PARK AND RIDE E 300 UPDATE

With thanks to Joe Thorpe.

A bit of a catch up this week as I have been without proper Broadband all week due to my old laptop developing a connectivity problem, I hope that normal service will resume in June, once I have completed my house move. Right as can be seen above Ipswich depot have received one of the seven ADL Enviro 300's in 67776 which when received was in X95 The Ridings branding from First Scotland East,when I saw it late on Wednesday this was slowly being removed. The other six which have arrived in Great Yarmouth are 67752/60/63/73-75 SN62 APF/AUC/AUK/AXH/K/O, one interestingly 67763 has already escaped the net and complete with Great Yarmouth vinyls slipped into service picture courtesy of Roy at the East Norfolk Bus Blog. One further piece of First news is that Volvo B7L 60916 YGO2 DKU from Norwich is also to be repainted into the same heritage livery as Ipswich's Volvo B7TL 32479, which was Eastern Counties Deregulation livery of Post Office Red with Cream and Orange stripes. Ipswich Buses have repainted a further Optare Versa 150 into current livery see below, whilst today I had the rare joy for my current route the 4 out to Martlesham Tesco in ADL E 200 78 which is usually on the 111 to Hitcham for which it has dedicated branding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IPSWICH PARK AND RIDE ANNOUNCED

Well at last i can reveal that the Buses to be used for Ipswich Park and Ride are to be ADL E300's from an batch that was delivered to First Scotland East as 67763/67773-67782, SN62 AUK/SN62 AXH/K/O/U/W/Y/Z/AYA/B/J, although one 67763 was new to Glasgow,in total nine are coming to East Anglia, with seven for the Park and Ride in Ipswich, the colour scheme is based on by the look of things of a Blue and White combination. Two so far have been delivered to Great Yarmouth depot,63363 and 63373 which may be used at either Yarmouth/Lowestoft or Norwich. The announcement to the media has already kicked off, in the Ipswich Star with the Conservatives happy at the retention of the service but Labour being quoted as the Conservatives are deluded if they think it will have a long term future if the service is no longer subsided, the new service will run the same route as currently operated by Ipswich Buses but will be cut to run every 15 mins.

FIVE DOWN AND THREE TO GO

Just a quick blog to inform you that a further Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 151 YK08 EPU has been repainted into the new fleet colours, in preparation for the switch over of the Park and Ride service to First Ipswich on Monday July 3rd, this leaves 145/48 which were in service today, along with the ever missing 150 which i haven't seen in months any ideas anyone?

A mainly Eastern National lineup taken at the Ipswich Bus Rally 12 days ago, from left to right Wilts and Dorset Bristol VR JJT 437N, Eastern National Bristol KSW5G VNO 859, Bristol LH UVX 7S, Bristol RE FWC 439H and Bristol MW 7017 HK.

EASTERN COUNTIES LODEKKAS

Bristol Lodekka's have always been a favourite of mine for as long as i can remember, as far back as the late 1970's, i was particularly interested to see one trundle up and down the cliffs on the 248 in Felixstowe Eastern Counties OT 2 VDV 753 for those who don't know, of course i just missed out on seeing them in Ipswich having been withdrawn in 1980, vague memories of seeing either FLF 440/41 on fireworks night as close as i get! One school holiday i was up in Lowestoft and i managed to see FLF 446 in service, which would of been 1986, well over thirty years ago, above we see FLF 469 KNG 469D in the holday town of Great Yarmouth heading back to Norwich you can tell by the ridicously small print Norwich blinds.

Photo by Syd Eade. Bristol Lodekka FLF 458 JPW 458D certainly did the rounds when it was painted into London and Manchester Assurance livery, moving around almost every month, seen here at Lowestoft Bus Station one of very few Eastern Counties Bus Stations that still look the same as it did then in the early part of the 1970's

ANOTHER REPAINTED VERSA AND ANOTHER COMPANY CEASES TRADING

Not too much to report as it's only been two days since the last blog, Ipswich Buses Optare Versa 146 re entered service yesterday and was in service with sisters 147/48/49/52 and ADL Enviro 200 77/81, being football Saturday, IB's two Scania Omnidekkas 61/62 were both duly employed on Park and Ride duties. One piece of other news is the sad demise of Venturer Coachways of Clopton, of which one contract has already passed to First Ipswich it's difficult to gauge how many vehicles they had, going by the PSV Circle Suffolk book, there was 8 active and a few others stored on site.
PLZ 2876 Leyland Olympian/ECW
WPH 135Y Leyland Tiger/East Lancs this previously had an ECW body.
L843 OTO Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
N43 AHH Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
N60 TCC Toyota HZB50R/Caetano
R682 DWS Dennis Javelin/Plaxton
X507 EGK Dennis Trident/Plaxton President
WC02 WYZ DAF SB3000/OVI

Venturer Coachways Ex Hedingham Leyland Tiger/East Lancs seen at Clacton Bus Rally 2015.

CONCESSIONS FOR GOOD OR BAD

First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66950 WX55 TZM at Great Eastern Square, Felixstowe on Tuesday.

It's not often that i discuss matters on here but i believe it's worth a blog, as many may or not now that due to circumstances i find myself, shall we say in need of making savings, what i find is that the concession pass is in general dished out to the wrong people, many people can afford to travel by bus and i certainly understand that elderly people and the disabled who are financially poor should have free passes, than there are the unemployed and people who are in work but are at the lower end of the wage scale, shouldn't we have a system that's fairer and help the people who need it, with thanks to Chris Speed at First the amount of concessions is about 50% to fare payers in the Ipswich area, and about 35% in Norwich, currently local government in Suffolk are giving the bus companies around a 25% rebate, so on a fare from my current area which is £3 single, First would receive only 75p and then we moan at companies who pull out of country services.

 Returning from Lowestoft after a few weeks VA 479 aka First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32479 AU53 HJV.

IPSWICH BUSES DOUBLE DECKER DAY

Due to a road closure affecting IB services in Holbrook, Single Decker Darts were used on the ex Carters routes, 139 was noted on the 202 Shotley whilst the town routes particularly the 8 to Whitehouse Asda and the 4 to Bixley/Martlesham had a return to Double Deckers including Scania/Optare 68 see above picture on the 4 with Dennis Trident 13, Deckers on the 8 included Dennis Trident 20, Lowlander 58/100 supplemented by 2 ADL Enviro 200's 79/102. Other routes including the 15 and the 15A also had additional deckers, on the 15 was Scania/East Lancs 60,Trident 11 and Lowlander 57 whilst the 15A had Trident 15/Scania/East Lancs 62 with a solitary ADL Enviro 200 103. Other spots were Excel 171, Scania Omnicity 71 and Dart 85 on the 10 and Excel 172 on the 9, the 16 had Excel 173 and Dart 94, Solo 245 was on the 19, Dart 98 on the X1, Scania Omnicity 75 on the 6 and now the Scania/ADL E400 MMC bus has returned to Scania, the X5 consisted of Scania/ East Lancs 61, Trident 16 and Scania/Optare 69.

 One of 3 Double Deckers on the 8 to Whitehouse Asda, was DAF Lowlander 100 PN52 XBM

IB Optare Solo 241 YN04 LWK had a day off town routes and was gainfully employed on the Real Ale Runabout.