60618 AND 62143 ARRIVE AT FIRST IPSWICH

60618 R781 WKM outside Ipswich Bus Garage in Foundation Street

60618 interior and very nice too, check out the new seat upholstery plus new poles, photos 

courtesy of James Long and remain his copyright.

62143 R589 SBA seen here outside of Rotherham works after refurbishment has recently been on loan at First West Yorkshire at Bradford.

As can be seen above two Volvo B10BLES have arrived from First South Yorkshire, these are to enable the Volvo B7RLES then the Volvo B7TLS to be refurbishments and if the above is the standard to which these buses have been done than we can be well pleased, finally i am pleased to announce that recently i have surpassed over 50,000 views this years so many thanks to my loyal readers, with all this excitement happening this year, i hope to keep you fully updated. In other news thanks to Steve W's blog, Ipswich Buses have registered a Sunday Ipswich to Felixstowe service and have dropped long term route the 2 to Gainsborough, considering the long time this route has been in existence and the fact it used to serve my Grandmas home this is sad news.

FIRST IPSWICH EXCLUSIVE

69008 AU05 DMV one of two Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse to depart for refurbishment this week.

The second one to depart this week will be 66981 KX05 MHK

As has been mentioned in previous blogs the First Ipswich bus refurbishment has begun in earnest with two Volvo B7RLE's leaving this week 69008 AU05 DMV and 66981 KX05 MHK with either Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 60622 or 60626 R785/89 MKW arriving to act as paint spares, many thanks to Chris Speed for this exciting news.


Not a great photo due to the gloom,is 41  M41 EPV a Volvo Olympian/East lancs still earning it's keep seen today on the 500 Suffolk Show Ground Service with Leon Wells at the helm.

In other news as mentioned in the last blog First have changed most of their timetables over the bank holiday weekend with the addition of several enhancements and timetable changes both in the Ipswich and Lowestoft area. As can seen above Ipswich Buses had to use all of their resources to cover the new 500 service to the Suffolk Showground at Trinity Park today i spotted about ten Double Deckers including Tridents 14,18-20,22 Spectras 51-53 and Olympians 41/42 the service was doing well early in the morning before subsiding by lunchtime, by all things considering IB have done an excellent job no doubt with the Adult fare at £2.00 return this has improved the congestion around Felixstowe Road no end.

Seen below is 32493 AU53 HKL a Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 on the first day of service heading to the new extension of the route to Maidenhall Green, Halifax a touch confusing

IPSWICH TRANSPORT MUSEUM BUS RUNNING DAY

ITM's Mulley's Bedford OB PV 9371 in Wright Road today.

A selection of photos from today's bus running day at the Ipswich Transport Museum although not quite on a par from the old October running day when more buses attended nevertheless there was a good selection of buses to be found.

ITPG ex Ipswich Buses Optare Excel alongside an London Transport Country area RML JJD 419D

EATM ex Ribble and Eastern Counties Bristol VR VR 385 OCK 985K outside the OCM in Dog's Head Street.

LFS 125 GNG 125C from the ITM collection ready to take on passengers in Wright Road.

ITM's Bristol K KNG 374 heading up Felixstowe Road on it's way back to the Museum.

Last but not least First Ipswich had out a Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse on the 4A 69428 AU58 FFP.

SUFFOLK SHOW BUS CHANGES

At last on camera 69005 AU05 DME sweeping majestically into OCM in Ipswich on Monday 

morning after a 65 from Aldeburgh into Ipswich.

SUFFOLK SHOW CHANGES

In a break from the previous years services 23/24 which ran from Tower Ramparts to the Suffolk Showground has this year been changed to a service 500 by Ipswich Buses and Suffolk County Council offering an improved service from both Copdock and Martlesham Park and rides sites taking in both the Rail Station and Tower Ramparts this will operate next Wednesday and Thursday from 7.05 am to 7.10 pm and run every ten minutes fares will be £1.00 return for Adults and Children up to age 20 and concessions Free!

OTHER CHANGES

Don't forget that there are changes to the First Ipswich/Lowestoft network from this Sunday see previous blogs for detail or go to the First group site or Suffolk County Council site.

IB Open Top Atlantean  9 MRT 9P has been out and about again this week seen here on the 11 to Ipswich Hospital, the lady with the buggy wasn't best pleased though!

FIRST IPSWICH FUTURE PLANS

Great Yarmouth's Routemaster 39623 NML 623E on the Forecourt yesterday after a private hire, photo copyright James Long.

Usually i don't like to contradict what other blogs have said, but in this instance i have to point out some from Steve W's Bus and Train blog with the Ipswich Engineering Manager, most of this information was not meant to have been broadcast over the internet. According to First Business Manager Chris Speed at present these are just plans and for instance the plans for the heritage liveries have changed several times since my chat with him, when he knows for definite you will hear it here.The plans for improving the network of services i believe is a no go for a start most of the routes mentioned such as Ipswich to Diss are under contract to Suffolk County Council and as such are unlikely to be profitable. One thing i can confirm is the use of what First South Yorkshire describe as courtesy buses for buses being repainted at Rotherham Works, the two currently listed for this programme are 60622/26 R785/89 WKW Volvo B10BLE/ Wright Renown as seen below,again subject to change both recently have been repainted, refurbished internally and fitted with LED blinds while the current Volvo Fleet of B7RLE's and B7TL's are refurbished.

Volvo B10BLE 60622 R785 WKW of FSY on the 62 to Ecclesall route

60626 R789 WKW the second Volvo B10BLE this time on the 66 to Intake

IB SOLO 242 DEPARTS FOR GALLOWAYS AND 69005 PICTURE

69005 AU05 DME a Volvo B7RLE seen here at First's Rotherham open day on Sunday has appeared on most people's blog so unashamedly i have put it up too many thanks to Callum Phelan for his permission to use it and in who's copyright it remains. 

69005 arrived home yesterday evening and at some point will go back into service this week, while long withdrawn Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess 65628 V828 FSC departed for one assumes the scrapyard or for storage. IB Solo 242 YN04 ZWA which we thought was being repainted has departed to Galloways so expect to see that one out and about, in further addition you can read all about the changes to First Ipswich's May 25 online http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/ipswich_new_timetables_published_for_first_bus_services_including_the_66_89_and_77_routes_1_3597267

Mulleys 72 seater Double deck coach SF07 OSG any ideas on make and body anyone?

69005 RETURNING HOME

69532 PL05 UBS a Volvo B7RLE seen here at Tower Ramparts on Friday in the livery scheme that 69005 will appear in.

In another exclusive piece of news we can tell you that 69005 AU05 DME which was involved in a collision with a Florist's shop in Stowmarket has returned or should be within the next 24 hours after a full refurbishment and repaint in the current livery, by all accounts it should be pretty good, many thanks to Chris Speed for the news. 

At last the sun, IB open top Leyland Atlantean 9 MRT 9P looking rather splendid after it's winter hibernation!