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www.buszone.co.uk

February 2008

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| Site Last Updated: 01-03-08 |

28-02-08:

27-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 468 has been transferred from Reading to Newbury (in full Newbury livery) to temporarily replace 455 until the rest of the Reading Scanias arrive and a further Spectra can be released. Two Dennis Dart SLFs have been acquired to become dedicated training vehicles. They will be going to Alexander Dennis at Bristol for modifications, and will then return to Reading for the interior conversion, followed by a repaint into a dedicated livery. 234 and 238 will then be sold. 51/2 are expected to arrive w/c 24th March.
  • Reading Transport MCW Metrobuses: 455 and 459 have also been sold to VisiBuzz in Onoz (455 being selected due to having a longer MOT).

26-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 455 appears to have been withdrawn and transferred to Reading today. Thanks to Michael for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 46918/19/20/22 have gone to Erith Commercial for scrap, 46919/22 on 21st and 46918/20 on 22nd. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.

25-02-08:

  • News Page: Premier Route Network Completed with photos of 851, 845, 1022
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 845-51 entered service today with full route branding. 1022/5 have returned from repaint and re-entered service today. 841-4 have received their branding for routes 15/16 and 1020, 1022, 1023, 1025 have received their branding for route 20/21.
  • Reading Transport Vehicle Types: Page updated for March giving an expected 196 vehicles (136 Reading, 35 Newbury, 25 Goldline) from 195 vehicles (131 Reading, 35 Newbury, 29 Goldline).
  • Courtney Coaches Fleet List: YE52 KPP has gone to HTL Buses not Hattons. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 46926 was withdrawn on 21st. Thanks to Mat Wooll for this.
  • Oxford Bus Company Fleet List: 826/7 have received City 2 branding. 828-34 have had their City 13/X3/X13 branding replaced by City branding, and 849-859 their City branding replaced by City 4 branding. 643 has been repainted into red Oxford Bus Company livery.
  • Woodley Travel Fleet List: WIB 7190, L289 MJH, G143 MNH, W401 HOB, W234 KDO, X372 HCT and BU53 AKY departed the fleet during January and February. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.

24-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 849 arrived on 22nd and 850 on 23rd, both in orange. The last of the light blue examples 847 has also arrived. 933 is confirmed as having returned from repaint into £3 Busabout livery, but has yet to return to service following mechanical difficulties.
  • Reading Transport Fleet List: Dart 610 is to be MX56 HYB from SM Coaches of Harlow. The two Wright Meridans for Vodafone are to be numbered 51/2. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: New at Slough in January and February respectively were Dennis Dart SLF / Marshall Capital 41262 (T262 JLD) and 41353 (V353 DLH) from First London to provide additional spares whilst the first batch of Citaros go away for repainting. Thanks to Brian Coney for this.
  • Courtney Coaches Fleet List: YE52 KPP has been returned to Dawson Rentals and is reported in operation with HTL Buses.

23-02-08:

21-02-08:

20-02-08:

19-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 458 has been sold to The Green Transport Company, Birmingham, arriving with them on 16th. 101 was back in service at Reading today.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: The fleet numbers for the new Scanias at Oxford are reported to be 15431-43. Thanks to Buses magazine for this. The first are expected to arrive by the end of this week for gradual entry into service from March.

18-02-08:

17-02-08:

16-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 841-4 entered service yesterday. 471 has returned to service after repaint into generic silver livery loosing its MegaRear for Chatham Place (cross dressing pink shoes).
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 64014 has been repainted into '7 series' blue. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.
  • Courtney Coaches Fleet List: KX53 SCV/SDO have had their Maidenhead services branding removed. Thanks to Ian Mihell for this.

13-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: A further two Olympuses were expected to arrive today, with ten of the batch expected to be operational by 25th. The remaining Metrobuses will be withdrawn on 24th, and the step entrance Spectras confined to school workings until the rest of the vehicles enter service. Use of generic liveried vehicles will allow all normal services to be low floor from the start of the new timetables. Meanwhile a tenth Dart for Newbury has finally been acquired, and is expected to arrive on 22nd before going for repaint.

12-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 841-4 are all confirmed as having arrived in Reading sometime between 1700 on 8th and 0915 on 11th, putting the likely delivery of 842/3 on Sunday 10th.

11-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 1022 has gone away to North West Bus and Coach for repaint into maroon. Thanks to "Bunny" for this. Meanwhile 841/3 have been delivered to Reading. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this. 842/3 were present outside the East Lancs factory yesterday. Thanks to Paul Jenkinson for this.

10-02-08:

  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: It appears that 18302 was used in Oxford on loan from Devon on 16th June last year. The native examples 18054, 18055 and 18195 which were on loan to Devon for the summer should have been returned for the Brookes University Open Day that day, but now it appears that 18302 was substituted in one of their places. Thanks to Chris Maxfield for this.

08-02-08:

  • News Page: Olympus Preview 2, with photo of 844. Thanks to "Bunny" for this.

07-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 1023 has been repainted into maroon ready for use on routes 20/21. Thanks to James Lamb for this.
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: New is AE57 LYS, numbered 1157. AE57 LYH/J/K/P have been numbered 5-857, and AE57 LYR is 1057. Meanwhile the report of a Dart registered OU57 FGY appears to have been incorrect. Thanks to Derek Bradfield for this.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: Thirteen Scania / ADL Enviro 400s are on order for delivery in February / March for Oxford. 18393 and four others from that batch will transfer from Oxford to Witney, whilst 20007-11, 34466 and 16526 will transfer from Witney to Oxford to allow a total of six Olympians and seven B10Ms to be withdrawn as a result.

06-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: Two MAN / Wright Meridans and a Mercedes executive minibus are on order to enlarge the Newbury Vodafone fleet. The MANs are expected to arrive in mid-March, and the Mercedes later in the spring.
  • Reading Transport Newbury Buses Vodafone Services: The network will be revised from 11th February, increasing the vehicle requirement from 7 to 10. The Theale service was withdrawn on 21st December.
  • First Berkshire Fleet List: 64017 has been repainted into '7 series' blue. Thanks to Stephen Le-Bras for this.
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: PL06 TFZ is on Dart SLF chassis rather than MAN. Thanks to Andrew Huggon for this. The next new MAN to arrive and enter service is AE57 LYR in base livery without vinyls.

05-02-08:

  • Courtney Coaches Fleet List: YE52 KPU has been returned to Dawson Rentals, and is now with HTL. Thanks to Andy Rigby for this.
  • Thames Travel Fleet List: Another addition to the fleet is MAN / MCV Evolution PL06 TFZ in plain white. A further new MAN in unbranded fleet livery has also entered service.
  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: Training vehicles 29127 and 29615 were withdrawn for disposal in early January following the arrival and repaint of 52424 into training livery. Ford Mondeo 90962 has been replaced by new Ford Mondeo 90110.

04-02-08:

  • Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire Fleet List: 20220 went on loan from Leamington to Oxford on 2nd to cover Staff Transport duties whilst Oxford 42624 undergoes an overhaul. Stratford 16539 has gone from reserve into service. 52649 has returned to the fleet at Rugby from Exeter for Megabus. New at Nuneaton is Ford Fiesta 92954 replacing 90742. Reserve 14516/7 and 20208 have all moved to reserve at Leamington.

03-02-08:

02-02-08:

  • Reading Transport Fleet List: 721 has been named Thunderbird 1. Thanks to David Wilder for this.
  • Reading Transport Leyland Olympians: Ensignbus have sold former 16 to Eastonways, Ramsgate.
  • Courtney Coaches Fleet List: YJ05 XMT and XNA have branding for the Nortel Office Park shuttle, and RX55 AOT is in a livery for Foundation Park. Meanwhile RO03 JVA has been repainted into plain white, formerly having been in Twyford Link & BoroughBus Livery. Thanks to James Cusworth for this.

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