(10 Aug 2015, 2:00 pm)S813 FVK wrote I think a proper publicity launch in Durham and Peterlee would have been better than a private launch. Don't know about anybody else.

(10 Aug 2015, 2:24 pm)citaro5284 wrote Where is there in Peterlee that could hold a launch?

(10 Aug 2015, 2:00 pm)S813 FVK wrote I think a proper publicity launch in Durham and Peterlee would have been better than a private launch. Don't know about anybody else.

(10 Aug 2015, 2:24 pm)citaro5284 wrote Where is there in Peterlee that could hold a launch?

(10 Aug 2015, 2:29 pm)Dan wrote The launch at Crimdon Dene wasn't really intended as a publicity launch; I'd suggest that there's nothing to say that there won't be any publicity launches in future, similar to those that we have seen in the past, so keep your eyes on Go North East's website for that. I'm not sure where Go North East could hold a launch at Peterlee, as there isn't really a great deal of space to park a bus where there's going to be a great enough footfall. Perhaps a launch in Durham would work well, but you'd have to find a suitable location with a heavy footfall to make the event worthwhile, especially as there's just three main services which go to Durham from the entire network (204, 208 and 265).

I think today's event worked really well; whilst enthusiasts weren't invited to the launch at Crimdon Dene, Go North East did invite everyone along to see the old being replaced by the new. The 11:00am slot seemed to attract around ten enthusiasts (so there was plenty of interest in that side of the "launch"), and no doubt other enthusiasts arrived before and after this time too.

It's great to see Go North East supporting the enthusiast community - especially younger enthusiasts like Peter - in my opinion.

(10 Aug 2015, 2:29 pm)Dan wrote The launch at Crimdon Dene wasn't really intended as a publicity launch; I'd suggest that there's nothing to say that there won't be any publicity launches in future, similar to those that we have seen in the past, so keep your eyes on Go North East's website for that. I'm not sure where Go North East could hold a launch at Peterlee, as there isn't really a great deal of space to park a bus where there's going to be a great enough footfall. Perhaps a launch in Durham would work well, but you'd have to find a suitable location with a heavy footfall to make the event worthwhile, especially as there's just three main services which go to Durham from the entire network (204, 208 and 265).

I think today's event worked really well; whilst enthusiasts weren't invited to the launch at Crimdon Dene, Go North East did invite everyone along to see the old being replaced by the new. The 11:00am slot seemed to attract around ten enthusiasts (so there was plenty of interest in that side of the "launch"), and no doubt other enthusiasts arrived before and after this time too.

It's great to see Go North East supporting the enthusiast community - especially younger enthusiasts like Peter - in my opinion.

(10 Aug 2015, 2:42 pm)Jimmi wrote The numbers on the rear LED screens are enormous!

(10 Aug 2015, 2:42 pm)Jimmi wrote The numbers on the rear LED screens are enormous!
Go North East: 656 / NK15 GDO by Jimmi's Transport Photos, on Flickr

(10 Aug 2015, 2:29 pm)S813 FVK wrote I haven't got a clue. Never been myself and there is probably a good reason for that too.

(10 Aug 2015, 3:55 pm)aureolin wrote It's a pity people weren't invited along to Crimdon Dene for the photo opportunities. I can't see why it would need to be kept a big secret?

Trying to rack my brains and think of the launches this year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but have they not all been carried out with the target audience of young children? Even the family fun day, whilst I think the attendance was fantastic, was geared at parents bringing young children along.

The old to new changeover was a good idea in principal, and one geared at enthusiasts, but most people on this board would have pointed out that Peterlee is a bad place to do this. It's one of the few places I'm wary of, and I know I'm not the only one of this opinion. The fact people have had abuse thrown at them backs this up.

It'd probably a better idea to line them up at Saltmeadows for a photo opportunity, whether that be as well or instead of, if there are reasons people couldn't be invited to Crimdon Dene. Stagecoach seem to have managed this with two of their orders (and giving people more than a day or two's notice), and both times have had fantastic turnouts.

(10 Aug 2015, 3:55 pm)aureolin wrote It's a pity people weren't invited along to Crimdon Dene for the photo opportunities. I can't see why it would need to be kept a big secret?

Trying to rack my brains and think of the launches this year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but have they not all been carried out with the target audience of young children? Even the family fun day, whilst I think the attendance was fantastic, was geared at parents bringing young children along.

The old to new changeover was a good idea in principal, and one geared at enthusiasts, but most people on this board would have pointed out that Peterlee is a bad place to do this. It's one of the few places I'm wary of, and I know I'm not the only one of this opinion. The fact people have had abuse thrown at them backs this up.

It'd probably a better idea to line them up at Saltmeadows for a photo opportunity, whether that be as well or instead of, if there are reasons people couldn't be invited to Crimdon Dene. Stagecoach seem to have managed this with two of their orders (and giving people more than a day or two's notice), and both times have had fantastic turnouts.

(10 Aug 2015, 3:57 pm)aureolin wrote Oh and 6061 NSAs have been turned right down, to the point they're whispering. Certainly the case upstairs.

In addition, the screen upstairs seems to be indented about 2 inches in from the left, cropping the right hand side. I've noticed this on a few now mind.

(10 Aug 2015, 3:57 pm)aureolin wrote Oh and 6061 NSAs have been turned right down, to the point they're whispering. Certainly the case upstairs.

In addition, the screen upstairs seems to be indented about 2 inches in from the left, cropping the right hand side. I've noticed this on a few now mind.

(10 Aug 2015, 4:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Couldn't agree more about Crimdon Dene, it would have provided a much better photo opportunity than Peterlee Bus Station where they will be appearing on services there all the time so it wasn't really a unique photo opportunity at all. It's not the first time either as it was the same for the X66 with the StreetLite's where they had another secret photo shoot.

(10 Aug 2015, 5:20 pm)S813 FVK wrote The X66 was a different kettle of fish completely. The shoot was in one of the car parks (the Green car park to be exact) and obviously, as it is a car park, they couldn't stay there all day as the area was required for customer and staff parking. A company can not please enthusiasts who take photos all of the time.

(10 Aug 2015, 5:36 pm)Dan wrote Like the photoshoot at the Metrocentre to promote the investment into new vehicles for the X66 service, the controlled photoshoot today was also held in a car park (albeit a public one rather than on private property like the Metrocentre). The buses had to be moved once it got busy, and like the X66 photoshoot, it was only an hour (or thereabouts) in duration.

As I said before, Go North East gave enthusiasts the heads up on the photo opportunities available in Peterlee Bus Station. A lot of enthusiasts turned up (some ignoring the plea to enthusiasts to stay on the footpaths rather than darting across the bus station behind buses which were reversing out from bays), so it was pretty successful if you ask me. The local and national media got their photographs and a nice story, while enthusiasts got some photographs of the old and new together.

I would have thought that everyone was a winner today..?

(10 Aug 2015, 5:42 pm)danpick wrote Know who your on about running behind reversing buses I admit I didn't stay on the footpath but I waited for buses to leave and go over when the Bus Station was empty, also when you telling us about the cascades. Finally I think it was great watching the buses be swapped.

(10 Aug 2015, 4:15 pm)Malarkey wrote I opted not to go up to Peterlee this morning as I knew there was going to be more than 10+ Enthusiasts taking photos in the same place at the same time which I found quite off putting, as everyones photos of each individual vehicle in Peterlee Bus Station would be exactly the same pretty much, for me at the moment in my current mindset is quite boring if im honest, I seem to have lost the enjoyment of going out and taking photos and I dont really have much motivation to go out and do just that at the moment, perhaps after 3 Years of constantly taking photos I think I need a break from this side of the hobby, but on the flipside if I do that I think I might loose interest in that side of the hobby altogether.

(10 Aug 2015, 4:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Couldn't agree more about Crimdon Dene, it would have provided a much better photo opportunity than Peterlee Bus Station where they will be appearing on services there all the time so it wasn't really a unique photo opportunity at all. It's not the first time either as it was the same for the X66 with the StreetLite's where they had another secret photo shoot. Don't get why they are so secretive, even if they only let us know via this forum it wouldn't attract many people. Back to Peterlee Bus Station was it really best publising that today, Peterlee is awful for photos and then you have all the people hanging around the bus station waiting for their buses which certainly attracted their attention to us and ended up with some of us getting abuse for it which is partly why I briefly ducked out from the bus station at points to get my photos. The reason I never normally bother with GNE events is because it feels like to some extent they don't want us there, and all these secret launches sort of backs up my opinion I feel.

(10 Aug 2015, 4:38 pm)Transbus574 wrote Many of the Angels NSA either are very quiet or do not talk at all and some of the screens do not work as well on them also noted I was on 5409 on the 28 the other day and it said welcome aboard the. And when pulling into a stop it was saying you are now at. Would be great if the red spare buses with NSA had all the routes programmed in them so when there on a service eg waggonway it would say welcome aboard the waggonway and then read the stops out it would help for visitors to beamish museum I would think as well.

(10 Aug 2015, 5:36 pm)Dan wrote Like the photoshoot at the Metrocentre to promote the investment into new vehicles for the X66 service, the controlled photoshoot today was also held in a car park (albeit a public one rather than on private property like the Metrocentre). The buses had to be moved once it got busy, and like the X66 photoshoot, it was only an hour (or thereabouts) in duration.

As I said before, Go North East gave enthusiasts the heads up on the photo opportunities available in Peterlee Bus Station. A lot of enthusiasts turned up (some ignoring the plea to enthusiasts to stay on the footpaths rather than darting across the bus station behind buses which were reversing out from bays), so it was pretty successful if you ask me. The local and national media got their photographs and a nice story, while enthusiasts got some photographs of the old and new together.

I would have thought that everyone was a winner today..?

(09 Aug 2015, 5:35 pm)Dan wrote A number of the older MPDs have now been withdrawn and are in storage at Saltmeadows Road.

Cascades for the newer vehicles will take place when all fourteen vehicles arrive at Peterlee, which is when I'll be able to confirm the movements.

(10 Aug 2015, 5:51 pm)aureolin wrote Oh and on another note. I bumped in to 9119 twice today in Durham Bus Station. It appears to have developed the jet engine noise, that you'd normally associate with the Vykings. I can't wait for it's TTX trial.

(10 Aug 2015, 5:45 pm)aureolin wrote I'd have not bothered attending, even if I knew enough in advance to juggle my calendar about, to allow me to take time out to go. Like I said above, the idea was good in principal, but the location doesn't work for me. No matter how easy it is to get to.

Aye it's a nice setting over at Crimdon Dene. I guess there's a bit of sense in it though, now that you've mentioned the Metro Gnome/X66 photo shoot. I had forgot about that one! I'm thinking, how productive would a photo shoot be, when you've got the usual clowns that this hobby seems to attract pissing about at the same time? 

I still think that having an enthusiast event, even the odd one biennial or something, would go some way to appeasing the massive enthusiast following that GNE has. Given what I've said above, it'd probably need to be in addition to normal launches. 

I know I'd touched on people getting abuse at Peterlee in my earlier post, but that was solely based on what you had wrote Jimmi. A number of others that attended seemed to have not attracted any sort of attention, so maybe you're just a bit unlucky with that one?

(10 Aug 2015, 5:45 pm)aureolin wrote Without pretending to know the ins and outs of an NSA screen, I'd imagine they're simple enough to either work or not work, and perhaps not a system that can develop a huge range of faults. Given that the audio has just been very quiet on 6061 (and one or two other angels - I'll try and note the numbers), I'd hazard a guess that they've in fact just been turned right down, rather than develop a fault. Unacceptable if that's the case.