32486 ENTERS SERVICE AND FURTHER UPDATES

Welcome to another blog this week and a start of an new era for my photography as this is the first one with a new Sony A58 camera and as you can see from above i think the results so far are pretty good, seen above today is Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 32486 AU53 HKD which hasn't gained branding as yet, seen below at the tail end of last October is Volvo B7RLE 69422 AU58 FFJ which departed today while also confirmed is sister 69425 AU58 FFN which departed last Thursday, returning tonight should be either 66985 or 66986. In other news Volvo B7TL 32488 AU53 HKF collided yesterday into a former Estate Agents on the corner of Great Colman Street when it tried to avoid a broken down van which was parked on the other side corner, damage was just to two top windows on the offside which has been quickly repaired and the bus is now back into service. It is also worth noting thanks to last nights Ipswich Star that travel on buses in Suffolk has increased by 3% in the last year however as many have said, there are still cutbacks to rural services happening across the county which isn't good news.

66957 seen here today shows a side view of the new livery application.

65630 GOES TO ESSEX/44516 LOGOS AND MORE COMINGS AND GOINGS

Lets kick off with more on how First Ipswich are applying their branding in different styles with different buses seen here today close up is Enviro 200 44516 YXO9 ACV which has a smaller First logo applied to the rear of the bus near the top of the roof as pictured above. Seen below is the different application with a larger First logo applied to the rear of 69011 AU05 DMZ with the logo just appearing on both sides on the last window.

In other news Scania L94 65630 V830 ESC left at the end of last week for pastures new at First's Essex Colchester depot, while i can report once again thanks to Chris Speed that Volvo B7TL 32486 should appear this evening followed by Volvo B7RLE 66985 or 66986 on Thursday.

More from Showbus including this ex Oxford Trident 129 T117 DBW in the Hedingham fleet.

Something a touch unusual in the Ensignbus fleet is this Volvo B10M bendy coach is the best way i can describe P563 MSX originated with Stagecoach East Scotland.

Here's Stagecoach Midlands ex Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka FLF 452 JAH 552D now 19952 in the Stagecoach numbering scheme.

Now back on the road from the EATC is this gorgeous Bristol K LKH 133 HPW 133.

SHOWBUS SELECTION

 First Kings Lynn entered  Enviro 400 33813 from the X1 service.

To begin with i must thank the following people for making yesterday's trip possible, especially Chris Speed and Graeme Bessey my traveling companion and meeting the other blogs such as Sam Larke who all made the day worthwhile, for someone who has never been before this one huge event, we were parked right down the bottom end of the field towards the Tank hangar, where we were parked with other First buses from Essex, the Midlands and Leicester, all sections are grouped together for instance a Bristol field and older coaches and preserved buses were down behind the Tank Hangar, all of Ensign's recent projects wear parked outside the next hangar including the brilliant restoration of the Scania Metropolitian, you then had the stalls from all of the companies like Buses magazine and other Model Bus dealers, then at the far end was all or most of the modern and older coaches which were still actively in service, this brings you an rough idea of what happens on the day so following this here comes a selection of what happened to be about 125 photos.

First Essex Basildon depot entered two buses one was this very smart Volvo 7900 Hybrid 69909 BV13 ZB0.

One of the very first pictures taken of are very own Volvo B7RLE 66957 WX55 TZU resplendent with all the correct fleetnames

You have to admit that Ensign have done a superb job on i believe the only Scania Metropolitan in existence in the UK? MD 60 KJD 260P

Being used on the site shuttle was First Essex Plaxton President Trident LT52 XAB in the Westcliff on Sea heritage livery.

Now as one excepts wherever you go you can't escape from the Routemaster but out of the many i pictured i have gone for this one as it is in an unique NBC London Country livery being RML 2334 CUV 334C which plied it's trade at Godstone garage.

Sapphire Liveried Arriva E400 4400 YY14 LHD from Arriva Midlands?

Delaine's two Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2 AD14/64 DBL

BBC Suffolk's Luke Deal entered this beautiful Eastern National Bristol RE 1546 SVW 274K

Sadly there was very few Eastern Counties preserved buses there but this is a real beauty RE 896 SVF 896G.

44516 NOW IN SERVICE AND MORE FIRST IPSWICH LOGO PICS

All photos Copyright James Long

 Once more James Long has supplied me with more pictures illustrating more of First Ipswich's new logos including the above 66950 WX55 TZM seen here on Landseer Road on the 60 to Gainsborough, we follow that with 69011 AU05 DMZ on the 61 this time and finishing off with Enviro 200 44516 YX09 ACV on the 53 yesterday, typically it went into service in the afternoon after i had been in town in the morning. Arriving yesterday was Volvo B7RLE 66957 which won't enter service until after Showbus.Don't forget its Showbus on Sunday, so you may bump into me and hopefully for the people who aren't going i will put photos up on Monday.

Bonus photo time and another GO Whippet coach in Volvo B12 LK53 KVP on the E service to Clacton calling in to the OCM on Thursday.

65630 BACK IN SERVICE AND OTHER NEWS

Not too much to report but let's first start with the additional First logos applied to the fleet this week, so far i have seen 69008 above picture ruined slightly by two yobs cutting right across the picture but never the less shows off how the scheme is applied and has been joined by 69011 the shock news was when me and Steve W both spotted 65630 V830 ESC coming out of the OCM with not in service blinds, then coming back later on and going on Felixstowes. 44516 YX09 ACV the last E200 to be refurbished returned on Tuesday but as yet has not returned to service, expected back this evening will be Volvo B7RLE 66957 WX55 TZU.

IB'S 171 YG52 DHF a Optare Excel is usually seen on driver training these day but was out and about on the 8/13 routes today.

69010 GOES FOR REFURB BUT WHAT WILL COME IN!

Many thanks again to Paulo Van Kreiken for the latest news that 69010 AUO5 DMY the last out of the batch of Volvo B7RLES apart from 69006 which i would think is due any day now, has now departed for refurbishment at Rotherham, due back today could be one of three choices Enviro 200 44516 or could it be one of the two Volvo B7tls in 32486/92, meanwhile Scania L94UB 65630 V830 ESC remains stuck in the naughty corner at Foundation Street, and may be joined shortly by 65579 T579 JNG which is next up for withdrawal.

 Meanwhile 32490 Volvo B7TL AU53 HKH was parked up at the OCM with a rear add for East of England COOP funeral services, while below are two pictures of visitors to the OCM yesterday.

On it's usual voyage to Felixstowe from Cambridgeshire is SF05 XYZ a Volvo B12B/Jonckheere ex Trathens in 2009.

While visiting from Nottingham was this impressive tri axle Neoplan with Silverdale MV12 ODM

IPSWICH BUSES STORY IN PHOTOS THE 1970's

We are now arriving back into the 1970'S now and the first two pictures show the dreaded AEC Swifts already the bane of London Transport during this time Ipswich fared little better with both batches both being withdrawn after 12 years service, although ITM's 82 JRT 82K gained some notoriety by being hired back to IBT during 1986, the first picture shows the Willowbrook body on 80 JRT 80K seen here outside the Cricketers Pub in 1981 part of a batch six 77-82 in 1971 and 89 DDX 89L with a East Lancs body part of five 89-93 seen here also in 1981 heading towards Chantry, Cambridge Drive

The first change towards one man buses started with 6 Leyland Atlantean/Roe double deckers 83-88 WPV83-88L in 1973 seen here when new outside the Cricketers Pub when new, followed by the last five delivered in the ICT livery 94-98 TRT 94-98M.

The next three batches of Leyland Atlanteans from 1975-77 again all featured Roe bodies but this time with the predominately cream and little green livery which featured only on all three batches 1-5 HDX 904-908N in 1975, 6-10 MRT 6-10P in 1976 and  11-20 RDX 11-20R, 21-35 SDX 21-35R in 1976/77 seen here in 1983 on the 18 Southern Circular route is 4 HDX 907N and below is 22 SDX 22R  and in the background of the RSJ Works is Bristol RE 121 TRY 121H.

All photos have been taken from Lancastrians excellent photo stream off Flickr