ITM CLASSIC VEHICLES DAY

Today saw me conducting buses for the Ipswich Transport Museum's Classic Vehicle Day which in the main saw a fine collection of cars from Pre Second World War 2 up to the 1980's and a few light commercial lorries plus an extra special visitor from the Birmingham area in Dave Hale's Eastern Counties Bristol RLE 747 GCL 349N which was allocated from new to Felixstowe in December 1974 until 1981 when it was transferred to Bury St Edmunds, seen right at the bottom in the lovely location of Levington ,the three vehicles from the museum used today were Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LFS 125 GNG 125C above with blinds set up myself to show the old Counties circular route and Bristol MW LS 832 APW 829B and IBT AEC Regent V ADX 63B.the next photo down at Broke Hall shops.

SNEAK PEAK LOOK AT IPSWICH BUSES MERCEDES BENZ CITAROS

Today i was particularly fortunate to get a sneak peak at the three Mercedes Benz Citaro's that Ipswich Buses have bought for the 9/10 Whitton/Castle Hill routes 153-55  BX65 HVT/V/W, when i arrived both 154/55 were being prepared for service, whilst 153 was manoeuvred carefully out into the rear for me to get a photo of her, from the brief time i spent aboard, the bus runs particularly quiet and will run 10 miles to the gallon and our the first buses in Suffolk to run on Euro 6 engines, i have also included some photos of the interior, at the front are two wheelchair/buggy spaces with one tip up seat on either side and the emergency exit now of course in the middle of the bus. All three buses will be launched on the Cornhill next Wednesday, with the Ipswich Mayor cutting the ribbon after this drivers will be typed trained on them prior to entering service. My thanks to Ipswich Buses MD, Jeremy Cooper for taking time out of his schedule for showing me the new arrivals.

 Seats are in leather and illustrated here is the tip up seat in the wheelchair bay, below that we see the full interior shot with the engine on the nearside at the rear and you can just make out the emergency exit in the middle of the shot, it was also interesting to see the Mercedes Benz team were on hand to deal with any problems that come up.

THURSDAY FLASHBACK

 Going to the west of the region today although slightly out of my area they both show periods of change either being in the more recent past or of historical interest, first up we see ex Eastern Counties LN 552 OAH 552M in 1985 after the split of Eastern Counties with Cambus fleet names and fleet number 202 but still in the red NBC livery, the picture was taken in 1985 in Cambridge on the 189 to Cherry Hinton. Below is something very interesting as it's contains a bus with a locally built Ransomes body on a Leyland TS2 chassis built in 1930 and seating 26 seats it joined the newly formed ECOC in 1931 fitted originally with a petrol engine, it was converted to a Gardner 4LW oil engine in 1937 with an additional 2 seats and during the Second World War like many single deck buses it was converted to perimeter seating and was withdrawn at the end of 1945.

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Ipswich Buses Scania Omnidekka 60 PJ54 YZT at Broke Hall Shops heading towards Bixley on the 4.

Now i thought i would try and do something a bit different this time, It's a sort of end of the year awards but more or less my version called the Ipswich Bus Blog Awards sorry to Steve W for stealing his thunder my aim is not just to find this time the most popular livery or best company but to find who gives the best customer service, customer service is something i should know about as i have spent the majority of my career in the industry, this is for the people who drive the buses, the people who work in the various shops dealing with enquires, basically the unsung hero's we all know who the company's bosses are as they are in the firing line, so let's find out who excels at customer service.

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69423 AU58 FFK back in April shortly before the of the 55 route.

Could First Ipswich be your choice, we shall have to wait and the poll box should you wish to vote will be in the upper corner of the page.

SCHOOL DAY BUSES AND COACHES

As i often visit my mum in Anglesea Road there is often a selection of Coaches/Mini Coaches and Buses to be seen starting off we see Beestons Baby Daf Van Hool YJ64 ATV. While below we see Beestons ex Baker of Weston Super Mare in 2009 ,Volvo B12BT/Van Hool 523 FN previously WA07 KYB.

Also seen regularly on Ipswich School contracts which are mainly in the hands of Beestons and JR Travel is Norse AD Enviro 300 SN56 AYO. While below we see yet another Beestons Volvo B12BT this once was previously WA09 AZD now of course 524 FN.

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.