North East Buses

Anyone ended up anywhere interesting? I've managed to spend a bit time in both Newcastle and Sunderland. Didn't manage the Olympian, but got a shot of the Sunderland Connectmas Solo at 3rd attempt! Also a handful of plain, and newly branded Es.

(15 Nov 2014, 1:37 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Anyone ended up anywhere interesting? I've managed to spend a bit time in both Newcastle and Sunderland. Didn't manage the Olympian, but got a shot of the Sunderland Connectmas Solo at 3rd attempt! Also a handful of plain, and newly branded Es.

Decided not to go out.

My hairdresser came to do my hair at 09:30, but didn't arrive until 10:30! - before then doing my mam's hair before mine; so I didn't manage to catch the 11:31 #X24 for that special £1 return offer.

(15 Nov 2014, 1:39 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Decided not to go out.

My hairdresser came to do my hair at 09:30, but didn't arrive until 10:30! - before then doing my mam's hair before mine; so I didn't manage to catch the 11:31 #X24 for that special £1 return offer.

Hairdresser?!

(15 Nov 2014, 1:39 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Hairdresser?!

She did my mam's hair for her wedding my dad about a year before I was born, and she just started to do mine as time passed.

Coincidence is; she does about five of my friends' hair, too!

Anyone ended up anywhere interesting? I've managed to spend a bit time in both Newcastle and Sunderland. Didn't manage the Olympian, but got a shot of the Sunderland Connectmas Solo at 3rd attempt! Also a handful of plain, and newly branded Es.

Durham, Gateshead and Newcastle. I think I got a good selection of photos in Gateshead and most importantly I got some shots of the Olympian on the X34.

(15 Nov 2014, 4:01 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Durham, Gateshead and Newcastle. I think I got a good selection of photos in Gateshead and most importantly I got some shots of the Olympian on the X34.

What run was that on? Didn't see it at all.

What run was that on? Didn't see it at all.

1340 and 1510, but the 1510 journey left Newcastle around 20 minutes late.

I'm annoyed as I waited for the 1620 X2 as 7478 was on this morning and 1461? Turned up instead, unless I've incorrectly worked out the X2's

Newcastle was horrendous today, the amount of people there was insane, I'm glad I didn't do too much of Newcastle.

(15 Nov 2014, 4:36 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]1340 and 1510, but the 1510 journey left Newcastle around 20 minutes late.

I'm annoyed as I waited for the 1620 X2 as 7478 was on this morning and 1461? Turned up instead, unless I've incorrectly worked out the X2's

Newcastle was horrendous today, the amount of people there was insane, I'm glad I didn't do too much of Newcastle.

Yeah I agree, went into M&S for a packet of sweets, but walked back out when I saw the queues! 

Yeah I agree, went into M&S for a packet of sweets, but walked back out when I saw the queues!

Took me about 10 minutes to get a pasty in Greggs at Trinity Square.

Needed a couple of bits and bobs this morning, so turned it into a bit of a random venture. It sort of echoes my one from a couple of weeks ago:

08:58 #X25 Eighton Banks - Gateshead (4930)
09:20 #X66 Gateshead - Metrocentre (5339)
10:30 #X43 Metrocentre - Stanley (3825 (couldn't resist a ride on an Olympian)).
11:00 #78 Stanley - Consett (4901)
11:45 #15A Consett - Durham (6012)
12:34 #X22 Durham - Chester-le-Street (6016)
13:10 #X25 Chester-le-Street - Eighton Banks (3878)

And tonight, to follow on from last week's discussion, I shall be out in town. My American friends and having a flat party and then we're off to Digi afterwards, so the inaugural game of #WheresAdam can get under way

Should be on the 20:09 #X1 Wrekenton - Newcastle JD Street, and then possibly the 03:15 #N56 back to Wrekenton, depending on what time we finish.

#WheresAdam
#tipsytimes
#CoverFinallyBlown?
#hashtagsonNEB

(15 Nov 2014, 5:30 pm)Adam wrote [ -> ]Needed a couple of bits and bobs this morning, so turned it into a bit of a random venture. It sort of echoes my one from a couple of weeks ago:

08:58 #X25 Eighton Banks - Gateshead (4930)
09:20 #X66 Gateshead - Metrocentre (5339)
10:30 #X43 Metrocentre - Stanley (3825 (couldn't resist a ride on an Olympian)).
11:00 #78 Stanley - Consett (4901)
11:45 #15A Consett - Durham (6012)
12:34 #X22 Durham - Chester-le-Street (6016)
13:10 #X25 Chester-le-Street - Eighton Banks (3878)

And tonight, to follow on from last week's discussion, I shall be out in town. My American friends and having a flat party and then we're off to Digi afterwards, so the inaugural game of #WheresAdam can get under way

Should be on the 20:09 #X1 Wrekenton - Newcastle JD Street, and then possibly/probably the 03:15 #N56 back to Wrekenton

#WheresAdam
#tipsytimes
#CoverFinallyBlown?
#hashtagsonNEB

I'd love to get on one more Olympian before they all go!

#OlympianBanger
#hashtagsonNEB

(15 Nov 2014, 5:48 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I'd love to get on one more Olympian before they all go!

#OlympianBanger
#hashtagsonNEB

You've got a few months yet!

(15 Nov 2014, 5:52 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]You've got a few months yet!

Get in!

How are you feeling now Dan?

(15 Nov 2014, 5:53 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Get in!

How are you feeling now Dan?

Fine, haha  
That little 'incident' could have happened anywhere, and to anyone, so I've just shrugged it off. No harm done - just unnecessary idle threats and a bit of a push!

(15 Nov 2014, 5:55 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Fine, haha  
That little 'incident' could have happened anywhere, and to anyone, so I've just shrugged it off. No harm done - just unnecessary idle threats and a bit of a push!

Glad to hear it. Are you back in Sunderland yet, or still on the train?

(15 Nov 2014, 5:56 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Glad to hear it. Are you back in Sunderland yet, or still on the train?

Yup, back home now and making a start on uploading the photos... Got the 14:35 train back up north, so I was back home for about 16:00.  

(15 Nov 2014, 6:43 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]I've started my outing today in the dead of night; the mist was quite spooky this morning on Newcastle Road under the street lamps, and the Metro line is pitch black with nothing to see other than blobs of light in the distance.

0638 Metro - Stadium of Light to Newcastle Central Station (T&WM 4015)
0722 East Coast - Newcastle Central Station to York (EC HST 43312)
1435 East Coast - York to Newcastle Central Station (EC HST 43328)
1554 Metro - Newcastle Central Station to Stadium of Light (T&WM 4037)

And the photos I got today are on the link below:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrah...014/11/15/

Very tired now!

Should've been quicker off the mark replying to this - glad to see you got some brilliant shots at York, Dan!

Over the weekend, on both days I had a trip out; Saturday was buses and Sunday was trains. Here's what I did:

Saturday 15th November
SNW 27142 685 Greenhead to Hexham, 0745 (originally planned to get the 0643 however I misplaced my mobile which meant I had to return home to find it)
GNE 5231 X85 Hexham to St James' Park
Metro 4023 4075 St James' to Chillingham Road (spotted a Grand Central HST being pushed around by a Class 08 so went to photo some stuff on Heaton)
SNE 34614 15 Walker (Shields Road) to Walker, right outside the park - we caught the first bus to come, expecting it to take us to a busy street in Walker where we could get a connecting bus - instead we got a bit lost and walked through Walker Park, eventually relying on Google Maps to find a bus for us)
SNE 12081 40 Walker (Welbeck Road) to Wallsend Interchange (bus driver stopped on the double yellows outside Nisa, knocked engine off and went to buy something - still in service!!)
Metro 4013 40009 Wallsend to North Shields
GNE 5274 9 North Shields to Sunderland (Wheatsheaf? One alongside the depot) - Tyne Tunnel was pretty good, never been on it before. Once we got to Sunderland we had a nosy at the Stagecoach depot, having a little walk round the footpaths outside. Pity we got there on an Omnicity on an otherwise Omnicity-free day!
SNE 28019 3 Sunderland (Wheatsheaf?) to City Centre (Near Park Lane Interchange) - My first ride on a Gas Bus and wasn't too impressed, the driver was a miserable sod and I don't prefer them to original E200s!
GNE 5336 X7 Park Lane Interchange to Peterlee Bus Station - Absolutely brilliant bus, screaming all the way down the coast to Peterlee!
ANE 1421 24 Peterlee Bus Station to Hartlepool - Best Pulsar I've ever been on, another absolute screamer with a superb driver to boot!
SNE 27157 36 Hartlepool to Stockton
ANE 76xx X1 Stockton to Durham
GNE Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President Vxxx LGC - X22 Durham to Metrocentre (whole bus to ourselves until Chester)
SNE 27509 100 Metrocentre to Newcastle (Blackett Street)
GNE 6081 10 Newcastle Eldon Square to Hexham, 1755
SNW 27141 Hexham to Greenhead, 1941.

Not a great feeling when it's 1500 or so and you notice you're getting pushed for time so have to start making your way back! Great day overall. Now, Sunday: (This was done all by myself!)


Sunday 16th November
NT 156451 2N00 Haltwhistle to Metrocentre
NT 142064 2K07 Metrocentre to Darlington via Hartlepool - ex-First Great Western with 3+2 bench seats! One of two services per week to call at Teesside Airport
TP 185113 1E69 Darlington to Durham - spent around 90 minutes in Durham photoing the DRS-operated RHTT with Top & Tail Class 37s amongst other things in thick fog
EC 91105 822xx 1S14 Durham to Newcastle - full & standing and 8 minutes down approximately!
NT 142092 2W23 Newcastle to Sunderland
NT 142092 2W26 Sunderland to Newcastle
NT 156490 2N15 Newcastle to Haltwhistle.

Overall cost was twice as much as Saturday (used a Tyne & Tees Day Ranger, it's pretty restrictive in the sense of routes you can go on with it compared to others) but still worth it. Loved going down the Durham Coast and seeing some semaphore signalling with a signalbox every couple of miles or so around Stockton - something which won't happen for much longer!

I'm uploading my pics bit by bit - my album for Saturday is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/northern15...276611726/


Sean

P.S. If anyone fancies doing a Rail Ranger in the future, please give me a PM - some, like the Lancashire Day Ranger, cover oodles of miles for a relatively low cost!

This was a plan I made for today as somewhere different and also for some Christmas presents, unfortunately due to a lack of sleep and feeling unwell I've had to postpone this trip until a later date.

0842 7 Newton Aycliffe - Durham (Arrive 0926)
0946 X2 Newcastle (Arrive 1040)
1054 X21 Bedlington Red Lion (Arrive 1128)
1148 19 Royal Quays Outlet Centre (Arrive 1247)
1353 9 Sunderland Park Lane (Arrive 1444)
1615 X21/21 Newton Aycliffe (Arrive 1743)

Anyone planning any outings this Saturday? I've been given the reprieve again, so I'm going to have (probably) my last bus related outing until boxing day. Haven't quite decided whether to go for a Day Rover or an Explorer yet, but I'm pushing towards the latter. Was thinking of heading over Stanley in hope of an Olympian ride, but I'm also wanting to make another attempt at an Olympian on the X34!

Decisions decisions...

(20 Nov 2014, 8:39 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Anyone planning any outings this Saturday? I've been given the reprieve again, so I'm going to have (probably) my last bus related outing until boxing day. Haven't quite decided whether to go for a Day Rover or an Explorer yet, but I'm pushing towards the latter. Was thinking of heading over Stanley in hope of an Olympian ride, but I'm also wanting to make another attempt at an Olympian on the X34!

Decisions decisions...

I'm not sure. Weather forecast looks pretty poor for Saturday, but I've got quite a bit to catch up on...

Thinking of doing something to include:

• Repaints of Deptford's DAF SB120s
  
• Repaints of Deptford's Silver Arrows Mercs
  
• Repaints of Riverside's Blaydon Racer Mercs
  
• Branding on South Shields' Enviro300s
  
• Olympian on X34
  
• Stockton's new Enviro300s
  
• Arriva's new "Sapphire" branded Streetlites on Teesside
  
• Arriva's new Streetlites on service 23
  

Doing all that during the day is going to be difficult, though.

(20 Nov 2014, 8:39 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Anyone planning any outings this Saturday? I've been given the reprieve again, so I'm going to have (probably) my last bus related outing until boxing day. Haven't quite decided whether to go for a Day Rover or an Explorer yet, but I'm pushing towards the latter. Was thinking of heading over Stanley in hope of an Olympian ride, but I'm also wanting to make another attempt at an Olympian on the X34!

Decisions decisions...

I might do! Olympian on the X34 would be good!
You could include both - I'm gathering you are coming from either Washington or Durham?
If Washington, you could get the 8 to Stanley, then the X43 which has been an Olympian the last few Saturdays, then the X34? If your coming from Durham, then the 43 to Stanley, then the same as from Washington?

(20 Nov 2014, 8:47 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]I'm not sure. Weather forecast looks pretty poor for Saturday, but I've got quite a bit to catch up on...

Thinking of doing something to include:

• Repaints of Deptford's DAF SB120s
  
• Repaints of Deptford's Silver Arrows Mercs
  
• Repaints of Riverside's Blaydon Racer Mercs
  
• Branding on South Shields' Enviro300s
  
• Olympian on X34
  
• Stockton's new Enviro300s
  
• Arriva's new "Sapphire" branded Streetlites on Teesside
  
• Arriva's new Streetlites on service 23
  

Doing all that during the day is going to be difficult, though.

I'm hoping we'll get a better picture tomorrow, as the forecast kills pretty much most of the morning at present. 50/50 chance according to accuweather though, so fingers crossed! 

Good idea about the Streetlites actually. I may have a punt at Ashington or East Durham. I'd thought about the Sapphire Streetlites a few weeks ago, but I'm probably just going to wait to next Summer, and head down to Whitby.

Well, I'm definitely going out tomorrow, if it kills me! The plan is as follows....

#X25 - Chester to G'head
(11:10 --- 11:40)
#21 - G'head to NCL
(12:03 --- 12:13)
#100 - NCL to MetroCentre
(12:24 --- 12:39)
#10A - MetroCentre to NCL
(12:53 --- 13:10)
#100 - NCL to MetroCentre
(13:30 --- 13:45)
#X24 - MetroCentre to Chester
(13:55 --- 14:19)

Taking my camera out to hopefully get some photos in Gateshead and Newcastle!

(21 Nov 2014, 7:36 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Well, I'm definitely going out tomorrow, if it kills me!

Starting at 11:00am, you better be... lazy git!  

(21 Nov 2014, 7:47 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Starting at 11:00am, you better be... lazy git!  

Haha - what, a teenager isn't entitled to a lie-in? You'd fuckin' jump at the chance!

(21 Nov 2014, 7:48 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Haha - what, a teenager isn't entitled to a lie-in? You'd fuckin' jump at the chance!

Wish i could have a lie in!

Working has broke my lie in's up =(

(21 Nov 2014, 7:48 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Haha - what, a teenager isn't entitled to a lie-in? You'd fuckin' jump at the chance!

Not tomorrow! I have too many things to catch up with!  

(21 Nov 2014, 7:51 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Not tomorrow! I have too many things to catch up with!  

Oh.....revision......right....

(21 Nov 2014, 7:51 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Not tomorrow! I have too many things to catch up with!  

I have an assignment due in on Monday.... 

Got 5 due in by the 9th December!