ITM ROAD RUN IPSWICH TO FELIXSTOWE 3RD MAY

Just a quick blog to mention that it is the ITM's Ipswich to Felixstowe run tomorrow morning departure is from Christchurch Park from 11.30 am tomorrow with the first of the vehicles arriving at 1215 on the Felixstowe Promenade, above is Lowestoft Corporation Leyland Titan PBJ 2F from last year seen here at St Augustines Church.

MORE ON IB SERVICE CHANGES

IB DAF Lowlander 58 PJ53 OLA seen on Tuesday in the Cricketer's lay by.

Just a quick update on the changes being made by Ipswich Buses on 24th May, service 6/11 Tower Ramparts to Ipswich Hospital will now link up as a through service from Ipswich Hospital, other changes are minor alterations to the timetable for services to the 7/9/12/13/15, personally i can't see why the 6 justifies a change to every 20 mins and a every half hour service in the evening they have tried to run a Sunday service in the past which wasn't successful, seems to be that Malcolm Robson is having the last laugh.

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE AU58 FFN looking good in the Spring sunshine today about to take up a journey to Felixstowe.

THE CHANGING TIMES OF IPSWICH

From a picture taken from Stuart Ray we capture JDW Coaches ex Waveney AEC Swift YRT 895H approaching Dogs Head Street from this you see that the toilets on the left have been filled in and on the right is where the old Post Office sorting office was now occupied by the Buttermarket Shopping Centre.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/81936099@N08/sets/72157637433582605 copyright Eric Simpson
Seen here is ICT AEC Regent 18 DDX 18 travelling down Lloyds Avenue on Ipswich Station, of course now Buses can no longer go down here after the Cornhill was paved over in the early eighties and the Ipswich Station X is also long gone.

Another one from Stuart Ray this shows Eastern Counties RLE 873 XAH 873H in 1975 which ended up with Cambus in 1984, from this view very little has changed or has it, the Mann Egerton Garage is long gone replaced by a monstrosity of a Cinema which is like a big white elephant unused for over a decade, the turning right from Majors Corner into Upper Orwell Street is also no longer possible with a cycle lane now in it's place.

MORE NEWS ON IB SERVICE CHANGES

Ipswich Buses Scania 74 YN56 NVF out on the 6 to Ipswich Hospital today.

I have learnt further on the changes to the 6 route that it will no longer serve my Estate on Broke Hall and will go back to it's original routing via Bixley Road, due to poor usage, now i don't like to be critical of a Bus company but i will be in this case, what is the difference in running a bus through Broke Hall than up Bixley Road, in fuel costs very little i would think, in actual fact Ipswich Buses i believe have been picking up more passengers coming through Broke Hall than on Bixley Road which is already well served by the 75/77 from First, not only that we are also losing our Evening and Sunday service 5/11 as well seems to me that we are being targeted by a company chasing their profits yet again.

Carter's Dennis Trident/Plaxton President LR52 WKH showing up nicely in the sun today.

FIRST IPSWICH COACH REPAINT AND TWO MORE ESCAPEES

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rtwelshbuses/sets/72157625964250249 Copyright Richard Turner


When asking Chris Speed a question i didn't think that it would get all this attention from everyone on Twitter, so with help from Flickr i can reveal that this is how 20514 WV02 EUP a Volvo B12M will look like on it's return the above photo shows First Cymru's Volvo B7R/Plaxton Profile 20325 YN57 BVY which is based in Swansea, sister 20515 has now returned to Norwich but has been helping out on contracts in Great Yarmouth.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38156936@N02/sets/72157631622054088 Copyright Jampot 2

Above is something that Chris Speed will probably remember from his driving days S20 or in new money 67520 when it was transferred to Taunton with First Somerset and Avon is still going unless anybody no's different with Dobson's in Cheshire.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbystransportphotos/sets/72157644663770489

Well this one was still going last year but with the changes with DDA has more than likely gone to the scrapman, seen with Oakleys Coaches is a horrid Mercedes Benz 0810D with Plaxton Beaver2 bodywork, this went to Glasgow in 2000 before escaping the First Scrapman and seeing further service.

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.