IPSWICH BUSES DAY TICKET ADVERTISING/TUESDAY FLASHBACK

Just a quick blog tonight heralding a new initiative on Ipswich Buses of an All Day Ticket advertising which is appearing on most of the fleet, ticket price is £3.50 Adult and £4 for a group in off peak hours, newly acquired Dart 136 from Lothian appeared on the Cornhill yesterday to kick off the campaign. A quick update on yesterday's First news is that 2 further depots are to close in addition to Bracknell, those being Newcastle Upon Lyme depot in the Potteries which will be absorbed in the Adderley Green, Stoke depot and in the Midlands, Hereford. One other bit of news is that First's school journeys on routes 87/88/987 are now included on the public timetable.

A newly acquired scan which dates in the early 1980's well there's is a Leyland National 2 in the background which helps, here we see Eastern Counties LFS 86 BNG 886B in the hubub of Norwich.

FIRST TO ROLL OUT NEW DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAMME

A former Ipswich bus 60807 S658 RNA a Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown the favoured bus now for First Group trainers.

First is to roll out a new Driver Training programme which will be accredited to City And Guilds, has already been trialled by Bolton, Southampton and Essex and endorsed by CPT
The course for new drivers will take 20 days with 3 days of customer service training and a minimum 2:1 driver/trainer ratio with the amount of time behind the wheel increased by 30 per cent. MD Giles Fearnley said that we recognise that the bus sector must become more customer focused,while Linda Guthrie, First Head of Driver Training said that We're no longer looking for bus drivers, we're looking for customer service agents that we can train to drive a bus. In other First news it has been reported that First Hampshire/Dorset/Berkshire have announced the closure of Bracknell on August 19th current allocation 53 buses.

Galloway gain route 113/14 from Simmonds

With thanks to Steve's Bus and Train Page i can report that Galloway's are to take over the 113/14 to Diss from Ipswich, starting from September 1st, to date there is no other info on the other routes which are up from tender

Seen back in March is Galloway Optare Solo 1440 PP seen on tendered service 116 to Debenham.

BEALES AND SPEED'S SWIFT ON IT'S WAY HOME

Well it's about time i would add! Chris Speed and Danny Beale's ex Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M has left Rotherham today and making it's way back slowly i would imagine to Great Yarmouth after passing it's MOT, i know both of them are eager to get it on the preservation scene again, i'm hoping it will pop down to Ipswich during August, so watch this space! As a bonus a fully restored image below from the early 1980's in the earlier blue and cream colours.

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD:OLD MEETS NEW

This rare moment in time captured on the 28/10/85 sees the change over between the old guard Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka OT2 VDV 753 and the new OT3 Bristol VR JNG 50N pictured together in Felixstowe Bus Station OT3,had spent the summer in Great Yarmouth and then came to Ipswich following the acquisition of  two ex Ribble VR's OT 351 OCK 995K and OT 352 NCK 980J for the Summer of 1986. Below is another blast from the past this time Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LFS 72 72 DPW in Norwich eking out it's final days during the early 1980's?

CARTERS FLEET LIST JUNE 2015

Carter's solo Dennis Trident/Plaxton President 405 LR52 KWH seen back at the end of April.

FLEET LIST AS OF JUNE 2015

256 L456 JCK Volvo B10L/Saffle B43F 1994 currently for sale
260 AY60 BYD DAF SB180/ MCV Evolution B40F 2010
427 G727 XDL Leyland Olympian/Leyland H76F 1990
415 P915 RYO Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties H74F 1997
456 R156 LHK Volvo Olympian/Alexander Belfast H80F
450 LX51 FJC Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H75F 2001
451 LX51 FJN Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H75F 2001
452 LX51 FJD Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H75F 2001
402 LG02 FEV Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H66F 2002
403 LG02 FEV Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H75F 2002
404 LG02 FCE Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H75F 2002
405 LR52 KWH Dennis Trident 2/Plaxton President H73F 2003

VINTAGE BUS FLEET

DFG33 314 PFM Bristol FSF6G/ECW H60F 1960
RML 2266 CUV 286C AEC Routemaster/Park Royal H72F 1965
OT3 JNG 50N Bristol VR/ECW O43/31F 1975
VR 294 VEX 294X Bristol VR/ECW H43/31F 1981

 Seen at this year's Norwich Running Day in March is Bristol VR OT3 JNG 50N.

Seen last year is Carter's DAF/MCV Evolution 260 AY60 BVD.

EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATION SHEET JULY 1953

For all you Eastern Counties history fans tonight well an easy option for me tonight a classic allocation sheet taken from July 1953.

from 1958.

FIRST'S SUFFOLK AUGUST CHANGES/IB DART 137 RETURNS

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66981 KX05 MHK on the 61 2 months ago a route which will see changes to it's timetable.


This week on the VOSA Notices and Proceedings has seen a raft of changes to First's Suffolk services primarily in the north of the county, i have already mentioned the changes to the 53/60/61/A town services in a previous blog. In Lowestoft a completely new service will be the 104, Monday to Saturday every hour, 99 will have it's route, stops and times changed, 106 timetable amendments, 111 to Carlton Colville route and times will change, 102/122 timetable amendments and the 103/123 will be cancelled. Seen below sent from Zak on Norwich Bus Page is Carters Dennis Trident 404 LG02 FCE seen today at Simmond's Diss depot, with thanks to Justin Wythe at Carter's i can tell you it's been off the road since February Half term with accident damage and a badly breathing engine.
One other piece of news is that Ipswich Buses have back there ex Lothian Dart SPD 137 SV53 AVP thanks Kieran.

EX FEC BUSES STILL GOING IN ESSEX

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswichbuspage/ The first three photos are all copyright Colin Humphrey.

Four buses tonight which were once part of First Eastern Counties albeit now operating in Essex, first up we see ex Ipswich allocated Scania L94UB/Wrightbus Solar 65692 YS03 ZKM these were superb machines much better than their counterparts the 65670 batch of hard seated Scania's, seen here in Colchester .

Seen last month is Scania L94 65565 S565 TPW which for a while was at First Northampton before that operation was closed, originally of course an FEC vehicle seen here last month in Colchester on the 66A.

 Another ex Ipswich and one of the favourite Scanias at Ipswich was 65589 V589 DVF seen here heading out of Colchester towards St Michaels on the 64A.

And finishing with an either love them or hate them Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer 2 43485 R685 DPW which is currently at Braintree another one that spent some time at Ipswich/Bury St Edmunds.

INDEPENDENT OPERATOR FLEET NEWS

Galloway Volvo B10M/Van Hool 340 NJI 9241 in Crown Street Lay-by in Ipswich today.

Today is a round up on what's happening on the Independent operator scene, plus a little bit of First news at the end!
Coach Services of Thetford have purchased 2 Scania Omnincity deckers ex Stagecoach London LK59 CPK/U and will be operated on the 84/86 Brandon/Thetford to Bury St Edmunds service. Mulley's have purchased from Peterborough Council Optare Solo YJ57 YDB. Suffolk Norse have 2 new Volvo B8R/Plaxton C56/70F, while 2 used Dennis Javelin/Plaxton coaches have arrived one is AF57 WHF ex Sanders, Holt the other is YO52 FHJ , while moving on to Pygall, Peterlee, Durham is Dennis Javelin/Plaxton N471 EUG. Galloway's have acquired a further Volvo B9R/Caetano Levante FJ61 EYG  from Edinburgh Coachlines, and finally Ben Fosker's Venturer Coachways has N43 AHH a Dennis Javelin/Plaxton C53F ex Henshaw, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire

First Ipswich have registered the 53 to Pinewood as an every 15 mins service from July, originally started out as an every 10 mins services so has lost 2 buses an hour in the last year, while the 60/61 to Greenwich sees alterations to it's timetable.

Soames Volvo B12B/Plaxton Panther on a swimming contarct today in Crown Street Lay By.

IB Dart/ALX 200 139 Y271 FJN has moved on to 98 Shotley duties still with X5 branding though.

SATURDAY BLOG UPDATE

A quick update on yesterdays blog, lots more information has come to life on the above coach thanks to Kieran for pointing out there was another photo available of with its second operator Georges Coaches however it originated with Gardiner of Spennymoor and it's an Albion Aberdonian/Plaxton Consort 2 with 41 coach seats dating from 1958. Also thanks to Benjamin Fosker for the update on SRS 132 which was a Bedford VAS/Bella Vega with JDW(Bluebird) having come from the Receivers of the Ipswich Coach Company when they ceased trading, JDW was the initial of the three owners,Davenport, Jones and Woods.

 Not a lot of photos exist of the Ipswich Coach Company however one other from the Stuart Ray collection sees an ex Standerwick 'White Lady' SFV 412 an Leyland Atlantean with Weymann body seen here on a hire with the Ipswich Transport Society in 1971.

IB TRIDENT ON THE 4

Now back to normal well sort of with an bonus photo of an rare outing for IB Dennis Trident 16 LG02 FDN brings back memories of the 1980's when Atlanteans were the norm!.

LOST INDEPENDENT OPERATORS

Now before you say anything this is an continuation of yesterdays theme but slightly different as it hark backs to the times when Suffolk had plenty of Independent operators now of course is a different story, first up is a classic London Bus Guy Special GS 56 MXX 56 at the beginning of the 1970's operating for Bickers who ceased trading when Eastern Counties and Ipswich Buses jointly bought them out in 1988 both of them acquiring the fleet which was split between them.

From what i can gather from the Scottish registration  SRS 132 a Bedford Bella Vega of Bluebird of Ipswich must of been purchased from an operator up north in the early 70's?

 Sayers was a company i remember from my childhood as i travelled on on of their coaches to Cornwall now here i need some help as i can't identify what the coach is, the only thing i can gather from the registration XUP 962 was that it originated in the Newcastle area. This photo again from around 1970.

To finish with this ex Ipswich AEC Regal No 12 BPV 12 by the 1970's was with the Ipswich Coach Company owned by David Boughton who has since operated under many different named companies perhaps someone can enlighten me.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:1

Copyright Ben Fosker. Man Nogle Catalan WKZ 2482

I have been challenged to come up with something completely different rather than the same old Ipswich Buses and First news, so here goes this is going to start a brand new feature which i will compile once every 2 weeks, of featuring the smaller independents that are still about in the area and one or two others that are not. Today we start with Ben Fosker's Venturer Coachways, Ben is well known in the Suffolk for his unusual taste in coaches! he also owned Running Footman sometime back.

Then registered KIB 6826 now i believe B916 SPR is this low driver Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paramount MK 2 originally new to Excelsior of Bournemouth.

A recent pictured captured last month at the Clacton Bus Rally sees this ex London Country Leyland Tiger WPH 135Y with an ECW body which was rebodied with an East Lancs EL 200 body whilst with it's last owner Hedingham

Photo Copyright Colin Humphrey.

Originally  New to Eastern National this long Wheelbase Leyland Olympian PLZ 2876 is seen in Felixstowe last year.

Photo copyright Ben Fosker

Here we see an ex Go Ahead and Your Bus Dennis Trident/Plaxton President X507 EGK.

IPSWICH BUSES THURSDAY ODDITIES

As can be seen by above i managed to capture Ipswich Buses Dart 94 X94 LBJ on the 16 today and thanks must go to IB who quickly answered my twitter question after my enquiry to what route it was on, not quite an oddity but more on that later on. Sometimes you wait ages to get one particular and in my case it's been a long wait finally Ex Lothian Dart 136 SN53 AVM on the X1 i'm hoping that 137 won't take as long. Now on to the oddities of the day first up 4 dedicated Dart 86 once again straying from home on the 12 see photo below, with Enviro 200 81 substituting on the 4,then IB's Open top Atlantean on the 15 and finally Scania Olympus 68 on the X5 which is an extremely rare working all seen below.

FIRST'S NEW DEMONSTRATOR

Copyright Yorkshire Bus And Coach Photo's https://www.flickr.com/photos/78232101@N08/sets/72157631471934420

Didn't feature this particular bus in my First Group orders blog but it is now the latest bus to be demonstrated with First Group. YX64 VOO an AD Enviro MMC has certainly done the rounds this Demonstrator and is currently on loan to First South Yorkshire at Rotherham numbered 33900 and was seen above in April with East Yorkshire, before that it has been at Cardiff, Arriva Yorkshire and Mac Gills in Scotland.

THE MANY COLOURS OF...

Photo Copyright Peter Horrex
Many Ipswich Atlanteans during the 1980's had all over adverts including 34 SDX 34R which had previously worn an Britannia all over advert, but by the time this photo was taken possibly around 1983 it had an wrap around advert for Ipswich Car Radio of Woodbridge Road, to the left is AEC Regent V 63 ADX 63B on the 4.

 Now i can't work out what this advertising it looks like windows the company looks like Posh Windows of 2 Beardsmore Park, Martlesham, Ipswich the bus concerned is Eastern Counties VR 290 VEX 290X in November 1993 heading out on the short version of the 94 to Wherstead Road Bridge.

1990 saw this Eastern Counties Leyland National LN 763 XNG 763S gain this rather tasteful Averills of Norwich, advertising BMW cars, seen here outside what was the then Norwich Bus Depot.

Photo Copyright Peter Horrex. Ipswich Atlantean 26 SDX 26R

Now this one i can remember, Townsend Thorsen were a Ferry company offering trips to Holland in the early 1980's however one fateful day in 1987 the Herald of Free Enterprise had left it's bow door open causing a fatal accident in which 193 people lost their lives, later the company become part of P and O ferries.

MONDAY BITS AND PIECES WEEK 2

Caught earlier on today was Volvo B7RLE 66985 KX05 MHO
An incident involving a young lady who had epileptic attack meant Upper Brook Street to be closed for a short period, sorry for the earlier post with many thanks to Steve Fountain for the correction.Several routes both First and Ipswich Buses delayed by up to 15 mins. Otherwise it was a rather dull day with only these things to note all IB, Dart 84 substituted for 86 on the 4 with 86 on the 12, Scania Omnicity 70 was on the 16 and Optare Excel 171 on the X3 in place of the usual ex Stagecoach London Dart.

Don't think i have noticed First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69011 with a East of England COOP Funeral services advert before but who knows how long i might of missed it.

1985 REVISITED/IB DART 94 RETURN

Eastern Counties VR 391 OCK 991K not long after it's arrival from Ribble as seen by the lack of ultimate destination blind during 1985?

I have featured this photo before but i have considerably cleaned it up to give a much better sharp picture here we see Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka OT2 VDV 753 in it's last season at Felixstowe in 1985.

Again another chance to see a clearer image of two different Eastern Counties Bristol VR 368 TNG 368G and VR 138 SNG 4338M both seen during 1985.

Ipswich Buses Dart 94 Returns

Ipswich Buses East Lancs Dart 94 X94 LBJ has now returned from it's refurbishment no pictures of it yet i'm afraid.