Sunday 30th June 2013 ~ Midsummer Gone

Don't know about you but with Midsummer's Day being last Monday, it makes me wonder whether we are going to get any proper Summer ? Nearly every time I've had the camera out it has been a dull overcast day.
Anyway, time to look at the past week on the X1. 37579 has been out of service for the whole week due to a brake fault, but as of Saturday night (29th)  it did appear to have been repaired and looked ready for service again. Sunday 23rd passed incident free and Monday was a good day with all bar one services running within 5 minutes of schedule. The exception was of course L11-XL17 which was 10 late from Wisbech with 37159, cut to 6 late returning from Peterborough. several services ran marginally early today including K17-XL04 15.08 from Peterborough which came into Wisbech 2 minutes early with 37569. Yarmouth starters Y7-XL13 and Y9-XL15 both changed buses at Lynn at 08.45 & 09.45 respectively. 37158 was needed for servicing and 37576 had a fault I understand. Later 37566 came off K4-XL10 with a rejuvenated 37576 taking it forward.

Dave Hodkinson was waiting for a Routemaster to Hemsby on Monday when he spotted 20514 having arrived on an X1 short at Yarmouth.

37571 at Yarmouth Market Gates working K2-XL08 12.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough on Monday - Dave says "Thank goodness Wetherspoons is just by the bus station" - at least I think that's what he said ! Photo : Dave Hodkinson.

On Tuesday  morning from around 10.00 - 11.00 there was slow traffic betwen Guyhirn and Thorney which affected several services. Y6-XL12 09.38 from Peterborough (37575) was 14 late into Wisbech followed by Y7-XL13, the 10.08 (37567) 21 late. L8-XL14 with 37565 must have taken a diversion because it appeared at 11.24, just 4 late and only 13 minutes behind 37567. Y9-XL15 with 37160 seemed to be the last service delayed and this was 15 late. K5-XL11 and L10-XL16 swapped buses during the day. Interestingly, despite Y7-XL13 running late because of the above, it was only 3 late  by the time Des boarded it to work the 15.42 Yarmouth - Lynn. His log shows they were 3 late departing Norwich, but congestion then took hold meaning they were 7 late at Easton and after queuing in Dereham, Necton was passed 15 late. Final arrival in Lynn was 12 late at 18.19.

Especially for Calvin, here is 37570 arriving in Norwich on Tuesday on K19-XL06 07.20 Wisbech - Lowestoft. Photo : Joe Watson/NBP

The rear arrangement of 37156 in Excel livery makes interesting comparison with 37578 below. Here 37156 is seen at Norwich on Tuesday : Joe Watson /NBP

37578 at Norwich on Tuesday while working the K2-XL08 12.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough. [Joe Watson/NBP]

Finally from Joe, a look at one of the Volvo single deckers which are sometimes used on X1 shorts.

I was not about on Wednesday which was the first day of the Royal Norfolk Show, however, services ran very well and were not subject to the heavy delays experienced a few years ago. Somehow K1-XL07 and K2-XL08 which started out with 37570 and 37571 swapped buses suggesting that the latter overtook K1 at some point.  K19-XL06 passed Bruce 14 late this afternoon on the 14.45 King's Lynn - Peterborough with 37576. Des reports L11-XL17 16.55 Lowestoft - King's Lynn (37156) having a pretty punctual journey with light traffic and loadings despite the Norfolk Show. Here traffic is co-ordinated by lights and arrival in Dereham was only 9 late, improved to just 3 minutes late arriving at Lynn.
On to Thursday 27th and again delays were very much in the minority. 37570 on L8-XL14 appeared outside my window 2 minutes early this morning on the 10.19 Wisbech - Peterborough and later 37578 went supersonic , being 3  late on K14-XL01 12.49 to Peterborough and incredibly, following last weeks record performance by 37575, even this was outshone when it returned into Wisbech at shortly before 14.17, over 3 minutes ahead of time. Buses ran well except K18-XL05 with 37160 which was 17 late into Lowestoft this morning, then this afternoon 14 late going west and 10 late returning when I boarded it at Walpole Highway. Despite its loud fan, the journey into King's Lynn was very comfortable and the fan noise was inaudible inside the bus. K4-XL10 and L12-XL18 both swapped buses during the day for maintenance purposes. The impact of Norfolk Show traffic was again less disruptive as illustrated by Des who says "Today on Y7-XL13 15.42 Yarmouth - Lynn we ran well with 37577. Traffic arrangements for the show this year were excellent. Traffic past the Showground and Easton was kept moving by holding up through traffic along the Southern Bypass westbound and A47 eastbound at the roundabout at the most westerly point of the bypass. On both show days, I had arrived in Dereham before the Konect 8 that had left Norwich minutes before me. Our progress with the heavier traffic saw us 10 late at Hockering, then Dereham Market -12 (17.17), Dereham Toftwood -17 (17.28), Necton - 19 (17.44), Swaffham - 14 (17.51), Narborough -14 (17.59), East Winch -15 (18.04), Arrive Lynn -12 18.19.

37569 passing through Walpole Highway on K3-XL09 16.15 King's Lynn - Peterborough on Thursday.

Friday 28th went well until lunchtime. 37570 on Y13-XL19 was seen at Walton Highway 12 late heading for Peterborough, but it then became the first service to be delayed by an accident near Thorney. The afternoon service then became chaotic as buses became embroiled in the queues. 37570 came back 29 late, with 37565 on K14-XL01 just 4 minutes behind it. 37564 on K15-XL02 wasn't seen. K16-XL03 then came through with 37156 38 late. K17-XL04 with 37576 was 24 late westbound from King's Lynn and wasn't seen by me until it returned eastbound into Wisbech at 16.33, 43 minutes late. Somehow K19-XL06 with Mr. Saban on 37567 managed to avoid the delays and was 2 late from Wisbech and only 7 late coming back. It then turned out that K19 had overtaken K18-XL05 which was 37157 and which came into Wisbech 46 late at 17.06. Stepping up of vehicles occurred at Lynn to get the Lowestoft bound service back to timetable.
Saturday passed off much more peacefully with only K18-XL05 noted late, it left the Southgates for Peterborough at 14.35 with 37159, 15 late. 37576 was removed from Y6 tonight as it is required at Volvo on Monday for attention to an oil level sensor.