WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK

Will need to clean this up on second glance but i have included it for purely sentimental reasons as i spent many fine days at this very location in Felixstowe, here we see Eastern Counties Bristol LD OT 2 VDV 753 in what i think was it's last summer in August 1985, although i do remember it being used in the winter that year with it's top closed off and in use as a school bus on the 41?

The second photo shows Eastern Counties Leyland National 2 LN 609 KVG 609V in Norwich when pretty new on the 533 Tuckswood route so would be around 1980 time.


BONUS ALLOCATION SHEET MARCH 1975

AS these count as part of the pages total on Blogger i will instead add them to the blog from time to time to give you an idea of how the fleet looked at different periods of time.

MORE INTERLOPERS AND NOT FORGETTING 65579

Today saw me returning to my normal stomping ground of Ipswich, and on my return we have 2 buses, although one is technically a mini coach usually seen elsewhere first up is Ipswich Buses Dennis Trident/ALX 400 16 LG02 FDN on usually Single Deck operated Service 1 to Ravenswood/Alnesbourn Crescent and the next one is from Simmonds who had a Mercedes Benz Tourimso Mini Coach BV10 ZJO on the 113 to Diss and finally a chance to snap returning Scania L94UB 65579 T579 JNG on the 60/61 today.

MORE FROM NORWICH

In plain generic branding is Norse Dennis Trident/Plaxton President PN03 UMH on the Airport Park and Ride 603

 There was so much to photograph in Norwich yesterday I thought it was unfair to do just one blog on it, so today I will include the best of the rest so to speak, on Monday i will get back to looking again at the Ipswich area which has been rather quiet for now.

Seen here on the X11 Express service is Sanders Services Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 318 YNO6 NXR

Quite what route it was on I can quite fathom is 47887 MX03 YDB an Optare Solo from Stagecoach owned Norfolk Green.

In the older style First Barbie livery and not dedicated to any particular line is 33236 LT52 WWZ an Dennis Trident /Plaxton President on the 28 to Thorpe Marriot.

The solitary Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini at Norwich is an ex loan bus which was reacquired by First for Great Yarmouth before emigrating to Norwich seen on the Blue Line 25 to the University is 37562 FJ08 FYN.

DAY TRIP TO NORWICH

 36167 BD11 CFM a Volvo B9TL/Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini from First Norwich on Blue Line 26 to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital

Well it was a day trip to Great Yarmouth initially but a delayed bus put paid to that instead I made my way to Norwich for the first time in 12 years! It's completely impossible to put up all the photos I took all 80 of them on here so I will shut up and let the photos do the talking.

A recent transfer from Lowestoft is AD Enviro 200 45118 ST09 JPT on the 39 Purple line to Lakenham.

Konectbus Optare Tempo MX05 EKY on the 53.

Very unusual this MAN 18.270 Gas Powered/Caetano Ecocity 106 AU62 DWN on the 7 into Norwich.

Heading off to Dereham is the Konect Express service 8 ADL/Enviro 400 SN61 CZW.

The latest refresh of the First livery for the Norwich network is seen here on Dennis Trident/Plaxton President 33163 LR02 LXZ on the Purple Line 37 service to Mulbarton.

The mainstay of the First Norwich Single Decker fleet are in the hands of the ex Northampton Volvo B7L's such as 66325 MV02 VAY on the 13 to Attleborough.

And finally for today one of the ubiquitous Wright Streetlites here we see First Norwich 47510 SN64 CRV on the 14A to Wroxham.

FLASHBACK THURSDAY

 Today's First flashback we go back to 1986 when the bus world was changing and I was only 14 years old, today's picture is once again from my colleague at the ITM Stuart Ray's collection and shows the transition between the name changes of the Borough of Ipswich and the 1986 post deregulation name of Ipswich Buses. Pictured on the left is Leyland Atlantean/Roe 22 SDX 22R with the new fleet name and 17 RDX 17R with Borough of Ipswich fleet names.

Today's second flashback takes as back to around 1975/76 in a recent slide purchase we see former Bristol MW coach LS 814 3814 PW after conversion to a bus, the conversion was by Marshall's of Cambridge and saw the fitting of Bus seats and a roof mounted destination blind display, LS 814 lasted only another 3 years before withdrawal.

MORE RARE VISITORS TO IPSWICH AND MORE ON 20 YEARS AGO

Not quite a rare visitor as something you don't see everyday especially in the Tower Ramparts Bus Station, and in actual fact this is the only time I have ever photographed in all the time I have been on the blog is ex Metroline Dennis Trident/Plaxton President 22 LR02 BBJ seen here yesterday in the lay by near the Cricketers pub yesterday.

Also seen yesterday was Suffolk Norse Marcopolo PN57 CUA on a Swimming contract, in my day it was a rusty old Bedford!

While Soames Volvo B10M?/Plaxton T4 GET was also on a swimming contract.

20 YEARS AGO UPDATE
Further to the post i put up on Sunday with thanks to regular contributor James Long for the information, Bristol VR'S 179/80 were actually classified as VL as they both had Leyland 501 engines which made them go like rockets, Mercedes Benz 50/58 were L609D, while of course Leyland National 602/13/16 were Mark 2 variety's.
Lastly may I apologise for using a picture of Bryan Dickson's on Sunday without his permission, this has been corrected on editing the blog, all photo's came off a CD of images bought 10 years ago with full copyright permission, as I have stated before all recent pictures taken from Flickr have been fully credited, where possible the photos I use are my own and in most cases they tend to be. And finally the old School bus I was talking about GSX 112N a Bedford YRT in it's short career with Lothian.

Picture from Callum Colville https:https://www.flickr.com/photos/lothian_buses/7501635998/in/set-72157630420343382

BONUS PHOTO
 Many thanks to Joe Thorpe for this taken late on Sunday of Volvo B7TL/ ALX 400 32493 when it took over as a Rail Replacement duties from one of the Coaches.

EASTERN COUNTIES THE EARLY DAYS OF FIRST: THE IPSWICH ALLOCATION

An example of the Bristol VR fleet at Ipswich at the time was VR 180 OEL 236P ex Wilts and Dorset,which didn't have a lot of time left on the Ipswich allocation being withdrawn at the end of 1996 with our very own Jim Long upstairs on the bus. The nearest allocation sheet I could find to 20 years ago was this one,so enjoy the memories. This gives a picture of how the influence of the GRT group which became First was now taking hold.

IPSWICH ALLOCATION APRIL 1995

Leyland Olympian/Northern Counties: DD3
Bristol VR/ECW: VR 143/161/163/164/165/179/180/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/191/192/198/207/237/240/241/242/243/244/250/256/258/270/275/276/287/290/306/309
Dennis Javelin/Plaxton: 14/17/19
Dennis Lance/Northern Counties:36/37
Dennis Dart/Plaxton: DP 75/76/77/78/79/80
Volvo B6/Plaxton: VP 84/85/86/87/88/89/90/91/92/93
Leyland National: 569/591/602/613/616/767/769/778
National Greenway: LG 568/585/784
Mercedes Benz L608D : 50/58/711/714/716/717/745/758/759
Iveco/Carlye: IC 81/82/83/94
Ford Transit: 894/908

Both on the allocation although allocated to Felixstowe for town services was ex Leicester Iveco IC 82 F702 MBC and ex Norwich allocated Mercedes Benz MA 717 C717 BEX.

Seen here a little later in life with the additional 500 series added is Dennis Lance 536 K736/37 JAH one of two that later emigrated down to Essex, seen here in the OCM Ipswich.

Here we see Volvo B6/Plaxton Pointer VP 89 M589 ANG when relatively new on the 1 to Greenwich still operated by First to this day.

Seen her on Private Hire in 1996 was Ipswich allocated LG 784 UFX 854S which originated with Stagecoach Southdown before being converted to a National Greenway by East Lancs. Photo copyright and courtesy of Bryan Dickson.