GNE Historical eras
GNE Historical eras
I wonder if anyone can clarify the dates of when the various GNE eras started
- When were the local brands introduced - Wear Buses, Coastline, Go Ahead Gateshead etc?
- When did they all get rebranded into the red/blue corporate livery as Go Gateshead, Go Northern etc. Was there ever a Go VFM Buses, or had that been discontinued by then?
- When did those names get phased out and combined as Go North East?
- When did the route branding era start?
For the first question, it would have been around 1988/89 from memory.
For the last question, route branding was largely associated with the Peter Huntley era, however there were some attempts at route branding prior to that. Two that immediately spring to mind were 58/59 (Newcastle - Wardley/Heworth) and the B & C branded coaches which operated between Newcastle and Blackhall Mill/Chopwell. The latter occurred around 1992/93 - again from memory.
Route 19 was one of the earliest of what is regarded the modern brandings. I believe it was a Nexus scheme with GNE though as part of Project Orpheus (it was the only bit that was built)
See: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sHUbKJWWFg8/S-...rpheus.PNG
Rather ironic that it absolutely failed and the rest of the plans never came as some of them are borderline mental hospital territory. It makes some of the more bizarre suggestions seem sensible on here especially 'super route' 4, 20 and 24.
I had in my mind 1992 for Go Ahead Gateshead, Northern, Wear Buses etc. The big 'Northern' strike nearly finished the company, and I was always under the impression that the different companies were created to stop wholesale company wide strikes again. I'm sure the strike was 1992 but I'd have to consult the history books to check.
I agree with MurdnunoC (3 attempts it took me to type that, kept on coming out as Murdoch!); and VFM might have been replaced by Go Coastline with the advent of the Go... identity.
https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Go_Wear_Buses
No idea if these dates are 100% accurate, but pretty sure they're close enough.
I thought the strike was 91 myself.
The local logos (Penshaw Monument in the case of Wear buses) were placed by the door if I remember correctly.
Gateshead had the torch, Shields had Marsden Rock etc. Can't remember the other depots such as Chester or Percy Main unfortunately.
Edit. Found some more https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Go_VFM_Buses
https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Go_Gateshead
https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Go_Northern
https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Go_Coastline
(13 Feb 2022, 9:39 pm)MurdnunoC For the first question, it would have been around 1988/89 from memory.
For the last question, route branding was largely associated with the Peter Huntley era, however there were some attempts at route branding prior to that. Two that immediately spring to mind were 58/59 (Newcastle - Wardley/Heworth) and the B & C branded coaches which operated between Newcastle and Blackhall Mill/Chopwell. The latter occurred around 1992/93 - again from memory.
(13 Feb 2022, 9:39 pm)MurdnunoC For the first question, it would have been around 1988/89 from memory.
For the last question, route branding was largely associated with the Peter Huntley era, however there were some attempts at route branding prior to that. Two that immediately spring to mind were 58/59 (Newcastle - Wardley/Heworth) and the B & C branded coaches which operated between Newcastle and Blackhall Mill/Chopwell. The latter occurred around 1992/93 - again from memory.
Go-Ahead Northern mid 80s to Around 1992.
Go-Ahead Group North East (Coastline, VFM, Wear Buses etc) from 1992 to 1997.
Go North East (Original) (Go Coastline, Go VFM Buses, Go Wear Buses, Go Gateshead, Go Northern, Go Highstyle, Go Xpress, Go OK Travel) 1997 - 2006.
Go VFM became Go Coastline, Go Highstyle was sold to Classic Coaches, Go OK Travel were absorbed into various parts with Bishop Auckland becoming Go Northern, Go Xpress was phased out.
Peter Huntley Era (Route Brandings) 2006 - 2011.
Kevin Carr Era (Red Uprise) 2011 - 2018
Martijn Gilbert Era (Roadstripes) 2018 - ?
The Autobus Review book "Northern and its subsidiaries" published in 1995 gives a very good history of Northern General from the 1880s up until the mid 1990s: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookD...1089679833&cm_sp=rec-_-pd_hw_i_1-_-bdp&reftag=pd_hw_i_1.
5 new subsidiaries were created in Jan 1991:
The Northern General Transport Co. Ltd. - Chester-le-Street, Consett & Stanley
The Tyneside Omnibus Co Ltd. (trading as South Tyne Buses) – South Shields
The Tynemouth & District Omnibus Co. (trading as Coastline Buses) – Percy Main & Wallsend
The Sunderland & District Omnibus Co. (trading as Wear Buses) – Sunderland, Philadelphia & Washington
The Gateshead & District Omnibus Co. (trading as Go-Ahead Gateshead) – Gateshead & Winlaton
During 1992 the new brands were introduced but Tyneside Omnibus Co Ltd. rebranded their ops as VFM rather than South Tyne Buses, and Northern General Transport Co. Ltd. rebranded their ops as Northern.
(20 Feb 2022, 10:58 pm)Wybus How did the Metro Taxis brand fit in in that 1990s period? I believe it ran out of Percy Main depot?
(20 Feb 2022, 10:58 pm)Wybus How did the Metro Taxis brand fit in in that 1990s period? I believe it ran out of Percy Main depot?
(21 Feb 2022, 9:56 pm)busmanT Go Ahead dabbled in pubs and taxis in the early 90s. Metro Taxis was a taxi company they owned which became a low cost bus operator - I recall them running a minibus on an M10 Newcastle to Ryton and AN68/ECW on the 17 between North Shields Ferry and Whitley Bay.
(21 Feb 2022, 9:56 pm)busmanT Go Ahead dabbled in pubs and taxis in the early 90s. Metro Taxis was a taxi company they owned which became a low cost bus operator - I recall them running a minibus on an M10 Newcastle to Ryton and AN68/ECW on the 17 between North Shields Ferry and Whitley Bay.
(21 Feb 2022, 9:56 pm)busmanT Go Ahead dabbled in pubs and taxis in the early 90s. Metro Taxis was a taxi company they owned which became a low cost bus operator - I recall them running a minibus on an M10 Newcastle to Ryton and AN68/ECW on the 17 between North Shields Ferry and Whitley Bay.They ran a 33 using old coaches between boldon Asda and heworth supplementing the vfm 533.
(21 Feb 2022, 9:56 pm)busmanT Go Ahead dabbled in pubs and taxis in the early 90s. Metro Taxis was a taxi company they owned which became a low cost bus operator - I recall them running a minibus on an M10 Newcastle to Ryton and AN68/ECW on the 17 between North Shields Ferry and Whitley Bay.They ran a 33 using old coaches between boldon Asda and heworth supplementing the vfm 533.
Another question - during the first part of the route branding era, so around 2006-2010, was there actually a ‘current’ corporate /standard livery for GNE, i.e one that buses were actively still being repainted into or was it just a case of the previous red/blue livery sticking around on non repainted buses.
I’m talking before they introduced the overall red ‘Northern’ livery for spare buses
X66 Supershuttle was branded from the early 90s with the Optare Deltas and then the later DAFs - I have in my mind that the Leyland Nationals were in X66 livery too but they may not have been - I couldn't find a pic of one.
I guess there was also Superliner in the early 90s and Expresslink in the late 80s (you could argue they are the 'parents' of what is now X-Lines)
As they are technically owned by Go Ahead - the Low Fell Coaches 'Cross Tyne' service pre-dated most of GNE's efforts
(15 Mar 2022, 11:29 am)Ambassador X66 Supershuttle was branded from the early 90s with the Optare Deltas and then the later DAFs - I have in my mind that the Leyland Nationals were in X66 livery too but they may not have been - I couldn't find a pic of one.
I guess there was also Superliner in the early 90s and Expresslink in the late 80s (you could argue they are the 'parents' of what is now X-Lines)
As they are technically owned by Go Ahead - the Low Fell Coaches 'Cross Tyne' service pre-dated most of GNE's efforts
(15 Mar 2022, 11:29 am)Ambassador X66 Supershuttle was branded from the early 90s with the Optare Deltas and then the later DAFs - I have in my mind that the Leyland Nationals were in X66 livery too but they may not have been - I couldn't find a pic of one.
I guess there was also Superliner in the early 90s and Expresslink in the late 80s (you could argue they are the 'parents' of what is now X-Lines)
As they are technically owned by Go Ahead - the Low Fell Coaches 'Cross Tyne' service pre-dated most of GNE's efforts
(15 Mar 2022, 11:29 am)Ambassador X66 Supershuttle was branded from the early 90s with the Optare Deltas and then the later DAFs - I have in my mind that the Leyland Nationals were in X66 livery too but they may not have been - I couldn't find a pic of one.
I guess there was also Superliner in the early 90s and Expresslink in the late 80s (you could argue they are the 'parents' of what is now X-Lines)
As they are technically owned by Go Ahead - the Low Fell Coaches 'Cross Tyne' service pre-dated most of GNE's efforts
(14 Mar 2022, 11:21 pm)Wybus Another question - during the first part of the route branding era, so around 2006-2010, was there actually a ‘current’ corporate /standard livery for GNE, i.e one that buses were actively still being repainted into or was it just a case of the previous red/blue livery sticking around on non repainted buses.
I’m talking before they introduced the overall red ‘Northern’ livery for spare buses
(15 Mar 2022, 11:29 am)Ambassador X66 Supershuttle was branded from the early 90s with the Optare Deltas and then the later DAFs - I have in my mind that the Leyland Nationals were in X66 livery too but they may not have been - I couldn't find a pic of one.
I guess there was also Superliner in the early 90s and Expresslink in the late 80s (you could argue they are the 'parents' of what is now X-Lines)
As they are technically owned by Go Ahead - the Low Fell Coaches 'Cross Tyne' service pre-dated most of GNE's efforts
(14 Mar 2022, 11:21 pm)Wybus Another question - during the first part of the route branding era, so around 2006-2010, was there actually a ‘current’ corporate /standard livery for GNE, i.e one that buses were actively still being repainted into or was it just a case of the previous red/blue livery sticking around on non repainted buses.
I’m talking before they introduced the overall red ‘Northern’ livery for spare buses
(15 Mar 2022, 12:38 pm)Chris 1 The Nationals before the DAFs were indeed in the X66 Supershuttle livery. Very smart it was as well. They also repainted the skirt green and used them as Garden Festival Shuttles for the duration of that. Sticking with the Metrocentre, there was also the MetroCentre Minis.Think they blamed the credit crunch for companies not buying adverts on the white spares. Plus white not looking very good when the roads were mucky.
Not sure if there was an official strategy, as it were, but from memory it seemed like they painted bus by route/brand out of the red/blue/yellow livery into whatever the new brand was. Spare vehicles were painted white, with most gaining overall adverts for GNE tickets, fares etc.
'Northern' was brought in a bit later as a residual brand for vehicles on services that didn't receive 'proper' brands.
(15 Mar 2022, 12:38 pm)Chris 1 The Nationals before the DAFs were indeed in the X66 Supershuttle livery. Very smart it was as well. They also repainted the skirt green and used them as Garden Festival Shuttles for the duration of that. Sticking with the Metrocentre, there was also the MetroCentre Minis.Think they blamed the credit crunch for companies not buying adverts on the white spares. Plus white not looking very good when the roads were mucky.
Not sure if there was an official strategy, as it were, but from memory it seemed like they painted bus by route/brand out of the red/blue/yellow livery into whatever the new brand was. Spare vehicles were painted white, with most gaining overall adverts for GNE tickets, fares etc.
'Northern' was brought in a bit later as a residual brand for vehicles on services that didn't receive 'proper' brands.
(20 Feb 2022, 10:58 pm)Wybus How did the Metro Taxis brand fit in in that 1990s period? I believe it ran out of Percy Main depot?
(20 Feb 2022, 10:58 pm)Wybus How did the Metro Taxis brand fit in in that 1990s period? I believe it ran out of Percy Main depot?
