SATURDAY RECALL

Originally supplied to West Riding, in 1974 Leyland Leopard/Alexander LL787 HWY 728N was part of 4 making there way to Eastern Counties during 1985 including sister LL 785/786 HWY 726/727N and LL 788 PWW706R, of these LL 785 was withdrawn with accident damage in January 1986, also withdrawn that year were LL 786/87, leaving LL 788 which survived until 1990.

In 1980 after an accident IBT repainted Leyland Atlantean/Roe 21 SDX 21R in this 100 years of Ipswich Transport, it then was used as a guinea pig for different livery colours including a modified Brown and Cream, and a two tone green livery before finally going back to normal livery.

FIRST GROUP NEW ORDERS 2016/2017

With Thanks to Cameron on the First Eastern Counties Blog for the picture of 2 of the Wright Streetdeck 35195 SK16 GYU, 71 have been ordered of which Eastern Counties have 11 for the Pink Line 11/12.

All of this year's bus orders will come from British firms including ADL and Wright and will feature Euro 6 engines and all will be fitted with free WI-FI, of these orders 14 have already entered service with First South Yorkshire at Doncaster with 10 more due at Sheffield, Bristol will receive a further 68 and Cornwall 30 buses, in total there will be 305, Volvo meanwhile at one time a major player in First orders will only have an order for 10 coaches, Volvo B11R with Plaxton bodies, there is also nothing for Optare who also provided at one time the Solo for most of First's small buses.

Manufacturer	Vehicle Model	Quantity
ADL / Volvo	Plaxton (ADL) body / B11R (Volvo) chassis coaches	10
ADL	Enviro 200 MMC single decker	71
ADL	Enviro 400 MMC double decker	80
ADL	Enviro 400 MMC Gyro double decker	8
ADL	Enviro 400 double decker (exact spec to be confirmed)	45
Wrightbus	StreetDeck double decker	71
Wrightbus	StreetLite Max single decker	20

INS AND OUT FOR INDEPENDENTS

A chance today to catch up with the various ins and out for our local Independent operators, first up is Galloway who have 2 new Van Hool TX16/Van Hool C49FT in 355/56 YJ16 EPP/V while going the other way to Arriva, Gomersal are 296/97 YJ11 GGV/X again both are Van Hool, 356 is seen above. Frost(PF Cars) have FX51 OEP a Mercedes Benz 0814D/ACI C31F ex Herrington, Aldershot, JR Travel of Copdock have another coach in 1996 Kassbohrer Setra N265 MBX ex Williams, Brecon and has since been re registered as JRZ 6241 and Harlequin have YX07 GYA an Mercedes Benz 0815/Fer C31F. With thanks to Dave Burrows at Beestons we have this new delightful little Mercedes Benz /Unvi C41F, which is just awaiting fleetnames to be applied.

The odd and strange runs of Ipswich Buses continue yesterday Scania 72 YN56 NVE was on the 4, while Enviro 200 79 was on the 202, where the only Decker turns on the route are for the school run in the morning and afternoon, interestingly if you want to find Trident 14 you're best bet now is the 4 from 1135 until 1405. Meanwhile Optare Solo 245 looks to be out of service currently with 244 taking its place on the 38.

MID 1970'S RECALL

I know many of you enjoy the recall feature so once a week along with an weekly report, will see me travelling back in time to feature vehicles from the Suffolk area, today the first one is local bus and coach operator Beestons with there AEC Reliance ex Barton SVO 547 on hire to Eastern Counties during late 1974, notice the Eastern Counties driver and to the right Bristol Lodekka LFS 125 GNG 125C now preserved of course with the ITM. Below we see ICT AEC Regent V LDX 38 at Electric House before the car park was transformed into the bus station, just behind is Leyland Atlantean 86 WPV 86L.

NEW SCHEDULE FOR BLOG

Seen in the rain last Thursday is First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69428 AU58 FFP seen heading towards Aldeburgh on the 65.

I have decided after much deliberation to scale back the blog, due to my own personal health and other family matters, not only that but the Ipswich scene has become rather boring to the extent that the majority of the blog is based on observations rather than news, not only that the scene has become rather static and mundane, First Ipswich, Ipswich Buses won't have much else happen this year, so instead this will become a once a week blog from now on in, this will allow time for the fleetlists to be updated in the coming weeks.

Currently on loan to Norwich for Rail Replacement is Volvo B12M 20514 WV02 EUP.

MONDAY AFTERNOON OBSERVATIONS

For a change i visited Ipswich in the afternoon and it lead to some unusual sightings to say the least, of the new IB Enviro 200's, 101 as seen above stepped in for an Optare Versa on Park and Ride duties, sister 104 was spare on Tower Ramparts, 103 was on the 111 to Hitcham, before turning up on the 15 at 1520. Trident 14 which as i mentioned was previously dedicated to the 202 Shotley run popped up on the afternoon 4's, where Optare Excel 172 delighted me with an excellent comfortable run, branded 4 Darts 84 was on the 8/13, while sister 87 was on the 15A, Darts 138/39 were on the X3 with sister 142 on the X1. 2 of the ex Lothian Darts were seen on routes which they usually don't appear, 137 below on the X1 with 136 on the 19, while Scania/Optare Deckers 68/69 seem to be stuck on X5's. First Ipswich wise Volvo B7TL 32488 was on the X7 and ADL E 200 44516 was on 60/61.

FRIDAY'S BITS AND ROUND UP NEWS

Usually seen exclusively on the 111 to Hitcham during the week Ipswich Buses E200 78 YX14 RWL was on the 12 yesterday, also parked up in the Cricketers Lay by was Dennis Trident 14 LG02 FDJ which since the changes on Monday has strayed on to town routes and Schools, previously this was allocated to the Decker duties on the 202 Shotley route. Other observations were Dart 144 on the X3 and Scania/Olympus 68 on the X5 while Deckers 20/21 were on the 4.

 A round up now follows of new operators for ex FEC buses and Coaches courtesy of Terminus produced by the ETCS and definitely worth subscribing to, 20141 R841 DVF a Volvo B10M is now with Nationwide, Peterborough as TIL 7772, Ex Hong Kong Dart 42752 S752 SNG has passed to Aberdeen & District for preservation, Volvo B12M  20509 AO02 RDU is now with Orion, Longshot, while Volvo B10BLE 66126 S126 JTP is now re registered F13 HOW by new owner Howards of Great Sankey.

IBT'S FORERUNNER TO THE PARK AND RIDE!

Back in 1980, Ipswich Borough Transport had a good idea or so they thought, and when you look at the route you can see that today's Park and Ride service, or the 38 free bus uses pretty much the same route, with a special blind the remaining AEC Regent's ploughed there way around Ipswich Town Centre, with a special plaque on the front of the bus with Bluey the Kangaroo, picking up passengers from the Car Parks was an idea way ahead of it's time, the service was doomed to failure unfortunately and we had to wait another 16 odd years before the Park And Ride came to town.

AEC Regent 64 ADX 64B was also still in the fleet in 1980 and survived to the end of conducted services, it has since been exported to Japan!

MONDAYS OBSERVATIONS IN IPSWICH

Well yesterday, was certainly a better day to be out in Ipswich observing the new timetable working for Ipswich Buses and seeing how the traffic was effecting services that run through Major's Corner for the next 3 months, suffice to say the weather was good and the traffic situation wasn't too bad either.The past interworking of services are still happening of note was Dart 134 coming off a 6A and going onto a 15, while the 15 also contributes a single decker to the 6A around 11.30, the 6A no longer has a double decker that works through to the 4 at 11.35, this is now operated off a Needham Market School service than back to depot, before 3 journeys on the 4, then a school service from 2.30 onwards. As far as unusual workings concerned there weren't that many apart from Scania/Optare 68/69 on the X5, and Dart 85/87 back working the 8/13 with 84 on the 6A with 138 see below on the 13, above also but not that much of a strange working now that a selection of First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE's have guide wheels although in this case 69422 AU58 FJJ hasn't.

IB Enviro 200 104 SN16 OGK completed all four now photographed, on the 12 yesterday.

HOMAGE TO THE SWIFTS

Today's recall goes back to the 1970's again and is a homage to the AEC Swift which here in Ipswich wasn't particularly well loved, the first batch of Ipswich AEC Swifts were 77-82 JRT 77-82K and were Willowbrook bodied, many tended to be in the depot rather than be on the road, 82 is of course is now preserved by the ITM and is still as tricky as ever! The second batch were the East Lancs bodied 89-93 DDX 89-93L these survived until 1985, whilst the earlier 77-82 survived until 1983, replaced by the first Dennis Falcon's 100-05 YDX 100-05Y. Meanwhile seen around 1974 and on hire to Eastern Counties during there shortage of buses is Great Yarmouth Corporation Transport Willowbrook bodied 65 LEX 865H part of a batch 10 58-67 in 1970, followed by another 11 68-78 PEX 168-78K in 1972, then Great Yarmouth switched to local ECW bodies with 79-90 WEX 679-90M in 1973, illustrated by 82 WEX 682M below, Yarmouth also purchased two more ECW bodied Swifts when Lowestoft finished in 1977 NRT 564/65L and we mustn't forget that some of the 58-67 batch have spent some time on loan to IBT during their bus shortage of 1985, Yarmouth's last batch of Swift's 79-90 lasted into First Bus days.

IB ENVIRO 200'S DAY FOUR AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Just a quick blog today following up Wednesday's edition with pictures today of the other Ipswich Buses Enviro 200's, for which we see 101 SN16 OGG on the 15 to Thorington Park after which it joined sister 102 on the 6/A, 103 and 104 were employed on the 8/13 services, Dart 134 was also on the 15A, since the arrival of the Enviro 200's the 4 to Broke Hall/Bixley/Martlesham has reverted back to the usual branded 4 Darts in today's case 84/85, with sister 87 still on the 8/13, while Scania/Optare Olympus 68 was on the 6. Only one other observation to note was First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32489 on the 60/61.

IB Enviro 102 SN16 OGH was parked up in the Crown Street Layby before taking up on the 6/A service.

While sister Enviro 200 103 SN16 OGJ was on the 8/13 services, and below First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32489 AU53 HKG on the 61.

IB ENVIRO 200'S ENTER SERVICE

Well we have all been waiting and as the saying goes you wait for one bus to come along and another one does too, anyway all four Ipswich Buses E 200's entered service today, 101 SN16 OGG had been on the 8/13 early in the morning before coming off and fortunately came back and parked up on the old 53 stand, the only one that was missing was 102 SN16 OGH which this afternoon appeared on the Park and Ride service,103 SN16 OGJ seen above was initially on the 15 before swapping over to the 6/A, and 104 was employed on the 15A, unfortunately all my other pics came out blurred, so another day wasted...

IB Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD unusually spent it's day on the 4 

SUNDAY RECALL

 Today's recall sees an all over advert link, during the 1980's Ipswich Borough Transport/Buses exploited this to good effect as did the newly bought out Eastern Counties, firstly in 1985 we see Ipswich Atlantean 18 RDX 18R with Garneys & Hill advertising a company long since vanished as is Eastern Counties VR 290 VEX 290X advertising Allied Carpets, thinking back to the 1980's there was so many all over adverts especially on the Atlantean's that i'm surprised i never listed them!

THURSDAY OBSERVATIONS AND GALLOWAYS TAKE OVER

As another blog has featured some of yesterday's Ipswich observations, i won't repeat too much what's has been said, however at long last i was pleased to be able to catch Suffolk Norse's latest addition to the fleet in Optare Solo  YJ55 BGV, which has taken over the 179 service to Woodbridge from the previous Iveco's.

One of three Double Decker's employed on the X3 yesterday for IB was Dennis Trident 15 LG02 FDK alongside was Lowlander's 56 and 58 with no destination display and Optare Spectra 53, a trident was also employed on the X1, as was 11 on the 4 and again today.

I'm all alone says First Ipswich's now solitary AD Enviro 200 44516 YX09 ACV yesterday at Ipswich OCM.

GALLOWAY TAKEOVER

It's been announced on Facebook that local operator Galloway's has been bought by the Eastern Transport Holdings Group which includes Essex operator Stephensons ,who operate in both in Essex and West Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds, the changeover date will be on 29th November.

Seen yesterday was Galloway's MCV Evolution YJ60 OGM on the 119 service.