EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATION 1974 PART TWO

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ibptsfelixstowe/11896050764/in/photolist-

Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LFS 113 FAH 113C was allocated to Peterborough in 1974.

Today i follow up Sunday's post with the second part of the classic allocation list with 2 pages covering the north of the region Kings Lynn and the west of Eastern Counties sphere which 10 years later in 1984 would become Cambus initially then a few years later the Peterborough area becoming Viscount.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jncarter1962/2313845905/in/photolist-  Copyright John Carter.
Seen in 1985 is Bristol VR 321 NGM 170G Ex  Central SMT Motherwell the previous year of 1973 saw the exchange of Bristol VR's from the Scottish Bus Group with Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka's going the other way.

MONDAY BIT'S AND PIECES

Unfortunately due to a camera malfunction today i can't bring you the intended photo's i was going to use, one that i did get this morning was Ipswich Buses Solo 241 YN04 LWK after it's recent mishap with Scania Olympus 69 it has a nice lime green rear engine cover, rather tasteful me thinks, other than that there is nothing really to report the only thing to report IB wise was Optare Excel 2 171 on the 4 with Spare Dart 84 on the 13!, while First Ipswich had Volvo B7TL 32494 which was on the 60/61, Volvo B12M 20514 has gone off to Rotherham this morning to be internally refurbished other than that that's it for today.

Suffolk Norse AD Enviro 400 YX63 ZKJ was parked in Crown Street lay by for it's usual swimming contract.

EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATION LIST JUNE 1974

Bristol RELL RLE 869 WPW 869H virtually an Ipswich /Felixstowe allocated bus for it's entire life is seen here in Felixstowe in 1981 in what is now the Lidl Supermarket!

Today I'm going to illustrate another classic allocation sheet, this time i will be going back to 1974, now this is an interesting time as we begin to see the ongoing march of one man operated buses particularly the Bristol VR and the first Leyland National's and the withdrawals of the early Bristol Lodekkas the LKD class, it was also only little over six months when the swap with the Scottish Bus Group for their Bristol VR's coming here and the E and F reg Bristol Lodekka FLF class going the other way, strange to think that 12 years later the Bristol Lodekka class out lived those Scottish VR's which Eastern Counties struggled to maintain. Part one today includes the allocations of Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Cromer, Ipswich,Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe and Saxmundham.

Seen here a year later in 1975 is Bristol Lodekka LFS 109 ENG 109C seen here on a 209 Bexford Works knowing Counties drivers of the time i'm surprised he knew where to find it on the blind, LFS 109 would finish it's days to the west of the region in Cambridge. Photo Copyright Stuart Ray.

MY PICK FROM MY FLICKR ALBUMS

Seen when just over a year old on January 31st 1974 is Ipswich Borough Transport Leyland Atlantean 86 WPV 86L outside the Cricketer's Pub in Crown Street.

Lowestoft based Eastern Counties Leyland National LN 567 PVF 367R is seen here heading toward Great Yarmouth on the 604 in September 1993.

I think one of  the best in my collection is this Eastern Counties Bristol VR 256 PCL 256W which wore the 240/257 Saxon Radio/Radio Orwell All over advert from the mid 1980's onwards, Radio Orwell in time became SGR FM, and now Heart, with minimal programming in Ipswich.

IB DART136 IN VIEW AND THE FIRST PICTURE OF FIRST NORWICH 66977 WITH PURPLE FRONT

As mentioned on Tuesday Ipswich Buses Transbus SPD Dart/Plaxton Pointer 2 entered service on the X5 Tuesday but today was pictured by friend of the blog Andrew Berry whose copyright it remains. Other spotting today saw 4 Single deckers on the 6/11 which seems strange, theses were Darts 89/90/96 and Enviro 200 81.

My thanks to the man of the moment Mr Chris Speed for the first peek of ex Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66977 KX05 MHA with it's Purple Line front.

CHRIS SPEED BECOMES GENERAL MANAGER AT IPSWICH/ WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK

First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32656 AU05 MUY seen in early May this year after coming in from Alderburgh on 65.

A rather short and sweet blog tonight with the announcement that  a good friend of mine Mr Chris Speed has been appointed General Manager at Ipswich, congratulations are in order as he has done a sterling job here just think back here a few years and we still had a plethora of R Reg Darts and Scania's. Coming soon i will be meeting him for an update on the plans for Ipswich for the rest of the year so keep an eye out on the blog over the next couple of weeks.

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK

I may or may not of featured this picture in the past however with a new scanner i have cleaned it up no end, here we see a Eight year old Eastern Counties Leyland Leopard with Alexander Body LL749 MCL 931P allocated to Felixstowe during May 1984, however within 4 months it transferred over to Cambus.

IPSWICH BUSES ARTICLE IN COACH AND BUS WEEK

Part of the last ordered buses came towards the end of Malcolm Robson's term seen here in the Hybrid livery of Turquoise/Green is Enviro 200 YX63 LGE which unusually saw itself as one of two single deckers on the usually Double Decker operated 7 to Thorrington Park.

In brief below is the main points of the article from last weeks Coach and Bus week.

4 Optare Versa's have had their MAN engines replaced so far with Cummins in the last 18 months, which should last a further 10 years.

4 East Lancs Dennis Darts not as previously stated as six are being refurbished, two 93/98 have already been done, 4 are being replaced by the ex Lothian Darts, one of which 136 entered service today on the X5, three have already been scrapped, 3 Mercedes Citario's have been ordered for delivery in September with 65 plates.

Optare Spectra's 51-53 and Dennis Tridents 18/19 are to be upgraded with wheelchair spaces and ramps.

X3 and other routes in the vicinity of John Lewis have accrued double digit growth, current PVR is 72 buses of a total of 86, which is a large increase during the last few years.

Finances are very healthy and profitable, the battle with First particularly over the Greenwich X1 and Chantry/Pinewood  route 13 haven't hit as hard as what they thought.

Full article can be found at http://coachandbusweek.com/ and you may just be able to pick up a full copy still in WH Smith,

Two further pictures seen above are ALX 200 Dart 142 Y292 FJN in X5 branding seen on Trident 20 or 21's regular turn on the 98 to Shotley Marina and below that thanks for the tip off Kieran is Dart 137 SN53 AVP  seen at Hants and Dorset trim, copyright Mike https://www.flickr.com/photos/59115230@N06/18164113618/