16 Apr 2018, 10:38 am
#187
(15 Apr 2018, 5:17 pm)JM03 Saw 3943 on 900 what operated X88 then?
The X88 is supposed to be allocated Volvo B9s on Sundays. On paper, 3943 had originally been allocated to the X88 board yesterday, but a changeover took place with 6054 prior to both buses leaving the depot.
Aside from the Metro Replacement driver preferring 3943 to 6054 (
); the board 3943 was allocated to on Metro Replacement was supposed to be parked up at Gateshead Interchange from 14:00 until 22:00, so was a sensible swap with 6054 (with the X88 on paper operating more mileage, benefits from better fuel economy, passenger benefits of Wi-Fi / Next Stop Announcements).
In reality; 3943 ended up getting used all day, with a Tyne Valley Ten Volvo B9 being parked up from 14:00 to 22:00 instead. Best laid plans..!
(15 Apr 2018, 6:25 pm)TEN 6083 Are GNE doing Metro Replacements for the next 2 weekends (22/28/29) or is it another operator
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Yes, Go North East are doing both weekends.
(15 Apr 2018, 7:53 pm)TEN 6083 ![[Image: 40581650875_c787867473_c.jpg]](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/797/40581650875_c787867473_c.jpg)
Go North East Tyne Valley Ten 6071 / NK62 FAA by kieron mathews, on Flickr
Speaking of that, 6071 had 901 on the destination today when only the 900 was due to operate. Driver error possibly?
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(15 Apr 2018, 8:43 pm)Kuyoyo 901 is used along the whole of the Green Line, not just the Heworth to South Hylton part.
Of course, when it's the central section closed, unless some of each route at either end is also involved in the closure, all replacements run as 900s (like today)
Historically; the 900 was always the yellow line, and 901 was always the green line.
The lines blurred a year or two ago, and Metro started having more stations on the green line as 900s instead. Yesterday's Metro Replacement was originally planned to be down as 901s, but Metro changed their minds and requested these to be changed to 900s instead at fairly short notice.
The replacement this weekend was originally planned as a 900, but has (thankfully) been changed to a 901. Difficult for the bus operators' back-office systems to cope with changing the number/route all of the time, and would be much simpler (even to customers, in my opinion) if Metro went back to having them as 900 for yellow and 901 for green, or doing away with the numbers entirely and just having the 'M' Metro logo. The numbers go back to the 1980s and mean nothing to modern-day customers. Pointless having them, in my opinion.
The majority of buses had their destinations updated beforehand to include a 900 to Regent Centre, but not all. The Riverside and Percy Main buses were unable to display 900 Regent Centre, so drivers either picked 900 South Gosforth or 901 Regent Centre (the latter being the lesser of two evils).
(16 Apr 2018, 9:32 am)RBZ 5459 6126 was also on Metro Replacements yesterday, de-branded.
All three of the OmniDekkas now at Riverside for Jewish Scholars have been de-branded, advert frames removed, and body panels freshened up with new paint where required.
The following vehicles were allocated yesterday:
- StreetDecks 6317, 6325, 6333
- Volvo B5LHs 6059, 6063, 6064, 6067
- Volvo B5TLs 6312, 6314
- Volvo B7TLs 3943, 3967, 3975
- Volvo B9TLs 6004, 6043, 6044, 6048, 6051, 6052, 6071, 6075, 6078, 6090, 6098, 6100, 6155, 6156, 6159.
