20126 passes my car at lunchtime on L13. Note the odd panel beneath the reg plate.It was Bruce's idea to entitle today's blog as a vintage one. It's hard to argue either as I would doubt that there will be many more occasions this year - or ever come to that - when no less than seven B10Ms are called upon to help out on the X1 service.
Firstly, let's look at why this happened. Vehicles unavailable were : 37563 (unknown reason, but likely to be the first of the Lowestoft allocation to receive an MOT), 37576 ( travelled to 'Full Circle' for bodywork repairs today), 37578 (major air leak after running over a deer on Saturday evening) and not forgetting 20353 (Volvo Norwich).
The mystery of the disappearing B9 was solved today, the culprit was 37579 which worked the first eastbound service on Easter Sunday at 06.42 from Lynn, It failed on the return run from Lowestoft with an oil leak at Norwich. This explains the unusual appearance of 20352 on Sunday as this replaced the B9 forward ftom Lynn. 37579 was pronounced fit to do K20b tonight, otherwise known as the 17.17 Norwich - Peterborough, though whether it returned to Lynn beforehand is not known. Earlier 20352 had done the morning part of K20.
Whilst at the western end , things were pretty dire this morning, the opposite was the case at Yarmouth where 37572 was spare all day (viewed by Jamie V). It would normally have done Y21, but this was done by 20351 which had travelled over before the holiday. Hasty repairs were effected to 37568 and 20127 early this morning to enable King's Lynn to fulfil their X1 requirements. B10Ms out in traffic today were :
20103 K2
20105 K17
20107 K18
20121 Y8
20126 L13*
20127 K19
20131 K4
What is remarkable about this, is that the vehicles concerned all did the turns listed in their entirety. 20131 is particularly noteworthy and was only used owing to the non-availability of 20109/118. *20126 left Lynn on L13 tonight at 19.59 but was last seen on the forecourt at Vancouver Avenue just after 20.00, so presumably the driver had found a problem with it.
The timetable fell apart at lunchtime. 37577 was seen departing Wisbech for Peterborough spot on time at 12.31 on K15, but the next westbound service was no less than 41 minutes late with 37564 (K16). Subsequent westbound services were K17 20105 35 late and K18 20107 37 late. Somehow 37568 got to Peterborough on K3 - it is thought by using the A47 bypass and returned on time. 37566 which had started on K3 ended up on K5 just 11 late, but K7 15.31 ex Wisbech westbound was 25 late with 37569. By 16.30 normality had returned with 20103 on K2 being on time. 20131 was 15 late in for the 17.01 to Peterborough (K4). Due to the late running 20107 on K18 was noted entering Wisbech eastbound at 16.03 on the tail of 37568. By the time they had reached Bruce at Walpole Highway, positions had been reversed and 20107 was in front of the B9, however, they were still in convoy.
Michael reports a stranger on the X2 today, 43470, a Norwich 'Dart' on the 13.38 from Lowestoft.
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