Belle's New Arrival

RX62GDU at Belle's premises today Photo: Andy Avery

Contributor Paul Bennett has contacted me with the news that Belle Coaches has acquired another vehicle

The new arrival is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516, a 16 seater coach in white livery complete with the registration RX62GDU. It was previously with Roy's Travels Minibus Hire of Cardiff

My thanks to Paul for the info and to Andy Avery for the photo plus Tim Miller for playing his part

Roy

First of the New Year from Norwich

My first trip of 2016  to the city yesterday to catch up with the latest arrivals and repaints for the local operators. I travelled up to Norwich using my usual route, drive to Acle from Ormesby and then the X1 into the city. My timing was superb (for a change!) 37573 arrived just as i had reached the stop and we were off.

First South Yorkshire loanee 60626 R789WKW in Castle Meadow.

First sighting in Castle Meadow was recent arrival from Rotherham, 60626 which was working the 14 service or Green Line to Wymondham, usually worked by the batch of new Streetlites here. I was looking to photograph the Orange Line vehicles which had recently returned from refurb, i managed all bar two, one was parked up at Vulcan Road with the other, 33150 currently at Yarmouth for MOT. The first Yellow line liveried Double Deck had returned to Norfolk overnight, 32106 LT02ZCV is now being prepared for service at Vulcan Road. Sister 32105 LT02ZCU has now headed North in its place to join 32107 at Rotherham.

37562 FJ08FYN working the 13 route to Spixworth.

Recently repainted & refurbished Sanders Scania YS03ZKR was out on the 43 service from Aylsham and duly photographed along with a couple of the DAF/VDL single decks i still needed to see.

Sanders 301 YS03ZKR in Castle Meadow.

A good couple of hours with the camera was had and got me pretty much back up to date bar a couple of stray Oranges! I wandered back up to the Bus Station to be greeted by recent arrival from Slough 37274 LK58EDF laying over before heading back to Gorleston, so i would get to see what all the fuss is about regarding the Leather seating and all the other mod cons these ex Greenline vehicles provide!. I bagged an upstatirs seat (with table!) and headed back to Acle, very comfortable and also very warm i have to say.

37274 leaves Acle Kings Head behind and continues on to Yarmouth.

Grahame.

Lazarus Returns!

Twitter followers of the blog will have seen that First Eastern Counties Olympian 34111 W431CWX returned to active service (again!) yesterday after being withdrawn in late December.

W431CWX passes through Market Gates earlier this morning.  Photo: Tim Miller

As expected, it was used on the Bernard Matthews' contract during yesterday afternoon and was out again this morning and Tim Miller was on hand to record the event

My thanks Tim for the photo

Roy

#TBT 70DPW

Its back to Eastern Counties for this week's Throw Back Thursday

Today's subject is 70DPW, an Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol FS5G. Having a H33/27RD configuration, it was new to 'Counties' in December 1963 and became LFS70 in the fleet

I am unable to find much history about 70DPW on the internet, apart from that it spent a fair amount of time allocated to Cambridge being noted there in June 1969 and October 1975. The photo was taken in the early 1980s when it was based in Great Yarmouth and is seen working the 622 to Hemsby Beach

It was withdrawn from service in May 1981 and is thought to have gone for scrapping soon after 

Roy

The End is Nigh!

Passing the Southtown yard of Swift Taxis this afternoon, I observed that the operator's last full sized coach was present. It was confirmed by one of the employees that the coach, registered as SJI8127, is available for sale

The Neoplan bodied Dennis Javelin was acquired with the Amza of Blofield business during December 2009. Swift subsequently named the coach Swift Goldcrest and gave it the fleet number 136. The Javelin was previously registered as Y83LJO when new to Pearce of Berinsfield, Oxfordshire in May 2001 and it still retains the Pearce stripes on her bodysides.

Its sale will see the end of an era with another Great Yarmouth independent ceasing to operate coaches; although the name continues in use on the company's freight vehicles, minibuses and taxis

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ January 2016

Firstly, as this is my first post of 2016, can I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Now down to the blogging and a post to let you now that today's Notices and Proceedings Report, issued by the East of England Traffic Commissioner earlier this morning, contains nothing of interest regarding our local area

Nevertheless the full East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed HERE

However, a query on the VOSA site this morning revealed Anglianbus are 'reorganising' their local services with timetables being amended on the following routes from 22nd February 2016:-

• 87/88/BH274  Durban Close, Halesworth to Newmarket Road, Norwich
• 7/7A  Blofield Heath and Great Yarmouth/Great Yarmouth College
• 88A/88B/BH272  Halesworth and Southwold

Additionally the route, stopping places and timetable of the 61/61A/61B/61C services between Bungay and Lowestoft are also to be altered from the same date

The operator is also cancelling a number services operating in the area to take effect from 22nd February 2016. These include the 85 between Loddon and Norwich and the 86 between Beccles and Norwich Bus station. Both are provided under contract to Norfolk County Council with Simonds becoming the new operator.

Others to go comprise part of service 7 between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft which will see the route revert to its original Great Yarmouth to Norwich service. The 61 between Wrentham and Southwold will also be axed.

Roy

Latest First Comings and Goings

Well first may i say a very happy new year to all our readers and welcome to January! Our first offering for 2016 sees a bumper crop of movements for Eastern Counties.

We begin with  Lowestoft where the four remaining Caetano bodied Darts (43859/60/67/68) have all left Suffolk bound for Cornwall. 43860 only managed as far as Ipswich where it had an overnight stay before continuing its journey south today.

43860 over the pits at Foundation Street, Ipswich  (Jim Long)

Two more ex First Bath Darts arrived at Lowestoft on Sunday in the shape of 42914 WX05RVZ & 42938 WX05SVD. 42914 is the only one of the recent additions in the latest Olympia livery still wearing West Of England names and was noted out in service this morning on a very unusual allocation for one of its First duties!

42914 pictured outside BHS in Yarmouth working the X1 to Lowestoft (David Waters)

Onto Norwich where newly arrived Volvo B10BLE 60626 R789WKW has now entered service and was noted in use on the 36 route today in the city.

60626 in St Stephens today (David Waters)

Finally its back to Yarmouth where another Olympian has been collected by Alpha Recovery today and is now heading up to the North East for scrapping. 34112 W432CWX arrived with FEC in October 2008 and was allocated to Lowestoft before moving to Yarmouth in 2009. Our final piece of news is the confirmation that Volvo's 66168 & 66169 are withdrawn with 66168 heading for Rotherham for DDA conversion and to become part of the South Yorkshire fleet, 66169 is to be scrapped.

34112 in Gordon Road, Lowestoft November 2008.

Many thanks to Chris and Danny at First for the information and to David Waters and Jim Long for being in the right place at the right time for the Photos supplied.               

Grahame.