1965 FURTHER RECALL IN PICTURES

Eastern Counties LFS 112 FAH 112C was new in 1965 and is seen on the 502 to Heartease in the late 1970's

ICT 29 GPV 29 an Ipswich Park Royal AEC Regent V was new in 1959 and is seen here outside the Cricketers Pub on the 3 to Rushmere Heath.

Eastern Counties Bristol SK LC 507 TVF 507 was Ipswich allocated at this time this particular version of the 208 was a short working within Ipswich to Pine Avenue.

IPSWICH CORPORATION TRANSPORT FLEET 1965

Copyright Geoff Lumb. From the first batch of AEC Regent III motor buses we see ICT 1 ADX 1 now of course preserved by the Ipswich Transport Museum.

1-6  ADX 1-6  AEC Regent III/Park Royal H30/26R 1950
7-12 BPV 7-12  AEC Regal IV/Park Royal B42D 1953
13-16 CDX 513-516  AEC Regent III/Park Royal H30/26R 1954
17/18 DDX 17/18  AEC Regent III/Park Royal H30/26R 1955
19/20 DDX 19/20  AEC Regal IV/Park Royal B42D 1955
21-24 EPV 21-24  AEC Regent III/Park Royal H30/26R 1956
25/26 FPV 25/26  AEC Regent V/Park Royal H37/28R 1957
27-32 GPV 27-32  AEC Regent V/Park Royal H37/28R 1958
33-36 HPV 33-36  AEC Regent V/Park Royal H37/28R 1959
37-40 LDX 37-40  AEC Regent V/East Lancs H37/28R 1960
41-44 MPV 41-44  AEC Regent V/East Lancs H37/28R 1961
45-48 OPV 45-48  AEC Regent V/East Lancs H37/28R 1962
49-55 PPV 49-55  AEC Regent V/East Lancs H37/28R 1963
56-62 SDX 56-62  AEC Regent V/East Lancs(Neepsend) H37/28R 1963
63/64 ADX 63/64B  AEC Regent V/Massey H37/28R 1964

Ipswich operated only an AEC Fleet in 1965, and would stay this way until the end of the 60's, here we see ICT AEC Regal 19 DDX 19 from the second batch outside the cattle market in Portman Road. Below from the third batch of AEC Regent V's from 1959 is 36 LDX 36 having just passed Electric House.

FRIDAY BITS AND PIECES

Ipswich Buses Lowlander 55 PN52 XBO seen today after a top of various lubricants by the fitters.

Not a great lot to report just an update to things that have happened during the week, firstly apologies to the people who were expecting the Wisbech, Kings Lynn, Newmarket and March allocations of the Eastern Counties fleet in June 1958 unfortunately i do not have the sheet for this at the present time, hopefully in the next few weeks i will obtain a copy. Observations on Monday and through various other reports see the allocation of a Double Decker to the 8 Whitehouse Asda which works a solitary trip out returning as a School Service anybody know?. Further news on the purchase of Scania L94 65589 V589 DVF is that the bus will be looked after by the Ipswich Bus Preservation Group until the bus is old enough for the museum, it passed it's MOT on Monday. Suffolk on Board have various changes to the Lowestoft network by First from the 6th December which can be seen here http://www.suffolkonboard.com/buses/bus-service-changes/december-bus-service-changes/

IB Plaxton President 23 SN51 AXF on it's solitary trip out to Whitehouse, Monday afternoon.

EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATIONS JUNE 1958

Seen here in a photo by Syd Eade is Bristol Lodekka LKD 207 VVF 207 in 1974, at the time of this allocation it was allocated to Ely. As can be seen by the allocations there were an array of unique and different buses mostly from takeovers from smaller independents and by now the Bristol Lodekka was appearing in larger numbers with the rebodied Pre War Leyland Titans being withdrawn.

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK/INDEPENDENT NEWS

Above Courtesy of Stuart Ray 

Taken during 1986 we see withdrawn Eastern Counties Bristol RE RL 875 YAH 875J  along with sister RL 872 towards the rear of the Bury St Edmunds Cotton Lane depot, RL 875 for many a year was Ipswich Allocated passing to Cambridge for a spell ,this would of been around February /March time, as allocation sheets of the time show it listed in January but not in April, above you can see it when brand new in a proper Tillings Cream/Maroon so much better than the bland NBC Poppy Red. Travelling forward a bit in time to the early 1990's and we see Eastern Counties LN 782 DPW 782T in an all over advert for another long last company Connells Home Improvements, note that 16 was still being carried for the service to Woodbridge/Bawdsey an ex Bickers service number this would later became the 71.

INDEPENDENTS NEWS

Beestons have another Scania Omnidekka in the form of YN03 DFE originally with Metrobus this transferred other to Go Ahead's London General operation before sale to Ensign in September, Three C's have bought ex Soames YN05 HVH an Volvo B12B/Plaxton C53FT 

SUNDAY RAIL REPLACEMENT COACHES

While i was busy conducting on Sunday i just about in the two five mins between journeys was able to squeeze in a few photos from the various coaches which were being used for Rail Replacement from Ipswich, above we have Panther Travel Volvo B10M/Plaxton BIG 611, whilst below we see Simmonds Volvo B12BT/Van Hool Acron 4512 UR formerly SK07 FTV. Below that we have Belle Coaches Setra OJI 4756 i know with all these private plates it's difficult to see what year they were all i know is it was made in 2001. Below that is New Horizon Travel of Frating Scania K340EB4/Irizar PB SK07 NKN and finally an interloper from yesterday in the form of YN07 LGN? from Pamray Travel of Littleport another Scania K340EB4/Irizar PB.

THE TALES OF A CONDUCTOR PART TWO: THE ITM 50TH EVENT

The three First Eastern Counties heritage liveried buses together for the first time, Volvo B7TL's 30888 W743 DWX from First Lowestoft in Lowestoft Corporation colours, 32479 AU53 HJV from First Ipswich in Deregulation Post Office Red and 32059 W2I9 XBD from First Great Yarmouth in Great Yarmouth Transport livery.

Well talk about a long day, yesterday started bright and early, firstly meeting Joe Thorpe at the First Ipswich depot where before we departed First Ipswich's heritage bus VA 479 Volvo B7TL 32479 AU53 HJV was put through the wash and as usual the team at Ipswich had it remarkably clean inside, from then it was off to the ITM  arriving just before 10.30, i had just a 10 minute turn around as i took on Ipswich AEC Regent V 63 ADX 63B driven by John Rawling for two journeys from Ipswich Railway Station back to the Museum, where i was met by Chris Speed having bought his Great Yarmouth AEC Swift to Ipswich for the first time, by this time a total of 22 buses had turned up making things rather tight for parking. Next up for me was a trip out to the Levington turn off with John Rawlings battling away with the gear changes on the museum's Eastern Counties Bristol K KNG 374 where i skilfully managed to only bang my head upstairs people marvelling that the seats were one long seat seating four people rather than the usual two, we were joined on the run by a further Bristol K Eastern National VNO 859 see picture below. No time for lunch and a great trip conducting on EATM's Eastern Counties LFL 57 557 BNG across the Orwell Bridge imitating IBT's old 18 service, by now it was getting rather busy as the buses were getting full. One trip remained and it was my old friend Chris Speed who looked the part as we took the Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M up to Broke Hall on the 4, picture below. I must mention the organisers Mark Smith and Owen Smith for doing sterling work both prior to and during the day, as can be seen it was well attended roll on next year.

Chris Speed's Great Yarmouth Swift 85 WEX 685M at Broke Hall

Another of the visitors yesterday was ex Wilts and Dorset Bristol VR KRU 848W in a livery which really suits the VR.