Monday 16th September 2013 ~ New Vehicle Update

This looks like being the week that new buses arrive. Richard Tucker, depot manager at First King's Lynn, travelled to Scarborough on Friday to check on the production line. A few minor alterations are in hand as a result and the first new vehicles will arrive once these modifications are complete. This is expected to be some time before Friday of this week or possibly early next.
The new Enviros are likely to be despatched at the rate of 5 per week once delivery starts. The vehicles will have advertising board frames fitted as we suspected, but not at the rear. Top speed should be 62mph instead of the 59mph currently attained by the Geminis and the 6.9 litre engines will be of equal horsepower to the B9s. A meeting was being held today to arrange additional accommodation in King's Lynn for the existing fleet while the changeover takes place. If this is not successful, the new fleet will be delivered to Norwich Rowntree Way and sent over to King's Lynn as required.
 The current fleet will be transferred away as the new buses enter service, commencing with the B7s which will go to Newcastle-Under-Lyme. 37159 went to Full Circle for repaint today where it will join 37156 which arrived there on Friday. To cover the shortfall, Norwich Gemini 36180 has temporarily been allocated to King's Lynn once again. 37160 returned to traffic on Saturday.
37563-69 are going back to Lowestoft (where they were originally based) for work on the X2 and 37570-9 will go to Yarmouth for use on the X1 shorts and other associated services. The additional vehicles should also mean that they can be used as required for rail replacement work.

Plaxton President 32209 seen on an X1 short in Acle on Thursday. These workings should shortly go over to Gemini operation. Photo Joe Leathers.

On the road, Thursday saw 37565 in trouble with a coolant leak at Necton while working K19-XL06 16.08 Peterborough - Great Yarmouth and had to have fitters attention, while similarly on Friday 37579 had a similar complaint at Swaffham while working Y6-XL12 14.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough. It was replaced by 37564 and has been under repair at King's Lynn since. On Saturday, 36180 resumed work on the route doing the diagram K3-XL09 normally worked by 33423. It did not complete the day though as no driver was available for the 16.12 King's Lynn - Peterborough and it retired to the depot. I was waiting with a few others for K3 at Peterborough railway station and we had to wait the extra 30 minutes for 37575 on K4-XL10. In the meantime, 33423, which Bruce calls 'The Stealth Bus' because of its quiet progress, was used on K5-XL11. Cheryl also has a pet name for 33423 : the naked bus ! 37563 is now stopped for MOT and today (Monday) 36180 did the first half of K17-XL04, being replaced for the 13.42 King's Lynn - Peterborough by 37567.
The X1 blog will keep you updated on the arrival of the new fleet as and when it happens, so watch this space.