Redbridge Arrivals

There were some unusual visitors to Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station yesterday as I witnessed when I visited around lunchtime.

Three of them were coaches from the London Borough of Redbridge, although the last one arrived just as I was driving off so I didn't get it on camera. They were Plaxton Profile bodied Volvo B7R X6LBR plus Irizars A4LBR and A5LBR

Another surprise visitor was a double deck coach from Milton Keynes-based Bill's Coach Hire in the form of Berkhof bodied Volvo B12BT FN03DXT

A couple of 'locals' were Beestons' Van Hool 222GRA and Norse Suffolk's Marco Polo bodied MAN AY56BJU

Roy

Sanders Newbie

North Norfolk based Sanders Coaches recent new arrival was in Great Yarmouth today. NS17GAS is a Yutong TC9 and it was sitting in the car park at the town's ASDA store this afternoon.

I understand from Zak Nelson, over at Norwich Bus Page, that its registration denotes the original owners of the company Norman Sanders and Gladys Ann Sanders

Roy

#TBT ~ Beach Coach Station August 1994 (Part Three)

This week's #TBT (Throw Back Thursday) features part three of our look at visitors appearing at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station during August 1994.

Today's subject continues with the double deck theme and shows East London Coaches 486CLT which was one of five former West Midlands PTE Leyland Titan/Park Royals passing to London Transport. It was new in January 1979 as WDA3T and carried fleet number 7003 when with the PTE. The 486CLT registration was gained in 1992 and the Titan was subsequently re-registered again as HVX771T, with the former plate assigned to Routemaster RMC1500.

Incidentally the decker previously made appearances at Beach Coach Station in its guise as WDA3T as my report dated 16th April 2015 shows (#TBT Beach Coach Station ~ August 1991)

Roy

Beach Coach Station Today

Six of the nine Richmond Coaches fleet at
Beach Coach Station this afternoon

A comparatively large turn out at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station today with some thirty coaches present.

Nine of them were from the Richmond's Coaches fleet based in the 'Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex corner'. The attendees were Van Hool Alicrons 230LYC, 753LNU, 275FUM and 892LTV plus Van Hool Astrons 438XYA and YER469 together with Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M's 424KPP, 851FYD and 729KTO. Unfortunately they were all on the back row so I couldn't get a good front picture but settled for a rear view of six instead!

There was my first local sighting of a 17 plated Shearings coach in the form of Mercedes Benz Tourismo 902 (BN17JRV)

Downham Market based D & H Harrod were represented by Irisbus N14DHH and Mercedes Benz N19DHH

From Spratts Coaches of Wreningham came WH11CHR, a Van Hool Alicron formerly with Wickson of Walsall

Other regular long stay visitors included Alfa Travels' Mercedes Benz Tourismos 88 (BX14OMO) and 92 (BX15OED) plus Gee-Vee Travel's VDL Bova Futura GT09GVT.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 16th August 2017

Just a couple of proposed changes to local bus services from today's Notices & Proceedings Report published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner.

Paul Whincop of Peasenhall in Suffolk is amending the route, stopping places and timetable of his TM02 service between Halesworth Drive, Raydon and Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham from 5th September 2017.

Go West Travel, trading as Stagecoach East, is cancelling three services including the 434 between Dersingham and Wells Next The Sea from 1st October 2017.

The complete Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed HERE

Roy

Reynolds Coach Sales

Four coaches are currently being made available for disposal on the Reynolds Coaches of Caister website. The oldest is Plaxton bodied Dennis Javelin 221WPH, which was new to Woodward of Glossop in 1989 as F740MVR. It is believed that it has already been snapped up for preservation.

The others include Mercedes Benz Tourismo SN57LKC, first registered in September 2007, and Plaxton Premiere bodied Dennis Javelin AT55CZH from February 2006.

The final member of the quartet is Caetano Enigma bodied Volvo B10M ICZ6697 which Reynolds acquired from Kent County Council in August 2012. It was new to Ulsterbus in May 2001.

Roy

Monday In Norwich

With business to attend to in the 'Fine City' yesterday, I arrived on a Konectbus service at Castle Meadow around eleven. After alighting I was caught on the hop with Semmence's MAN FY52PMU passing in the opposite direction 'not in service'

After concluding my business, I looked in at the bus station and found two of Anglians four 61 route branded Scania Omnilinks working X88 services to or from Halesworth/Southwold. The duo were 457 AU61AVK and 454 YT11LVF

Returning to Castle Meadow, I had to quickly position myself for a photo of Simmonds decker MSU917. The Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President was formerly V188NLK and was new to Metroline in April 2001, passing to GHA in July 2014. Apologies for the photo quality.

Before catching my Green Line StreetLite to Thorpe, I also observed Stagecoach East's Coasthopper SN61ORC heading into the city on the X29 from Fakenham - nowhere near the coast!

Meanwhile, First Great Yarmouth were using Norwich Blue Line 36179 (BD11CDY) on a round trip on the 2 to Barrack Estate following its MOT at Caister Road. It later worked to Norwich and is pictured here by Kieran Smith at Norwich Bus Station on an X11 duty to Belton later in the afternoon. My thanks to Kieran for the photo.

Roy