However it was never going to match, let alone beat the X1, and so will be cast into history, along with the 72 from Wroxham to Yarmouth. Konect are also re-numbering the 50 - 53 range of services, as the 5, 5A/B/C. Routes and frequencies have been altered (cut), and the E400's that were branded for the 7 are now branded for the "5 Series". Sure I've heard that phrase somewhere before.
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| Konect 635 with new 5 Series branding on last week day of the 7. |
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| Solo 951 on the 50A |
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| Versa 303 on the 51 |
Moving to the rails and I make no apology for yet more short set photos and videos. There are precious few real Routemasters left - no, an RM with a Dart engine is NOT a real RM, Concorde isn't flying anymore, but the Class 37 carries on clagging away and I'm going to make the most of every chance I get to see these incredible machines. If you remember the Bristol VR buses you'll know that no two buses were the same - each had their own unique engine noise and characteristics. The 37's are like that and I was told that the two on the set this week were particularly "angry sods"!
So I suffered a Streetlite to Lingwood and got there just in time to witness 37425 leave the station. My word the ground shook! I implore you to listen to this over headphones. Even with 37423 just idling at the rear it was something else. Incidentally the Greater Anglia coaches are on the set as the DRS ones are at Crewe having a wheel exam.
I decided to catch the set back to Norwich which meant a very pleasant half our at Lingwood station, which is immaculately looked after by the local community. Information posters galore, and the spring flowers blooming made for a really lovely picture when 37423 arrived.
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| 37423 arrives at Lingwood station |
I didn't intend to hang around at Norwich but the place was buzzing with other enthusiasts and I got chatting to a friendly chap who had travelled down from Newark that morning. So not only did I get to see 37425 departing Norwich again but also the other short set, the 68 hauled set taking its break.
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| 68016 with the hauled set on break at Norwich |
A lot squeezed into a short space of time. Next up is a road trip which will take me from Bury St Edmunds to Cambridge, to Peterborough via the Busway and a rather special football charter train.
Steve,
ReplyDelete50/50A will continue to operate as that and are not affected by the renumbering. The reason for this is that the '5 series' is a brand to be used along the Thorpe Road corridor, which the 50/50A do not serve.
The new 5 replaces the old 53 between Norwich and Queen's Hill, and the 7 between Norwich and Postwick. The other half of the current 53 between Norwich and Wroxham will become the 5B.
The new 5A is what was the 52, and the new 5C is a rerouted version of the current 51, which will now serve Dussindale to upkeep the every 30 minute frequency which would otherwise have dropped to hourly, because the Norwich-Wroxham service will reduce to one bus an hour.
Interestingly, on Sundays, nor the western section of the 5, and the whole of the 5A and 5C will not operate. This leaves the eastern section of the 5, and the whole of the 5B operating on Sundays - and these are interworked by the same bus. This essentially restores the Queen's Hill to Wroxham link provided by the current 53, but only once a week and under two service numbers.
Sam I know what you're talking about and I'm bloody confused - so heaven help the poor passengers! It just seems like changes for change's sake - and it's not as though there are enough branded buses to cover the PVR so we'll undoubtedly have the sight of a mix of branded and unbranded buses which will confuse them even more!
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