Monday 14th February 2011 ~ 20102 Surely Not ?

The local message boards have apparently been a buzz of activity this weekend after 20102 - the B10M coach that's painted white and looks rather smart, but more importantly has never worked an X1 - was sent from Ipswich to Lowestoft on Saturday with the intention of using it on a schools diagram, surely giving it X1 potential ? Problem is, schools out this week, so 20102 promptly returned to Ipswich yesterday :+(
Oh well, may be one day soon it will make its X1 debut ? In the meantime, we have quite enough entertainment to deal with. Today saw the Beast working L11 and Y13 turning up with 20115. As on Saturday, two B10Ms were out deputising from the outset. This had previously occurred as far back as 27th September, so is hardly a common phenomenon.

There were a couple of swaps today. K16 with 37563 came back west with 37157 and K1 appears to have changed 37564 for 37569. Out of traffic today was 37570 (King's Lynn safety service), 37159 (MOT) and 37566 (Volvo).



Spotted in Edinburgh this lunchtime was B7 coach 20358 - a sister of 20351-3 which were formerly used on the X1. It is seen here in Princes Street on a normal stage route service.



I arrived back in East Anglia this evening and had to leg it from the train to catch K5, the 18.40 from Peterborough rail station. I needn't have exerted myself as with tickets bought and passengers aboard, 37160 then refused to start. After consultations with the garage at King's Lynn, the driver then briefly disappeared to the engine compartment and on his return managed to start 37160. A sticking solenoid on the starter motor had been the cause, one which is far from unhard of with the Geminis. Steven the dtiver then made an effort to make up time and an eleven minute late departure was reduced to just a 7 minutes late arrival into Wisbech. With the speed limitations of a B7, I thought this was quite a good performance.