IB ENVIRO 200'S ENTER SERVICE

Well we have all been waiting and as the saying goes you wait for one bus to come along and another one does too, anyway all four Ipswich Buses E 200's entered service today, 101 SN16 OGG had been on the 8/13 early in the morning before coming off and fortunately came back and parked up on the old 53 stand, the only one that was missing was 102 SN16 OGH which this afternoon appeared on the Park and Ride service,103 SN16 OGJ seen above was initially on the 15 before swapping over to the 6/A, and 104 was employed on the 15A, unfortunately all my other pics came out blurred, so another day wasted...

IB Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD unusually spent it's day on the 4 

SUNDAY RECALL

 Today's recall sees an all over advert link, during the 1980's Ipswich Borough Transport/Buses exploited this to good effect as did the newly bought out Eastern Counties, firstly in 1985 we see Ipswich Atlantean 18 RDX 18R with Garneys & Hill advertising a company long since vanished as is Eastern Counties VR 290 VEX 290X advertising Allied Carpets, thinking back to the 1980's there was so many all over adverts especially on the Atlantean's that i'm surprised i never listed them!

THURSDAY OBSERVATIONS AND GALLOWAYS TAKE OVER

As another blog has featured some of yesterday's Ipswich observations, i won't repeat too much what's has been said, however at long last i was pleased to be able to catch Suffolk Norse's latest addition to the fleet in Optare Solo  YJ55 BGV, which has taken over the 179 service to Woodbridge from the previous Iveco's.

One of three Double Decker's employed on the X3 yesterday for IB was Dennis Trident 15 LG02 FDK alongside was Lowlander's 56 and 58 with no destination display and Optare Spectra 53, a trident was also employed on the X1, as was 11 on the 4 and again today.

I'm all alone says First Ipswich's now solitary AD Enviro 200 44516 YX09 ACV yesterday at Ipswich OCM.

GALLOWAY TAKEOVER

It's been announced on Facebook that local operator Galloway's has been bought by the Eastern Transport Holdings Group which includes Essex operator Stephensons ,who operate in both in Essex and West Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds, the changeover date will be on 29th November.

Seen yesterday was Galloway's MCV Evolution YJ60 OGM on the 119 service.

FEC ALLOCATIONS MARCH 1996

Leyland National 2 UVF 624X had an all over ad for One Step Beyond a Bristol VR also appeared with one for the same company.

Eastern Counties Bristol VR 238 HAH 238V after 17 years was still going strong at Yarmouth.

SECOND LIVES

As it's a Bank Holiday and it's my birthday, i thought i would share with you some Eastern Counties buses that escaped the scrap man albeit for a few years first up in a photo from the late Philip Back we see Bristol SC LC 547 VVF 547 with Palace Bingo of Gorleston, and originally bought by D. Campbell of Blundeston in October 1972 it passed to Palace Bingo the following year.

Bristol K, LKH 421 HPW 108 is now happily under going restoration, seen here shortly before collection from W.F Pointer And Sons in Norwich, who bought a few of these during the 1960's.

Originally new in 1944 with a Strachans Body, Bristol K LK 240 FAH 107 had its body replaced in 1953 with a new ECW body this passed to Jordans in 1967 before being used by Anglian Builders in 1968 for 6 years and stripped for spares by the Ipswich Transport Society before ending back at Jordans.

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.