(12 Aug 2013, 8:32 pm)gtomlinson wrote Rob?!

Do we think Ian Hignett or Andy Clifford would know? (if they aren't on here?)

I'm off work this week or I'd ask the driver in the morning!

Do we have any Birtley members who could pop down and receive eternal gratefulness for finding out?

(12 Aug 2013, 8:34 pm)BJ10VUS wrote I'm not sure? I guess it depends on whether they know the route. The NEXUS timetable is no good either - stating Station Road and Durham Road only in both directions. I wonder if they leave it up to the driver to find a place to turn the bus around?

(12 Aug 2013, 8:35 pm)Daniel wrote I've said for the past month to myself that I'd get myself to Birtley for it but never manage... Would still like to get a photo before the services are upgraded though...

(12 Aug 2013, 8:46 pm)Andreos1 wrote What are the timings for this 28b?
I spent the 1st 11years of my life in Birtley and still have family/friends/aquaintences there, so get over quite a bit.

Will see if I can find out.

Completely forgot about Arriva working the M2 on a night.
I knew the 28b would be a Chester working, but thought they could pick up a Washington service, like when the M3 ran onto a 34 a few years back.

(12 Aug 2013, 8:40 pm)gtomlinson wrote Well he's got 7 minutes. I've just looked on MyJourney and I may have solved it!

The Northbound War Memorial Stop (outside the BT exchange office) isn't served by the 28B but the Southbound does list it.

So it must go along Ravensworth Road and Edward Street then terminate at The War Memorial (South)

(12 Aug 2013, 8:51 pm)BJ10VUS wrote I think you're right! Although, it doesn't serve the Fire Station stop, so may also exit on to Durham Road via Mitchell Street if it's easier?

(12 Aug 2013, 8:54 pm)Andreos1 wrote Mitchell Street - that is bad enough getting down on a pushbike, never mind a bus.

Is that the only run it does? What sort of notice do I have? Is it stopping at the end of the month or something?

(12 Aug 2013, 8:53 pm)gtomlinson wrote A bit too tight for my liking for a DAF

(12 Aug 2013, 8:56 pm)gtomlinson wrote No, its on the Sept 1st timetables, I was just curious to the route having been working in Birtley again today

(12 Aug 2013, 8:59 pm)Andreos1 wrote Its starting on the 1st?
Missed a lot of these changes, so will have to catch up with them.

(12 Aug 2013, 9:02 pm)Andreos1 wrote Got you!

Will see if I can check it out, if I'm over that way or will try and find out from someone who lives over that way.

28_-_28A_-_28B_from_11_Nov_2012_Publication.pdf (Size 1 MB Downloads 337)

28_-_28A_-_28B_from_1_Sept_2013_Publication (1).pdf (Size 3.55 MB Downloads 131)

(12 Aug 2013, 9:47 pm)CatsFast101 wrote If remember correctly I think the 28B uses a Waggonway DAF currently, which then goes onto a 34.

Edit: Speaking of the 34 one of the 50's on a morning now starts from The Avenue/Bullion Lane. Which is included on the new 34 timetable. I wonder considering they are now remembering the Lambton worm exists that it might get a page on the website.

(13 Aug 2013, 7:23 am)Daniel wrote I think the lad that provided me with the info regarding the Lambton Worm may have been wrong, looking at the timetables. I'm sure it was like a 'dedicated driver' sort of thing though - the driver of the 34 would go back to the depot at 1943 after finishing on 34s for the day and then later another driver would come back out ready for the 2050 departure of the 28B on the same vehicle, and would stay on it all night. He'd receive a break in the middle too, before the final departure.
Assuming he was wrong, where do you think it goes onto the 34s? The 34 timetable doesn't mention any changeovers as I'm sure it should do.

(13 Aug 2013, 9:34 am)CatsFast101 wrote Also on a different point. The Waggonway and Lambton Worm timetables both picture a B10BLE. Do we think this is a hint of what they'll be getting or? And also in my opinion, the Solars that have been painted plum can't be for the Waggonway almost certainly not- colour is wrong 100%. So I'd make a suggestion they'd be going to Wear Tees Xpress, they'd only need 4 Solars. 5 others could then go to the Waggonway, with then the dreadful B10's from WTX going to Lambton Worm or there was talk of the freed Versa's at Deptford going across. But this doesn't explain why they'd show a branded B10BLE unless it just to put something on there? Don't know.

Initially I'd thought the Versa's would go to the 39 but now that it's been classed as a Northern Route on the new changes, it suggests the end of the Doxford Clipper. I'm wondering if we could see it back in the future though, it makes no sense going to northern when the route has just had frequency increase?! It's very bizare they only thing I can think of is that going northern allows for greater flexibility of vehicles, I means since the changes there's been MPDs, SPD's, Presidents, Versas, Renowns, Cadets all allocated to the short or long 39's. Could this be the reason? I suppose when we see the new look 39 timetable it might become clearer.

(13 Aug 2013, 10:03 am)Michael wrote Im not sure about the X85 for Arriva.

(13 Aug 2013, 10:18 am)Michael wrote Don't forget the Streetlites, that will give us 8 more versa's from the Drifter

I can see these going to the 61 -5 branded + u will have 3 spare

We now have 8320-24 left from the Simplicity + 3 Spare + 8319 will become Simplicity, hopefully for the 39.

Or the 39 drops down to every 15 mins for its full route - that means it will require 7 buses (going from new timetable)

Tbh i dont think any of us have a bloody idea what will happen for the fleet changes over the next couple of months.

We know that the SB's will go and some more SPD

Info for the Great North Run - http://www.simplygo.com/news/great-north-run-2013-extra-buses-and-a-special-m-ticket-to-save-you-money

(13 Aug 2013, 10:06 am)Daniel wrote http://northeastbuses.co.uk/gnefleetsearch.php?fleetno=®=&chassis=&bodywork=&depot=&livery=plum&year=
Five vehicles have been repainted into a plum base livery. The "Wear Tees Xpress" X7 PVR is three, and Deptford holds a branded spare also. Five vehicles wouldn't be repainted into this plum livery for the "Wear Tees Xpress", four would.

We've previously discussed relying on timetables for knowledge of branding and vehicle types being used on a specific service, and in my opinion, we really can't. From past experience, the timetables have not always been correct.

Although no official confirmation has been given by any of our Go North East representatives regarding these repainted Solars, I still do believe they are for "The Waggonway" 28/28A. I was reluctant to believe at first that they were for "The Waggonway", and I indeed thought that they would be for the X7, given that we have had confirmation that the X7 is in line for a vehicle upgrade to release B10BLEs to "Northern", allowing for further SPD withdrawal. When a fifth Solar was repainted, it became evident that they were not for the X7, and the rumours that arose regarding them being for the 28 seemed more likely.

I still think that the "Lambton Worm" brand will become defunct, and the service(s) under that brand will become "Northern". B10BLE usage here seems likely, if the service is to become "Northern".

We should have all noticed by now that B10BLEs within the fleet are not being used on branded services, and are indeed becoming the new SPDs. "The Centurion" is the exception to this, though I imagine this would have been a cheaper alternative to repainting the vehicles for them possibly to stay at Percy Main anyway. That said, I do believe, as the vehicles are Euro 4 as opposed to Euro 2 or 3, that they will be the last B10BLEs in the fleet to be branded.

We've also previously discussed the 39.

There are ten vehicles branded as "SimpliCity", with an additional Versa in the same batch now being branded as the centenary vehicle:
http://northeastbuses.co.uk/gnefleetsearch.php?fleetno=®=&chassis=&bodywork=&depot=&livery=simplicity&year=

Prior to 8319 being branded, I was reluctant to believe that 8319 would be branded as the centenary vehicle as she was required later in the year.

I propose that "SimpliCity" 42 retains five Versas (8325-29, as they are specifically branded for the 42 unless they have changed the additional vinyls regarding frequency now?), while 8320-24 are allocated to service 39. 8319 is the branded spare, providing it is put back into "SimpliCity" livery. With a PVR of 8 at present, the 39 is due an upgrade. I believe that the extra short weekday runs were only a temporary solution as something needed to be done, and Deptford had the SPDs that should be allocated to the service, spare. An increased seating capacity on the 39 would then allow these extra runs to be dropped and capacity issues wouldn't be so much of an issue as they previously were on the MPDs. Back to the original PVR of 5. Voila!
Going back to the point made above, this would demonstrate another inaccuracy with timetables, and shows that we cannot always believe them for the above factors mentioned.