Tuesday 8th September 2009 ~ Feedback

Thanks very much to all those of you who responded to my recent assessment of the current state of the X1. I will put together your comments and produce an extra blog item. Anyone else who wishes to have some input, please email me before Saturday. Any First employess who wish to contribute, please be assured that your anonymity is guaranteed.
Sam says he's heard the complete opposite of the B10Ms being replaced which goes to show you never know. I heard only this week that a decision to repaint a couple was only recently shelved.
The weather was very hot today considering it is now September and may have been a contributary factor with a couple of failures.
Mike from Lowestoft was in touch today and says : "On my travels today from Lowestoft to Norwich on the 12.55 departure (forgot to note the number!), - it was 37575 Mike - I passed 20351/37578/37568/20??? (passing too fast along the Acle straight to get the number) - that was the flying 20103 - , 37566/37570/37564 and later saw 37579 in Norwich all heading for Lowestoft. 20351 worked back from Lowestoft but on arrival at 3:30 in Norwich Bus Station it was displaying "Sorry Not In Service" and after unloading its passengers went to one of the parking bays where it was still receiving attention from a fitter in the engine compartment when I departed on the 15:38 X2 service back to Lowestoft. The next arrival on the X1 into Norwich from Lowestoft which I passed on the way out of the city was 37578 which looked pretty full. 37565 has been working on the X2 service today and I saw it doing two round trips this afternoon ".
Thanks very much for that Mike and a postscript to this, 20351 did get back to King's Lynn on K4 but was taken off at 19.27 sounding very unhealthy having arrived late and 'school bus' 20106 did the 19.35 to Lowestoft. This turn goes empty to Yarmouth, so expect 106 to work out on one of the 'Y' turns tomorrow morning. 37578 which you mention as being well patronised was on K5 and is believed to have expired at Swaffham at teatime, certainly an X1 failed here and fitters were summoned. There was no sign of 578 at Lynn by 20.30. More news on this when we get it.
B10Ms filling in today were, as reported above, 20103 on Y7, 20107 on L12, 20104 on K2 and 20105 on K15. The latter was very surprising as K15, like K19 is a solid B9 turn normally. 37566 was sent out by Lowestoft on L8 today, while as Mike reports 565 was on the X2. Sam and Michael Bryant also reported this and it was on the old K19 turn, presumably after servicing. Whilst on the subject of the X2 Michael reports the use of Darts on the service for a couple of days now and Sam adds : "43437 failed on the 16:08 leaving 34109 to work the 16:38 full, then Trident 32863 turned up showing Lowestoft X2 but didn't see it leave in service". On EABG Syd says "60307 and 60309 have been delicensed, they have signs saying 'Do not remove parts' and are officially 'In Store' The operators discs have been removed. 60306 is still in use however and Volvo Olympian 34155 has been transferred to Gt Yarmouth".
Michael Bryant adds that 34157 is now back in service after a four month lay off and 34158 has had its rear repainted and lost the 'Thatchers Cider' all-over ad.
Back to the X1 and a number of Geminis have appeared with an advert for Fifa World Cup Tickets today and 37563/568/570 have been noted so far. The three Hunstanton schools contracts allocated B10Ms had 20106/118/121 today, but with 106 having been purloined to do K4 tonight, it remains to be seen what will get used in its place tomorrow - most likely candidate is 20105, but a lot depends on whether 37578 is fit for service. If it is not don't discount the possible appearance of a Scania on either K3 or K5 as none of the three B9s at Volvo have returned as yet.