Monday 9th April 2011 - Saturday 14th April 2011 ~ The King's Lynn Resurfacing

At long last a blog update. The resurfacing of London Road and subsequent closure northbound saw heavy delays on Easter Monday (9th).

An unscheduled meeting at Tilney Flyover between 37570 & 37567 on Easter Monday

One service ran 75 minutes late after negotiating King's Lynn. Surprise of the day was 37156 working Y7. Loan vehicle 36180 returned to Norwich on Saturday 7th.
It was no surprise then when on Tuesday, the X1 ran in chaotic conditions. The day began badly anyway with K5 07.45 westbound from Lynn being cancelled with no driver available. 37574 on Y6 appeared to stick to diagram all day, but it was about the only bus that did. 37570 which had supposedly started on K14 was then seen on L10 13.02 Lynn to Lowestoft. 37575 was at various times noted on K15, K18 and finally K3.
An illustration of the conditions with which drivers had to contend is best illustrated by this report from Des :
" I worked Y6 05.50 Yarmouth - Southgates with 37574. This was on time until queueing traffic at Hardwick Road and then having to wait for an incoming train on Tennyson Avenue leading to an 18 minute late arrival in Lynn. This was reduced to 12 minutes on departure and I then drove out down London Road and owing to a roadworks employee halting traffic across the roundabout, diverted into Hardwick Road where I gave way to my relieving driver, This service then left via Hardwick. Next for me was 37565 on K3 09.37 Southgates to Lowestoft. I could see my bus stuck in traffic way down Nar Ouse Way so I walked down to meet it and boarded at 09.37 near the new park area. We crawled into the town and encountered a delay for the 08.59 King's Lynn - King's Cross train en route. Arrival in the bus station was at 10.10, 46 minutes late !! Departed at 10.12 and although this was the 09.32 running 40 late, I decided to operate as near as I could in the times of K4 10.02 departure. Arrival at Lowestoft was 27 late on K3 timings at 13.07 and the 12.55 westbound left 18 late".

At the eastern end, services seen were 37579 11 late on K19, 37569 on time with K1, 37567 -27 on K2, 37158 31 late on K4, 37566 -15 on K5

37574 appears to have been caught up by 37159 on the following service when Kieran photographed the pair at Norwich this afternoon.

37570 at Norwich bus station this afternoon working L10.

Kieran was viewing proceedings at Norwich and says "Eastbound this afternoon L10 was 37570 and L11 was around 10 late with 37156 and very long queues to board. Heading for Peterborough were 37566, 37158, then 37574 and 37159". It would appear then that 566 had overtaken 158.

Little Dart 43435 rests after a day on X1 shuttles, but surely an opportunity was missed to employ the Routemaster ?

For a time P reg Dart 43435 operated a shuttle service between the Southgates and the Bus Station with the forecourt of Vancouver Avenue becoming a layover point for X1 services. On Wednesday, at 18.10 when I passed the garage 37574, 37156 and 37157 were all in evidence, the latter with X1 Peterborough on the front. Y6 with 37563 was at this point departing from Southgates for Peterborough 20 minutes late and I had just passed K1 with 37568 near The Walks level crossing making slow progress en route to the bus station. In the event it became K2 departing at 18.35 to Lowestoft.

Richard Tucker liases with staff aboard 37572 about to depart westbound today. Photo courtesy of Andy James.

37160 heads a trio of X1 services outside Vancouver Avenue garage today. [Andy James]

37158 passes the ongoing resurfacing work on London Road this afternoon. Photo : Andy James

 Traffic on the western section must have been light as the 15.45 Lynn to Peterborough was 16 late at Terrington with 37571 but only 7 late coming back.
On Thursday I headed west to Herefordshire for the TCC Convention. I passed 37570 on Y7 10.05 ex Peterborough 12 late at Walpole and later found out that it had already done a trip on this section as K1. L10 with 37569 was seen bang on time departing Peterborough. Ryan reports that 43435 was sent to Yarmouth after the closure of Bury St. Edmunds recently before being used in King's Lynn this week.
Des reports that on Friday he drove 37574 on K15 09.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough as far as Southgates. "The service was on time until Hardwick and I arrived at the garage forecourt at 13.05 (due apx 12.50). Passengers for beyond Lynn were walked to London Road to catch the next westbound service, while I took passengers for Lynn only on 43435 to the bus station returning light".
The roadworks continued into Saturday which saw more diagrams swapping vehicles. From Sunday work beyond Millfleet was due to take place at night.