North East Buses

5501/2/3 have entered service today


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(15 Aug 2021, 2:44 pm)TEN 6083 wrote [ -> ]5501/2/3 have entered service today


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One has already broken down

(15 Aug 2021, 4:02 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]One has already broken down

Oh dear,thats unfortunate,i have also been informed off Dan that BU54 MCE is the spare bus

(15 Aug 2021, 4:14 pm)V514DFT wrote [ -> ]Oh dear,thats unfortunate,i have also been informed off Dan that BU54 MCE is the spare bus

Yeah, but that just past its MOT on Friday, it got replaced by a Versa.

5504 has entered service this morning on services 6/12/12A
Flickr Link : https://flic.kr/p/2mhUBcr


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Sorry this is a bit of a bump but ive got 2 questions ive been meaning to ask

1 the new livery of the x66 does anyone agree that one of them looks like an arriva bus with the color used

and

2 there are much more knowledgeable poster on here compared to me when it come to the make and model of buses but are the ones now operating the X66 not the same as they had a party for when they got taken off the 93/94 loop? Obviously cant tell there ages due to the private reg on them?

(16 May 2022, 7:11 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Sorry this is a bit of a bump but ive got 2 questions ive been meaning to ask

1 the new livery of the x66 does anyone agree that one of them looks like an arriva bus with the color used

and

2 there are much more knowledgeable poster on here compared to me when it come to the make and model of buses but are the ones now operating the X66 not the same as they had a party for when they got taken off the 93/94 loop?  Obviously cant tell there ages due to the private reg on them?

The buses on the X66 are Volvo B7RLEs with Wright Eclipse 2 bodies. The old Loop buses were Scania L94s with Wright Solar bodies. They do look very similar though.

I'll leave the other question to more opinionated contributors!

(16 May 2022, 7:11 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Sorry this is a bit of a bump but ive got 2 questions ive been meaning to ask

1 the new livery of the x66 does anyone agree that one of them looks like an arriva bus with the color used

and

2 there are much more knowledgeable poster on here compared to me when it come to the make and model of buses but are the ones now operating the X66 not the same as they had a party for when they got taken off the 93/94 loop?  Obviously cant tell there ages due to the private reg on them?

As someone said but they're just the same body design wise.

Wright Eclipse 1 / 2 - Volvo B7RLE (These)
Wright Pulsar 1 / 2 - SB200 (Arriva's)
Wright Solar 1 (no 2) - Scania L94UB (Old GNE)

1 = old lights at the front
2 = new lights at the front

You can barely tell the difference between them but if you really want to know then

Pulsar = Vent on driver side
Eclipse = Vent on nearside, fuel tank behind back wheel
Solar = Vent on nearside, fuel tank in front back wheel

It's why it looks like an Arriva bus since GNE have no other of the type in the fleet now.

(16 May 2022, 8:40 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]As someone said but they're just the same body design wise.

Wright Eclipse 1 / 2 - Volvo B7RLE (These)
Wright Pulsar 1 / 2 - SB200 (Arriva's)
Wright Solar 1 (no 2) - Scania L94UB (Old GNE)

1 = old lights at the front
2 = new lights at the front

You can barely tell the difference between them but if you really want to know then

Pulsar = Vent on driver side
Eclipse = Vent on nearside, fuel tank behind back wheel
Solar = Vent on nearside, fuel tank in front back wheel

It's why it looks like an Arriva bus since GNE have no other of the type in the fleet now.

Seating arrangements too. All forward facing off memory, bar the Solars.
GNE also had some of these Eclipse from new.

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(16 May 2022, 7:11 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Sorry this is a bit of a bump but ive got 2 questions ive been meaning to ask

1 the new livery of the x66 does anyone agree that one of them looks like an arriva bus with the color used 

and

2 there are much more knowledgeable poster on here compared to me when it come to the make and model of buses but are the ones now operating the X66 not the same as they had a party for when they got taken off the 93/94 loop?  Obviously cant tell there ages due to the private reg on them?

Aye, it does look very similar to the colouring Arriva would use.
According to Daniel, its to do with the colours of the Mall https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/14190...EVdV1D3JFw&s=19

(16 May 2022, 8:46 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Seating arrangements too. All forward facing off memory, bar the Solars.
GNE also had some of these Eclipse from new.

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Aye, it does look very similar to the colouring Arriva would use.
According to Daniel, its to do with the colours of the Mall https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/14190...EVdV1D3JFw&s=19

The buses on the X66 are ex East Yorkshire B7RLE and are 10 plates. they are of the same batch as 5509/5510 which have not yet been used by go north east.

(16 May 2022, 8:46 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Seating arrangements too. All forward facing off memory, bar the Solars.
GNE also had some of these Eclipse from new.

Yeah your right, I believe the step layout is slightly different at the back aswell.

Thanks for the Infor gents

I'm gonna admit this now. The X66 needs a change of buses. In fact the Volvo B7RLE don't seem to be performing well.

5501 seems to be performing well

5502 is doing dreadful. Saw it parked on death row at Riverside a few days ago. 5502 struggling a lot as it can barely put a week in service

5503 is doing I'd say a bit better than 5502 but not the level of 5501.

5504 tracking ability on bustimes.org is broken but was in service on the 27th June. It was also out on the 22nd June but must have leaked something at Metrocentre as NK56 KHT 5247 replaced it and sand was on the ground at the stand with cones round it

Also the X66 seems to Getting full a lot. Since it's the only direct bus to Gateshead (shocked at that) with the 49/49A/96/97 taking long routes to get there

(29 Jun 2022, 9:50 am)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]I'm gonna admit this now. The X66 needs a change of buses. In fact the Volvo B7RLE don't seem to be performing well.

5501 seems to be performing well

5502 is doing dreadful. Saw it parked on death row at Riverside a few days ago. 5502 struggling a lot as it can barely put a week in service

5503 is doing I'd say a bit better than 5502 but not the level of 5501.

5504 tracking ability on bustimes.org is broken but was in service on the 27th June. It was also out on the 22nd June but must have leaked something at Metrocentre as NK56 KHT 5247 replaced it and sand was on the ground at the stand with cones round it

Also the X66 seems to Getting full a lot. Since it's the only direct bus to Gateshead (shocked at that) with the 49/49A/96/97 taking long routes to get there

THey should have been put on the 61.

(29 Jun 2022, 9:50 am)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]I'm gonna admit this now. The X66 needs a change of buses. In fact the Volvo B7RLE don't seem to be performing well.

5501 seems to be performing well

5502 is doing dreadful. Saw it parked on death row at Riverside a few days ago. 5502 struggling a lot as it can barely put a week in service

5503 is doing I'd say a bit better than 5502 but not the level of 5501.

5504 tracking ability on bustimes.org is broken but was in service on the 27th June. It was also out on the 22nd June but must have leaked something at Metrocentre as NK56 KHT 5247 replaced it and sand was on the ground at the stand with cones round it

Also the X66 seems to Getting full a lot. Since it's the only direct bus to Gateshead (shocked at that) with the 49/49A/96/97 taking long routes to get there

Because the X66 gets so busy, I always go for the 49/49A because its only an extra ten minutes.

(29 Jun 2022, 11:15 am)ASX_Terranova wrote [ -> ]Because the X66 gets so busy, I always go for the 49/49A because its only an extra ten minutes.

Plus, and I know it's controversial to say such a thing, I prefer the Versas on the 49 over the B7s.
The seats are just the worst!

I'd go as far as saying I'd rather have the Streetlites back! Give me a rattly door over terrible seats any day!

(29 Jun 2022, 11:15 am)ASX_Terranova wrote [ -> ]Because the X66 gets so busy, I always go for the 49/49A because its only an extra ten minutes.

I usually get the 96,97 as I get to charge my phone so I don't really mind the longer journey.

(29 Jun 2022, 9:50 am)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]I'm gonna admit this now. The X66 needs a change of buses. In fact the Volvo B7RLE don't seem to be performing well.

5501 seems to be performing well

5502 is doing dreadful. Saw it parked on death row at Riverside a few days ago. 5502 struggling a lot as it can barely put a week in service

5503 is doing I'd say a bit better than 5502 but not the level of 5501.

5504 tracking ability on bustimes.org is broken but was in service on the 27th June. It was also out on the 22nd June but must have leaked something at Metrocentre as NK56 KHT 5247 replaced it and sand was on the ground at the stand with cones round it

Also the X66 seems to Getting full a lot. Since it's the only direct bus to Gateshead (shocked at that) with the 49/49A/96/97 taking long routes to get there

To be fair it was something different the B7RLE's. On the first days they were good but now they are just not gonna be used to their full potential which is speeding. Should of kept the Artic Citaros

(29 Jun 2022, 9:50 am)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]I'm gonna admit this now. The X66 needs a change of buses. In fact the Volvo B7RLE don't seem to be performing well.

5501 seems to be performing well

5502 is doing dreadful. Saw it parked on death row at Riverside a few days ago. 5502 struggling a lot as it can barely put a week in service

5503 is doing I'd say a bit better than 5502 but not the level of 5501.

5504 tracking ability on bustimes.org is broken but was in service on the 27th June. It was also out on the 22nd June but must have leaked something at Metrocentre as NK56 KHT 5247 replaced it and sand was on the ground at the stand with cones round it

Also the X66 seems to Getting full a lot. Since it's the only direct bus to Gateshead (shocked at that) with the 49/49A/96/97 taking long routes to get there

How are you deciding that they aren't performing well then? I've looked on Bustimes and both 5501/3 look to be out virtually every day, and you've mentioned 5504s tracking being inaccurate - that said it was also tracking virtually daily before the end of May. 

5502 is the only one that looks suspect, but all operating companies are experiencing lengthy waits for parts at present (which will be especially pronounced with fleet types which aren't as common), so you'll find that even small issues can keep vehicles off for a lengthy period.

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(29 Jun 2022, 5:21 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote [ -> ]To be fair it was something different the B7RLE's. On the first days they were good but now they are just not gonna be used to their full potential which is speeding. Should of kept the Artic Citaros

This makes no sense. 

How has the use case changed between the first day and now? You appear to suggest it has, given that they now are "just not gonna be used to their full potential".

I'm assuming by "speeding" you mean high speed running, no bus should be speeding. You'll find that the larger engine means that when running at near/full capacity, the engine is less stressed compared to something like a Streetlite so they're arguably being used very well indeed. 

And the articulated Citaros - they were beyond uneconomical, not exactly beacons of reliability from memory, and also by this point would be approaching end of life.

All recent buses on the X66 have been crap.

Should have kept the Nationals and Deltas

I remember the time after the bendy Citaros were withdrawn and before 5391-4 arrived, when the X66 was essentially allocated 5332, 5389/90 and a Renown. My interest in buses had only recently been developed back then.

(30 Jun 2022, 2:28 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]All recent buses on the X66 have been crap.

Should have kept the Nationals and Deltas

and the Paladins/Prestiges.

(30 Jun 2022, 7:39 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote [ -> ]and the Paladins/Prestiges.

Prestige's... They were the biggest lumps of junk around and rightly were both withdrawn early at Arriva and GNE. Awful awful buses.

(30 Jun 2022, 7:51 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Prestige's... They were the biggest lumps of junk around and rightly were both withdrawn early at Arriva and GNE. Awful awful buses.

they were great, waggonway batch sounded best but the other ones i understand.

(30 Jun 2022, 8:06 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote [ -> ]they were great, waggonway batch sounded best but the other ones i understand.

You won't have many agreeing there like, they're pretty much universally hated with the Excel's at GNE and Vario's at Arriva and loved a good bonfire.

For the X66 i never realised they branded up Solars. Not fusions just normal solars.

Tbh the Bendy Buses for the X66 were fantastic. I miss GNE owning Bendy Buses. The X40/58/X66 all saw Bendy Buses in there life and all were amazing. Granted the X66/X40 were the same batch same with the 58/X66

Don't think any of the Prestiges (or Paladin LFs) were withdrawn early and operated a full service life. Well apart from those destroyed by fire or road traffic accidents.

I didn't really care about buses when the Prestiges were still around, though I can remember the Lime Renowns (since they outlived the Prestiges by a few years)

(01 Jul 2022, 9:14 am)wibblejunior wrote [ -> ]I didn't really care about buses when the Prestiges were still around, though I can remember the Lime Renowns (since they outlived the Prestiges by a few years) 

Yup, even the Rxxx PRG versions seemed to last a lot longer than the Pxxx AFT or R reg Prestiges.

Disliked the Prestiges on the X66 and disliked them even more on the 21A. Particularly if doing a long hike on it.
Can remember a batch being shunted to Washington and being used on the X3/X4 not long before the M1 was launched.