I had a brilliant day at the rally, was nice to meet some of the members on here and enjoyed getting photos and my ride on GNE 3818 and the Northumbria Delta.
Cracking day... Until I got on StreetLite 5409 on the X22 which has now left 10 minutes late and now in traffic on the A1 so no doubt I will see the 7 leaving Durham Bus Station as the X22 arrives and have an hour to wait for the next one
It seems everyone had a good time. One thing which I disagree GNE doing is taking a bus off service to attend a rally. All X66 vehicles are required and should be available for service and there is no excuse for one of them to be sitting at a rally all day and not been on service and consequently the X66 has to operate with a red spare.
In my opinion, buses should only go if not required.
Thankfully I have just and I mean just caught the 7 in Durham so I won't be making a complaint.
Those of you in Tyne and Wear who have a regular bus and Metro service on a Sunday should be very grateful for it as I have one bus an hour to Durham on a Sunday and it doesn't connect with anything, hence why I never bothered getting Coast and Country photos yesterday as I would have out for 4 hours to get one photo in Chester-le-Street.
(04 May 2015, 4:38 pm)citaro5284 It seems everyone had a good time. One thing which I disagree GNE doing is taking a bus off service to attend a rally. All X66 vehicles are required and should be available for service and there is no excuse for one of them to be sitting at a rally all day and not been on service and consequently the X66 has to operate with a red spare.
In my opinion, buses should only go if not required.
(04 May 2015, 4:38 pm)citaro5284 It seems everyone had a good time. One thing which I disagree GNE doing is taking a bus off service to attend a rally. All X66 vehicles are required and should be available for service and there is no excuse for one of them to be sitting at a rally all day and not been on service and consequently the X66 has to operate with a red spare.
In my opinion, buses should only go if not required.
(04 May 2015, 4:42 pm)Jimmi Thankfully I have just and I mean just caught the 7 in Durham so I won't be making a complaint.
Those of you in Tyne and Wear who have a regular bus and Metro service on a Sunday should be very grateful for it as I have one bus an hour to Durham on a Sunday and it doesn't connect with anything, hence why I never bothered getting Coast and Country photos yesterday as I would have out for 4 hours to get one photo in Chester-le-Street.
(04 May 2015, 4:42 pm)Jimmi Thankfully I have just and I mean just caught the 7 in Durham so I won't be making a complaint.
Those of you in Tyne and Wear who have a regular bus and Metro service on a Sunday should be very grateful for it as I have one bus an hour to Durham on a Sunday and it doesn't connect with anything, hence why I never bothered getting Coast and Country photos yesterday as I would have out for 4 hours to get one photo in Chester-le-Street.
(04 May 2015, 4:44 pm)idiot I really enjoyed the rally to
Had a trip on TBK 196K & UFJ 292.
Both buses were better than some of GNE current fleet!
(04 May 2015, 4:44 pm)idiot I really enjoyed the rally to
Had a trip on TBK 196K & UFJ 292.
Both buses were better than some of GNE current fleet!
(04 May 2015, 4:38 pm)citaro5284 It seems everyone had a good time. One thing which I disagree GNE doing is taking a bus off service to attend a rally. All X66 vehicles are required and should be available for service and there is no excuse for one of them to be sitting at a rally all day and not been on service and consequently the X66 has to operate with a red spare.I have to agree with this as my book it is rather poor spending all that money on new buses and promoting them and people may have gone to the MetroCentre today using the X66 expecting a brand new bus operating the service and a considerably older Solar (or Versa) turns up instead which doesn't look as sparkly as a brand new bus would.
In my opinion, buses should only go if not required.
(04 May 2015, 4:38 pm)citaro5284 It seems everyone had a good time. One thing which I disagree GNE doing is taking a bus off service to attend a rally. All X66 vehicles are required and should be available for service and there is no excuse for one of them to be sitting at a rally all day and not been on service and consequently the X66 has to operate with a red spare.I have to agree with this as my book it is rather poor spending all that money on new buses and promoting them and people may have gone to the MetroCentre today using the X66 expecting a brand new bus operating the service and a considerably older Solar (or Versa) turns up instead which doesn't look as sparkly as a brand new bus would.
In my opinion, buses should only go if not required.
(04 May 2015, 5:03 pm)Jimmi I have to agree with this as my book it is rather poor spending all that money on new buses and promoting them and people may have gone to the MetroCentre today using the X66 expecting a brand new bus operating the service and a considerably older Solar (or Versa) turns up instead which doesn't look as sparkly as a brand new bus would.
It seems rather silly to take one off the X66 especially as it goes right past the rally site with some travelling on the X66 to get to the event.
Other than that it was nice to see GNE fetch a decent number of buses along including the new Red Kite's and Omnidekka's.
Other than the issues with the X22 I have really enjoyed today.
(04 May 2015, 5:03 pm)Jimmi I have to agree with this as my book it is rather poor spending all that money on new buses and promoting them and people may have gone to the MetroCentre today using the X66 expecting a brand new bus operating the service and a considerably older Solar (or Versa) turns up instead which doesn't look as sparkly as a brand new bus would.
It seems rather silly to take one off the X66 especially as it goes right past the rally site with some travelling on the X66 to get to the event.
Other than that it was nice to see GNE fetch a decent number of buses along including the new Red Kite's and Omnidekka's.
Other than the issues with the X22 I have really enjoyed today.
(04 May 2015, 5:15 pm)Tom The 12:35 X22 didn't operate at all. There was an announcement saying it wouldn't be operating, but no reason given.
(04 May 2015, 5:15 pm)Tom The 12:35 X22 didn't operate at all. There was an announcement saying it wouldn't be operating, but no reason given.
(04 May 2015, 5:36 pm)Dan As I said before, it arrived at the Metrocentre at approximately 1310.
I appreciate it ran at a two-hourly frequency, but it would be completely illogical to run the service 40+ minutes late (taking into account un/loading time), especially with it interworking with service 14 at Durham.
There must have been some major delays on the A1.
(04 May 2015, 5:36 pm)Dan As I said before, it arrived at the Metrocentre at approximately 1310.
I appreciate it ran at a two-hourly frequency, but it would be completely illogical to run the service 40+ minutes late (taking into account un/loading time), especially with it interworking with service 14 at Durham.
There must have been some major delays on the A1.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:47 pm)Malarkey The A1 was clear heading down towards Team Valley when I was on the X88 This Morning, although we did turn off at The Angel and went via Harlow Green, Saltwell Road, Victoria Road/Bolam Street before following the Road along to the MetroCentre, so perhaps after Team Valley is where all the issues are, nevertheless the X22 should follow the same Diversion as the X88, Also note my 09:55 X88 was 10 Minutes Late into The Galleries coming from Depot(Starting at Concord) and we arrived around 15 Minutes Late.
(04 May 2015, 5:53 pm)mb134 Am I right in thinking the "1 older than 12 months" was 4814, so even that isn't unbelievably old?
(04 May 2015, 5:47 pm)Malarkey The A1 was clear heading down towards Team Valley when I was on the X88 This Morning, although we did turn off at The Angel and went via Harlow Green, Saltwell Road, Victoria Road/Bolam Street before following the Road along to the MetroCentre, so perhaps after Team Valley is where all the issues are, nevertheless the X22 should follow the same Diversion as the X88, Also note my 09:55 X88 was 10 Minutes Late into The Galleries coming from Depot(Starting at Concord) and we arrived around 15 Minutes Late.
(04 May 2015, 5:53 pm)mb134 Am I right in thinking the "1 older than 12 months" was 4814, so even that isn't unbelievably old?
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:56 pm)citaro5284 But nothing from Arriva north of the Tyne, which does seem strange as they are alot closer than the 4 vehicles that Arriva did come with. Is this because management is not behind events like this where as GNE are and it is left up to the drivers to sort it out themselves, if so, its a pretty poor show.
(04 May 2015, 5:56 pm)citaro5284 But nothing from Arriva north of the Tyne, which does seem strange as they are alot closer than the 4 vehicles that Arriva did come with. Is this because management is not behind events like this where as GNE are and it is left up to the drivers to sort it out themselves, if so, its a pretty poor show.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 5:43 pm)Kuyoyo I notice a lack of praising Arriva here - 4 vehicles, only 1 older than 12 months old, all showing the large investment made in the last 18 months to transform the ANE fleet. The 7 members of staff from 3 depots should be proud of what they managed to do today.
(04 May 2015, 6:04 pm)aureolin I don't think there's a lack of praising. Everyone is entitled to post their praise or negativity!
I do agree with you though Tony. It was good to see Arriva's vehicles on display again this year, and it was good to get a look over the new Sapphire E400 for the 7. I was commenting to a few of the lads from here that I was with, that I think the vehicle looks extremely smart both inside and out. I'm even warming to the e-leather seats!
I should also note that the drivers that attended with the Arriva vehicles were also very accommodating when it came to looking around inside, allowing people to sit in the cab, and even showing how to change the destination displays.
(04 May 2015, 6:04 pm)aureolin I don't think there's a lack of praising. Everyone is entitled to post their praise or negativity!
I do agree with you though Tony. It was good to see Arriva's vehicles on display again this year, and it was good to get a look over the new Sapphire E400 for the 7. I was commenting to a few of the lads from here that I was with, that I think the vehicle looks extremely smart both inside and out. I'm even warming to the e-leather seats!
I should also note that the drivers that attended with the Arriva vehicles were also very accommodating when it came to looking around inside, allowing people to sit in the cab, and even showing how to change the destination displays.
