FIRST IPSWICH ALLOCATIONS

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban 69422 AU58 FFJ seen here last year shortly after refurbishment and repaint.

First Ipswich Fleetlist

20514 WVO2 EUP Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon C49FT
32479/86-94 AU53 HJV/HKD-H/J-M Volvo B7TL/Transbus ALX 400 H49/29F
32653/55/56 AU05 MUV/Y/MVA Volvo B7TL/ADL ALX 400 H49/27F

44516-19 YX09 ACV/Y/Z/ADO ADL Dart 4/ADL Enviro 200 B35F
44928/44519 EU08 FHB/RT09 JPT ADL Dart 4/ADL Enviro 200 B28F

66850 MX05 CHD Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban B43F
66950/57/59 WX55 TZM/U/W  Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban B43F
66979/81/83-87 KXO5 MHF/MHK/M-O/U/V Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban B43F
69005-11 AU05 DME/F/O/V/X-Z Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban B43F
69422-28 AU58 FFJ-P Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipse Urban B43F

Volvo B7TL 32489 AU53 HKG in August whilst on the 60/61 routes to Greenwich/Gainsborough.

CARTERS REPLACEMENT TRIDENT/LOWESTOFT CHANGES

Many thanks to Viv Carter, for his permission to feature their replacement Dennis Trident 406 LX04 FYB which replaces the fire damaged  LX51 FJN, below i have put up the changes to the Lowestoft area services of Anglian this sees many reductions in service and is controversial to the least.

7 Lowestoft – Great Yarmouth

Anglian Bus

This is a new service which will operate from Lowestoft – Great Yarmouth, Monday to Saturday. This part of the journey has to be taken out of Service 61.

02.11.2015

60J

Lowestoft - James Padget Hospital

Anglian Buses

This service has been renumbered from Service 60. They will operate from Lowestoft to James Paget Hospital, three journeys either way, Monday to Friday.

02.11.2015

61, 61A, 61B

Lowestoft - Southwold

Anglian Bus

Service 61 has now been split into services. This service will operate Lowestoft – Southwold via Kessingland, Monday to Sunday. Service 7 will now operate Lowestoft – Great Yarmouth. Service 61A will now only operate Monday to Saturday from Lowestoft – Southwold via Kessingland. Service 61B has moved their journey 10 minutes forward, now at 15:30 from Pakefield – Kessingland. This service operates on school days only.

02.11.2015

80

Beccles – Bungay - Diss

Anglian Bus

This service will now operate via Waveney valley villages between Beccles and Bungay. They will now operate every 90 – 120 minutes a day, Monday to Saturday.

02.11.2015

81, 81A

Beccles – Great Yarmouth

Anglian Bus

There are minor changes to the timetable. They will now operate every 90 – 120 minutes a day, Monday to Saturday.

02.11.2015

82, 82A

Beccles Town Service

Anglian Bus

Service 82A has been withdrawn but service 82 has changed to cover parts of the withdrawn route. This means service 82 will now serve Rowan Way and Kemps Lane. Tesco on Newgate will also be served. The timetable will operate hourly throughout the day, off-peak.

02.11.2015

86, 86A

Bury St Edmunds – Thetford – Brandon

Coach Services

Service 86A has been added the one journey at 07:30 in the morning towards Bury St Edmunds to cope with the timings and overcrowding on the Service 86. Service 86A will run on School Days only. No changes have been made to the timetable for Service 86.

02.11.2015

87, 88, X88

Halesworth – Bungay – Norwich

Anglian Buses

Service 87 and 88 have made some changes to their timetable. Service X88 will be operating around every hour both directions during the day, Monday to Saturday.

02.11.2015

88A

Southwold – Wenhaston - Halesworth

Anglian Bus

There are minor changes to the timetable only. There will operate every hour during the day, Monday to Saturday.

02.11.2015

88B

Wrentham – Southwold – Bungay High School

Anglian Bus

There are minor changes to the timetable only. This service operates on school days only.

02.11.2015

60H

Beccles – Brampton – Halesworth

Anglian Bus

The first journey of the day between Halesworth and Beccles has been removed with an additional 18:06 journey from Beccles to Halesworth added.

06.11.2015

60S

Beccles – Brampton – Southwold

Anglian Bus

The route has been changed slightly so that the Tesco stop in Beccles is no longer served and there are minor changes to the timetable.

- See more at: http://www.suffolkonboard.com/buses/bus-service-changes/november-bus-service-
changes/#sthash.xZ7AMbWz.dpuf

Today's bonus picture is a wonderful image of one of Ipswich Corporation Transport AEC Regent V's 46 OPV 46 this would of been taken towards the end of it's career, heading towards Gainsborough in the abbreviated form of Gainsboro on the 6B. 

HISTORY OF EASTERN COUNTIES BRISTOL VR IN IPSWICH 1969-76

Taken by Stuart Ray, in its brief time at Ipswich is Eastern Counties Bristol VR 375 UAH 375G the first of it's kind to be allocated to Ipswich in June 1969 and lasted just over a year being the only one of two series one VR allocated from new to Ipswich, it was replaced by VR 368 TNG 368G from  Norwich in October 1970, a bus which would then serve Ipswich on and off for it's 16 year career, VR 370 TNG 370G arrived in January 1971 and stayed for three years until transferred to Wisbech in 1973, VR 368 transferred to Bury St Edmunds just over a year from transfer from Norwich,replaced by a brand new in a series 2 VR in VR 387 BNG 448J  another which would transfer to Bury St Edmunds three years later and reappear back in Ipswich towards the end of it's career, no more transfers occurred until 1973 when VR 365/72 TNG 365/72G arrived from Norwich for a three year spell, followed by VR 378 VNG 378H also from Norwich in 1974 before moving to Bury St Edmunds in October 1975, VR 396 ENG 396K arrived from Great Yarmouth for just one month then moving to Peterborough, with VR 380 XAH 380H coming in the other direction for a month before going back to Peterborough. This is just the first part of the history of the Bristol VR in Ipswich which finally finished in Ipswich just under 14 years ago, the second part will take us from 1976-1981 with the arrival of the first series three VR's and the withdrawal of the series one VR's.

VR 370 TNG 370G during 1972 in the Ipswich OCM.

FIRST IPSWICH PROSTATE CANCER PEDAL AND OTHER THINGS

Just a few things to add to yesterday's blog, as can be seen seen above Ipswich Depot staff kicked off their 25 hour pedal for Prostrate Cancer, the event was organised by two lady drivers Alison Clark and Kirsten Elliot and started this morning at 10.00 am with Freddie the Frog who was being a bit lively having photos taken and trying to cajole passengers into giving money for one minute i thought it was Chris Speed as Freddie, but as he is on holiday....

Today saw a few odd things to report including the use of  Ipswich Buses Optare Solo 244 YN53 ELW on the 16, an DAF Lowlander on the X3, whilst First Ipswich used full length Enviro 200 44519 on the 59 and Volvo B7RLE 69428 on the 53. An odd working on Saturday's is an spare Ipswich Buses single decker working the 12.31 from Bixley Farm on the 4 as an extra bus is needed for covering the extension to Martlesham at lunchtimes, Monday to Friday this is covered by a Double Decker coming off the 6A at 1125, the Saturday working involves a dead run to Bixley Farm from Tower Ramparts. Seen below is IB East Lancs Dart 98 X98 LBJ covering this duty.

FIRST IPSWICH RAISING MONEY FOR PROSTATE CANCER/FRIDAY FLASHBACK

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66987 KX05 MHV outside the Ipswich OCM on the 61 yesterday.

Today is an special plea to all my fellow Bus Lovers to give as generously as you can to a cause that's very dear to my heart as it effects a member of my family, First Group this year have chosen Prostrate Cancer UK as there chosen charity, Ipswich depot through one of their lady drivers Alison Clark have organised a 24 hour static cycle using two exercise bikes from 10 am tomorrow until 10 am Sunday at the Old Cattle Market Bus Station.

FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Today sees us visiting Cromer Bus Station and we see Eastern Counties VR 134 RAH 134M shortly after deregulation still in NBC Red.

AN VAN HOOL ASTROMEGA SLEEPER BUS VISIT/ AND A IPSWICH ATLANTEAN REAPPEARS

Well it was one of those days where not an awful lot happens, no oddities in terms of buses being on the wrong routes, well there was one that being First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66957 on the 53 deputising for Enviro 200 44517 which i later saw undergoing a road test, while it's non branded sister 44519 was working on the 88/89 Stowmarket runs,Volvo B7TL 32479 has now returned to Ipswich due to a bus being involved in a RTA on Monday. Then i spotted the above beast belonging to MMB Band services unloading outside the Corn Exchange from what i can make out from their website is a Van Hool TX27 Astromega sleeper bus registered SB59 MMB which caters for 7-16 people and has a huge kitchen area and multiple TV's amongst other things. Lately there has been a lot of rumour flying about First and there position in Ipswich, I can categorically state that they are not leaving Ipswich and that the depot now has a new lease, you may have noticed that there Buses have been looking a little dirty lately well that's been due to their washer being out of use for 10 weeks this will be solved by next week, as new parts are on the way. Below i have an surprise my thanks to Tony Hunter who spotted ex Ipswich Buses Atlantean 2 HDX 905N at Plaxton's Anston repair centre previously with Loughton Junior and Infant School as an library bus, new owner unknown, and now minus an centre exit door, makes it the second Atlantean from Ipswich Buses to reappear this year the other being 83 WPV 83L with whom we still don't know who owns it.

32479 ON LOAN TO NORWICH/ITM 50TH PLUG

Ipswich are currently loaning Volvo B7TL VA 479 32479 AU53 HJV to Norwich for this and next week releasing a bus for a Bernard Matthews contract, 32479 will all being well be at the ITM 50th Anniversary on the 15th November along with Chris Speed's Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M along with other special guests including a rare tripo back to Ipswich of ICT AEC Regent III 24 EPV 24.