(14 Jun 2023, 8:34 pm)Storx Happy to be corrected, but would I be right in saying this is the first time Stagecoach has ventured into the post 1974 Co. Durham? I can't think of anything ever serving it.

(15 Jun 2023, 1:58 pm)GrahamD83 I recall some Favourite branded services ran around Durham during the Busways era. Im not sure if any of these were still running when Stagecoach took over in the 1990s.

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(15 Jun 2023, 6:09 pm)Busu284 Been sent a screenshot of the date and the new 59 by Stagecoach from Hartlepool to Durham will start on the 9th July

(14 Jun 2023, 8:40 pm)Jimmi No, the X90 between Darlington and Newcastle / MetroCentre certainly Newton Aycliffe, there was the short lived X55 from Stockton/Greatham to Newcastle which stopped at Dalton Park, there's a few scholars contracts nowadays too.

(15 Jun 2023, 1:58 pm)GrahamD83 I recall some Favourite branded services ran around Durham during the Busways era. Im not sure if any of these were still running when Stagecoach took over in the 1990s.

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(15 Jun 2023, 9:03 pm)Rapidsnap Favourite name survived into the Stagecoach era with even some Mercs arriving in Favourite livery instead of Stagecoach Stripes.

Heres a photos of N498RVK by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258881

A couple of Darts carried the livery too.
Alexander bodied K715PCN by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6036153252
Plaxton bodied M770DRG by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258877

Originally set up in response to TMS (Trimdon Motor Services) setting up routes in Tyne and Wear against established Busways routes at De-regulation under the Tyne and Wear Omnibus Company (TWOC) name in Sunderland and Newcastle. In response Busways opened a depot in the Durham area mainly using a fleet of secondhand Leyland Leopard from GMPTE still in their Manchester colours (hence why Favourite adopted the Orange livery (here is one of said Leopards in a photo by Ken Weaver https://www.flickr.com/photos/131962719@N04/49517451237). There were Leopards from elsewhere to bolster the fleet. However this came to ahead in 1989 when TMS sold TWOC and it's depot in Gateshead (these days known as Saltmeadows) to Go-Ahead Northern who then sold the vehicles and routes to Busways the very same day (Go-Ahead would lease Saltmeadows to Gateshead Council for a number of years as a base for them to repair their big wagon fleet). TMS would later be sold to Caldaire (Owners of United) in 1990.

Busways maintained a presence in County Durham under the Favourite brand name having won a number of contracts in the area as well as the services they were running were bringing in money still. They also used the TWOC name for a short while on various minibus / small bus routes before the Sunderland part of TWOC were replaced by Favourite whilst the Newcastle part of TWOC were absorbed in to Blue Bus Services.

Despite the Stagecoach takeover in 1994, the Favourite name and livery persisted for contracted routes in the Sunderland Area and Country Durham, effectively the low cost unit for Sunderland depot. Not sure when their County Durham outstation disappeared though. The livery eventually disappeared around 1997 I believe. Some of the low cost routes operated by Favourite (14/14A/139/140) were then sub-contracted to Redby Buses in 1998 originally using buses painted in Stagecoach stripes (like this Marshall bodied Volvo B6 by Peter Barclay - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/3239187324) until this requirement was relaxed in 1999 where buses can be any colour Redby desired which was basically anything. Though Redby did briefly scale back the number of services it ran with two Darts being sold to Busways (32794/32795) and 5 Leyland Lynxes (Mk1 4817/4856/4857 & Mk2 4818/4819) & a Volvo B10B (4875) to Go North East before plodding along for a number of years before finally closing shop with vehicles being sold to Go North East of which only a Volvo Olympian was briefly used for a School Contract (9367 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/49611267078).

Anyway I've rambled on too much.

(15 Jun 2023, 9:23 pm)Storx Enjoyed that, honestly never heard of them before now. Interesting little history behind them, never realised there were bus wars in Durham aswell - I did know about the Darlington and Newcastle (Wallsend etc) ones though.

Also speaking of this route, https://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/bygone/assets/uploads/Favourite235January3rd1989.pdf - it's as ironic as it can get that they're venturing back there 30 years later on a subsidised route, how times have changed for the worst.

(15 Jun 2023, 9:03 pm)Rapidsnap Favourite name survived into the Stagecoach era with even some Mercs arriving in Favourite livery instead of Stagecoach Stripes.

Heres a photos of N498RVK by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258881

A couple of Darts carried the livery too.
Alexander bodied K715PCN by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6036153252
Plaxton bodied M770DRG by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258877

Originally set up in response to TMS (Trimdon Motor Services) setting up routes in Tyne and Wear against established Busways routes at De-regulation under the Tyne and Wear Omnibus Company (TWOC) name in Sunderland and Newcastle. In response Busways opened a depot in the Durham area mainly using a fleet of secondhand Leyland Leopard from GMPTE still in their Manchester colours (hence why Favourite adopted the Orange livery (here is one of said Leopards in a photo by Ken Weaver https://www.flickr.com/photos/131962719@N04/49517451237). There were Leopards from elsewhere to bolster the fleet. However this came to ahead in 1989 when TMS sold TWOC and it's depot in Gateshead (these days known as Saltmeadows) to Go-Ahead Northern who then sold the vehicles and routes to Busways the very same day (Go-Ahead would lease Saltmeadows to Gateshead Council for a number of years as a base for them to repair their big wagon fleet). TMS would later be sold to Caldaire (Owners of United) in 1990.

Busways maintained a presence in County Durham under the Favourite brand name having won a number of contracts in the area as well as the services they were running were bringing in money still. They also used the TWOC name for a short while on various minibus / small bus routes before the Sunderland part of TWOC were replaced by Favourite whilst the Newcastle part of TWOC were absorbed in to Blue Bus Services.

Despite the Stagecoach takeover in 1994, the Favourite name and livery persisted for contracted routes in the Sunderland Area and Country Durham, effectively the low cost unit for Sunderland depot. Not sure when their County Durham outstation disappeared though. The livery eventually disappeared around 1997 I believe. Some of the low cost routes operated by Favourite (14/14A/139/140) were then sub-contracted to Redby Buses in 1998 originally using buses painted in Stagecoach stripes (like this Marshall bodied Volvo B6 by Peter Barclay - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/3239187324) until this requirement was relaxed in 1999 where buses can be any colour Redby desired which was basically anything. Though Redby did briefly scale back the number of services it ran with two Darts being sold to Busways (32794/32795) and 5 Leyland Lynxes (Mk1 4817/4856/4857 & Mk2 4818/4819) & a Volvo B10B (4875) to Go North East before plodding along for a number of years before finally closing shop with vehicles being sold to Go North East of which only a Volvo Olympian was briefly used for a School Contract (9367 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/49611267078).

Anyway I've rambled on too much.

(15 Jun 2023, 9:03 pm)Rapidsnap Anyway I've rambled on too much.

(15 Jun 2023, 9:03 pm)Rapidsnap Favourite name survived into the Stagecoach era with even some Mercs arriving in Favourite livery instead of Stagecoach Stripes.

Heres a photos of N498RVK by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258881

A couple of Darts carried the livery too.
Alexander bodied K715PCN by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6036153252
Plaxton bodied M770DRG by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258877

Originally set up in response to TMS (Trimdon Motor Services) setting up routes in Tyne and Wear against established Busways routes at De-regulation under the Tyne and Wear Omnibus Company (TWOC) name in Sunderland and Newcastle. In response Busways opened a depot in the Durham area mainly using a fleet of secondhand Leyland Leopard from GMPTE still in their Manchester colours (hence why Favourite adopted the Orange livery (here is one of said Leopards in a photo by Ken Weaver https://www.flickr.com/photos/131962719@N04/49517451237). There were Leopards from elsewhere to bolster the fleet. However this came to ahead in 1989 when TMS sold TWOC and it's depot in Gateshead (these days known as Saltmeadows) to Go-Ahead Northern who then sold the vehicles and routes to Busways the very same day (Go-Ahead would lease Saltmeadows to Gateshead Council for a number of years as a base for them to repair their big wagon fleet). TMS would later be sold to Caldaire (Owners of United) in 1990.

Busways maintained a presence in County Durham under the Favourite brand name having won a number of contracts in the area as well as the services they were running were bringing in money still. They also used the TWOC name for a short while on various minibus / small bus routes before the Sunderland part of TWOC were replaced by Favourite whilst the Newcastle part of TWOC were absorbed in to Blue Bus Services.

Despite the Stagecoach takeover in 1994, the Favourite name and livery persisted for contracted routes in the Sunderland Area and Country Durham, effectively the low cost unit for Sunderland depot. Not sure when their County Durham outstation disappeared though. The livery eventually disappeared around 1997 I believe. Some of the low cost routes operated by Favourite (14/14A/139/140) were then sub-contracted to Redby Buses in 1998 originally using buses painted in Stagecoach stripes (like this Marshall bodied Volvo B6 by Peter Barclay - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/3239187324) until this requirement was relaxed in 1999 where buses can be any colour Redby desired which was basically anything. Though Redby did briefly scale back the number of services it ran with two Darts being sold to Busways (32794/32795) and 5 Leyland Lynxes (Mk1 4817/4856/4857 & Mk2 4818/4819) & a Volvo B10B (4875) to Go North East before plodding along for a number of years before finally closing shop with vehicles being sold to Go North East of which only a Volvo Olympian was briefly used for a School Contract (9367 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/49611267078).

Anyway I've rambled on too much.

(14 Jun 2023, 8:34 pm)Storx Happy to be corrected, but would I be right in saying this is the first time Stagecoach has ventured into the post 1974 Co. Durham? I can't think of anything ever serving it.

(15 Jun 2023, 9:23 pm)Storx Enjoyed that, honestly never heard of them before now. Interesting little history behind them, never realised there were bus wars in Durham aswell - I did know about the Darlington and Newcastle (Wallsend etc) ones though.

Also speaking of this route, https://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/bygone/assets/uploads/Favourite235January3rd1989.pdf - it's as ironic as it can get that they're venturing back there 30 years later on a subsidised route, how times have changed for the worst.

(16 Jun 2023, 2:52 pm)Countydurhambuses maybe stagecoach needs to be back in darlo, stagecoach routes have always been local bus routes mostly especially in the north east, they could probably run the darlington town runs better than arriva

(15 Jun 2023, 9:03 pm)Rapidsnap Favourite name survived into the Stagecoach era with even some Mercs arriving in Favourite livery instead of Stagecoach Stripes.

Heres a photos of N498RVK by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258881

A couple of Darts carried the livery too.
Alexander bodied K715PCN by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6036153252
Plaxton bodied M770DRG by John Law. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6086258877

Originally set up in response to TMS (Trimdon Motor Services) setting up routes in Tyne and Wear against established Busways routes at De-regulation under the Tyne and Wear Omnibus Company (TWOC) name in Sunderland and Newcastle. In response Busways opened a depot in the Durham area mainly using a fleet of secondhand Leyland Leopard from GMPTE still in their Manchester colours (hence why Favourite adopted the Orange livery (here is one of said Leopards in a photo by Ken Weaver https://www.flickr.com/photos/131962719@N04/49517451237). There were Leopards from elsewhere to bolster the fleet. However this came to ahead in 1989 when TMS sold TWOC and it's depot in Gateshead (these days known as Saltmeadows) to Go-Ahead Northern who then sold the vehicles and routes to Busways the very same day (Go-Ahead would lease Saltmeadows to Gateshead Council for a number of years as a base for them to repair their big wagon fleet). TMS would later be sold to Caldaire (Owners of United) in 1990.

Busways maintained a presence in County Durham under the Favourite brand name having won a number of contracts in the area as well as the services they were running were bringing in money still. They also used the TWOC name for a short while on various minibus / small bus routes before the Sunderland part of TWOC were replaced by Favourite whilst the Newcastle part of TWOC were absorbed in to Blue Bus Services.

Despite the Stagecoach takeover in 1994, the Favourite name and livery persisted for contracted routes in the Sunderland Area and Country Durham, effectively the low cost unit for Sunderland depot. Not sure when their County Durham outstation disappeared though. The livery eventually disappeared around 1997 I believe. Some of the low cost routes operated by Favourite (14/14A/139/140) were then sub-contracted to Redby Buses in 1998 originally using buses painted in Stagecoach stripes (like this Marshall bodied Volvo B6 by Peter Barclay - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/3239187324) until this requirement was relaxed in 1999 where buses can be any colour Redby desired which was basically anything. Though Redby did briefly scale back the number of services it ran with two Darts being sold to Busways (32794/32795) and 5 Leyland Lynxes (Mk1 4817/4856/4857 & Mk2 4818/4819) & a Volvo B10B (4875) to Go North East before plodding along for a number of years before finally closing shop with vehicles being sold to Go North East of which only a Volvo Olympian was briefly used for a School Contract (9367 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photogenic/49611267078).

Anyway I've rambled on too much.

(17 Jun 2023, 11:26 am)F114TML So the Sunderland timetables are up, and by a quick glance it looks like we're getting a nice amount of standing time still (can't be arsed to compare running time). Tightest I can see is the 13 which appears to get 1 min at Doxy and 3 mins at Town End, and as I suspected, this means Ashbrooke now has a full nighttime and Sunday service from Stagecoach (will that mean the 61A gets withdrawn?).

Most generous is the 16 (14 mins at Hastings Hill) and 23 (13 mins at Thorney and 5 mins at Dene Estate; up from 9 and 4 currently).

---

On the service change page, click the route numbers
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-29/09/2015-14:33:41:560

(17 Jun 2023, 4:24 pm)Dans_bus_photos The 11 is going to be a strange one too doubling back on St Lukes Terrace. Wonder if its going to serve the stops on either side of the road