PRICE WAR ON FIRST AND IB CONTINUES

As can be seen by the above on a Ipswich Buses Scania Omnicity the £2 return ticket on routes X1/3, 12/13 and on First Ipswich's 53/60/61 continues when this is due to finish, i currently don't know, allocations on Ipswich Buses seem hard to work out another one i noticed today looks like when a Decker comes off the 6A and goes on the 4 at 1125 it's replaced by a single decker possibly off the 12 if anyone knows please get in contact.

IB Dart 89 X89 LBJ unusually was on the 15A to Thorrington Park usually the preserve of Deckers. 

FAVOURITE DECKER POLL RESULTS

IBT Atlantean 29 SDX 29R in the early 1980's repainted into the Barry Moore livery of Green and Cream.

Well it was obvious which one was going to win wasn't it the ubiquitous AEC Routemaster won polling 40% of the vote with the AEC Regent V in second place on 28%, AEC Regent III third with 20% and last was the RT with 12%.
This weeks poll is for your favourite Leyland Double Decker with 4 choices, the Atlantean, The Olympian and the Fleetline which i have included as both a Daimler/Leyland Bus and the Titan later style of course.

Copyright Clive Brown https://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/3398625740/in/photolist

London Northern  Leyland Titan 618 NUW 618Y.

Copyright NDL642M https://www.flickr.com/photos/ndl642m/12267982036/in/photolist

Rather an nice sunny livery this one for London Buslines an classic Northern Counties bodied Olympian 45 H145 LFX latterly 34345 with First Group.

Copyright Andy Reeve 

Smith https://www.flickr.com/photos/andysbusphotos/4872460421/in/photolist

My favourite body style on the Fleetline has always been the Alexander body particularly as i used to travel on them deliberately when in Bournemouth, by now this beauty was 20 years old but carries it's age well, Yellow Buses Bournemouth's 126 OEL 126M.

FIRST MB CITARIO REPORTED WITH IPSWICH BUSES

Just a quick blog tonight to report that one of the three Mercedes Benz Citario's due for Ipswich Buses was seen yesterday thanks Ben, heading for Ipswich, in the current fleet livery, bound for Evobus in Coventry one was trialled by IB back in February on Park and Ride, BG63 VVE seen above, if anyone has the exact details of the registration for the first one please let me know.

BUS PROFILE:BRISTOL LH

Copyright Unknown.

A chance to take a look back at Eastern Counties different types of Bristol LH the first one up is the first of the new style Bristol LH which was introduced at the Commercial Motor Show in 1972 and was the first bus in the new NBC Poppy Red livery and the last with a Perkins engine it was destined for a short career with Eastern Counties of nine years before becoming preserved and is now with John Appleton, Higham Ferrers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_addison/3262887778/in/photolist-6JLSS1-4VvLS8-5o7FJy-5Yk9RQ-7LU6Pi

Here we see late on in it's career with Eastern Counties is LH 903 XPW 903H a series one LH in 1980 suffering with a water leak problem inside Kings Lynn depot, by the following year it would be withdrawn.

To finish up with we see a collection of three of the last Bristol LH's which finished their days at Ipswich depot including dual purpose LH 930 WEX 930S and it's bus sister's LH 927/29 WEX 927/29S, LH 930 would be later painted in a deregulation livery of Grey/Orange/Cream which you would have to see it to believe it.

IB FIRST DAY OF SERVICE CHANGES

First day of service changes saw quite a bit of confusion as once again Ipswich Buses decided to move round all the positions of the stands let alone all the number changes, first photo illustrates the renumbered 11 which now becomes the 6A, while Dennis Trident 20 Y436 NHK is on what was the 7 but has now become the 15A.

An interesting change on the 4 route now sees an double decker come off the 6A at around 1125 and do one 4 to Bixley Farm and return, then a 4 to Martlesham Tesco and return, then a 4 to Bixley Farm, which terminates there at 1428. Seen here today with my good friend Tony the driver in hand is Scania Omnidekka 62 PJ54 YZV, now this a livery to like!

And another Scania Omnidekka this time YN05 HFY with Beestons which is a recent repaint into the new livery alongside is Galloway DAF/Wright Cadet 1754 PP.

MEMORIES OF IPSWICH ROUTES 7/11

Copyright Stuart Ray
Today a trip back featuring the two routes that will still exist tomorrow but now of course with different numbers the 7 will become the 15A and the 11 becomes the 6A, leaving just the 4/6/8/9 as the only single digit numbers in use! The first features my favourite AEC combination the AEC Regent V with Massey body, taken from the top of Warwick Road we see one of the earliest ones in 37 LDX 37 heading back into Town with the wrong blinds on the 11 when it used to terminate at Selkirk Road, picture taken 1970. Below we see IBT cream and green liveried Leyland Atlantean/Roe 8 MRT 8P, outside what is now residential flats but back then was Mc Namara Motors car showroom heading back from Foxhall Road which on return became the 7 to Chantry.

While the number 7 still lives on well sort of First Ipswich's new Felixstowe express service is numbered X7 obviously someone forget to programme the LED blinds, as it left for Felixstowe with 7 Town Centre!

FIRST IPSWICH E200'S IN SERVICE/END OF THE LINE FOR IB 7/11

Today was the first day of First Ipswich's operation of the 59 and 70 routes and as can be seen the 59 was particularly busy as can be seen by AD Enviro 200 44928 EU08 FHB loading up in Tower Ramparts this morning, while sister bus 45119 RT09 JPT,see belows pictures was on the 70 to Woodbridge both these routes as previously mentioned are under contract to Suffolk County Council.

 

As can be see by the picture above and below Ipswich Buses routes 7/11 will no longer exist from Thursday as they become 15A and 6A respectively, the 7 is particularly a long standing number as it's history goes back all the way to 1928 when trolleybuses first served London Road, while the 11 was created shortly after the second world war in 1947 to serve Sidegate Lane, the number 11A will be still used ableit as an 11A school journey for St Albans School, picture above shows Scania Omnidekka 62 PJ54 YZV on the 7 today whilst below we see recent repaint Dennis Trident 22 LR02 BBJ on the 11.