INS AND OUT FOR INDEPENDENTS

A chance today to catch up with the various ins and out for our local Independent operators, first up is Galloway who have 2 new Van Hool TX16/Van Hool C49FT in 355/56 YJ16 EPP/V while going the other way to Arriva, Gomersal are 296/97 YJ11 GGV/X again both are Van Hool, 356 is seen above. Frost(PF Cars) have FX51 OEP a Mercedes Benz 0814D/ACI C31F ex Herrington, Aldershot, JR Travel of Copdock have another coach in 1996 Kassbohrer Setra N265 MBX ex Williams, Brecon and has since been re registered as JRZ 6241 and Harlequin have YX07 GYA an Mercedes Benz 0815/Fer C31F. With thanks to Dave Burrows at Beestons we have this new delightful little Mercedes Benz /Unvi C41F, which is just awaiting fleetnames to be applied.

The odd and strange runs of Ipswich Buses continue yesterday Scania 72 YN56 NVE was on the 4, while Enviro 200 79 was on the 202, where the only Decker turns on the route are for the school run in the morning and afternoon, interestingly if you want to find Trident 14 you're best bet now is the 4 from 1135 until 1405. Meanwhile Optare Solo 245 looks to be out of service currently with 244 taking its place on the 38.

MID 1970'S RECALL

I know many of you enjoy the recall feature so once a week along with an weekly report, will see me travelling back in time to feature vehicles from the Suffolk area, today the first one is local bus and coach operator Beestons with there AEC Reliance ex Barton SVO 547 on hire to Eastern Counties during late 1974, notice the Eastern Counties driver and to the right Bristol Lodekka LFS 125 GNG 125C now preserved of course with the ITM. Below we see ICT AEC Regent V LDX 38 at Electric House before the car park was transformed into the bus station, just behind is Leyland Atlantean 86 WPV 86L.

NEW SCHEDULE FOR BLOG

Seen in the rain last Thursday is First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69428 AU58 FFP seen heading towards Aldeburgh on the 65.

I have decided after much deliberation to scale back the blog, due to my own personal health and other family matters, not only that but the Ipswich scene has become rather boring to the extent that the majority of the blog is based on observations rather than news, not only that the scene has become rather static and mundane, First Ipswich, Ipswich Buses won't have much else happen this year, so instead this will become a once a week blog from now on in, this will allow time for the fleetlists to be updated in the coming weeks.

Currently on loan to Norwich for Rail Replacement is Volvo B12M 20514 WV02 EUP.

MONDAY AFTERNOON OBSERVATIONS

For a change i visited Ipswich in the afternoon and it lead to some unusual sightings to say the least, of the new IB Enviro 200's, 101 as seen above stepped in for an Optare Versa on Park and Ride duties, sister 104 was spare on Tower Ramparts, 103 was on the 111 to Hitcham, before turning up on the 15 at 1520. Trident 14 which as i mentioned was previously dedicated to the 202 Shotley run popped up on the afternoon 4's, where Optare Excel 172 delighted me with an excellent comfortable run, branded 4 Darts 84 was on the 8/13, while sister 87 was on the 15A, Darts 138/39 were on the X3 with sister 142 on the X1. 2 of the ex Lothian Darts were seen on routes which they usually don't appear, 137 below on the X1 with 136 on the 19, while Scania/Optare Deckers 68/69 seem to be stuck on X5's. First Ipswich wise Volvo B7TL 32488 was on the X7 and ADL E 200 44516 was on 60/61.

FRIDAY'S BITS AND ROUND UP NEWS

Usually seen exclusively on the 111 to Hitcham during the week Ipswich Buses E200 78 YX14 RWL was on the 12 yesterday, also parked up in the Cricketers Lay by was Dennis Trident 14 LG02 FDJ which since the changes on Monday has strayed on to town routes and Schools, previously this was allocated to the Decker duties on the 202 Shotley route. Other observations were Dart 144 on the X3 and Scania/Olympus 68 on the X5 while Deckers 20/21 were on the 4.

 A round up now follows of new operators for ex FEC buses and Coaches courtesy of Terminus produced by the ETCS and definitely worth subscribing to, 20141 R841 DVF a Volvo B10M is now with Nationwide, Peterborough as TIL 7772, Ex Hong Kong Dart 42752 S752 SNG has passed to Aberdeen & District for preservation, Volvo B12M  20509 AO02 RDU is now with Orion, Longshot, while Volvo B10BLE 66126 S126 JTP is now re registered F13 HOW by new owner Howards of Great Sankey.

IBT'S FORERUNNER TO THE PARK AND RIDE!

Back in 1980, Ipswich Borough Transport had a good idea or so they thought, and when you look at the route you can see that today's Park and Ride service, or the 38 free bus uses pretty much the same route, with a special blind the remaining AEC Regent's ploughed there way around Ipswich Town Centre, with a special plaque on the front of the bus with Bluey the Kangaroo, picking up passengers from the Car Parks was an idea way ahead of it's time, the service was doomed to failure unfortunately and we had to wait another 16 odd years before the Park And Ride came to town.

AEC Regent 64 ADX 64B was also still in the fleet in 1980 and survived to the end of conducted services, it has since been exported to Japan!

MONDAYS OBSERVATIONS IN IPSWICH

Well yesterday, was certainly a better day to be out in Ipswich observing the new timetable working for Ipswich Buses and seeing how the traffic was effecting services that run through Major's Corner for the next 3 months, suffice to say the weather was good and the traffic situation wasn't too bad either.The past interworking of services are still happening of note was Dart 134 coming off a 6A and going onto a 15, while the 15 also contributes a single decker to the 6A around 11.30, the 6A no longer has a double decker that works through to the 4 at 11.35, this is now operated off a Needham Market School service than back to depot, before 3 journeys on the 4, then a school service from 2.30 onwards. As far as unusual workings concerned there weren't that many apart from Scania/Optare 68/69 on the X5, and Dart 85/87 back working the 8/13 with 84 on the 6A with 138 see below on the 13, above also but not that much of a strange working now that a selection of First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE's have guide wheels although in this case 69422 AU58 FJJ hasn't.

IB Enviro 200 104 SN16 OGK completed all four now photographed, on the 12 yesterday.