(09 Sep 2016, 3:57 pm)BusLoverMum wrote 1524(?) Heading up the A1 with "caution!" On the front destination.

(09 Sep 2016, 10:30 am)Kuyoyo wrote 1491 is about to go out on the 5/5a to replace a Streetlite
And as everyone is reporting then (despite the fact they are currently booked to appear as Stockton have more MAX boards than buses plus the two extra Stockton workings are down for standard vehicles) 1444 is today's non-MAX on the X12 but it will only be working one trip (1105 from Middlesbrough)

(09 Sep 2016, 9:06 pm)Cock Robin wrote Still supposedly a Max service so non Max vehicles are reportable.

(09 Sep 2016, 7:11 pm)OW1762 wrote You wouldn't happen to know why would you?

(08 Sep 2016, 3:21 pm)mb134 wrote That isn't great, but if that's the worst, then that signals that the rest are doing okay?

(09 Sep 2016, 10:03 pm)L469 YVK wrote Maybe but the whole batch will be coming to 9 year old in December / January and considering what the vehicles have been through (Blyth Depot, X93 et al) they'll be due for replacement very soon or they'll end up in a similar way to the Pronto Presidents. Big question will be how to replace half the batch on the X21 /  X22 with the classic bodywork going out of production very soon, if not now.

(09 Sep 2016, 9:08 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Tell me how Stockton are meant to cover 6 boards (yes, 6 - the 9 board that does the last X66 is now booked for 1415) with only 4 spare Pulsars?

(10 Sep 2016, 9:08 am)South Tyne Lad wrote Classic Bodywork is more or half gone now,
Might be some lurking round in dealer stock I'd imagine.

The classic bodywork or the E200 is still going atm believe it or not, But it's mostly small independents taking them.

(10 Sep 2016, 1:06 pm)Cock Robin wrote Why should the fact they can't get the old bodies be a problem in replacing them?!

(10 Sep 2016, 1:37 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote It shouldn't, I was just replying to his query about whether the E400 is still offered with the old bodywork.

I'd replace all of them with MMCs and transfer the 14 plate E400s to the 7 to make it fully Double Deck imo

(10 Sep 2016, 1:37 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote It shouldn't, I was just replying to his query about whether the E400 is still offered with the old bodywork.

I'd replace all of them with MMCs and transfer the 14 plate E400s to the 7 to make it fully Double Deck imo

(10 Sep 2016, 2:31 pm)Jimmi wrote Although the 7 is quite a popular service, I don't feel that it warrants full double decker operation especially in the evenings and on Sundays which are both operated by the Darlington branded Pulsar's.

Can't see any allocation changes happening anytime soon, I think if Arriva really wanted to spend a fair amount of money on a full batch of new buses for the X21/X22 they would have done it back in 2014 rather than refurbishing old stock.

(11 Sep 2016, 12:47 pm)Jimmi wrote I still feel that the 57 reg Enviro 400's aren't as anywhere near as bad as some people make them out to be on here, don't know if it's just down to the locality of forum members to the routes but on here there is far less odd workings reported on here on the X21/X22 than the other Sapphire routes and half of the time the odd workings on the X21/X22 often seem to be down to the E400's being allocated elsewhere (usually X14/X15/X18). If you think the X21/X22 are bad, I suggest visiting Darlington and seeing our rotten Omnicitys on the MAX X26/X27 and X66/X67.

(11 Sep 2016, 1:11 pm)John_R wrote Mentioning the Omnicities, whilst I was on 4644 on X67 on Wednesday, a rather large man was using one of poles to help him get out of his seat and unfortunately pulled the pole out of its socket in the ceiling.
Not sure if a 10 am journey on the X67 is always like this, but 4644 was full with 14 standing by the time we arrived at Stockton and X66 behind had overtaken us. Though despite such a full bus there were probably only about 4 paying passengers including myself.

(11 Sep 2016, 12:47 pm)Jimmi wrote I still feel that the 57 reg Enviro 400's aren't as anywhere near as bad as some people make them out to be on here, don't know if it's just down to the locality of forum members to the routes but on here there is far less odd workings reported on here on the X21/X22 than the other Sapphire routes and half of the time the odd workings on the X21/X22 often seem to be down to the E400's being allocated elsewhere (usually X14/X15/X18). If you think the X21/X22 are bad, I suggest visiting Darlington and seeing our rotten Omnicitys on the MAX X26/X27 and X66/X67.

(11 Sep 2016, 6:22 pm)mb134 wrote Ashington seem to have got majority of them sorted out. They were hideously unreliable when they first went Sapphire, though I feel that the absence of 7504 for a while initially made it a lot more noticeable. 

However, as much as they now seem pretty reliable, a couple still don't seem very good for an 'express' route, which is what I have more of an issue with. (Although, having said that, when compared to a Blyth Gemini, there's only ever one winner. Hate pretty much everything about those things.)

(12 Sep 2016, 11:00 am)BusLoverMum wrote Durham is nuts today.

1325 on 43.There will be others!