A SPEEDY SWIFT

A bit out of the area this one but i have to congratulate my good friend Chris Speed and Danny Beales First's Operation Manager in Great Yarmouth on their recent purchase of ex Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M i have been itching to let people know as i was there when he took a phone call to express an interest in it, another loose connection is that for a time in the 1986 IBT had on loan a number of their earlier ones when they suffered from a vehicle shortage, below is Willowbrook bodied 59 LEX 859H and two of Ipswich's very unpopular ones East Lancs, 90/93 DDX 90/93L photos once again from Stuart Ray's collection.

IPSWICH UPDATE

 First Ipswich 69010 AU05 DMY on the 4 to Ravenswood last Sunday.

Not an awful lot to report this week, however we had the 2 Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon Coaches 20514/15 arrival back again for Rail Replacement duties on Friday driven by Mr Speed and Mr Howe from Norwich for duties replacing trains on the Ipswich to Cambridge and Ipswich to Ely lines.
I can also confirm thanks to Chris Speed again that the three remaining Scania L94's 65579/88/89 will not be heading to the West Country as reported elsewhere, one may be preserved with the others going for scrap. Slightly further afield is that Lowestoft/ Great Yarmouth's Volvo B7TL's will be upgraded to take in the new DDA requirement's as well as being refurbished they will be repainted into current livery, one ex Ipswich Loan 30888 will be repainted in the Lowestoft Corporation livery.























Hopefully it will be a close approximation of this livery applied to a 1965 Leyland Titan 9 BRT 668C seen back in 1974.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART 4 OCTOBER TO DECEMBER

October to December saw a lot of changes on was the removal of some of the younger Scanias to Colchester, seen here back in October shortly before it's transfer was 65675 SN51 UYJ and below we we have a further refurbished Volvo B7RLE in 66957 WX55 TZU.

At the end of the month the first of the 05 Reg Volvo B7TL'S returned in 32655 AU05 MUY.

Now the last of it's kind at Ipswich is 65670 SN51 UYC seen here on the 61 back in November.

An unusual visitor to the 9 back in December was IB's ex BT contract bus Trident 14 LG02 FDJ

As December is still fairly recent to call i have only picked 2 photos catching me out one Friday morning when it was off for it Refurbishment was 69006 AU05 DMF when it did a few 60/61s that Morning.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART 3 JULY-SEPTEMBER

Early July saw IB repaint 3 of their East Lancs Darts 85-87 with 84 as a spare for the newly extended route 4 to Martlesham Tesco.

The First Ipswich refurbishments started in July the first one being Volvo B7RLE 69008 AU05 DMY.

The first ex Midlands Volvo B7RLE to be refurbished was 66981 KX05 MHK.

Followed by another one in 66850 MX05 CHD also in July.

Repainted into Fleet livery in July was Ipswich Buses Optare Solo 243 YN04 LWJ.

August saw the first of the First Ipswich E200's being refurbished seen here is 44519 YX09 ADO.

32479 AU53 HJV finely came out in the month of August into the beautiful old Eastern Counties livery just when my good friend Chris Speed was on holiday.

Routemaster day was on the 17th of the month freshly arrived from Norwich was 39623 NML 623E

One of the first Deckers to emerge in September after Refurbishment was 32490 AU53 HKH.

Showbus was one of my highlights of the year, one of the most outstanding buses was an old one not only that it was the first MCW Metrobus from the Ensign collection THX 101S.

To round up September the first picture taken with my new camera 32486 AU53 HKD at the end of the month on it's usual haunt the 66.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART TWO

April saw Ipswich Buses Scania Omnidekka 62 PJ54 YZT repainted into current fleet livery.

April also saw IB repaint the Free shuttle bus Optare Solo in a pink and black livery for All About Ipswich.

The beginning of May saw the ITM Felixstowe road run and one of  the buses on the day was former Eastern National Leyland National 1924 JHJ 150V.

Also seen in May for the first time in May was Carter's latest purchase from Ensign ex Damory/Southern Vectis Leyland Olympian 427.

 The delightful ex Transdev Volvo B7RLES left for Colchester during the year seen here back in May was 69532 PL05 UBR.

Back in June we saw the very smart First South Yorkshire Volvo B10BLE'S arrive on loan to cover for refurbishing the Volvo B7RLES seen here on the 60/61 is 60618 R781 WKW.

Arriving also on loan but for a very brief time from Great Yarmouth was ex Leicester Volvo B7TL 32061 W221 XBD seen here on the 55.

Seen here before it's transformation was recently arrived back in June from First Essex at Clacton was E200 44518 YX09ACZ .

IB's Open topper Leyland Atlantean 9 MRT 9P ventured out on various duties including here on the 5 to Heath Road Hospital.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART ONE

January 2014 saw Ipswich Buses repaint Scania/Optare Olympus 69 YJ60 KGY repainted into current fleet livery.

A chance with not much going on in to have a look back at my Photos in four stages the first chronicles the period January to March.

One bus that has survived the cull of the Scanias so far is one of only two left at the present time is First Ipswich 65590 V590 DVF.

And one that didn't seen back here in February was one of the hard seated ones 65673 SN51 UYG

At the end of February saw this rather fine version of the Ipswich Buses livery emerge on Scania 62 PJ54 YZV.

Arriving on loan from Norwich after being with Essex for a time the first ever Volvo B7L/Wright Eclipse came to Ipswich for quite a lengthy spell here's 66333 MV02 VBY in early March on the 60/61.

Before it received route branding for the 111 to Hitcham route E200 78 YX14 RWL appeared on several different including the 38 Free Shuttle

69428 AND 69005 READY TO RETURN

Photo Copyright Duncan Robinson

A short and sweet blog today,as can be seen from above, both Volvo B7RLE'S 69428 AU58 FFP and 69005 AU05 DME are ready to return from Rotherham, this will leave just Volvo B7RLE 69006 and Volvo B7TL 32494 to return in the New Year.