IB TRY OUT A SCANIA OMNICITY DECKER AND THE FIRST IPSWICH PARK AND RIDE BUS ATTENDS THE SUFFOLK SHOW

Well i had to manipulate this one with a software program to get the desired effect as the original was very dark due to the trajectory of the sun, anyhow Ipswich Buses have on trial ex Stagecoach London Scania Omnicity 15137 LX59 CNA, this has previously been with Borderbus. First Ipswich have launched the new Park and Ride livery at last weeks Suffolk Show with ex First Scotland East ADL E300 67776 SN62 AXU, these originated with the Borders division at Galashiels which has subsequently closed, the 7 seven as previously mentioned are now confirmed as 67752/60/63/73-76. Changes are due on the First Ipswich network, including the X7 to Felixstowe becoming a peak hours service only. Whether First Ipswich will receive anything further is anyone's guess, whilst the fleet is getting comparably old , the last new to Ipswich fleet were the 53 plate Volvo B7TL's  back in 2003, not withstanding the 58 plate Volvo B7RLE's which were bought specifically for Park and Ride back in 2009 are now 8 years old.

Copyright Stuart Ray

Below is the new map issued by First for the new Park and Ride.

Out with the old the final IB Optare Versa to be put into the new livery is 145 YK08 EPA.

BUT ONE DAY WE SHALL GET BACK

Copyright James Long Collection.

Sitting in A&E this morning with my mind in turmoil, due to a further Mental Health breakdown after the death of my mum and dad in short succession, for which i'm now getting the appropriate treatment, i never thought i would type in earnest ever again it just felt one step to many,but i need to do this as my favorite quote from Doctor Who is from the First Doctor is "But one day we will shall get back.Yes one day. So that's how i look at it, one day i will return to life
Above you will see a picture from Jimmy Long, of First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 66957 when freshly painted back in 2014 this month will see the 5th anniversary of the blog, Jimmy was my Eastern Counties mentor and i'm very proud to been working on his collection for the museum, without his advice and of course his marvelous photos the blog wouldn't have been half the success it was during it's infancy, this year hopefully will see the naming of a First Ipswich bus with his name on the front, for which it is richly deserved, too many people have helped to make this worthwhile including Chris Speed at First. If you don't follow the Facebook page please do, as you will get the latest news quicker on there, suffice to say very little has happened while i was way, just the last IB Optare Versa 145 into fleet livery, at the Suffolk Show on Wednesday the first Park and Ride liveried ADL E300 will be launched the remaining ones will be arriving shortly here from Great Yarmouth for repaint at Simon Morris prior to launch on July 3rd.

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.