The XL Blog: Thursday 19th June 2014 ~ World Cup Bargain !

33816 heading westbound on Thursday 5th June at Great Yarmouth working K14 09.00 from Lowestoft.
Photo copyright : Kieran Smith

Well here we are again, I've been away for a short break, but thanks to my regular team for keeping an eye on things for me.
There have been many route diversions / incidents since the last report which can be summarised thus :

June 2 : Eastbound roadworks Postwick, roadworks Bourges Boulevard Peterborough

June 4 : RTC Norwich, Newmarket Road,

June 5 : Temporary A47 closure near Dereham, Toftwood not serviced for a while. Southtown Road, Yarmouth temporary closure

June 9 : RTC A47 North Pickenham turn

June 10 : Lorry breakdown Hockering, Roadworks commence between Saddlebow and Pullover Roundabouts. Partial blockage at Postwich - A BAD Day

June 13 : RTA Martineau Lane, Gridlock pm East Winch to Hardwick

June 17 : Acle Straight incident, diversions via Wisbech Road, South Lynn

I make no apology for 'pinching' some of the above from the X1 Twitter pages, but it shows the sheer amount of dilemmas the X1 team have to face on an almost daily basis. Check out the Twitter feed at :

https://twitter.com/First_X1

33805 working L12 12.35 Peterborough - Lowestoft on 5th June. Photo copyright : Kieran Smith

There were a few unusual sightings at Lowestoft early in the month, not on the X1 though ! Malcolm reports 42358 operating the 09.25 X2 from Norwich on both 3rd & 5th June, 66126 was a surprise on the 10.40 1A to Martham on 4th and on 10th 34114 arrived on the 08.59 from Martham. Generally speaking X1 arrivals in Lowestoft have been punctual but on 14th, K6 arrived 16 late with 33812 and Y7 which was next in arrived 10 down with 33804.
The X1 fleet continue to behave pretty well. 33809 had an MOT on June 6th and 33818 was also treated a week later, while 33814 had a couple of days off that week for hydraulic tank attention.

Photo copyright : Cameron Robinson

33823 returned to traffic after repairs on June 2nd but currently has a fault with its rear destination as seen in the photograph here taken by Cameron Robinson in Gorleston High Street on 15th June.
33824 made a visit to Full Circle for minor accident repairs between 9th & 12th. 33809 is currently sidelined again and has not been on the road since being removed from K16 on 12th.

Zak Nelson photographed this X1 short worked by 33423 in Norwich with a slightly incorrect service number on the afternoon of June 9th.

A Sunday swap occurred on 9th when 33819 had a fluid leak in the drivers cab, 33823 replaced it on L10.
The North Pickenham accident on 9th delayed a few morning services, westbound 33811 passed Wisbech Town Bridge 23 minutes late at 10.42 on Y9, L10 with 33807 came back from Peterborough just 12 late though and then normality resumed. I took advantage of the new Wisbech Tesco stop that day and boarded K14 12.58 Wisbech - Peterborough with 33822 (the bus I always seem to get). The driver couldn't get reverse gear to leave Wisbech bus station and had to switch off the engine before it would engage. Departure was 8 late, but it came back from Peterborough just 2 minutes late. On June 11th K15 and K16 passed Bruce at Walpole Highway within 5 minutes of each other, 33807 at 13.44 following 33809 which was about 30 late, but other services seemed to run to timetable.
A special X1 fare after 19.30 hours has been introduced during the World Cup - passengers can travel for a flat fare of just £1 for the duration (£1 fare only available in Norwich zones 1 - 5 and Yarmouth town to JPH.) Hopefully this will last longer than England's involvement which after tonight looks doomed.

Zak Nelson, webmaster of Norwich Bus Page kindly sent in a report with some photos of some X1 exiles. He says "I visited Chelmsford yesterday (12th) on bus spotting duties. I've now finished college so have a lot of free time on my hands! Whilst there I spotted some ex-X1 coaches operating the X30 from Southend to Stansted Airport in the form of 20500 AO02RBX, recently repainted into a special AIRCOACH version of the new livery:

Copyright : Zak Nelson (NBP)

Meanwhile 20501 AO02RBY was parked up at the famous Westway depot in Chelmsford which I was kindly allowed to be shown around. The latter was still in her old X1 livery, minus any route branding as seen here :

The new livery is seen again below, here on the rear of 20500 which has had a very close encounter with a local bus due to the tortuous nature of Chelmsford bus station :

Thanks to Zak for sending the report and photos. Whilst on the subject of redundant X1 coaches, Kieran adds "Saw 20515 outside First HQ in Rouen Road, Norwich on June 5th" and here's the picture to prove it :

Photo copyright : Kieran Smith

Peter has been making his usual trips aboard the X1 and has sent in a few photographs of interest. Firstly on 11th, Peter was on board 33804 working the 16.50 King's Lynn - Peterborough running some 20 minutes late due to the delays between East Winch and the Hardwick Roundabout. The next bus (33819 for the 17.20 departure) was only just behind and was passed at King's Lynn swimming pool as seen here. Peter also sent me some pictures taken this evening (19th) of an X1 taking the diversion via South Lynn - this is due to the slip road onto the bypass being closed for a few days and not as Peter surmised so that the driver could avoid the average speed cameras which have been temporarily installed on the affected section of the A47 !