What an incredible lot you are ~ I've been away for an entire week and during that time, my correspondents have collectively managed to successfully report sightings for all but two of 116 X1 diagrams !!!
Now that's dedication for you and a massive thanks to all who have contributed in any way. I suppose the first question which arises is the matter of those two missing duties. Well, it is hardly a cause for great concern. We are harking back to Easter Monday here when we do not know exactly what worked the 08.30 and 09.30 departures westbound from Great Yarmouth. What I have ascertained is that 37568 and 37569 were the Geminis involved, it is just that we don't know which one did which turn.
Let's take a quick look then at what has been going on in my absence :
Good Friday 22nd April 2011
My outward journey to the Welsh Borders with my brother-in-law driving was not very well timed, our short trip on the A47 didn't clash with any eastbound X1s. That being said, we saw two !
Firstly 37567 was working the diagram which on arrival at Lowestoft works the Martham local service. This we definitely should not have seen, but instead we met it on Guyhirn bank running around 25 late in slow moving traffic. The reason for this soon became apparent when we passed a broken down car nearer Guyhirn. Behind this, traffic was queued to Thorney Toll and by good fortune 37572 was passed near Eye Green running well to time on the following service. Needless to say this then lost a lot of time and it was 46 late from Norwich. For a while, delays of around 30 minutes became the norm.
37569 on the next departure from Peterborough at 12.10 was badly affected and was seen by Des departing Yarmouth 65 minutes late with 'not in service' shown on the front. 37157 was supplied by Lowestoft to continue this duty which forms the 16.48 service back to Peterborough in the Sunday timetable, which was in force today.
 |
| Delayed 37567 was well loaded in Norwich this afternoon. DS |
Earlier 37157 had been noted by Malcolm on the 10.20 X2 from Lowestoft to Norwich and Des also saw it at Norwich on the 14.50 back to Lowestoft. 37158 was another B7 used on X1 duty today, it did the turn commencing as the 09.30 Yarmouth - Peterborough.
Saturday 23rd April 2011
Timekeeping was average today with lunchtime services around Wisbech running up to 20 minutes late. Bruce reports Y13 as 13 late through Walpole Highway on the 12.03 to Peterborough and 20 late coming back as the 14.06 to Lowestoft. K14 following was 20 late heading west.
Y13 was actually the days star turn with coach 20126. This had been borrowed after 20115 which was scheduled to work Y13, expired first thing filling Caister Road garage with smoke and leaking oil profusely. It will be a shame if this proves to be the end of 115, but it does have a transplanted engine from an older Volvo, so may be it should be expected. Other departures from the usual Saturday service involved Y10 which had the normally mega reliable 37574 taken off at Lynn ailing and 37159 replaced it. L11 also saw a vehicle swap with 37156 removed at Lowestoft in favour of white liveried B10M 20102.
Sam reports 37160 on the 11.38 X2 from Lowestoft and the use of a Gemini on the Saturday X2 seems to be happening quite regularly now. Sam enquires about the unusual front on 37160 and asks 'how long has it not had a silver front panel ?'. A few months I think, is the answer. Check out the previous blog pictures for a more precise solution Sam.
Easter Sunday 24th April 2011
The day seems to have run without any major problems, although punctuality may have been suspect. I say this because the early 06.35 Lynn to Lowestoft (classified as K1 on Sundays) utilised 37579, but later 37576 had taken over on the 10.48 from Lowestoft. Later Y9 looks to have had 37564 swapped at Lowestoft for 37565 and another change involved 37157 on Y7 which was taken off at Lynn and replaced by coach 20102 - this is believed to be because it would be required at Ipswich for schools work in the coming week. Confirmation of this theory would be welcomed. Malcolm reports 37156 lurking spare in Lowestoft bus station, so possibly in between X2 work ? The two pleasing shots of 37575 were taken at Corton church at 15.25 by Des, when it was working on the Martham service this afternoon.
 |
| The 13.48 Lowestoft - Peterborough (Sunday diagram no. K4) pauses at Gorleston Magdalen square with 37568. DS |
The day seems to have run without any major problems, although punctuality may have been suspect. I say this because the early 06.35 Lynn to Lowestoft (classified as K1 on Sundays) utilised 37579, but later 37576 had taken over on the 10.48 from Lowestoft. Later Y9 looks to have had 37564 swapped at Lowestoft for 37565 and another change involved 37157 on Y7 which was taken off at Lynn and replaced by coach 20102 - this is believed to be because it would be required at Ipswich for schools work in the coming week. Confirmation of this theory would be welcomed. Malcolm reports 37156 lurking spare in Lowestoft bus station, so possibly in between X2 work ? The two pleasing shots of 37575 were taken at Corton church at 15.25 by Des, when it was working on the Martham service this afternoon. Easter Monday 25th April 2011
 |
| 37573 on Magdalen Way in Gorleston while working the 09.48 from Lowestoft today. Photo : Des Speed |
A B9 worked service apart from 37157, although a little birdie tells me that 20126 may have had an evening run to Peterborough replacing 3756something. Thanks again to Bruce and Malcolm for todays sightings.
 |
| 37564 at Magdalen Square running as the 10.48 from Lowestoft today. DS |
 |
| The passing of the elephants ! 37573 meets 37576 in Gorleston at 12.14 today. |
Tuesday 26th April 2011
K2 started the day with 37569, but Paul reports having this on the 17.30 Beccles to Lowestoft X2 and Bruce saw K2 this afternoon with 20126 running 8 late. Earlier 20126 had gone east from Lynn on K14, the 05.37 departure to Lowestoft, but here 37156 replaced it. Thanks to Cheryl for her sightings today, 37566 on Y6, 37575 on L8, 37578 on Y9 10 late, 37157 on K16 and 37158 on K18 6 late, all viewed at Wisbech town bridge.
Bruce says afternoon workings were a little late in some cases and both 37156 and 37158 were ten late past him. Strangest working of the day was Lowestoft's 37565 on K17.
Wednesday 27th April 2011
Alarm bells ringing loudly this morning after a quiet spell, firstly K3 06.45 Lynn to Peterborough passing through Walpole with Scania 65540 and later 65527 appearing on L8 09.15 westbound from Lynn, in both cases confirmed by Bruce and Marcus. What appears to have happened is that 37565 may not have returned to Lynn on K17 yesterday as today it was on L12. It could have come on at Lynn of course, but in that case what it replaced is a mystery. Certainly whatever came in on K17 last night was not available, hence the Scania appearing on K3. 65540 came off at Lynn and 37566 removed from L8 returned to Lowestoft as K3. This is why another Scania had to be found for L8, though why they just didn't continue using 65540 is unknown. L8 forward from Lynn at 12.02 is also an unknown quantity - most likely explanation is that 37569 which was L8 this evening, had worked across on L12 (this arrives at Lynn at 11.07), was then changed for a revived 37565 and promptly worked back east at 12.02. 37157 and 37568 seem to have been kept at Lowestoft for again, reasons unknown and 20126 was provided instead on L11.
Bruce was vigilant all day but in the afternoon K19 didn't appear to run (it was allocated 37572). 37571 had lost 17 minutes on K17 when it passed him going to Peterborough and later eastbound K18 with 37159 and K1 with 37570 were both 10 late, though all other services ran to time.
 |
| Dart 43437 waits at Great Yarmouth Market Gates at 08.50 this morning with a shuttle to Norwich. DS |
 |
| Former X1 regular, 20109 is now a driver trainer at Yarmouth, seen here in the depths of Caister Road garage. DS |
Thursday 28th April 2011
After lunch, traffic congestion ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend contrived to spoil X1 punctuality - the nadir as far as Bruce was concerned was reached with 37573 on K19 16.56 Wisbech to Lowestoft passing 32 late, things ran well in the morning apart from an isolated delay to Y7 with 37576 running 16 late. Cheryl viewed 37570 on Y6 and 37159 on Y9 both slightly late. By afternoon 37156 was 11 x 15 late on K16 (no surprises there then), 37563 on Y13 returned east 10 late and 37568 on K4 was also 10 late at teatime. Embarrassingly K14 with 20126 had lost 26 minutes by the time it passed Bruce eastbound (due 14.35).
Des drove Y13 into Lowestoft from Yarmouth this morning with 37569 and then departed to Peterborough with a replacement, 37563, Rachel was on board and also saw the swap. It looks as though 37564 on L8 was changed at the coast for 37157.
Finally in this round up, a milestone was passed today. At around 21.20 this evening, somewhere in the vicinity of Easton, 37575 working K15 became the first X1 Gemini to pass the 300,000 mile mark ! Quite a feat I'm sure you'll agree.
No comments:
Post a Comment