(23 Jun 2015, 1:20 pm)John_R Houses on the route of X1 are receiving a leaflet about the service in the post, which includes a voucher for a free £7.70 day ticket.

(23 Jun 2015, 1:26 pm)Jimmi I imagine this will be because it's a MAX service so presumably they are now doing the same as they have on Sapphire services on MAX routes where they give free day tickets to people who live local to the route, I got some for the 7 after it became Sapphire and when the Enviro 400's were introduced.

(23 Jun 2015, 6:29 am)mb134 The thing that is annoying is that someone decided it could cope with a peak time run, we arrived in Newcastle 12 minutes late, with 5 minutes more than usual timetabled in to do the Regent Centre to Haymarket stretch. I know for a fact that certain boards don't hit Newcastle at peak times at all, put 7502 on one of these, and let the buses with some power handle the busier runs into Newcastle. 

As a comparison, 7524 was my ride home, after traffic lights made us 3 minutes late leaving Haymarket, we were on time by Regent Centre. We arrived in Bedlington a minute or two late, after stopping at Northumberlandia, and then the stop opposite Nelson Industrial Estate (and not being able to pull out because of a van in the bus stop). There was a massive noticeable difference between it and 7502, acceleration was far quicker and it didn't seem like it wanted to die every time it went over 30.

(23 Jun 2015, 1:20 pm)John_R Houses on the route of X1 are receiving a leaflet about the service in the post, which includes a voucher for a free £7.70 day ticket.

(23 Jun 2015, 3:18 pm)South Tyne Lad I have to disagree a bit with this. Had 7501 a few weeks and coped really well was a bit worn but considering its been Redcar and Blyth its still good, not completely flat
like someone else said, do you know why it was alright? all wifi and plugs were turned off.
The thing is I don't think the X93 or Blyth's caring maintenance has got nothing to do with the limited amount of power.

All buses converted to Sapphire have extra weight compared to the other 57 reg ones, this was because they added NSAs,Plugs,Wifi etc but no uprating the engines.
The amount of wires included with them all adds extra weight of course WIFI is weightless but the wires are not.
also the High back seats add extra weight all that with the econmospeed just makes the bus worse. I think some of them had econmospeed disabled?

It was not Redcar or Blyth that killed them it was Sapphire that killed them.     Also in a few years time I bet we will be talking of how limp the 14 reg ones are.

(23 Jun 2015, 3:32 pm)DaveyBowyer I don't think all these expensive mods can actuallg kill the bus. I know it's extra weight but not that significant enough to cause any major performance issues. 7522 to 7528 will be fine at Ashington because Ashington look after their buses.

(23 Jun 2015, 3:38 pm)South Tyne Lad No but with Econospeed and the great caring Blyth maintenance team and then the X93 and then all them mods it can kill a bus for sure.

(23 Jun 2015, 6:05 pm)mb134 I'll reply to both of your posts here:

Okay, firstly how does WiFi and plugs being turned off help, I don't understand where you're coming from here?

Also, 7501-13 were built with high backed seats, and I don't imagine that the weight of the NSA system, a WiFi box, and the plugs will add too much weight, at most equivalent to an extra passenger? I'm unsure on this point, but I think the refurbished Pulsars handle alright? 

Econospeed should help them out, and I doubt whether 7522-40 will be struggling in a few years time, most if not all of 7514-21 are good, which are only a year and a half younger than the 57 plate sheds.

Reading this back, it sounds a tad like a rant, it wasn't intended in that way. Additionally, it also sounds I'm a tad anti-E400, I'll be the first to admit at this point last year I probably was, but after experiencing the '09 batch, and 7522-33, that view has changed drastically, and I now quite enjoy my time on them, as modern deckers go, they've got to be up there. 

Furthermore, this is going to sound unbelievably hypocritical I know, but occasionally, and I mean occasionally, I've had very good journeys on 7501-9, certain ones are shot, but others are very good vehicles on their day, 7503 is a good example of this
this

(23 Jun 2015, 6:05 pm)mb134 I'll reply to both of your posts here:

Okay, firstly how does WiFi and plugs being turned off help, I don't understand where you're coming from here?

Also, 7501-13 were built with high backed seats, and I don't imagine that the weight of the NSA system, a WiFi box, and the plugs will add too much weight, at most equivalent to an extra passenger? I'm unsure on this point, but I think the refurbished Pulsars handle alright? 

Econospeed should help them out, and I doubt whether 7522-40 will be struggling in a few years time, most if not all of 7514-21 are good, which are only a year and a half younger than the 57 plate sheds.

Reading this back, it sounds a tad like a rant, it wasn't intended in that way. Additionally, it also sounds I'm a tad anti-E400, I'll be the first to admit at this point last year I probably was, but after experiencing the '09 batch, and 7522-33, that view has changed drastically, and I now quite enjoy my time on them, as modern deckers go, they've got to be up there. 

Furthermore, this is going to sound unbelievably hypocritical I know, but occasionally, and I mean occasionally, I've had very good journeys on 7501-9, certain ones are shot, but others are very good vehicles on their day, 7503 is a good example of this
this

(24 Jun 2015, 3:15 am)DaveyBowyer I think that the Enviros are good motors if well looked after by their owners. Ok, I still don't think I could imagine one belting it up and down the A19 daily (well they could with a dedicated red spare) or the very rough Teeside / East Yorkshire Coastline, but they're good motors and despite not having as much ooomph as the B9, they do the job well considering how much money they save the operator.

(22 Jun 2015, 9:38 pm)S813 FVK Sure we've had this discussion before...
Not all journeys on the 7 get busy enough to justify full double decker operation. Otherwise they would have purchased more than 5.

(24 Jun 2015, 4:33 pm)buss14 just a question that needs answering. when the blyths x4/x5 routes go max what will happen with 1401/1402/1403 will they get branded or transffered

(24 Jun 2015, 4:33 pm)buss14 just a question that needs answering. when the blyths x4/x5 routes go max what will happen with 1401/1402/1403 will they get branded or transffered

(24 Jun 2015, 4:39 pm)tyresmoke I'm not sure what's going to happen now as we have a huge lack of double decks, so it may well get "downgraded" to older DD when it goes Max, or maybe new(er) single decks but this may cause capacity issues?

(24 Jun 2015, 4:45 pm)Tommy_1581 Does the X4/X5/X13 really need to go Max though? The Max and Sapphire brands are being done to death now.

Sapphire doesn't really seem sparkly any more, now that we've got around ten Sapphire routes.

Why can't we just have WiFi fitted for the X4/5/13?

(24 Jun 2015, 5:27 pm)aureolin Looks like Arriva are giving the X12 a bit of a push. I've had a leaflet dropped through the door advertising that and MAX, along with a free X12 day ticket..

(24 Jun 2015, 5:27 pm)aureolin Looks like Arriva are giving the X12 a bit of a push. I've had a leaflet dropped through the door advertising that and MAX, along with a free X12 day ticket..

(24 Jun 2015, 5:29 pm)tyresmoke Interesting timing what with the quieter summer season but with disruptions upcoming?!
Talking of which I got a Teesside map off Stagecoach through the door yesterday