AEC Swift ECW B43D
New Great Yarmouth Corporation, 10/1973
EC Sw 3MP2R24503 ECW 20835
New in October 1973, AEC Swift 85 spent its 25 year life span working in Great Yarmouth. In 1986 Great Yarmouth Corporation was re branded Great Yarmouth Transport which is the livery it wears today.
Fast forward to 1996 First Bus took-over Great Yarmouth Transport and a handful of AEC Swifts transferred over to the First Blue Bus / Eastern Counties operations before being withdrawn for a full restoration in 1998.
Leyland National Mk1 B49F
New to London Transport LS274 03/1979
LN 10351A/2R 0578
YYE274T was new to London Transport in 1979 as LS274 carrying their Royal Red livery with LT Bullseye logo, yellow front entrance doors and a set of centre exit doors.
Luckily it was restored into tribute to the privatised Eastern Counties livery 274 has been active on the rally scene since 2015.
In 2020/2021 in private ownership the owners at the time forged on with some lighter restoration work on LN274 including over hauling the braking system etc, but in 2021 was offered to us as a group to purchase.
Bristol VR Series 3 ECW H43/31F
New Great Yarmouth as 29 02/1979
VRT/SL3/1691ECW 23456
29 was new to Great Yarmouth Corporation in February 1979, some 20 years before our first group vehicle 574! 29 will be known as “Blue Peter” - firstly to mark the legacy of Mick and Judy Peters' sheer efforts to keep this vehicle so well kept at their home in North Norfolk, and also because our eventual plans will be to restore 29 back to Great Yarmouth Transport blue with cream relief stripes livery with the “BLUE BUSES” strap lines that were worn in the 1980s/90s. 29 worked solely from Caister Road, Great Yarmouth, from February 1979 - firstly for Great Yarmouth Corporation, which then changed in 1986 to Great Yarmouth Transport “BLUE BUSES”.
Leyland Freight Rover Sherpa O20F
New to Northern Western 06/1987
SAZZNVPC7AN277947
Arriving at Flying Banana t/a Halesworth Transit in the 1990's, D70TLV was chosen to be made a 'Banana Buggy' in 1996. This was to operate along the seafront of Great Yamouth.
In 1998 First Bus took over operations of Flying Banana but the brand and image remained until the early 00's.
More recently D70 TLV has been in storage in Bedfordshire until we purchased the vehicle in late 2022.
Mercedes Benz Frank Guy B20F
New to Eastern Counties as MG119 11/1995.
668063-2N-037908 6969
New to King’s Lynn in November 1995 was a follow up batch of Mercedes Benz 0609’s body conversions by Frank Guy.
619 was then withdrawn completely & went to a dealer in Manchester for re sale. OR Jones, Anglesey then acquired it and then it worked from their depot near Holyhead until early 2019 when it was withdrawn due to age and DDA.
619 had a regular driver called “Jack” so the bus is named after him. Bws Bach Jac (Little Bus Jac).
Volvo B10M Plaxton Premiere C53F
New to Eastern Counties as 30 06/1997
YV31MA515VA047365 Pn 9712VUM7206
New to King’s Lynn in May 1997 it was delivered to complement the delivery of P731-4NVG which came in September 1996. 330 was part of a minor frequency increase for the X94 between Peterborough & Norwich.
In 2002 the Volvo B10M’s were displaced off the X94 by 10 Plaxton Paragon Volvo B12M’s. 330 then transferred to Norwich to work the “excel” network working routes such as Norwich to Sheringham etc.
The withdrawal was sped up by additions of the Volvo B9TL’s in late 2008 also. From 2009 to 2015 she remained in private ownership at Rambler Coaches before coming home to King’s Lynn to LynxBus. It was then sold to us in July 2019.
Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer SLF B39F
New to New World Bus HV 5087 05/1998
SFD322AR1WGW12311 Pn 9810.7HLB9407
New in 1998 in Hong Kong to New World First Bus Services as HV 5087 later becoming S664SNG, it came to the UK in the early 2000’s and worked with Eastern Counties at Norwich from 2002-2006 before finishing in Plymouth with Devon & Cornwall 2006-2015.
Our short term plan is to let the bus be dry stored before tackling some tedious electrical work that is required before we can then push on with the rest of the restoration project.
Scania L94UB Wright Axcess Floline B40F
New to Eastern Counties as 574 02/1999
YS4L4X20001834123 A604
New to First Ipswich in February 1999, 574 was part of a batch of early Scania L94UB Wright Axcess-Flolines and seated 40 passengers. This S – TPW batch of Scania's succeeded the R– DVF batch of Scania L113CRL Wright Axcess-Ultralows. The batch was numbered 565 to 574 and was split between Ipswich and Norwich.
On Saturday 12th October 2019, 574 made its journey back home to Cambridgeshire following a full re panel and repaint into a tribute to “First Blue Bus” .
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The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group
Sort Code : 30-96-26
Account No: 54608968
