Bending The Norm & E400 MMC Demonstrator

Imagine, if you will, the excitement of winning the lottery, or a group of 10yo girls being told that One Direction were coming to tea and giving a personal performance. That, I assure you is nothing compared to the excitement flowing through my Twitter message inbox today, as Konect bendibus 802 put on a spectacular display of route rareness in front of the lens of  Cameron Robinson, going out on the 6X, 53 and 2. Christmas truly had come early.

Occasionally a bendi has appeared on the 8, even a P&R apart from the 604, but the trio of routes it appeared on are extremely rare, and I cannot remember one ever appearing on the 53's before. Well done Cameron for being in the right place at the right time and for sending me these superb pictures. I hope your heart rate has settled back down now!

 

Konect Bendibus 802 BD57 WCZ departs a wet Norwich Bus Station on the X6 to Attleborough     pic (c) Cameron Robinson

Indescribably rarely on the 53 to Wroxham         pic (c) Cameron Robinson

Finally on the 2 to Sheringham    pic (c) Cameron Robinson

In the meantime I was in Ipswich to photograph the E400 MMC demonstrator on loan to Ipswich Buses for the week. YY64 GWX is the same vehicle Coach Services had in March, and then I wasn't exactly bowled over by it. This time, however, on a trip on the X5 to Ipswich Hospital and back, it felt a bit better, firmer, and didn't rattle as much. Maybe it's because I was on familiar territory, or maybe Go-North East in Gateshead, whose vinyls and legal lettering it carries, have done a bit of work on her. Anyway it is still a photogenic bus!

E400 MMC demonstrator YY64 GWX at Tower Ramparts

The rear view with the Go North East vinyls showing clearly

And at Major's Corner in slightly better weather!

Agoraline Update

Chris Jenkinson has been in touch with the latest news and pictures of the former Norfolk Green Irisbus Agoralines, now with Nu-Venture in Aylesford, Kent.

898 holds pride of place on this blog, being the header picture. However in recent weeks she has been suffering regular engine probs and it has been decided to give her a transplant from the long term VOR sister 897. So for the first time in months Chris drove 897 from Nu-Venture's storage facility to the workshop to have her engine removed. This will almost certainly the last journey 897 makes under her own steam. Chris has sent in pics of the process, including a pic of both 897 and 891 side by side in the workshop. 891 was in for MOT.

897 about to make her final sacrificial journey

897 awaiting engine removal and 891 in the air undergoing MOT preparation

897 on the ramps ready for surgery

One engine extraction surgery complete

And there it is waiting to go in 898

Chris also sent me a picture of another of his own buses, which was brought from storage to the workshop for MOT. M64 VJO is an ex Thames Transit and Stagecoach Dennis Dart and I have to say looks very smart.

Dart M64 VJO in Thames Transit Kidlington Cavalier livery

Many thanks for the pics and update, Chris and we are looking forward to the news of a successful operation for 898.

New Buses For Straight-8 and Anglian Returnee

What's that you say? Straight-8? Talk in english man!! OK I shall and all will be revealed later. First of all I would like to share with you a picture I received last week but was asked not to use, so I didn't. But now I can, so I will. This was the first pic in (limited) circulation of one of the new E400's for Konect's service 8 between Norwich and Toftwood. Very nice it looks too.

Still at the Alexander Dennis factory sits one of the new E400's

My belated thanks to my source at Konect who sent me that. Yesterday I received more pictures this time of the first arrival at Dereham, whch was SK15 HKB. I'll be using the pic of the cab area later. However, I thought I'd better try and see it for myself so today I ventured to Dereham, noting how well the current E400's have lasted on the route, and luck was in as another two had arrived. You don't get anywhere in this world by being shy so I went in to see if I could take a look round and Operations Manager Steve Royal was only too happy to oblige, showing me round himself.

New E400's SK15 HKC and behind HKA at Konect's Dereham depot

Now let's not get too excited here. I'm not and neither are Konect. These are bog standard E400's. Not MMC's, not high spec. However, if the current E400's on the route are anything to go by they will do the job. The interiors are certainly eye-catching. I am impressed in the way customers have been listened to and the recent  obsession with leather by everyone has been halted. I like leather headrests, but in the heat leather gets too hot as I found out last week. So this combination of fabric seats with leather headrests looks good. The seats are firm but comfortable, and even the traditionally hard seats at the back seem more comfortable than they used to. I like the wooden floor look, although cleaning will have to be top notch to keep them looking good. Steve tells me that the P&R E400's will have identical interiors.

The striking seats on the new buses

The top deck

Here is the cab area, pic again supplied by my contact at Konect.

The rather sparce cab area of the E400

I did take a picture of the USB charging sockets but I still only have a 25% screen and it was rubbish! However it will be interesting to see if firstly anyone can find them and secondly how long they last. Any facility, though, is welcome and it's more than anyone else has got. Now to explain the title of the post. Steve told me that instead of having Konect express vinyls applied, the original route name of Straight-8 is going to be resurrected and used again. I like that, and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished articles when they enter service. My thanks to Steve Royal for giving up his time so readily today, and for the open and varied conversation we had. Finally here is another pic that didn't turn out quite right but sod it it's only a missing letter or two! I assure you this is SK15 HKA.

SK15 HKA - honestly - at Dereham today

While Konect are getting brand new buses I got home to find an email from my Anglian contact telling me that Anglian have welcomed back a 14yo friend. Solo 907 YT51 EBF which was transferred to Chambers a couple of years ago has returned on a permanent basis. I am making enquiries if this will see the departure of the on loan E200 and as soon as I know I'll let you know. My thanks to my contact at Beccles for the info and pic.

Back home at Beccles Optare Solo 907  YT51 EBF

Summer Break

With very little happening now until September I'm going to be taking a break from posting for a bit. Of course that's not to say there won't be the odd special, and rest assured if anything major does happen it will be reported. However my crystal ball reveals nothing dramatic for the next couple of weeks at least so a battery re-charge seems sensible.  I'll still be around, however, so hope to see some of you out and about.

Latitude Coach Special

This morning saw the exodus of thousands of festival goers from Latitude, which took place in Henham Park over the weekend. Getting the hoards to and from the park requires great planning, and Andrew Pursey of BorderBus was the man charged with that task. One of the main cogs in the transport wheel was the Diss Station to Latitude coach link, which involves operators from across the region. This morning I stationed myself in Bungay to get pics of some of the coaches being used. Some of these pics are not perfect as my camera has decided to reduce my screen to the top right quarter only, so judging is a little difficult. A new camera will be acquired asap.

First up is Simonds Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M TVG 397

Another Van Hool bodied B10M but this time an Alizee body is R16 BUS

Simonds third coach in use was one I haven't seen before, and thanks to a lamppost completely wrecking my first attempt to photo it - no idea where it appeared from - I luckily got a second chance, but the pic, altough cropped is from longer distance. 166 UMB is a Van Hool T9 bodied Volvo B12M

Simonds Volvo B12M 166 UMB

Another company with multiple coaches in use was Belle Coaches. They had a trio of Setras in action, two of them running together.

Belle Coaches Setras LIL 9456 and WJI 9245

Belle Coaches Setra LIL 9713

 Coach Services of Thetford were also in evidence.

Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M W262 UBC

Unliveried Coach Sservices Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M W387 PRC

At this point I must apologise to Lamberts Coaches whose Van Hool Volvo B10M I made a complete mess off so we conclude with Sanders, who provided the best looking coach on view today.

No not ths one but Van Hool bodied VDL SB4000 538 FN (ex East Kent reg) doesn't look bad.

This one! Plaxton Elite bodied Volvo B9R PVF 377 is surely the best in show! Nearly made a mess of it!

I think congratulations are in order to Andrew Pursey for once again superbly organising and scheduling the Latitude buses. I have heard no adverse comments whatsoever, and roll on next year!

And finally, not on Latitude duties but just passing was Angian optare Excel 229, which is apparently scheduled for withdrawal in September. A shame as she still looks and sounds good. Today saw her on her normal route between Yarmouth and Diss

Anglian 229 Optare Excel W229 WRB on the 80 to Diss