(30 Oct 2022, 8:41 am)GNE6312 Looks like Blyth have the 43s and are currently using 7624 & 1493

(30 Oct 2022, 5:09 pm)L469 YVK What is the longer term plan? Will Arriva keep an outstation at Walkergate or eventually mothball and fully merge into Blyth and or Ashington when network is revised again in the future?

(30 Oct 2022, 7:21 pm)N391OTY Just been paying my last respects to Jesmond tonight. Front door open and 9 solos visible inside, as well as Streetlite 1582 in the works area. I'm guessing that the solos were used by Darlo drivers in the transfer of 2707-14 to Faverdale earlier today. Arriva vehicles at Stagecoach's Walkergate depot are parked in lines nearest the Metro tracks, so not easily visible from Shields Road.

For the record, the solos at Walkergate are 2816/20/23/30/32/36/38/39/46. Most of these have spent their working lives in Co Durham and Teesside, but 2816/46, at least, have been allocated to Jesmond before.

RIP Jesmond, I won't be sneaking in there to get bus numbers any more !

(30 Oct 2022, 7:24 pm)Aaron21 Why are solos at Walkergate. For what route I know there is thr Quorum Solo and 2 for the 553 but why the rest

(30 Oct 2022, 7:32 pm)N391OTY Sorry, my mistake - the 9 solos are at JESMOND, probably stored.

(30 Oct 2022, 7:45 pm)Aaron21 Ah thank god for that. So I'm guessing 2601/02/03 & the Quorum solo have moved to Walkergate

(30 Oct 2022, 7:21 pm)N391OTY Just been paying my last respects to Jesmond tonight. Front door open and 9 solos visible inside, as well as Streetlite 1582 in the works area. I'm guessing that the solos were used by Darlo drivers in the transfer of 2707-14 to Faverdale earlier today. Arriva vehicles at Stagecoach's Walkergate depot are parked in lines nearest the Metro tracks, so not easily visible from Shields Road.

For the record, the solos at Walkergate are 2816/20/23/30/32/36/38/39/46. Most of these have spent their working lives in Co Durham and Teesside, but 2816/46, at least, have been allocated to Jesmond before.

RIP Jesmond, I won't be sneaking in there to get bus numbers any more !

(30 Oct 2022, 5:09 pm)L469 YVK What is the longer term plan? Will Arriva keep an outstation at Walkergate or eventually mothball and fully merge into Blyth and or Ashington when network is revised again in the future?

(30 Oct 2022, 10:54 pm)peter You would hope Arriva will take the opportunity to rationalise everything really. They could have quite a streamlined operation going. 

If they got an order of 8-10 MMC's for the X10/X11, displaying the MAX Pulsars to Durham to replace the ALX400's then you could have the following:

Blyth
X7/X8/X9 - DB300's 
X10/X11 - MMC's
306/308 - DB300's 
51/52/53/54/55 - Streetlites 

Ashington
X14/15/18/20 - MMC's
X21/22 - MMC's 
1/2 - Pulsars
43/44/45 - E400's
35 - E400's 
57/57A - Solo's
553 - Solo's
555 - Solo's
685 - Pulsars

This of course assumes that no other services get binned. If there wasn't room at Blyth, you could even move the X10/11 to Ashington with the other MMC services (which I swear was rumoured at one point). That way you're keeping common fleets together. You'd need 1579/80 from Durham to have enough Streetlites, and admittedly you'd probs also have to have E400's as spares at Blyth (tho ideally you'd get 7618/19/26/27 back from Yorkshire in exchange for 7557/8/60/62 though that's probably not that likely - 7609/10 would also be displaced back to Blyth from the Whitby Park and Ride).

If they really had the funds they could get 20 MMC's for the 306-308. Then 10 DB300's could go on the 43/44/45 displacing the 57 plate Enviro's (7501-7507/9 + 7522) to Durham to replace the 55-reg ALX's. The 10 MAX Pulsars could be used for other displacements (Centro's perhaps)

(30 Oct 2022, 11:31 pm)Storx There's only space for 14 singles in the new Blyth plans so that wouldn't work.

Can't see any investment in the 306/308 though it's not due until 2026 and Arriva don't withdraw buses early or displace them either unless they're knackered. Personally I have a feeling the X7/(X8)/X9 will be the routes that get the investment (don't think the X8 will exist as it is) because of the train line and they're the routes which will be impacted the most.

Not to mention they're allocated (on paper) the oldest Deckers, 7601 - 7608 which were originally bought for them hence them being branded in them all their life.

7501 - 7517 need put into a spare role though or withdrawn completely, they're all wrecked. They definitely shouldn't be replacing the ALX's (they'll be replaced by London cascades imo).

It's the Solo's that need to go though as they're junk at both Ashington and Durham.

(31 Oct 2022, 7:02 pm)peter Yeah, I was aware of the Blyth plans and the limit on single decks - wasn't sure if plans had changed since then. It still works though, let's assume they bin the 55 or run that from Ashington, the PVR of the 51/52/53/54 is 13 (currently 12 because the 53 is terminating short once per hour). You'd just have to use a decker as an extra spare. 

Yeah I did think about the X7/8/9 getting new vehicles in my original post, I don't know the area well and was under the impression they might not perform as well as the X10/11 or 306/308. Indeed, I recall when they were in the Quorum plum livery. I can certainly see the X8 being withdrawn as otherwise the PVR's too high. The new plans allow 43 double deckers - the PVR of the 306/308, X7/8/9 an X10/11 is 40. If you got rid of the X8 then you'd cut a chunk out of the PVR of 14 on the X7/8/9 circuit, which would probably be about right. 

I don't think they should be replacing them but I reckon they might given they've already sent 7511/12 down there. Or they may leave them on the 43/44/45 another year - they had ex-London W/X-reg ALX400's before so have always had an old clapped out fleet.

I think all the 08 plate Solo's have been withdrawn (at least on paper). Are the 59-plate and 11-plate any better given they're a touch younger?

(04 Nov 2022, 5:11 pm)V514DFT Whats the allocations of routes now, ive seen 3 classic 400s on the 308 today and a gemini on the 306, nearly posted in r&o workings, but deleted the post last minute incase they weren't r&o at all

(04 Nov 2022, 7:09 pm)Storx Blyth and Walkergate are both running the 306/308 which interwork.

As for Blyth's allocations it's any bus on any route with the 57 plate Enviro's added to the pool and a few extra Pulsar's