IPSWICH PARK AND RIDE ANNOUNCED

Well at last i can reveal that the Buses to be used for Ipswich Park and Ride are to be ADL E300's from an batch that was delivered to First Scotland East as 67763/67773-67782, SN62 AUK/SN62 AXH/K/O/U/W/Y/Z/AYA/B/J, although one 67763 was new to Glasgow,in total nine are coming to East Anglia, with seven for the Park and Ride in Ipswich, the colour scheme is based on by the look of things of a Blue and White combination. Two so far have been delivered to Great Yarmouth depot,63363 and 63373 which may be used at either Yarmouth/Lowestoft or Norwich. The announcement to the media has already kicked off, in the Ipswich Star with the Conservatives happy at the retention of the service but Labour being quoted as the Conservatives are deluded if they think it will have a long term future if the service is no longer subsided, the new service will run the same route as currently operated by Ipswich Buses but will be cut to run every 15 mins.

FIVE DOWN AND THREE TO GO

Just a quick blog to inform you that a further Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 151 YK08 EPU has been repainted into the new fleet colours, in preparation for the switch over of the Park and Ride service to First Ipswich on Monday July 3rd, this leaves 145/48 which were in service today, along with the ever missing 150 which i haven't seen in months any ideas anyone?

A mainly Eastern National lineup taken at the Ipswich Bus Rally 12 days ago, from left to right Wilts and Dorset Bristol VR JJT 437N, Eastern National Bristol KSW5G VNO 859, Bristol LH UVX 7S, Bristol RE FWC 439H and Bristol MW 7017 HK.

EASTERN COUNTIES LODEKKAS

Bristol Lodekka's have always been a favourite of mine for as long as i can remember, as far back as the late 1970's, i was particularly interested to see one trundle up and down the cliffs on the 248 in Felixstowe Eastern Counties OT 2 VDV 753 for those who don't know, of course i just missed out on seeing them in Ipswich having been withdrawn in 1980, vague memories of seeing either FLF 440/41 on fireworks night as close as i get! One school holiday i was up in Lowestoft and i managed to see FLF 446 in service, which would of been 1986, well over thirty years ago, above we see FLF 469 KNG 469D in the holday town of Great Yarmouth heading back to Norwich you can tell by the ridicously small print Norwich blinds.

Photo by Syd Eade. Bristol Lodekka FLF 458 JPW 458D certainly did the rounds when it was painted into London and Manchester Assurance livery, moving around almost every month, seen here at Lowestoft Bus Station one of very few Eastern Counties Bus Stations that still look the same as it did then in the early part of the 1970's

ANOTHER REPAINTED VERSA AND ANOTHER COMPANY CEASES TRADING

Not too much to report as it's only been two days since the last blog, Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 146 re entered service yesterday and was in service with sisters 147/48/49/52 and ADL Enviro 200 77/81, being football Saturday, IB's two Scania Omnidekkas 61/62 were both duly employed on Park and Ride duties. One piece of other news is the sad demise of Venturer Coachways of Clopton, of which one contract has already passed to First Ipswich it's difficult to gauge how many vehicles they had, going by the PSV Circle Suffolk book, there was 8 active and a few others stored on site.
PLZ 2876 Leyland Olympian/ECW
WPH 135Y Leyland Tiger/East Lancs this previously had an ECW body.
L843 OTO Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
N43 AHH Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
N60 TCC Toyota HZB50R/Caetano
R682 DWS Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
X507 EGK Dennis Trident/Plaxton President
WC02 WYZ DAF SB3000/OVI

Venturer Coachways Ex Hedingham Leyland Tiger/East Lancs seen at Clacton Bus Rally 2015.