RIDING THE 8 AND THE 4 PLUS IPSWICH BUSES FLEET UPDATE

Today i attempted a tricky manoeuvre with the aim to experience 4 different types of bus on 2 different routes and thankfully i managed it with the help of a £3.50 day rover ticket, which is certainly worth it as otherwise it would of been £6.80 in total. The first journey of the day was on the 4 and into town the best bus of all four Optare Spectra 53 X53 LBJ which while now being slightly down at heel gives the best ride of them all, comfortable seats and good acceleration, meanwhile on the 8 back and from Town i experienced Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD above which i would put in 3rd place, comfortable leather seats but unfortunately a noisy rattle at the back spoilt it for me, returning i had East Lancs Dart 88 which i would put in last place, while seats are e leather they are bone hard and have very little leg room, pleasing that it didn't have any rattles, runner up for me was Trident 13 on the way back home, fairly comfortable  the old girl now 14 years old made easy work of Bishops Hill.

Goddard Road is home to the Suffolk Norse Fleet so it was nice to spot an Volvo Olympian R397 LHK heading out on a school run.
Now up is my fully updated Ipswich Buses Fleet list including the Carters Fleet.
http://ipswichbusblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/ipswich-buses-fleet.html

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Well what a busy week it's been which kicked off with the Clacton Bus Rally last Sunday, followed by Tuesday's news on the Park And Ride, so today i round up what i have seen in Ipswich during the last week, yesterday for the first time i spotted one of the two Ipswich Buses Trident's which have been granted a short stay of execution, above we say 18 V126 MEV seen here yesterday on the 93 which are effectively on loan to Carters. The future of the Park and Ride was determined on Tuesday, with plans to split the two ends of the service with Ipswich Buses expected to enhance the 13 service, while First Ipswich are expected to take the Martlesham end with the 66, these presently are not set in stone and are subject to confirmation from both companies, seen below is Optare Versa 147 YK08 EPD. Finally i have my unusual spots for the week on Wednesday ex Lothian Dart 136 on the X1 and sister 135 on the X3, Trident 12 on the 4, Lowlander 59 on the X3, Branded 4 Darts 84 on the 15/A, 85/86 on the 13 and 87 on the 8/13, First Ipswich 44516/19 both on 60/61 although that's hardly unusual these days. Friday Dart 88 and Trident 11 on the 4.

Still looking rather handsome yesterday is First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69426 AU58 FFP heading out to Melton on the 63.

THE MANY COLOURS OF EASTERN COUNTIES

During the 1990's Eastern Counties used the Bristol VR's and Leyland Nationals for all over adverts both today's pictures portray the VR in Norwich one advertising the company's Sixer Ticket VR 277 VAH 277X the other is VR 258 RAH 258W with the Eastern Evening News and finally not forgetting Ipswich we see Leyland National LN 782 DPW 782T, advertising the virtues of Connells an DIY chain which has disappeared into the mists of time,arriving on the 16, which later became what is know the 70/71 services now ironically back in the hands of First Ipswich.

IPSWICH PARK AND RIDE TO CHANGE

Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 145 YK08 EPA one of eight buses dedicated to Park And Ride, what will there new home be.

Announced today in the Ipswich Star is the current single Park and Ride service from Copdock to Martlesham will be axed saving a total of £700,000, Ipswich Buses will absorb the Copdock service increasing the service to 9 buses an hour, while the Martlesham end is due to be picked up by First Ipswich all subject to confirmation, the principle of the deal will be discussed by the County Council next week with talks with the respective bus companies to follow, however there will be at least 6 months notice given, before any changes will occur. My own opinion is that this will be the death knell for the future of the Town Centre we already have problems with frequent delays bought about by the delays in the Travel Ipswich scheme with the various roadworks.

Currently the 66 is run mainly by First Ipswich's 53 Reg Volvo B7TL's with some journeys utilising Volvo B7RLE's seen earlier this year is 32487 AU53 HKE.

CLACTON BUS RALLY

Today's blog is featuring the many and varied display taken from yesterday's bus rally in Clacton, firstly thank you to Joe Thorpe and Chris Speed for allowing the use of  First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69425, on what was an extremely hot day in complete contrast to last years rain, thanks must also go to the organisers the Suffolk Bus Preservation Group. We kick with a series one Bristol VR from Southern Vectis which was one of few that escaped Eastern Counties net in 1973, OSF 307G has recently entered the preservation scene and was sister to Eastern Counties VR 324-26.Continuing the VR theme we see the pre Deregulation Wilts And Dorset livery on 3425 JJT 437N in Clacton Town Centre.

 Below we have ex Western National Leyland National 2813 HTA 844N which transferred in 1986 to Southern National.

Two London Buses for the price of one Leyland Titan KYV 447X and Leyland National KJD 535P.

Finally my chariot for the day First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69425 AU58 FFM. Congratulations must go to the team at Ipswich who one again have been nominated in the First Bus UK awards for best depot of the year, lets hope that this year they can win!

BRISTOL LH RECALLED

Two years apart, but a totally different look came in 1972 when the Bristol LH was totally revamped from the previous squarer look shown by Eastern Counties LH 915 YPW 915J, note the interim Eastern Counties NBC fleetname applied to the Tilling's livery, whilst LH 537 HAH 537L was the prototype introduced at the Commercial Vehicle show in 1972, and was the first bus in the country to be delivered in NBC Poppy red, note too the different seat covers.

FIRST IPSWICH 32479 ON LOAN AT YARMOUTH AND OTHER BITS

First Ipswich Heritage Bus Volvo B7TL 32479 AU53 HJV is currently on loan to Great Yarmouth for 2 days, finishing tomorrow and if you are at the Clacton Rally on Sunday it should be also attending, in regards to the Suffolk Show there was very little to see as i believe that it has been trimmed back from previous years on the first day Open Top Atlantean 9 MRT 9P, was used for one trip before being taken off as it got caught in a torrential downpour, other buses used were mainly DAF Lowlanders 54/59/100. For a time Crown Street lay-by was rather full up, see picture below, headed up by Trident 16, two ALX 200 Darts 138/41, Ex Lothian Dart 136 which later replaced Scania Omnicity 75 on the 8/13, and to the rear Trident 12 and Spectra 53 which also later appeared in service, surprisingly 111 branded E 200 78 was used on the 10 to cover a late running bus.