66979 ENTERS SERVICE & OTHER FIRST NEWS

Thanks to Toby Pearson and Bryan Dickson, I can confirm that 66979 KX05MHF has returned from the paint shop and has entered service in the new First Ipswich livery.

I've had an update regarding the movement of 69006 AU05DMF to Ipswich. It is Norwich's last Volvo B7RLE and will manage to cling onto life in the fine city until December 1st, despite original beliefs it would transfer by the end of September.

As 69006 arrives, ALX400 30888 W743DWX will return to Great Yarmouth where incidentally there are a couple of new buses floating about at the moment. Visit Norwichbuses Blog for details.

Bryan also snapped 66980 KX05MHJ at First's Foundation Street depot, it appears to be having a few problems with it's air suspension.

More news tonight along with Ipswich Buses updates.

ITM WINTER WARMER REVIEW

VA 479 32479 AU53 HJV at the Waterfront yesterday afternoon.

For those who missed out on yesterdays brilliant  ITM Winter Warmer event, i bring you a selection of pictures from yesterday, would like to thank the Museum for the warm hospitality it gave to me and Chris Speed suffice to say i managed to pilot him in and out of the Waterfront no mean feat and around a diversion along Clapgate Lane into the back streets of Gainsborough.

LFS 125 GNG 125C posed alongside ICT 63 ADX 63B.

ICT AEC Regent ADX 1 in the corner of the yard at ITM.

Richard Walker's ex Eastern Counties National Greenway WAH 587S.

A very atmospheric picture of IBT Atlantean MRT 6P in the twilight .

First time i have taken a picture at night would you believe here's Michael Cole's ex Venturer Bristol VR JJT 437N

69424 IN SERVICE

Suffice to say i haven't disappeared and will pop up now and again but just not every other day as i have been doing lately, above is Volvo B7RLE 69424 AU58 FFL which came back earlier this week, apologies for the photo quality as it was taken on my I Phone when i was shopping this morning, while 69424 has returned Volvo B7TL 32488 has departed to Rotherham. As this will be the only blog i will do this week, a quick plug for the ITM on Sunday for the Winter Warmer with quite a few buses turning up, particular attention will be 4 buses together in the post deregulation livery from 1987 onwards. A big thanks to Sam Larke for the redesign of the page hope you like it, and for his help this week.

69427 IN SERVICE

69427 AU58FFO at Tower Ramparts on Saturday
(C) Bryan Dickson

It appears I did a fairly good job of keeping you all up to date yesterday, as I've still got the coveted job of looking after this blog whilst Clive takes a break.

Helpfully, the lads over at Norwich Bus Page have put together a First Ipswich fleet list. I was beginning to do my own for you, but as the team at NBP have beaten me to it, it's only fair to give them the plug. By using this fleet list, we can inform you that there are now thirty refurbished buses darting around Ipswich with real leather seats and WiFi, with another five due to return from Rotherham depot (where the refurbishing and painting is carried out) within the next few days.

Currently away for refurbishment are ex-Lowestoft ALX400 32653 AU05MUV and Volvo B7RLE's 66979 KX05MHF, 66983 KX05MHM, 69424 AU58FFL and 69426 AU58FFN. 

As yet unseen on the IBB is a photo of refurbished 69427 AU58FFO, which of course began it's life in Ipswich Park & Ride colours. It was painted into corporate livery this time last year, when First lost the local Park & Ride contracts to Ipswich Buses.

Oh, and that fleet list can be found by clicking here! Night all

32489 ENTERS SERVICE

Whilst Clive takes a break from the blog, I've been kindly invited to stand in for him. For those of you who aren't familiar with me, I'm Sam - one of the editors of a Norwich Bus Blog which you can read by clicking here.

First Ipswich 32489 AU53HKG
Photo: Bryan Dickson

So a hearty welcome to my take on the Ipswich Bus Blog, I hope you enjoy my updates as much as you enjoy the others - and don't forget to check back frequently for more news!

Short yet informative and more frequent posts are my style, so today we're only looking at the re-entry to service of the seventh Transbus ALX400 to return from refurbishment (including the heritage liveried bus). 32489 AU53HKG was snapped by Bryan Dickson at Tower Ramparts Bus Station today, operating service 55. Service 55 generally runs every 20 minutes betwen Ipswich Town Centre and Bixley, which is on the very eastern outskirts of the Ipswich's suburbs. The appearance of double-deckers on this service appear to be rare, though not unheard of.

EASTERN COUNTIES IN SUFFOLK 1979

Kicking off here with a photo from my chosen year of 1979 by now the Lodekka was becoming increasingly rare in Ipswich with only four allocated by the first half of 1980 all had gone. Here's FLF 441 GPW 441D climbing up Felixstowe Road on the 252. Photo courtesy of Flickr from Crewcastrian's collection. The Bristol MW's were also on their way out and would transfer out to Norwich by the end of the year replaced by new Leyland Nationals.

FLEET ALLOCATION OF IPSWICH/FELIXSTOWE/SAXMUNDHAM

VR 139/182(SAX)/185/186/187/188/189(FEL)/191(FEL)/192/207/302/304(SAX)/309/332(SAX)368/377/396/398/405
FLF 440/441/444/473
LHS 932
LH 531/534/700/917(SAX)918(SAX)919/927(FEL)
LM 622/630
LN 539/549(FEL)/586(FEL)/587(FEL)/598/599/781/782
RL 501/506/507/513/667/679/680/721/737/738/739
RE 848/849/850(SAX)
RLE 746/747(SAX)869(FEL)/875
LL 750/838/840

LH 534 FNG 534K seen here at Norwich was allocated to Ipswich in 1979 having just worked in from Ipswich.

 RL 507 was one of the 11 Bristol RL class at Ipswich at the end of 1979, seen here outside the old depot now demolished in the Old Cattle Market bus station.

 RL 680 RAH 680F spent it's whole career at Ipswich and was one of the last to be withdrawn in 1984.

RE 850 SAH 850M seen here at Ipswich Old Cattle Market Bus Station about to work back to Saxmundham depot.

Bristol VR 189 RPW 189R was originally ordered by Lowestoft Corporation before the order was transferred to Eastern Counties and spent virtually it's whole career in Suffolk before a brief spell at the end of it's life at Kings Lynn subsidiary Rosemary Coaches.

VR 405 KPW 405L was a recent allocation to Ipswich having just moved from Norwich.

VR 304 LFS 293F was a series one VR which was involved with the swap for Eastern Counties Lodekkas in 1973 in general terms the majority didn't last long with the earlier Lodekkas outlasting them, seen here at Aldeburgh on a 264.

Seen here much later in it's career is LN 586 WAH 586S which at the time was an Felixstowe allocation.

FIRST IPSWICH ARRIVAL

66978 KX05 MHE seen here on Thursday on the 61 will be off to Rotherham within the next month, seen here in good old Barbie livery.

Just a quick blog tonight with another Eastern Counties feature tomorrow from 1979 to come. A surprise return last night was 32489 AU53 HKG while departing was Volvo B7RLE 66984 which joins sisters 66979/66983 at Rotherham, while 32653 is the solitary Volvo B7TL at Rotherham.