20th October Allocation and some News.

1	145,147
2	30 (comes off 15a),79,84,105 (comes on 15a)
3	148,151,152
4	83,149
5	46,39,31
6	172,88,108
7/16	103,245
8	104,81,173,82,106,171,70 (comes on 18:05)
9	154,134,153 (comes on 15a 18:30)
10	44,68,102
12	80,71
13	72,77,70,156,75,73
14	244
15	47,34,41
15a	30 (comes on 2),105 (comes off from 2),38,69
111	78
60/61	69426,44518,44516,66959,44519

Now as a bus devotee, I was at Tower Ramparts overlooking the allocations for the late-afternoon and early-evening services and there was a fair few coming off routes and going on other routes. I have noticed this within the previous year which is resuming to this day, so looking at the standard allocations above, you could see that I have bracketed the ‘coming offs’ and ‘coming on’ services within fleet and boards.

For example, I have reported two excellent exemplifications of them, well, three, because the 13:55 15a from Tower Ramparts goes out as the 15a, and preponderantly switches into a number 2 service for the Ipswich Hospital via Gainsborough and John Lewis and that has simply replaced E200 105 which came from a 2 service and done the 14:55 15a and there-on.

Now for the 13, I counted ‘70’ earlier this afternoon doing the usual duties for the 13 for Copdock Tesco’s and next thing I knew at 17:55, it went onto a 8 service bounded for Whitehouse Asda. Also noticed with Mercedes-Benz Citaro 153 doing the Whitton’s and transferring for a 15a for the 18:30.

Now for Eastern Counties, last week was almost every decker on the 60/61’s, but for today, it was all single-deckers doing the duties for the 60/61 services for the Greenwich and Gainsborough’s.

Also noticed today was Optare Solo 245 doing the 7/16 rota which is kind of unusual for these-days to serve Halifax Road and Anglia Retail Park.

Yes, and from next month (November), First Ipswich are to change the services like 61 becoming 60a and there is also a 60e for the evening services, and also some of the Felixstowe timetables are changing as well, but the X7 will be going every hourly and expanded to Grange Farm which means journeys are to please people for the Felixstowe, especially for the OAP’s. The 77/76 will no longer be serving the Felixstowe Road, Transport Museum and John Lewis as they will be going via Spring Road instead, like the typical 75 service which is daft because I work at the Museum.

Now there are some murmurs that Ipswich council could be ‘not sponsoring’ the services on Ipswich Buses services as it is due to save money – bloody stupid – also on Sunday’s could explain a last service around 4 or 5 but that will influence the customers who use the bingo hall on Lloyds Avenue which also expounds they will have to fork out taxi services instead. For Monday to Fridays, the last services could be about 7pm. As this is a murmur, I am not 100% certain, it could happen, it could not – so please bare for further information.  

Back for the evening services on 20^th October, I noticed Excel 173 coming off at 17:00, E200 106 coming off 17:15 and returning at 17:40, Excel 171 coming off at 17:30, 70 coming on from the 13 onto a 8 service for the 18:05 departure, E200 81 coming off at 17:49 from the 8, MCV 156 coming off at 18:00, and OmniCity 34 coming off the 15a at 18:04, and lastly, OmniCity 38 comes off the 15 at 18:08.

47 came from the 15 and done the 18:00 15a, 80 comes onto a 15 from a 12 and done the 18:15 15, 134 took place of 155, done the Whitton’s, and then done the 18:10 13, 75 from the 13 to a 12 for the 18:25 service, 153 as mentioned, came from a Whitton to a 15a for the 18:30, 41 comes off the 15, and lastly, I saw 73 on the 15 at Maidenhall Green as I went home on the Citaro which explained it did the 13, but done the 18:45 15 service.