FAREWELL TO THE SCANIA L94 AND THE VOLVO B10BLE

Another type that we must say goodbye to this month is the Scania L94UB/Wright and most of the Volvo B10BLE's from First although some Scania's at Leeds and other Volvo B10BLE's have been altered to conform to the new DDA requirements which are now in force, above we see Scania 65587 V587 DVF which has finished it's career at Colchester via Norwich and Northampton and below we see Volvo B10BLE 66112 R912 BOU which was on loan at Ipswich last year as well as being up in Norfolk this year, both are types that will be sadly missed by enthusiasts as they were particularly comfortable and smooth as well as being liked by drivers and finishing with 65587's sister Scania 65589 V589 DVF which is now preserved by the ITM with some help on my part and with great thanks to Chris Speed who put up with my continued nagging about getting her preserved! See you all Next Year!!

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK

Seen here during the mid 1990's is Eastern Counties ex Kings Lynn based Bristol VR 164 MCL 940P which had transferred over to Ipswich late in it's career.

This is a perfect snapshot in time of Ipswich AEC Regent III's 14/16 CDX 514/16, 14 showing an side advert for the much missed Croydons Jewellers in Tavern Street, seen here in Crown Street.

This is a particularly rare photo of the last one of the Eastern Counties Bristol K6A series built with Strachan bodies LK 42 FNG 400 was also the last bus delivered with the tin bible destination plates, the body was replaced with an new ECW L27/28R in 1953 and converted to a Gardner 5LW engine, renumbered in 1962 to LK 144 this survived to 1967. Picture shows her passing Melton Chapel in the late 1940's on the 210 service.

This one i have shown before but its such an evocative picture it's worth showing again of Ipswich Sunbeam/Park Royal trolleybus 116 ADX 188 at St Augustines, Felixstowe Road still recognisable today in the early 1960's on the 4 heading back to Electric House, the BP garage is where Johnsons Cleaners stand today.

FAREWELL TO THE DART SLF: A VIEW FROM THE PAST

Another couple of days and it will be the deadline for Non DDA Single Decker buses, looking at many fleet lists there is still quite a large number existing within the major groups such as First and Arriva, however we must might being saying goodbye to the Ipswich Buses Dart SLF's  all three will go when their MOT's run out the remaining being 89/92/96 X89/92/96 LBJ, above you can see 89 back in November 2014 on the 6 when it worked through Broke Hall, followed by two former First Ipswich Dart's one of the Plaxton Pointer 2 type 43488 R688 DPW and one ex Devon & Cornwall of the original Plaxton Pointer style 42431 P431 ORL both back in early 2013 just as they were being phased out and finishing with an Ipswich Buses East Lancs Dart from the second batch being 133 R133 FBJ back in 2013 on the 16.

BANK HOLIDAY BUS SELECTION

Today being an Bank Holiday certainly threw up a lot of unusual things, Ipswich Buses were running a Sunday service while First Ipswich were on a normal timetable, while none of the Independents were operating into Ipswich. Above we see First Ipswich ADL Enviro 200 44517 YXO9 ACY on the 60/61 instead of the 53. Below we see First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69005 AU05 DME taking the place of 44517 on the 53.

Ipswich Buses Scania Omnicity 74 YN56 NVF found itself on the 6 .

While sister Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD also had a rare day out on the 15A.

While Optare Excel 2 172 YG52 DGE was the spare bus at Tower Ramparts.

EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATIONS JUNE 1968

Haven't done one of these for a while so thought i would dig this out of my archive, unfortunately at this time ECOC didn't always produce these allocation sheets so in actual fact this is the only one from 1968 that i possess, above we see FLF 457 JPW 457D when fairly new in Ipswich OCM, this would spend the majority of it's career at Norwich from the 1970's.

Originally an Eastern National bus this Bristol LS LM 923 WVX 449 transferred to Eastern Counties in 1966 to implement one man operation, seen here on it's regular run the 90 to Cringleford in the Norwich Bus Station.

BOXING DAY BUSES

Pictures today are taken from today's Boxing Day services operated by Ipswich Buses with a Galloway Optare Solo SR thrown in as well. My first picture is Scania Omnidekka 60 PJ54 YZT which found itself on the 6A, sister 61 was also out on the 15A.

Scania/ Optare Olympus 68 YJ60 KGX was on the X5/8 along with sister 69.

DAF Lowlander 59 was the spare Double Decker while sister 58 was on the 6.

Mercedes Benz Citario 154 BF65 HVU was on the 9/10 with sister 155.

Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD was on the 12/13 while sister 74 was parked in the Cricketers Lay By.

 Clive Richardson Tours Mercedes Benz Tourismo CR12 RAM was in Town still in dealer livery

Optare Solo SR YJ65 EWF was the choice for Galloways on the 87/88 to Stowmarket.

BEESTONS COACH FLEET DECEMBER 2015

Beestons 77CJX an Volvo B12M/Van Hool Alizee T9.

BEESTONS COACHES
Livery	Registration	Model/Chassis	Bodywork	Seating
White	T9 CCT	Volvo B10M	Van Hool Alizee T9	C53F
White	UGP 69	Volvo B10M	Van Hool Alizee T9	C49FT
White	226 LRB	Volvo B10M	Van Hool Alizee T9	C57F
White	219 GRA	Scania K114	Van Hool Alizee T9	C53F
White	77  CJX	Volvo B12M	Van Hool Alizee T9	C53F
White	229 LRB	Scania K114	Van Hool Alizee T9	C53F
White	221 GRA	Volvo B12M	Van Hool Alizee T9	C53F
Gold/Black	222 GRA	DAF	Van Hool Astron	C53FT
White	NSV 371	Volvo B12M	Jonckheere	C53F
White	NSV 372	Volvo B12M	Jonckheere	C53F
Gold/Black	YJ64 ATV	DAF	Van Hool Alicron	C41F
White	BF65 WHU	Volvo B11R	Jonckheere	C53FT
White	YX65 ZJU	Volvo B9R	Plaxton	C59F
White	523 FN	Volvo B12BT	Van Hool Astrobel T9	C61/18FT
Black/Gold	524 FN	Volvo B12BT	Van Hool Astrobel T9	C61/18FT
Metallic Red/Gold	526 FN	Volvo B12BT	Van Hool Astrobel T9	C61/FT

Beestons have a pair of Jonckheere bodied Volvo B12M's one of the two is NSV 372.

BEESTONS BUS FLEET DECEMBER

In  the new version of the Beestons Livery with the silver front is ex Transdev Scania Omnidekka YN54 OAH which make up the vast majority of the bus fleet. Many Thanks to David Burrows of Beestons who has been extremely helpful in putting this together, the coach part of the list is to follow later on with both parts available on the pages in the new year.

BEESTONS BUS FLEET	December 2015
Livery	Registration	Model/Chassis	Bodywork	Seating
New Blue	KX54 NLC	Optare Solo		B33F
White Dealer	KX54 NLD	Optare Solo		B33F
Old Blue	WPX 448	Volvo Olympian	NC Palatine 1	H47/31F
Old Blue	X568 YUG	Volvo B10BLE	Wright	B49F
New Blue	YN03 DDA	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
New Blue	YN03 DFE	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
New Blue	YN03 DFJ	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
New Blue	YV03 PZL	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
Red	YV03  PZM	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
Red	YV03 PZW	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
New Blue	YV03 PZY	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
Old Blue	MX04 MYW	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
Old Blue	MX04 MYY	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/31F
New Blue	YN54 OAE	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H45/31F
New Blue	YN54 OAH	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H45/33F
New Blue	YN54 OBB	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
Old Blue	YN54 OBX	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
New Blue	YN54 OCJ	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
New Blue	YN05 HFY	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
New Blue	YN55 NJZ	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
Old Blue	YN55 NDY	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F
Old Blue	MX06 LDN	Scania N94UD	East Lancs	H47/33F

Seen back in April was MX04 MYW an Scania Omnidekka new to Bullocks of Cheadle.