They sound differemt too. The Volvos did have bigger vents on the bonnet.
(05 Aug 2016, 10:57 am)GMitchelhill wrote [ -> ]They sound differemt too. The Volvos did have bigger vents on the bonnet.
They sound the same as the 54 reg solars on the 93/94
(04 Aug 2016, 12:02 pm)Jamie M wrote [ -> ]Don't normally rant during outings, but anyways. The long 19 is such a joke of a service. It would make more sense to extend the 309 to Ashington to ease pressure off the service. It's often as much as 40 minutes late on runs where it started on time. On top of the 310, you can see journeys in excess of 3 hours from Ashington to Newcastle - which is frankly stupid. Blyth -> Ashington would be an extra 20-30 minutes at the max - halving the time from Newcastle to Ashington.
The solars are alright, the journey on the 19 is alright - just excessive end to end. Will write up a suggestion later..
Never seen a 19 run 40 minutes late, and I live on the northern end of the route. The route is only 1hr 30min long and nobody travels Ashington to North Shields, unless it's faster than travelling via Newcastle and Metro, of which it generally is. The 19 is just a route that connects people to places on the route, for example, Cramlington, Seaton Delaval and Silverlink...
Arriva operate the main core services from Ashington to Newcastle in 40-60 minutes. If GNE wanted to run a Newcastle to Ashington service they'd do it direct, and again why would GNE compete with Arriva between Ashington and Blyth?
I say this time and time again, if people can't handle 90-120min journeys for leisure, they won't be able to handle the 685, X15/X18 etc...
(05 Aug 2016, 10:58 am)Jamie M wrote [ -> ]They sound the same as the 54 reg solars on the 93/94
I will not go into detail but its because they both have the same Gearbox Make, ZF.
(05 Aug 2016, 11:41 am)GX03 SVC wrote [ -> ]Never seen a 19 run 40 minutes late
We've seen two very different service 19s then. Point taken about the competition, though.
Yesterday's trip...
156448 1058 2N20 Haltwhistle to Newcastle 1157
6094 1231 56 Newcastle Market Street to Concord 1312
5363 13131 4 Concord to Heworth 1325
142021 1344 2N31 Heworth to Newcastle 1351
19382 1359 38 Neville Street to West Road (The Plaza) 1412
12086 1415 39 West Road (The Plaza) to Blackett Street 1426
10645 1429 62 Blackett Street to Killingworth 1525
4520 1601 53 Killingworth to Haymarket 1637
4069 4051 1641 160 Haymarket to Gateshead 1646
5278 1653 49 Gateshead to Metrocentre 1710
4907 1725 49A Metrocentre to Gateshead 1737
4053 4029 1801 109 Gateshead to Central Station 1803
156438 1824 2N47 Newcastle to Haltwhistle 1925
Considering I had a night shift before and after this trip it's pretty well done!
Cheers to Adrian and R852PRG for their company.
I had a few bits to sort out recently, so decided to use public transport and save some wear and tear on the car.
It was also an excuse to ride a purple Streetlite on a section/sections that I hadn't sampled them on yet. In the end, time restraints meant I only got to travel west out of Park Lane towards Durham, rather than anything north of Sunderland.
As is the norm, I won't share the entire trip out and the entire ins and outs of an area or indeed services that the majority of members have seen, used or experienced on a regular basis and will focus on one particular part of the day in the review.
Anyway - boarded 5437 at Park Lane and was greeted by an almost full bus. Apart from the odd seat towards the rear and the folded section near the front, all seats were taken. The lack of opening windows was as noticeable as the lack of cooling, refreshing air-con, as we chugged off.
I wanted to see what the performance was like heading up past the college from The Barnes (having only managed to use the vehicles between Houghton and Durham), as this was the first real hill test I had seen of them.
It was sluggish pulling on to the incline outside the second-hand car showroom, but once it was halfway up the hill, the vehicle managed fine. Rattles from the cab area were noticeable (as well as the holders for the free papers), but the under vehicle rattles and door vibrations seen on earlier versions were less so (I think I commented on this in a previous review). Hopefully this is something that has been worked on in the Northern Irish facility.
The vehicle spat its passengers out gradually, seeing the majority depart in Houghton.
It kept to time well, waiting time in a few places due to the low levels of traffic and stops along Durham Road.
However, there was something amiss with the announcements - lots of white noise/crackling whenever a stop was announced, which made the announcements inaudible.
I'm desperately trying to like these vehicles and see positives in them, but all I can come back with is a cheaper, flightier version of an early National. Not keen at all, but hopefully there is enough scope to improve in a later, revised model. Can't imagine a later, revised model will have the enduring rugged appeal or durability of a Mk2 National - but we can hope!
(07 Aug 2016, 1:22 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]However, there was something amiss with the announcements - lots of white noise/crackling whenever a stop was announced, which made the announcements inaudible.
Thanks.
There was an issue with the SD cards on this batch of vehicles which is resulting in the static sound you mention. Hanover are in the process of replacing all the cards, as and when faults are reported.
Early start for me today, Left the house for 5:55AM to get the 6:03 Metro from Brockely Whins, And I'm now on the 6:46 Glasgow Central via Carlisle Service as far as Carlisle.
Then the 8:33 TPX Service as far as Penrith.
I will probably be in the Lake District before most people on here are awake, But it's a change being out this early.
(08 Aug 2016, 5:54 am)South Tyne Lad wrote [ -> ]Early start for me today, Left the house for 5:55AM to get the 6:03 Metro from Brockely Whins, And I'm now on the 6:46 Glasgow Central via Carlisle Service as far as Carlisle.
Then the 8:33 TPX Service as far as Penrith.
I will probably be in the Lake District before most people on here are awake, But it's a change being out this early.
Not as early as me, I left at 5:10
Should be a good day!
(08 Aug 2016, 5:56 am)PO51WNF wrote [ -> ]Not as early as me, I left at 5:10
Should be a good day!
Haha, But you live further away though
Me and STL have had a fantastic day exploring the Lakes. One of us will post a full trip report later tonight or some time tomorrow but at the moment both of us are too tired to do anything requiring any brain power...also he's going to have the pleasure of a Pacer all the way back to Newcastle so no chance of any sleep there
(08 Aug 2016, 5:58 pm)PO51WNF wrote [ -> ]Me and STL have had a fantastic day exploring the Lakes. One of us will post a full trip report later tonight or some time tomorrow but at the moment both of us are too tired to do anything requiring any brain power...also he's going to have the pleasure of a Pacer all the way back to Newcastle so no chance of any sleep there
I've actually managed to get a 156 tonight, Despite this run being booked for a Pacer.
The 156 I have is 156454 and is in the " We are Northern " advertisement livery.
(08 Aug 2016, 6:35 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote [ -> ]
I've actually managed to get a 156 tonight, Despite this run being booked for a Pacer.
The 156 I have is 156454 and is in the " We are Northern " advertisement livery.
Damn I was hoping you'd have to suffer
(08 Aug 2016, 6:35 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote [ -> ]
I've actually managed to get a 156 tonight, Despite this run being booked for a Pacer.
The 156 I have is 156454 and is in the " We are Northern " advertisement livery.
Not meaning to burst your bubble but there are no booked workings (apart from ScotRail's) on the Tyne Valley for traction!
(08 Aug 2016, 8:16 pm)northern156 wrote [ -> ]Not meaning to burst your bubble but there are no booked workings (apart from ScotRail's) on the Tyne Valley for traction!
He was going off the RTT site which shows the working as being pathed for a Pacer, although it obviously makes sense that workings are pathed for the slowest possible traction as any faster units will be able to keep up
Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk
(08 Aug 2016, 8:20 pm)PO51WNF wrote [ -> ]He was going off the RTT site which shows the working as being pathed for a Pacer, although it obviously makes sense that workings are pathed for the slowest possible traction as any faster units will be able to keep up
Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk
Yeah I know where he's got it from, you're right it's nothing more than pathing.
(08 Aug 2016, 8:28 pm)northern156 wrote [ -> ]Yeah I know where he's got it from, you're right it's nothing more than pathing.
Apologies, It comes in handy though when expecting a certain type of stock on a route.
(08 Aug 2016, 5:58 pm)PO51WNF wrote [ -> ]Me and STL have had a fantastic day exploring the Lakes. One of us will post a full trip report later tonight or some time tomorrow but at the moment both of us are too tired to do anything requiring any brain power...also he's going to have the pleasure of a Pacer all the way back to Newcastle so no chance of any sleep there
One of the photos from Yesterday :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/140662069@...ateposted/