Friday 27th January 2017:
I must of got extremely lucky this day, as I was able to see the rarest allocation possible in Northampton! A Gold X46/X47 branded Scania Enviro 400 (namely 15942) managed to escape onto the service 5, which rarely ever gets double deckers for a start, the last time I ever captured one was on January 25th 2016! However, that was only an unbranded Trident (18158). If you want the clearest photo of 18158 on the 5, here is a link to that photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aswans1234567/24610405555
I also got a video 15942 on the 5, directing to Southfields. The video and photo of 15942 will be down below this text.
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15942 on 5
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Sadly, as reported by another bus enthusiast I know, this bus was taken off the 5 and replaced with another bus (possibly a 5 branded E200). There was also news of Uno's Wright Gemini 276 burning down whilst running the 19. News link is here: http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/video-bus-bursts-into-flames-near-houses-in-northampton-1-7794409
Quite a bit was seen on this weekend, we had Corby's 34593 help out on the X10 and Corby Star Branded Omnidekka 15405 on the X4, along with your usual double deckers on the 9/9A (this week 19012 & 18408). I also saw an appearance of an Enviro 300 on the Daventry routes (D1/2/3), and this was 27685 on the D2. I also took a ride on 34593 on the X10 that day, the video will be down below this text.
Sunday 29th January 2017: Did not really see much this day, only really a unbranded Enviro 300 on the service 16, and that is typically usual for a Sunday. Can't even remember the fleet number! Boring!
Monday 30th January 2017: Surprise hospital appointment! I was only told that I missed an appointment I did not get a letter about, and they re-arranged it for the 30th January. Lucky me the College that I study at let me have the day off! Everything was seen to be usual at first (Optare Solo 47414 on X10, Enviro 400 19020 on 3), but Optare Solo 47509 took me by complete surprise when I saw it arrive at the bus station from Rectory Farm on the 1. This was the bus I got to hospital, as upon arriving at the bus station it continued to Brackmills. After a long drawn out hospital appointment that took longer than it should of done, I arrived back in town only to find out that 18149 on the 10 was pursuing me on the bus that I got from the hospital (Dennis Enviro 300 27684 on 1). When I approached Northgate Trident 18410 left on a short X4 to Corby, and after seeing 18149 leave, 5 branded Dennis Enviro 200 37039 arrived at the Drapery on a 15! Not only this, I was also able to get a glimpse of a blind display that I have not seen before, which was the 88 to Buckingham! After switching from a 50 to Swan Valley to an 88 to Buckingham, then finally deciding it was operating an X88 to Silverstone for Brackley. This said bus was Trident 18151 for anyone wondering.
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| 18151 displaying the 88 blind to Buckingham at Northgate of all places! |
Tuesday 31th January 2017: Quite a bit happened on this day also. To start things of, there was a delayed X4 from Corby, which was half an hour late (the one to Peterborough was boarding when it arrived). To make this seem worth photoing, it was Trident 17729 with its blind stuck on the 19 to Kettering. 17729 is on loan from Stagecoach West to Kettering at the moment (along with 17728) until March this year, which is to cover for some withdrawn non-DDA compliant buses (17037 & 17613), which have now been scrapped. On closer inspection of the photo I have (which is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/aswans1234567/32475615442), you can see a piece of paper on which has "X4" written on it. We also had 15 branded E200 37047 on the 3 (37074 was on the 15 to cover this), and Centrebus offering an E200 on the 62/37 for a change instead of the usual Optare Solo! This was also a bus that I have not seen before, its fleet number is 510, and I have both a photo and video of it, which will be down below.
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| 510 arriving at Northgate before departing on service 62. This bus is fitted with seatbelts, along with some of the Optare Solo buses in the Centrebus fleet. |
There also was an appearance of Uno's Dennis Dart DP124 on the 21. This bus usually runs the 86.
As with most of my other photos from this review: there is a link to view them all, which is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aswans1234567/sets/72157676212436433
Wednesday 1st February 2017: I enjoyed a small ride on Centrebus Optare Solo 231 on the 60 up to my local ASDA supermarket, and that is really about it (apart from me getting Stagecoach 18405 on my way back on the 16). 231 used to be a bus that operated for Stagecoach in the Kettering residence.
Thursday 2nd February 2017: I went back to college today after taking my usual two days off, and my first bus to the bus station was one of the early morning service 60 buses (operated by Centrebus). It was another Optare Solo, but this time it was 268, one I have not got before. It was quite comfortable to ride on, and it was also equipped with seatbelts. I also saw the return of Stagecoach Trident 18152, after not seeing it for a long time. It was operating the service 16 that day. Thursday was also the first day that I saw a Dart operate the 58, which is usually operated by a 50 branded Scania Enviro 400. The 08:15 departure from Northgate Bus Station is operated by a bus from the Kettering depot and unusually it was 35178, a bus transferred last year from Leamington Spa. 2 branded Scania Enviro 300 28635 also made a really rare appearance on the D2 as well.
Thank you for reading my review on what buses I have seen this week, I will publish another one next week.
Alex Swanston
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