On a red kite streetlite and the screen inside says 'welcome on board the ...' Followed by 'please use the free WiFi provided on this bus' ... Are these now in the process of being set up alongside next stop announcements ?

(31 May 2015, 8:24 am)Arcticrossy92 wrote On a red kite streetlite and the screen inside says 'welcome on board the ...' Followed by 'please use the free WiFi provided on this bus' ... Are these now in the process of being set up alongside next stop announcements ?

Yes, got to do some minor tweaks to them. 

(31 May 2015, 8:24 am)Arcticrossy92 wrote On a red kite streetlite and the screen inside says 'welcome on board the ...' Followed by 'please use the free WiFi provided on this bus' ... Are these now in the process of being set up alongside next stop announcements ?

Yes, you're correct.

There aren't any audio announcements just yet but the visual announcements are presently set up to show that message until everything is fully tested and complete.

This isn't really a question that can be answered right now but certainly interesting for thought:

Will Go North East ever reuse fleet numbers when they get to the end of their sequence or will they continue into a 5 figure like Stagecoach and First?

Like i say, it will be a few years before we will know the answer to this question but it was a question that has been in the back of my mind for a while now so thought, since there isn't much going on on a Sunday, why not generate a bit of discussion.

(31 May 2015, 9:03 am)Robert wrote This isn't really a question that can be answered right now but certainly interesting for thought:

Will Go North East ever reuse fleet numbers when they get to the end of their sequence or will they continue into a 5 figure like Stagecoach and First?

Like i say, it will be a few years before we will know the answer to this question but it was a question that has been in the back of my mind for a while now so thought, since there isn't much going on on a Sunday, why not generate a bit of discussion.

Have a look at some of the older stuff on Flickr and you might see your question has been answered
Old deckers had the 3xxx
Nationals 4xxx etc

(31 May 2015, 8:00 am)RM2186 wrote The blinds do go blank for a few seconds when being changed or if the vehicle is stationary with the master switch off. Might it have been one of these possibilities?

Ah right cheers!

(31 May 2015, 9:58 am)Andreos1 wrote Have a look at some of the older stuff on Flickr and you might see your question has been answered
Old deckers had the 3xxx
Nationals 4xxx etc

Aye but what will happen once all of the 4 number sequences have all ended? (ie. 5999 - cant go into 6xxx since thats the decker range)

(31 May 2015, 10:29 am)Robert wrote Aye but what will happen once all of the 4 number sequences have all ended? (ie. 5999 - cant go into 6xxx since thats the decker range)

Would they not go back to the start, can't imagine there would ever be 999 buses in the same sequence?

I know it isn't the same, but take this example from Arriva:
1601- Sapphire Streetlite
1612- S-KHN Dart

I'd imagine the next batch of Streetlites would carry on in this sequence, taking place of old fleetnumbers 

(31 May 2015, 10:29 am)Robert wrote Aye but what will happen once all of the 4 number sequences have all ended? (ie. 5999 - cant go into 6xxx since thats the decker range)

I think it might take a while to get that many 

(31 May 2015, 10:34 am)mb134 wrote Would they not go back to the start, can't imagine there would ever be 999 buses in the same sequence?

Thats the question   I imagine they would start back rather than going into 5 figures. Just unlike Arriva and other companies, they dont use vacant fleet numbers again and continue from the next highest available fleet number.

(31 May 2015, 10:39 am)Robert wrote Thats the question   I imagine they would start back rather than going into 5 figures. Just unlike Arriva and other companies, they dont use vacant fleet numbers again and continue from the next highest available fleet number.

Haha  

I'd imagine they would, rather than going to 5 digits. Didn't Arriva try 5 digits a few years back with the X-GGO darts, but quickly reverted back to 4?

What is allocated to the 239 today? (Barnwell to Fence Houses)

(31 May 2015, 10:50 am)Michael wrote What is allocated to the 239 today? (Barnwell to Fence Houses)

Probably a MPD or Solo SR

(31 May 2015, 10:49 am)mb134 wrote Haha  

I'd imagine they would, rather than going to 5 digits. Didn't Arriva try 5 digits a few years back with the X-GGO darts, but quickly reverted back to 4?

Slightly off-topic - but the 5 digit numbers used on 1301-15 originally (and always on the never-used B6BLEs recently written-off) was a product of Arriva's Scotland West divisional management rather than the North East. The only 2 X-GGOs ever to operate in the North East with their 5 digit Scottish numbers were 1306 (X526 GGO) and 1307 (X527 GGO) which originally saw service at Ashington as 44016 and 44007 respectively. (Remember that they also were originally numbered 1501-1515 prior to renumbering to free the 15xx for Pulsars).

(31 May 2015, 10:57 am)Kuyoyo wrote Slightly off-topic - but the 5 digit numbers used on 1301-15 originally (and always on the never-used B6BLEs recently written-off) was a product of Arriva's Scotland West divisional management rather than the North East. The only 2 X-GGOs ever to operate in the North East with their 5 digit Scottish numbers were 1306 (X526 GGO) and 1307 (X527 GGO) which originally saw service at Ashington as 44016 and 44007 respectively. (Remember that they also were originally numbered 1501-1515 prior to renumbering to free the 15xx for Pulsars).

What was the aim of it, and why did the North East put them back into 4 digits?

(31 May 2015, 10:35 am)Davie wrote I think it might take a while to get that many 

Precisely this.

By the time we get to 5999 in the single deck series (580 vehicles away from 5419, which is presently the highest single deck fleet number), the vehicles at the start of the 5xxx single deck fleet number series will be long gone, so I see no reason why these numbers could not be re-used. They could even revert back to the 4xxx series fleet numbers - like Andreos1 said, single deckers such as Northern's Nationals were originally in this series and the oldest modern day Scania L94s are still in this fleet number series too.

(31 May 2015, 10:54 am)Davie wrote Probably a MPD or Solo SR

Not sure, as i think the 135/136 use the Solo SR's on a Sunday.


The 38C, 135, 136, 238 and 239 aren't on the Go North East: Allocations & Scheduled 'Wrong Brands' thread yet, as Dan said he was waiting until changes to the 238 came in to play.

(31 May 2015, 10:50 am)Michael wrote What is allocated to the 239 today? (Barnwell to Fence Houses)

Yellow Dennis MPD/Transbus Mini Pointer 544 (NA52 AXJ) has been allocated to today's 239 service.

"Nexus" branded Optare Solo SRs 635 and 636 remain allocated to the Sunday 135/136 service, and a "SimpliCity" branded Optare Versa remains allocated to the Sunday 38C service.

(31 May 2015, 11:04 am)Dan wrote Yellow Dennis MPD/Transbus Mini Pointer 544 (NA52 AXJ) has been allocated to today's 239 service.

"Nexus" branded Optare Solo SRs 635 and 636 remain allocated to the Sunday 135/136 service, and a "SimpliCity" branded Optare Versa remains allocated to the Sunday 38C service.

Ah well, thought a Simplicity versa might of being used on the 239.

(31 May 2015, 11:05 am)Michael wrote Ah well, thought a Simplicity versa might of being used on the 239.

In my opinion, they are the worst versas in the fleet, especially 8306

(31 May 2015, 10:59 am)mb134 wrote What was the aim of it, and why did the North East put them back into 4 digits?

I don't actually know - the ironic truth is, 1307 never actually reached Scotland (it was stored at Blyth for months after refurbishment) and is actually on its fourth fleet number, having started as 1518 it became 44007 when it entered service at Ashington before becoming 1507 and then 1307. Of course, apart from 44007, 3 of its numbers are pre-used numbers.

(31 May 2015, 10:50 am)Michael wrote What is allocated to the 239 today? (Barnwell to Fence Houses)

(31 May 2015, 11:05 am)Michael wrote Ah well, thought a Simplicity versa might of being used on the 239.

Doesn't it start later tonight?
There is a full day of 238's to get through first .

(31 May 2015, 11:19 am)Andreos1 wrote Doesn't it start later tonight?
There is a full day of 238's to get through first .

Yes, runs as 238 until 19:00ish. Will be the same bus all day though, I believe, so it will end up running off onto 239s.

(31 May 2015, 10:29 am)Robert wrote Aye but what will happen once all of the 4 number sequences have all ended? (ie. 5999 - cant go into 6xxx since thats the decker range)

They won't end.

It is like the Forth Road Bridge, once you get to 5999, the first lot of 4xxx will have gone.
Look at the Prestiges and the gaps left from their scrapping?
No vehicles allocated a 4xxx from 4000-4841.
The next lot are the Renowns (which won't have long left). You can see the Rxxx PRG batch go upto 4854 and continue with the V, X and W examples, before hitting the older Solars.

When they will re-start, I have no idea as I can't see any examples of younger vehicles, given a lower number, than it's older 'type' cousin.
Eg the ex ANE Renowns, were given numbers higher than the native examples - despite there being spare numbers, lower than the ones bought new.

So any new Citaros, will (using that logic), will not be allocated a 4xxx number, as they will be younger than those already in the fleet.
Whether that pattern continues, who knows.

When 3801 - 3804 and 3811 - 3880 are withdrawn, if GNE decided to get ADL Deckers (E400, E400MMC, E400H), they could get away with re-using 3801 - 3880 as 3801 - 3804 and 3858 - 3880 are known to be Dennis Tridents.

The trouble with reusing fleet numbers is that in most systems we use now the previous vehicle history is retained, so really I think reusing fleet numbers will not happen.

(31 May 2015, 4:25 pm)citaro5284 wrote The trouble with reusing fleet numbers is that in most systems we use now the previous vehicle history is retained, so really I think reusing fleet numbers will not happen.

Would there be much point in having history of vehicles withdrawn last year for example, in 10-15 years time?

(31 May 2015, 4:29 pm)mb134 wrote Would there be much point in having history of vehicles withdrawn last year for example, in 10-15 years time?

Most paper records are archived after a period and then destroyed. So to keep an electronic version, on a system that will more than likely being replaced anyway...

It shouldn't be on the wit of beast to somehow translate the old data onto another format (keeping the relevant info) then delete it from the original system.

(31 May 2015, 5:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote Most paper records are archived after a period and then destroyed. So to keep an electronic version, on a system that will more than likely being replaced anyway...

It shouldn't be on the wit of beast to somehow translate the old data onto another format (keeping the relevant info) then delete it from the original system.

The current Fleet Archive Document for Go North East on Simplygo,com in the Enthusiast Area goes back as far as January 6th 2003, so there is just over 12 Years of Fleet History, dont think anything has been removed from that Document either.

I recall Dan using it not so long ago when compiling individual Vehicle History for the NEB(GNE) Fleet List, before having rely on Flickr Searches and speaking to other Enthusiasts etc to find the relevant information that he required to ensure it was all up to date.

(31 May 2015, 5:23 pm)Malarkey wrote The current Fleet Archive Document for Go North East on Simplygo,com in the Enthusiast Area goes back as far as January 6th 2003, so there is just over 12 Years of Fleet History, dont think anything has been removed from that Document either.

I recall Dan using it not so long ago when compiling individual Vehicle History for the NEB(GNE) Fleet List, before having rely on Flickr Searches and speaking to other Enthusiasts etc to find the relevant information that he required to ensure it was all up to date.

Yes, I used it extensively to compile the history for each individual vehicle in the fleet. There was a number of movements missing, and it was actually Go North East's Fleet Administrator who confirmed these movements for me through the company's system they use to record fleet movements.

Prior to January 2003, all fleet movements were recorded on paper. These paper documents are all still at Chester-le-Street, where the Fleet Administrator used to be based prior to moving to Bensham. I don't think many (if any at all) have been destroyed, for reference purposes. I should pick them up for him next week - I'm going to be there plenty!