North East Buses

I have a question - why are the Streetlites wasted on the 100? Surely a DAF ALX400 would be more suited?

(21 Mar 2015, 10:21 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]I have a question - why are the Streetlites wasted on the 100? Surely a DAF ALX400 would be more suited?

Think it interworks with the 35? Not sure about that though

(21 Mar 2015, 10:21 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]I have a question - why are the Streetlites wasted on the 100? Surely a DAF ALX400 would be more suited?

(21 Mar 2015, 10:29 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Think it interworks with the 35? Not sure about that though

It does interwork with the 35

(21 Mar 2015, 10:29 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Think it interworks with the 35? Not sure about that though

Ah okay - seems a bit pointless buying new Streetlites for the 35 if barley none of the runs are Streetlite operated!

Always seems to be a ALX400 or E400 when I see it!

(21 Mar 2015, 10:31 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Ah okay - seems a bit pointless buying new Streetlites for the 35 if barley none of the runs are Streetlite operated!

Always seems to be a ALX400 or E400 when I see it!

Always baffled me why only three were ordered?

(21 Mar 2015, 10:32 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Always baffled me why only three were ordered?

Exactly!
I can't understand why they would advertise features such as Wi-Fi, and brand new buses, when a lot of the time you get a 15 year old bus showing up with none of the advertised features!

(21 Mar 2015, 10:31 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Ah okay - seems a bit pointless buying new Streetlites for the 35 if barley none of the runs are Streetlite operated!

Always seems to be a ALX400 or E400 when I see it!

Weekdays, the Streetlites mainly seem to be stuck on the 35A workings (one of which until yesterday worked the extra PM trip on the X20 from Newcastle).

Saturday, the Streetlites and deckers mix in on both the 35 and 35A.

(21 Mar 2015, 10:32 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Always baffled me why only three were ordered?

It's confusing for passengers in my opinion, there is a complete contrast in service quality :
Sapphire E400s on Evenings and Sundays 
Streetlites on half the boards
Old deckers on the other half...

Think Arriva need to do something so that all boards every day of the week feature a bus to at least the Streetlite spec.

(21 Mar 2015, 10:34 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]It's confusing for passengers in my opinion, there is a complete contrast in service quality :
Sapphire E400s on Evenings and Sundays 
Streetlites on half the boards
Old deckers on the other half...

Think Arriva need to do something so that all boards every day of the week feature a bus to at least the Streetlite spec.

How would that be confusing...haha 

(21 Mar 2015, 9:12 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Prestige 4039 is now withdrawn at Stockton, marking the end of the types operation in public service in the North East!

1312 and 1314 have arrived at Darlington, with 1724 withdrawn as a result. 1711 should also come off imminently.

2828 has returned to Redcar in all over silver ready for Whitby P&R, as has 7485 in MAX livery, 7486 has transferred to Thorntons for repaint in turn.

Likewise 2825 at Jesmond: https://flic.kr/p/rrDdyU

@Dan - he was on allocations in the morning, of which he had StreetLite 1579 (as always) on standby, 1579 then replaced a broken down vehicle and then at 1553, 7515 replaced the StreetLite.

@Palatine3833 - that is an awful livery now, but I suppose someone from Arriva has been on here and read my comments...

(22 Mar 2015, 8:35 am)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]@Dan - he was on allocations in the morning, of which he had StreetLite 1579 (as always) on standby, 1579 then replaced a broken down vehicle and then at 1553, 7515 replaced the StreetLite.

@Palatine3833 - that is an awful livery now, but I suppose someone from Arriva has been on here and read my comments...

Agreed, that is hideous. 


Im positive they could've used a better vehicle than 7515 for the general spare as well, out of the batch, that is the one that (from what I remember) has the least power, crawled along the A1 on an X21 a few months back.

(21 Mar 2015, 9:12 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Prestige 4039 is now withdrawn at Stockton, marking the end of the types operation in public service in the North East!

1312 and 1314 have arrived at Darlington, with 1724 withdrawn as a result. 1711 should also come off imminently.

2828 has returned to Redcar in all over silver ready for Whitby P&R, as has 7485 in MAX livery, 7486 has transferred to Thorntons for repaint in turn.

Are you sure about 7485? I heard it was still in normal livery.

(21 Mar 2015, 9:46 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]When does it say it was last updated? Think it should have been in line with last fortnight's news update, but should be getting done again tomorrow.

(21 Mar 2015, 9:48 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Never saw that - 15th March

It appears the Darts which were temporarily reinstated at Blyth/Ashington evaded an update upon the return of the repainted MPDs! Updated accordingly.

Minus the recent deliveries (which we're awaiting fleet numbers for), everything should be up to date now.

Currently on 7530, must say the colour scheme inside of these is far better than the refurbished ones. The blue headrests add more colour, and make the whole bus a far nicer place to be if I'm honest. 

Whats the allocations then today folks on the 306 / 308? Are Jesmond using Streetlites or a mix of deckers?

(22 Mar 2015, 2:10 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote [ -> ]Whats the allocations then today folks on the 306 / 308? Are Jesmond using Streetlites or a mix of deckers?

Sunday 306/308s now interwork with the new timetable introduced from today. The hybrid double deck examples you would have seen on the 306 today would therefore have been Blyth operated. Likewise, jesmond streetlites would have been observed on some 308 runs to/from Blyth. 

One X21 service today was running 30 minutes late. It's getting beyond a joke now, even on Sundays.

(22 Mar 2015, 6:09 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]One X21 service today was running 30 minutes late. It's getting beyond a joke now, even on Sundays.

If GNE made another strike on S.E Northumberland with Mercs retrofitted with NSAs and Moovbox, do you think Arriva would clean up their act?

(22 Mar 2015, 6:14 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote [ -> ]If GNE made another strike on S.E Northumberland with Mercs retrofitted with NSAs and Moovbox, do you think Arriva would clean up their act?

I think Arriva will clean up... their Northumberland business!

In all honesty, Arriva services are getting beyond a joke now. If they can't run a service to time, why bother branding it 'Sapphire'? 

(21 Mar 2015, 10:00 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]I was actually quite sad to see these go as I've ridden them since they were new on services such as the 4/4A Bishop Auckland - Woodham, 15 Spennymoor - Darlington and 213 Darlington - Sunderland. Started seeing them less over the years though, got to ride a few before they left Darlington as the Pulsars on the 5/5A were temporarily allocated to the X66 when the Omnicitys were away for MAX refurbishment.

Last one I rode was 1616 on service 8 Spennymoor - Newton Aycliffe.

Can't bare the X reg Darts.

Well, nobody seems to know why, but 1617 is tucked away in Faverdale, almost complete. It stands alongside the old DCT Daimler Fleetline and it's only lost its Hanover screen and a couple of dash bits. Nothing like the rest, which have been near cannibalised.

https://flic.kr/p/rGWZSS

(22 Mar 2015, 9:16 pm)MrPottski wrote [ -> ]Well, nobody seems to know why, but 1617 is tucked away in Faverdale, almost complete. It stands alongside the old DCT Daimler Fleetline and it's only lost its Hanover screen and a couple of dash bits. Nothing like the rest, which have been near cannibalised.

https://flic.kr/p/rGWZSS

Its also lost its cctv, although Arriva do occasionally hang onto some for a while, such as Vecta 1551 which was largely intact. and was stored for around 2 years in Bishop Auckland Depot before being moved to Faverdale.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/58727891@N...WX9-69zLuZ

I know some at Stockton and Redcar were there for years, referred to as the "static display fleet"

MAX 7620 is on the 1050 X12 from Durham if anyone is looking for it.

(23 Mar 2015, 10:46 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]MAX 7620 is on the 1050 X12 from Durham if anyone is looking for it.

Might be a few minutes due to issues with the ticket machine.

7627 is back in service on the 1051 X2 from Durham.

7626 on the 1005 X12 from Middlesbrough.

Just 7619 to come back now.

There is a Quorum Express-branded Wright Gemini 2 parked in Ashington depot. (Couldn't see the number, as I was in Asda.)

7518 returned light to Ashington depot before and had a wash.

Three new Streetlites arrived at Jesmond this afternoon, for anyone in the area wanting a photograph.

(23 Mar 2015, 3:55 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Three new Streetlites arrived at Jesmond this afternoon, for anyone in the area wanting a photograph.

For Ashington? *Hides*

(23 Mar 2015, 3:56 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]For Ashington? *Hides*

No - for the X1 (Darlington)