First Eastern Counties

[Cesarcollie]

I’ve heard plans that a Great Yarmouth B7 is to be Norwich’s Driver Trainer. The old euro 2 Trident 32809 (with the nicer variation of the Barbie livery) was a part time trainer at Norwich, but much to my sadness it’s engine failed. We had B7TL 30913 for a brief moment, then off to lowestoft it went. Still waiting on another double decker trainer.

Single side, we’ve got two B10 renowns still.

Sad thing is, with 32809 gone, Norwich has next to no fun buses for the enthusiasts. We’ve a single ex Manchester ALX400 B7TL (no. 30947, monster but its our only alx400) a couple of monster president b7s, such as 32201 and 32107 and some awesome Tridents like 33237, 33055 and 33245.

The Barbie livery units aren’t a major issue. Besides, some units need to have the plain first liveries so they can be transferred if needed. Three of them are 33245/6/7, they are pretty safe for now, and should be here for a bit longer or repainted in the urban livery soon. The 51 Presidents will probs be sorted first.

Yarmouth really has been the area of choice for enthusiasts. The ALX400 B7TL fleet is lovely, especially the 51 reg former Manchester units. But some units, especially 32062 (W422SRP) have really gotten old, and suffer badly.

Norwich often loans vehicles to them, and so do Ipswich.

Last thing, FEC really loves to show their heritage. The current stage is the following. There’s several in the normal Eastern Counties livery. The Dart SLF unit is still around, possibly Ipswich based at the moment. Ipswich also still have the Eastern Counties livery ALX400, Yarmouth has a beautiful ALX400 in the Great Yarmouth Transport livery, lovely unit. Lowestoft also has an ALX400, in the Lowestoft Corporation livery numbered 30888, and Norwich now have 2 B7L’s and a B7RLE. I know they are 60915, 60916 and 66985. The latter has the same livery as 60916. I think there was speculation that a president was to be repainted heritage but it was dropped. I know Norwich’s heritage B7L’s will survive the onslaught of the B7’s. I imagine all heritage units will survive. Even though the Ipswich ALX400 is really gutless and slow. One more I call heritage is Yarmouth’s open top Trident. It’s basically the same colors as the heritage ALX400. Number 32905, they’re getting it ready for summer actually, and yes. It’s another Euro II I believe.

Unit? . Interesting terms for a bus! Never heard that used before - for trains yes, but not buses.

 

[mic]

I’ve heard plans that a Great Yarmouth B7 is to be Norwich’s Driver Trainer. The old euro 2 Trident 32809 (with the nicer variation of the Barbie livery) was a part time trainer at Norwich, but much to my sadness it’s engine failed. We had B7TL 30913 for a brief moment, then off to lowestoft it went. Still waiting on another double decker trainer.

Single side, we’ve got two B10 renowns still.

Sad thing is, with 32809 gone, Norwich has next to no fun buses for the enthusiasts. We’ve a single ex Manchester ALX400 B7TL (no. 30947, monster but its our only alx400) a couple of monster president b7s, such as 32201 and 32107 and some awesome Tridents like 33237, 33055 and 33245.

The Barbie livery units aren’t a major issue. Besides, some units need to have the plain first liveries so they can be transferred if needed. Three of them are 33245/6/7, they are pretty safe for now, and should be here for a bit longer or repainted in the urban livery soon. The 51 Presidents will probs be sorted first.

Yarmouth really has been the area of choice for enthusiasts. The ALX400 B7TL fleet is lovely, especially the 51 reg former Manchester units. But some units, especially 32062 (W422SRP) have really gotten old, and suffer badly.

Norwich often loans vehicles to them, and so do Ipswich.

Last thing, FEC really loves to show their heritage. The current stage is the following. There’s several in the normal Eastern Counties livery. The Dart SLF unit is still around, possibly Ipswich based at the moment. Ipswich also still have the Eastern Counties livery ALX400, Yarmouth has a beautiful ALX400 in the Great Yarmouth Transport livery, lovely unit. Lowestoft also has an ALX400, in the Lowestoft Corporation livery numbered 30888, and Norwich now have 2 B7L’s and a B7RLE. I know they are 60915, 60916 and 66985. The latter has the same livery as 60916. I think there was speculation that a president was to be repainted heritage but it was dropped. I know Norwich’s heritage B7L’s will survive the onslaught of the B7’s. I imagine all heritage units will survive. Even though the Ipswich ALX400 is really gutless and slow. One more I call heritage is Yarmouth’s open top Trident. It’s basically the same colors as the heritage ALX400. Number 32905, they’re getting it ready for summer actually, and yes. It’s another Euro II I believe.

according to the DVLA bus 30947 has a SORN on it now

 

[MrGriff500]

according to the DVLA bus 30947 has a SORN on it now

SORN? You’ll have to define that for me, not entirely sure what you mean.

30947 was seen by me yesterday in Norwich, though it read Not In Service, not sure what it was up to. I hope it stays though it’s a hellfire B7. I hope she’s alright, she’s very loud, and will be sorely missed if she’s expired too.

I do refer to buses as units, might sound odd, I’ve just been used to it for a bit.

From looks of things, Yarmouth’s B7 trainer for Norwich might get changed to one of their Wright Solar Scanias they have spare. Norwich has started picking up the B7’s again for use.

 

[borage]

SORN? You’ll have to define that for me, not entirely sure what you mean.

Statutory Off Road Notification. The most likely explanation is that the DVLA website is slow to update when a vehicle has been taxed (as well as sometimes incorrectly showing buses as having no MOT).

 

[mic]

up where i live they have a few buses re-taxed that have been withdrawn

 

[MrGriff500]

A quick check shows that 30947 has been in service today on the route 23, so she's still about fine.

 

[MrGriff500]

Yep, Norwich’s ALX400 is still going strong, I discovered it’s just the cooling fan deafening me!

The B7Ls appear to be off the chopping block! Great Yarmouth have revived quite a few B7Ls as well as one of their Scanias. Norwich seem to be using theirs in full force too! Both heritage and normal!

The W-Reg B7TLs at Yarmouth and Lowestoft appear to also be staying. Yarmouth are looking at bringing one of the oldest ones which had an engine failure back, and got decided to get it back up and running.

There have not been many withdrawals for a while in FEC now. Some have been thoroughly cleaned up by the depots, even the oldest of Norwich’s fleet (even the barbie presidents/b7s) really do take the fight to Konectbus’s latest Enviros. Very clean and mechanically great!

 

[mic]

Yep, Norwich’s ALX400 is still going strong, I discovered it’s just the cooling fan deafening me!

The B7Ls appear to be off the chopping block! Great Yarmouth have revived quite a few B7Ls as well as one of their Scanias. Norwich seem to be using theirs in full force too! Both heritage and normal!

The W-Reg B7TLs at Yarmouth and Lowestoft appear to also be staying. Yarmouth are looking at bringing one of the oldest ones which had an engine failure back, and got decided to get it back up and running.

There have not been many withdrawals for a while in FEC now. Some have been thoroughly cleaned up by the depots, even the oldest of Norwich’s fleet (even the barbie presidents/b7s) really do take the fight to Konectbus’s latest Enviros. Very clean and mechanically great!

yes 30947 retaxed 1st May as where 2 others elsewhere

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Latest Buses Mag reports that a batch of Scania N250UD/Enviro 400 MMCs are on order for the XL Route

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Latest Buses Mag reports that a batch of Scania N250UD/Enviro 400 MMCs are on order for the XL Route

Let’s hope that it allows some cascading and improvements to the age profile of the wider FEC fleet.

 

[buslad1988]

There’s also a new brand/livery coming soon for Ipswich... first bus treated due back from repaint shortly. Been told it’s red based (so hoping some orange and cream thrown in too!)

 

[borage]

There’s also a new brand/livery coming soon for Ipswich... first bus treated due back from repaint shortly. Been told it’s red based (so hoping some orange and cream thrown in too!)

Ipswich Reds

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ipswich Reds

Looks rather Swansea-esque

 

[F Great Eastern]

Looks rather Swansea-esque

What does red have to do with Ipswich exactly?

 

[goldisgood]

What does red have to do with Ipswich exactly?

Historically Eastern Counties were red.

 

[buslad1988]

What does red have to do with Ipswich exactly?

In Ipswich buses were always referred to as being either green or red (IB/EC) and you still commonly hear that today.

The Park & Rides are the football clubs blue - if you are trying to look for some kind of logical local link to the colour.

That’s a much brighter improvement on what they had before; hopefully gets rolled out quickly! Also no where near as ghastly as the purple/green IB offering.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Historically Eastern Counties were red.

True, I wasn't using the bus in that era, when I was growing up they were cream with red and orange stripes.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

True, I wasn't using the bus in that era, when I was growing up they were cream with red and orange stripes.

Wasn’t that the DP livery? Or was it the late GRT?

Anyhow, red was livery from the start of EC, in Tilling days and NBC, and the independent MBO era.

 

[F Great Eastern]

As far as I remember it was the following order:
- Red (including a late modern version)
- Cream (Superoute 88 had a modern version of this)
- Barbie (many vehicles of which were in the fading Barbie livery)
- Current dull grey front.
- Ipswich Red (latest)

There was also a fair few DARTS in the early 2000s in many different variations, including red, white, Eastern National and many different versions of Barbie that most of us probably forgot about (like this one)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As far as I remember it was the following order:
- Red (including a late modern version)
- Cream (Superoute 88 had a modern version of this)
- Barbie (many vehicles of which were in the fading Barbie livery)
- Current dull grey front.
- Ipswich Red (latest)

There was also a fair few DARTS in the early 2000s in many different variations, including red, white, Eastern National and many different versions of Barbie that most of us probably forgot about (like this one)

Here’s

Tilling https://flic.kr/p/ae3Tkz
NBC era https://flic.kr/p/oCPEuf
Indie era https://flic.kr/p/

The latter isn’t too dissimilar to the new one.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I remember seeing the NBC style vehicles but I must have been very young at that stage,, Indie era is what I consider to be the red Era I was talking about before.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I remember seeing the NBC style vehicles but I must have been very young at that stage,, Indie era is what I consider to be the red Era I was talking about before.

There was the very cream version that I initially thought you meant https://flic.kr/p/wG7A3R

Suspect you meant this one https://flic.kr/p/a8eyQw

Given FEC seems to have stabilised and is making money, you hope that this is a continuation of that perceived progression.

Not a firm I get to see or enjoy too often sadly but then again, it’s a battle to find the time for trips out.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I remember seeing both truth be told, but the later one was more my time there is similarities between the two!

 

[MrGriff500]

Another not entirely useful update in Norwich. Previously mentioned only 7 Barbie Liveried vehicles left. There's 8 now. One of Yarmouth's B7L's has been moved to Roundtree Way for service in the Fine City.

 

[buslad1988]

Latest Buses Mag reports that a batch of Scania N250UD/Enviro 400 MMCs are on order for the XL Route

Do we know how many Scania’s have been ordered? I’m assuming only enough to cover the western end XL.

So that should then cascade the enviros to cover the entire eastern X1/X11 section and the X2?

Whilst the current X2/X11 58 plate Gemini’s are in good nick they must have clocked some miles now! I’d have thought these will be pushed onto the ‘Coastal Clipper’ 1/1A and 99 routes - probably repainted too into a dedicated livery.

Also read on the great East Norfolk blog here that 33423 is away for refurbishment - be interesting to see how that comes back.

https://eastnorfolkbus.blogspot.com/2019/05/first-enviro400-visits-adl.html?m=1

 

[Nammer]

Ipswich Reds

Looks like CityRed livery from Southampton!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Looks like CityRed livery from Southampton!

Not quite but it is an exact copy of the new First Cymru livery
https://flic.kr/p/2fNmfJ9
https://flic.kr/p/2exLTTn

 

[MrGriff500]

Another off topic mention is that Eastern Counties have received two 06 Wright Gemini B9TLs from First Leeds. One will be used in Norwich and one in Great Yarmouth. I’d imagine the Yarmouth one will be displacing one of the W reg B7TLs and the Norwich one will be used for extra capacity.

The ones in question are 37043 and 37044. Not sure which one is going where. Both are in First (urban?) livery (I think that’s the name of it?)

Yarmouth have a similarly bodied B7TL and this is Norwich’s only Gemini B9TL. All others are Gemini 2 B9TLs.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Another off topic mention is that Eastern Counties have received two 06 Wright Gemini B9TLs from First Leeds. One will be used in Norwich and one in Great Yarmouth. I’d imagine the Yarmouth one will be displacing one of the W reg B7TLs and the Norwich one will be used for extra capacity.

The ones in question are 37043 and 37044. Not sure which one is going where. Both are in First (urban?) livery (I think that’s the name of it?)

Yarmouth have a similarly bodied B7TL and this is Norwich’s only Gemini B9TL. All others are Gemini 2 B9TLs.

If they’re 06 plate, they’ll be B7TLs. Interesting to see more cascading going on as the Streetdecks continue to arrive.

 

[MrGriff500]

If they’re 06 plate, they’ll be B7TLs. Interesting to see more cascading going on as the Streetdecks continue to arrive.

Yes, they’re B7TLs. 37043 was for Great Yarmouth and 37044 was for Norwich. However now, 37044 has already been moved to Great Yarmouth. Not a lot for the enthusiast in Norwich, not as much variety as before.