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+--- Forum: Go North East (https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=54)
+--- Thread: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - October 2013 (/showthread.php?tid=1248)
RE: Go North East - Latest - Washingtonian - 24 Oct 2013
Here are the brands I would keep. As I said in my previous post, each depot would have a maximum of say around 2 or 3 per area, with more for a bigger depot/area.
Gateshead (New Depot)
1) Tyne Tees Express
2) The Loop
3) CityLink
4) Centre Link - X66
5) Saltwell Park
6) Fab Fifty Seven (but under a new brand)
7) Blaydon Racers (with same name but under a better design. The current design looks a bit bland)
8) Toon Links
Scrap: - Highwayman, Crusader, and The Orbit
Saltmeadows
1) QuayLink
2) Great Park & Ride
3) South Tyne Links
Scrap: - The Pulse
Hexham
1) The Ten
2) Tynedale Express
3) Tynedale Links
Percy Main
1) Coaster
2) Cobalt Clipper
3) DFDS
Scrap: - The Centurion, Cobalt Connect, and North Tyne Links
Deptford
1) Fab Fifty Six
2) Prince Bishops
3) Laser (under a new name and brand)
4) Drifter
5) Wear Tees Express
6) Sunderland Connect
Scrap: - Fast Cats, Silver Arrows, and SimpliCity (undecided on this one tbh).
Peterlee
1) Wear Tees Express
Scrap: - East Durham Links
Washington
1) Connections 4
2) Red Arrows
3) South Tyne Links
Scrap: - Washington Street Shuttle. I do actually really like this brand but it is being phased out anyway.
Chester Le Street
1) The Angel
2) The Lime
3) The Waggonway (may be tempting to put Service 8 under this brand with it passing Beamish?)
4) Whey Aye 5-0
Scrap: - The Lambton Worm
Crook
1) Pronto
2) The OK Way
Stanley
1) The Diamond
2) The Lime
3) The Red Kite
Consett
1) Venture
In total 13 brands would be scrapped and all of these buses would be painted into the Northern Livery, including Yellow Buses.
Just my opinion anyway
RE: Go North East - Latest - Dan - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:22 pm)Andreos1 Hand on heart and there is no GNE bashing intended here at all - I genuinely thought they were for a local independent company somewhere.
It was only when I saw them on here, that I put two and two together and realised.
Reminds me of the Coopers Coaches colour scheme.
Whether the branding will change the appearance, who knows.
To be fair, I was driving 70mph in the opposite direction at the time.
I must say I prefer the current colour as opposed to the new one, but hopefully the vinyls will improve it.
Guess they wouldn't have had that colour if they didn't like it though!
RE: Go North East - Latest - CatsFast101 - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:25 pm)Tom Why register, then?
Do you know the types of people n a forum before you register? No. And I don't see why one person would stop me using this site.
RE: Go North East - Latest - Washingtonian - 24 Oct 2013
Just had an idea. How about branding all services that serve the coast as "Coaster"? Percy Main could have "The Northumberland Coaster" for Service 1, Deptford could have "The Durham Coaster" to replace the Drifter and Gateshead could rebrand Fab Fifty Seven as "The South Tyne Coaster". Also I would be tempted to replace the Silver Arrows brand with "SimpliCity", promoting the link between Washington and Sunderland. Again just a thought.
RE: Go North East - Latest - Andreos1 - 24 Oct 2013
Dan/CatsFast - you two are getting as bad as eezypeazy and erm, me!
RE: Go North East - Latest - Dan - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:35 pm)Andreos1 Dan/CatsFast - you two are getting as bad as eezypeazy and erm, me!
'tis good fun.
RE: Go North East - Latest - CatsFast101 - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:35 pm)Andreos1 Dan/CatsFast - you two are getting as bad as eezypeazy and erm, me!
Hahah! Ee sorry for taking up the thread with this!
RE: Go North East - Latest - Andreos1 - 24 Oct 2013
Just trying to suss who is eezypeazy! :p
RE: Go North East - Latest - Michael - 24 Oct 2013
If anything the 56 should be CityLink not the 58...
Taking from Washingtonian - here is what i think.. the ones i would keep.
Tyne Tees Express
Centre Link - X66
Blaydon Racers
Great Park & Ride
Tynedale Express
Cobalt Clipper
DFDS
Wear Tees Express
Sunderland Connect
Silver Arrows
---
Simplicity (Sunderland only... 36/36A (only added cause of the routes atm) 38,39,42,99 - would be Under that brand.
---
Wear Tees Express
Connections 4
Red Arrows
The Angel
The Waggonway
The OK Way
The Red Kite
RE: Go North East - Latest - stagecoachbusdepot - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:34 pm)Washingtonian Just had an idea. How about branding all services that serve the coast as "Coaster"? Percy Main could have "The Northumberland Coaster" for Service 1, Deptford could have "The Durham Coaster" to replace the Drifter and Gateshead could rebrand Fab Fifty Seven as "The South Tyne Coaster". Also I would be tempted to replace the Silver Arrows brand with "SimpliCity", promoting the link between Washington and Sunderland. Again just a thought.
I do like the idea of regional variations on a shared brand like the Northumbrian Coaster etc. It would add a bit of a local identity and give a corporate image. I suppose we're halfway ther with the fab 56 and fab 57 but these dont actually mean anything (or have very much in common apart from serving Newcastle).
RE: Go North East - Latest - Tom - 24 Oct 2013
How many #Saltwell Park Versa's have been repainted so far?
RE: Go North East - Latest - Adrian - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 12:23 pm)Chris I believe they were originally set up to bid for contract work, that full cost depots couldn't compete on due to their higher overheads. Think along the lines of lower wage rates, sickness/pension provision, breaks etc. The 'carrot', if you like, was fewer weekend & late shifts. Generally, not a full cost operational depot.
Saltmeadows, Consett, Peterlee, a couple of lines at Hexham (Tynedale Links) and a couple of lines at Deptford (Nexus I would think) were the units last time I looked into it.
Of course, this might have all changed now? This is based mostly on what I remember from a driving open day a few years back.
Thanks Chris. As I thought. Reason I originally asked is because the starting pay rate is the same at the low cost units as at other depots. I take it Saltmeadows and the likes move onto inferior pay scales compared to other depots then?
RE: Go North East - Latest - mattdw92 - 24 Oct 2013
To add to Liam's attached pictures of the Saltwell Park Streetlite arrivals today:
- Full shot pic of NL63XBH. I actually like it, I was hoping for a lighter green.
RE: Go North East - Latest - Dan - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:53 pm)Tom How many #Saltwell Park Versa's have been repainted so far?
Zero, and they won't start to be repainted until next month. :p
RE: Go North East - Latest - citaro5284 - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:53 pm)Tom How many #Saltwell Park Versa's have been repainted so far?
None!
RE: Go North East - Latest - Michael - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:56 pm)citaro5284 None!
Is their any more FAB 56's or Drifter Versa's in for re-paint?
RE: Go North East - Latest - Tom - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:56 pm)Dan Zero, and they won't start to be repainted until next month. :p
Cheers - So how many Drifter and Simplicity ones have?
RE: Go North East - Latest - Dan - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 5:59 pm)Tom Cheers - So how many Drifter and Simplicity ones have?
Last week: 8302, 4934
This week: 8303, 4935
I'm told 8306 was put in for repaint early because it was recently involved in an RTA.
RE: Go North East - Latest - citaro5284 - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 6:01 pm)Dan Last week: 8302, 4934
This week: 8303, 4935
I'm told 8306 was put in for repaint early because it was recently involved in an RTA.
Didn't know 4934 and 4935 were Drifter or Simplicity
RE: Go North East - Latest - Dan - 24 Oct 2013
(24 Oct 2013, 6:01 pm)citaro5284 Didn't know 4934 and 4935 were Drifter or Simplicity
Hush you!
Michael, you can consider your question answered too!