Fond Farewell

Yesterday Hoveton based Wrights Coaches said farewell to one of its coaches. Plaxton Paragon bodied Volvo B12M V25 PTS was the pride of the fleet when the company started up some three years ago.

V25 PTS on rail replacement duty at Great Yarmouth during March last year

It was purchased from Harrington of Knypersley, Stoke-on Trent in December 2017 as YN06 RWE and now moves back 'up north' to Dannys Travel of Newcastle

My thanks to Wrights Coaches for the information

Roy

Rail Repacement ~ Beccles

Tim Miller has contacted me with details of an emergency rail replacement service in use at Beccles this afternoon.

The service from Beccles was provided by a double deck bus from the Completely Business fleet in the form of ex Metroline Volvo B7TL/ Plaxton President LK04 NLZ

My thanks to Tim for the report and photo

Roy

Ensign in June

Ross Newman has published his regular monthly report on the comings and goings at the Ensign dealership at Purfleet

Among the interesting departures in June was ex First Great Yarmouth Dart SLF 42955 WX06 OMM to Seaford and District of Lewes in East Sussex. It was one of two transferred to Caister Road from First Cymru during November 2018 and, whilst in use at Lowestoft, it transferred to First Essex at Colchester in February this year.

Other June departures, already reported, included Scania's YN08 DEU and YN08 DHA to Wrights Coaches (PTS Group) and former First Great Yarmouth Volvo B7L 66334 MV02 VBZ to Northampton Transport Heritage.

My thanks to Mark Doggett for his photo of WX06 OMM at Ensign during early June and to Ross Newman for his monthly reports.

Roy

Friday Flashback ~ July 2007 Part Two

Friday Flashback is back where we revisit the past and this week we conclude our return to July 2007.



Our first offering is something a little different taken during my visit to the North Norfolk Railway. The subject was Aire Valley Transport Group's MUA 45P, a Bristol LHS6L new to West Yorkshire PTE (WYPTE) in 1976. It was unusually painted into WYPTE MetroTrain livery and is seen here at Weybourne station on the 9th.



On the 18th I looked in at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station where I found Shearings Holidays Volvo B12M/VanHool Alizee 409 MV02 UMJ. A recent internet search reveals it is one of 13 former Shearings coaches currently employed by Go South Coast on the Isle of Wight in Vectis Blue.

Our third photo is of an unusual visitor to the same site on the 20th in the form of a Beeston's of Hadleigh double decker. M129 BNO has an interesting history in that it was new to Hong Kong in 1994 and imported into the UK in 2006 being first operated by Beestons The Suffolk operator sold the Alexander bodied Volvo Olympian to Kinchbus of Debyshire in April 2009

The final photo is Caroline Seagull's 523 FN, a Duple 320 bodied Dennis Javelin pictured outside the Company's head office on Marine Parade. The coach appears to be in use on Racecourse Special shuttle on a rather damp summer's day! The same registration was coincidentally also subsequently used on the Beestons' Olympian above and also worn by their Volvo B12BT/ Van Hool Astrobel.

It will be interesting to see what August 2007 offers!

Roy

Wrights' Scanias

You may remember, about three weeks ago, I reported the acquisition of two former London United double deck buses by the Passenger Transport Specialist Group (Deckers for PTS - 7th June 2020)

In that post I referred to the fact that they would be re registered in due course and owner/director Matthew Wright has provided further details. YN08 DEU is to become R70 PTS and YN08 DHA will be Y70 PTS

Update: Since this original post of a couple of days ago, the Scanias have started to return from the paintshops in all over white

My thanks to Matthew for the information and photos.

Roy

Another Final Journey

Alpha Recovery turned up at First's Caister Road garage today to take away Volvo B7TL/Alexander ALX400 30886 W741 DWX after it had been languishing in the rear yard for some time

30886 was taken out of service in August last year and placed in the reserve fleet and finally withdrawn the following month. It had previously been removed from service at Lowestoft in February last year, after engine failure, but received a reprieve with a reconditioned replacement allowing it to operate from Great Yarmouth during the summer months.

During its stint at Great Yarmouth it still retained its Lowestoft branding on the nearside and Simon Taylor's photos show it being painted out with nothing shown on the offside. That was the situation when I saw at Gorleston in late May last year

W741 DWX was new to First West Yorkshire in July 2000 and joined the First Eastern Counties fleet in April 2008.

My thanks to Simon for the use of his photos.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 1st July 2020

Today’s Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner, contains entries concerning changes to bus services in our local area.

Konectbus is to amend the timetables of its 5B Stalham to Norwich and X11 Wroxham to Norwich services from 26th July 2020

Southwold Town Council has cancelled its Ferry Road to Kings Head Public House Shuttle service in the town from 25th June 2020

Whilst not particularly relevant to our area, it is worth noting that Norwich-based Completely Business has gained its first bus services in Norfolk, even though they operate on Sundays and Bank Holiday only

The full report will be available to view here soon.

Roy