MORE FEC ACQUIRED BUSES 2000-2005

Today i have uploaded the second section of the First Eastern Counties acquired vehicles which takes us from 2000-200, the next section will have to wait as it needs checking and updating. Above we see 20506 AO02 RBX a Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon on the X1 back in 2005, new in 2005 the majority passed to First Glasgow in 2008/09  with two 20500/01 going to Essex. Below we see one of the many Dennis Dart/Wright Handybus which were cascaded out of London during 2000, seen in the initial livery that they carried is 45321(499) on the 42 to Fairstead in Kings Lynn. Below that is 32493 AU53 HKL the last of the Volvo B7TL/ALX 400's bought new for Ipswich back in late 2003 for the 66 to Martlesham, and still to be found today on the 66, below that we see one of the awful Volvo B6's that Ipswich inherited from Glasgow is 48015 L105 XSU a Alexander Dash which were somewhat better than the native Plaxton ones 48084-93.

EASTERN COUNTIES IN THE LATE 90'S/EARLY NOUGHTIES

All photos Copyright Unknown.

On the front of the blog you will now an new addition, of all buses acquired by First between August 1996 and 1999, when i find time i will add the other pages from 2000-2015. so to celebrate the time in question i have added a few pictures from the time in question, although the above photo is from 2003 it represents First Norwich's first foray into Low Floor Easy Access buses in August 1996 seen here is 43437 P437 NEX when new transferred to Ipswich in 2003 was one of the first withdrawals of the batch in July 2011. Ipswich hanged on to the Bristol VR near enough to the end of VR operation finally succumbing to withdrawal in 2002 here we see VR 287 VEX 287X an long time Ipswich stalwart which transferred to Devon & Cornwall, finally below we see an bus bought from First's Beeline operation in 34875 F175 LBL an Leyland Olympian with an Northern Counties body on the 99 when it terminated in Southwold, seen here in Lowestoft bus station.

MORE ODD EASTERN COUNTIES BUSES FROM THE B.BEESTON TAKEOVER

DS 980 KBJ 968 an Dennis Lancet/Mulliner was the longest lasting of The B.Beeston fleet acquired in 1951, originally repainted into coach livery, it survived long enough to receive bus livery in 1955,seen here leaving Victoria Coach Station.

Now i must say i like odd buses the stranger or the more uglier it doesn't bother me and Eastern Counties had quite a few during the 1930's to 1950's when they took over a fair few independent operators, which bought some quite strange buses and coaches to their fleet, which in the main was of Bristol and Leyland manufactured. Looking at 1951 in July Eastern Counties acquired the B. Beeston and Son of East Bergholt fleet,the goods carrier part of the business was kept as G.B Beeston and Son, Beeston had a garage at East Bergholt and a number of services which operated in the area between Ipswich and Colchester serving Mistley, Manningtree, Brantham and Bromley and with the takeover came 2 Albion PH114/Duple B20F  N969/70 DRT 346/7, 2 Bedford OWB/Duple B30F B917/8  ERT 883/FBJ 491, 2 Bedford OB/Duple B20F B919/20, 1 Commer Commando/Thurgood C33F C990 JRR 374, 2 Maudslay Marathon/Plaxon C32F HRT 655/JBJ 12, 1 Austin K4/VT/Thurgood C29F T890 NHK 159, 1 AEC Regal III/Duple C35F KS 900 HRT 330, 1 Austin CXB/Thurgood C29F T891 JBJ 190, 1 Dennis Lancet/Gurney Nutting C35F KBJ 314, 1 Dennis Lancet/Mulliner C35F DS 980  and  2 Albion FT39N/Thurgood FB31F N972/1 KBJ 830/1.

 3 More Vehicles were on order at the time of the takeover 2 Maudslay Marathon/Gurney Nutting FC37F and a solitary Albion chassis for which Eastern Counties ordered an ECW body and was delivered in June 1953, of these buses and coaches the 4 Bedford OB/OW's and the 2 Albion PH114 lasted only a year, the Austin K4/VT and Austin CXB two years later. The solitary AEC Regal III and the two Maudslay Marathon left in 1957, the other Dennis Lancet/Gurney Nutting left in 1958, below you will see one of the two Albion FT39N's with Thurgood bodies N972 KBJ 830.

CARTERS FLEETLIST UPDATED OCTOBER

Carters Dennis Trident 403 LG02 FCA seen on the now withdrawn 96 to Mistley.

FLEET LIST AS OF DECEMBER 2015

260 AY60 BYD DAF SB180/ MCV Evolution B40F 2010
351 NK51 ZSR Volvo B10M/Caetano Enigma C53F 2002
415 P915 RYO Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine H74F 1997
427 G727 XDL Leyland Olympian/Leyland H47/29F 1990
439 K739 ODL Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine H76F
456 R156 LHK Volvo Olympian/Alexander Belfast H80F 1998
402 LG02 FEV Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H66F 2002
403 LG02 FEV Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H66F 2002
404 LG02 FCE Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H66F 2002
405 LR52 KWH Dennis Trident 2/Plaxton President H73F 2003
406 LX04 FYB  Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H45/31F 2004
407 LX03 BTF  Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX 400 H45/31F 2003
VINTAGE BUS FLEET

DFG33 314 PFM Bristol FSF6G/ECW H60F 1960
RML 2266 CUV 286C AEC Routemaster/Park Royal H72F 1965
OT3 JNG 50N Bristol VR/ECW O43/31F 1975
VR 294 VEX 294X Bristol VR/ECW H43/31F 1981

 Carters Ex Eastern Counties Bristol VR Open Top OT3 JNG 50N.

Carters Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian 415 P915 RYO

IPSWICH TROLLEYBUSES RECALLED

I'm obviously too young to remember the heyday of Ipswich's Trolleybuses in the 1950's but volunteering in the ITM and listening to the tales of my dad, of how quick and skittish they were to travel on, and not only that but my late Uncle Fred worked for Ransomes and helped put together the Trolleybuses during the 1930's and 1940's, for which my dad has told me many tales of the work that went in to them, hence my fascination with them. Above in the first picture is a Ransomes Type D Trolleybus 41 DX 7683 at Ipswich Railway Station in 1949 which originally had a verandah front and half cab for one man use, it was rebuilt in 1948. In a photo below copyright Geoff Lumb we see 113 PV 8870 a Karrier/Park Royal heading back towards Electric House or Tower Ramparts as the younger of us may not know, this image could roughly be taken today on Nacton Road, as very little has changed although the island shelter is no longer in situ.

IB ODDITIES AND PART OF THE OLD 19 SERVICE SAVED

Probably due to the school holidays this week saw a number of deckers being used by Ipswich Buses on routes which don't normally see them the X1 to Greenwich and the X3 to John Lewis above we see Dennis Trident 17 LG02 FEM on the X1 whilst DAF Lowlander 59 was on the X3 along with below Dennis Trident 12 LG02 FDC, normally the 6/A would see these Deckers instead Single Deckers were the main stay today with Darts 90/91/136 and AD Enviro 200 81. Something i haven't picked up is IB will restore an service link which the old 19 service used with a new service which will start from Stratford Court via the old 19 route along Valley Road and Norwich Road to Tower Ramparts the deal was thrashed out between MP Dr Poulter and Jeremy Cooper MD of Ipswich Buses, after complaints from older residents, other changes from Monday see an additional X5 journey on Sunday mornings and a change to the route on the 4 around Bixley Farm.

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK A CONTRAST IN SINGLE DECKERS

 Know i don't know where this particular picture is taken if anyone knows, but shows Ipswich Buses Bristol B21 115 B115 LDX when pretty new so around 1985/86 i know the owner of this wonderful machine will be pretty pleased it's being shown again!

Another one where the location eludes me but shows the classic Eastern Counties cream and maroon on Bristol MW LS 814 3814 PW and in the back of the photo an Bartons coach so could it be Nottingham?.