Carousel Buses New Streetlites

Some of you probably followed my own blog on Carousel buses (previewed to the left) but unfortunately I've had to recently take this blog down. A couple of years ago I had the great fortune to be in contact with the various Managing Directors at the company who could keep me up-to-date on any changes to services or fleet that were upcoming. However, following the Go-Ahead takeover, these Managing Directors left the company and I lost my contact. It meant I had no way of knowing what was going to be changed and therefore no way of reporting it, especially as I don't live all that close to High Wycombe.

Anyway, long story short: the few-and-far-between Carousel updates will now be continued on here by yours truly. This one is quite a big one - the first new buses for Carousel since the Go-Ahead takeover have now entered service in the form of 2 Wright Streetlites. I was awfully dismayed at this because my previous experience of Streetlites has not been positive. However, much to my surprise, these Streetlites are actually rather excellent.

They are numbered 401 and 402, registered SM15HWC and SM15HWD respectively. They are the long-bodied Streetlite with the sensible door-forward arrangement and the Daimler engine has been specified. With LINK branding applied, they are destined for routes 730, 740 and A40 running between High Wycombe or Hemel Hempstead and Uxbridge or Heathrow Airport.

401, route A40, en route to Heathrow at Uxbridge.
© Lewis J.N.

The buses still have their new smell, and are decorated inside with the standard Oxford Bus interior of red-moquette seats and silver handrails. It's very smart and a welcoming place to be. The engine is spritely and quite happy to do 50mph down the A40 as the route requires. Rattling is minimal at this stage thanks to the quality Wrightbus bodywork on which one can always rely.

402, route A40, leaving High Wycombe en route to Heathrow.
© Lewis J.N.

871 (one of the Citaros) has been repainted into standard two-tone Carousel livery with the maroon at the front; 872 will remain in the LINK livery for the time being. Other news includes 415 and 417 have been taken to Oxford Bus for sale and 418 has returned from Thames branded for the Red One ready to enter service in the coming week.

401, route A40, on Maxwell Road in Beaconsfield en route to High Wycombe.
© Lewis J.N.

The Optare Tempos have been earmarked for transfer away from Carousel very soon, and more Streetlites are on order to arrive later in the year. Also, if you're going to Showbus in Wooburn Abbey in the coming month, there will be a Carousel Streetlite present, and the WLTM team will be there as well!