passed from
Moseley (dealer) to Wills, Bow, Devon. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: 13626 has transferred from Nuneaton to Rugby. 14515 has been reinstated
to Nuneaton from reserve, and 34111 to service at Nuneaton from dual door conversion.
20220 is confirmed as remaining at Leamington following the arrival of the Darts, whilst
40143 transferred from Leamington to Nuneaton, 40153 returned off loan from Leamington
back to Nuneaton and 40163 has been withdrawn from Leamington for disposal. Withdrawn
Rugby 40160 is also awaiting disposal. Withdrawn 32002/3/4/6/7/8 have transferred to
Stagecoach East at Bedford.
16-10-06:
News Page: Newbury OmniCity Preview with
photo of 8. Thanks to Richard Aldous for
this.
Reading Transport MegaPanels: 926 has a new panel for Tour de Reading (in
addition to its MegaRear for the Wedding Centre). Thanks to James Cusworth for this.
Reading Transport Fleet List: 6-12 are to be
registered YN56 FAA/F/J/K/M/O/U. All are now in the Country and are to be delivered soon.
There is to be a Vodafone launch in the week prior to their entry in service on 23rd.
Meanwhile 970-3 are to return to the leasing company at the end of this week, with 961-4
to be used in their place for one week. 964 actually arrived in Newbury on 5th to replace
970 which had to visit Reading for repairs to an electrical fault. 4th October may become
the withdrawal date for this vehicle. 961-3 have had most of their TVP vinyls removed as
well pending the loan. Ancillary vehicles 306 and 350 left the fleet between 24th
September and 8th October, whilst the Scania OmniLink demonstrator was returned to Scania
on 15th September. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
Reading Transport MegaPanels: 512 has a new panel for Tour de Reading which was
fitted on 4th. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
First Berkshire Fleet List: Ten Mercedes
Citaros with Euro V engines are on order for use on Heathrow services in the new year. The
six remaining low floor Scanias expected are actually coming from South Yorkshire from
whence they will be released in the next few months. Thanks to Keith Nason for this. 65831
lost its ColourBus livery for Computer Associates during September in favour of ordinary
First Student livery. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 809 returned
refurbished and repainted in City 5 livery a week or so ago. Dart 401 has been repainted
into the new two tone red Oxford Bus Company livery, as has the first cascaded Trident
NX51 UCL although it has yet to enter service.
09-10-06:
Reading Transport Fleet List: Three of the
Vodafone OmniCity registrations are YN56 FAA, FAF and FAK, although its not confirmed
which fleet numbers these will be. These three were amongst five at the Scania dealership
in Hull this weekend. Thanks to Keith Thompson for this. The seven new vehicles are
expected to enter service on 16th.
Reading Area Bus Routes: Timetable changes to
Reading rural services and Loddon Bridge FastTrack from 27-11-06
05-10-06:
Reading Transport Fleet List: 964 is on loan
to Newbury for Vodafone services with Thames Valley Park vinyls removed. The first Newbury
OmniCity is reportedly due in Newbury next week with the rest at the beginning of the week
after that. Thanks to Richard Aldous for this.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: 52211 has arrived at Oxford on loan from Merseyside for use on training
duties. Withdrawn Banbury 42624 is to be reinstated at Oxford from 9th for use on a
temporary shuttle service during roadworks in Kidlington which last until Christmas.
03-10-06:
First Berkshire Fleet List: 60162, 60164,
60165, 60168 officially entered service on 13th September, 60167 on 26th September and
60163 on 1st October. 34279 transferred from Bracknell to Slough on 28th September and
60295 was withdrawn from Bracknell on 29th September. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.
Thames Travel Fleet List: New is Dart 156
probably registered KX56 HCZ, although this noted in a rush
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: 35176-85 have branding for route X17, whilst 35175 is an unbranded
spare. All now are confirmed in service apart from 35185. Following this Leamington 20558,
20560, 20803, 20804 (and most likely 20541, 20557, 20559, 20808 as well) have lost their
X17 branding - except for the front destination display surrounds which remain purple.
20201 has transferred from Leamington to Nuneaton, whilst 20219 is confirmed still at
Leamington leaving only the statuses of 20218 and 20220 as unconfirmed. Leamington 20417
and Nuneaton 20423 are in the process of being transferred to Yorkshire following the
fleet reshuffle. 16072 has been repainted from Unibus livery back into fleet livery
following changes to the Unibus timetable for this academic year. The 'Solo' branding on
47014/5 has been removed from the sides of the vehicles, but remains in place on the
rears. Withdrawn Rugby 14374 and 14937 are in store at Leamington along with 29617, 14517,
14932 and 14944. Leamington 40143 and 40163 appear likely to have been withdrawn, and
40153 has probably returned to Nuneaton.
02-10-06:
News Page: New Scania
OmniCity Vehicles for Thames Valley Park with photos of 1,
2, 3
and 5
Reading Transport Fleet List: 4 is
registered YN56 FBK and 5 is YN56 FBL. 1-5 all entered service today, whilst redundant
961-4 are parked up at the rear of the depot, status unknown. 970-3 are still in service
at Newbury on Vodafone duties, and have not yet returned to the leasing company as was
previously suggested that they might. 473 has lost its MegaRear for Ant Bully in favour of
fleet livery, but 475 still has its one.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet
List: New 35176/79/80/83 were confirmed in service today. Thanks to Keith
Wood for this. 34112/3 have returned from refurbishment and appear to be ready for use at
Nuneaton. Thanks to Alistair Rigley for this. 32002-8 have been withdrawn for immediate
disposal.
01-10-06:
News Page: Solo Next in New Newbury livery
with photo of 109. Thanks to Paul Hilton for
this.
Reading Transport Fleet List: 109 has been
repainted into the new livery, and entered service on 25th September after several days of
operation without vinyls/logos. Thanks to Paul Hilton for this.
Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 808 has been
refurbished and repainted in City 5 livery. Eight Dennis Trident / Plaxton Presidents
(including NX51 UCL) are expected from Go North East for route 35. Thanks to Malcolm Crowe
for this. Additionally, 641 was repainted into new style Oxford Bus Company Livery a
couple of weeks ago.