A SATURDAY ODDITY AND OTHER THINGS

 Well the above picture proves that anything can happen! Ipswich Buses Optare Solo 245 which usually is only seen on week days put in an appearance on the 19 Dale Hall Circular today, while it was back to normal on the 4 route with the usual East Lancs Darts replacing the Double Deckers that have been on the 4 for the last month, in turn these have now been put on the X3. With the DDA deadline for Single Decker Buses having passed yesterday, the regular bus on the 98 for the last few months has been 96 X96 LBJ with DDA sister 93 X93 LBJ having taken it's place.

First time on camera for me is Beestons Scania Omnidekka YN05 HFY in the new livery of Blue with Silver front.

THE IPSWICH TO SHOTLEY GER BUS

Managed to acquire this postcard a couple of weeks back which shows BJ 330 which was purpose built by the GER in their own works at Statford obviously not a photo but a considerably good drawing, with only 30 HP it must of been one slow journey! Behind the driver there was an luggage compartment, and as you can see two people were able to seat next to the driver.

FAREWELL TO THE SCANIA L94 AND THE VOLVO B10BLE

Another type that we must say goodbye to this month is the Scania L94UB/Wright and most of the Volvo B10BLE's from First although some Scania's at Leeds and other Volvo B10BLE's have been altered to conform to the new DDA requirements which are now in force, above we see Scania 65587 V587 DVF which has finished it's career at Colchester via Norwich and Northampton and below we see Volvo B10BLE 66112 R912 BOU which was on loan at Ipswich last year as well as being up in Norfolk this year, both are types that will be sadly missed by enthusiasts as they were particularly comfortable and smooth as well as being liked by drivers and finishing with 65587's sister Scania 65589 V589 DVF which is now preserved by the ITM with some help on my part and with great thanks to Chris Speed who put up with my continued nagging about getting her preserved! See you all Next Year!!

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK

Seen here during the mid 1990's is Eastern Counties ex Kings Lynn based Bristol VR 164 MCL 940P which had transferred over to Ipswich late in it's career.

This is a perfect snapshot in time of Ipswich AEC Regent III's 14/16 CDX 514/16, 14 showing an side advert for the much missed Croydons Jewellers in Tavern Street, seen here in Crown Street.

This is a particularly rare photo of the last one of the Eastern Counties Bristol K6A series built with Strachan bodies LK 42 FNG 400 was also the last bus delivered with the tin bible destination plates, the body was replaced with an new ECW L27/28R in 1953 and converted to a Gardner 5LW engine, renumbered in 1962 to LK 144 this survived to 1967. Picture shows her passing Melton Chapel in the late 1940's on the 210 service.

This one i have shown before but its such an evocative picture it's worth showing again of Ipswich Sunbeam/Park Royal trolleybus 116 ADX 188 at St Augustines, Felixstowe Road still recognisable today in the early 1960's on the 4 heading back to Electric House, the BP garage is where Johnsons Cleaners stand today.

FAREWELL TO THE DART SLF: A VIEW FROM THE PAST

Another couple of days and it will be the deadline for Non DDA Single Decker buses, looking at many fleet lists there is still quite a large number existing within the major groups such as First and Arriva, however we must might being saying goodbye to the Ipswich Buses Dart SLF's  all three will go when their MOT's run out the remaining being 89/92/96 X89/92/96 LBJ, above you can see 89 back in November 2014 on the 6 when it worked through Broke Hall, followed by two former First Ipswich Dart's one of the Plaxton Pointer 2 type 43488 R688 DPW and one ex Devon & Cornwall of the original Plaxton Pointer style 42431 P431 ORL both back in early 2013 just as they were being phased out and finishing with an Ipswich Buses East Lancs Dart from the second batch being 133 R133 FBJ back in 2013 on the 16.

BANK HOLIDAY BUS SELECTION

Today being an Bank Holiday certainly threw up a lot of unusual things, Ipswich Buses were running a Sunday service while First Ipswich were on a normal timetable, while none of the Independents were operating into Ipswich. Above we see First Ipswich ADL Enviro 200 44517 YXO9 ACY on the 60/61 instead of the 53. Below we see First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69005 AU05 DME taking the place of 44517 on the 53.

Ipswich Buses Scania Omnicity 74 YN56 NVF found itself on the 6 .

While sister Scania Omnicity 72 YN56 NVD also had a rare day out on the 15A.

While Optare Excel 2 172 YG52 DGE was the spare bus at Tower Ramparts.

EASTERN COUNTIES ALLOCATIONS JUNE 1968

Haven't done one of these for a while so thought i would dig this out of my archive, unfortunately at this time ECOC didn't always produce these allocation sheets so in actual fact this is the only one from 1968 that i possess, above we see FLF 457 JPW 457D when fairly new in Ipswich OCM, this would spend the majority of it's career at Norwich from the 1970's.

Originally an Eastern National bus this Bristol LS LM 923 WVX 449 transferred to Eastern Counties in 1966 to implement one man operation, seen here on it's regular run the 90 to Cringleford in the Norwich Bus Station.