A Million and Out

Wow, a milestone I could only have dreamt of when I took this blog on around five years ago but here we are. One Million pageviews. However as you've probably noticed over the last few months the page has been whittling down and I think it's time I say goodbye to the world of blogging. The Facebook page will keep going, and I will keep on taking photographs out of my own enjoyment. If anybody would like to take over the running of this blog, please contact me on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (office@norwichbuspage.com). I will keep the page open for one more month but if I have received no interest it will be closed.

Finally a huge thank you to those that have made this possible. Joe Leathers, for starting the page up and letting me blog alongside him, Kieran Smith, Sam Larke, Marcus Kerton and Harry Stanley-Brocklehurst for their input in the early years too. Special mention to fellow bloggers Roy Northcott, Grahame Bessey, Steve W, Gerard Fletcher and Clive Nixon who I hope will carry on into the future whilst contributions from Cameron Robinson, Matt Wright, Stephen Purkiss and many more really helped. Another big thank you is due to the management teams at Anglianbus, Konectbus and First who supported me throughout my blogging years, the latter then trusting me to work for them! It's been a whirlwind of a half-decade and I have enjoyed almost 100% of it so it is with some sadness and regret that I feel it's time to move on with my life and leave the blogging to others who do have the time and commitment to provide you with a regular and reliable read.

Keep on spotting!

Zak

Fleet Update: FirstNorwich

A few bits and pieces from FirstNorwich today, as the third Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse-Urban is currently being repainted into Red Line livery. 66979 KX05MHF will join 66850 MX05CHD and 66981 KX05MHK on the 23/24 services, which are also operated by a fleet of 2012 Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse-Gemini 2s. 66850 is pictured to the right leaving Queen's Hills on Friday evening.

News of a withdrawal has also reached me, as Volvo B7L Wright Eclipse 66329 MV02VBD has been withdrawn today and will make its way over to Leeds shortly.

Fleet Update: Sanders Coaches

209 in Norwich on the 45 service

Another post on Norwich Bus Page?! That's rare! Again, apologies for not being around much. I seem to have become a sunday league football club secretary which is taking up a lot of my time, but today I have updated our Sanders Coaches fleet list. The updated list brings news of the withdrawal of four VDL SB120 Plaxton Centros from the fleet. These four are as follows:

206 YJ07JSU

207 YJ07JSV

208 YJ07JSX

209 YJ07JSY

The new fleet list can be viewed by clicking here.

#VegOnTour: Part Six

(I started writing this many many months ago, as this relates to my holiday last summer. Whilst sorting through the blog today I came across it and it seems a shame for my writing to go to waste, so here it is!)

A bit later than anticipated; after all it's been a number of months since my holiday and I find my self still writing about it trying to remember exactly what I did and what I saw, so it's a good job I have lots of photos to remind me! Whilst I remember, if you missed Part Five, you can read that my clicking the here. I recommend you do; it's a fantastically entertaining read even if I do say so myself.

47537 MK63XAO heading to Gateway P&R

Moving on from Cornwall and I headed North into Somerset. Following a similar route to my last holiday to look at First's "Buses of Somerset" company. I parked up at the Park & Ride site, which is served by a fleet of white Wright StreetLites which gave a very comfortable ride and I was soon in the town centre so headed to the bus station which is situated just next door to Taunton Castle. Parked on Castle Green, was a small Temsa MD9 coach operated by M&M Coaches. Privately registered MX65MMC, the vehicle has seating for 39 passengers and was new in February 2016. Despite being a good six months old though, my photograph remains the only one on Flickr of said vehicle! So if you have spotted it and have it hiding away somewhere on an SD card or hard drive, make sure you upload it!

M&M Coaches' Temsa MD9 on Castle Green, Taunton

A couple of steps later, I had arrived at the bus station. It's quite easy to spot now because as well as the buses, the building it self is sporting the two-tone-green Buses of Somerset livery which really finishes of the professional look of First in Somerset. The last time I was in Taunton, it was mid-December so my photographs were rather gloomy. So I felt quite excited at the prospect of being able to get some nice summer sunshine shots this time round. Luckily, the bus station layout was perfect for just that and the setting of the establishment made for some rural-looking photographs despite the fact I was in the middle of a bustling market town.

32874 HIG1524 (ex-V874HBY)

33379 LK53EYY

62191 OIG1791 (ex-X685ADK)

55103 MX12JXV (ex-Anglianbus demonstrator if you can remember!)

23012 YV03UBE

First also operate the Buses of Taunton in the town, which make up the more local routes whereas the Buses of Somerset go cross-county. The Taunton buses are mostly made up of a number of Enviro200s and a couple of  MPD Plaxton Pointers, which also where the two-tone green livery. Also present in the town is Stagecoach, which took over some of the services previously operated by Webberbus who have since gone bust.

44922 YX09ADV picking up passengers in the town centre

Stagecoach 25254 WA09KWL rounds a corner on the 99 to Chard with the bus station seen in the background.

Watch out for Part Seven which will be coming from Bristol!

Fleet Update: Sanders Coaches

6542FN at Norwich Bus Station a few years back

Sanders Coaches have acquire three ex-Nottingham double deckers, in the form of Scania N94UD East Lancs OmniDekkas 112 YN53CFD, 115 YN53CFF and 116 YN53CFZ. The existing 116 PM03EHU has been renumbered 106, taking the place of the final Dennis Trident Alexander ALX400 6542FN which will be withdrawn iminently.

Thanks to a contact at Sanders Coaches I can  also clear up any confusion with regards to the number plate on their latest coach. Fleet number 1 is a Yutong TC9, and it's private registration NS17GAS is a tribute to the original owners of the company. NS stands for "Norman Sanders" and "GAS" stands for "Gladys Ann Sanders".

(c) Sanders Coaches

Norwich Bus Bash

Remember tomorrow is the Norwich Bus Bash being hosted by First Eastern Counties Buses on Roundtree Way in Norwich to raise money for the East Anglian Children's Hospice. The day will run from 1100 until 1600 and will include free heritage bus rides, a 'rainbow' line up of all the different colours featured in First's Norwich fleet, bus rides through the state-of-the-art bus wash, a Wheel of Fortune game, and depot tours so you can see behind the scenes of how the garage works!

As I'm on holiday, I won't be there but do make sure to pop into the Stores on your guided tour and enjoy the bus related memorabilia I've acquired over the years all displayed by my desk... though if any of it goes missing I'll know who to blame!

For more information please see the poster to the right, or click here to go over to First's website.

Fleet Update: First

66850 in Poringland about to head back to Norwich

Since our last post, quite a few changes have happened at Eastern Counties. Three Ipswich Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse-Urbans have transferred to Norwich and are in the process of being painted into the Red Line livery. 66850 MX05CHD was the first to transfer but due to a shortage of vehicles she was pressed into use on the Charcoal Line service and is pictured to the right in Poringland complete with her temporary Norwich branding. She is now on loan in Great Yarmouth. This meant that the second bus to arrive 66981 KX05MHK will be the first to receive the treatment. She is currently at Roundtree Way depot having her front painted "red-y" for service. Finally, 66979 KX05MHF will also receive the treatment however she is yet to arrive at the depot. Norwich have also started replacing both the StreetLite and Wright Eclipse-Gemini 2's nearside mirror arms with short versions that do not have an overhang. The aim is to reduce the risk of drivers hitting them against bus stops, trees, and passenger's heads.

60916 basking in the sunshine last week

Also at Norwich, we said goodbye to Wright Eclipse 66338 MV02VCN which has been transferred to Manchester following a short stint on the coast in Great Yarmouth (thanks to Cameron Robinson for spotting that). Meanwhile, 60916 YG02DKU has finally had her heritage Eastern Counties livery applied. She left for Simon Morris for repaint a few months ago but unfortunately got pushed to the back of the queue as Ipswich needed to have their Park & Ride buses painted as a priority. Back now, though, she will be given fleet number VW916 and is pictured here at Roundtree Way upon arrival in Norwich.

At King's Lynn, demonstrator LX17DZB has returned back to Ensignbus and as Steve W pointed out on his blog, it's actually a BCI Excellence, not Enterprise. The latter being the tri-axle version. Every day's a school day! They are expecting an Enterprise as some point in the Autumn to trial though.

LX17DZB outside the Norfolk Showground during it's loan stint with King's Lynn

Great Yarmouth have taken Norwich's 36199 BN12WNZ on loan for the Summer to cope with the increased work load that comes with the territory of running bus services in a popular tourist destination, whilst in Lowestoft, 42908 WX05RVR is being repainted into Olympia livery and will be completed shortly.

67752 in Ipswich last week

Finally, I'm sure you're all aware that First took over the park & ride operations in Ipswich recently. seven of the eight buses have been painted in the new blue livery, with the eighth 67406 SN13CKC still wearing Olympia. The full list of new buses there are as follows:

67406 SN13CKC
67752 SN62APF
67760 SN62AUC
67763 SN62AUK
67773 SN62AXH
67774 SN62AXK
67775 SN62AXO
67776 SN62AXU