I should have known I was sickening for something when I discovered that I'd put 2008 as the date in the last two posts (I've corrected it now) and today the bug got me, streaming eyes, nose, cough etc etc. You get the picture. Basically after a 100% attendance record at work last year, I've soon put paid to that in 2009.
Anyway, firstly I meant to mention that Jamie R was on K5 15.48 ex Peterborough on Tuesday with 37569, but passengers weren't allowed to go upstairs, presumably due to passenger illness. The result being that everyone crammed into the downstairs saloon with passengers being 'flung around the bus'.
You may have read in yesterday's blog how Jamie almost got left behind at Walpole last night, well along comes a similar story from Terence which took place on 37579 on L13 also last night. Travelling on the 16.55 ex Lowestoft, says Terence "The driver decided to forget about the Hopton stop diversion and carry straight on to Gorleston. A lady, sitting in one of the front seats actually wanted to get off there and told the driver she wanted to stop there - although, I'm not 100% sure she pressed the stop button (I could be wrong). This was when the bus was leaving the roundabout to hit the dual-carriageway. The driver couldn't turn around on the road - so he decided to put the bus straight into the right-hand lane and push the bus to it's top speed (unlike 37573, this bus actually revvs up to 3,000 revvs) - even through the 40mph part. At the next roundabout, he turned the bus around and, again, floored it. He dropped the people, who wanted Hopton, off and turned around and caned it back again - to keep to the timetable I suppose. Unfortunately, I didn't have a watch so couldn't work out how much time he lost missing Hopton. Other vehicles include - meeting P766 XHS, as the first opposite way service, with all the rest of the X1s being B9TL Geminis". All good fun then !
With me being sidelined today, I had to rely on reports from the rest of you and you certainly came up trumps.
Rob Brooks was out and about today and says"My X1 sightings for today: 20109 on K4 0848 Pbo - Lft depart PB at 0856. We then went to Queensgate, and unloaded and picked up, leaving at 0900. Unidentified B9 on a slghtly late K6 0918 Pbo - Lft. 37574 Y8 0901 Wis - Pbo & 0948 Pbo - Lft roughtly on time (I think). 20106 - N606APU on Y9 0931 Wis - Pbo on time. 37576 -J10 1001 Wis - Pbo arrive 1002 departed 1005, loading a lot of people! 20105 - N605APU K1 1601 Wis-Pbo arrive Wis 1558 departed 1559...late 1531 or an early leaving 1601?!?! 37570 - K3 1609 Wis-Lft arrive 1605 depart OT. 37570 is also complete with the creme egg advert. Plenty of B10s there Rob, including a very rare appearance of 20106 which having been at Lynn last night must mean it had come on Y9 there.
Speaking of rare B10s, Neville sent me a text to say he'd almost had a collision with 20115 in a very congested Acle at 13.10. It was heading for Norwich on an X1 relief (shuttle). Terence also saw 20115 on the shuttles, it was on the 08.20 departure westbound from the James Paget, while he was on K15 which had 37573 for the third consecutive day. He passed 37569 on Y14 at Hopton.
Long time no hear from John W who says :"NO.........I've not emigrated, but most I have seen lately has been thereabouts on time. This morning at around 10.50, 37564 was "in the middle" showing "Not In Service", next door to 20118 showing X1. A familiar noise behind me was 20107 arriving a minute or two early (I suppose) to become the 10.59 west (L13).
Well John at least that solves the mystery of what 20106 replaced on Y9. 37564 has been a very reliable performer recently incidentally.
Thanks to all for your reports.
This is the unofficial blog for the Peterborough - Norwich XL bus service operated by First Group. Originally reporting the introduction of the 'Gemini' double deckers and the phasing out of coaches, the blog is now incredibly in its twelfth year and in 2021 the new fleet of state of the art double deckers enter their second year in traffic. To contact me with your observations/experiences on the XL, email gerardtcc@gmail.com .
1 comment:
Hello, Gerard, Sorry to hear about you having the "bug" - virus. I didn't notice that you put 2008 on instead of 2009 - which reminds me, you still have the 9th January 2009 as being 2008 mate. Don't worry about the mix-up mate as we have only entered 2009 and it can be rather confusing as we got used to having 2008 as our year. A tad more news for you mate :- Friday, saw 20128 at 2.30/3.00pm heading across the Great Yarmouth bypass - just passed the roundabout with the traffic lights on. Today lunchtime :- Westbound - Shuttle N604 APU, 37567, another Premiere on shuttles and 37563. Eastbound 37570 and B7 Profile. It's great to hear you had a 100% attendance record at work last year and, although the virus, by my experiences, will take 2-3 weeks to properly clear, I hope to hear you get up and back to your place of work and back to being the X1 expert A.S.A.P. Basically, I hope you get better as soon as possible. Until then, the rest of us will hopefully keep you updated as much as we can - so you just relax and, seriously, get as much rest and piece and quiet as you can. Best of luck getting better. Terence Wilkins (ECBusman).
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