First Bus (First Group) buses

Friday 11 March 2016 (1135) – First Eastern Counties 33811 (YX63 LJJ) leaving King's Lynn bus station when working the 1005 Peterborough to Norwich service X1. This one of the 15 Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400s based at King's Lynn to operate the service.

Friday 11 March 2016 (1133) – First Eastern Counties 33811 (YX63 LJJ) in King's Lynn bus station when working the 1005 Peterborough to Norwich service X1. This one of the 15 Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400s based at King's Lynn to operate the service. Behind is Stagecoach 17786 (LX03 BVZ), a Transbus built Alexander/Dennis Trident ex East London

Friday 11 March 2016 (1133) – First Eastern Counties 33811 (YX63 LJJ) arrives in King's Lynn bus station when working the 1005 Peterborough to Norwich service X1. FEC withdrew all its services (except for the X1) from the King's Lynn area some time ago. The garage was retained as the home for 15 dedicated Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400s to operate the service. (As I write these are 33803-33817 new in September 2013). The end to end service has a running time of around 3 hours 10 minutes (give or take) and, to qualify for UK domestic driving rules, is segmented (with through running). For those interested I found an unofficial ‘X1 blog’ on the Internet that contains some really good quality night time garage photos. It may be seen at: fecx1news.blogspot.co.uk

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 – 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 on the Osborne Street side showing the canopy covering half of what is basically the general footpath.

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

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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (1044) – First Essex 65030 (YN05 TDV) heads away from Colchester ‘bus station’ into St. John’s Street. One of the Scania CN94UB OmniCity buses based at Chelmsford garage, new in July 2006.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1028) - First Essex 33002 (LK51 UZP) seen in High Street, Colchester. It is a Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident new to First Capital (London) as their TNL1002 in September 2001. The building with the colonade forming the backcloth, now apartments, was constructed in 1820 as a Corn Exchange and later became the offices of Essex and Suffolk Equitable Fire Insurance Society.

Friday 8 April 2016 (1205) - First Essex 63339 (SM65 EEX). A Wright Streetlite DF new in November 2015, seen in High Street, Colchester. The building with the colonade forming the backcloth, now apartments, was constructed in 1820 as a Corn Exchange and later became the offices of Essex and Suffolk Equitable Fire Insurance Society.