Why Aye Man

One vehicle attending the recent ECW event at the East Anglia Transport Museum arrived only following towing assistance from another vehicle to get to there.

It required a little TLC in order to be readied for a return 'tup north'. The vehicle in question was South Shields Corporation's Bristol RE ECU 201E, which was absorbed into the Tyne and Wear PTE fleet in 1970.

The vehicle was originally preserved in South Shields Corporation colours but currently wears the subsequent PTE livery and on the Saturday the opportunity arose to see the bus alongside Newcastle BUT trolleybus 628.

My thanks to Tim Major for the report and photo

Today's Activity

Looked in at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station early this afternoon and Shearings Volvo B12M 810 (MX06AMK) was one of the nine present.

Also evident was that the construction of the new access was proceeding well with the first asphalt dressing being delivered.

Elsewhere, First Eastern Counties continues to use its two AEC Routemasters on the seasonal 3/3a routes between Hemsby and Great Yarmouth holiday centres.

RML 2480 (JJD480D) was noted, at around 14:50, passing the Britannia Pier for the turn into Marine Parade, prior to heading for Vauxhall Holiday Park.

Unfortunately the sun retreated just before I took the photo!

Reynolds Revisited

Regular contributor Grahame Bessey recently visited Reynolds of Caister's site at Ormesby Road in the village.

2011 arrival Dennis Javelin KBZ3617, repainted into Reynolds' livery in April this year, has since received the name Lady Patricia and gained fleetnames

Previously registered N142 CVP when new in April 1996, it has seen use in the Birmingham area with Flights Hallmark being one of its previous owners.

Two other vehicles joining the fleet during

2012 were also present including Toyota/ Caetano 22 seater FJ54MOA, which was also photographed by Grahame

Formerly with a Greater London operator, this vehicle is now also in Reynolds' colours and is named Lady Jodie

The second 'newcomer' was Mercedes Vario 0841D W600JSB still in white and also without fleetnames.

My thanks to Grahame Bessey for allowing me to use his photos on the blog.

Another Anglianbus Arrival

More Scania Omnicity's from London's Metrobus continue to appear with Anglianbus.

The latest arrival is 444 (YH05HFF) captured by Grahame Bessey at Gordon Road in Lowestoft working the newly introduced 601A route to Pleasurewood Hills Amusement Park.

So far three of the five buses have been noted in service in Anglianbus livery but do not appear to have been allocated fleetnumbers in any particular order.

The three recorded in service so far are     442 (YN05HFH)     443 (YN05HFJ)      444 (YN05HFF).
Yet to be noted in service:are YN05HFE and YN05HFG.

Eastnorfolkbus will provide pictures of the new vehicles as soon as they are seen operating  in service.

My appreciation goes to Grahame Bessey for supplying the above photo

Eastern Coach Works 2012 Event ~ Special Feature

I know it's been ten days ago since the East Anglia Transport Museum held their ECW 2012 Event but I have received reports and photos from regular contributors Tim Major and Grahame Bessey

The event, held at Carlton Colville over the weekend of the 16th and 17th June, was used to mark the 25th anniversary of the closure of Lowestoft bus factory Eastern Coach Works.

Vehicles started arriving on the Friday before, with the first being a Southern Vectis Lodekka from the Isle of Wight.

The LD6G, registered

SDL268, is shown alongside former Eastern National K 1407 (VNO859) - complete with BE allocation plate.

The next photo shows Alder Valley Leyland Olympian Olympian B578LPE. 

Numbered 1510 in the fleet, it is the first 'commuter' style ECW coach bodied Olympian to be restored to its original appearance.

Also appearing was former Lincolnshire Road car Company's VR 1904 (JVL619H)

New to the operator in August 1969, it passed to PVS Carlton, dealer, towards the end of 1989.

It was subsequently secured for preservation in May 2002 after further use as a play bus and fun bus in the Milton Keynes area.

The last vehicle to be built at the works
was Olympian D367JJD, latterly with Blackpool Transport.

A feature on this vehicle appears on this blog.

Some former Eastern Counties vehicles featured at the event in various liveries.

Grahame caught LK374 (KNG374) arriving back at the museum from an outing displaying Yarmouth as its

destination!

Normally to be found at the Ipswich transport Museum, LK374 was new to Eastern Counties in 1949.

It was one of the standard lowbridge double deckers needed due to the number of low railway bridges in the area.

The second former East Counties bus is another Bristol VR.

172 (NAH135P) was new in April 1976 and lasted 20 years before withdrawal in December 1996.

It subsequently spent some time in the care of the Eastern Transport Collection before being acquired privately.

The final vehicle featured is RE 896 - one of my favourites!

A Bristol RELH 40 seater coach it was

delivered in June 1969.

SVF896G was one of many similar examples operating tours out of Great Yarmouth's Wellington Road depot for holidaymakers.

Following the closure of the museum on the Saturday evening, all the ECW bodied vehicles travelled to the site of the former Coach Works, which is now the North Quay Retail Park.

The entourage then proceeded to North Parade for a photo stop before returning to the museum.

Speaking on behalf of the museum, Tim says the event 'was very successful and it enjoyed some very favourable weather, much better than the previous weekend!'

My thanks to Tim and Grahame for their reports and accompanying photos

Market Gates Activity

A spare quarter of an hour to kill this morning at Market Gates Bus Station whilst awaiting a call from the garage regarding the car.

The first photo is of First Eastern Counties Volvo Olympian 34187 (S687AAE) heading into the bus station working an additional X1 from Norwich

Following closely behind was one of Ambassador Travel's Volvo B12/ Jonckheere Mistrals about to take up its National Express 490 duty to London.

It was 180 (FD54DGU) heading for the Troll Cart stop ready for an 09:55 departure for the capital via Norwich

We're Back!

It's great to be back again after more than two weeks away touring the USA. More about that later.

On my first visit to Great Yarmouth since returning from holiday at the weekend I passed the town's Beach Coach Station and saw that work had started on building the 19 homes planned for the northern part of the site.

A new access to the coach station was included in the plan and its construction at Nelson Road North is shown in the lower photo

One wonders if the new access will work ok as Nelson Road North can sometimes build up with traffic during the rush hour.

The local newspaper, the Great Yarmouth Mercury, carried a report about the scheme including an artists impression and this can be viewed by clicking here

Sorry, Not in Service

The East Norfolk Bus Blog is taking a two week break during June but will be back before the end of the month.

Please continue to send any pics or reports that you may have on local bus activity and events and we will update the blog on our return.

We will be back in service before you know it!

Service Alterations Registered - 30th May 2012

The Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern Traffic Area published another Notices and Proceedings Report on 30th May 2012.

The report provided details of proposed alterations to bus services in the Eastern Traffic Area.

The latest publication makes reference to a new service and changes to existing services registered by Beccles-based Anglianbus

Registration of New Services Granted Under Short Notice

PF0000333/94

ANGLIAN BUS LTD, BECCLES BUSINESS PARK, SANDPIT LANE, ELLOUGH BECCLES NR34 7TH, GB From: Kessingland, Beach To: Pleasurewood Hills Via: Name or No: 601A Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 28-May-2012

Applications to Vary Existing Services Granted Under Short Notice

PF0000333/56

ANGLIAN BUS LTD, BECCLES BUSINESS PARK, SANDPIT LANE, ELLOUGH BECCLES NR34 7TH, GB Operating between Bungay and Lowestoft given service number 601/601A effective from 27-May-2012. To amend Timetable.

PF0000333/89

ANGLIAN BUS LTD, BECCLES BUSINESS PARK, SANDPIT LANE, ELLOUGH BECCLES NR34 7TH, GB Operating between Halesworth and Lowestoft given service number 602 effective from 28-May-2012. To amend Timetable

Note the deadline date for any objections is 20th June 2012

Source: Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern Traffic Area - Notices and Proceedings No 2128

Second Routemaster In Service

Newly arrived Routemaster RML2623 has returned to Great Yarmouth to operate on First's summer route 3

NML623E regained her London red colours almost a year ago following a period in Flying Banana yellow and green livery

Grahame Bessey caught her turning at the Seacroft Holiday Park on North Drive earlier today

The two Routemasters will certainly be an attraction for bus enthusiasts holidaying in the town this summer

My thanks to Grahame for the information and photo

Clacton Bus Rally

Correspondent Harry Stanley visited the 4th Clacton Bus Rally yesterday and reported seeing a wide variety of vehicles from various operators.

Former London Country RT3125 (KXW234) made an appearance as did a couple of Hedingham Darts - EU56FLN and EU05AUT.

Another Dart but with a Wright Handybus body, was J317XVX which came from Thameside/ Countybus.

Former Norfolk Green and ex- Ipswich Optare Excel R186DDX also attended with its destination screen displaying 'Optare Excel Better than the Borismaster'!

Andy James informs me that it was acquired for preservation last year by a private buyer and it is believed that it will be restored to Ipswich Buses colours in due course.

Regal Busways paraded its former London ALX400 X298NNO whilst Network Colchester provided Scania N230UD 105 (YT59NZM).

My Thanks to Harry for his report and photo. A full list of participants can be viewed on the Clacton Rally website by clicking the 'Previous Events' tab.

Routemaster Returns

Following the re-introduction of First's seasonal route 3/3A from Saturday 2nd June, there would be an  opportunity to photograph one of First Eastern Counties Routemaster in active service once more.

While I was in Norwich for most of Saturday, Harry Stanley was watching out for any appearance but all he saw on the route was Volvo Olympian 34109 (W436CWX) and Volvo B7TL 32204 (LT52WTK)

After spending all Sunday involved in the Jubilee celebrations, I was determined to observe the 3/3A route for myself on Monday.

I arrived on the seafront at around lunchtime, just in time to see an unidentified Volvo Olympian pass me on North Drive heading towards the Seashore Holiday Park.

Continuing my drive to Caister Road, I saw a Routemaster parked just inside First's bus garage but showing no signs of movement; so I returned to North Drive to photo the Olympian on its return journey

However, unbeknown to me the vehicles had swapped over; so I got my picture of a Routemaster in service on the 3 after all! RML2480 (JJD480D) is pictured in rare sunshine!

Norwich Interlude

A brief visit to Norwich today with some thirty minutes observing activity at the Red Lion Street/ Theatre Street junction

My first photo is that of Simonds MAN AE55MVK on St Stephens Street awaiting at the traffic lights approaching the junction.

Although the camera was pointed in the direction of the sun the

shot came out ok.

Then, as if to reinforce the fact that it really is summer, an open topper passed in the form of McMaster Awaydays G520VBB

A Leyland Olympian with a Northern Counties body, it was working the Norwich Sightseeing Service.

G520VBB was new to Kentish Bus in January 1990.

The best appeared to have been saved for last, as making its turn into Theatre Street was First's Volvo B7L/Wright Eclipse 66334 MV02VBZ.

This former First Northampton bus was expected to be first of a batch for Norwich to replace existing Scanias and Darts.
It has since been suggested that this has been called off with 66334 remaining here.

Hedingham Dart in Beccles

As already report on this blog, Anglianbus is using two Darts on loan from Hedingham Omnibuses.

One of them was seen at Beccles Bus Station this afternoon arriving with the 14:58 581 service from Great Yarmouth Market Gates.

The Dart was L344 P104OLX and had previously worked to Great Yarmouth from Beccles at 14:10