EX FEC BUSES FINDING NEW HOMES

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129464815@N05/sets/72157647108206164 Copyright Callean Shields


Thinking about 65579 T579 JNG got me thinking on other escapees from the Eastern Counties fleet over the last few years, first up is 20502 AO02 RBZ see above which was transferred up to Glasgow,see above back in 2009, now news has reached me that 20502 and it's sister 20504 are to transfer down to Cornwall where it will ironically be back with 65579!

Sister 20504 AO02 RCU, picture by Stephen O'Reilly also going back down to Cornwall seen here yesterday at the Caledonia Depot.

From JB Bus Photos we see ex FEC Scania 65575 T575 JNG which escaped the scrap man's axe when it was purchased by Connexion Buses, transferred to First Northampton a few years back and sold to a dealer when Northampton folded this was the only one that was sold on.

IPSWICH BUSES MAY TIMETABLE CHANGES

Ipswich Buses Trident 11 LG02 FCX did one turn yesterday on the 16 before being substituted by an East Lancs Dart.

The following is a brief summary of the changes announced earlier this month,other services have still to be announced on the Suffolk On Board Website.

4 Tower Ramparts-Broke Hall-Martlesham Tesco
Service will no longer operate to Ipswich Railway Station off peak, timetable adjusted accordingly,peak time journeys will continue to use Ipswich Railway Station as a terminus.
Services 7/12/13/15/16 have only minor adjustments to timetable.
X5 Tower Ramparts-Foxhall Road-Heath Road Hospital
X5 replaces the 5 service and will terminate at Heath Road Hospital, service increased to every 15 mins daytime and every 30 mins evenings and Sunday.

Buckland's Volvo B10M/Jonckherre J12 BOC seen on a school trip at the Ipswich Transport Museum.

Ipswich Buses Dart 97 X97 LBJ which replaced IB Trident 11 on the 6 yesterday seen on Broke Hall, Ashdown Way.

TWO MORE EX LOTHIAN DARTS DARTS FOR IPSWICH BUSES AND 65579 IN CORNWALL

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuthbus/ Copyright Chris Cuthill

Ipswich Buses have recieved two further Transbus Super Pointer Darts in 93 SN53 AVG seen above in Edinburgh in the former Harlequin livery while below is sister 94 SN53 AVK seen in Edinburgh last year in the later Madder Rose livery that it's been delivered in to Ipswich Buses.

65579 FINALLY GETS TO SEE SERVICE IN  CORNWALL

Ex Ipswich Scania L94UB 65579 T579 JNG has finally entered service in Cornwall operating out of Cambourne depot, which is also the host of ex First Essex Solo 53801 which of course spent some time operating out of Kings Lynn before going to Essex.

EASTERN COUNTIES IPSWICH ALLOCATION JULY 1999

An Eastern Counties import from Bristol three years previously this Leyland National 2 611 AAE 655V is seen heading back to Ipswich on the 97, copyright Peter Horrex.

Looking back to 1999, is all a bit hazy for me at the time i was working for Outdoors part of the Shout Shops chain, and we moved right over the road to where on a boring Winter morning i could sit upstairs and watch everything, approaching Tower Ramparts or the Old Cattle Market, this was the year that a certain Mr Chris Speed started his career at Great Yarmouth as a Driver, and the Number one in the Charts was ATB Nine AM till i come and Ricky Martin Livin le Vida Loca, the BIG Film was The Blair Witch Project, and The Soprano's launched on TV.

Heading towards Ipswich Railway Station was one of a new batch of Scanias for Ipswich which would soon leave when the V Reg Scanias arrived heading out on a 98 towards Shotley is 573 S573 TPW.Picture Copyright Peter Horrex.

Very shortly this Career at Ipswich Bristol VR 242 JAH 242V this last of a batch of 4 would finish it's days at Norwich seen in Trimley heading into Felixstowe.Copyright Peter Horrex.

Not one of my Favourite buses nor those of the Drivers, is 396 L103 PWR a Volvo B6 with Alexander Dash body which would soon leave the Eastern Counties replaced by more of the same from Glasgow.Copyright Peter Horrex.

Seen here heading back from Bawdsey on a 71 is an Ex Thamesway Leyland Olympian XHK 235X which were as slow as anything, top speed i believe was in the early forties .Copyright Peter Horrex.
Included below is the actual allocation for the whole of the fleet for July 1999.

THE OTHER MERCEDES BENZ DEMONSTRATORS

Just a quick blog tonight to illustrate the two other Mercedes Benz demonstrators both are from Colin Humphries Flickr page and can be reached here https://www.flickr.com/groups/1014762@N22/, the first one was on loan in July/August 2007, currently this bus is with Bennetts Coaches

The Citario above was on loan during July 2011 and is seen on the 1 to Ravenswood, soon to be amalgamated with the X1, BF60 OEZ is now a member of the Your Bus fleet of Nottingham.

300TH BLOG AND FINALLY WHAT IPSWICH BUSES ARE BUYING

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/welshpete2007
Welcome to the 300th Blog, as can be seen from the above headline Ipswich Buses have finally let us know that 3 Mercedes Benz Citario's are on order believed to be used on the current X5 service although this has not been confirmed so take it with a pinch of salt, Ipswich Buses have already trialled a Citario this year on the Park and Ride service as seen below BG63 VVE, seen above is an Cardiff Bus example which entered service at the tail end of last year 104 CE63 NYX, but it's not the only Citario that's around at the moment as Galloway's have been trialling one around Stowmarket seen below is a photograph from Mark Smith, who's copyright it remains is BP14 FYZ.

300TH BLOG SPECIAL BONUS PHOTO

As it's the 300th Blog today, I have raided my archive of slides and negatives for this rather colourful Eastern Counties Leyland National LN 771 XNG 771S with a Glasswells of Norwich all over ad, taken at the old Norwich Bus Station probably in the late 1980's as we can just about see to the right is a Series 2 VR still in NBC red livery and at the top you can just about make out VR 204 XNG 204S.

IB ATLANTEAN 9 OUT IN THE SUN ON THE 5

Just a quick blog today,with a picture of Open Top Leyland Atlantean 9 MRT 9P out on the 5, caught this purely by accident as it was in the lay by, but got pressed into action due to the delays caused by the delays caused by the closure of Foxhall Road, such was the strength of the sun didn't allow for many great pictures so to finish we have First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69426 AU58 FNN.