GALLOWAYS AXE 110 TO BRAMFORD AND FIRST STEP IN

In happier times is Galloways regular bus for the 110 AY09 BYC a Optare/Plaxton Centro

Suffolk County council have stepped in to save a route after Galloways of Mendlesham, announced they are to withdraw the 110 service to Claydon via Bramford as of January 31st, stepping into the breach will be First Ipswich who will announce changes to the 88/A along with a new 89 service, First will run this service commercially. Originally this service was run by Eastern Counties, before later on being run by Ipswich Buses as an 18/A. In other news related to this area as they do work some contracts into Ipswich, is the announcement that Arriva have once again taken control of TGM Colchester buses, buses will be renumbered into the Arriva Southern Counties fleet. Monday sees further changes to the Ipswich Buses network previously announced in this blog with an new X1 to Greenwich among the highlights.

An unusual surprise on the 4 to Bixley on Thursday was Optare Spectra 53 X153 LBJ 

CARTERS OLYMPIAN SURPRISE

 

Olympian G727 XDL ex Damory, part of the Go Ahead Group photo copyright of Leon Wells

A surprise purchase well not really is of G727 XDL from Ensign to replace  449 L679 HNV. Below is a scanned picture i took in Isle of Wight back in 1989 of an Olympian and a VR from a batch of which some later came to Eastern Counties.

Olympian 695 WDL 695Y and Bristol VR 666 together at Ryde, part of Isle of Wights Southern Vectis fleet in 1989 copyright Clive Nixon 

REVIEW OF 2013

REVIEW OF 2013

Let's not forget that the both bus stations were closed at the same time!

The last P reg Scania to leave the fleet in 2013 was 65550

Well what one can say about 2013, in one blog, for me personally it's not been a good year, but in the heaven of the bus world, it's been one rollercoaster ride, in the main it's been the bus war which has captured the public's eye, so we have said goodbye to routes 56, 70, and 87 from First Ipswich while we have seen them take on Ipswich Buses on Chantry, with little success, while Ipswich Buses said goodbye to route 17 to the Hospital via Spring Road, as well as the last ECW Olympians departing and the beginning of an new era with four Enviro 200s and Optare Versas on Park and Ride. First Ipswich probably had the most changes as far as the fleet went, out went the original superoute 88 P Reg scanias, and the remaining R-GSF scanias, some only here for a short time, while coming in was more Scania single deckers in the form of 65628/30-32,65691/92,65670/76  from Basildon, while at the tail end of the year a further 2 Volvo B7TLs came from Lowestoft and out went two ex Park and Ride Volvo B7RLE's

Seen here in the height of the glorious summer is 65631  V831 FSC one of the transfers in from Basildon

69432 GETS A REPAINT AND IB'S NEW ROUTES

69432 AU58 FFV repainted at long last.

Well it's about time 69432 has finally been given a full repaint into the new livery after carrying only what one could call an hybrid livery of Barbie 3 livery on the front and a wraparound East Anglian Co-operative advert.

IPSWICH BUSES NEW ROUTES

As previously mentioned Ipswich Buses have launched on-line their new timetables for the 6 Ipswich Hospital service and the X1 to Greenwich(Holbrook Road) which will be in competition with First's 61, both will launch on the 6th January. Service 6 will divert back via Sainsbury's (Warren Heath) and Ravenswood as per original routing and will additionally serve Broke Hall off peak hours. Service X1 will operate Monday to Saturday daytime mirroring First's 61 service.

Enviro 200 82 YX63 LGF in hybrid livery on the 8 Whitehouse(ASDA) stand

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY VISITORS IN THE UK AND WORLDWIDE!

IPSWICH RECEIVE 32655/56

Ipswich Depot has received 2 Volvo B7TL/ALX 400s with Volvo B7RLES 69421/30 going to Colchester 

One other transfer which i haven't mentioned before is one of the awful numb bumb scanias in 65676 has departed to Clacton as someone once said "You are most Welcome". While in Ipswich today i bumped into Steve W whose blog recently had news from the First  Ipswich Engineering manager, so if you have missed it do go along and see his blog, whilst there 30887 popped up on the Felixstowe's and IB unusually had Optare Spectra 50 a step entrance bus on the 1 to the Havens. 

IPSWICH BUSES PROFILE

IPSWICH BUSES PROFILE PART ONE

Welcome to Part one of an Ipswich Buses Profile, unfortunately i have had to divide it up into parts as for some reasons unknown i can't add any more pictures to this blog. 

 9  MRT 9P Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R/ Roe 043/29D    

Open Top Atlantean 9 MRT 9P seen at ITM,Priory Heath

 10 PO51 UMK Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne H46/27F 

The only East Lancs Trident In the Ipswich Buses fleet is no 10 PO51 UMK

11-17 LG02 FCX/FDC/F/J/K/N/FEM Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX 400 H43/23F
18/19 V126/62 MEV Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX 400 H47/29F  Blue livery for schools 20/21 Y436/58 NHK Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX 400 H47/29F

One of the ex Transdev London B7TL/ALX 400 Tridents is 17 LG02 FEM

TWO FURTHER ENVIRO 200'S FOR IPSWICH BUSES

One of the first two enviro 200's in the new Hybrid livery is 82 YX63 LGF

Ipswich Buses have purchased a further two AD Enviro 200's numbered 79/80 YX63 ZVV/W arrived last Friday afternoon while Dennis Darts 133/34 R133/34 FBJ departed to pastures new. Transferred into Ipswich for First Ipswich from Lowestoft yesterday was 32656 AU05 MVA with 32655 AU05 MUY to come shortly, this has allowed the release of Volvo B7RLE 69421 to Colchester.

One of the ex Nottingham City Transport solo's  FP02 XMB has been repainted into Beestons rather nondescript blue livery