North East Buses

As every1 knows from tommorow PYGALLS COACHES will run a 230 from Sunderland – Horden – Hartlepool,

http://durham.pindarcreative.co.uk/tt/230.pdf - Timetable, not many runs.

Which stand will this run from at park lane?

Cheers!

Not sure which stand it will leave from. I'd assume Stand C with the Arriva services but could be wrong. I think I'll travel back home through Park Lane tomorrow instead of Seaburn and get a photo of the 1715 departure, providing the metros are on time!

Looking at the timetable, it looks as though the service could interwork with a schools, there's a morning gap between 0735-0915, and an afternoon gap between 1407-1545.

I'd second what Brandon said - that was where I was going to hang about tomorrow! (I'll be going for the 17:15 departure too, and I'm not running the risk of getting a blurry shot... I'll have to stick to a boring bus station shot for now...)

Can we guess which bus is being used - if it hasn't already been confirmed? Judging by the picture on the news article, I was going to say W1 CTS will be used:






W1 CTS is (or rather, was, if it has been sold to PYGALLS COACHES) available to buy from Stafford Bus Centre. Unlike what that news article said, it cost £13450... The rest of the information matches though!
W1 CTS was one of three early Nimbuses new to Cheney Travel of Banbury and sold after three years, all of which have ended up with major groups; W3 CTS remains with MK Metro under Arriva ownership and Cheney sold X94 FOR to Go Ahead Northern...
I really hope it is W1 CTS that will be running the route - don't think Sunderland has seen a Nimbus since X94 FOR was withdrawn from Go North East's fleet!

Cheers! I haven't had much luck taking night-time photos in the past, but I'd still like to try! I'm not too familiar with good angles at that side of Park Lane either. I've tended to stick with the entrance by the old Redby travel shop.

The vehicle does seem like a good choice and matches the seating spec in the article, would be great if it was!

I occasionally get lucky with night time shots... 'tis rare though.
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/8227389347/ is probably one of my best... I'd give another example of one I like but Flickr has hidden it until I renew my Flickr membership... Grr. :|)

Looks like I was right! Under the new registration number of 'W424 WRE'... Still retains its original seating (including the Stagecoach seat for the driver) and looks like no work has been done to it at all - no idea how he supposedly paid £25000 for it though, considering no work has been done to it.

Oh, and that timetable? Don't trust it. The driver on the 17:15 duty from Park Lane left at 17:10. Fair enough, an Arriva bus did want to use the bay he was parked in and another Arriva bus was already occupying the other, but yeah.

If I have the time later, I'll upload my picture I got; it isn't great because I had planned to get another but I didn't have a chance what with the masses of queues for the 23 and 24 services and it leaving 5 minutes early!

No other timetable has being uploaded yet, im hoping it does more runs than on the timetable i posted.

Its good its using the Arriva stand do do get decent loadings but hopefully with this 230, it does well.

(03 Dec 2012, 5:48 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]No other timetable has being uploaded yet, im hoping it does more runs than on the timetable i posted.

Its good its using the Arriva stand do do get decent loadings but hopefully with this 230, it does well.

Upon arrival at Park Lane, it only had one passenger getting off. Upon departure, it had two. Quite a few people checked with the driver to see whether there was some mistake in the branding of the bus and the display he had on the front! Nonetheless, I do hope more people use the service soon. Though the company owner said he didn't know whether it would be profitable or not and he didn't care as such, it would be nice for it to turn out a profit.

---

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/8242471522/ ;-)

Absolutely gutted I missed it. I came out late and ran for 10 minutes to catch the 16:24 metro from Benton, but all the timetables have changed for the Christmas period which I completely forgot about, so it didn't come. I had been aiming to be into Park Lane at 17:11 but only got there at about 17:25 instead after a 10 minute connection wait at South Gosforth. The "stress-free" Christmas timetables certainly haven't eased the trip I normally take. I still hurried up to the bus stands hoping the 230 would be late, but nope it had already gone.

But from what you're saying about the 230 leaving five minutes early, I would have missed it anyway. I think there's an Arriva 23 to Hartlepool that leaves Park Lane at 17:12, so that could have been the bus that the 230 had to leave the stand for.

Hopefully passenger numbers on the 230 will improve, it's early days yet - the service was only announced last week. Not sure what the service level will be like over Christmas and New Year when most routes run a Saturday service instead. Could perhaps be a week and a half gap in service.

(03 Dec 2012, 7:31 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]Absolutely gutted I missed it. I came out late and ran for 10 minutes to catch the 16:24 metro from Benton, but all the timetables have changed for the Christmas period which I completely forgot about, so it didn't come. I had been aiming to be into Park Lane at 17:11 but only got there at about 17:25 instead after a 10 minute connection wait at South Gosforth. The "stress-free" Christmas timetables certainly haven't eased the trip I normally take. I still hurried up to the bus stands hoping the 230 would be late, but nope it had already gone.

But from what you're saying about the 230 leaving five minutes early, I would have missed it anyway. I think there's an Arriva 23 to Hartlepool that leaves Park Lane at 17:12, so that could have been the bus that the 230 had to leave the stand for.

Hopefully passenger numbers on the 230 will improve, it's early days yet - the service was only announced last week. Not sure what the service level will be like over Christmas and New Year when most routes run a Saturday service instead. Could perhaps be a week and a half gap in service.

Yup, out of no where buses piled into Park Lane... A 60 followed the 230, which was shortly followed by a late 24 and then also followed by a 23. Passengers everywhere! It was hard to take the photo...
I do believe I was the only enthusiast there tonight; I had hoped I'd see a few familiar faces but I didn't! Jumped straight back on the 2A home at 17:13. Wish I hadn't if it had meant I could have taken a photo of a "Fab Fifty Six" branded Scania working the 35! Nevermind... :L

Looks like you've managed a great photo though! You could be the only from today! Unless Peter caught one too, but unless you know the exact timetable, bumping into a 230 at Park Lane by chance is quite unlikely! I thought I passed a group of enthusiasts (young lads really) standing outside Stand T not waiting for a bus. As I got on the 36 they pointed and exclaimed about the Fab56 being on the 35.

That always happens at Park Lane though, as soon as you're on the bus home you see a photogenic odd-working you just missed!

(03 Dec 2012, 8:05 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]Looks like you've managed a great photo though! You could be the only from today! Unless Peter caught one too, but unless you know the exact timetable, bumping into a 230 at Park Lane by chance is quite unlikely! I thought I passed a group of enthusiasts (young lads really) standing outside Stand T not waiting for a bus. As I got on the 36 they pointed and exclaimed about the Fab56 being on the 35.

That always happens at Park Lane though, as soon as you're on the bus home you see a photogenic odd-working you just missed!

Hah, thanks... You're all lucky I didn't upload my first photo attempt - it was taken at the "entrance" of that side of Park Lane... I had expected the driver would slow down (or even stop) enough for me to take a photo that wouldn't come out blurry, but er... No. :L It appears that it's just Go North East buses that escort me from school to Park Lane that manage to stop before turning into Park Lane itself!
I definitely didn't see Peter... He's always the main person I look out for considering his photos inspired me to start taking my own! :L

From my experience a lot of drivers have tried to accelerate past me. This lovely driver pretty much came to a complete stop for me. I had dropped my other phone on the ground but I wanted to take the photo first before I picked it up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonston...hotostream

A problem with my phone is that it tends to distort the front of buses that are moving at speed if I don't depress the shutter fast enough. I've got a proper camera but that's taking some getting used to.

I agree about Peter too. I first followed his work about 5 years ago in my final year at school while he was on Fotopic. All of his photos from Fotopic are now on his Flickr thankfully!

Sure no problem, sorry for going off topic!

Carl Gorse has a photo of W424 WRE on the 230 today too - at Hartlepool Interchange! http://www.flickr.com/photos/37682/8242590816/

Peter got a few pics today! :p

Some heritage on the 230 today!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N0...hotostream - East Lancs bodied Dennis Dart

Pic From peter_b2008 - Great pic and spot =D

The 'heritage' which was spoken about above was in Newcastle today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgraha...otostream/

Don't know why, but it was! W424 WRE hasn't been seen all week but N755 OYR has certainly been sightseeing. Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle... She's seen it all!

Received an e-mail from Mick, the head admin secretary for Pygalls Coaches and the daily driver for the 230 service, about half an hour ago:

First on the agenda was the 17:15 departure from Park Lane on an evening [as listed in several online timetables released to the public]... Mick assures me that this time is incorrect. The timetable that Pygall's Coaches received from Durham County Council states that the final departure from Park Lane is in fact 17:08, and is due at Seaham New Mill Inn at 17:15.
Thus meaning that the timetables we've all being going by [see below] are incorrect for the last duty at least:
http://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/nexus.org....1212_1.pdf
http://durham.pindarcreative.co.uk/tt/230.pdf

Certainly not the first time Nexus have mucked up! The timetables that they have managed to update at bus stops along the route are all incorrect too, it seems. For example, a stop on Ryhope Road states that the bus is due at 17:18 there, see below:
http://liners.nexus.org.uk/25298.pdf


In a hopeless attempt, I also asked about F114TML and its possible usage on the 230 service, to which I got the reply of 'F114TML is a service bus that was bought for the sole purpose of school contracts and big lift type jobs so would only ever be used in service as a matter of urgency'. Disappointing, I know... But at least Peter got a picture of it while working a one-off trip for my school:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N0...hotostream


I also asked about W424WRE (W1 CTS) - why it is not used on the 230 service anymore and why it has been replaced with a much older vehicle (N755 OYR). Mick said that it is currently being prepped for a trade for a newer style low floor double decker, so chances are that N755 OYR will be used until that transaction takes place. It seems that we had it for a week in service and it departed soon after! I have e-mailed him back in query of this new 'low floor double decker', and whether that will definitely be used on the 230 service or not. Hopefully I should receive an e-mail back tomorrow [or rather, today] regarding that question, now that I'm contacting the company directly by e-mail rather than a standard contact form.


I know a few of us have been wondering about the fares - child and adult alike - so I posed a question regarding fares too. I asked if they could match or beat Go North East's competitive price for an all-day ticket costing £3.50 for those who are Under 18 and Mick said that if I was to travel on his service, I would be charged half the adult fare. When I saw the East Lancs Dart in Newcastle the other day, I noticed a few posters inside of the vehicle advertising an adult return for £5.00. With a little bit of maths, I've worked out that a child return must be £2.50!


What would I do without the power of e-mails, eh?

(17 Dec 2012, 12:37 am)Daniel wrote [ -> ]Received an e-mail from Mick, the head admin secretary for Pygalls Coaches and the daily driver for the 230 service, about half an hour ago:

First on the agenda was the 17:15 departure from Park Lane on an evening [as listed in several online timetables released to the public]... Mick assures me that this time is incorrect. The timetable that Pygall's Coaches received from Durham County Council states that the final departure from Park Lane is in fact 17:08, and is due at Seaham New Mill Inn at 17:15.
Thus meaning that the timetables we've all being going by [see below] are incorrect for the last duty at least:
http://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/nexus.org....1212_1.pdf
http://durham.pindarcreative.co.uk/tt/230.pdf

Certainly not the first time Nexus have mucked up! The timetables that they have managed to update at bus stops along the route are all incorrect too, it seems. For example, a stop on Ryhope Road states that the bus is due at 17:18 there, see below:
http://liners.nexus.org.uk/25298.pdf


In a hopeless attempt, I also asked about F114TML and its possible usage on the 230 service, to which I got the reply of 'F114TML is a service bus that was bought for the sole purpose of school contracts and big lift type jobs so would only ever be used in service as a matter of urgency'. Disappointing, I know... But at least Peter got a picture of it while working a one-off trip for my school:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N0...hotostream


I also asked about W424WRE (W1 CTS) - why it is not used on the 230 service anymore and why it has been replaced with a much older vehicle (N755 OYR). Mick said that it is currently being prepped for a trade for a newer style low floor double decker, so chances are that N755 OYR will be used until that transaction takes place. It seems that we had it for a week in service and it departed soon after! I have e-mailed him back in query of this new 'low floor double decker', and whether that will definitely be used on the 230 service or not. Hopefully I should receive an e-mail back tomorrow [or rather, today] regarding that question, now that I'm contacting the company directly by e-mail rather than a standard contact form.


I know a few of us have been wondering about the fares - child and adult alike - so I posed a question regarding fares too. I asked if they could match or beat Go North East's competitive price for an all-day ticket costing £3.50 for those who are Under 18 and Mick said that if I was to travel on his service, I would be charged half the adult fare. When I saw the East Lancs Dart in Newcastle the other day, I noticed a few posters inside of the vehicle advertising an adult return for £5.00. With a little bit of maths, I've worked out that a child return must be £2.50!


What would I do without the power of e-mails, eh?

That's good to hear that they reply to emails, I must try and get an up to date fleet list for them I've had a few operators who have sent me info for my site so it's great to find another one that is friendly!

So much for low-floor...

Ex-GNE Stagecarriage R395LGH sold to Pygall's Coaches.
Meanwhile, Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus W424RLE has been sold to Stagecarriage.

I have seen the bus on the A19 and in Hartlepool, but do they have any other routes?

(15 Feb 2013, 7:45 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I have seen the bus on the A19 and in Hartlepool, but do they have any other routes?

Not that I know of, just School Services and the 230.

I was fairly positive that the vehicle that was to be inherited by Pygall's from another company in return for Pygalls' Nimbus would be used on the 230 service, but now I'm not so sure.
It would seem illogical for a high-floor double decker to be used. After all, the passenger numbers aren't particularly high and it's still a high floor vehicle. I thought the intention of acquiring a low-floor double decker was so it could be used on the 230 service and would provide a higher competitive rate to Arriva's low floor vehicles that are used on their 23 and 24 services...

A fairly recent purchase from Pygall's Coaches is BIG8788.
A photo can be seen below. I believe it is the first photo on Flickr of it now with Pygalls.

BIG8788 (danielgrahamm)

Pygalls Coaches have acquired a Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo Olympian, formerly owned by Finglands of Manchester and registered as P532 HMP. A photo is displayed here.

GM03JVE or GK04LUZ has been re-registered as K5PYG, and has also gained company name vinyls on her plain blue base livery. A photo is displayed here.

Both photos taken by Daniel Graham (danielgrahamm).

(12 May 2013, 6:14 pm)Daniel wrote [ -> ]Pygalls Coaches have acquired a Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo Olympian, formerly owned by Finglands of Manchester and registered as P532 HMP. A photo is displayed here.

GM03JVE or GK04LUZ has been re-registered as K5PYG, and has also gained company name vinyls on her plain blue base livery. A photo is displayed here.

Both photos taken by Daniel Graham (danielgrahamm).

P532HMP confirmed as owned by Style Travel

(12 May 2013, 6:14 pm)Daniel wrote [ -> ]GM03JVE or GK04LUZ has been re-registered as K5PYG, and has also gained company name vinyls on her plain blue base livery. A photo is displayed here.

Vehicle in question was previously registered as GM03JVE. Many thanks to Scott (above) for contacting Pygalls for confirmation on both.

On VOSA today:

PB1098320/1 - KEITH JAMES PYGALL T/A PYGALL'S COACHES, SHUTE COTTAGE, SPENCERS BUILDINGS, HUTTON HENRY, HARTLEPOOL, TS27 4RT

Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Sunderland and Hartlepool given service number 230 effective from 26-Jul-2013.

Status Cancelled
Operator Name KEITH JAMES PYGALL
Service Number(s) 230
Start Point Sunderland
Finish Point Hartlepool
Via
Service Type Normal Stopping
Date Received 30-MAY-2013
Effective Date 26-JUL-2013

Just beat me to it haha! Suprised how long it lasted to be fair! Wonder if its been scrapped or will be taken up by another operator.

I'm surprised actually. Some days recently it has had relatively high passenger numbers for such an under-advertised service. Other times, not so...

It was only a trial after all, wasn't it?