ITM WHAT'S IN STORE

ITM'S Eastern Counties Bristol MW LS 829 APW 829B.

From now on in until the end of the summer, i am cutting down on the number of blogs i am doing, partly for my own self and partly because it's getting harder to find any worthy news of late, the plan is now to do only 2 a week, one on a Saturday and one on Wednesday, finding news on a daily basis has become harder since the First repaints last year, not only that it's had a significant effect on my health leaving little time for other things. Tomorrow is the Ipswich Transport Museum What's in Store day from 11am until 4 pm. I have copied the press release from the ITM to give you an idea on what you can see
Museum Press Releases
Posted: 9th July 2015

LOTS IN STORE FOR MUSEUM EVENT Sunday 12th July 2015.

Ipswich Transport Museum's second 'What's in Store?' day takes place on Sunday 12th July. The special event allows visitors to see items that are not normally on public display, including future restoration projects and current projects.

A special free bus service will operate between the museum's Priory Heath exhibition hall and the museum's off-site store building in the north west of the town. The store contains over a dozen rare vehicles, including three priceless pre-war Eastern Counties buses, awaiting their turn in the restoration queue. New to the collection within the store building and now mounted on an original Tilling Stevens chassis, is the body of a 1920s Eastern Counties Roadcar bus, built by Ransomes Sims and Jeffries in Ipswich. An ex-Wyards Removals Bedford lorry will also be on display outside.

Museum Chairman Mark Smith explained "This is a unique event to show people what we get up to when the museum in closed, and to show a lot of our exhibits in the often quite poor condition that we restore them from. Cleaning, restoration, building, repairs, maintenance - they're all jobs undertaken by our volunteers. We thought it would be nice to showcase some of the work we do, and some of the rarely seen objects in our collection".

In addition, the museum's exhibition hall will be open as usual, as will the Sunbeam tea room and gift shop. 

Refreshments will also be available at the museum's store building.

BEESTONS OPTARE DEMONSTRATOR AND ANOTHER FIRST DEPOT TO CLOSE

Caught this Optare Solo SR YJ64 DWD which is currently been used by Beestons today on the 30 to Woodbridge, even with the sun right in my eyes it wasn't hard to miss! Only one other piece of news to impart today was that Stagecoach Devon have acquired First Devon And Cornwall's Plymouth depot which many may think of a surprise, however the majority of the fleet consists of Non DDA single and Double Deckers such as V/W reg Volvo B6BLE'S, S reg Darts and T-V reg Trident's.

Yet another different Ipswich Buses ALX 200 Dart has appeared on the 98 Shotley run this time it's 141 Y273 FJN.

GREAT YARMOUTH FINALLY GETS IT'S OWN HERITAGE BUS

Copyright Danny Beales

First Great Yarmouth finally have their own heritage bus in  Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 32059 W219 XBD painted in the final version of the Great Yarmouth Transport livery used by the operator until the take over by First Group back in 1996, behind you can see Mr Beales and Mr Speed's pet in AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M, below you can see the inspiration for the livery on the classic Bristol VR/ECW 35 RVF 35R in September 1988 and if you are old enough some of you may remember the original livery on Daimler Fleetline 53 HEX 253 during the 1970's and finally the First Blue Bus livery on Dennis Javelin 513 H613 RAH.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/98464140@N06/10060345856/in/photolist Copyright CWG 43

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5874792978/in/photolist

Both Above pictures copyright John Law.

WEDNESDAY IPSWICH BUSES FLASHBACK AND AUGUST SERVICE CHANGES

Perhaps not the sharpest image however we see one of the most finest buses to grace the Ipswich fleet during the 1980's, documentation shows that they were fairly troubled to begin with but eventually they were destined for long lives, probably one of the most powerful and comfortable buses to go on, by this time in 1988 the Bristol B21's had been renumbered to 144-47 to make way for the East Lancs Dennis Falcon's 114-17, here we see 144 B114 LDX.

I can remember the first time i saw one of these on Broke Hall in what would have been Autumn 1984, and too be honest whenever one appeared on the 4 i tended to disregard them opting for a Leyland Atlantean twenty minutes later many disliked the rather angular East Lancs body of the Dennis Falcon although later on with the G registered Batch 118-24 G118-24 VDX in 1989 did they get it right, the Dennis Falcon wasn't very popular around the time and along with Hartlepool and Leicester were they bought in any number, indeed in the mid 1990's many from this batch 100-05, YDX 100Y seen above and the Northern Counties batch 107-13 C107-13 SDX ended up firstly with First Northampton then First Leicester. 

AUGUST CHANGES

Below you can see the changes listed on the Suffolk On Board site for August.

14, 15, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C	Haverhill - Chedburgh - Bury St Edmunds	Stephensons of Essex	There are minor changes to the timetable. School journeys have slightly changed and service X15 has been withdrawn.	10.08.15
99,99A	Lowestoft - Kessingland - Lowestoft	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Changes to the timetable and the route. Service 99A trips are remembered as Service 99. Sunday services are cancelled.	02.08.15
102, 122	Lowestoft - Oulton - Lowestoft	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Changes to the timetable.	02.08.15
103, 123	Lowestoft - Carlton Colville	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Service is due to cancel - Service 104 will replace.	02.08.15
104	Lowestoft - Pakefield - Lowestoft	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	This service will replace Service 103, 123.	02.08.15
106	Lowestoft - Outlon Broad - Burnt Hill - Lowestoft	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Minor changes to the timetable.	02.08.15
111	Lowestoft - Carlton Colville	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Changes to the timetable and the route.	02.08.15
X2	Lowestoft - Beccles - Loddon - Norwich	First in Norfolk & Suffolk	Minor changes to the timetable.	02.08.15

- See more at: http://www.suffolkonboard.com/buses/bus-service-changes/august-bus-services-changes/

COUNTDOWN TO DDA PART 2

Today continuing the theme of the Countdown to DDA, with a further selection of step entrance Double Deckers coming to their end of days.
One of only two Alexander RL bodied Volvo Olympian remain with First both in East Scotland one pictured here is 34290 P191 TGD had a spell with Essex, and is allocated to Bannockburn while sister 30744 is at Galashiels. Copyright Chris Cuthill  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuthbus/14583346519/in/photolist

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaybbusphots/16859769231/in/photolist
We saw the Low height version of the Alexander body above on the Olympian which was more common with Stagecoach specifying the vast majority of the orders from Alexander seen here is 31762 R923 WOE from First Bradford.

Copyright Barney Staples https://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/16114063804/in/photolist

 First Group back in 2005 bought up quite a lot of ex London Olympians this example with the Northern Counties Palatine body came from London General then down to the south coast with First Hampshire & Dorset at Southampton before migrating west to Devon & Cornwall, seen here is 31821 P908 RYO at Penzance Railway Station.

CEASED INDEPENDENTS 1 : BICKERS

Copyright Stuart Ray above and below photo. Pictured in 1984 shortly before it passed to Stonier's is AEC Reliance NPT 992M.

Bicker's started operating in 1925, when Mr G Bickers purchased a 14 seat Model T Ford for use on services from Coddenham into Ipswich, this vehicle is now preserved and can be seen at the Ipswich Transport Museum, the business expanded during the 1940's and again in 1955 with Ling's of Boxford. In 1968 the Ipswich to Otley service was taken on from P&M coaches and the Debenham to Ipswich from Eastern Counties in 1974. When J.D.W ceased in December 1981 Bicker's took over the Ipswich to Woodbridge route extending it to Bawsey when Eastern Counties withdrew their service. Put up for sale during 1988 half the services and Buses/Coaches were sold to Ipswich Buses and Eastern Counties. Seen below after take over is Bedford YMT/Plaxton's 170 TBB 283S with Ipswich Buses and CB 814 RCH 511R with Eastern Counties, and the final photo is Ex Devon General Bristol SU 356 EDV taken in 1978.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5991103739/in/photolist

EATM 50TH VISIT

To say the weather was a disappointment was putting it mildly, today at the EATM 50th Anniversary weekend and after yesterday's blistering heat did we expect this? Anyway it was nice to catch up with Sam Larke and Kieran from the Norwich Buses Blog as you can see we had a trip out to Beccles on wonderful re bodied ex Eastern National Bristol RE, which was a prototype for the B51 chassis while a trip out to Lowestoft where i was to stay for an hour was postponed for another time, although i did experience an First Lowestoft Dart/Caetano Nimbus for the first time and i was pleasantly surprised to find it was rattle free, my thanks to the ITM , Michael Slinn and Owen Phillips and the superb Eastern Counties Bristol LS 829.

EX LT MCW Metrobus M394 GYE 394W came from the Great Yeldham Collection in Essex

One can only be impressed by the standard of the EATM Trolleybus collection an Chassis less Metro Cammell London Transport Trolleybus 1521 FXH 521 built in 1940.

 A line up of two Trams London Transport EMB/English Electric 1858, Blackpool Preston Mc Guire 159 and London Transport Trolleybus AEC/MCW 260 CUL 260.