Sunday 20th October 2013 ~ Going Going, Almost Gone

All washed up ? 37577 & 37574 await instructions at Vancouver Avenue tonight.

With all the interest in the new Enviro fleet, this weekend the attention switched to the two remaining Geminis left in service with X1 branding, or as they have become known more recently, 'the white buses'.
Saturday dawned with an almost complete compliment of Enviros for the 19 duties, all except K3-XL09 that is which had 37577. This situation didn't last long though, as 33810 operating K15-XL02 only reached Norwich before being failed with a hydraulic oil leak. This meant Gemini thunderbird 37574 had to be called into action to replace it and this stayed on the turn for the rest of the day.
Other Enviros out of traffic were 33822 with inoperative 'bus stopping' signs and 33817 + 33824 both awaiting commissioning. 33803 is still at the temporary compound awaiting attention to an adblue fault amongst other things.

37576 at Acle today (see below). Photo copyright : Grahame Bessey.

Grahame Bessey reports 37576 in trouble on an X1 short on Saturday morning with fuel issues and terminating at Acle. Grahame adds "33820 was next to arrive very full and not enough space for those waiting at Acle plus the 37576 passengers, however Ambassadors NX 497 Coach pulled up and kindly gave myself and a dozen others a free trip into Norwich!"

33807 departs Norwich for Peterborough working the 11.55 ex Lowestoft (K1-XL07). Photo copyright : Grahame Bessey

33814 working K6-XL12 09.35 from Peterborough at Acle. Kev Summers at the wheel is not camera shy ! Photo copyright : Grahame Bessey

The Sunday service ran without incident, all Enviros and from those seen, all on time. This does however, leave things on a knife-edge for tomorrow. Will the timetable become 100% Enviro with the entry into service of 33817 & 33824 ? If so it looks as if the spare bus will still be a Gemini until either 33803/10/22 can be fixed. Malcolm Hicks reports Paragon coach 20514 at Lowestoft railway station this afternoon working a rail replacement service. 

Here for the detail enthusiasts is the full log of registrations and rear advertising.