IB EMERGENCY TIMETABLE DETAILS

About time too i must say, my first capture of Ipswich Buses E200 77 KX59 GNY which was on the 8/13 routes yesterday.

Full Emergency timetable available here http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipswichbuses.co.uk%2Fassets%2Ftimetables%2F10thoctobertimetable.pdf&h=UAQEaj7VF

South West Ipswich
13 Pinebrook Tesco Every 30 mins
15/A Thorrington Park Every Hour
Service 12/14/16 Will not run

North West Ipswich
8 Whitehouse Asda Every 30 mins
9/10 Whitton/Castle Hill Every Hour
Service 17/19 will not run

North East Ipswich
X5 Ipswich Hospital every 30 mins
6/A Ipswich Hospital every Hour

South East Ipswich
X3 John Lewis every 30 mins
Service X1 and 4 will not run

Other Details
Ipswich Town Shuttle 38 will not run, contracted services 73/173 will be run by other companies,school services 11A/18A/501/02/914/88 will run others will not, Park and Ride will run every 30 mins, 98/A Service may or may not run, all services apart from 13 will be run by Double Deckers services will finish at 1900, fares will be £1 per Journey.  

IB usually add  a Double Decker to the 202 in the afternoon for schools yesterday Trident 21 Y458 NHK did the honours.

IPSWICH BUSES STRIKE CONFIRMED

Ipswich Buses have purchased 8 new E200's this year from the first batch of four is 101 SN16 OGG.

Ipswich Buses drivers will hold an 24 hour strike next Monday, about 110 members of the Unite union will cease work from around 5 AM, over a row of the starting pay for drivers which is currently £8.66 the company has offered £8.81, but the union wants £10 per hour, with 90% of the drivers voted for the strike action, 66% of drivers have already accepted the new pay rate of £11 per hour. Talks are still ongoing with the union, however a contingency plan will be put into place with an emergency timetable available tomorrow, talks are also ongoing between IB and Suffolk County Council over School contracts and Park And Ride services.
Also in yesterdays Ipswich Star Ipswich Council leader David Ellesmere described the Travel Ipswich scheme as a disaster, chief concerns which have been widely commented on included uncoordinated traffic lights which have caused Buses to be caught in congestion, Real Time Passenger Information screens not showing when Buses should turn up i can vouch for that as currently the one at Broke Hall Shops doesn't work, no public toilets have been installed at the Old Cattle Market, despite protests, Coaches such as National Express can't operate from there, weeds have begun to show between paving slabs, when the slabs have been taken up they have been filled in with tarmac!

Ipswich Buses Dennis Trident 20 Y436 NHK on the 4 last week.

ANOTHER SHORT TERM LOAN FOR FIRST AT IPSWICH

Just a quick blog today with notice that First Ipswich have ADL E200 45118 ST09 JPT on loan for just a few days with sister to to the above 45119 RT09 JPT which unusually found it's way on to town route 60/61 to Greenwich/Greenwich, unfortunately i just missed 45118 by a matter of a few minutes which found it's way on to to the 70 to Woodbridge. IB wise there was very little in the way of unusual allocations most routes now settling down to largely Single Deckers, although the 15/15A found a return from the Carters fleet of Lowlander 57 with sister 58, while Dennis Trident 16 was on Carter's services.

Further to Saturday's blog the Ipswich Transport Museum launched the very nearly completed Eastern Counties Dennis Ace D3 later D973 CAH 923 this was delivered new in January 1938, upon withdrawal in 1949 the engine and gearbox was used in the chassisless E.C.W CD class of 1950, D973 then had a second life after passing initially to Ben Jordan(Dealer) at Coltishall by joining Bickers fleet at Coddenham by this time it was fitted with an Dennis engine and gearbox from  D976, after withdrawal it was then fitted with the body of D989 DVF 519 a later Ace from 1941.

FINALLY THE IPSWICH BUSES ENVIRO 200 MMC DEMONSTRATOR

Three different shots taken today at the Ipswich Transport Museum showing the Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 MMC, YX65 MWK, which has obviously been around quite a few places already, externally the bus has a rather an dull ADL livery, but of all the new Buses around it's probably the most smartest for looks, internally it looks rather spacious and airy, and at last we have moulded poles to the ceiling and floor, plus of course E Leather seating which i haven't got to grips yet, this is a Bus surely that will appeal to many operators, and has done so with big orders from Stagecoach,First Group and Arriva. To finish today on it's last appearance for Ipswich Buses today for the ITM's classic vehicles day was Dennis Lance 162 L162 ADX which will now pass to Otley College for use with their engineering apprentices, meanwhile Optare Spectra 52/53 X52/53 LBJ were withdrawn yesterday, with 53 passing to Lynx at Kings Lynn.

Ipswich Buses now Withdrawn Optare Spectra 53 X153 LBJ, shame as it was one of the most comfortable and fast buses.

IPSWICH OCM FLASHBACK

 An welcome back today for the flashback which has been absent for a while with two rather contrasting photos, firstly the above picture illustrates an interloper in the camp, with the second time the number VR 186 was used originally on PEX 386R which had passed on to Cambus in 1984, 3 second hand VR's were purchased from Southern Vectis  in 1990 ,VR 185-87 ODL 657-59R, ironically i had travelled on these the year before on the Isle of Wight. Below we see Bristol RL 736 AAH 736J which was new in 1970 in Tillings livery and sadly painted just 2 years later in 1972, note the rather decrepit corrugated hangar to the right!

MONDAY'S OB'S IN PICTURE

Ipswich Buses Dart 137 made an unusual appearance on the X3 to John Lewis which is usually in the hands of the ALX 200 Darts while sister 136 was on the 15A. Meanwhile Scania Omnidekka 62 PJ54 YZW found itself on the X1, which by looking at the amount of passengers on the bus didn't warrant an Double Decker, sister 61 was the Double Decker of choice for the extra 38 journey's over lunchtime's, whilst on the 4 for the past week or so has been Dart 98 along with any of the ALX 200 Dart's,  Dart 139 has returned to the 98 to Shotley, whether this is permanent is not known. As mentioned in a previous blog 3 Volvo B7RLE'S seem to be allocated to First Ipswich's 66 yesterday the 3 were 69005/06/11, 69005 is seen below. Seen with an attractive Orange rear end is Volvo B7RLE 69009 with Apprenticeships Suffolk, E200 45119 also displays this advert with other B7RLE's also displaying the advert.

SOAMES SOLD TO SUFFOLK NORSE CONFIRMED/SOAMES RECALLED

Although this news had already been mentioned that Soames(Forget Me Not Travel) was to finish operations the news confirmed this week was that Suffolk Norse would be buying the company and four of the remaining 10 coaches including the above KX09 GMO a Volvo B12B/Plaxton, the 3 others are YX10 FFU also a Volvo B12B along with 1 Volvo B9R/Plaxton S4 GET  FJ59 CBU and Volvo B12M T4 GET originally YN04 YTK. The coaches which will not be passing to Suffolk Norse are Volvo B10M/Plaxton 11 PKN originally P616 FTV and V57 KWO, Volvo B12M YS02 YXZ, 2 Volvo B9R/Plaxton S4 GET originally YN09 AOX and YN60 FML and Volvo B12B/Plaxton R17 BUS originally YN07 NUO.
Pictures below copyright Clive Nixon.

New in April 1978 to Ladvale, Dursley and passing to Soames in the 1980's was this Ford R114 with Plaxton body.

In an Early livery style and unusual and being new to Soames, was a new in August 1975 Ford R114/Plaxton KPV 921P.