MONDAYS OBSERVATIONS

Now above i would say is a fairly rare outing for a Dennis Dart of any variety, of course in their early days they worked the Martlesham Park and Ride from 2003 until 2007, but today saw Ipswich Buses Dart 84 PJ53 OLC and ADL Enviro 200 81 both on Park and Ride, problems with the Versa's again?. Other less major observations saw Dart 94 on the 19 while sister 98 escaped the confines of the 4 to be on 16 with sister 93 on the 16, and the 4 had the unwelcome return of an ALX 200 Dart in 144, it's worth noting that during the week the 4 is Single Decked worked but Saturday's 2 Decker's are used, recent acquisition ADL E200 77 was on the X5, whilst ex Lothian Darts 136 was on the 4 and 137 on the X3. Ipswich Buses Trident 20 was in use on Carters service 92 to Colchester.

Parked up ready for a run out on Midday 4's was IB Trident 14 LG02 FDJ.

MORE COLOURFUL OR NOT! ADVERTS

Once again so little happening again in the Suffolk area i find myself dipping into my collection again for some colourful adverts, although in these two cases rather dull!,these two both come from Eastern Counties and are rather dull in appearance, firstly seen at Long Stratton outstation long since closed is VR 254 PCL 254W shortly after deregulation in 1987 advertising people signing up for St Johns Ambulance, whilst VR 396 ENG 396K in July 1975 started advertising London and Manchester Assurance and traveled round the Eastern Counties depots until repaint into NBC Red in May 1978, when it finally settled down and lived it's life at Ipswich until withdrawal, it's seen here in Peterborough.

COLOURFUL ADVERTS

Two contrasting adverts one possibly tasteful the other in rather dubious taste, the first one shows IBT Leyland Atlantean 34 in an extremely colourful all over advert which was the first for the council owned company and was followed by 2 others Atlantean 86 WPV 86L which i showed last month had a Betabake all over advert whilst 97 TRT 97M had a short lived CKN Vollkswagen livery, Britannia Stores were situated on Woodbridge Road. Below one of the two converted Bristol VR's purchased from Ribble was OT 352 NCK 980J which experienced many different colours during it's time at Yarmouth, starting out in Venetian Blinds NBC livery before graduating to Eastern Counties Cream livery in the late 1980's, before this monstrosity for Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park.

 Copyright ETCS

BEESTONS DEMO AND NEW ARRIVAL

 Many thanks to Jason Player for allowing me to feature the latest demonstrator that Optare have provided for Beestons for 2 weeks this has already been in Suffolk with Borderbus who incidentally have a Wright Streetdeck on loan SL15 ZGP, The Metrodecker from Optare is the first Doubledecker that they have produced since the Spectra which finished production about 10 years ago, First have already trialled one early this year for tests, and this bus certainly catches the imagination and to me is more like a bus than the Wright Streetdeck! What you won't find is any rattles or poles coming lose us all poles and fixtures are moulded directly to the ceiling as the photo below shows, with well spaced seats made from e leather is this a serious contender to take on ADL's E400 MMC?

Borderbus Streetdeck SL15 ZGP which is currently on loan, thanks to Borderbus for the photo.

Photo from Beestons twitter fleet, the latest arrival for the coaching fleet is this new Mercedes Turas T900 seating 33.

A LEYLAND NATIONAL FLASHBACK

Today is another welcome back for the flashback, as there seems to be very little happening on the Suffolk scene oh to be in Norwich! First picture shows a late model series one Leyland National LN 587 WAH 587S which later became an East Lancs National Greenway convert in the mid 1990's and of course is now preserved in deregulation Eastern Counties Post Office Red in Norfolk, you can see by the picture how much has changed in the Old Cattle Market in Ipswich behind is the Plough pub. Below is the second ever Leyland National LN 539 HVF 539L initially like many of it's type experienced teething problems indeed some were off the road for at least three years, here shes on special duties in Norwich in her first year in service, most were Norwich career Buses although a few in later years travelled south down to Ipswich in the early 1980's, final picture shows the National 2 type with LN 617 PEX 617W seen in Norwich in the later days of her career in the First Blue Bus livery applied to Buses in Great Yarmouth after the takeover.

 Copyright ETCS.

GALLOWAY COACH FLEET

Mercedes Benz Tourismo BF15 XPJ is one of two in the fleet.

With thanks to David Green for informing me of recent withdrawals.

MINI COACHES

170  5516 PP Mercedes Benz 0814D/Plaxton C33F
265  4178 PP  Mercedes Benz 0816D/Plaxton C33F
288/291/93/329  Ford Transit M8
342 AX14 GXS Ford Tourneo M8
345 PO15 AZP  Mercedes Benz 1527L/Unvi C30F

DAF/VDL COACHES

209  3860 PP DAF SB3000/Plaxton C55F
273  6037 PP  DAF SB3000/Ikarus C51FT

DAF SB3000/Plaxton 209 3860 PP is currently the choice for Driver Training.

KASSBOHRER

289  BV10 ZKL Kassbohrer Setra S415GT-HD C53F
309  BN12 EOO  Kassbohrer Setra S416GT-HD C49FT

Kassbohrer Setra 289 BV10 ZKL

NATIONAL EXPRESS

300-305   FJ61 EVN/P/R/T/U/V Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FTL
317/18     FN62 CCA/D  Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FLT
341          FJ61 EYJ   Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FT
348          BK15 AJX  Volvo B8R/Caetano C48FLT


Seen below is 304 FJ61 EVU an Volvo B9R/Caetano










VOLVO COACHES

306       BX12 CWC Volvo B13R/Volvo C53FT
320/21  YN13 AVV/W Volvo B9R/Plaxton C53FT
339/40  NJ1 9241/44 Volvo B10M-62/Van Hool C53F

VAN HOOL COACHES

322/23 YJ13 GWG/GXG/GXG Van Hool TX15 C49FT
326/27 YJ14 CDX/CEX Van Hool TX16 C49FT
355/56 YJ16 EPP/V Van Hool TX16 C49FT

MERCEDES COACHES
293 BF60 OGA Mercedes Benz Tourismo C53F
338  BF15 XPJ Mercedes Benz Tourismo C??F

DEREGULATION OCTOBER 1986 FLASHBACK

Both Pictures from the James Long Collection.

Going back 30 years in your memory is bad enough, but i was there so to speak on Sunday 26th October 1986, as the picture shows above one of the first Buses on the combined 4 Broke Hall and 6 Airport service was Eastern Counties Bristol VR VR 276 TAH 276W at Broke Hall Shops the other two that were on the route was an Leyland National and an ex Ribble VR just don't ask me for the numbers, while Eastern Counties took on town routes on Evenings and Sunday's, Ipswich Buses were off to Shotley although that service had begun a few years back as well as taking on the 80 to Aldeburgh. Ipswich Buses seeing the advantages of Deregulation purchased Bantam Coaches, Squirrells and a joint buyout with Eastern Counties of Bickers later in 1989, by September 1988 Eastern Counties had returned to Aldeburgh and the 4 and 6 returned to Ipswich Buses, the coaches that made up Bickers and Bantam became Ipswich Travel but that's another story.

As many town routes had begun to use Minibuses, opening up new areas of the town, many of the older Leyland Atlanteans became surplus to requirements, while Boroline Maidstone had just won services in London and required Buses for the 188 service, seen here after a return from London is 86 WPV 86L at Constantine Road Depot, the arrangement as such that Maidstone drivers would return the Buses to Ipswich  for servicing and maintenance.