THE LONDON & HOME COUNTIES BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Carousel Buses | Minbuses | Pick-Me-Up
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 Seen on the SS1 Staff Shuttle on Castle Street was Mercedes Sprinter 45 in June 2018. The "staff" are not Carousel staff but the service is on behalf of a local employer and a frequent visitor to the railway station. The bus was a demonstrator for dealer Evobus in Coventry and presumably acquired fom them. Oddly given a four digit fleetnumber it is 1951 (BN17JFV). When Carousel received new EVM bodied Sprinters this bus joined Go-Ahead London as their MB5 for the GO-Sutton Dial-a-Ride.
Picture ref C624 |
 A second Evobus demonstrator was seen at the same locatrion a month later numbered 970 (BT66TZM). The bus moved on and was with East Yorkshire for their "JustGo" North Lincolnshire on demand services in 2025, numbered 20402.
Picture ref C1401 |
 The introduction of London's low emission zone impacted long standing services in the Uxbridge area on the edge of Greater London. Redline used to operate route 583 from Slough via Langley and Iver Heath to Uxbridge behalf of Buckinghamshire County Council. As their fleet contained no Euro6 specification buses they curtailed the service at Langley as route 83. Carousel were contracted by Bucks to continue to link the communities of Ritchings Park and Iver Heath to Uxbridge. So, seen in June 2021, dwarfed by the Abellio Alexander Dennis Enviro400MMC behind, 2525 (YX15OWR), this is Carousel's 980 (RN19WSV), an EVM bodied Mercedes Sprinter CDI on the 581, at least one other Sprinter had just been prepared in the company's normal red livery which 980 acquired in due course. The bus is seen in York Road where the rest of the company's "Chiltern Hundreds" services to High Wycombe were banquished by TfL and kept out of the Bus Station immediately outside the Underground Station. Outer London orbital Green Line service 724 was similarly ousted there too. Equally scant mention is made of these services on local TfL publicity. For example High Wycombe was not listed as a destination reachable from Uxbridge and neither was Slough. The 583 was the successor to the 458, an RF route, the singledeckers necessitated by the low bridge at Langley Railway Station.
Picture ref C7914 |
 Bound for Denham, from Uxbridge, on the 581, later that month was sister vehicle 977 (RF68FLC) in the latest Carousel livery.
Picture ref C8225 |
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 Seen in the centre of Wycombe are two of the former Oxford PickMeUp all-Mercedes Sprinter 45 minibuses in July 2022. The Oxford on demand service finished due to a lack of funding, the buses 975 (BU18YRS) on town service 27, followed by 974 (BU18YRR) on another local service, they still have Oxford City skyline images on their sides. In between is ex London General WVL197 (LX05EZO), a Wright bodied Volvo B7TL, now Carousel 940 on route to Flackwell Heath. A fourth Carousel bus in the picture is Cressex Connect Park & Ride Wright Streetlite DF 409 (SK16GXZ).
Picture ref P1257 |
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 Bucks County Council introduced an on demand service in High Wycombe and Carousel won the contract. Very conveniently they revived the PickMeUp identity from Oxford and redpolyed the Mercedes Sprinters. Labelled as a Carousel PickMeUp is 987 (BU18YRT). However it is not seen in Wycombe on PickMeUp work but out of service in Uxbridge in September 2022, probably related to the 581 and 583 services.
Picture ref D1713 |
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Climbing Corporation Street in Wycombe in May 2023 is one of a new fleet of buses for Wycombe's PickMeUp, 988 (RX23TYF) an EVM bodied Mercedes Sprinter 517CDI. The minibuses are a regular sight in the town, but passengers less so! The service is nonetheless reorted to be a success.
Picture ref P4471 |
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 With PickMeUp duties finishing around 1900h it was not surprising to see 517CDI 984 (RX23TYP) leaving the Bus Station on an evening 41 to Great Misseneden in July 2023.
Picture ref P4830 |
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 What was more surprising was to see 988 (RX23TYG) in Uxbridge in September 2025 next to a "sustainable travel" hoarding by the new major housing developemnt on the former RAF Uxbridge base.
Picture ref P5115 |
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 Also that month older EVN 516CDI 978 (RF68FLX) was being used during the afternoon n town servce 33. The red minibses are usually to be found on contract services or subbing on the PickMeUp.
Picture ref D9094 |
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