North East Buses

(11 Mar 2015, 8:24 pm)Malarkey wrote [ -> ]I hopefully, sick of sitting on me arse doing nothing all day.

Best of Luck Adam...Hope something comes your way soon [THUMBS UP SIGN]

(11 Mar 2015, 4:31 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote [ -> ]A hilarious story my maths teacher told me today...

Her oldest son is 22 now, and has a job working at Nissan. When he was 12/13 - he started sleep-walking. At about 12:30 one Friday night she was in her living room watching TV, when she heard a dripping noise upstairs.

She went to the foot of the staircase - and caught him p***ing down the stairs...[emoji23].

My mam and dad took me to Amsterdam for my birthday in 2005, on the way over got talking to a lad from School who was a squaddie and heading back to Paderborn, we proceeded to get very drunk, I went back to the Cabin I was sharing with my folks, fell through the door, proceeded to tell the whole floor I needed the toilet and as my mother put it, I think, I 'lobbed my c**k out and p****d in the wardrobe' my mother apparantly chased me to smack me

Next day was funny as well, on the coach from Ijmuiden to Amsterdam, I got on, sat down, there was people opposite, in front and behind me, when we got to Amsterdam, there was no one around me, I had done a Mr Fozz Special, the dead rat crawled out my arse and apparantly the smell was sickening

Getting a message to say we're having steak for tea on Saturday.
Anything else, depends on how good I am between now and then.

I love March 14th.

Not Happy, but more amused me. Found out the staff at Geek Retreat have a nickname for me (if they forget my name) for my food / drink orders. I'm known to them as Coffee Brony.

(12 Mar 2015, 8:33 am)Adam wrote [ -> ]Always a pleasant surprise to have a Renown turn up on my morning commute on the X25 instead of the usual Solars or Lolynes. On 4906 this morning

Single deckers on the X25 

(12 Mar 2015, 8:33 am)Adam wrote [ -> ]Always a pleasant surprise to have a Renown turn up on my morning commute on the X25 instead of the usual Solars or Lolynes. On 4906 this morning

Magnificent buses. Will be a true shame to see them go. This may sound pathetic, but over the years of riding them from being a young boy to the teenager I am now, I will be very sad to see the last one withdrawn.

I think we don't really appreciate buses until they are on their last legs, do we? This time a couple of years ago, nobody would be really that fussed about an Olympian turning up - now, it's like a godsend. I reckon in the summer and Easter I'll be doing a lot of Renown-bashing.

I predict Chester-le-Street will only have a couple left by a month or two...

(12 Mar 2015, 9:12 am)MarcTheA4 wrote [ -> ]Magnificent buses. Will be a true shame to see them go. This may sound pathetic, but over the years of riding them from being a young boy to the teenager I am now, I will be very sad to see the last one withdrawn.

I think we don't really appreciate buses until they are on their last legs, do we? This time a couple of years ago, nobody would be really that fussed about an Olympian turning up - now, it's like a godsend. I reckon in the summer and Easter I'll be doing a lot of Renown-bashing.

I predict Chester-le-Street will only have a couple left by a month or two...

Citaro and Scania possibly the Olympian apart, I still prefer most buses from the late 80's/early 90's...

[Image: http://cdn.meme.am/instances/54755582.jpg]

(13 Mar 2015, 6:02 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote [ -> ][Image: http://cdn.meme.am/instances/54755582.jpg]

This is me right now, too. Haven't stopped all day.

You better appreciate these new destinations on the Lime, mind, Marcus! A lot of preparation before making them to ensure consistency across each and every destination no matter where the bus is due to terminate - and the number looks slightly different, too! New Arial font to allow consistency with the 56/58 route numbers - but the 'A' variants aren't in Arial as the letter was absolutely massive, so it was custom designed instead...

(13 Mar 2015, 6:09 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]This is me right now, too. Haven't stopped all day.

You better appreciate these new destinations on the Lime, mind, Marcus! A lot of preparation before making them to ensure consistency across each and every destination no matter where the bus is due to terminate - and a special number, too...

Are we going to have to, erm...''work'' for our info?

Well....

Started my new job on Tuesday, done training Wednesday and today, which have proved to be great. So far, the management team have proved to be helpful and approachable.

Best of all - as it stands at this present moment, I've now got 7 days free with just online training courses to complete before my next official shift, which is the first time I'm actually in my place of work

(13 Mar 2015, 7:21 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]Well....

Started my new job on Tuesday, done training Wednesday and today, which have proved to be great. So far, the management team have proved to be helpful and approachable.

Best of all - as it stands at this present moment, I've now got 7 days free with just online training courses to complete before my next official shift, which is the first time I'm actually in my place of work

Nice one Kuyoyo, nothing better than doing online courses  

(13 Mar 2015, 7:21 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]Well....

Started my new job on Tuesday, done training Wednesday and today, which have proved to be great. So far, the management team have proved to be helpful and approachable.

Best of all - as it stands at this present moment, I've now got 7 days free with just online training courses to complete before my next official shift, which is the first time I'm actually in my place of work

Congrats on the job.

(13 Mar 2015, 6:09 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]This is me right now, too. Haven't stopped all day.

You better appreciate these new destinations on the Lime, mind, Marcus! A lot of preparation before making them to ensure consistency across each and every destination no matter where the bus is due to terminate - and the number looks slightly different, too! New Arial font to allow consistency with the 56/58 route numbers - but the 'A' variants aren't in Arial as the letter was absolutely massive, so it was custom designed instead...

Wonder if you could look at the 17 blinds?

On the Renowns the number is tiny, and also the ''Whitley Bay'' etc. bit isn't fixed like most of them.

Also, you could possibly add more via points? e.g ''via Rake Lane - North Shields - Royal Quays - Holy Cross - Wallsend - Wiltshire Drive - Benton Asda - Killingworth - Dudley''

Also, I quite like the blinds where it says ''Shops via....''. That would be a nice feature.

(13 Mar 2015, 7:38 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Wonder if you could look at the 17 blinds?

On the Renowns the number is tiny, and also the ''Whitley Bay'' etc. bit isn't fixed like most of them.

Also, you could possibly add more via points? e.g ''via Rake Lane - North Shields - Royal Quays - Holy Cross - Wallsend - Wiltshire Drive - Benton Asda - Killingworth - Dudley''

Also, I quite like the blinds where it says ''Shops via....''. That would be a nice feature.

We can go through the destination displays for service 17, but I can't guarantee any changes being made. The reason we're going through the destinations for the "Lime" group of services is obviously because new vehicles are due to enter service so this is a great time to make any changes.

Can you elaborate on the tiny number? The software we use automatically makes the number the largest it can be for the size of that destination display. I've looked through all of my photographs and I can't see a Volvo B10BLE on the 17 with a tiny number. See photograph below:
 Go North East: 5165 / T815CBW by danielgrahamm, on Flickr
If you've seen vehicles which look different to the above, the switch setting on the bus has been incorrectly set. The front destination display may think it's a rear, or something similar.

Including "Shops via x - y - z" on the destination display is a good idea, as it would allow consistency throughout. We (or rather, citaro5284, as it was obviously before my time) implemented this a few years ago on the services terminating at Eldon Square in Newcastle.

Seeing a bloke in a tiger/cat onesie, complete with eyes and whiskers on the hood sitting on 27506.

(13 Mar 2015, 7:21 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]Well....

Started my new job on Tuesday, done training Wednesday and today, which have proved to be great. So far, the management team have proved to be helpful and approachable.

Best of all - as it stands at this present moment, I've now got 7 days free with just online training courses to complete before my next official shift, which is the first time I'm actually in my place of work

All the best, and I hope you enjoy it 

(13 Mar 2015, 7:54 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]We can go through the destination displays for service 17, but I can't guarantee any changes being made. The reason we're going through the destinations for the "Lime" group of services is obviously because new vehicles are due to enter service so this is a great time to make any changes.

Can you elaborate on the tiny number? The software we use automatically makes the number the largest it can be for the size of that destination display. I've looked through all of my photographs and I can't see a Volvo B10BLE on the 17 with a tiny number. See photograph below:
 Go North East: 5165 / T815CBW by danielgrahamm, on Flickr
If you've seen vehicles which look different to the above, the switch setting on the bus has been incorrectly set. The front destination display may think it's a rear, or something similar.

Including "Shops via x - y - z" on the destination display is a good idea, as it would allow consistency throughout. We (or rather, citaro5284, as it was obviously before my time) implemented this a few years ago on the services terminating at Eldon Square in Newcastle.

5165 mustn't have that problem then
Go North East: 5157 / T807CBW by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

If you look on this picture, you can see that the number is smaller, and the ''Sunderland'' isn't fixed. Might just be might eye sight though.

I think adding more via points onto the 17 would be a nice idea, as there is only a few at the minute. 

Hopefully the ''Shops via...'' blinds could be implemented, even if it was a trail? Would show the customer where it was going. For example, on the 17 you could have ''Cramlington - Manor Walks via x-y-z'' and ''Whitley Bay - Seafront via x-y-z''.

(13 Mar 2015, 8:51 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]5165 mustn't have that problem then
Go North East: 5157 / T807CBW by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

If you look on this picture, you can see that the number is smaller, and the ''Sunderland'' isn't fixed. Might just be might eye sight though.

I think adding more via points onto the 17 would be a nice idea, as there is only a few at the minute. 

Hopefully the ''Shops via...'' blinds could be implemented, even if it was a trail? Would show the customer where it was going. For example, on the 17 you could have ''Cramlington - Manor Walks via x-y-z'' and ''Whitley Bay - Seafront via x-y-z''.

The number is the correct size - the maximum size a number can be on that size of destination display. Scott has just uploaded some photos to Flickr, and you'll see the number is exactly the same size. The "Sunderland" is wrong though, I agree.

(13 Mar 2015, 8:57 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]The number is the correct size - the maximum size a number can be on that size of destination display. Scott has just uploaded some photos to Flickr, and you'll see the number is exactly the same size. The "Sunderland" is wrong though, I agree.

Ah okay, it just looks different for some reason when I see it.

Yeah, but I'd love to see the ''Shops x-y-z'' bit implemented. 


Also, do you think blinds like Arriva Durham's would work? I think they look quite smart. 

(13 Mar 2015, 8:59 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Also, do you think blinds like Arriva Durham's would work? I think they look quite smart. 

You mean the now-phased out screens? All depots south of the Tyne now use the standardised screens finished used by Stockton and Redcar depot since Feburary 2013 (Stockton) and July 2013 (Redcar).

Like these:

IMG_1183 by emdjt42, on Flickr

(13 Mar 2015, 7:23 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Nice one Kuyoyo, nothing better than doing online courses  

(13 Mar 2015, 7:25 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Congrats on the job.

(13 Mar 2015, 8:45 pm)Davie wrote [ -> ]All the best, and I hope you enjoy it 

Thanks all.

New pub opening in Thornaby next month - Anson Farm, part of the Farmhouse Inn chain of the Greene King group. Is a few up in Wearside already, we're the 30th of the chain to open.

(13 Mar 2015, 8:59 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Ah okay, it just looks different for some reason when I see it.

Yeah, but I'd love to see the ''Shops x-y-z'' bit implemented. 


Also, do you think blinds like Arriva Durham's would work? I think they look quite smart. 

The font which used to be used on the route numbers for Arriva's Belmont-based buses appears to be Arial, which is the same font Go North East has used for its 56 and 58 route numbers since the new vehicles for these routes entered service (late 2013). I think Arriva actually rolled this style of destination display out after Go North East, and it certainly isn't the first time Arriva has adopted ideas Go North East has rolled out first. Other operators do it, too, and Jim Hughes are reportedly using the exact same "NOT IN SERVICE" destination as Go North East, with a box surrounding it.

It's incredibly unlikely that the style of our destinations will change any time in the near future. It would involve quite a lot of work to change all of the current destinations to a new style, and it would involve a large amount of overtime for staff to upload the new destinations to vehicles overnight. Aside from that, Go North East prefers to have larger via points so customers can actually see them. Although I prefer the styling of having a larger terminus point and smaller via points, this has not proven successful when trialled in the past.

Speaking of Arriva. Seen a Lowlander in service this morning, with "MAXimum Impact" or something on the blind. I assume it was on the X12, and the only impact it's making is on the customer's ability to get to work on time.

(13 Mar 2015, 9:08 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]Thanks all.

New pub opening in Thornaby next month - Anson Farm, part of the Farmhouse Inn chain of the Greene King group. Is a few up in Wearside already, we're the 30th of the chain to open.

Good luck with the job. 

(13 Mar 2015, 9:23 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Speaking of Arriva. Seen a Lowlander in service this morning, with "MAXimum Impact" or something on the blind. I assume it was on the X12, and the only impact it's making is on the customer's ability to get to work on time.

Saw something like that back in January I think said something like: X12/X2 (can't remember the rest but had MAXimum Impact in there somewhere).

Lovely view at the gym this morning.

Don't usually feel the need to use the Chest Press but something I liked encouraged me to do 150 reps.

(14 Mar 2015, 12:24 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Lovely view at the gym this morning.

Don't usually feel the need to use the Chest Press but something I liked encouraged me to do 150 reps.

What was the view then Adam...

Was it the sight of of a young womans Chesticles or a nice looking Arse

(14 Mar 2015, 12:38 pm)MrFozz wrote [ -> ]What was the view then Adam...

Was it the sight of of a young womans Chesticles or a nice looking Arse

Being the gentleman that I am, I couldn't possibly comment