THE SHOWBUS HOME COUNTIES BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Carousel Buses | Scania doubledeckers
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 As Oxford was sorting out its vehicles in the summer of 2014, former Thames Travel 911 (OU54PGZ) appeared in High Wycombe in a wrap for Amersham & Wycombe College, which sealed its fate on route 36, which has largely replaced the old 400 service which passes the college's Flackwell Heath campus. The bus is an East Lancs bodied Scania Omnidekka and brought East Lancs bodywork back to the fleet after the departure of the London General Volvo B7TL buses. Picture ref A5099 |
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 The disability non compliant Tridents new for Oxford Park & Ride were replaced by Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD doubledeckers themselves displaced by new Wright Streetdecks for the Park & Ride releasing the hybrid Enviros used on P&R to oust the Scanias! The buses arrived with lots of signs suggesting they should still be in service with the city, but their two tone red livery blended well with Carousel's. Seen heading for Bourne End in June 2017 is 220 (JF10OXF) which had gained Carousel fleetnames, others were still branded "city".
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 Some weeks later in late July 220 is seen in Watford on the 336 to High Wycombe. The service is usually the preserve of the Optare Solos, but this particular Saturday all three buses in use were the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scanias.
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 The bus is seen earlier in the day heading towards Chesham on route to Wycombe.
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 Seen on the a 36 on London Road a few days earlier is sister bus 221 (KF10OXF) with a similar livery treatment.
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 Treated to a complete repaint is 215 (DF10OXF). In common with recent deliveries and repaints the livery is plain red and the bus is promoting the Carousel's new mobile app. It is seen in Castle Street in High Wycombe heading for Chesham on route 1, normally the preserve of route branded singledeckers.
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 Two of the Enviro400 bodied buses were repainted to promote the X80 Regatta route, competing with Arriva. This is 220 (JF10OXF), the other X80 is 219 (HF10OXF). The bus is seen in Wycombe Bus station in August 2018. The X80 service has seen several upheavals in its timetable. It started with an hourly service to Reading and half hourly as far as Henley. It then became half hourly to Reading being diverted via the new Wycombe Park & Ride site with some buses diverted via the town's railway station and some only going as far as the Park & Ride. From February 2018 it went back to an hourly Reading service, with a half hourly service only as far as Marlow, plus only one school timed journey to Henley, the various shorts to the Park & Ride site continue.
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 There was regular exchange of vehicles between Carousel and sister group company Thames Travel. This Scania Omnidekka N250UD is 912 (OU08HGM), the group having a common numbering system. Seen in Wycombe High Street bound for Flackwell Heath in September 2017, the bus had gained Carousel fleetnames so seemed set to stay a while, but it is believed to have been returned from whence it came.
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 Out of service approaching Wycombe Bus Station is Enviro400 bodied 217 (FF10OXF) in full Carousel livery in June 2018.
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 Seen the same month was sister vehicle 218 (GF10OXF) seen entering the pedestrian zone from Church Street to Frogmoor.
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 In contrast 207 (GF09OXF) seen in Frogmoor in September is fresh off the city streets in Oxford Brookes University livery.
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 Climbing Church Street in August 2019 Enviro400, 222 (LF10OXF), appears fresh off Oxford city streets.
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 Seen the same month in the same garb was 220 (JF10OXF) heading down Corporation Street. This is the bus seen in X80 Regatta livery, which had obviously returned to Oxford after the X80 ceased.
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 In Uxbridge in full Carousel livery in August 2019 was 218 (GF10OXF) passes Abellio Alexander Dennis Enviro200MMC 8883 (SN17MPF) laying over in York Road before its next U7 run.
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 A few surplus Brighton & Hove East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD buses were transferred from the South Coast in 2021 and intoduced a new Carousel livery using dark red fronts as per the early Carousel livery. Entering Frogmoor in July that year bound for Bourne End is 241 (YN56FFD) or Brighton 904.
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Also that month 219 (HF10OXF) is doing the regular battle with Pizza Hut delivery cars parked on the Castle Street bus stop outside their store. The Enviro400 bodied Scania is on an X8 variant of the Handy Cross Park & Ride. Opposite is Arriva the Shires Mercedes Citaro 3038 (BU06HSN), later renumbered 3908.
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 The subsequent Brighton & Hove Scanias did not get the dark red fronts. Their livery mimicked Thames Travel's latest scheme basically using red instead of bright green. This is 244 (YN05GZO) former Brighton & Hove 652 seen at SHOWBUS 2021 in the "Bus Station". It was operating service !S from Hemel Hempstead which connected with the 1A to and From High Wycombe linked with the Chiltern Line at Wycombe, Amersham and Chesham Undergound Stations and the main ine at Hemel.
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 Passing in Church Street in February 2022 are 245 (YN55NFO) ex Brighton 656 and N230UD 216 (EF10OXF).
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 A great view of SHOWBUS bus 244 in March 2022 poised to descend Corporation Street.
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 With all those Carousel buses branded for Oxford city, occasionally the reverse happened. Working a city service at the Carfax in April 2022 was Carousel 218 (GF10OXF).
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 SHOWBUS 244 again but in September 2022 in Hemel Hempstead bound for High Wycombe.
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 In summer of 2024 shock waves spread though the Carousel fleet. Arriva closed its High Wycombe depot leaving Carousel to take over the services, with the exception of the routes to Aylesbury which Redline took on having already competed on the route for some years and creamed off most of the traffic. Carousel acquired several secondhand buses to take on the services as well as drafting in spare buses from within the Oxford led group. From Thames Travel came more of what were once Oxford's Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD. This one, 229 (UF10IXF), had operated the Oxford to Reading "River Rapids" service, stripped of its promotional vinyls passengers could have been fooled into thinking it was an Arriva. It is seen in Castle Street, almost certainly on the 1 to Chesham, a service that had been jointly operated with Shires until a recent exchange of routes made it exclusively Carousel's.
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 A better shot of 229 a few days later in June 2024 at the Oxford Street stop in Frogmoor.
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 Heading to Lane End on the short lived route 4 was 221 (KF10OXF) seen near the Bus Station in July 2024. Transferred directly from Oxford the bus was wrapped to advertise GWR. Not altogether inappropriate with the company serving Slough and now Reading.
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 Also displaced from Thames Travel - in turn displaced by Wright Streetdecks from Oxford - were grey "Connector" branded Enviro400 bodied Scanias from the Oxford batch, This is 227 (SF10OXF) seen in YorkRoad, Uxbridge in July 2024 about to return to Wycombe on the 101.
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 This second view of 227 that month shows it is totally devoid of branding.
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 In October 2024 209 is seen in Castle Street returning - despite what the blind says - from Penn Pond in full Thames Travel livery and branding. It was last seen in Wycombe in Oxford city red!
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 Carousel's takeover of Reading services 800 and 850 - the 800 route has since been dropped - has seen ider us of doubledeckers on this scenic trip. On an evening short to Henley-on-Thames in Marlow's West Street in October 2024 is 217 (FF10OXF).
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 Meeting at Wycombe Rye in April 2025 are a fully "Connector" branded Scania and one of the all Alexander Dennis Enviro400MMC Flightline deckers. Both buses were new to Oxford Bus.
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 Shaded by the trees adjacent to the layover bays in Wycombe Bus Station 227 is enjoying a break in May 2025. Note that it has gained Carousel fleet identity, if not livery!
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 Also seen that month in Castle Street was former Thames Travel 213 (BF10OXF) bereft of fleet identity.
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 Aside from the repainted skirt panel, 80223 (MF10OXF) is in full Oxford City livery when seen in July 2025 in Chesham Broadway.
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 Also seen that month was 80222 (fromer 222) now treated to a Carousel fleetname on the dash.
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 A pair of fully Carousel liveried Enviro400 bodied Scanias in Castle Street in September 2025.
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 Former Thames Travel "River Rapids" 80228 (TF10OXF) with sufficient Carousel fleetnames leaves Heathrow Central Bus Station's layover bays for a return trip on the 102 to High Wycombe in September 2025. Definitely not in the Flightline image!
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