IB TRIDENT 22 IN SERVICE AND OTHER NEWS

Caught a fraction too early was Ipswich Buses Trident 22 LR02 BBJ which entered service yesterday on the X5 unfortunately due to the sun being in the wrong place in Tower Ramparts this was the best shot i could get. The other 3 Tridents are hopefully going to be 23-25 while the Mercedes Benz Citarios should be delivered within the next month. Ipswich Buses are still offering the £2 return ticket at least on routes X1/X3 presumably until the end of the School Holidays.

One of very few IB buses remain with names attached one of the remaining X Reg Darts which will be withdrawn later on in September is 96 X96 LBJ seen today on the 16.

LAST EX FEC SCANIA L113 WITHDRAWN AND DARTS IN PLYMOUTH.

Well it had to happen the last ex FEC Park and Ride Scania L113 CRL 65556 R556 CNG was withdrawn with First Essex at Clacton in May, also of noteworthy news is the withdrawal of the majority of the ex FEC New World First Bus Dart SLF's at Plymouth with the sale of the Plymouth operation to Stagecoach Devon, these are 42752/58/64/84 S652/58/64/84 SNG, this will leave one still in operation in Bath 42754, seen above in happier days is 65556 at Castle Meadow Norwich and below 42752 also in Castle Meadow.

ETCS OLD BUCKENHAM RALLY

First Norwich's ex London Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President 32100 LT02 ZCJ alongside EATM's Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LFL 57 557 BNG.

Welcome to a photo special of buses from today's ETCS Old Buckenham Rally.

 Today's star turn was Chris Speed's and Danny Beales Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M which also won best Classic Bus well done to you both, a pleasure to spend the day with you chaps.

As a contrast to our very own Ipswich Heritage Volvo B7TL 32479 was First Great Yarmouth's 32059 W219 XBD.

My favourite coach body the Plaxton Supreme V shown here by Smiths of Norton Volvo B10M FAH 275Y and the Cambridge Transport Society OK Motor Services liveried Leyland Tiger LFT 5X.

Two different generations on is a rare one from the ETCS a Dennis Condor/Duple H74 ANG with a staggering 110 seats from the China Motor Bus fleet followed by the ETCS Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LKD 229 OVF 229 which spent it's life by and large in Suffolk.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DOUBLE DECKER PART ONE

With credit to Syd Eade, we see Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LKD 175 UNG 175 in the pre NBC classic Red and Cream with Gold fleet name in the early 1970's with the typical service blind for Norwich service 511, awaiting passengers in Castle Meadow.

The whole exercise is to eventually see what exactly was the most classic double decker pre 1980's was obviously if i listed every one on one poll that wouldn't work so each week i will split the poll into parts involving the different manufacturers so to me the most obvious one to start with is Bristol with the VR, Lodekka and the K series, i haven't split them up to include the different types ie VR series 1, 2 or 3 as that just complicates things, next week i will tackle AEC/Leyland to include the Regent 3 and 5, Atlantean, Routemaster, RT.

 Now preserved by Viv Carter with Carters is Eastern Counties Bristol VR 294 VEX 294X.

FIRST ESSEX BRAINTREE DEPOT TO CLOSE

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fwc439h/16942906867/in/photolist Copyright Steven Hughes.
First Essex use this rather attractive version of the Olympia livery for Volvo B7RLE's in Colchester and other depots in Essex this particular one started out with First Manchester before being used temporarily by First Ipswich for Park and Ride in late 2008.

While not quite in this area news reached me on Tuesday officially that First Essex are to close Braintree depot now i knew of this sometime back but i have held back from releasing it until it was officially announced, Braintree will know only have an outstation with work being transferred to Chelmsford and Colchester Depots from the 1st November, there will be no forced redundancies, this comes when First Essex will open there new £3.3 million depot in September.

BEESTONS REPAINT AND IB/FIRST NEWS

Well It certainly has taken me long enough to photo this recent Beeston's repaint of Optare Solo KX54 NLC which has been in dealer white along with it's sister for a few years know, what it will be used on after they lose the 30/39 routes is anyone's guess. Ipswich Buses Trident 22 is now back at Constantine Road Depot after completion of the new livery. First Ipswich should have there two refurbished Enviro 200's back from Rotherham this time next week, thanks Chris,and talking of Enviro 200's 44519 YX09 ADO which is usually on the 53 was on the 60/61 Greenwich/Gainsborough routes, while IB had ALX 200 Dart 139 on the 98 Shotley service while an X3 Dart was on the X1 and 142 was parked up in Crown Street Lay-by.

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK VARIETY.

 Time for another Wednesday Flashback, and a quick reminder to people that the majority of photos are my own and when i do source them from Flickr i properly link them to that persons stream, this is in accordance to Flickr rules, if people wish to use my photos from my stream you may do so as long as you credit me, unfortunately i can no longer use certain peoples photos, which is a shame but there we go. Top and bottom pictures are my own and retain my copyright, first one shows a series 2 Bristol VR VR 147 GNG 713N in Norwich Bus Station in Deregulation Post Office Red, below we see ICT AEC Regent V SDX 58 on the 3 to Rushmere Heath, slightly spoilt by a car in the foreground by the look of the young girls outrageous flares we can pin it down to the later part of the 1970's