34157 during a loan spell at Lynn in April 2009. What odds would you have got for predicting this and 34921 alongside to both work mainstream X1s in 2010 ?The Beast passed Bruce and myself having our 08.30 chat this morning on K2. The driver gave a cheery wave as if to say "It's them silly bloggers". I think we will see how many other Excel drivers we can persuade to give us a wave at 08.30 each morning, reports to follow ! The fact that 107 was on K2 means it finishes at Lowestoft, so may be it is due for a rest.
As I mentioned a while ago, it is now pretty easy to predict what buses will come out of Yarmouth in the mornings as they seem to have adopted a pattern. K1, 37573 yesterday, does Y6 which it did today. K4, 37564 yesterday, does Y7 and also did today. L8 does Y9 and again this stuck with 37568 and K18 37159 yesterday - well this is where it goes a bit crazy - should do Y13, but for unknown reasons today this produced something quite unexpected. Northern Counties Palatine bodied Olympian 34157, P657UFB was in charge, making the debut for this class on an X1 at Peterborough ! Now before I lay claim to sighting this myself, I must be truthful and admit that I didn't see it as indeed neither did Bruce who was busily engaged in filling up his freezer after his supermarket sweep. It was Andy James who set the ball rolling with a report from a friend in Norwich just before ten and then Marcus got in touch, I'll let him explain : "Have just travelled on Olympian 34157 (P657UFB) on 13.14 Peterborough to Thorney. Too good a chance to miss! Blondie was driving. She left Peterborough 4 late, having arrived 15 late, but arrived in Thorney on time. Just as good a ride as on BBBB 34108".
Well I'll stone the crows ! Anyway this was all too good to last and this evening the stranger had been replaced by B10M 20126, itself a bit of a rarity these days. What is quite odd is that when King's Lynn had 34155 & 34157 on loan about 18 months ago, they went nowhere near the X1 during their tenure. I wonder if 34157 has a tacho fitted, or whether it was a late substitution for 37159 ? It was also expected that 37160 would work back from Lowestoft today, but 37578 came out instead and worked L8. So with 37156 on MOT, yesterday's tally of four B7s on the X1 was halved today.
A word about B9 mileages now and lowest is still 37566 on just over 142,000 on its hub meter, while 37575 is storming ahead on 157,500. That's quite a difference over 18 months I expect you will agree.
The Wisbech roadworks situation improved slightly today when temporary lights on Lynn Road due to a sewer collapse were removed. The South Brink is still closed however and the original completion date for flood barrier work of March 3rd has now been revised to 'Mid March'. Services heading to Peterborough take the A1101 to Newcommon Bridge and then head down Weasenham Lane to join Cromwell Road.
P.S. Couldn't resist the Prince Palatine reference. Older readers will know this as an A3 Pacific no. 60052 which was the favourite on the 'Master Cutler'. Historically PP was the number one British racehorse in 1912/3. It won the St. Ledger and in 1913 was sold for 45 grand which was like millions then. It was related to Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard, but not as rare as 34157 on the X1 lol.
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