Here are three more pictures of the coach that was tested today. I'm sure I have seen the driver somewhere before :)
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| Photos by kind permission of Julian Patterson |
This is the unofficial blog for the Peterborough - Norwich XL bus service operated by First Group. Originally reporting the introduction of the 'Gemini' double deckers and the phasing out of coaches, the blog is now incredibly in its twelfth year and in 2021 the new fleet of state of the art double deckers enter their second year in traffic. To contact me with your observations/experiences on the XL, email gerardtcc@gmail.com .
27/04/2017
Thursday April 27th 2017 : Part 2 !
A postscript to today's blog..... the Scania double decker demonstrator had its last day on the X1 route today and it is returning home tomorrow.
Here are three more pictures of the coach that was tested today. I'm sure I have seen the driver somewhere before :)
Here are three more pictures of the coach that was tested today. I'm sure I have seen the driver somewhere before :)
Thursday April 27th 2017 ~ More Testing
An interesting development today was the running of a Scania coach over the western end of the X1 route for clearance purposes and performance evaluation. Coaches are believed to be the preferred option for the route in some quarters, so this is not altogether surprising.
The coach was tested between King's Lynn and Norwich this morning. Particularly pleasing was the section through Dereham Market Place which was thought to be a stumbling block, as the vehicle is some two feet longer than the Enviro 400s currently in use, however, this was navigated with room to spare.
This afternoon the coach ran at 15.15 from King's Lynn to Peterborough following the service route without any problems. The coach was collected at Peterborough and returned north whence it came.
It must have been quite strange to have witnessed the coach on test passing the Scania double deck demonstrator between Wisbech and Guyhirn this afternon. The double decker is now working longer diagrams in its last few weeks on loan, having proved itself on the shorter turns.
Here are some pictures kindly provided by our contact at First showing the coach on test today :
The length of the six wheeler is emphasised by my poor shot of it leaving Wisbech this afternoon :
The coach was tested between King's Lynn and Norwich this morning. Particularly pleasing was the section through Dereham Market Place which was thought to be a stumbling block, as the vehicle is some two feet longer than the Enviro 400s currently in use, however, this was navigated with room to spare.
This afternoon the coach ran at 15.15 from King's Lynn to Peterborough following the service route without any problems. The coach was collected at Peterborough and returned north whence it came.
It must have been quite strange to have witnessed the coach on test passing the Scania double deck demonstrator between Wisbech and Guyhirn this afternon. The double decker is now working longer diagrams in its last few weeks on loan, having proved itself on the shorter turns.
Here are some pictures kindly provided by our contact at First showing the coach on test today :
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| All pictures courtesy of RT / First. |
The length of the six wheeler is emphasised by my poor shot of it leaving Wisbech this afternoon :
23/04/2017
Sunday April 23rd 2017 ~ Post Easter
After much nagging from my deprived readers I have at last got round to updating the blog. Someone said "When you titled your last post 'Final Update', I didn't think you actually meant it !!".
Time is perhaps opportune to look at the year so far. MOT's on the Enviro 400s at the western end of the route have been proceeding apace, 33803-807, 33809, 33812-815 have been done so far leaving five King's Lynn vehicles outstanding. This figure includes the accident damaged 33808 which came to grief on February 23rd.
The usual crop of unscheduled repairs have also seen buses out of service, so far these are summarised as follows :
33803 14th - 21st Feb : Powertrain : Gearbox
33804 14th Jan - 2nd Feb : Full Circle : Bodywork repairs
8th - 14th Feb : Powertrain ; Flexplates modification
2nd - 12th April : Rear axle replaced at First Norwich
33805 has suffered with an intermittant gear selector fault which has seen it removed from service on several occasions.
33806 4th-11th Jan ; Powertrain : Flexplates modification
33808 Full Circle for assessment since Feb 25th
33809 24th Jan - Feb 8th : Powertrain ; gearbox mod and fuel fault
9th - 19th March : Cummins : Engine failure (broken valve)
33812 Jan 10th - 23rd : Powertrain : Flexplates modification
33815 18th - 26th March : rear axle fault
33816 21st - 24th Feb : gearbox mod at Powertrain
The Scania demonstrator has been fairly reliable with just two periods out of traffic, namely 16th - 20th February (starter motor) and 7th - 11th April (electrical fault). It currently is having an issue with its handbrake sorted.
This has at times led to a full vehicle run out being impossible without assistance, meaning that Yarmouth's 33821 which originally arrived on October 12th last year remained on loan to King's Lynn until 23rd February. The failure of 33809 and MOT work then meant it returned for a further fortnight between 13th & 27th March. In addition, the replacement of the back axle on 33804 saw the loan of Norwich green liveried 36171 and this was in service on the X1 from 7th to 13th April.
I'm delighted to be able to include some photographs from the eastern end of the route thanks to Matthew Holland. The pictures below were all taken on March 17th
Malcolm Hicks reports visits of ex Leeds based Geminis on the Eastern X1 fairly frequently, but 33423 is less seen these days. 37274/5 also appear and Matthew Holland photographed 32348 working on March 21st, it is seen below at Lowestoft before working the 15.00 to Norwich
Photos copyright Matthew Holland
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| Photo copyright : Matthew Holland |
The usual crop of unscheduled repairs have also seen buses out of service, so far these are summarised as follows :
33803 14th - 21st Feb : Powertrain : Gearbox
33804 14th Jan - 2nd Feb : Full Circle : Bodywork repairs
8th - 14th Feb : Powertrain ; Flexplates modification
2nd - 12th April : Rear axle replaced at First Norwich
33805 has suffered with an intermittant gear selector fault which has seen it removed from service on several occasions.
33806 4th-11th Jan ; Powertrain : Flexplates modification
33808 Full Circle for assessment since Feb 25th
33809 24th Jan - Feb 8th : Powertrain ; gearbox mod and fuel fault
9th - 19th March : Cummins : Engine failure (broken valve)
33812 Jan 10th - 23rd : Powertrain : Flexplates modification
33815 18th - 26th March : rear axle fault
33816 21st - 24th Feb : gearbox mod at Powertrain
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| The Scania demonstrator in Wisbech on March 2nd |
The Scania demonstrator has been fairly reliable with just two periods out of traffic, namely 16th - 20th February (starter motor) and 7th - 11th April (electrical fault). It currently is having an issue with its handbrake sorted.
This has at times led to a full vehicle run out being impossible without assistance, meaning that Yarmouth's 33821 which originally arrived on October 12th last year remained on loan to King's Lynn until 23rd February. The failure of 33809 and MOT work then meant it returned for a further fortnight between 13th & 27th March. In addition, the replacement of the back axle on 33804 saw the loan of Norwich green liveried 36171 and this was in service on the X1 from 7th to 13th April.
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| Gemini 36171 at Walpole Highway while working the 14.45 Peterborough - Norwich on April 10th |
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| 33824 working the 10.45 Norwich - Lowestoft |
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| 33823 on 11.15 Norwich - Lowestoft |
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| Now restricted to the Eastern end of the route here is 37575 on the 12.00 Lowestoft - Norwich |
Malcolm Hicks reports visits of ex Leeds based Geminis on the Eastern X1 fairly frequently, but 33423 is less seen these days. 37274/5 also appear and Matthew Holland photographed 32348 working on March 21st, it is seen below at Lowestoft before working the 15.00 to Norwich
Photos copyright Matthew Holland
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