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| Now that's just silly !! Photo DS |
Thursday 24th May.
I was reminded tonight that on Sunday evening last I had viewed the last westbound service at Walton Highway. 37572 was the bus which loomed out of the darkness proclaiming 'Contract' on the front once again. Attempts have been made this week to exorcise the demons which have caused the malfunctioning destination screen and tonight I followed 572 home on K19 noticing that its display has been reset to the narrow font which has been absent from the fleet for a while now.
Malcolm had a day out on the X1 and managed to spot every turn apart from Y13 which was 37577 and K14 which had 37570.
Cheryl reports that teatime services were using the Wisbech St. Mary route from Guyhirn following another A47 incident.
Friday 25th May
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| The rather serious message from the NHS is currently adorning the rears of many of the X1 fleet. |
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| 37157 with an advert for an old favourite ! |
Des informs me that the work at Peterborough rail station which was due to end on 22nd May has now been put back to 31st ! He took L10 13.02 King's Lynn - Lowestoft forward from the Southgates changeover today departing 11 late with 37574 with a slight improvement en route taking him into Lowestoft 8 minutes late. Bruce says "Thought I heard a tractor earlier, but it turned out to be 37158 on Y7 with a very noisy fan".
Saturday 26th May
Well it was such a glorious day that I was able to nip out from my duties as Mum carer to get a few pix for the blog :
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| During the next week or so 37563 will pass the 400,000 mile mark on the X1. Here it leaves Walpole Highway on K15 09.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough today. |
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| 37575 heads for King's Lynn near Faulkner's Tunnel this morning on L11. |
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| 37156 pretending to be a B9 takes K16 through Walpole this afternoon. |
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| Heading back east on the 14.35 from Peterborough, this view shows the way the revised paint scheme has been applied to the rear of the B7. |
More delays on the route today, Mr. Speed was on Y10 westbound with 37568 on time (yes honestly) and returned east in charge of 37159 on Y7 which was 23 late from the Southgates and 18 late into Yarmouth. a good effort to regain time in view of the fact it was a Saturday. News of Y7s delay had already been relayed to me by Bruce who texted saying "37159 on Y7 just gone by at 11.33 (27 late) with 37565 on L8 just 12 minutes behind".
Dave Hodkinson says "I had my first experience of the X1 service on Saturday evening with a mate of mine. We ended up at Yarmouth station off the 1450 duff from Norwich, picked up his car, left it at the B and B and walked to Acle station for the 1728 to Norwich. After some time the signaller advised that all trains were caped due to signalling problems, however, a quick walk to the bus stop revealed a 1757 X1 'fast' to Naaridge bus stn. I have to say that's about as far as I would want to go on a Gemini : what a rancid slow bus, and no air conditioning either! For the record it was 37575".
Now before you all think that Dave's report amounts to a slagging off, let me explain that this is Dave in genteel mode and this is actually an endorsement of the service. Now had he been in a bad mood.........
Anyway, he did manage to take a pic for us, though I have to confess I find the destination a little confusing - why was 575 only going as far as Norwich (it was supposed to be working L11 through to Lynn) ?
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| 37572 with its narrow font destination display reinstated passing Boskoop Farm this afternoon on the 13.10 Peterborough - Lowestoft. |
Kieran says Dereham Market Place will be closed for a Jubilee party next Sunday with X1s stopping near the roundabout instead. 37160 enjoyed a third succesive day in King's Lynn garage and both 37566 & 37570 were off the road for servicing this weekend. Today's service was a succession of B9 Geminis.
Monday 28th May
Malcolm Hicks reports former X1 B10M Premiere coach 20109 on driver training duties in Lowestoft today.
Victor Meldrew has been let loose at the computer again and writes
"Dear Mr Fletcher,
How about some of these new Norfolk Green double deckers for X1?....
"under-seat mood lighting and new comfy seating" - someone should tell First
Group that such buses exist!
I was going to suggest we get Mr Coulson to take over the X1 service and
equip it with his excellent new vehicles, but spotted a couple of
problems....
- we wouldn't get to experience the "mood lighting" as Norfolk Green seems
to stop operating most services mid-afternoon!
- Norfolk Green probably don't issue VIP passes (lol)
On a more serious note, it's good to see that Norfolk Green's timetabled stops are updated more frequently than First Group's. On the NG56 timetable they very
quickly renamed their stop "Elm High Road for Morrisons", whereas about 10 years
after the closure of the local 'restaurant', First Group still insist on calling
their Guyhirn stop "Guyhirn Little Chef"!
I can understand they might not
want to call it "Guyhirn Sex Shop" but something like "Guyhirn A47 Shell Garage"
might be a little more up-to-date / helpful?"
Victor Meldrew
Victor Meldrew
Well he's certainly out to ruffle a few feathers I reckon ! Now as it happens Victor, I have it on good authority (ok - rumour actually) that the X1 WILL be receiving new buses after the Olympics with upgraded facilities, so just hold your horses. As for Norfolk Green and evening services, why only tonight I saw one of their ex Reading double deckers heading out on the 505 at 19.45, mind you it was only going as far as Holbeach, so let's be fair shall we ?
Tuesday 29th May
Peter says " Out on the X1 this morning with the 08.18 Wisbech - Peterborough (K5). It's 37157 with a very polite driver but with the heating on full blast !". Gosh Peter you are almost as bad as Victor !! Now if you'd checked your blog history, you would realise that 37157 is the one bus which provides heat at any time of year - even in the Winter. L11 was running late this morning with 37158 - on its way back from Peterborough it was away from the Southgates driver change at 13.53 - about 16 late. 37570 enjoyed a fourth day on the trot resting at King's Lynn garage.
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