SUNDAY FLASHBACK:THE END OF DAYS

Two different pictures and both show buses in their twilight days firstly Ipswich Buses Leyland Atlantean/Roe 86 WPV 86L at the rear of the depot facing West End Road, i always had a soft spot for this batch and it's pleasing that one may survive into preservation, following that in a newly obtained slide conversion is Eastern Counties FLF 455 JPW 455D in Peterborough Bus Station possibly early 1980's and before it's withdrawal after 17 years in 1983.

IPSWICH BUSES WIN BLOG POLL/A CAUTIONARY TALE

Ipswich Buses Dart 85 PJ53 OLE away from it's normal haunt of the 4 on the 12 to Chantry on Thursday.

Well even though we didn't have a large number of voters on the latest poll, Ipswich Buses came out top of our poll beating First Ipswich by an overwhelming majority, which was surprising considering how First beat Ipswich Buses for best customer services, the result was Ipswich Buses 87% to First Ipswich 13%. I will add one disapproving addition to this in that while recently taking a picture of Trident 23 on the 4 i had a Female driver put her hand over her face, which i find distasteful but unsurprisingly some drivers don't like photos occurring so it's best to avoid them which is sad, i know some companies won't tolerant this but i decided not to take it any further, any thoughts anyone? Also i would like to know what people expect from the bus companies in the Suffolk area for next year and i will hopefully be able to put these questions to them directly.

The time is nigh expected to be withdrawn by the end of December is IB Dart/East Lancs 96 X96 LBJ still stuck on Shotley 98 duties on Thursday.

EASTERN COUNTIES JANUARY 1986 ALLOCATIONS

Allocated to Ipswich in January 1986 was Eastern Counties LN 599 WVF 599S.

Bristol LH 930 WEX 930S was converted to dual purpose status during the 1980's and was allocated to Felixstowe seen here during 1988/89 still in NBC dual purpose livery.

THURSDAY ODDITIES/FIRST IPSWICH CHANGES/FLASHBACK

Double Deckers are now seemingly common IB route 4 with the normal branded Darts being used elsewhere today saw Dart 85 on the 12 while Dart 86 was on the 6, 87 is believed to be off the road at present? Seen today on the 4 was Dennis Trident 11 LG02 FCX and 21 Y458 NHK, First Ipswich had Volvo B7RLE 69427 on the 53 instead of one of the usual fare of AD Enviro 200's. First Ipswich have applied for changes to the following timetables 59,65/70/A and 88, the changes for the 65 are believed to be to allow for appropriate connections to Saxmundham Railway Station for onward connections to Lowestoft. First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 324

First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32488 AU53 HKF on the 63 to Melton.

Sister to the above 32490 AU53 HKH has had an rear advert applied for the all new Sailmakers Shopping Centre better known as Tower Ramparts!

Thursday Flashback 

Eastern Counties Leyland Leopard/ECW  LL877 XPW 877X in National Holidays guise in London between 1982 and 1984, when it passed to the newly formed Ambassador Travel coaching wing.

FIRST EASTERN COUNTIES BRIEF SPELL WITH IVECO AND DODGE MINBUSES

Eastern Counties in the early days of First ownership gained quite a lot of displaced Minibuses from other group companies including this ex Leicester Iveco Daily/Caryle IC 83 F710 NJF during 1994 seen on the 173 in the old Felixstowe Bus Station.

 Displaced from what is now First Scotland East, but then SMT is this rather bread van like Renault Dodge/Alexander RA 421 D415 ASF at Kings Lynn Bus Station.

Yes another Iveco from Leicester in the form of IC 81 F702 MBC with an native so to speak in MA 717 C717 BEX an Mercedes L608 /Alexander which started out at Norwich before heading south for use on Felixstowe town services before finishing its career back at Norwich all the Ivecos only lasted at the most 2 years whilst the Dodges only 1 year at most, by the end of the 1990's Eastern National began supplying Plaxton Beaver Mercedes to Eastern Counties as replacements for the early Minibuses.

REMEMBERING THE IMPS

Ah the Imps, the Ipswich Midi Bus Passenger Service was implemented in 1986 by Ipswich Buses to serve parts of the town where only smaller buses could serve such as areas around Castle Hill, Gainsborough and Rushmere, below shows route the route diagram of the 31/39 which some of exists in the form today of the 19, while the 32 served Rushmere Village the above photo shows the addition of a 32A in 1988 seen here in a photo from Stuart Ray of Dodge 202 D202 YDX which saw the Britannia Road section withdrawn due to car parking with the Hail and Ride abandoned due to timing constraints, the route operating in a clockwise and anti clockwise direction ,the following year saw the 33 to Halifax and Belstead now the 16 and the 35 to Brazier Wood and Gainsborough begin the area is now largely served by the X3, the current 14 to Gippeswyk Park began as the 34, while 2 commuter routes the 38/39 the 38 served Felixstowe Road, Broke Hall and Bixley Farm and the 39 Dales Road and within a short period were withdrawn.

In a picture from Stuart Ray we saw Dodge/East Lancs 201 D201 YDX joined by sister 200 C200 WGV and Northern Counties 203 D203 YDX outside of Constantine Road in 1986.

MONDAY'S BITS AND PIECES

Kings Tours of Colchester VDL Bova Futura KC15 ABC was a visitor to Ipswich today.

Not a great deal again to report just a few Ipswich Buses oddities to report again, on the 13/8 routes today Branded 4 Darts 85/86 with Trident 20 and Dart 84 on the 4, seems to be a shortage of Single Deckers at the moment, anyone know? Christmas and New Year operating times are now up on the Suffolk on Board timetable http://www.suffolkonboard.com/news/buses-christmas-and-new-year-operating-times/
Also up on my pages is an updated Arriva Kent Thameside fleetlist.

Seen Yesterday at Broke Hall shops on a Sunday and Evenings variation of the 6 is IB Transbus Dart 136 SN53 AVM.