Better Late Than Never!

Stagecoach LTZ1256 on Shuttle Duties

The annual Showbus event at Duxford took place last Sunday and unlike most blogs we are a bit late in posting a review due to work and other duties along the way!

Anyway, my transport for the day was First Eastern Counties ALX400 32479 which as you all know is now wearing the Red ECOC livery from the late 1980's. First Business Manager Chris Speed was at the wheel and

Lincolnshire Bristol VR JVL619H

we were joined for the trip by Clive Nixon who runs the Ipswich Bus Blog.

First thing to report was no rain, the odd black cloud did appear but thankfully no wet stuff!.

First provided quite a selection of vehicles on the day with Eastern Counties sending along Six vehicles from each of their depots including two Excel liveried Enviro 400's 33813/33818 as well as

New Hybrid Enviro400 UK14OXF

33423,36180, 32479 and freshly refurbished B7RLE 66957 from Ipswich.

Second Production version of the LN WFM801K

For me the most impressive vehicle was Richard Belton's 1969 Lincolnshire Bristol VR JVL619H which looked like it had just emerged from ECW at Lowestoft ready for her
first day in service!, a real credit to him
and the hours and money put into the
project really shows what can be achieved.

The modern buses on show included

one of the first production versions of
Alexander Dennis new Enviro 400 Gyrodrive Mechanical Hybrid vehicles UK14OXF which operates for Brookesbus, it is one of 14 used for services at Oxford Brookes University.

Eastern National Bristol RE SVW274K

Crosville liveried Leyland National WFM801K was only the second production LN built, it was originally registered as UFM801K but a Ford Capri bearing the same mark was noted and it was promptly changed
to WFM! It is now owned by Julian Patterson.

Another impressive Bristol on show was RE SVW274K which was latterly owned by Viv Carter it is now with BBC Suffolk's Luke Deal who has restored it to NBC Green livery

Final picture is that of Showbus veteran the former ECOC Bristol Lodekka JAH552D, now in Stagecoach livery and used for corporate use and private hires.

Overall an enjoyable day was had, nice to meet up with plenty of old faces as well as meeting some new enthusiasts along the way and also fellow bloggers from the area.

Many thanks to Chris Speed for inviting myself and Clive along on VA479 and well done to First for the turn out of vehicles from local Depots.

Grahame.