TWO FIRST ESSEX ADL VOLVO B7TL TO TRANSFER TO IPSWICH

Seen here in Norwich Castle Meadow is Volvo B7TL/ ALX 400 32652 AU05 MUP when originally with FEC back in 2006 when a year old.

With thanks to the First Eastern Counties blog on Facebook we learn that 2 First Essex ADL Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 from 32651/52 and 32654 will be transferred to First Ipswich from Chelmsford where 20514 the last Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon has recently departed for a School contract this leaves the Eastern Counties for the first time in it's history without any coaches, 32652 did transfer to Ipswich initially back in late October 2013 before passing to Essex the following month. In other news Ipswich Buses Excel 173 has returned to service after a brief period off the road, whilst Scania Omnidekka 60 has spent the week inside the depot under repair, whilst spots this week include DAF Lowlander 56 on the 5 on Wednesday alongside Scania Omnidekka 61 and Lowlander 59 on the 5 on Friday, whilst today Optare Solo 244 was on the 1 alongside Enviro 200 102, and on the 8 Enviro 300 83 and Dart 88, on First Ipswich's town service 60/61 Deckers 32488 on Wednesday and 32656 on Thursday and Friday.

Photo from the late Jim Long collection.

Ipswich Buses Optare Solo 244 found it's way on to the 1 today instead of the usual fare of Optare Versa's.

Back in NBC days Eastern Counties operated the Ipswich to London National Express service and when not required operated on local services seen here operating the 204 to Stowmarket is Bristol RE 850 SAH 850M.

SUMMER ROUND UP

Well i didn't expect to be doing another blog after a lot of people not wanting me to continue, however after a long pause i am going to come back with the highlights of whats been going on these last three months starting with Ipswich Buses coming in at the start of June was the Bio Gas Bus a Scania ADL E400 MMC CBG DD16 GAS which was on loan for a period of six weeks and first featured on Ipswich Buses stand at the Suffolk Show, other news concerning this period was the entry into service of three more Scania Omnicity deckers 44-46, seen below first of all 46 YR61 RPX, followed by 45 YR61 RVE and finally 44 in the first week of August which started it's career working in red on Ipswich Buses ex Carters services 92-94. Currently there are 3 Darts out of service firstly East Lancs 85 and ex Lothian 134/137 all with engine failure, all three will return to service when time allows.

 Galloways have been with repaints in this time frame with both remaining VDL SB180/MCV Evolutions 331 YJ60 GFA and 337 YJ60 GDO while new to Galloways VDL SB120/Wright 227 3367 PP and 228 AY55 DGV have also been done i believe both have now received fleet names. Noted today repainted was Optare Solo 279 4092 PP.

Time has been spent in Lowestoft and Colchester during this time and the one bus shining a light through the current fleet was Heritage Liveried First Lowestoft ADL Dart SLF 42926 SN05 EAE.

IB SCANIA OMNICITY DECKER 39 ENTERS SERVICE

Ipswich Buses Scania Omnicity Decker 39 YR61 RUV arrived at the weekend and entered service on a School working on Monday afternoon, followed by entering service on the 2 to Ipswich Hospital yesterday, before failing during the afternoon and replaced by Dart 136, whilst seen above it spent the majority of the day on the 15A and some late workings on the 3 to John Lewis, other unusual workings yesterday saw Enviro 79 on the 3 before doing 3 trips on the 4 from 1535. Other things worth noting is the 1520 15 service is worked off the 8, as the Double Decker in today's case DAF Lowlander 59 is taken off for a school working, also unusual was Scania Omnicity 75 on the 15 for most of the day before being replaced by Scania Omnicity Decker 42 and doing one trip on the 6 and returning on which is a Double Decker working due to the volume of St Albans pupils and was packed with standing and displaying Bus Full when leaving, even Optare Solo 245 got in the act by doing a school run fully loaded when entering Tower Ramparts.Meanwhile unusual working for First Ipswich saw Volvo B7TL 32489 on the 60/61 Monday and 32479 today, whilst Mini E200 44928 was also on for much of the day before being replaced by Volvo B7RLE 69425 in the afternoon.

Usually Scania Omnicity Decker worked the 94 paid host to DAF Lowlander 58 today.

VISITORS TO IPSWICH

 Now according to Flickr this is an early Volvo B12B with a Volvo 9700 body N27 SUN of Sunbeam of Norwich original registration VL05 VBL.

 It's not often you see an Welsh coach reaching East Anglia so here we have VDL Futura 2 WA15 BVY of Mainline Coaches residing in Gilfach Goch.

MULLEYS FLEET

Mulleys ex Nottingham and ex Scania Demonstrator, Scania Omnicity YN54 AHA seen on Bury St Edmunds town service M22.

BUSES

BIG 6885 Leyland Olympian/Alexander RH DPH55/45F
MUI 6449/7919/7924/49 Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 H49/27F
SJ02 AAW Volvo B7TL/ALX 400 H49/27F
YN04 UJP-T Scania Omnidekka/East Lancs H51/39F
YN54 AHA/D/E/NXF Scania Omnicity/Scania B42F
YN04 GMU Scania Omnicity/Scania B35F
YN03 UWJ Scania Omnicity/Scania B42F
CN54 HFC Optare Solo M990/Optare B35F
AE06 YYU Optare Solo M920/Optare B32F
CN06 BXJ Optare Solo M920/Optare B31F
CN56 BXJ Optare Solo M920/Optare B31F
MX57 HDH Optare Solo M950/Optare B29F
YJ57 YDB Optare Solo M1020/Optare B37F

Coaches

WSV 555/888 Volvo B12B/Van Hool C59FT/C49FT
222 VKE/444 NXX Volvo B12BT/Berkhof CH61/18CT
N76 PYN Kassbohrer Setra/Kassbohrer C53F
S595/598 KJF Volvo B10M-62/Jonckheere C57F
X471/2 KUT Volvo B10M-62/Jonckheere C53/70F
BU51 MUL Mercedes Benz 1223L/Euro Coach C41F
TC03 TLC Scania K114IB4/Van Hool C53FL
OO04 MUL Iveco CC10E21F/P/Indcar C31F
YN05 HBO Scania K94IB/Irizar C70F
WCF 99 Volvo B12BT/Van Hool C57FT
X661 NWY Volvo B10MT/Plaxton C51FT

Please advise if any corrections needed as only get updates through PSV Circle.

IPSWICH TO FELIXSTOWE RUN

 Highlights from yesterday's Ipswich to Felixstowe run, all are taken at Felixstowe from a mobile phone so are not the best first up is Eastern Counties Bristol G VG 5541 originally with Norwich Electric Tramways as 43 and taken over by Eastern Counties in 1935 and renumbered LG 4 and conerted to open top in 1950 as HLG 4 and in it's last year as HLG 496 this was bought back to the UK from Californa USA by Roger Burdett in 2000, the work to restore it took 17 years and 2 pictures show both sides.

 Another surprise was this ICT AEC Regal 8 BPV 8 which remains in out of service condition.

 From Cambridge came this Eastern Counties Bristol RELH RE 896 SVF 896G.

 In a fictitious livery of Beautiful Britain and preserved by Fred Lawrence is this Mercedes Benz 609D/Reeve Burgess C25F

From the EATM came this superbly restored Lowestoft AEC Swift 4 YRT 896H.

FIRST ESSEX ALLOCATIONS MAY 3RD 2018

 First Essex Allocations May

Still in the old variant of First Group livery is Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 65679 YR52 VEH.

BE: 4230	Now an outstation of CF, its 5 deckers  rotate  as required with those at CF  53112ws/4we/6ws/26we/8we/9we/31ws/7ws.         e=east fence, s=south fence.        8                                                           Note since 18/2, only 5 vehicles work the 70 from BE	05 8w
CF: 4240	32480/1/2/3/4/5.  32651/2/4. see BE. 37985/6. 41493/4. 41512-4/20/1/2.  42895.  42900/22/3/30-2-4-6/9/68.  43847/8.    44537-51/96-9. 44659-62.  44900.    53114/6/7/21/3/5/7/9/32/3/4/6/8/9.   53209. 65031.  66719/30/94/5/6/7/9.   66802/8/11/2/4/5/7/8/29w/30/7.  67165-71.  67189-95.   68508/9/10/20/31/2w/5/51w.    69421/9/30/1/2/3/4.     69532/3.	116 +5 At BE
CR: 4280	32068/87. 32475/6-8.  32628/31/40/1/2.  33044/78/80/6v/7/8/184/5/6.    37009/10/5-7/20/133-6/8/9/40.  61230. 62407. 63328-39/40-4.  65672w/3/4w/7-80w-2/3w/4/5/6/7.    65742/3/5/6/8/50. 66798.  66800/1/3/4/7/9w/10/6/28.	80
CN: 4250	42555/6/7w/61.  42918/27/8/37.   43845/6.   62408-10. 65028/9/30/2.  65665w/6/7/8/9/70/1/5/6/88/9/90-2.	27
BN: 4200	33047/77.  33178/88/92/4.   33424/5.  33504/7/44-6/8/9/51-3/5/7-9/61-3/7/8/70/2-4.   41523-5/7/38-44.    42519.        47650-6-8.   67160-4.   66806/13/9/21/2-7.    69901-19.	83
HH: 4210	33072/3/4/81/90/5/8/133/4/6.  33186v/9/90/1/229/32.  33373/6/83/4/5v.        42482/3/4/5/7/6/8/9.    44001/2/3/4/5/6/80v/1.  47521-30/643-9.  63161-4/5-70.  69515-20.	69
DVT	62139/91/5w/7w. 62242.  66179.	06
	Error 42929 not with FE,  CF 43845 is 43847.
soon	65031 to CN                              Note  All 02 plate Solo’s should be D/L, but not confirmed.
	62195/7w not confirmed. 68532/51w not confirmed.   65686 ?, 65742/3/5/6/8/50 are CR-Larbert depot by 30-4.
Note	The four digit codes are First Group codes. Underlined Vehicles are this months transfers.

  

                                           

Seen in Colchester Osbourne Street is First Colchester Volvo B7TL AU53 HJO.

COLOUR IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES RECALLED

Haven't done an Eastern Counties recall in quite some time now so tonight two images that depict or categorise the word colour on my favourite type of bus of course, going back to time when colour was king in the mid 1970's we see Bristol VR 127 RAH 127M when pretty new, amongst the daffodils of spring lightening up Castle Meadow in Norwich no doubt whilst below that we see Bristol VR 254 PCL 254W on display at what could be Norwich Showground? advertising the National Travelworld, note that the upper window frame displays NBC red, and of course the addition of a mural adds to the colour.