MONDAY WANDERINGS/FLASHBACK

Tracking all of the strange allocations on Ipswich Buses services lately is beginning to become a favourite pastime, for example the 4 only requires a PVR of 2 allowing anyone of 84-87 to appear on other services as illustrated by 85 PJ53 OLE above on the 8/13, although on Saturday none of 84-87 were on the 4 instead there was East Lancs Dart 88 an ex Lothian Dart SPD 135 instead. While on the X3 there was X5 branded 139 and DAF Lowlander 100.

                              MONDAY FLASHBACK                                  

Today we see Eastern Counties Bristol MW LM 987 487 DAH inside what was then the old running shed on the Old Cattle Market which disappeared in the mid 1980's in those days buses would enter from Dogs Head Street, while the Eastern Counties office is now what has become the Yahoo clothes shop, LM 987 was withdrawn in 1977 after 14 years use and was scrapped 2 years later.

FIRST IPSWICH FINALLY DEPART BROKE HALL

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69011 AU05 DMY at Broke Hall Shops on the 28/12/14

Almost sixteen years since First took over services on Broke Hall when they took over the 1/4 from Ipswich Buses and they have finally left the area, although they basically pulled out of Broke Hall two years previously when the 56 was axed and after Ipswich Buses restarted the 4 in 2012, leaving First Ipswich with the Sundays only 4/A for a brief time last year the 4/A didn't serve Broke Hall when Ipswich Buses diverted the 5/11 through Broke Hall for a short period from last Autumn through to May this year, the 6/A service from Ipswich Buses will now serve Broke Hall from next Sunday and also operate on evenings as well.  Seen below is Ipswich Buses AD Enviro 200 79 YX63 ZVV seen on the 5 again on the 28/12/14.

60813 AND 65572 WANDER NORTH AND RECALLING 2003

Sadly due incompetence on my part i can't find any photos of the buses involved, so instead i have put up one that's still going strong in Essex 65565 S565 TPW at Colchester, all though it's day's are numbered once the next batch of Streetlite's arrive. From news generated else where Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 60813 S664 RNA has emigrated north this time to Aberdeen from Buses of Somerset now this bus has had a chequered history, starting it's career in Manchester then down to Bradford, Norwich, Ipswich,Great Yarmouth, Taunton and now Aberdeen! Meanwhile Scania 65572 S572 TPW is on the move from the Potteries at Stoke, for a short term move to Glasgow whilst they await new buses, 65572 has an Ipswich connection being here for a short time before moving on to Norwich, then Northampton and the Potteries. Below is well a puddle jumper oh i mean a Wright Handybus bodied Dennis Dart 45426 LDZ 9126 not on my list of favourites , this one is seen in Kings Lynn in 2003 and for once it has a full destination blind set unlike the ones at Ipswich had!.

THREE MERCEDES CITARIOS ARRIVE AT IPSWICH BUSES

Taken from Ipswich Buses PCV Training on Facebook.

All three Mercedes Benz Citario's for Ipswich Buses 9/10 service to Castle Hill and Whitton have arrived as i revealed last night on twitter should be 153-55 with two of the three currently at Constantine Road registered BV65 HVT/V, as can be seen they have been delivered in current fleet livery. The date of their entry into service has now been pushed back two days to October 7th a Wednesday. I should be visiting the depot next week to get a sneaky peak at what they are like quickly followed by a report on October 7th with Steve W to give you a unbiased view as an on the road report.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown

Well this was how we travelled in my young days, from the age of 11 i was fascinated by the Bristol RE okay they rattle, the windows vibrate but who cares when they produce the magnificent Bristol engine whine. Here we see the first one in the batch of five Ipswich purchased from Leicester 118 TRY 118H, one of my claims to fame was seeing 118 i think leaving Constantine depot for it's final journey in revenue earning service back in 1987. 

THURSDAY RAIN AND SUN ALL IN ONE MORNING!

Well i did promise a picture of Ipswich Buses repainted Dennis Trident 24 SN51 AXO and so i have many thanks to Ipswich Buses for telling me what route it was on it certainly helped not sticking around in the early morning rain, there's a slight difference on 24 in that it hasn't had the telephone number attached to the upper right on the offside as yet. Meanwhile sister 25 SN51 AXP was also on the 10 in a photo from Russell Young. A little later and a move down to the Old Cattle Market saw me just about catch Galloways recent loan MCV Evolution YJ62 JWF while Russel Young managed to photo of in my case one the elusive Optare Solo SR's that are on loan here we see KX15 BLN heading back into Ipswich on the 113 from Diss. Other odd allocations were IB Dart 139 on the X1 whilst Scania Omnicity 73 was on the 16.

EASTERN COUNTIES 1950'S ODDITIES

 A chance today to see some of the rather exotic buses and coaches that Eastern Counties bought or inherited, firstly we see an Dennis Lancet /Duple C33F DS 982 new in 1950 to Metropolitan Coaches of Great Yarmouth in 1950 and taken over in 1951, this picture would have been taken in Great Yarmouth after 1953 when Eastern Counties fleet names were applied but before its relegation to bus work in 1957, this was withdrawn in 1960.

 This was rather a strange choice for Eastern Counties in 1949 as most buses bought were of the Bristol/ECW marque, however these Beadle Bedford's were purchased primarily for working rural routes, seating 35 they were converted from petrol to diesel engines a Gardner 4LK in 1952,this particular one CB 816 HPW 801 was allocated to Ipswich and withdrawn in 1959 replaced by the Bristol SC/ECW class

Finally a one off coach this was again acquired with the Metropolitan Coaches takeover in 1952 was a Bedford SB with a rather rare Gurney Nutting body with 33 coach seats, BS 925 EX 7107 was converted to a Gardner 4LK engine soon after the takeover gaining Eastern Counties fleet names in the process this coach had a short existence being withdrawn in 1957.

IB TRIDENT 24 IN SERVICE

Photo from Stuart Ray https://www.flickr.com/photos/86020500@N06/

Today saw another Ex Lothian Buses Dennis Trident 24 SN51 AXO enter service on the X5 to Ipswich Hospital which myself just managed to see leaving town just before ten to four leaving town, this now leaves just 23 to enter service, something i didn't add yesterday was the new style numbers in white on the front and the Ipswich Buses telephone number added to the top offside corner.

Above we see another classic view this time of Eastern Counties RL 735 AAH 735J which was painted into this advertisement to send your parcels by bus just over a year from new in 1972 and from then on in was sent just about everywhere within Eastern Counties and survived the massive cull of the type in late 1982 ending it's day's with Cambus after the split of the Cambridge/Peterborough operations in 1984, seen here in Peterborough in 1983.