Ipswich Buses Ltd

Friday 2 February 2018 (1219) – Seen in the garage yard of Ipswich Buses. LO67 CGX, a Mellor Strata bodied Mercedes demonstrator.

Friday 22 May 2015 (1113) – The doors of the Ipswich Buses garage building seen from on board Ipswich Buses 245 (YN05 XNY), an Optare Solo new in August 2005, which was working the free shuttle service 38. From Tower Ramparts bus station the service travels via Portman Road, Constantine Road, Russell Road and Princes Street back into the town centre. In addition to serving the residential area in this part of town it fulfils the role of providing transport between the town centre and the Constantine Road garage for Ipswich Buses staff and for Suffolk County Council staff and visitors to/from Endeavour House, Russell Road. Inside the doorway is Alexander ALX400 bodied Dennis Trident 20 (Y436 NHK) new to Stagecoach East London in August 2001 (fleet number TAS436).

Sunday 27 May 2018 (1055) – This former Ipswich Buses Neepsend bodied AEC Regent V has stood on private land near Hockwold for some years. I had never stopped to photograph it before but now I have I find the registration number has faded somewhat coupled with the fact that there is something propped up against the front that makes it more difficult to read. It is one of the four buses delivered in January 1966 numbered 65-68 with matching DPV xxD registrations. From memory I seem to recall it may be 68 (DPV 68D).

Bank Holiday Monday 29 August 1994 (approx. 1150 hrs) – Ipswich Buses 119 (G119 VDX), an East Lancs bodied Dennis Falcon SDA420 new in new in August 1989, is seen passing through Barton Mills when working the 1000 service 156 from Ipswich to Ely which was part of the County Council sponsored Sunday Bus Network (which also operated on Bank Holiday Mondays). The coach in the background had brought a party of people to the Car Boot Sale which was in full swing on the Village Green behind the camera.

Bank Holiday Monday 29 August 1994 (approx. 1150 hrs) – Barton Mills Village Green has been a regular venue for Bank Holiday Car Boot Sales for some years. Ipswich Buses 119 (G119 VDX), an East Lancs bodied Dennis Falcon SDA420 new in new in August 1989, is seen passing through when working the 1000 service 156 from Ipswich to Ely which was part of the County Council sponsored Sunday Bus Network (which also operated on Bank Holiday Mondays).

Friday 23 August 1991 - Ipswich Buses 16 (RDX 16R), a Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68A/1R new in December 1976, seen leaving Tower Ramparts bus station in Ipswich.

Sunday 21 September 1997 – Optare Excels on display at Showbus, Duxford. Left is Ipswich Buses 193 (P443 SWX), new as a demonstrator in November 1996 acquired by Ipswich in June 1997 Right is Reading Buses 902 (P902 EGM), new in January 1997 Far right Harris Bus P333 HBC, new in April 1997

Saturday 16 May 1992 – The portals of the Ipswich Buses garage in Constantine Road, Ipswich. In the doorway of the right hand shed is Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean 14 (RDX 14R) which was new in December 1976 with a mini-bus parked behind. In the left hand shed is a similar double decker to 14 along with 148 (WOI 607), one of the six Alexander (Belfast) bodied Leyland B21s acquired from Ulsterbus/Citybus, Northern Ireland in 1991. A closer photograph and more detailed description can be found via this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/46963308 The garage was established to house the fleet of Ipswich Corporation and does so now for Ipswich Buses, a descendant of Ipswich Corporation. The Corporation operated trams in its early days but by 1923 was experimenting with trolleybuses on a route from Cornhill in the town centre and the railway station, a distance of about 0.75 mile/1.2 km. The trolleybus route was successful and after the trams ceased running in 1926 the Corporation chose the trolleybus exclusively for its service network. It was as late as 1950 before the first motor bus joined the fleet although trolleybuses continued to run until August 1963.

Sunday 18 July 1999 (approx. 1500) - Ipswich Buses 136 (T136 KPV), an East Lancs Spryte bodied Dennis Dart SLF new June 1999, seen at Tower Ramparts bus station working on service 15.

Sunday 18 July 1999 (approx. 1500) - Ipswich Buses 136 (T136 KPV), an East Lancs Spryte bodied Dennis Dart SLF new June 1999, seen at Tower Ramparts bus station working on service 15.

Sunday 17 January 1993 (1145) - Ipswich Buses 228 (J228 JDX) seen passing Barton Mills Post Office when working the 1000 Ipswich-Ely Suffolk County Council sponsored ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 156.

Sunday 8 May 2022 (1103) – The coaching division of Ipswich Buses Limited trades as Ipswich Coachlines. Carrying the fleetname is East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD 64 (SGZ 6664) which was running a shuttle connected with the bus rally at the Mid Norfolk Railway in East Dereham. It originally carried the registration OU54 PGZ and was new to Thames Travel Limited in January 2005 before the company was taken over by Go-Ahead owned Oxford Bus Company (The City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd). A photograph of the bus taken on 30 April 2013 may be seen at: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/32958727

Sunday 8 May 2022 (1149) – The coaching division of Ipswich Buses Limited trades as Ipswich Coachlines. Carrying the fleetname is East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD 64 (SGZ 6664) which was seen in the Market Place, East Dereham running a shuttle connected with the bus rally at the Mid Norfolk Railway. It originally carried the registration OU54 PGZ and was new to Thames Travel Limited in January 2005 before the company was taken over by Go-Ahead owned Oxford Bus Company (The City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd). A photograph of the bus taken on 30 April 2013 may be seen at: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/32958727

Sunday 8 May 2022 (1152) – The coaching division of Ipswich Buses Limited trades as Ipswich Coachlines. Carrying the fleetname is East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD 64 (SGZ 6664) which was seen in the Market Place, East Dereham running a shuttle connected with the bus rally at the Mid Norfolk Railway. It originally carried the registration OU54 PGZ and was new to Thames Travel Limited in January 2005 before the company was taken over by Go-Ahead owned Oxford Bus Company (The City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd). A photograph of the bus taken on 30 April 2013 may be seen at: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/32958727

Sunday 8 May 2022 (1049) – The bus rally at the Mid Norfolk Railway in East Dereham saw more than thirty vehicles on show that included preserved and currently operational vehicles. Two vehicles representing Ipswich Buses are 56 (PN52 XBK), an East Lancs bodied DAF DE02 new in October 2002 and 9 (MRT 9P), a Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68A/1R new in May 1976. (I believe number 9 was recently withdrawn from service and is now privately preserved).

Sunday 8 May 2022 (1058) – The bus rally at the Mid Norfolk Railway in East Dereham saw more than thirty vehicles on show that included preserved and currently operational vehicles. Two vehicles representing Ipswich Buses are 9 (MRT 9P), a Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68A/1R new in May 1976 (which I believe has recently been withdrawn from service and is now privately preserved) and 56 (PN52 XBK), an East Lancs bodied DAF DE02 new in October 2002.

Friday 8 July 2022 (0954) – As part of the 2022 fund raising for St. Elizabeth’s Hospice in Ipswich, a trail of 50 colourful owls has been placed around the town each sponsored by a local business. This one, the camera toting ‘Happy Snappy Owl’, is sponsored by Greater Anglia Railways and stands outside Ipswich Railway Station. Passing by in the background are two Ipswich Buses vehicles. Leading is 96 (YJ12 GWN), an Optare Tempo new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) in May 2012, being followed by 73 (YX59 BZN), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 (Dart chassis?) that had been new to Mid Wales of Penryncoch in January 2020. In the ‘Photo in photo’ views are 'The Hoot Express’ owl (sponsored by Ipswich Buses) and ‘Suffolk and Proud’ owl (sponsored by Suffolk County Council dressed in the Suffolk county flag)

Friday 8 July 2022 (1122) – As part of the 2022 fund raising for St. Elizabeth’s Hospice in Ipswich, a trail of 50 colourful owls has been placed around the town each sponsored by a local business. This one, 'The Hoot Express’, is sponsored by Ipswich Buses and stands in Tower Ramparts bus station. In the background is an Ipswich Buses engineers van, with an engineer waiting for a colleague to re-join him, together with former Trent Barton (trentbarton) Optare Tempo 95 (YJ12 GWM) s setting out on service 13 to Chantry and Copdock. The double decker passing by heading to Stowmarket on service 88 is a First Eastern Counties Buses Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL in Ipswich Reds livery. In the ‘Photo in photo’ views are the ‘Suffolk and Proud’ owl (sponsored by Suffolk County Council dressed in the Suffolk county flag) and the camera toting ‘Happy Snappy Owl’ (sponsored by Greater Anglia Railways at Ipswich Railway Station).