A Dull Day at Dereham

Whilst the weather was dull in Dereham today, the day's sightings were certainly anything but!

The main reason for the trip to this Norfolk market town, was to view and photograph the newly restored Great Western Railway 'King' No 6023 King Edward II locomotive. Hope the bus enthusiast community will excuse me for providing a picture here.

Back to the buses then and the opportunity was taken to visit some of the major operators in the Dereham area.

First up was Dereham Coachways, where I received a warm and friendly reception from an almost apologetic staff for most of the vehicles being out! Present in the yard were Scania Irizar V310EAK (seen again later at Beach Coach Station in Great Yarmouth), Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M R790WSB (below) and Toyota Coaster R687ACL.

 In the workshops was Volvo B10M K272ABV plus the yard also contained XFK305, acquired from Breckland Travel at the beginning of the year. She was not available for service.

Breckland Travel had two vehicles outside their unit in John Goshawk Road - Caetano Algarve YIL2269 and Renault Master minicoach V212 DBX

GM Travel of Sandy Lane in Dereham had parked two of its coaches at Rashes Green - they were Iveco R509SCH (shown below) and Dennis Javelin FIL8156

The last visit was to Konectbus. In the yard were Optare Excels 201 and 202 (R836/7FNG), Park and Ride Gemini 501 (YJ05PXB) and newly acquired Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7 701 (V301LGC) (picture below)

Undergoing maintenance were Optare Excel 219 (W219PRB) and President 703 (V703LGL)

Parked in the car park/yard on the opposite side of  the Rashes Green main road were Olympian 101 (J855TSC) (probably now not in use), Tempo 400 (MX05EKW), Excel 203 (V203ENU), (all three pictured below) plus President 707 (V307LGC) and Leyland National 152 (UFX852S)

The 'new' President's were previously with Go Ahead London and are all now in Konectbus livery.

Other bus related pictures taken on the day have been uploaded to my Flickr site.

Spratts and Shearings

A coach from each of the Spratts and Shearings fleets was noted at Beach Coach Station this afternoon.

The former was RCS754, a Van Hool bodied Scania, which was subsequently sighted outside the Sealife Centre on Marine Parade returning home with its young passengers and helpers from an outing to the seaside.

The Shearings vehicle was Volvo B12M 539 (MX03AEV) on a Great Yarmouth and Norfolk Broads tour.

Also present was National Holidays Volvo B12M YJ03VNC also on a Great Yarmouth and Norfolk Broads tour.

Yesterday's Activity

Coach Services Scania Irizar YN08UAK was one of only four coaches at Beach Coach Station early yesterday afternoon. She is photographed there just before a heavy shower arrived!

Returning to Market Gates First Eastern Counties Gemini 37568 (AU58ECJ) was on the X1 13.55 Lowestoft to Peterborough service and left on time.

Ten minutes later new Anglian Optare versa 437 (AU111EPF) passed through the bus station on the 601 service. 437 is pictured outside BHS on Regent Road about to return on the 14.50 to Kessingland

Swift Activity

Local independent Swift Taxis has published the timetable for its new Great Yarmouth Seafront bus service.  The timetable shows a photograph of their Mercedes Benz Vario AE07NZC which it is assumed will be the vehicle operating the service. The route links the Vauxhall and Seashore holiday parks with the town centre and seafront attractions. Numbered 500, the Seafront service commences on 24th July.

The above picture shows 106 Swift Falcon (AE07NZC) in Regent Road operating the 600 service on the 21st July 2009.  

Swift are also advertising three of their buses and coaches for sale on their website They include two darts (1994 built L907JRN and 1999 built S511XCR) plus 1995 Scania Izair M26XSC. The 1999 Dart was, until recently, languishing at the back of Swift's Southtown Road compound.  After subsequently moving to the other side of the site it has since disappeared!

School Daze

As if to reinforce my post of yesterday, only six vehicles were sighted at Beach Coach Station inluding regular visitors Shearings 217 BF10VCK and a Whippet Volvo B10M.

As the TV weatherman suggested that I 'should make the most of the last warm sunny day before the rain moves in from the west', I had a brisk walk in the sunshine along the town's seafront. As I ventured nearer to the Sealife Centre I saw what I thought was an outline of a dark blue decker parked up.

A closer inspection revealed it to be Volvo Ailsa/Northern Counties SRC109X. Legal lettering showed it to be owned by Norwich School (the former Grammar School) of The Close in Norwich. The vehicle was new to Derby City Transport as their 109 in February 1982. (Source: Bus Lists on the Web). A surprising find!

Not Much Happening!

There hasn't been that much news to report recently and that is why there hasn't been too many postings.to the blog! The usual vehicles operating the usual routes.........

Yesterday's visit to Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station didn't reveal much either, apart from Whippet's Volvo B12B SF05XYP on their Coastal Service. This is normally worked by one of the Volvo B10Ms from the J6XXLGA batch.

Royal Norfolk Show

This year's Royal Norfolk Show was held at the Norfolk Showground on the 29th and 30th of June. As is usual with the event, First Eastern Counties operated their service 100 between the city centre and the venue.

The operator took the opportunity of introducing at least seven of its new Wright Eclipse Gemini/Volvo B9TL's into their first day in public service by working on the route. Here Gemini 36167 (BD11CFM) is pictured in St Stephens Street in Norwich ready to work an outward journey on the first day of the show, the 29th

Picture courtesy of Grahame Bessey