(02 Sep 2015, 8:25 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully we get the Omnicities....

Edit: didn't quote Dans post because its quite long.

(02 Sep 2015, 8:34 pm)NK53 TKT wrote Dunno, when I was at Cobalt last Thursday waiting for the 19 at 18:36 I got a Blyth terminating 309, 5 mins later a Whitley Bay bound one passed

(02 Sep 2015, 8:40 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote That'll be the 1812 and 1820 from Newcastle. 

Howay man, people going for a quiet few at the pub on a Saturday night aren't exactly going to be enticed by the 2145 extending to Blyth like what they would with the 2310 and 2340 308s. Do GNE have data from the Cobalt of the workers who live in Blyth and need a bus on a Saturday night?

(02 Sep 2015, 8:25 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully we get the Omnicities....

Edit: didn't quote Dans post because its quite long.

(02 Sep 2015, 8:39 pm)Dan wrote I'm not so sure we would get them, to be honest. Don't think we've had the best of luck with the batch we got new, never mind second-hand examples which are older and would presumably require a bit of TLC.

Although they'd be replacing dual-door Volvo B10BLEs, I'd imagine they would want to convert them to single-door configuration so as to avoid customer confusion (which would be quite costly) and to get more seats in. New in 2003, they'd probably have around three years left, and I can't see Go North East spending the money on them..?

May be wrong, but I think it would be cheaper to modify the Volvo B10BLEs to make them DDA-compliant!

(02 Sep 2015, 8:51 pm)Michael wrote Didn't think of that, maybe not then.

(02 Sep 2015, 9:04 pm)Dan wrote You were just clammin' for some OmniCitys (you'll be in Davie's bad books!)

Bet we wouldn't get them at Deptford even if GNE did buy 'em.

(02 Sep 2015, 9:04 pm)Dan wrote You were just clammin' for some more OmniCitys (you'll be in Davie's bad books!)

Bet we wouldn't get them at Deptford even if GNE did buy 'em.

(02 Sep 2015, 8:39 pm)Dan wrote I'm not so sure we would get them, to be honest. Don't think we've had the best of luck with the batch we got new, never mind second-hand examples which are older and would presumably require a bit of TLC.

Although they'd be replacing dual-door Volvo B10BLEs, I'd imagine they would want to convert them to single-door configuration so as to avoid customer confusion (which would be quite costly) and to get more seats in. New in 2003, they'd probably have around three years left, and I can't see Go North East spending the money on them..?

May be wrong, but I think it would be cheaper to modify the Volvo B10BLEs to make them DDA-compliant!

(02 Sep 2015, 9:37 pm)John_R wrote Some of the Omnicities have went to Ensign: http://www.ensignbus.com/2003-scania-omnicity.html

(02 Sep 2015, 11:18 pm)GMitchelhill wrote What you lot have failed to realise that a lot of London vehicles are leased these days. It mainly down to the fact that the group don't have to suffer the headache of disposing the vehicles themselves or convert them to single door to make them more enticing to buyers. Hence why a lot of Metrobus Scania Omnicities have been sold on to independent operators. Yes a few vehicles have ended up elsewhere, but that is only after Go-Ahead group purchased the vehicle outright from the the leaser.

(03 Sep 2015, 11:17 am)Dan wrote I'm slacking - I haven't given any updates on repaints for a while!

Stanley's Mercedes Citaro 0530N/Mercedes Citaro 5285 (NK08 CFU) is the latest one to arrive at Saltmeadows Road for a coat of blue paint. The final Deptford-based Mercedes Citaro 0530N/Mercedes Citaro due for repaint, 5309 (NK08 CHY), has now also arrived at Saltmeadows Road.

The first former "Highwayman" branded Scania L94UB/Wright Solar to be repainted, 4932 (Y932 ERG), has now returned to service following repaint into Go North East's corporate livery.

(03 Sep 2015, 11:22 am)Michael wrote The gold Citaro's might get branded now!

Even though most of London's buses are leased these days, whats the odds in GNE buying them from the company which leases them?????


MAN 14.240/MCV Evolutions (only 6 years old) from London for the Highwayman!

(03 Sep 2015, 11:25 am)Dan wrote I think we will see the remaining Crusaders branded first, then they will head to Deptford to finish the gold ones (maybe even start on the Black Cats!)

(03 Sep 2015, 11:28 am)Michael wrote How many more need to be branded for the Crusader?

(03 Sep 2015, 11:29 am)Dan wrote Lost track if I'm honest - starting to see fewer and fewer plain silver ones when passing through Gateshead though!

(03 Sep 2015, 3:34 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Has 4935 entered service at Washington yet?

(03 Sep 2015, 4:10 pm)S813 FVK wrote Lucky me had 3814 today and it reminded me of how much i hate it. Stopped twice on Maiden Law Bank and rolled backwards 3 times before going forwards after stopping. The fact that the bus was fully loaded (close to if not over the limit) wouldn't have helped like.

Also, as there were only a few buses with LED destinations allocated to scholars services today, i didn't really get to see many of the new destinations. The one thing i noticed other than the arial numbers (what more did i expect) was that the 823 destination has been updated to show 'Tantobie' then 'Woodside Grove via...' as opposed to Sleepy Valley.

(03 Sep 2015, 4:32 pm)Dan wrote Other than that, it's mainly just via points which have been altered. The flipdot screens no longer have the ghastly massive font which flicks between two screens (one for terminal point, one for via point) either.

Obviously with little local knowledge, I ran the 823 by a few people before making the change. Everyone was in favour of making it consistent with the timetable.

(03 Sep 2015, 4:59 pm)S813 FVK wrote Aye - think the massive font with 2 screens was only used on 2 services - the 819 (Blackhill via Leadgate & Consett) and 825 (Flint Hill via South Moor & Tantobie) although the LED displays did have the destination on the top line and the via points on the second as normal. Either way, still looked awful but now, as they follow the more uniformed look of all other services (white route number etc), look great.

Sleepy Valley was (don't know if it still is judging by what you said) used on the most recent update (ie. the 'Metrocentre' 'Limited Stop via...' variation) - haven't seen an X43 yet to see if it has been removed but i'm sure you will know as you seem to be the one in charge of all the destination business.

Another update i noticed was the flipdot 827 destination and how Rowlands Gill is split over onto both lines replacing the 'via' points that used to exist (think it was just Shotley Bridge from what i can remember?) 

Also, another 'destination gripe' after seeing the 130 this afternoon: does the 'via South Moor' need to scroll along the bottom? It used to be unscrolling but personally i just feel the scrolling in this place is a bit unnecessary. Obviously, my version of 'unnecessary' maybe completely different to yours with you actually being involved in the company.

(03 Sep 2015, 5:09 pm)Dan wrote Why thank you. 

The 'express via x - y - z' is something I've done - it was *Limited Stop* on the bottom line before. I've had a look on the places served for the X43 (which is what I use for the via points in most cases), and Sleepy Valley is listed here, so chances are that the X43 will still have this via point (for now).

It's been quite a while since I last looked at those destinations, so I can't remember the ins and outs of what I did now, but I think the 'Gill' was placed on the second line because it had to use a smaller font on the top line to fit 'Rowlands Gill' on. Off memory, I thought that this was quite difficult to read on my screen, so the 'Gill' got chucked on the second line instead opposed to a via point.

As for the 130 - it's down to one of two things... Me being in 'robot mode', or the via point filling up the entire bottom half of the screen (which I think looks a bit naff). If it's the former, it'll probably change next month.

(03 Sep 2015, 5:24 pm)S813 FVK wrote As for the via point filling up most of the line - i can probably say that this is the reason (in which case - i apologize and ill admit i didn't think of that). I have done a quick 144x19 display (just a guess regarding destination size) on helen just incase you don't have access to your programmes yourself which i have attatched to the post.

Regarding the X78: Feel like i inconvenienced you with that one now (as i do with the 130) but i guess feedback from people is a good thing?

(03 Sep 2015, 5:34 pm)Dan wrote That doesn't look too bad, to be honest, if it was in our usual via point font. It was probably just me in 'robot mode', to be honest (quite easy to slip into that mode when you've been sat staring at a screen of orange scrolling text for hours!) There's some with just one via point which fill the screen though, and this arguably detracts attention from the ultimate terminal point or looks like a continuation of the terminal point.

Yeah, the feedback is a good thing. Some things look right to me on the computer screen, but (if I'm honest) I'm sometimes blinded by my wish to keep things consistent, when it isn't practical at all on the bus itself. Obviously going through the transition period at the moment - so some things are still the same as they were months back, and other things have changed. If I remember rightly; Marcus' scholars destinations (excluding Washington's output on the morning 889 service) haven't been touched by me, as I didn't have enough time to make these changes. There's still a fair bit going around without white Arial route numbers too, even at depots which have seen updates recently, and it's simply because I don't want to change the font of the route numbers then build all the destinations again in my own programme.

(03 Sep 2015, 5:42 pm)R852 PRG wrote I see how it is...

(03 Sep 2015, 11:17 am)Dan wrote The first former "Highwayman" branded Scania L94UB/Wright Solar to be repainted, 4932 (Y932 ERG), has now returned to service following repaint into Go North East's corporate livery.