Colchester - 8 Apr 2016

Friday 8 April 2016 (1155) - First Essex 65031 (YN05 TDX), is a Chelmsford based Scania CN94UB OmniCity, seen passing the stalls of Colchester Market on the High Street followed by Wright Streetlite DF 63340 (SM65 EEY). The town’s famous water tower (opened 1883) dominates the background.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1108) – First Essex 65032 (YN05 TDZ), one of the Scania CN94UB OmniCity buses based at Chelmsford garage, new in July 2006. It was seen parked for a short break in Osborne Street, Colchester. The kerbside parking on this side of the street is opposite the bus stops forming Colchester ‘bus station’ and is used for layovers of buses.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1106) – First Essex 65032 (YN05 TDZ) seen in Osborne Street, Colchester. One of the Scania CN94UB OmniCity buses based at Chelmsford garage, new in July 2006.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1107) – First Essex 65032 (YN05 TDZ), one of the Scania CN94UB OmniCity buses based at Chelmsford garage, new in July 2006. It was seen parked for a short break in Osborne Street, Colchester. The kerbside parking on this side of the street is opposite the bus stops forming Colchester ‘bus station’ and is used for layovers of buses.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1057) - First Essex 62139 (X618 NSS) now a training vehicle seen passing through Osborne Street, Colchester. A Wright bodied Volvo B10BLE which was new in December 2000 to First Aberdeen.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1115) – First Essex 68508 (KX54 AHU), a Turkish built BMC1100 new in September 2004 seen in Queen Street, Colchester on driver training work. When new it was assigned to First Student duties with First Northampton.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1140) – Lettering carried by First Essex 66810 (MX05 CDF), a Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE new to First Manchester in May 2005.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1213) – A logo carried by one of the First Essex buses based at Colchester garage.

Friday 8 April 2016 – Colchester ‘bus station’ is a curiosity, not without its critics. Basically it is a collection of kerbside stops along two sides of a multi-storey car park building. Along Stanwell Street there are some individual, traditional style, bus shelters. These were added some time after the stops along Osborne Street came into use, the latter partially covered by a long canopy supported from the building which, on the ground floor, is a bingo hall/electronic gaming centre. On the corner of the two streets is a rather small waiting room building. Electronic departure boards give information but otherwise there is no enquiry office on the site. First has an enquiry office in nearby St. Boltoph’s Street. So, as the critics claim, it is not really a ‘bus station’ at all. This is the view on the Osborne Street side showing the canopy covering half of what is basically the general footpath.

Friday 8 April 2016 – Colchester ‘bus station’ is a curiosity, not without its critics. Basically it is a collection of kerbside stops along two sides of a multi-storey car park building. Along Stanwell Street there are some individual, traditional style, bus shelters. These were added some time after the stops along Osborne Street came into use, the latter partially covered by a long canopy supported from the building which, on the ground floor, is a bingo hall/electronic gaming centre. On the corner of the two streets is a rather small waiting room building. Electronic departure boards give information but otherwise there is no enquiry office on the site. First has an enquiry office in nearby St. Boltoph’s Street. So, as the critics claim, it is not really a ‘bus station’ at all. This is the view along Osborne Street showing the canopy covering half of what is basically the general footpath. Buses on layover are parked along the right hand side of the street.

Friday 8 April 2016 – Colchester ‘bus station’ is a curiosity, not without its critics. Basically it is a collection of kerbside stops along two sides of a multi-storey car park building. Along Stanwell Street there are some individual, traditional style, bus shelters. These were added some time after the stops along Osborne Street came into use, the latter partially covered by a long canopy supported from the building which, on the ground floor, is a bingo hall/electronic gaming centre. On the corner of the two streets is a rather small waiting room building. Electronic departure boards give information but otherwise there is no enquiry office on the site. First has an enquiry office in nearby St. Boltoph’s Street. So, as the critics claim, it is not really a ‘bus station’ at all. This is the view along Osborne Street showing the canopy covering half of what is basically the general footpath. Arriva Network Colchester 3333 (W465 XKX) was pulling away on service 8 to Highwoods.

Friday 8 April 2016 – Colchester ‘bus station’ is a curiosity, not without its critics. Basically it is a collection of kerbside stops along two sides of a multi-storey car park building. Along Stanwell Street (where the coach and bus are standing) there are some individual, traditional style, bus shelters. On the corner of Stanwell Street and Osborne Street is a rather small waiting room building. The tall building is the car park which, on the ground floor, is a bingo hall/electronic gaming centre. The bus stops along Osborne Street are partially covered by a long canopy supported from the building. Electronic departure boards give information but otherwise there is no enquiry office on the site. First has an enquiry office in nearby St. Boltoph’s Street. So, as the critics claim, it is not really a ‘bus station’ at all. The National Express coach is Galloway 302 (FJ61 EVR) working the 1030 service 481 from London (Victoria) to Ipswich.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1255) – First Essex 65675 (SN51 UYJ) seen in Stanwell Street, one of the two streets purporting to be Colchester ‘bus station’. It is a Wright Solar bodied Scania L94UB new to First Edinburgh in November 2001 which was about to work the 1300 service 103 to Harwich. The very top of Colchester Town Hall is visible above the front corner of the bus to where I travelled on 65675.

Friday 8 April 2016 – An electronic display at Colchester ‘bus station’ contained a rolling message along the bottom edge informing that from Monday 11 April 2016 the times of many bus services in Essex would be changing.

Friday 8 April 2016 – A cleverly painted refreshment van seen at Colchester bus station operated as the ‘Bus Stop Barista’. The gas bottles are housed in a cover painted as a radiator for the Routemaster style bus painted on the end of the van. Also note the ‘footstool’!

Friday 8 April 2016 – A cleverly painted refreshment van seen at Colchester ‘bus station’ operated as the ‘Bus Stop Barista’. The end of the van visible in this photograph features a painting of the rear view of a Routemaster style bus. The other end featured a front end view and the cover housing the gas bottles was painted as a protruding radiator cowl. Also note the ‘footstool’!

Friday 8 April 2016 – The former bus garage of the Eastern National Omnibus Company Limited in Queen Street, Colchester. There was a single large doorway facing on to the street. There were also two doors at the opposite end of the building. The old bus station was located close by and under redevelopment.

Friday 8 April 2016 – The former bus garage of the Eastern National Omnibus Company Limited in Colchester. There was a single large doorway facing on to Queen Street and then these two doors facing in the opposite direction. The bus station was located behind the camera. The whole area is rather forlorn and under redevelopment.