69008 ARRIVES HOME

Just a quick blog tonight with a picture courtesy of James Long, of the arrival home of 69008 yesterday evening, vinyls are still to be applied. 

BLOG STATEMENT AND LAST DAY OF CURRENT 4 ROUTE

Last day of the current routing of the 4 included this IB East Lancs Dennis Dart 94 X94 LBJ seen here at Broke Hall Shops under menacing clouds.

First up a statement over the last week there has been some discussion and difference of opinion on Twitter and privately on the way i use this blog, i won't go into too much detail  suffice to say not all of it's been nice, i apologize to anyone who has been offended by the manner that i go by my source material and the way i share that information out. Now i'm celebrating two years of doing this blog, my prime objective is to gather news as newspapers do and be the first one to give out that information, however that is not always the case and i respect the ways that others do it. So a thank you to the many people who have helped me particularly Chris Speed and Paulo at First Ipswich who have been nothing but courteous to my many questions! Just to say whether possible i do not go in for the politics of preferring one company over the other or for that matter or looking at facets of the bus industry other blogs do that and do it better than i can ever do.

One of the EL IB Darts 85 PJ53 OLE to be used on the new route 4 complete with WI-FI

66950 NEXT IN FOR REFURBISHMENT

Perhaps one of the last times i get to photo what is now an increasingly rare event for the town routes anyway is First Ipswich 65632 V832 FSC a Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess Floline.

I can confirm that the next bus in line for refurbishment will be Volvo B7RLE 66950 WX55 TZM recently transferred in from Norwich, meanwhile the swap of 69532/33 will now wait for the delivery of the Norwich B7RLE'S. On a secondary a Volvo B7tl cant remember which one and two Volvo B7RLE'S 69428/29 have received advert's for various East of England Cooperative services in the case of 69428/29 Funeral Services and the Volvo B7TL their supermarkets.

A recent visitor to the Crown Street lay by was this Belle Coaches of Leiston Setra OJI 4756


 

66950 ARRIVAL AND IB ROUTE 4

66950 WX55 TZM a Volvo B7RLE/ Wrightbus Eclipse Urban seen here on Saturday at Ipswich OCM still with Norwich Network posters! photo copyright James Long.

As seen above 66950 arrived late on Thursday night and was soon put to work on the 64 to Aldeburgh, then Felixstowe's on Saturday and back on the 64 again today, which i did see but due to the sun in front of me was unable to capture on camera. Like other B7RLE'S it will receive the refurbishment procedure in due course. I can also exclusively reveal that the replacements for 69532/33 will be 66982/83 from Colchester.I hope to impart another exclusive on the return of a very special bus hopefully returning to Ipswich in the next blog  which you are probably smart enough to guess at right know, of which i will furnish some of the first photos very shortly. In Ipswich Buses news i can confirm the routing of the extended service 4 to Martlesham, the main part of the route from the Old Cattle Market to Bixley farm is the same as it is presently while from Bixley Farm it will continue down Foxhall Road on to the A12 to Martlesham, coming from Tower Ramparts it will continue along from Princes Street to the Railway Station.

An interloper on the 4 today was ALX 200 Dart 144 Y295 FJN

And another IB 16 LG02 FDN taking the aboves place on the X5

And counting the days down before it's departure to Colchester is Volvo B7RLE 69533 PL05 UBS

66950 AND YET MORE VOLVO B7RLES COMING TO IPSWICH

Pictured above is one of i believe of 5 Volvo B7RLES coming from Norwich this is the first one 66950 WX55 TZM seen here in Norwich in 2011.

From what i have been told over the next few weeks all five of Norwich's Volvo B7RLE'S 66950/57/59/69006/11 WX55 TZM/U/W, AU05 DMF/Z of which 66950 should arrive today with the rest to follow, this has allowed Scania L94UB 65631 V831 FSC to transfer to Colchester, this still leaves 45116 Enviro 200 YX09 ACV  the last remaining one to come which has now re entered service in Clacton so should be on it's way shortly. As predicted the two ex Transdev Volvo B7rle's 69532/33 will be also heading to Colchester in return for two of Colchester's B7RLE'S .

The latest bus to come to First Ipswich is on loan 66112 R912 BOU a Volvo B10BLE

As can be seen above is the last for now on loan Volvo B10BLE in 66112 R912 BOU, whilst soon to come back from Rotherham in the next week is are 66981 KX05 MHK,69008 AU05 DMV Volvo B7RLE'S and possibly heritage liveried 32479 Volvo B7TL AU53 HJV.

60622 ENTERS SERVICE

60622 R785 MKW first day in service was Friday seen here at Tower Ramparts

As can been above Volvo B10BLE 60622 entered service on Friday on the 53 to Pinewood although the first arrival this week 66112 R912 BOU still hasn't entered service as far as i can see,both should by mid week depart when Volvo B7RLE'S 69008 AU05 DMV and 66981 KX05 MHK arrive back from refurbishment as mentioned in previous blog's this will be in a new hybrid livery. I can also confirm that the ex Park and Ride Volvo B7RLE'S will also be refurbished with leather seats many thanks to Chris Speed for that bit of news.

A pleasant surprise yesterday instead of the usual fare on the 4 was IB Scania Omnicity 75 YN56 NVG which was a master lesson in how a bus should be, smooth performance rattle free.

Late addition a further surprise on the 4 today was Open Top Atlantean 9 MRT 9P disappointingly it only did 3 trips before being substituted by DAF lowlander 58

MORE FIRST IPSWICH COMINGS AND GOINGS

44517  YX09 ACY a AD Enviro 200 seen at Tower Ramparts on a 53 after recently transferring in from First Essex.

44518 YX09 ACZ another AD Enviro 200 entered service on the 53 on Saturday but on Monday unusually had strayed onto the 60/61.

More news on the various comings and goings at First Ipswich seems to keep me really busy at the moment, as can be seen above 44517 YX09 ACY a AD Enviro 200 entered service on Monday on the 53 to Pinewood while 44518 YX09 ACZ entered service on the Saturday also on the 53 before unusually seeing service on the 60/61 Greenwich/Gainsborough routes on Monday, 44519 YX09 ADO entered service on Monday due to bus shortages on the Felixstowe routes before departing on Tuesday for Refurbishment. In comes a further Volvo B10BLE 66112 R912 BOU which has also been fully refurbished and has recently been on loan from First South Yorkshire to West Yorkshire at Bradford, this will be here for one week only until 66981 and 69008 return next week. Another Volvo B7RLE 66850 MX05 CHD has departed and yet another unknown Volvo B10BLE should arrive again for one week.

Seen Here at Simon Morris is IB Dart 87 PJ53 OLH after it's recent repaint, photo copyright James Long.

 Seen here whilst with First South Yorkshire is on loan Volvo B10BLE 66112 R912 BOU