Sanders Fire Damaged Scania For Sale

Advertised for sale in the latest edition of Route One magazine is the fire damaged Scania Omnicity decker from the Sanders fleet

Scania YR10BBO is seen here at Sheringham on the X44 to Norwich   Photo: Grahame Bessey

Former demonstrator YR10BBO, which caught fire on the A140 near Aylsham in July last year, is available for sale with 'significant fire damage to the engine compartment and offside rear corner but is considered to be repairable' (Insurance salvage category D)

It was a Euro 5 demonstrator when new in October 2010 and saw use with Beestons/Constable of Hadleigh and is currently in store at the Rochford site of Stephensons of Essex

The asking price is £28,500 plus VAT but any 'sensible offers' will be considered

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 30th March 2016

Following the publication of the latest Notices and Proceedings Report, issued by the East of England Traffic Commissioner yesterday, it's time for our fortnightly look at changes to local bus services

Stagecoach in Norwich in January 

Stagecoach Norfolk is reorganising its operation centres with those at Station Road in Reepham and Hall Road in Cromer being closed. On the positive side a new base is to be established at Egmere Airfield on the Holkham Estate near Wells-Next-The-Sea with the new authorisation being ten vehicles

A new 'Suffolk Coastal Connect East' route is to be introduced by Coastal Accessible Transport Services of Leiston. The Monday to Friday service is to commence on 13th of June 2016. This will be complimented by a Saturdays only 'Suffolk Coastal Connect East/West' service from the same date

A day earlier the operator will cease its Suffolk Pathfinder, serving the Halesworth area, and its Blyth Link - presumably the new services will replace some/part of these routes

The complete Notice & Proceedings Report covering the whole of the Eastern Traffic Commisioner's Area can be viewed HERE

Roy

Suffolk Norse 108 Service

Following a re-tendering process by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, the service between Lowestoft Bus Station and Gorleston's James Paget Hospital (JPH), via Lound, is now being operated by another bus company

Since yesterday, Suffolk Norse has taken on the responsibility for the service which now runs as the 108 route. It was previously operated by Anglianbus as the 60J

With low loadings being noted on the 60J, it had been speculated that a minibus might be used on the route. However, the second day of the service saw ADL Enviro300 SN56AYP in control. The photo shows it having arrived at the JPH today with the 10:15 from Lowestoft with no passengers alighting on arrival!

Roy

Market Gates Stand Changes

From the beginning of this week the bus routes serving Market Gates Stands A and H in Great Yarmouth have changed

First's services X1 and 1/1A towards Gorleston and Lowestoft have moved from stand A (outside BHS) to stand H. If there are two buses at the same time, then adjoining stand J will also be used.

At the same time Anglianbus service 61 to Kessingland and Southwold are departing from stand H (originally using stand A). Whilst the 81 departures to Beccles have transferred to stand A outside BHS. Their 7/7A to Norwich continues to depart from stand G.

Sanders Coaches have also moved their service 6 for North Walsham to leave from Stand A outside BHS

The Konectbus 71 route to Hemsby and Wroxham has also transferred and is now departing from stand A. Service 72 is unaffected and remains at Stand H. (Incorrect see comments below)

The reason for the changes is that the County Council is trying to match the passenger demand to the waiting facility and space available.

Roy

Brighton on Easter Sunday

Prior to the arrival of Storm Katie we decided to venture off to Brighton on Easter Sunday and, as you might have seen from our Twitter feed, it was certainly a little cloudy on our arrival to say the least! Although the sun appeared shortly afterwards

Understandably there were not many takers for the top deck of the open topper with Brighton & Hove offering trips on their East Lancs OmniDekka bodied Scania N94UD YN06NYK

I also looked in at the 'compact and bijou' coach station and found two Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9Rs in all over National Express livery. The duo were National Express FJ11GJO and Lucketts FN62CEO - the former new to Flights

The two other Levantees on National Express duties were Lucketts FJ58AHK and Epsom Coaches FJ11GLF

Roy

Routemasters Sold!

Suprising news from First Eastern Counties is the sale of its two Routemasters which had recently been in store at Norwich

The deckers have recently been used primarily for special hire work but were extensively used on the seasonal service between Hemsby Beach and Great Yarmouth's Seafront a few years ago. However, there was the odd occasion when they would be pressed into service to cover for vehicle shortages as in October and November last year when JJD480D was employed on the 7 to Belton and the 8 to James Paget Hospital

SMK717F in a blue Great Yarmouth Transport livery

The twosome were part of a trio used for promotional purposes with one in Eastern Counties red, one in Flying Banana livery and the third in a poor version of  a Great Yarmouth blue bus colour scheme.

In September 2011, the blue Routemaster, SMK717F, was privately acquired and left for Glasgow but later thought to have been exported to Thailand. The two remaining deckers are both sporting red livery, although NML623E once carried the yellow and green of Flying Banana

I have been reliably informed that they have both been sold on to Purfleet dealers Ensign during March. Outstanding commitments are being covered by another operator

Roy

Stroud & Cirencester Sightings

Our last post from the south west sees visits to Stroud and Cirencester with operators Stagecoach West and Cotswold Green dominating this report

I eventually found Stroud 'Bus Station' by negotiating my way through the back of the Merrywalks Shopping Centre and by descending some steps beside the multi-storey car park. When I arrived the scene was dominated by buses from the Stagecoach West fleet

However, minutes later I was pleased to renew my acquaintance with independent Cotswold Green in the shape of Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian R114XNO. This Oly has an interesting history being new to East London in May1998. As Stagecoach 16114 it then moved from Stagecoach London to Stagecoach Fife before being acquired by Cotswold Green

After a caffeine injection and some sustinence we then decided to look in at Cirencester where another two buses were snapped in the Market Place. The first was former demonstrator PN03OWA which I had earlier observed at Stroud. The East Lancs Myllenium bodied MAN was new in July 2003 and also saw service with Stagecoach

Speaking of Stagecoach, the only other photo taken in Cirencester was that of ALX400 bodied Dennis Trident 18448 VU06JDZ in the shadows of the medieval Church of St John the Baptist

Roy