(17 Jun 2014, 5:00 pm)DaveyBowyer I'd say that the 27 could be the perfect candidate for the E400 MMC though. It's not too demanding and could give GNE the opportinuty trial the two spares on B9TL services that will need replacing in the foreseeable future excluding the TTX.

(18 Jun 2014, 9:26 am)DaveyBowyer I'd say that the MMC offering is better than the Volvo B5TL for City, Urban and Sub Urban work though due to the extra power compared to the B5TL. Mind you though, I don't know after the troubles that GNE had with the 2000 Dennis Trident Lolynes.

(20 Jun 2014, 9:43 am)Scott The B5TL despite it low power is better at climbing hills than the B9TL, as it is a lighter bus. The MMC will likely be heavier has it still uses full depth glass, unlike the Gemini 3.

Power is irrelevant as you need to look at the power to weight ratio. A heavy high powered bus is just as good as a light low powered bus.

(20 Jun 2014, 2:17 pm)Andreos Constantopolous Has anyone rode 6099 or 6100 up Houghton Cut yet?
It will be interesting to compare it to the Solars or ex - London President or Vyking attempts.

(20 Jun 2014, 6:20 pm)V514DFT Dont think the 17 will get anything and as far as im aware the centurion brand has been scrapped again i was puzzled when they brought it back considering it was scrapped along with its routes, and the 27 just recieved buses off the 10,i think the loop 93/94 might be due some new buses along with the highwayman

(21 Jun 2014, 7:11 pm)DaveyBowyer Why didn't GNE take the MMC out for a trial like what they're doing for the B5TL? I know I've been a bit hmm towards it but with the exception of the TTX, they'd be OK and for the TEN and Red Arrows, GNE could order the Scania / Cummins chassis rather than the ADL chassis to have a bit more power. I know that the MMC would be a good replacement for the Angel hybrids when they end up in the same state as the B7TL Gemini's.

(21 Jun 2014, 7:17 pm)Dan Because they only had it for about four hours.
It takes a day to fit a ticket machine, upload destination displays, check the vehicle over etc.
So because of this, management took it up to Winlaton and back from Riverside to test it on the hills. Clearly this is not a true representation of how heavy the vehicle would be if it had a full passenger load though, so you could expect a slightly different performance from it...

(21 Jun 2014, 7:20 pm)DaveyBowyer And what was their opinion on it despite it running light?

(21 Jun 2014, 7:20 pm)DaveyBowyer And what was their opinion on it despite it running light?

(21 Jun 2014, 8:36 pm)NEBCD Malarkey Been out again Today over Newcastle way for Photos of 9131, and I finally managed to get to have a ride on it on the 31 to Winlaton and the 32 Back (Basically a Round Trip) which I believe Dan tried to do a few Days a go before 9131 was Regulated at Winlaton.

I know quite a lot of you don't like it, whether it be from a Design point of view, Comfort and also saying it is under Power due having only a 5 Litre Engine.

I am going to be Brutally Honest here, in the Hour I spent on 9131 up to Winlaton from Newcastle and Back on the 31/32, I loved it and I think it handled the Route very well, The Seats were not bad, certainly more comfortable than that cheap hard plastic crap you get on Stagecoach E400's, The Ride was Very Smooth but only rattled excessively when going over Pot Holes, otherwise barely a squeak.

I also experienced something rather Special on 9131 which I have never seen with any other Bus, and this happened on Several Occasions throughout the Journey, Particularly around the Winlaton area. People who were walking by stopped pointed and simply admired 9131 as it Drove Past and I was simply amazed by that which is why I have grown to Love the B5TL.

But despite the above I agree with Everyone else I don't think it would cope on such a Demanding Route such as the X21 on a Daily Basis, and I anticipate there will be a few Brake Downs on the X21 as a Result of it's 5 Litre Engine, and I don't think it would survive Several Years on that sort of Service either. I think we need something with a lot more Power that has more than a 9 Litre Engine in the Low Floor Single Deck and Double Decker Market.

As a Result of that I am torn in Half as to whether it would be worth while Go North East investing in this Vehicle after Demonstration is Over, And I could only think of Very Few Routes that it could be Successful on, Further more relating back to the Toon Link, Does it really need Double Deckers as I think it could quite easily Justify a 11.7m Versa or a Citaro, other than at Peak Times during the Day, As I would argue the Toon Links are Glass Half Full - Glass Half Empty sort of Service from my experience of using those Services over the Past Week.

(21 Jun 2014, 8:58 pm)DaveyBowyer It looks decent but, why has it been running late? The MMC looks a very decent and as long as it's well looked after and used on nothing more than the long TEN / Red Arrows (Scania / Cummins) or Fab 56 / Cobalts (ADL / Cummins), it'll be reliable. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm far from impressed. And despite the fact that I'm not a fan of the ADL / Cummins option for high power, the 6.7l unit has a canny little poke in it for short sprints.

I'll give you an example of the B5TL and the B9TL differences and what difference a powerful engine can make. Lets imagine a 306 or 308 didn't turn in and the 309 or 310 has had a very high load between Newcastle Haymarket and Benfield Road at peak time as a result of this. Now bad enough as it is, the bus should have taken 18 minutes to Station Road but it's took that just to Benfield Road. Now, the bus can pick up speed and make up some time between there and Station Road. The B9TL already has an advantage BUT, what if someone rung the bell for the Home Park stop. 9l vs 5l? Work that one out!

(21 Jun 2014, 9:13 pm)NEBCD Malarkey No idea as to why it has been Running upwards of 10 Minutes Late, but I would say it something to with very odd Toon Link Interworking Pattern, which I worked out Today... which is as following depending on time of the day, so for me it would of been.

31 - Newcastle Eldon Square to Winlaton
32 - Winlaton to Newcastle Eldon Square
47 - Newcastle Eldon Square to Blackhall Mill
47 - Blackhall Mill to Newcastle Eldon Square
11 - Newcastle Eldon Square to Blackhall Mill
11 - Blackhall Mill to Newcastle Eldon Square

Then the above Cycle would Repeat itself, obviously for it to be late there have to Major Roadworks, which there is at Blaydon and Near to Winlaton, there maybe some towards Blackhall Mill also, Plus if there is Driver Changeover in between and increase in Passenger Numbers, as it is the Weekend then the above would all take effect, I wouldn't say it's Late due the Power and Performance of the Vehicles Engine.

(21 Jun 2014, 9:15 pm)Tom Funny how all of the other buses were on time?