New Year’s Day Oxford event well supported reports Nick Larkin
Good relations with operators and an excellent team of volunteers have reaped benefits for the Oxford Bus Museum. The 1 January Vintage Bus Extravaganza proved a great success with several visiting vehicles from local companies supplementing those from the museum’s own fleet. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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The museum would also like to particularly thank Go-Ahead-owned Oxford Bus Company for help with the newest vehicle in its fleet, a historically significant low-floor double-decker in the form of Alexander-bodied Dennis Trident T113DBW.
This was new to Oxford Bus Company on July 1999 as part of a 20-strong batch (T101-120DBW) for Park & Ride services, one of the first major intakes of low-floor buses for a fleet outside London. It finished its service career with Oxford Bus Company sister operator Carousel, operating a special service named ‘The Blue Bus’ and is to be restored to original sapphire blue, lime green and white Park & Ride livery.
“We had a lot of help from several people at the Oxford Bus Company when acquiring the vehicle, and a lot of the team there are very interested in what we do, and supportive,” said Oxford Bus Museum Director Paul Statham. “It is good to be able to save one of Oxford’s first low-floor buses and obviously it appeals to the younger generation. Stagecoach in Oxford has also been very good to us.”
Currently in the museum’s restoration workshop is an Oxford Bus Company vehicle from the 1990s which is now a rare survivor, Plaxton Verde-bodied Volvo B10B, N605FJO.
Operators represented at the New Year’s Day event included St Albans-based Timebus with RMC-type AEC Routemaster 477CLT and Rexquote Heritage with a 1948 Bristol L6A with ECW bodywork. Registered GFM882, it was new to Crosville but is currently in Thames Valley guise.
Coaches and buses operated a free service to Witney and Oxford Parkway station, and there were mystery tours. “It was a very successful day, with attendance up on last year,” said Paul.
Meanwhile the museum has received a Queens Award for Voluntary Service, which will be presented on 3 April in recognition of the hard work of volunteers. “We are honoured,” added Paul.
Oxford Bus Museum is at Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire OX29 8LA, www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk
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