North East Buses

(18 Jul 2015, 5:08 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]I dont drive that slow.....ask Dan!

Oh he is going in your car...Best say your goodbyes then Marcus! 

(18 Jul 2015, 4:56 pm)R852 PRG wrote [ -> ]Initially, I went out to today in hopes of riding the two demonstration vehicles that Go North East are currently trialing on the ''Pronto'' X21 route between Newcastle and Bishop Auckland; Wright Streetdeck Gemini 3 9119, and ADL Enviro400MMC 9109. Unfortunately, due to the traffic caused by the Pride event in Newcastle City Centre, I did not manage to ride the Streetdeck, just a second ride on the Enviro400MMC. Here is how the day went; 

#36 – Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Ground to Houghton-le-Spring Church – (09:17 --- 09:40) – Go North East 4936 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar
Something different from the normal routine I've adopted recently, of walking into Chester-le-Street and catching a Newcastle-bound service into the city centre. Usually, if I do go to catch the 36 service, it's the 09:50 rather than the 09:20, but I decided to go with the earlier service. It turned out to be Wright Solar 4936 working this run; I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I was almost looking forward to a Mercedes... Just one elderly man was sat at the front when I boarded, the service was running three minutes early, which is a surprise for the 36! I once stood waiting for fourteen minutes after it's timetabled arrival. The bus never picked up a great load, an old woman boarded in Great Lumley while another old man boarded on Avenue Vivian; the two men then alighting together just a few stops after. The woman then alighted with me in Houghton-le-Spring, meaning the bus left without a soul on it. One thing I did pick up from this journey, was a very annoying ''whoosh'' noise that I associate with some buses closing their doors. It sounded every three or four seconds; I've been on too many Solars to count, and failed to notice this noise, however it's possible it just mixed in with background noise. 

#X1 – Houghton-le-Spring Church to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (09:47 --- 10:32) – Go North East 6001 – Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2
After watching 4936 depart, a few minutes later, a ''Red Arrows'' branded Gemini 2 appeared. I was planning on catching the X1 through to Newcastle anyway. I noticed, while I allowed the passengers who wished to alight here disembark, that this particular example was 6001; the first in fleet number terms of Go North East's B9TLs. It was a particularly smooth runner, despite being one of the oldest ''Red Arrows'' vehicles, it didn't appear to have many faults when we headed along the Washington Highway between Shiney Row and the Galleries. We even arrived at the Galleries three minutes early at 10:01; only a few boarded here, which was quite a surprise. The queues normally go back to the escalators on the Saturday morning X1s. While I was on board, I used the time to plan the rest of my day. Eventually deciding I would catch the 12:05 ''Pronto'' service from Eldon Square; the Enviro400MMC, knowing the board afterwards would be the Wright Streetdeck, I then proceeded to head to the spot at the top of Eldon Square and Haymarket to take some photos. 

#X21 – Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station to Bishop Auckland Bus Station – (12:08 --- 13:29) – Go North East 9109 – Dennis Trident 2/Alexander Enviro400MMC
After killing time until 12:05, I queued to board 9109 just before 12:00. There was about fifteen others in the queue; amongst them were two young enthusiasts. The driver came along Percy Street, rather than around from St. Mary's Place and past the Haymarket as the X21 sometimes does; I saw a few enthusiasts rush to get photos of it descending down into Eldon Square. Despite pulling in at his departure time, the driver saw fit to close the door, light up a cigarette and quickly do a perimeter of the bus with it, before getting back in the cab and allowing passengers to board. I had a ride of this demonstrator between Newcastle and Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, and was very, very impressed. Again, I was not let down. Throughout the entire route, I didn't feel many rattles and squeaks at all. Normally, when a bus is powered down the A1(M), it can be a bone shaker. Not for this one; the seating was also absolutely fantastic. I sat at a table seat, on the left hand side towards the rear; which I had all to myself for the entire journey. Did I mention the air conditioning? Very impressed; I really hope Go North East go-ahead (bad pun) and buy these for the ''Pronto'', I think they'll be true workhorses on the route.  

Volvo B5TL, Wright Streetdeck, or Enviro400MMC?
The only thing that disappointed me about today's outing was that I could not sample the Wright Streetdeck for myself. However, I will do so at some point during the week, to be able to give a better verdict. I'm going on the word of some others with the following... When I tried the Volvo B5TL/Wright Gemini 3, which saw a long period of use with Lothian Buses in Edinburgh, and retained it's madder and white livery from it's time there; I wasn't impressed to be honest. The seating was adequate, I felt it was quite hard. When I first boarded, and checked out the seating; I thought they looked like Urban90s. The bus lacked power on the A167 between Chester-le-Street and Pity Me; if I remember correctly, we also had a near miss with a car at Chester Moor. I didn't do the whole route, so I couldn't see it on other parts of the route, but nevertheless... With the Wright Streetdeck, I've gathered it's basically just two Wright Streetlites slapped together and called a double decker. I know that the Wright Streetlites currently used on the ''Coast & Country'' services won't see their whole working lives on there, unlike the Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renowns... The Streetlites are basically Super Pointer Darts. They'll be lucky to make it to ten years of age. I imagine I'm going to be unimpressed with the Wright Streetdeck when I try it during the week. Personally, I think it's because it is a Wright integral product. I don't know what went wrong with the Volvo B5TL, perhaps it is because of being a B5 rather than a B9, and so lacked power on a route how more demanding than it's capable of; but if you get a Volvo chassis and put a Wright body on it, you're good to go. However; with the E400MMC, I can see potential. It ticked all of the boxes; the seating was luxurious, the interior lighting was fantastic, the smoothness of the bus was great, the air-conditioning was a great feature... I'd hope Go North East go for these with their eventual order, and order them to the same specification as this demonstrator, perhaps without the tables to maintain capacity, although that could draw more people towards it; a bus with tables. Sadly, I have a feeling that Go North East are going to maintain their relationships with Wrightbus; and buy the Streetdeck... It will be unfortunate if they do, as the Enviro400MMC is just far superior.

#X21 – Bishop Auckland Bus Station to Durham Bus Station – (14:07 --- 14:42) – Go North East 6034 – Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President
Back to the review – once we'd arrived in Bishop Auckland, I got photos of the Enviro400MMC, before descending into the town centre for a bite to eat. About five minutes later, I returned to the bus station. Deciding that standing at the top of the bus station, getting photographs of vehicles entering through the roundabout, would be the best option, I spent some time taking photos there. I was quite happy with the variety. During this time, Adam sent me a Snapchat informing me that he was on the bus in front of the Streetdeck in Gateshead, and that it was running about 20 minutes late due to the traffic surrounding the Pride event. I looked down into the bus station; two ''Pronto'' B7s were present, 6021 and 6034. I accepted that due to this late running, one of them would operate the 14:04 service back to Newcastle. When the time did come, 6034 was the example brought out of the layover bays. A queue of roughly a dozen passengers boarded, myself towards the back. It was an uneventful journey back to Durham; I sat three rows from the front on the upper saloon, listening to my music and watching the journey go by. It must be said, the route between Durham and Bishop Auckland does have some very scenic parts to it.  

#21 – Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Clifford Terrace – (14:46 --- 15:00) – Go North East 6059 – Volvo B5LH/Wright Gemini 2
After alighting in Durham, I let 6034 carry on to Newcastle, while I queued to board 6059; which was standing at the drop-off stand in Durham Bus Station. About fifteen passengers were aboard when we pulled out, with a couple disembarking in Framwellgate Moor and two men boarding at the Red Lion in Plawsworth. It wasn't an eventful journey, I thought for a while before concluding that the Enviro400MMC was the best option for the ''Pronto'' services. In my opinion, it would look fantastic in the ''Pronto'' livery... But my only request, is that it gets a new name.

I do apologise if today's outing seems very short, but there is a good reason for that. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to an event over in Workington called ''Built in Workington Day''; which celebrates the now defunct Leyland factory's many buses. Attendees include Leyland Nationals, Leyland Olympians, Leyland Tigers, Leyland Lynxes and Leyland Titans. It show be a fantastic day. Due to spending quite a few hours of travelling; I won't have the review of the rally up tomorrow evening, and instead on Monday. I hope you enjoyed reading nevertheless, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Marcus

It wouldn't of been if you stayed on, also are going to tell everyone about these two 'younger' enthusiasts one of which is older than you.

(18 Jul 2015, 7:45 pm)danpick wrote [ -> ]It wouldn't of been if you stayed on, also are going to tell everyone about these two 'younger' enthusiasts one of which is older than you.

You seem to be getting very defensive???

(18 Jul 2015, 7:46 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]You seem to be getting very defensive???

Not really the older one's not even me I'm only 13 and iirc Marcus is 14.

(18 Jul 2015, 7:46 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]You seem to be getting very defensive???

(18 Jul 2015, 7:45 pm)danpick wrote [ -> ]It wouldn't of been if you stayed on, also are going to tell everyone about these two 'younger' enthusiasts one of which is older than you.

...but has the maturity of an unborn baby.

(18 Jul 2015, 8:53 pm)R852 PRG wrote [ -> ]...but has the maturity of an unborn baby.

True but only if you herd what we were on about.

Going to do Metro Replacements and get a photo of the 40A tomorrow I think.

(18 Jul 2015, 9:18 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Going to do Metro Replacements and get a photo of the 40A tomorrow I think.

Aye, last Sunday for the 40A tomorrow!

(18 Jul 2015, 9:19 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]Aye, last Sunday for the 40A tomorrow!

Yep that's why I was planning to take a photo.

Not got one of it anyway I don't think.

(18 Jul 2015, 8:54 pm)danpick wrote [ -> ]True but only if you herd what we were on about.

I'm sure it was just hysterical.

Yesterday I had a tour around Northumberland using Arriva and Spirit Buses. I started my trip on the 8.30 X20 from Newcastle to North Seaton. The bus was Arriva 7468, an Alexander bodied DAF. There journey was fine with no problems. The bus was on time but lightly used. It rained a bit near Cramlington, but the weather had improved by the time I alighted at North Seaton. I wanted to visit the Craiggs garage on Castle Island Way at North Seaton. However when I finally found the garage after a bit of searching it was disused. Not a good start to the day! I walked back towards Ashington and took a short cut past Northumberland College. There were a couple of non-psv minibuses present. I then caught Arriva Dennis Dart 1770 along Milburn Road working the number 1 at 9.35. I alighted at the school on Milburn Road as I wanted to take some photos of the Leyland Olympian which is used as a static classroom.

I walked into Ashington town centre where I got some photos at the bus station. I then visited Lintonville Parkway Arriva garage. I also got some photos of minibuses operated by Age UK Northumberland at their Ashington headquarters. I headed over to the Watbus garage on the Wansbeck Business Park. The small number of staff present were very helpful and approachable. I was able to get some good photos, the staff even moved one of their minibuses so I could get a better shot. Watbus have a Section 22 Permit to operate local bus services on a not for profit basis. The fleet currently stands at 11 vehicles, some of which are adapted to carry wheelchairs and/or cycle racks. If you’re visiting them, make sure you check out both their locations on the business park.

I then caught Arriva Streetlite 1579 on the 10.24 to Morpeth from near the business park. This was a good run and I had never used this service before. It was busy with shoppers travelling to Morpeth. The bus Arrived at Morpeth slightly late due to heavy loadings. I got some good photos at Morpeth bus station and looked round the town centre. I was tempted to travel upto Stobhill and visit the Gardiners NMC depot at Coopies Haugh Lane. However time was running out as I wanted to travel onto Alnwick so I took a quick turn on Arriva 1760 Dennis Dart working the circular number 2 service to Kirkhill.

Next I caught Arriva 7513 Dennis Trident on the late running 12.11 X15 to Alnwick. This bus was really busy with tourists. The bus left 8 minutes late but made up time by the time we reached Alnwick. I enjoyed this journey as there are excellent views of the Cheviots to the left and of the stunning Northumberland coastline to your right. Sitting opposite me was a well-dressed woman in her late forties necking red wine straight from the bottle. By the time we reached Felton, she was somewhat worse for wear and spilt the wine all over her white trousers. She then proceeded to try and clean these but only made it worse. At Shilbottle she tried to apply eye liner however the bus hit a pot hole and it went over her face. I hope she wasn’t going on a date, she would not give a good first impression!

I alighted at Lionheart Enterprise Park and visited Rothbury Motors. Their staff were polite and helpful as usual and were happy for me to look round. There was a good range of vehicles present. I then visited Snaiths and Gardiners NMC depots which are close to one another on the Willowburn Trading Estate. Snaith’s was locked up, but there were 4 coaches present. I was able to get some good photos of the Gardiners NMC vehicles. Next I visited NEED at Alnwick Fire Station. This charity runs a fleet of 9 minibuses on a Section 22 Permit. They also cover school contracts in North Northumberland. There was a charity car wash day at the Fire Station, and I had the somewhat bizarre experience of asking a firefighter dressed as a 6 foot tall bear if I could take some photos. He had no objection to this and I was able to photograph all of the NEED vehicles in the fire station yard. NEED’s staff were also friendly and helpful.

I then walked through the town centre, the time was about 13.45 and I hung around the bus station for a while. I was able to get photos of Arrive, Travelsure and Glen Valley vehicles. I decided to visit Barndale House School which was close by. This specialist school has recently had two new minibuses donated. One of these was donated by Alan Shearer. Unfortunately there appeared to be no staff present and I did not want to enter onto school premises housing vulnerable children uninvited. I also passed the Pottergate Centre which was a small fleet of 3 minibuses which it runs on a Section 19 permit. The centre was locked up so I could not get any details or photos. The minibuses all appeared to be LDVs from my limited view.

My next bus was new Spirit Buses vehicle MX14FUG which has come all the way from Saint Ives in Cornwall. The bus was driven by proprietor Steven Hurst. Steve was his normal polite, friendly and welcoming self. He apologised for the slight delay, which was due to heavy traffic at Alnwick Gardens. There were 7 passengers including myself taking the trip from Alnwick to Rothbury. This journey is excellent, the scenery is absolutely amazing. We passed the village of Edlingham with its ruined castle and ancient church. Next after a thrash over the moors we passed the National Trust’s Cragside Estate. Cragside has a very smart wheelchair enabled Mercedes minibus which takes visitors around the estate. After chatting to Steve for a while, I alighted opposite the Queens Head in Rothbury and was confronted by a wall of sound. Turns out it was the Rothbury Music Festival! I was pleased to see a large contingent of people waiting for Spirit Buses excellent Upper Coquetdale service.

I set off towards the industrial estate at Rothbury, hoping to get a photo of 201, Spirit’s remaining Dart. However disaster struck as a gust of wind blew me off the stepping stones into the River Coquet. I managed to dislocate my thumb after clambering back onto the stones with the help of a guy camping on the riverbank and his little daughter. After snapping my thumb back into place, I headed upto the hospital. Unfortunately they no longer have a walk in facility. I therefore headed to Rothbury town centre and found a first aider at the festival who treated my hand. Feeling painful and rather wet I was in two minds to give up and return home. However after listening to the excellent music and watching some talented Irish dancers I felt a bit better.

Arriva Trident 7514 at 15.34 was my next bus, I took this to Thropton. I visited the premises of Coquet Private Hire which has a small fleet of 2 minibuses and got some OK photos. I was quite surprised to see an old fire engine with what appeared to be a stuffed bear at the top of set of ladders at their garage. I guess it was one of those days! I then jumped straight back on this bus and headed back to Rothbury. At Rothbury I went and watched an excellent blues guitarist at the Station Hotel. I then headed to the Queens Head where a group of musicians were holding an impromptu session with fiddles and violins. The place was heaving and the locals were really friendly. I had a good drink, for medicinal purposes of course!

My final bus of the day was Arriva Scania 4659 which I took from Rothbury straight to Newcastle. This was a good, fast journey; the views between Rothbury and Morpeth were really good. Unfortunately two drunk blokes in their mid-forties were trying to crack onto a pair of girls who looked about 15 which was completely cringeworthy. The bus arrived in Newcastle Haymarket early, where I noted there was a large group of enthusiasts of all ages spotting and taking photos. It was good to see so many enthusiasts out.

It was a good day and I really enjoyed the trip. My thumb is healing now and hopefully I’ll be back on the road soon.

Charles

(19 Jul 2015, 11:54 am)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]My final bus of the day was Arriva Scania 4659 which I took from Rothbury straight to Newcastle. This was a good, fast journey; the views between Rothbury and Morpeth were really good. Unfortunately two drunk blokes in their mid-forties were trying to crack onto a pair of girls who looked about 15 which was completely cringeworthy. The bus arrived in Newcastle Haymarket early, where I noted there was a large group of enthusiasts of all ages spotting and taking photos. It was good to see so many enthusiasts out.

One was me.

(12 Jul 2015, 7:04 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Aye that's a good idea.

I'll be going through the week so if you can let me know which board the E400s are allocated I'd appreciate that

For anybody who wants to know which journeys on Sapphire service 7 are usually operated by Enviro 400's on weekdays here is the departure times from Darlington and Durham Bus Station.

DARLINGTON TOWN CENTRE.
0707TF, 0722TF, 0737, 0757, 0817.
0952, 1007, 1022, 1037, 1052.
1222, 1237, 1252, 1307, 1322.
1452, 1507, 1522, 1537, 1552.

DURHAM BUS STATION.
0837, 0852, 0907, 0922, 0937.
1107, 1122, 1137, 1152, 1207.
1337, 1352, 1407, 1422, 1437.
1607, 1627, 1647SF, 1702SF, 1717SF.

TF - terminates at Framwellgate Moor.
SF - starts at Framwellgate Moor 9 minutes earlier.

There is earlier and later journeys than what I have given but some morning and evening boards are a bit confusing.

I believe the info given here is correct but don't kill me if I'm wrong, also Enviro 400s are subject to availability.

(19 Jul 2015, 2:13 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]For anybody who wants to know which journeys on Sapphire service 7 are usually operated by Enviro 400's on weekdays here is the departure times from Darlington and Durham Bus Station.

DARLINGTON TOWN CENTRE.
0707TF, 0722TF, 0737, 0757, 0817.
0952, 1007, 1022, 1037, 1052.
1222, 1237, 1252, 1307, 1322.
1452, 1507, 1522, 1537, 1552.

DURHAM BUS STATION.
0837, 0852, 0907, 0922, 0937.
1107, 1122, 1137, 1152, 1207.
1337, 1352, 1407, 1422, 1437.
1607, 1627, 1647SF, 1702SF, 1717SF.

TF - terminates at Framwellgate Moor.
SF - starts at Framwellgate Moor 9 minutes earlier.

There is earlier and later journeys than what I have given but some morning and evening boards are a bit confusing.

I believe the info given here is correct but don't kill me if I'm wrong, also Enviro 400s are subject to availability.

Thank you

I'll try and ride them either this week or next week.

Today, I attended the ''Built in Workington'' event in Cumbria, with Dan and citaro5284. I was offered a lift to the event, and grabbed it with both hands; as I have quite an interest in older buses. After a few weeks of planning, I was to be picked up at 08:00 this morning; before driving down the A1 to Scotch Corner, the A66 to Penrith, having a break for some breakfast, then continuing on to Workington. It was on the whole a fantastic day, here is how it played out;

citaro5284's Car – Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Ground to Lillyhall Industrial Estate – (07:52 --- 10:35) – citaro5284 – Seat Leon FR Technology TSI 140
Having prepared myself for today, I woke up just before 07:30; to be picked up at 08:00. In order to wake me up a bit, I was initially going to walk, but my dad insisted on running me along to the bus stop in the car. Getting there for bang-on 07:50; I watched my dad head back to the house, and walked to the bus stop. Then, I saw a red Seat Leon pull into the bus stop with a blare of the horn, before coming to a stop. I jumped in the back; Dan had been picked up prior to me, and we had a small run along the A167 in order to get to the A1(M), which would take us to Scotch Corner. I know citaro5284 does a lot of work on his car; cleaning it regularly, and it certainly shined when I saw it first appear. Inside, it was immaculate, and I found the seating in the back to be extremely comfortable. Despite being an averagely-sized car, I think it was quite a speedy thing. After spending several hours travelling in citaro5284's today; I am quite fond of them. There were always some nice tunes on, which mixed in with our conversations throughout the journey. The A66 was extremely quiet, it was just a brilliant ride with the fantastic scenery along the route, far superior to the A69. At about 09:30, we made a stop at the McDonalds in Penrith; where we each opted for a McMuffin thing (I've never bothered with a breakfast at McDonalds before, my arteries are fine how they are) on behalf of citaro5284's wallet. Back on the road at around 10:00, we followed the satnav, and arrived at the Lillyhall Industrial Estate for 10:30. Another part of the route that I loved, was the Bassenthwaite Lake; with the clouds covering the tips of the mountains, it was quite a sight. We found the site with no problems, and joined the long line of visiting cars. 

My first impressions were that the event didn't look too busy. Not many people were walking around, in comparison to what you would find at the MetroCentre Rally by 10:30; however, it is hard to match that on the scale of a small gathering such as this, and the biggest rally of the year in a region. Just next to where we parked; was a Stagecoach ''Gold'' Enviro400, parked next to it was a corporate liveried Enviro300. They appeared to be unattended, with no representative from Stagecoach present. Although, with the Lillyhall depot just across the road; I'm not sure if that was needed. It was easy enough to just send two buses across the road for the day; the doors of the Enviro300 were open so Dan and I had a look inside for some photographs of the interior while citaro5284 chatted to somebody from the Workington Transport Trust outside side; presumably discussing the various engines and their litres. When we first drove in; the first thing that caught my attention was the line-up of 2 Leyland Nationals; Mk1 WHH 556S (in ''REV01'' livery from it's days as a Leyland test bus at the facility), Mk2 FTN 710W (4710 from our part of the country), Lynx F251 JRM (which Dan and I had a ride on at Lillyhall in May), and Lynx G215 KRN (in Preston Bus livery). After photographing them, Dan and citaro5284 had a little wander around while I boarded 4710 and chatted to my friends at the Northern National Restoration Group.  

Shuttle – Energus Building, Lillyhall Industrial Estate to Workington Bus Station – (11:02 --- 11:20) – Preserved ex-Cumberland Motor Services PHH 149W – Bristol VRT
After doing a loop around the rally site, and returning to the line-up of single deckers, we saw this Bristol VR pulling out, and swinging around to where we were. A small amount of people made their way towards it, indicating it was going out on a shuttle service. Knowing how popular these buses are; we decided to board. We left the site with only a handful of people on; the majority upstairs, however, citaro5284 led us to the back downstairs. When he first began working with Go North East in the early 1990s, the Bristol VR was a regular on the various Northumbria Motor Services routes that he used; along with various bodied Leyland Olympians and Mk1 Leyland Nationals, not forgetting the Optare Delta and Bristol LH. He sat at the seat he always opted for, on the right hand side on the last row downstairs, while Dan sat beside me at one of the side-facing seats, just before the back row. I felt the bus had a lot of power in it, I enjoyed my ride on it and would label the bus a ''beast''. However, when it was initially pulling out of it's spot to perform a shuttle, it sounded very unhealthy, with several noises I would associate with coughing and spluttering coming from the engine. That aside, it was a pleasant journey. When we came to Workington, we debated whether or not to alight here. When we came to a stop in the distinctive bus station, I asked the man at the wheel when the next shuttle back to the rally site was. He pulled out a little sheet and came to the conclusion that the next service was at 12:10. Dan and citaro5284 said that was fine, before we alighted. 

Shuttle – Workington Bus Station to Energus Building, Lillyhall Industrial Estate – (12:10 --- 12:26) – Preston Bus G251 KRN – Leyland Lynx
For about fifteen minutes, we stood outside of the bus station, taking only a few photos as the frequency on a Sunday is incredibly low. After meeting another enthusiast, who was quite a pleasant man; we told him how to get to the venue by car after informing him that the shuttles were every hour, which he agreed was quite disappointing. Having declined a kind offer of a lift in his car, we did a loop around Workington town centre to kill time. When we arrived back at the bus station, it was 11:55. We sat in the cold bus station, awaiting the 12:10 shuttle; at exactly 12:10, it appeared. It was the Preston Bus liveried Leyland Lynx; G215 KRN. We flagged it to a stop, and boarded. I noted the seating was identical to that in a President or an OmniDekka; albeit with the addition of seatbelts. It was actually quite smart inside, with about ten passengers already on board; one of which was the enthusiast from earlier on, I was pleased he managed to find the site and board the 12:00 shuttle from there. Dan and I sat on the right hand side, with Dan just above me at the seat next to the step, while citaro5284 sat in front of the enthusiast we were talking to in the bus station and generated a conversation. When we were heading along some of the country roads outside of Workington, there were some tremendous kickdowns. The route of the Workington shuttles was directly to the town centre, then a loop around through the countryside, before returning to the Industrial Estate. The driver knew exactly what he was doing, even allowing a photo-stop at one of the villages just outside of the town; I can't recall it's name at the moment, but it was quite scenic and offered a nice photo opportunity. It sounded really healthy as well, which I later came to the conclusion was because it was in service with Preston Bus on scholars work, hence the seatbelts, until Friday when the schools broke up; meaning it's fate is now debatable. We all concluded, on the return journey, that it was the best ride of the day.  

Shuttle – Energus Building, Lillyhall Industrial Estate and return, via Workington Town Centre – (12:51 --- 13:30) – Preserved ex-Barrow Corporation LEO 734Y – Leyland Atlantean
After having some lunch and sitting down for a while, we saw this kick into life. Initially, we couldn't make heads or tails of what it was. At first I thought it was a Daimler Fleetline, however citaro5284 was adamant it was a Leyland Atlantean. Later on, we found it was the latter; albeit with a Northern Counties body. We made our way upstairs for this one; Dan sat on the fabric seating at the very back, with was different from the leather seating elsewhere; I sat in the middle while citaro5284 tried to explain that sitting behind the stairwell was the best way to do it. In the end, as we stood at a standstill for nearly ten minutes until our departure time of 13:00, we all sat at the back and discussed the different vehicles in attendance. I noticed the windows weren't openable, as some blocks of wood had been put in place. Not sure why, because it got quite hot. Although I could feel the power in it's engines, I didn't think this Atlantean was as strong as some of the other buses we tried today. It was a smooth journey, but I personally preferred some of the other vehicles. The three of us did a whole round trip on this, arriving back at the Energus Site for 13:30.

Shuttle – Energus Building, Lillyhall Industrial Estate and return, via Workington Town Centre – (13:56 --- 14:25) – Preserved ex-Cumberland F805 FAO – Leyland Olympian
After I took more photos of the line-up of buses in attendance, Dan and citaro5284 sat down at a small bench. Another enthusiast joined them, whom citaro5284 conversed with. We considered the buses that had already been out on shuttles, and tried to work out what might working the 14:00 shuttle to Workington. We eventually concluded that it was to be the famous Carlisle Bus Group's Leyland Olympian, 1005 (or F805 FAO), as a couple of people appeared to be boarding, and a person was sitting at the wheel. Walked across to the other side of the rally site, where the Olympian was parked, and Dan enquired as to whether or not it was going out on the shuttles. The driver confirmed that it was working the 14:00 to Workington, so we jumped on. Again, being another vehicle type that citaro5284 could recall; he sat at his favourite spot, even insisting I moved to the other side of the rear seats. Dan sat at the sideways-facing seat on the left hand side. Personally, I think it was one of the best rides of the day; citaro5284 seemed to enjoy it, although he did complain of the diesel fumes from the engine. It certainly had plenty of power in it; although it was not the ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian I had been hoping for for a few weeks, it was still a Leyland Olympian, and I really enjoyed it. After having yet another round trip, we arrived back at the rally site at 14:25. The 14:30 shuttle, which appeared to be the other Leyland Lynx in attendance – F251 JRM – was boarding a few passengers. For one final ride, we decided to board it. 

Shuttle – Energus Building, Lillyhall Industrial Estate and return, via Whitehaven Town Centre – (14:27 --- 15:05) – Preserved ex-Cumberland F251 JRM – Leyland Lynx
I had already rode this Lynx at Stagecoach's Lillyhall open day back in May, I was quite impressed at the time. However, after comparing it to G215 KRN's performance earlier today, it was quite bad. The engine just sounded extremely rough, and it didn't have half of the power that G215 KRN did. On the other example, the seating was actually alright. Even though the leather base and fabric cover was quite comfortable on this Lynx, the legroom was dreadful. I found myself sitting at an awkward angle, I saw citaro5284 doing so as well. That aside, I noticed the enthusiast from Workington Bus Station, and the earlier ride on G215 KRN; who asked us what else we had been on earlier today. We spoke with him for a while, and took advantage of a quick photo-stop in Whitehaven. An elderly man approached Dan and I, asking ''what is the interest''; Dan replied that it was an old bus, before he nodded and moved along. The journey back to the Energus site was pretty quick, and after getting some final photographs; we jumped back in the car, and left the rally at 15:10.

citaro5284's Car – Lillyhall Industrial Estate to Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Ground – (15:10 --- 18:19) – citaro5284 – Seat Leon FR Technology TSI 140
Another enjoyable ride in the red Seat Leon; on the way to Penrith, citaro5284 pulled into a lay-by so we could get some photographs of Lake Bassenthwaite; after nearly smashing through some fencing, we realised there was a gate that led down to the lake. We had a walk down to the lake, and took some photographs as it was such a beautiful sight. Afterwards, we got back in the car and drove to Penrith. On the way there, Dan surveyed some timetables. On Real Time Trains, it was apparent there was a Virgin Trains West Coast Pendolino due through the station at 16:22, and the 508 Lakes service, operated by Stagecoach, was due at 16:30. We used the underpass to get to the opposite platform of the London Euston-bound stopping service, only to hear that it was delayed by sixteen minutes. That went out of the window, so Dan headed to the bus stop to double check the times while I headed back into the car park to inform citaro5284, who had no problem waiting for us. Before long, an open-topper ALX400 appeared, and after getting our photographs, we headed back to the car. A short drive to KFC (which citaro5284 had been banging on about all day) for something to eat (I think they copied off me... I ordered first, then citaro5284 ordered for both Dan and himself, saying ''the same as him please''...). The restaurant was pretty much deserted, with the nearby McDonalds being the clear bread winner in Penrith. Once we were on the open road again, we enjoyed the scenery of the A66 once more, before finally; we reached Chester-le-Street at 18:15. I was dropped off at the same spot I was picked up at, just before 18:20. I thanked citaro5284 for the lift and said goodbye to Dan, when I then walked home and arrived for 18:30.

It was a very nice event, I'm very grateful to citaro5284 for offering to take me. Despite not sounding like everybody's cup of tea, with only two ''modern'' buses in attendance, I had a fantastic time. My only regrets are not jumping on the two Leyland Nationals that went out into service, C49 OCM (the very last Mk2 to be built) on the 12:30, which we could have caught, and CHH 210T (the flagship Mk1 of the Workington preservation group); which again, we could have caught. However, it was a fantastic day and I really enjoyed myself. Thanks to citaro5284 and Dan for the company. Now for those Flickr photos... Thanks for reading.

Marcus

Great review Marcus.

I would have loved to have gone but was not possible on public transport and no-one offered to give me a lift!

Here's a review of todays outing.

0934 7 Newton Aycliffe - Durham (ANE 1516)
Starting my day off on Sapphire, not a great deal to say about this journey but was comfortable as usual and wasn't to busy which was nice and made use out of the free WiFi until I reached Durham.

1040 265 Durham Bus Station - Dalton Park (GNE 546)
These MPD's don't have the best reputation on this forum and this example certainly lived up to that, this example made a horrible sort of screaming sound (it's hard to explain but it sounded terrible) so I was not enjoying this so was so glad to finally arrive at Dalton Park.

I dropped Fozz a PM this morning saying I would be in the area where he lives and he met me at Dalton Park. Whilst at Dalton Park we got a few photos and had a bit chat before jumping on our next bus.

1145 202 Dalton Park - Seaham, Byron Place (GNE 541)
Thankfully this was better than 546, although it that doesn't make it great. In typical fashion it was rather shaky over some of the bad road surfaces and speed humps but not a bad journey I thought.

1218 X7 Seaham, Byron Place - Sunderland Park Lane (GNE 5334)
After I got a few photos in Seaham including Prince Bishops 5213 on the 60 before catching this to Sunderland. Thankfully a fair few passengers jumped off at Seaham so there was plenty of places to sit on this. Do think the Citaro's are brilliant performers and this journey was no exception performed the route well. Had more chat with Fozz on this journey.

We then went around Sunderland, I got some chips from Clems and we ended up walking up to Stagecoach's Wheatheaf depot to see if there was anything to see and thankfully some of the Enviro 400s which have joined the North East fleet were parked around the back so I managed to get some photos of the back of them from outside the depot. walked back to the City Centre and got some around Fawcett Street then later went towards Park Lane for some more photos and we saw another enthusiast in Park Lane getting photos who we got talking to, he wasn't from around here and was saying about some train ticket he got to get here and other trips he was going to make. At around 1435 I bid Fozz farewell and I continued on my outing.

1438 X7 Sunderland Park Lane - Peterlee Bus Station (GNE 5335)
Was going to get the 22 to Peterlee to sample the StreetLite's on this route and announcements but because I waited for a shot of 6100 on the 20 I ended up just missing it and ended up getting this to Peterlee instead. Another nice ride but annoyingly I ended up having to sit on one of the backwards facing seats so ended up with a stranger looking towards me. Quite like this route.

1608 X35 Peterlee, Essington Way - Houghton-le-Spring (GNE 4908)
Was quite for a B10 to turn up in place of one of the branded Fast Cats Solars. Sadly this journey was ruined slightly by the two passengers sat opposite me who were loud and annoying, lad and lass and the lad had an annoying laugh and their language was shocking was glad to get to Houghton. Saw them taking the mick out of me when I got some photos in Houghton.

1657 20A Houghton-le-Spring - Rainton Bridge npower (GNE 5215)
Pretty average short journey on this, not really a great deal to say as it was rather short and the bus was fine and thankfully wasn't too busy.

1722 20A Rainton Bridge npower - Durham Bus Station (GNE 4991)
Another PB Solar, thankfully the ride wasn't too bad on this one today although I thought it looked a bit tatty inside, there was at least three seats with grey backs instead of blue and the handle above the seat in front of me looks like it's been chewed to death by a dog.  Sadly we got stuck getting into Durham because of the Millburngate Bridge works. Originally I'd planned to get the 923 to Petleree then the 239 to Sedgefield but I couldn't be bothered especially with a 45 minute wait for the 21 in Sedgefield and also 546 was on the 923 which I had earlier in the day on the 265 and was in no hurry to get back on that shed.

When I got to Durham I had a few minutes to wait for the 7 but just before I was going to head into the bus station for the 7 I saw an OmniDekka on the 15 so I thought I'd get a photo of that but failed so I decided to wait for the next 7 and head down to Millburngate for a photo. Went back to the Bus Station and then spotted Sapphire base liveried 1532 on the 57A reversing off the stand so quickly ran back out of the bus station for a photo. I also saw the enthusiast me and Fozz saw in Sunderland earlier in the day.

1817 7 Durham - Newton Aycliffe (ANE 1515)
Ending the day on the 7, this was a pretty standard journey on the 7 where I just zone out and settled down and relaxed.

Thanks for reading this review and thanks Fozz for making the outing a bit more interesting.

The outings over the past two days, yesterdays involved one journey, today I had four, thought I'd do one of these as I haven't for a while now...

13.12 418 Berwick Rail Station to Alnwick Bus Station, ANE 4659
Before I left, I checked the Arriva App to see how the 418 was doing northbound, to find it arrived in Seahouses 19 minutes late, and wasn't being tracked at all on the next leg, which had me worried. As I sat in the car at the station, my eyes were glued to the top of the hill, hoping to see the front of the Omnicity powering around the corner. Just after 13.07, it came around, relieved, I said my goodbyes and made my way to the bus stop. We left 5 minutes late, after the driver went to the toilet, but we were back on time by Seahouses thanks to the sheer power of 4659. I had sat on the right hand side, front facing seat on the right rear quadrant, so I had an enormous amount of leg room We powered on, until we were leaving Craster, and while going up a hill with a sharp left at the top, and were faced with a car, we stopped on the hill, and I was blown away with what then happened. While sitting stopped, I wondered how well it would pull away up the hill, the answer was fantastically, it was like it was moving away on flat, really grew to love 4659 on that journey, and was disappointed when in Alnwick, I found that it was to head back to Berwick, and I had to complete my journey on the awaiting 7530...

15.12 X18 Alnwick Bus Station to Morpeth Bus Station ANE 7530
Now, I usually get the 15.12 from Berwick, a bus that carries straight through, no need for switching, however yesterday that was operated by 7512, so I'm happy with what I ended up with instead I boarded, and sat on the only seats you'll ever sit on if they are free, the front two on the right hand side. It's pretty much compulsory on any double decker, if you can sit there, you do sit there... I was,as I always am by these Enviro's, pleased with 7530's performance, it handled the route very well, nothing out of the ordinary, which is only a good thing. We arrived in Morpeth a few minutes earlier than expected, if I recall correctly. Brilliant drivers on both legs of the journey actually. 

Today...
10.46 2 Bedlington Red House Farm to Morpeth Bus Station ANE 1769
I'd managed to get a lift to Bedlington to start my day, from here I was meeting friends in Morpeth, so I waited at the bus stop along a section of route that looks like the 2 may no longer serve in the near future. (For those who don't think that the 2 should serve this bit of Bedlington, or the X21 for that matter, I'd invite you to look at my journeys today...) Me and another young lad got on a busy 1769, I was joined by a friend in Guide Post, and we arrived in Morpeth a few minutes early.

13.06 2 Morpeth Bus Station to Bedlington Red House Farm/Meadowdale ANE 1768
After a lovely morning in Morpeth, which involved some 'Fruit Coolers' from Costa, a relaxing stroll around the park, and bumping into people, we boarded 1768. Now I'm not usually one to complain, but the leg room on these MPD's is pathetic for anyone 6 foot and over, if anyone was sitting in front of me, my knee would have been digging into their neck the entire journey... A fairly regular journey otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary, I travelled back to Bedlington, arriving about 3 minutes early..

15.05 X21 Bedlington Meadowdale to Newcastle Haymarket ANE 7501
My friend had boarded earlier, and so thanks to top class updates, I knew the bus was pretty much on time. As I stood at the stop, 7508 roared past in the opposite direction, and I caught a glimpse of what turned out to be 7501's headlights in the distance. I boarded, paid the driver in coppers, as it was either that or a ten pound note, for a £1 fare. The plugs didn't work, the WiFi was slow and although it was early when I got on, we arrived in Newcastle a minute or so late, with minimal traffic. Having said that, 7501 wasn't making any of the noises it has done in the past, and seemed to cope very well, I'm starting to get a bit of a soft spot for these, help me!!


21.15 X22 Newcastle Haymarket to Guide Post(?) ANE 7526
7526 was my ride at the end of a very good day. Bus wise, standard stuff from this E400 batch, power, warmth and a very nice place to be. Really liking these Enviro's, and after a year in service they still look and smell pretty much brand new inside, top stuff. On time throughout, me and my friend played some "I Spy", which was fun, arrived in Guide Post, and I got picked up shortly afterwards. Would have preferred 7524, but I can't ask for too much

Thank you for reading, if I haven't bored you all to death...

Doing a Dales & District outing tomorrow where I will head to Beadle, Leyburn, Northallerton, Richmond and Ripon.

Is there anything I should be looking out for in these areas or any suggestions, I know there is the Ripon Town Service operated by Shaun's hopefully I will get a photo of the Optare Tempo Hybrid.

Unfortunately to fit as many buses and areas in as possible I've had to squeeze as much in as I can which has resulted in some small times in some locations, annoyingly I only have 25 minutes in Ripon and annoyingly it seems I will miss some things but it was spend either 25 minutes or somewhere between 2-3 hours which I didn't want to do. May try to do Ripon again at some point.

(22 Jul 2015, 5:47 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Doing a Dales & District outing tomorrow where I will head to Beadle, Leyburn, Northallerton, Richmond and Ripon.

Is there anything I should be looking out for in these areas or any suggestions, I know there is the Ripon Town Service operated by Shaun's hopefully I will get a photo of the Optare Tempo Hybrid.

Unfortunately to fit as many buses and areas in as possible I've had to squeeze as much in as I can which has resulted in some small times in some locations, annoyingly I only have 25 minutes in Ripon and annoyingly it seems I will miss some things but it was spend either 25 minutes or somewhere between 2-3 hours which I didn't want to do. May try to do Ripon again at some point.

It's always good to see some of the more unusual stuff that serves Richmond Schools at kicking out time

On Wednesday I took a trip to Middleton In Teesdale from Gateshead and back via Durham and Bishop Auckland using GNE and Scarlet Band Buses. My first bus of the day was GNE 6037, a Plaxton bodied Volvo B7 on the 8.45 X21 from Gateshead. The bus arrived on time and there were no issues with the journey. The bus was painted in Pronto livery and was starting to show its age of 15 years. None the less, we arrived in Durham bus station on time. I was hoping for one of the demonstrators but this was not to be.

I alighted at Durham and spent about half a hour spotting and getting some photographs. In addition to the usual GNE and Arriva stock, there was a healthy presence of independents in the form of Scarlet Band and Stanley Travel. I was pleased to see a number of Darts from GNE operating East Durham services and was able to get some decent photos of them near the bus station. It is interesting to contrast the Darts with Arriva’s new vehicles operating the Sapphire services to see how the style of bodywork has evolved since they first entered service. I also noted a number of mini and midi buses from Witton Gilbert based Colors Taxis.

At 9.55, I boarded GNE 6041, for the next stage of my journey from Durham to Bishop Auckland on the X21. This bus is in a similar condition to 6037 and also operates in Pronto livery. The journey was OK, but the driver was going a bit too fast between Coundon Gate and Bishop Auckland which caused peoples’ belongings to go all over the floor when he braked suddenly. There were no other concerns over the journey. We passed the site of the former OK travel headquarters in Bishop Auckland which is now completely demolished. I had enjoyed many interesting visits to this garage in the 1980s and 1990s. The OK staff were always helpful and used to let me look around.

On arrival at Bishop Auckland I was pleased to see vehicles from a variety of independent operators. These were S & B, Scarlet Band, Weardale Motor Services, Eden and Durham County Council. I was able to get some good photos of all of these operators’ vehicles. I also got some good photos of Arriva and GNE stock, including GNE’s OK branded Darts. GNE’s Dennis demonstrator also arrived on the next X21 and I was able to get a good set of photos. I enjoyed my time at Bishop Auckland greatly and would have stayed longer if possible.

At 11.05 I boarded a very busy Scarlet Band 85 service to Barnard Castle. The vehicle was 28 seater Optare M880, NX55FFS. The bus left slightly late due to the heavy loading and the friendly driver trying to find the option for my Explorer ticket on his machine. By the time we reached the outskirts of Bishop Auckland it was standing room only. A number of passengers alighted at the supermarket at Tindale Crescent. The bus remained full for the remainder of the journey with all seats taken. The driver was able to make up time on the quiet country roads. It had been a number of years since I last travelled this route, so I sat back and enjoyed the beautiful countryside of the Gaunless Valley.

We passed the depots of Eden at West Auckland and Watsons at Staindrop. The last time I spotted at Staindrop, I visited the premises of the now defunct Stirks Coaches, which used to be based near the village green. There were a number of Watsons vehicles present at the operating centre at the village edge. Scarlet Band also have a small outstation in Staindrop. The bus also gave excellent views of the magnificent Raby Castle, ancestral home of Lord Barnard. The only disappointing aspect of the journey was passing the site of the former United depot at Bishop Auckland which is looking very forlorn.

The bus arrived at Barnard Castle on time and I alighted outside Teesdale School. I then took a path through the school grounds and passed the premises of Teesdale Community Resources. This charity operates a single minibus on a non-profit basis. The path brought me out on Harmire Road near the swimming pool. It was a short walk to Stephen Maude’s depot. Maude’s run an interesting fleet of 10 vehicles ranging from midi buses to full size coaches. There are no longer any deckers in the fleet.

Mr Maude was very friendly and had no problems with me looking around the premises. I was able to get some really good photos, the majority of the fleet being present. Mr Maude invited me into the office and showed me his family’s photo album. This had pictures of Maude’s vehicles from the 1930s onwards. It was fascinating to see how much bus design had changed over of the years. What I also found very interesting was how the styles of clothing and fashion varied with time. The album gave a good indication of the changing vehicle policies of an independent rural centred operator. I thanked Mr Maude and his staff for a most enjoyable visit and continued on my way.

My next stop was Figgy Bus which is a relatively new minibus operator at Barnard Castle. They have a small fleet of smartly presented minibuses. This was the first time I had ever spotted their vehicles. The owner was working in her garden and I was able to get some good photos of the minibuses. I then walked to Barnard Castle town centre. Being market day, the town was very busy. I was able to get some photos of Scarlet Band, Hodgsons and Arriva vehicles. I also visited the main car park which had a number of touring coaches parked up along with more Scarlet Band vehicles. I then had a good look around the market and shops.

I was waiting for the bus to Middleton In Teesdale when Cumbria Classic Coaches 1959 Bristol Lodekka 627HFM arrived on the 572 service from Kirkby Stephen. The bus was full with market day shoppers and I was able to get some good photos. The bus tried to park in the main coach park but this was full, I therefore was able to get photos of it perilously reversing up the town’s narrow back streets in search of an alternative parking space.

My next bus was Scarlet Band MX55WCZ (another Optare) which I took straight to Middleton In Teesdale using the 95 service. The bus was branded for the service 20 Neasham – Sadberge. This was a good journey through beautiful villages. I had drunk in many of the small country pubs along the way years ago and was glad to see they were still all open. The countryside in Upper Teesdale is really lovely and I had a great view of the rugged hills in the distance.

We arrived at Middleton In Teasdale on time and I alighted at Chapel Row. I visited the premises of Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services Limited (UTASS). This charity runs a minibus service on a Thursday evenings for people wishing to travel into Middleton In Teesdale for social and leisure activities. They also do a great deal of work with the isolated farming community in Upper Teesdale. The charity runs a single Ford Transit on a Section 19 Permit. Next I visited the former garage Of Teesdale Coach Services (Jewitts). This former partnership used to be one of largest bus operators in Teesdale, working scholars and local stage services as part of the former Rural Ride network. It was a shame to see that the depot is now derelict and that the garage building has been demolished.  

I then took a slow walk to Alston Road and visited the premises of Tallentire which operates a small minibus fleet. Ian Tallentire is one of the trustees of UTASS. Finally I visited Hodgsons' small outstation in the former railway station yard after a nice walk over the fields and across a footbridge. You can walk most of the way from Barnard Castle to Middleton In Teesdale along the former railway which is now footpath and cycleway. There was a single coach present at the outstation. It was now lunch time so I ate my packed lunch on the village green and explored the rest of the village. Middleton In Teesdale is a lovely place and is well worth a visit.

Scarlet Band Optare NX55FFR to took me back to Barnard Castle at 13.27. The bus was sparsely used with only 7 passengers (including myself) during the entire length of the journey. We arrived at Barnard Castle on time and I decided to get some photos of the Bowes Museum. After a short walk I arrived at this stunning building and got some great external shots. There was an exhibition of Yves Saint Laurent’s work and life on at the museum. I’m glad my partner was not aware, or she would have spent all day in there! I then walked back into the town centre via Barnard Castle School. I was able to photograph the school’s small minibus fleet which runs on a Section 19 Permit.    

The 15.43 Scarlet Band service took me back to Bishop Auckland using NX55FFS again. The service was well used and I enjoyed the return journey. At West Auckland Eden’s garage was open and I was able to spot their preserved Bristol LH and Leyland Leopard. Next it was back on GNE 6041 working the 16.37 X21. Again I hoping for one of the demonstrators but my luck was not in. This bus arrived at Durham on time.

I decided to take a break at Durham and got some tea. I then did a bit spotting by the bus station. My final bus of the day was GNE 6069 working the 17.26 service 21 to Newcastle. This journey was on time and passed off without incident. It was a good trip and I enjoyed visiting places that I had not been to in a long time. All the buses were on time, there were no drunken passengers and I did not injure myself. I would definitely do this journey again. If I could make a change, I would attempt to reach Hodgson’s garage which is located on a farm about 2 miles from Barnard Castle. Guess I’ll need my walking boots and map for that visit when I get round to doing it.

Charles

(24 Jul 2015, 10:36 am)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]At 11.05 I boarded a very busy Scarlet Band 85 service to Barnard Castle. The vehicle was 28 seater Optare M880, NX55FFS. The bus left slightly late due to the heavy loading and the friendly driver trying to find the option for my Explorer ticket on his machine.

Great review.

You were lucky to actually use an Explorer ticket on the 85 from Bishop Auckland as I think the Explorer ticket is not actually valid on the Bishop Auckland - Cockfield section of this route which I think is something to do with this section of the route being commercial with the Cockfield - Barnard Castle section being supported by Durham County Council I think. May be wrong on that but I think it's been said before.

It's nice that a fair few people seem to be using the Scarlet Band 85, the 1700 85 Barnard Castle - Bishop Auckland last night carried a decent amount of passengers with many of them being fare paying passengers to.

Today, I had an adventure to kill some boredom. Last year, I found that despite planning on making the most of available days during the summer holidays, I ended up just losing motivation to go out, and wound up doing nothing. With the new ''indiGo'' Solos at Saltmeadows Road depot arriving, I decided I would aim to head down to Saltmeadows for some photographs. Here is how the day played out...

#36 – Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Ground to Houghton-le-Spring Church – (09:48 --- 10:10) – Go North East 4942 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar
I left the house at 09:35, aiming to catch the 09:50 36 service from my local stop to Houghton-le-Spring, then onto the ''Red Arrows'' X1 to Washington. I was hoping for a red Wright Renown; having seen quite a lot of them on the service recently. Also, I'm getting a bit tired of the corporate liveried Solars. I couldn't tell you the last time I had a gold Citaro on the 36. Must just be my luck. After getting to the stop for 09:45, I only had five minutes to wait until it was due. Surprisingly, I saw it coming down Ropery Lane a couple of minutes early. I boarded and asked for a Get Around; the driver seemed pleasant, however I was annoyed at how the ticket came out. It happens once in a blue moon, but it's just irritating; where the ink doesn't fully print, and it just looks like some messed up code on the ticket. Fortunately, I know how to read them in this state; but it just drives me crackers. There were two others on board; who alighted in Great Lumley. I had the bus to myself all the way up to Avenue Vivian, where two elderly women boarded. One then jumped off at the next stop, while the other alighted in Houghton-le-Spring with me. I couldn't fault the mechanics of this Solar; it offered a smooth ride, and was better than my last Solar on the 36, 4936, which had a very annoying ''hissing'' noise every few seconds...

#X1 – Houghton-le-Spring Church to Washington The Galleries Bus Station – (10:19 --- 10:35) – Go North East 6013 – Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President
After waiting for a while, I saw a corporate liveried Plaxton President coming in the way the X1 does. It was indeed on the ''Red Arrows'', covering for a branded vehicle, and it was 6013. I once had this from Washington to Heworth on the 82/82A. The driver had his blazer around the seat, while I was waiting to board; I noticed he had a few Tyne and Wear PTE driver badges on his blazer; possibly an enthusiast? He was a rather old looking driver, possibly late fifties. Rather than head upstairs, I decided to sit at the rear. One big flaw in the Volvo Presidents, for me, is the layout downstairs. With the stairwell towards the back, it means a few seats are lost. I noticed how many OAPs were forced to stand along the Washington Highway; speaking of which, it really struggled on that fast-paced section of the route. When we did get to the Galleries, I was quite pleased to be off. I had a brief walk into the shopping centre to kill some time, as I watched a ''Connections4'' branded Citaro depart for Heworth, just in front of us, as we came to a halt. Speaking of which, that was to be my next move. 

#4 – Washington The Galleries Bus Station to Heworth Metro Interchange – (10:47 --- 11:06) – Go North East 5366 – Mercedes 0530N/Mercedes Citaro
This Citaro came into sight just as a ''Red Arrows'' was preparing to leave, there was about ten others waiting for the 4, and I was one of the last to board. We left the Galleries with about fifteen seats taken; I sat on the final row, resting my arm against the thing where another seat could be, on the driver's side. I don't know what it's called, but I hope you know what I mean. The seats were extremely comfortable; I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I don't think any other Citaros in the fleet can match how nice the ones on the ''Connections4'' are. A couple of chavs boarded in Concord; which is a magnet for them, worse than Stanley. The Next Stop Announcements on the 4 are also some of the best in the fleet; it shows how Go North East have improved them over time, I recall quite a few people were initially peeved with the ones on the ''Angel'' 21 when they first entered service. Now, looking at the NSAs on the ''Coast & Country'' and the ''Red Kite'', it's obvious that improvements have been made and feedback has been noted.

#94 – Heworth Metro Interchange to Saltmeadows Road Bus Depot – (11:08 --- 11:17) – Go North East 5223 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar
After alighting the 4, I walked across to the other side of the Interchange, and located the stand that the ''Loop'' services depart from. Looking at the timetables, it would appear the 94, which would take me to Saltmeadows the quickest, was due in a moment. From Gateshead, the 93 goes almost direct along Saltmeadows Road, where the depot is located, then to Heworth, and around the Team Valley before returning to Gateshead. Whereas, the 94 goes to the Team Valley first, then around to Heworth and returning to Gateshead via the Saltmeadows Industrial area. Having never done this section of the route before, I was on the edge of my seat; as I know Saltmeadows is easy to miss if you're not watching out for it. Fortunately, I found it with no problems, and alighted. While I took my photos of the unbranded Optare Solos, citaro5284 shouted hello. Him and Dan were sorting out some destinations, when he came up to the gates to chat with me for a while, he said they were sorting out the destination in 5302, which had just been repainted and was due to go back to Deptford soon. I'm assuming Dan was too busy to come over and talk to me............ citaro5284 then disappeared back towards the new buses, and I got some more photos before I heard the 94 coming along the road. 

#94 – Saltmeadows Road Bus Depot to Gateshead Transport Interchange – (11:36 --- 11:44) – Go North East 5221 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar
The driver was obviously in a rush, I was too preoccupied with the goings on at Saltmeadows to realise he was running late. He opened the doors; closing them before I had even showed him my Get Around, quickly nodded, and pulled away. As it was available, and it was just a short journey, I decided to sit behind the cab in the single seat. The passenger numbers were decent, with about twenty seats occupied. I didn't pay much attention to this journey, although I did note that roughly half of the passengers alighted on Jackson Street in Gateshead. When we got to the Interchange, I walked across into the main section; there was a ''Blaydon Racers'' branded Citaro at it's stand, with the 49B to Winlaton. I thought, seeing as I'd taken some photographs at Saltmeadows Road, that a trip to Riverside was in order. 

#49B – Gateshead Transport Interchange to Handy Drive, Riverside Bus Depot – (11:46 --- 12:05) – Go North East 5281 – Mercedes 0530N/Mercedes Citaro
I boarded; the driver smiled at me and seemed quite pleasant. About ten passengers were already sat down, the majority were OAPs. Two teenage girls sat at the quadrant, with their feet on the seats facing the rear; opposite the side-ways facing seats. I'll admit, trying to compare the view from the seat I sat in on 5366; it was obvious the seating was a lot ''tattier''. Also, the floor didn't seem to have been cleaned recently. Even though I decided to listen to my music through my earphones; I could hear the engine. It wasn't pleasant. Nowhere near as nice as the ''Connections4'' branded Citaro I had rode earlier in the day. Although, having said that; you can't example a bus of eight years of age to be on par with one that is only two. A couple of passengers disembarked in Dunston, with the majority seeming to stay on until the MetroCentre. However; I jumped off outside of Riverside. Walking along the perimeter of the depot, taking photos as I went, I saw the ''Pride Quaylink'' branded Optare Versa, which I was quite pleased to photograph, rather than have to hunt down. Also, two Olympians (3819 and 3824) were parked up and I got photos. I sighted 3818 parked up in Gateshead when I boarded the 49B. When I was done, I walked back to the bus stop for the first thing back to Gateshead. A bus driver was also waiting here for the X66 to Gateshead, which appeared a few minutes later. 

#X66 – Handy Drive, Riverside Bus Depot to Gateshead Transport Interchange – (12:23 --- 12:33) – Go North East 5393 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid
Only about half a dozen seats were remaining when I boarded, I ended up sitting just below the step up to the rear. I noticed these seats had a plush head cushion, as opposed to the plastic hand bars that the other seats have. We went along the Centrelink for this run, as opposed to Askew Road. When I alighted in Gateshead Interchange, I was tempted to stop and get some photographs. However, I noticed a few Nexus staff were on patrol, so threw that idea out of the window. I made my way across to the stand for the 21, 52, X21, etc. and waited for the next Chester-le-Street bound service. I waited, and waited, and waited; then something made my day...

#X21 – Gateshead Transport Interchange to Chester-le-Street Red Lion – (12:48 --- 13:09) – Go North East 9109 – Dennis Trident 2/ADL Enviro400MMC
Noticing the sleek new-looking blue livery, I realised I was looking at the demonstrator Enviro400MMC within seconds. I quickly went to flag it down, bringing it to a stop. The driver seemed a happy chap, and greeted me as I boarded. I couldn't believe my luck, today being the last day for this demonstrator, I didn't think I was going to get another opportunity to ride it. It was still very impressive, with no rattles or squeaks that I could note. I would have thought, having been on the X21 for nearly two weeks, it might have met the consequences of such a demanding route. When we got to Chester-le-Street; I noticed Pat Armstrong was Point Supervisor, so I briefly exchanged greetings with her. She asked the driver to pull forward or something, as there was a group of enthusiasts waiting to board. One of them, I recognised. When I went to the Lillyhall open day back on 23 May; he said something to Dan about taking photographs in Workington Bus Station. He then shouted ''thanks Pat!'' followed by a cheer from the others. I couldn't quite understand what the deal was, but he then shouted that it was ''quality''. 6063 was my ride home, on the 21.

It was a great little outing, I'm pleased that I peeled myself out of bed and decided to have a day out. I got some good photos at Saltmeadows and Riverside too, which I'll upload to my Flickr this evening. I think the plan for tomorrow is an outing with Adrian. We're going to make our way from Durham to Seaham, taking photos of the ''East Durham'' MPDs. I still need a few for haulage, as well as photographs. From there; to Sunderland for photos of the Airshow shuttles. We've found out that Stagecoach are putting double deckers on all of their shuttles. I'm going to say it's fair to suspect that we may see some of the recently acquired Enviro400s, possibly some of the R-reg Alexander Olympians, and possibly even some of the Teesside based ALX400s. It should be a good day, I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for reading the review of today.

Marcus

The hard worker of the duo ( [emoji14] ) was far too busy to stop and chat; profiling and re-programming the destination on 5302 (with great difficulty compared to 5298-5300), likewise on the most recent Solos to arrive, obtaining unit numbers on the new Solos for one of our systems, and conducting an audit of what had yet to be salvaged from withdrawn vehicles in terms of destination sizes. All of this while responding to e-mails from my phone - who said men couldn't multi-task?!

Obviously I cannot forget how much I was admiring 3823 on Robert's behalf...

Tempted to get photos of the Sunderland Air Show shuttles tomorrow but I have little knowledge of my way round the area where the Air Show is on at, so has anyone got any advice on where I could maybe get photos at?

Might just get some of the shuttles on Fawcett Street then jump on a shuttle up to where the air show is on at.

(24 Jul 2015, 4:26 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Tempted to get photos of the Sunderland Air Show shuttles tomorrow but I have little knowledge of my way round the area where the Air Show is on at, so has anyone got any advice on where I could maybe get photos at?

Might just get some of the shuttles on Fawcett Street then jump on a shuttle up to where the air show is on at.

The Air Show is at Seaburn. Quite busy (as you would expect) with it being a major event. Provides some decent photo opportunities will vehicles you wouldn't expect to see over in Sunderland in Sunderland.

As for 3823 Dan, as long as it is kept safe alongside 3813 (of which i assume it is still at the back of Stanley depot?) i'm not bothered what happens to it

(24 Jul 2015, 4:31 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]The Air Show is at Seaburn. Quite busy (as you would expect) with it being a major event. Provides some decent photo opportunities will vehicles you wouldn't expect to see over in Sunderland in Sunderland.

And full of chav's.... can't forget that!

(24 Jul 2015, 3:05 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]The hard worker of the duo ( [emoji14] ) was far too busy to stop and chat; profiling and re-programming the destination on 5302 (with great difficulty compared to 5298-5300), likewise on the most recent Solos to arrive, obtaining unit numbers on the new Solos for one of our systems, and conducting an audit of what had yet to be salvaged from withdrawn vehicles in terms of destination sizes. All of this while responding to e-mails from my phone - who said men couldn't multi-task?!

Obviously I cannot forget how much I was admiring 3823 on Robert's behalf...

I will be doing my hard work between 7pm and 3am at Riverside on Saturday night....so it was your turn today!

(24 Jul 2015, 4:33 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]I will be doing my hard work between 7pm and 3am at Riverside on Saturday night....so it was your turn today!

Updating all of the destinations ready for the changes to kick in? Good look