THE SHOWBUS UK MIDLANDS BUS IMAGE GALLERY
City of Oxford Motor Services
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 With its love of Southall manufactured buses, eleven of the ill-fated AEC Swifts bodied by Marshall entered the fleet in late 1967 and early 1968. This unidentified example is thought to be seen in Swindon.
Picture ref H853 |
 Side by side in Cowley Road depot sometime around 1980 are two lowheight vehicles. On the left is one of several Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetlines, 417 (UFC417K). On the right is one of only three ECW bodied Bristol VRTSL6G buses, 901 (OFC901H), to join the fleet, being a diverted order from Southern Vectis. More Bristol doubledeckers were to follow as the NBC standard issue and more Southern Vectis diversions under Go-Ahead ownership. Another of the VR trio can be seen behind having been repainted in NBC livery and the rear of one of the coach VRTSL6G ordered for the London service. Despite being lowheight the VR trio was numbered in the 900-series as they were unable to fit under the bridge at Oxford Station, a major obstacle which had dictated Oxford's bus purchases for years. When VR buses entered the fleet in large numbers they had been built three inches lower than normal, eliminating the thin white band above the curved windscreens. Uniquely in 1984 901 was rebuilt as an open topper, repainted in traditional Oxford livery and renumbered 301 as it could now safely that offending bridge!
Picture ref H865 |
 Deliberately sporting traditional Oxford livery in NBC days was ECW bodied Bristol VRTSL3 476 (HUD476S). The bus is on display at the first Woburn Abbey SHOWBUS in 1981, the year it painted to celebrate the company's centenary. Notice the lack of beading above the windscreen as at 13' 5" 476 an fit under that infamous bridge.
Picture ref H925 |
Back to the Oxford Bus Museum in June 2013 for East Lancs Dennis Loline II 304 (304KFC) new in 1960. Oxford sampled a batch of five that year, ever anxious for buses that would fit under that Botley Road Bridge. However AEC's lowheight offerings became the bus of choice.
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 Enjoying the one significant enthusiast event of 2020 - the SHOWBUSflyby - 304 is seen outside Thame Town Hall on the road run from nearby Wheatley Services along the A40 to Beaconsfield Services with around seventy other vehicles.
Picture ref 20-304KFC |
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