North East Buses

Full Version: Things you don't always think about....
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Hi there,

I was thinking just now, there are a lot of things in our community that we don't always think about....not so much personal issues, but just those little, almost insignificant things that you don't always think about.

Just to kick off a conversation, how does everyone say fleet numbers? I know some people, for example, would say 8243 as 'eight two four three', while I would say 'eighty two forty three'. This is purely from spending so much time talking to drivers, etc., and I've just picked it up like another language! I would feel kind of stupid if I pronounced a fleet number in the single digit format, how about others?

I just figured a thread like this would be useful to discuss how different people go about doing their hobby.

Marcus
I'd say eighty two forty three.
(28 Oct 2014, 6:01 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]I'd say eighty two forty three.

Me too.

With Stagecoach fleet numbers, I say 'twenty seven five oh six'.
(28 Oct 2014, 9:53 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Me too.

With Stagecoach fleet numbers, I say 'twenty seven five oh six'.

Good man Tongue - me not being a Stagecoach expert (god, this is coming from the person who saw two or three MANs on the 100 and made a note on his iPod and still forgot what they were!) I just tend to do what you do.

It's the same with trains, if it was 91113 or 43263 I would say 'ninety one one one three' and 'forty three two six three'.

I just do the same as GNE with Arriva, as it's four digits.
Although long gone, I am sure a lot of the older members will remember the 777.

Did you call it the 'seven, seven, seven' or the 'three sevens'?
(29 Oct 2014, 9:02 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Although long gone, I am sure a lot of the older members will remember the 777.

Did you call it the 'seven, seven, seven' or the 'three sevens'?
Was either rather three sevens, or the sevens for me.

Also the 194/294. Used to get referred to as either the 'one nine' or 'two nine'. No mention of the 4.
(29 Oct 2014, 9:02 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Although long gone, I am sure a lot of the older members will remember the 777.

Did you call it the 'seven, seven, seven' or the 'three sevens'?

I would say it's the same with scholars, it's always the 'eight eight five', never the 'eight hundred and eighty five'! Tongue

Moving on, and just really random and out of the bag, what is everyone's favourite depot? Obviously spanning across all three major operators, to make it equal. For GNE mine would be Chester, while for Arriva it would probably be Belmont or the late Waddington Street depot. As for Stagecoach, which I rarely use at all, I would probably go for Slatyford or Walkergate.
(01 Nov 2014, 12:55 am)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I would say it's the same with scholars, it's always the 'eight eight five', never the 'eight hundred and eighty five'! Tongue

Moving on, and just really random and out of the bag, what is everyone's favourite depot? Obviously spanning across all three major operators, to make it equal. For GNE mine would be Chester, while for Arriva it would probably be Belmont or the late Waddington Street depot. As for Stagecoach, which I rarely use at all, I would probably go for Slatyford or Walkergate.

Probably Stagecoach's Wheatsheaf depot in Sunderland. I'm not convinced that Arriva or GNE have any control over their individual depots, as it always comes across as each depot management team, are running it how they want to run it. More so with Arriva than GNE mind. 
(01 Nov 2014, 11:45 am)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Probably Stagecoach's Wheatsheaf depot in Sunderland. I'm not convinced that Arriva or GNE have any control over their individual depots, as it always comes across as each depot management team, are running it how they want to run it. More so with Arriva than GNE mind. 

Yes I agree - Percy Main and Blyth come to mind.
Also, Arriva seem to reject buses unlike GNE.
(01 Nov 2014, 5:54 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Yes I agree - Percy Main and Blyth come to mind.
Also, Arriva seem to reject buses unlike GNE.
You've gotta love their allocations though, don't know too much about GNE but I gather they're Blyth's equivalent?
If I'm honest I see the rejection of buses as a good thing, any issues should therefore be rectified with the vehicle if this i why it was rejected.
(01 Nov 2014, 6:11 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]You've gotta love their allocations though, don't know too much about GNE but I gather they're Blyth's equivalent?
If I'm honest I see the rejection of buses as a good thing, any issues should therefore be rectified with the vehicle if this i why it was rejected.

Yeah they are quite pathetic at allocations too.
(01 Nov 2014, 6:11 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]You've gotta love their allocations though, don't know too much about GNE but I gather they're Blyth's equivalent?
If I'm honest I see the rejection of buses as a good thing, any issues should therefore be rectified with the vehicle if this i why it was rejected.

Do you not think that ultimately it undermines the senior management team? If a vehicle isn't to standard, then it should be repaired at the earliest opportunity. Whether that be pre or post transfer. Different depots shouldn't have different standards as to what is acceptable, therefore the fact a transfer is happening should be trivial.
(01 Nov 2014, 6:45 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Do you not think that ultimately it undermines the senior management team? If a vehicle isn't to standard, then it should be repaired at the earliest opportunity. Whether that be pre or post transfer. Different depots shouldn't have different standards as to what is acceptable, therefore the fact a transfer is happening should be trivial.
Yeah I agree with that completely, I just think that if one depot hasn't noticed something, or hasn't checked something on a vehicle and the receiving depot do, they have more than enough reason to reject the vehicle,especially if they know they will be unable to rely on it in service. I think if a depot does reject a vehicle, not only will it make sure the vehicle is looked at, it should make the maintenance at another depot to a higher standard as well, so that as you said all depots have the same standard.
(01 Nov 2014, 6:45 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Do you not think that ultimately it undermines the senior management team? If a vehicle isn't to standard, then it should be repaired at the earliest opportunity. Whether that be pre or post transfer. Different depots shouldn't have different standards as to what is acceptable, therefore the fact a transfer is happening should be trivial.

I see what you're saying, and to an extent I agree.  The standard should be uniform across the company.

Flip side is though, if you're an engineering manager at depot A, and you receive a vehicle that isn't to standard from depot B, would you be happy spending your budget on fixing it? 
Just to keep this thread going - if you, as an individual, had to preserve a bus - what would it be and why. Give reasons, etc.

For me, while I would love to go for a B10BLE or a DAF, would definitely be a single deck rather than a decker, I'd honestly like to preserve an ALX300, for myself. From Stagecoach, I've just always loved them! - I know there are a few in the preservation world already, like.

However, if it had to be a decker, I'd go for a Palatine 1 or 2, it would have to be an Olympian of sorts.

Anyone else?
(10 Nov 2014, 6:13 pm)AIG20 wrote [ -> ]If one of Stagecoach North East's MAN ALX300s are preserved in the future, I think it would most likely be 22480 (T480 BNL) as apparently a lot of money has been spent on that vehicle over the years - which is why it is 1 of 2 non-DDA ALX300s left in service at Slatyford.

I'm really glad that Plaxton Prestige bodied VOLVO B10BLE 21104 has been preserved, but I would have also liked to see one of the ALX300 bodied ones preserved as well. I would also like to see the last ALX200 standing, 33101 (R101 KRG), preserved as well as that has only got 20 days left in service before its tax runs out.

Oh yeah, forgot about 33101! I am right in thinking that was first low-floor vehicle in the fleet, yes? I thought that was long gone! Tongue

I can name somebody who would like to see 33101 make it into the next life. Smile

I honestly thought quite a few ALX300s had made it into preservation (obviously, I mean all around the country). Would the Tyne & Wear Bus Preservation Group not be interested in maybe taking one in?
(10 Nov 2014, 6:49 pm)AIG20 wrote [ -> ]22480 (T480 BNL):
Images owned by Flickr user "mdw9121" - who I think is a friend of Sean Blair, who owns Ex-Stagecoach NE Volvo B10B/Alexander Strider 21002 (M902 DRG) and who is a member of the Tyne & Wear Bus Preservation Group.

Didn't realise it was that good! Looks like it's certainly been given some TLC!

Do you think any of them would be interested in preserving it?
(10 Nov 2014, 7:03 pm)AIG20 wrote [ -> ]I don't know, but I do hope that it does get preserved. Smile

Would be nice to see one make it past the scrapman, like! Smile
following on from early thread posts...

Now you see, this is how i pronounce fleet numbers:
4 digits (example: 8243) - eighty two forty three
3 digits (example: 524) - five two four
5 digits (example: 27051) two seven oh five one

same applies with service numbers:
2 digits (example: 43) - forty three
3 digits variation 1 (example: 130) - one thirty
3 digits variation 2 (example: 131) - one three one
3 digits variation 3 (example: 100) - one hundred

for express services or services with a prefix or suffix, take the 2 digit rule and add the letter sound in front or at the end
(10 Nov 2014, 7:05 pm)Robert wrote [ -> ]following on from early thread posts...

Now you see, this is how i pronounce fleet numbers:
4 digits (example: 8243) - eighty two forty three
3 digits (example: 524) - five two four
5 digits (example: 27051) two seven oh five one

same applies with service numbers:
2 digits (example: 43) - forty three
3 digits variation 1 (example: 130) - one thirty
3 digits variation 2 (example: 131) - one three one
3 digits variation 3 (example: 100) - one hundred

for express services or services with a prefix or suffix, take the 2 digit rule and add the letter sound in front or at the end

I'm exactly the same. I've got to be honest, when I started this thread, I thought there weren't going to be so many who pronounced the fleet numbers like me. Suppose I'm just a bit self-conscious. Wink
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