3 FIRST E 200'S TRANSFER OUT/IB OLYMPIANS BOW OUT

Well it's a weekend of endings for today's blog, firstly is the confirmation that First Ipswich E 200's 44517/18 are currently in process of being de branding in preparation for their move to Norwich on Tuesday/Wednesday, seen above is my final shot in Ipswich last Tuesday of 44517 which had strayed away from the 53 and was on the 59, today was also the last day of the 53 which was in the hands of Volvo B7RLE's for the final day, as shown by 66986 below.

 Yesterday was also the end of Volvo Olympian operation for Ipswich Buses as 40/41 were withdrawn from service on Thursday with 41 going to Leon Wells for preservation, 41 is seen here with it's original blind still intact, Olympian operation first started back in 1985 with East Lancs bodied 45 Leyland Olympian B45 NDX see below,which within a few years was swapped with Eastbourne along with Atlanteans 96/97 TRT 96/97M for 3 ghastly Dodge Minibuses 211-13 D471-3 UHC, Second hand Olympian's were obtained during the 1990's from Trent came ECW 43/44 B714 HVO/C722 NNN and from London came 45-48 C100/01 CHM/D138 FYM/C97 CHM, two more followed for school use during 2005, along with 38/39 Alexander bodied from Dublin in 2003. Olympians will continue with Ipswich Buses after a short while when the Carters sale is complete.

Carters Northern Counties Palatine Olympian P915 RYO earlier this year, which originated with Stagecoach Midlands and before that with Stagecoach London.

LEYLAND NATIONAL RECALL

From the beginning to the end is today's recall, from the first batch of Eastern Counties Leyland National we see LN 548 HVF 548L when brand new with Leyland badge on front, it's amazing to think when i was younger that these buses were somewhat misunderstood and not particularly liked, like any bus they weren't perfect, especially the early ones indeed some of this first batch spent some considerable time off the road in the late 1970's.

And to the very last new to Eastern Counties National's was National 2 LN 628 UVF 628X seen here in Norwich Bus Station when pretty new, the rather fetching dual purpose style livery, Ipswich depot had a series one National painted into this scheme LN 587 WAH 587S which was used a back up for the 792 service to Cambridge.

IPSWICH BUS RALLY PART TWO

 Two different Bristol RE's together Eastern National flat screen FWC 439H and Owen Phillips/ Neil Chilvers Eastern Counties RL 516 EPW 516K back on the road again.

 ITM's very own Eastern Counties Bristol MW LS 829 APW 829B at Capel St Mary, driven by Neil Chilvers and conducted by myself.

Coming to the preservation movement has seen both First Scania's 65586 and 65589 V589 DVF both after use in Essex, seen here on the Saturday is ITM's 65589.

 Wayne Bell exhibited his ex First Thamesway Dennis Dart N952 CPU alongside the beautiful Westcliffe Bristol K AJN 825.

Luke Deal's ex First Eastern National Bristol VR/ECW KOO 790V.

IPSWICH BUS RALLY

Ex London Transport RML 2401 JJD 401D and a superb early series one Bristol VR from Lincolnshire JVL 619H which has been converted from a play bus back to it's original state

I have decided today, as it was such a busy day to let the photographs to do the talking, unfortunately as always the case you can't always be in two places at one time, so most of the photos come from the site, indeed i ended up conducting the Museums Ipswich Atlantean 6, Bristol LS 832 and AEC Regent V 63 on 6 journeys. There was also Tours through the Ipswich Buses depot and wash during the afternoon. Richard Walker one of the organisers bought along his latest acquisition from Carters of Bristol VR OT 3 JNG 50N, also another purchase for the Ipswich Bus Preservation group attended in Scania L94 65586 V586 DVF Ex First Essex and sister to the ITM's 65589. Finally i must say it was particularly well organized event, i know Richard Walker, Owen Phillips and others put it an lot of work the week before.

 Ex Ipswich Buses Bristol RE 118 TRY 118H passed to Busways Economic fleet after withdrawal and is now preserved in this livery, seen alongside is another flat screen Bristol RE from Eastern Counties in RL 681 RAH 681F which later worked for Cambus before it's withdrawal.

 One legend meets another in First Ipswich's Heritage livery Volvo B7TL 32479 AU53 HJV.

 What a beautiful addition to the preservation scene is this Northampton Crossley 146 VV 9146 which has featured in Bus And Coach Preservation magazine during it's long job to get it back on the road.

And finally one of the Ex Eastern National Commuter buses from Panther Travel is Leyland Olympian/ECW BIG 4005.

ON HIRE TO EASTERN COUNTIES

 During 1974 Eastern Counties suffered from acute bus shortages primarily in the Norwich area, at it's peak in the July there was 21 off the road, 5 LFS, 36/46/77/80/82, 2 LFL 56/61, 6 LH 526/30/685/910/13/15, 3 LM 602/34/936, 3 VR 127/331/81, RL 734 and LS 782, the shortages carried onto the next year of 1975 when the summer saw 11 of the early VR's off the road.
Above now beautifully restored back to it's original Bartons livery is AEC Reliance/Plaxton Panorama 868 HAL all Beestons Coaches provided were driven by Eastern Counties drivers. Following that we see Daimler CVG6/Roe 13 FEX 113 on hire from Great Yarmouth Transport and finally at the bottom, Theobolds Bedford/Duple OGV 696M about to shoot off to Sheringham.

AND DON'T FORGET THIS TO TOMORROW

CARTERS UPDATE

Carters Dennis Trident/ALX 400 406 LX04 FYB at the Ipswich OCM last month.

This month's Buses Magazines from which i have taken this news goes into a little more depth about the sale, taking chunks from the interview on BBC Suffolk a couple of weeks ago, the deal to take over the company is subject to due diligence and could me completed by the end of April with the fleet transferring from Capel St Mary to the Ipswich Buses depot in the early summer. In the interview Viv Carter stated that it's a good fit for Ipswich Buses as they already provide engineering support and there buses are similar with their own.

Carters MCV Evolution 260 AY60 BYD heading into Ipswich OCM, is the only Single Decker in the fleet.

MONDAY NOTES

Since the upgrade of the First Ipswich fleet nothing much seems to happen these days in Ipswich, although the 4 Enviro 200's due for Ipswich Buses should enliven things somewhat. Today was a case of using what small time i have these days in finding buses out of place somewhat from where they would normally be operating on, so here goes 4 branded East Lancs Darts 85/86 were both on the 8/13, while sister 87 was found on the 15A, of the ALX 200 Darts 144 found itself on the 19 in place of a Solo, 139 was on the 16 while 140/43 were employed on the X1, while DAF Lowlander 55 was on the X3, picture below. One thing that i did work was the decker that comes off the 4 at 11.29, today Trident 16 does the 17 to Stratford Court  then works back light to Tower Ramparts i would presume, before working out light to Bixley Farm at around 12.30. Above we see First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32492 AU53 HKK one of three today on Felixstowe's, along with sisters 32490/91, Deckers are now much more common on these routes in recent times due to loadings being on the increase.