Suffolk County Council Marcopolo coaches - 20 May 2008 (Scan RSCN1599)

Tuesday 20 May 2008 (0905) – Between 2006 and 2008 Suffolk County Council added 15 (or 16?) brand new Marcopolo Viaggio bodied coaches to its fleet which were a marked difference from the previous policy of mainly secondhand acquisitions. The vehicles could be seen around Bury St. Edmunds as routine working from the base at nearby Rougham Industrial Estate.

This rather poor view was taken very quickly at the bus layby of St. Louis Middle School in Parkway, Bury St. Edmunds, to provide a comparison between the two different height models which were defined by the numbers 330 and 350 representing the vehicle height in centimetres. The unidentified coach is a 350 model whereas that nearest the camera (AY56 BJO) is a 330 model.

The first three coaches added to the fleet (AY56 BJK, AY56 BJO and AY56 BJU) had MAN 18.310 chassis. The later deliveries had chassis by Iveco/Irisbus.

These new Marcopolo Viaggio coaches were registered as follows:

September 2006: AY56 BJK, AY56 BJO and AY56 BJU (3)

September 2007: PN57 CTZ, PN57 CUA, CUC,CUG, CUH, CUJ, CUK, CUO and CUU (9)

September 2008: PO58 HRA, HRC and HRE (3)

A possible 16th which I have seen recorded as being new to SCC was PN57 CVG dating from October 2007. This may have just been on loan (or perhaps a demonstrator) as it didn't remain in the fleet as long.