Ok a starter for this thread having come across this on Youtube? I'm sure many who live in GNE territory had the pleasure of riding on one of these.........

https://youtu.be/H5XGF941PFI

Ok a starter for this thread having come across this on Youtube? I'm sure many who live in GNE territory had the pleasure of riding on one of these.........

https://youtu.be/H5XGF941PFI

Absolute beasts.

Somehow avoided regular use of them until I was a bit older and we moved house in to Wear Buses territory from the GAG area

Dunno if anyone can comfirm. Did the different batches, have different lengths?

Absolute beasts.

Somehow avoided regular use of them until I was a bit older and we moved house in to Wear Buses territory from the GAG area

Dunno if anyone can comfirm. Did the different batches, have different lengths?

As far as I know I think all Olympian batches were the same length. I might be wrong but I'm pretty certain. Loved these buses and the Gardner engined ones too. I used to go on the Cummins engined ones fairly regular when I lived in Houghton when I was very young as they were often used on the X5 or X94 along with the express link Metrobuses. When I moved to Washington the Olympians here were mainly the Gardner engined ones. The Olympian in the video about sounds amazing and still going strong, which is fantastic to see.

All the GNE native ECW Olympians were of same length and height. However some were different internally with DP seatings. Also there was differences between the batches mechanically.

3572 - 3611 (JTY372X - JTY407X, JTY368X - JTY371X) - Were powered by Gardner 6LXB engines, basically standard Olympian at the time.
3612 - 3617 (SJR612Y - SJR617Y) - Were also powered by Gardner 6LXB but had a different gearbox, I believe fully automatic rather than semi on the X regs.
3520 - 3523 (C520LJR - C523LJR) - Cummins L10 with Voith 4 speed gearbox.
3649 - 3673 (C649LJR - C673LJR) - Cummins L10 with Voith 4 speed gearbox.
3674 (C674LJR) - Gardner 5LXCT with Voith 4 speed gearbox, experimental vehicle and only one of a handful of Olympians fitted with this combination.
3734 - 3748 (B734GCN - B748GCN) - Cummins L10 with Voith 4 speed gearbox. Were also the first batch of Olympians to be fitted with Cummins L10 engines.

As far as I know I think all Olympian batches were the same length. I might be wrong but I'm pretty certain. Loved these buses and the Gardner engined ones too. I used to go on the Cummins engined ones fairly regular when I lived in Houghton when I was very young as they were often used on the X5 or X94 along with the express link Metrobuses. When I moved to Washington the Olympians here were mainly the Gardner engined ones. The Olympian in the video about sounds amazing and still going strong, which is fantastic to see.

Kudos to Johnsons for keeping it going. 

Hit a snow storm drift on the Highway once, coming from Herrington Burn to the Galleries. Driver decided to overtake in the snow... Will have been an X5.

Another time, I somehow convinced a mate that the 185 was the quickest bus from the Galleries to Park Lane. Only because I needed to tick the route off and I knew one of these bad-boys would be on it.

Kudos to Johnsons for keeping it going. 

Hit a snow storm drift on the Highway once, coming from Herrington Burn to the Galleries. Driver decided to overtake in the snow... Will have been an X5.

Another time, I somehow convinced a mate that the 185 was the quickest bus from the Galleries to Park Lane. Only because I needed to tick the route off and I knew one of these bad-boys would be on it.

Was it the Olympians or the Metrobuses which had coach seats. 

Btw, I wish some modern buses up here came with coach seats i.e Stagecoach Gold.

Was it the Olympians or the Metrobuses which had coach seats. 

Btw, I wish some modern buses up here came with coach seats i.e Stagecoach Gold.

Both. 

As mentioned above, some of the Olys had them. 
Some of the MCW's were not only DP seated, but had the uprated engines.

I loved the Jolly bus.

I know they were never that popular but I used to love the Wright Handybuses - they really suited the Proud of our Routes and GAG livery

And certainly showing my age, the Mini link fleet - though preferred the Mercs over the old bread vans

I know they were never that popular but I used to love the Wright Handybuses - they really suited the Proud of our Routes and GAG livery

And certainly showing my age, the Mini link fleet - though preferred the Mercs over the old bread vans

100% agree about those Merc minibuses.

Didn't like the Handybuses at all though.

Looks like the last of the C---LJR Olympians were withdrawn in August 2006, so I'd only have been 2¾ years old back then.

Though I'm sure a couple of the B---GCN bacth remain in use with Johnson Bros to this day.

Looks like the last of the C---LJR Olympians were withdrawn in August 2006, so I'd only have been 2¾ years old back then.

Though I'm sure a couple of the B---GCN bacth remain in use with Johnson Bros to this day.

Well I was using the X5 a few times a month about 19.5 years ago, so there is a chance that you have unknowingly travelled on one.

Well I was using the X5 a few times a month about 19.5 years ago, so there is a chance that you have unknowingly travelled on one.

I'm sure the X5 was Spectra operated by then mind.
Pretty certain the Olys had been moved on to other routes by the late 90s/early 00s

I'm sure the X5 was Spectra operated by then mind.
Pretty certain the Olys had been moved on to other routes by the late 90s/early 00s

I did some googling and found these not sure on the year though.
https://twitter.com/k_sum1/status/112967...65/photo/2

I did some googling and found these not sure on the year though.
https://twitter.com/k_sum1/status/112967...65/photo/2

Different Olys them though but  

The P reg and R reg varients from London didn't last long. Can't remember many of the R reg versions staying at Washington long, but had time at Chester Stanley and possibly Deptford.

arriva had some of these too didnt they? Some with coach seats and others with normal ones

arriva had some of these too didnt they?  Some with coach seats and others with normal ones

370-377 (laterly 7370-7377) M370 FTY - M377 FTY - Coach seats (British Bus interior) with Cummins L10 & ZF

410-420 (laterly 7410-7420) P410 CCU - P420 CCU - Bench seats (Smartie interior) with Volvo D10-245 & ZF

7370-7377:
- 1994-2000 - Hexham - 602
- 2000-2001 - Blyth - 308
- 2001 - 2011/12 - Ashington / Alnwick - Various 'X' routes
A few of these did stray in and out of Jesmomd too

7410-7420:
- Predominantly Jesmond based and mainly used on 306, 356 and 56 although less time on 306 when Jesmond got 7430-7435. 7410-7413 did also spend time at Ashington & Alnwick too

370-377 (laterly 7370-7377) M370 FTY - M377 FTY - Coach seats (British Bus interior) with Cummins L10 & ZF

410-420 (laterly 7410-7420) P410 CCU - P420 CCU - Bench seats (Smartie interior) with Volvo D10-245 & ZF

7370-7377:
- 1994-2000 - Hexham - 602
- 2000-2001 - Blyth - 308
- 2001 - 2011/12 - Ashington / Alnwick - Various 'X' routes
A few of these did stray in and out of Jesmomd too

7410-7420:
- Predominantly Jesmond based and mainly used on 306, 356 and 56 although less time on 306 when Jesmond got 7430-7435. 7410-7413 did also spend time at Ashington & Alnwick too

never seen them described as that but thats them to a tee!

Cheers