GALLOWAYS FLEET

BUS FLEET

227/28 3367 PP(ex AY05 KVF)/ AY55 DGV VDL SB120/Wright B39F

229 5946 PP(ex W231 CDN) DAF DB250/Optare H47/28F

244 2513 PP (ex YR02 ZYL) Scania L94UB/Wright B43F

278 AY09 BYC VDL DE02SB200/Plaxton B45F

279 4092 PP(ex MX53 FDN) Optare Solo M920/Optare B33F

310 1482 PP (ex YJ55 YGK) Optare Solo M880/Optare B27F

311 MX08 EHC Optare Solo M950/Optare B31F

330 YJ14 BGE Optare Solo M8900SR/Optare B33F

331 YJ60 GFA VDL SB180/MCV B36F

333 1440 PP Optare Solo M920/Optare B33F

337/46 YJ60 GFA/YJ60 GGO VDL SB180/MCV B36F

349/50 YJ65 EWF/G Optare Solo M9950SR/Optare B35F

357 M233 TBV Volvo B10M-55/Alexander B61F
359 M410 RVU Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties H47/30F
363 M208 RVU Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties H47/30F

COACH FLEET

209 3860 PP(ex S408 JUA) DAF SB3000/Plaxton C55F
220 2086 PP VDL DE4OXSSB4000/Van Hool C49FT
265 4178PP Mercedes Benz O816D/Plaxton C33F
289 5048 PP Kassbohrer Setra S415GT-HD C53FT
300-302/304-306 FJ61 EVN/P/T/U/V Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FTL
309 3319 PP(ex BN12 EOO)  Kassbohrer Setra S416GT-HD C49FT
318 FN62 CCD  Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FLT
319 BX13 BZA Volvo B13R/Volvo C53FT
320 YN13 AVV Volvo B9R/Plaxton C53FT
321 YN13 AWW Volvo B9R/Plaxton C53FT

327 YJ14 CEX Van Hool TX16/Van Hool C49FT

338 BF15 XPJ Mercedes Benz Tourismo/Mercedes Benz C??FT

339 NJI 9241 Volvo B10M-62/Van Hool C53F

341 FJ61 EYG Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FT

345 PO15 AZP Mercedes Benz 921L/UNVI C30F

355/6 YJ16 EPP/V Van Hool TX16/Van Hool C49FT

361 X400 MTT Volvo B10M-62/Plaxton C53F

362 FJ12 FYA Volvo B9R/Caetano C48FLT

IB TIMETABLE CHANGES/2 MORE SCANIA OMNICITY DECKERS ARRIVE/156 BACK IN SERVICE.

Newly arrived in the IB Depot yard was Scania Omnicity Decker YR61 RRZ, whilst a completed bus went out for a trial run 34 YR61 RSV which when i went past the depot was inside by the time i walked down Portman Road there it was camera not ready.

Changes to Ipswich Buses Network

Service 1 replaces the X1 and is extended from Greenwich to Waitrose(Futura Park) Every 30 mins.
Service 2 replaces service 6 and continues to run via Ravenswood to Ipswich Hospital, every 30 mins.
Service 3 replaces the X3 to Futura Park and continues to run the same route now every 12 mins.
Service 4 will no longer serve Martlesham Tesco at peak times and terminate at Bixley shops and continues to run every 30 mins.
Service 5 replaces the X5 to Ipswich Hospital and from 1855 will run every 30 mins and extended to Sidegate Lane as the 5E, on Sundays this will run every hour from 2000.
Service 6 replaces the 6A and remains every 20 mins and will terminate at Ipswich Hospital, Evening and Sunday journeys will only operate to 1850 Monday to Saturday and 1852 Sunday every hour.
Service 7 replaces the 19 and 17 and will extend to Anglia Retail Park, and will run every hour instead of every 30 mins.
Service 14 timetable will remain the same but route has changed and is now sponsored by Ipswich Borough Council.
Service 15 will continue to go via Cardinal Park from Tower Ramparts on Evenings and Sundays.
Service 15A will no longer operate via Cardinal Park to Stoke Park and resume the normal Monday to Saturday route during evenings and Sundays, inwards journey to Tower Ramparts from Stoke Park will continue to operate via Cardinal Park before reaching Tower Ramparts.
Service 16 Belstead Road and Halifax now reduced to every hour.
Service 8,9,10,12,13 have only minor timetable changes
All services will now continue after 2000 and are sponsored by Ipswich Borough Council.

MCV Evolution 156 re entered service yesterday on the 8 and today was on the 13.

GALLOWAYS LOAN FROM STEPHENSONS AND OTHER THINGS

Currently Galloways seem to be a bit short of buses so anything is likely to put in an appearance on their routes, however on 118's to Framlingham today was Stephensons 412 an ex HAD, Shott Dennis Dart MPD B29F see above whilst on the 114 was an non DDA coach X400 MTT a Volvo B10M-62/Plaxton, also thanks to David Green for correcting me at the end of last month the Kassbohrer Setra i saw was 289 5048 PP and the Mercedes Benz/Plaxton Cheetah was 4178 PP ex AY08 CRU. After a days absence a Double Decker in Volvo B7TL 32492 was back on town routes 60/61, yesterday saw Enviro 200's 44516/9 and Volvo B7RLE's 66984/69428 and 69010, with E200 44518 on Felixstowe's whilst today's compliment was 32492, 69426 and one other sister vehicle and 66984/86. Whilst IB wise Dennis Trident 16 was on 4's with later in the afternoon Scania Omnicity 74 which had been on 8's up to 1430, the 13 had 3 Optare Excel's in 170/71/73 whilst Optare Versa 149 see below took up late duties on the 9's usually operated by Trident 16, whilst on late 15A's was Scania Omnicity 40 and Lowlander 54.  Whilst on Colchester and Manningtree's was Lowlander 55/59/100 and Scania Omnicity Decker 35 with Dart 93 taking over from 98 on Shotley's.

IB TO TRY MERCEDES BENZ/MELLOR DEMO

I was very fortunate to catch this coming past me this morning along West End Road, before it reached Constantine Road depot this was a Mellors Coachcraft Mercedes Benz Strata LO67 CGX not the greatest of photos but never mind this particular version seats has three configurations 1/ Passengers seated 18, standing 3 and one wheelchair, 2/ Passengers seated 21 and one standing and 3/ Passengers seated 14, 6 standing and two wheelchairs, length is 7.7m and 2.3m with a MPG of 22 miles, many operators have taken similar designed minibuses including Stagecoach East Kent, obviously IB are thinking of replacing the 15 year old Optare Solo's.

 Currently Mercedes Benz Citaro 154 is off the road, seen in the depot yard this morning so Double Deckers have been substituting with Lowlander 58 today and Trident 12 LG02 FDC as seen above, Scania Omnicity 74 replacing 154 on Tuesday. Other unusual spots the last three days have SPD Dart 135 on the 4 on Tuesday, 137 the following day along with Scania Omnicity 75, yesterday saw 4 Versa's off the road with Scania Omnicity 71 on the X1 and Dart 87 on the X3, whilst Lowlander 100 had a rare day out today on the 15A and 2 journeys on the 6/A.

IB Scania Omnicity 75 at the Martlesham Tesco end of  route 4 which finishes in just over two weeks.

LOST INDEPENDENTS: OSBOURNES OF TOLLESBURY

Ex Bristol O.C HHW 933D. Copyright ETCS

Osbourne's first bus came in 1919 when they purchased their first Model T Ford with a horse bus body!, the first service was created to Colchester, then to Maldon in 1922 and Witham in 1930, as with most independents in the area they mixed having new buses with good secondhand purchases, the first Double Decker a Daimler CWA 6 came in 1944 and a brand new AEC Regent V in 1957 as seen above Osbourne's bought quality second hand buy's as seen by one of the two Bristol VR Prototypes bought from Bristol.O.C   HHW 933D the other being  GGM431D, this coincided with the Scottish Bus Group swapping their troublesome VR's for Lodekka, Osbournes bought NAG 588G and OCS 581H, during the 1970's Bus Grant buses were bought including 36 RHK 756K a Bedford YRQ with Willowbrook body in 1971 followed by 2 Bedford YRQ  in 1973, 3  in 1974 one being a YRQ, one YRG and one YRT and  Plaxton bodied, 3 more in 1975 2 Bedford YRT with Plaxton body's and one YRQ with Willowbrook body, they were most famous for acquiring 3 AEC Demonstrators the first being 80 WMH a AEC Bridgemaster in 1960 followed by 2211 MK in 1961 and 8071 ML a Renown in 1963. The 1980's saw ex LT and Tayside Fleetlines bought secondhand, and Leyland Tigers making up the new coach orders, Osbournes began to struggle during the 1990's finally bring sold to neighbour Hedingham, with the fleet changing very little between 1989 and 1997.

Bedford YRQ 36 RHK 756K. Copyright ETCS.

Both Ex Western SMT Bristol VR's OCS 581H and NAG 588G still in Western SMT livery along with ex AEC Renown Demonstrator 80 WMH. Copyright ETCS.

IPSWICH BUSES 31 ENTERS SERVICE

Just a quick update tonight that Ipswich Buses 31 YR61 RPY entered service yesterday with Leon Wells on the single trip out to Whitehouse at 1430. A correction to Monday's blog is that Trident 13 is not withdrawn as it was out in service yesterday. Even though the Orwell Bridge was shut for a few hours and caused gridlock coming in from East Ipswich, Buses by 4 pm were pretty much back on track, there wasn't a lot doing routes there not scheduled for apart from Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD which was on the 6/A to Ipswich Hospital. Spotted this morning was MCV Evolution 156 heading out of Felixstowe Road I would imagine to Simon Morris at Ransomes Europark for a repaint into IB's new livery. Below's picture is a bit of an interloper for Galloways as they have been using this Kassbohrer Setra 289 5048 PP originally BN12 EOO on Monday and Tuesday on the 114 to Diss at 1405, not quite DDA and , also seen in Woodbridge was supposedly withdrawn minicoach in 170 5516 PP a Mercedes Benz 0814D/Plaxton originally new in 2001 as Y703 OGV, also seen today was Scania L94UB/Wright 2513 PP originally new to Anglian as YR02 ZYL which usually works the Bury St Edmunds routes hence the lack of any destinations.

IB SCANIA OMNICITY 41 ENTERS SERVICE/FIRST IPSWICH 32479 REPAINT/TWO MORE TRIDENTS GONE

Just a quick blog tonight with the news that two Scania Omnicity Deckers arrived over the weekend 31 YR61 RPY and 41 YR61 RVF whilst one has departed from the yard in 36 YR61 RUC, with two remaining, so far 30,35,37,40,41,43 have entered service, 41 was being road tested around 9 AM and then by 1400 PM was parked in the lay by, only for Leon Wells to use it on his single run out on the 8 to Whitehouse Asda then off on a school contract. With 2 further Omnicity deckers arriving sadly it has meant the end of Trident 13 which was withdrawn over the weekend leaving just 12 and 16 of the 02 Reg batch, and the two ex Stagecoach London batch 20/21.

 How could i have forgot this month the repainting of First Ipswich Volvo B7TL 32479 AU53 HJV which has been back in service for the last two weeks, i had the pleasure of her today on the 76 into Ipswich and close up this is one of the finest repaints i have seen from First, above shows a full on shot whilst below you can see the offside and rear.

 Seen here in March 2016 is Ipswich Buses 13 LG02 FDF and below 14 LG02 FDJ which had a shorter career on service duties as it started out as the BT Contract bus before the contract was taken over by First Ipswich, seen here also in March 2016 on my old home route the 4, it kept is tables in right to the very end.