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www.buszone.co.uk

December 2006

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| Site Last Updated: 01-01-07 |

23-12-06:

  • News Page: New Silver Livery Completed, with photos of 723 and 961 by Mark Lyons.
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: A Scania N230 / East Lancs Esteem single decker is on demonstration until 4th January, the registration is thought to be YN06 TGE. Thanks to Brian Coney for this. 964 and probably 963 have now been repainted into silver generic livery. Thanks to James Cusworth for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: Further additional coaches 20369 and 20372 arrived from Port Talbot on 21st, with a further two also expected. 64792, 64794, 64795, 64798 transferred to Hayes on 20th.
  • Countywide Travel: Link to the company's new official website added
  • Reading Area Bus Routes: Countywide Travel changes from 2nd January
  • Oxford Area Bus Routes: Service changes from 10th December, 2nd January, 15th January and 25th January

19-12-06:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: A new acquisition for the ancillary fleet is 354, a V-reg Ford Transit Pickup which presumably replaces former 306. Meanwhile 336 has received a new style Reading Buses logo on the front bonnet, but remains in the old livery.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 42624 has been transferred back from Oxford to Banbury to allow Banbury 42383 to go on loan to Witney to provide temporary additional minibus cover whilst the new services settle down. 32626 has moved from Witney to Oxford to cover for 42624 on the Kidlington roadworks shuttle. 42624 and 32626 will be put back into reserve once everything has settled down, and 42383 will move back to Banbury. Meanwhile 32625 has been in use at Banbury instead of Witney because Banbury 20004 has been off the road with accident damage. Either 20008 or 20009 returned to Witney from loan to Oxford a few weeks ago.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: The first of the new Optare Solos for Witney are to arrive earlier than expected. The first is to arrive in Oxford tomorrow, and then in small batches through January. The first two may see service in Oxford whilst Darts 33650-6, 33763 and 33821/2 are being refurbished for use on an enhanced route 10 from 2nd January, and during major roadworks in Oxford High Street from 15th January.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 20201, 20206, 20809, 20814 and 20816 have been withdrawn from Nuneaton and are to transfer to Northampton. Warwickshire County Council Solo YG52 DFY has been allocated a new fleet number for its second period with Stagecoach, so is now numbered 47420 instead of 47027. 91041 is now used as a pool car, rather than the Revenue Protection Inspector.

17-12-06:

  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: YN55 PZB/K/S/T are named Buzz, Knightrider, Skywalker and Terminator and LUI 9691/3/4/5 are named Pacific Surfliner, California Zepher, Empire Builder, Texas Eagle. S378 TMB has been returned to the loan company upon return of RX06 WPT from Volvo. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 403-7, 409-11 and 604 have been transferred to Go West Midlands, whilst 898/9 have been returned to Wilts & Dorset and 70 is for sale.  Coaches 9 and 12 appear to have returned from Go West Midlands, still in plain white and not in service.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: New at Leamington is Solo 47354 AE06 TWN. 34111/2/3/8 have been branded for Primeline 48.

12-12-06:

11-12-06:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 961 has returned from repaint into silver generic livery. 961/2 and 723 all still await the final vinyls.
  • Reading Optare Excels: Sometime since October 916 has received Hanover LED displays, previously having had Bright-Tech units
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: The complete set of registrations for new Citaros 849-59 is LF/MF/OF/PF/RF-WF/YF 56 OXF. The batch entered service yesterday. 828-34 have had their Oxford Abingdon direct branding replaced with City branding as per 849-59. Thanks to Malcolm Crowe for this.
  • Stewarts of Mortimer: New photo of YN55 YSJ added

09-12-06:

  • News Page: MetroRider Update with photo of 631. Thanks to James Cusworth for this.
  • Reading Transport: New link to Iain MacKenzie's photos of former Excels in New Zealand added
  • Reading Transport Optare Excels: Partial details of the New Zealand identities of 901-10 added. Thanks to Mike Butler and Iain MacKenzie for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 60162 has a new MegaRear for Oracle (Winter Fashion & Taste). Thanks to Mac Head for this.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: To correct the report from 7th, the Bovas WA56 ENV/W were originally to be registered WA06 GSW/X - not the other way around. To add to the confusion they were originally plated ENU/W whilst at the dealership, but were corrected to ENV/W. LUI 9693/4 are confirmed as being in Southern Railroad livery and LUI 9693 has also been named California Zepher. On loan is Dennis Dart S378 TMB whilst two of the B7RLEs have been returned to Volvo for modification work. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.

07-12-06:

  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 60756 and 60758 were in service on the 41/43 yesterday. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.
  • Weavaway Travel Fleet List: OIL 4201 has been reregistered LUI 9691, and has received Southern Railway Company fleetnames. Dominators LUI 9693-5 are to be treated similarly. X70 OXF is to be reregistered back to YN53 EHZ and sold. NBZ 70 and NDZ 70 have been converted from C53F to C70F. The registrations on the latest Bovas WA56 ENV/W (also reported ENU/V) have been cancelled in favour of WA06 GSW/X because their expected 1st September delivery date was not met. Thanks to Bus Fare magazine for this. C1 OXF is confirmed in service, probably arriving along with the others some time ago but not noted.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 34111 entered service at the end of November. Thanks to Keith Wood for this.

04-12-06:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 630 was back in use at Newbury by 28th November in base Newbury livery, but with a Reading Buses logo on the front and a cash vault fitted inside. Thanks to David Wilder for this.

03-12-06:

  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: A correction is that 817 is in a maroon heritage livery, not blue. Thanks to Chris Maxfield for this. The first of the latest batch of new Citaros is 852 registered PF56 OXF. Both it and 904 have 'city' branding without a route number.

02-12-06:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 963 is confirmed in use at Reading pending repaint. 704 and 706 have new MegaRears for the Oracle (Winter Fashion & Taste) replacing their rears for the Oracle (Fashion & Taste).
  • Reading Transport MegaSides: New photo of the side on 455 added
  • Reading Transport MegaRears: New photo of the rear on 706 added
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: To celebrate 125 years of service, 816 has been repainted into heritage duck egg and red livery, and 817 into original tramways blue and white. Thanks to Chris Maxfield for this.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: Following the loss of the remaining National Express work, the coaches at Nuneaton are to transfer away. The first were 52641/52642/52643 which moved to Winchester on 30th November for Megabus work and then 52647/52657 on 1st. Megabus liveried 52446 transferred from Rugby to Barnsley by 2nd December along with workings on the Liverpool - London Megabus service, and 52490 and 52617 have moved to Cheltenham.

01-12-06:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 631 is in use at Reading in Newbury livery but without fleetnames. Thanks to James Cusworth for this. 12 is now confirmed in service. Thanks to Stuart Curwen for this.
  • Reading Transport MegaSides: 455 has a new MegaSide for the Oracle (Winter Fashion & Taste) replacing one for the Oracle (Fashion & Taste).
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: Three new coaches are on order for Berkshire as part of First's 2007/8 new vehicle order. Thanks to CBW magazine for this. They are rumoured to be for use on the RailAir service. 46924 was withdrawn from Slough on 20th November. 34106 also transferred from Slough to South Yorkshire on the same date, whilst 64815 was withdrawn from Bracknell on 22nd. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this. 61258 was in service at Bracknell today, whilst 60756 is in use at Slough on training duties. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.

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