3 Unchanged Today - Mostly

The original Oxford City route 3 was a typical urban service, which might, as in some towns, have once been a horse tram or electric tram. Sadly, trams did not use Iffley Road ...

There was a service along the Cowley Road from which Iffley Road branched at "The Plain". Here are Horse trams near Magdalen College on "The High".

The last horse tram ran in 1914; the system was never electrified, largely due to opposition from the university colleges!

A horse bus service did run along the Iffley Road however. A horse tram (c/w plastic horse!) is preserved in the Oxford Bus Museum ...

... but the appropriately dressed young lady is real!

Maybe a motor bus route was extended into the new-build estate pre WW2? 

The modern map above shows the Thames Travel X40 (branded River Rapids) to Wallingford and Reading. 

Thames Travel is now part of Oxford Bus; the X40 runs every 30 minutes.

We saw the bus situation at Rose Hill in 1964 in yesterdays blog ...

... where we can spot Minchery Farm and Blackbird Leys as names familiar on today's map. A closer look reveals Cowley Centre ...

... Florence Park and Westbury Crescent which are less familiar. A Modern map shows Florence Park; Cowley Centre has become Templars Square ...

... and Blackbird Leys is now a large estate served by a big clockwise loop.

Alas, Westbury Crescent has lost its bus service ...

... which, back then, terminated at a small shopping centre on Kelburne Road.

Look, no shops!

Just to confuse you all, the bus at Rose Hill numbered 45 ...

... used to be Stagecoach 20 ...

... at least between Rose Hill and Cowley.

So much does remain unchanged in the "greater" Rose Hill area, at least broadly unchanged for the last sixty years.

Which brings us to the service 3A!

=========================

Puzzle Picture

A day late but, hey ho, fbb was busy with his monthly meeting and leaflet.

The leaflet'spuzzle pages will follow at the weekend, but here are the puzzle pictures previously presented.

Underground enthusiasts may well recognise the well protected gubbins that drives an escalator ...

... but it is all very well hidden! You can just glimpse a huge drive wheel behind the protective grilles.

And here something similar is in the open.

If you are still doubtful or discombobulated, below is a 4 minute video which explains all.

fbb's visit to an escalator many years ago involved walking down the creepy staircase below the moving stair ...

... with the glorious gubbins at shoulder height.

=========================

 Next Beyond Rose Hill blog : Sat 24 May