IPSWICH AEC SINGLE DECKERS

Continuing last weeks theme charting the career of Ipswich's single deckers, the first batch of single deckers arrived in the form of AEC Regal/Park Royal 7-12 BPV 7-12 in 1953 for routes to Chantry Estate and to replace the remaining single deck trolleybuses using the low bridge on Bramford Road, these were followed in 1955 by 2 more in 19/20 DDX 20, 20 is seen just behind the Town Hall entering Princes Street. It wasn't until 1967 that more single deckers arrived with the less than popular AEC Reliance this time with Massey bodies 69-72 HPV 69-72F, 72 seen below is pictured at the rear of Constantine Road Depot.

Replacing the Regals began in 1972 with Ipswich again choosing the AEC product with the Swift, while Great Yarmouth found it to be a good product, firstly the batch Willowbrook bodied 79-82 JRT 79-82K , 79 below than the following year with East Lancs 89-93 DDX 89-93L proved as troublesome as the examples that London Transport had, most were withdrawn by 1983, 79-82 with 89-93 following a couple of years down the lines, Leyland by then had absorbed AEC and the next time it was another British Bus company in Dennis that dominated Ipswich's orders in the 1980's.

ICT AEC Swift 91 seen at Tower Ramparts in the early 1980's.

THREE LIVERIES ONE BUS

 Going through and sorting my photo collection today i came across Eastern Counties Bristol LHS 930 WEX 930 in 3 different liveries, the first picture is at Great Yarmouth in Commuter Express livery, followed by two taken in the late 1980's, the second shows her in NBC Dual purpose livery without NBC Fleetnames and the third in the hideous battleship grey colours at Ipswich OCM where it finished it's career.

ARRIVA COLCHESTER FLEET

 Arriva Colchester Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer 2 3412 SN54 HWZ. Copyright Steven Hughes

ARRIVA COLCHESTER

Single Deckers

ADL Dart MPD/ADL Pointer 2: 1558/59/1600(Transbus)
ADL/Transbus Dart/SCC:1562/63/64/65
Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer 2:3314/27/28/29/30/33/3412/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21
DAF DE12/Wrightbus: 3516/27/28/29/34
Volvo B7RLE/Wrightbus: 3825/26
ADL E200: 4011/4012/4013/4014/4015/4016/4017/4071/72/73/74/75

IPSWICH ON A MONDAY

On a bright crisp November Monday, First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32486 turned up on the 60/61 Greenwich/Gainsborough service.

Monday seems to be the day to catch odd occurrences on Ipswich Buses and First Ipswich services, firstly i had a surprise when IB Trident 13 turned up on the 4, these days they only usually turn up on Saturday's, sister 15 also turned up on the X3, which is usually ALX 200 Dart operated with anything from 138-44, 140 slipped away from the X3/X1 and was on the 12, below IB Scania Omnicity 72 was on the 10 usually Enviro 200 operated, Dart 98 has changed from being a regular on the 4 and is now commonly used on the 16, with sister 94 on the 19 and 93 on 8/13, 84/86 were also on the 8/13 with sister 87 on it's correctly branded route 4. On Rail Replacement duties was Panther Travel BIG 8856 a Plaxton bodied Dennis Davelin.

IPSWICH AEC DOUBLE DECKERS

Prior to the introduction of the Leyland Atlantean fleet of Double Decker's Ipswich had a predominately AEC fleet of both Single and Double Decker's with the Regent III, Regent V, Regal, Reliance and finally the Swift. Motorbuses as they were called back in the 1950's were introduced to Ipswich in 1950 with an route to Whitehouse, gradually the Trolleybuses were withdrawn as the cost of Electricity became to high, Buses took there place and were finally withdrawn in 1963. Below from the first batch of Motorbuses is ADX 3 a Park Royal bodied Regent III seen here at Electric House during the 1960's on Training duties behind is Sunbeam/Park Royal Trolleybus 123 ADX 193 from the final batch of Trolleybuses delivered to Ipswich. The later batches of Regent's came in the guise of the Regent V, the vast majority of which were bodied by East Lancs up to 62, 63-64 were Massey bodied and the final 4 were Neepsend, above picture shows 49 PPV 49 an East Lancs bodied Regent V passing through the Cornhill on the infrequent Ipswich Station X.

66 DPV 66D from the final batch of 4 became the Ely Playbus later in life and still exists albeit in a very poor state, fortunately all 3 others exists from the batch 68 with the ITM, 67 became an Open Topper and exists somewhere in Europe while 65 DPV 65D this year was bought for Preservation.

SQUIRRELLS COACHES/THOMPSON COACHES FLEET

SNZ 1783 Is a 1998 Volvo B10M/Van Hool which came from Soames back in 2013.

 Squirrells Coach Fleet

LEZ 1045  Mercedes Benz O404 Hispano Carrocera C53F 1999
S139 RWA  Mercedes Benz O404 Hispano Carrocera C53F 1998
Y369 UOM  Mercedes Benz O404 Hispano Carrocera C49FT 2001
MEZ 3873  Volvo B10M/Van Hool C55F 1998
SNZ 7183  Volvo B10M/Van Hool C53F 1998
J400 MWG  Kassbohrer Setra C53F 2003
YLZ 1389  Mercedes Benz 0112L/Ferqui C35F 1998
YLZ 1390  Mercedes Benz 0112L/Ferqui C35F 1998
S299 JRM Mercedes Benz 0814D/Autobus C33F 1998
OO05 FLX  Mercedes Benz 616CDI/Koch C23F 2005
LA55 XMD Mercedes Benz 1223L/Ferqui C39F 2006
NG57 HFD Ford Transit M16 2007


Thompsons Coaches

E7 TCS Volvo B10M/Van Hool C70F 1994
M333 CLS Volvo B10M/Jonckheere C53F 1995
W6 AMS  Volvo B10M/Van Hool C53F 2000
FL02 ZXK Volvo B7R/Jonckheere C53F 2002
WJ02 VRT Volvo B12M/Van Hool C49F 2002
YJ04 GYS Mercedes Benz 0815DT/Sitcar C29F  2004
MX54 ZVZ Mercedes Benz 311CDI/Concept M16 2005
YN07 VBG Mercedes Benz 0816D/Plaxton C33F 2007
EN60 HBD Ford Transit M8 2011

E7 TCS Is the oldest coach in the fleet and has increased seating of 70 ideal for school use as used here on a swimming contract in Crown Street, Ipswich

IPSWICH BUSES INTO THE FUTURE

Currently out of service with a failed engine for a while now, Dennis Trident 17 LG02 FEM has had it's engine rebuilt and is awaiting a new MOT for which it will replace Optare Spectra 52.

As part of a new feature i have started to talk to the Big Bosses of our local companies on their future plans, first up Jeremy Cooper of Ipswich Buses.
Currently still in it's dealer white livery recent acquisition E200 77 may be repainted short term based on the current white livery. The current Carters fleet will not be repainted, instead IB are looking at ways to move forward with the brand, as they are quite happy with the smart livery.
Disappointingly the current diversion into Broke Hall of the 6/A will stop in January as the Council stop the funding, but the campaign has started here as i have kick started an appeal to my local councillor, other changes may include extra X5 peak services and extra 14's on Saturdays, very shortly SCC will be talking to IB and First in regards to the Park And Ride provisionally finishing in the Summer, in which case the Ex Stagecoach Darts will be replaced by the Optare Versa's.

Optare Versa 148 YK08 EPA in it's first week in service during November 2013.