(08 Aug 2017, 3:13 pm)jimmoc wrote When will jesmond DAF ALX 400 get withdrawn

Any time now! 7471 was dragged away yesterday.

Are they running dupes on the X7/8 cycle to cover for Four Lane Ends delays?

Some right random workings from ALX, MPDs and Solos this week.

(08 Aug 2017, 3:22 pm)mb134 wrote Seemed as though passengers were being transferred to 7543 on an X21.

Probably terminated short at Regent Centre to recover some time due to the road works in Morpeth.  I was on an X15 yesterday which was terminated

at Regent Centre and transferred to an X21

(08 Aug 2017, 9:58 pm)coldav wrote Probably terminated short at Regent Centre to recover some time due to the road works in Morpeth.  I was on an X15 yesterday which was terminated

at Regent Centre and transferred to an X21

Aye, that did cross my mind - I saw it at roughly 15:40, which would have made it around 20 minutes late?

1585 now branded for the 52/54 Newcastle/South Gosforth/Quorum/Killingworth.  On the X16 today!

(08 Aug 2017, 10:17 pm)coldav wrote 1585 now branded for the 52/54 Newcastle/South Gosforth/Quorum/Killingworth.  On the X16 today!

This is gonna look interesting...  :s

Again, refusal to use the new livery, same happened in Yorkshire, where I presume the B5s were supposed to receive the new Go Greener livery...

(07 Aug 2017, 7:16 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Removed in error. 

1588 is on emergency loan to Ashington tonight, due to an incident on 4653. 1588 is on X18.

---

Same when they launched the 27/27A as Frequenta, them repainted Pulsars were new too!

And only one has still been branded!

(07 Aug 2017, 5:11 pm)S813 FVK wrote What is wrong with the silver line that usually goes beneath the 'via' points on the branding? Even if only minor, the livery looks incomplete without it.

It has probably been done on purpose, given that they will be repainted in the next few years but if they have been bothered to spend money launching the 306/308 as MAX when the brand will be dropped in the same time amount of time, they should be able to spend what I imagine will be a much smaller amount on some silver strips and blue circles.

Perhaps it was never removed to start off with, but 7508 has the silver line below the via points making it look like what it is supposed to be: a non-geographical route map!

Arriva North East 7508 NK57GXA by R855 PRG, on Flickr

(09 Aug 2017, 11:35 am)S813 FVK wrote Perhaps it was never removed to start off with, but 7508 has the silver line below the via points making it look like what it is supposed to be: a non-geographical route map!

Arriva North East 7508 NK57GXA by R855 PRG, on Flickr

7505 was the one that had them removed in error, all other ones have them.

No bus at Gosforth launch, but there's Arriva/Sapphire branded pencils/pens/stress buses/smart phone fans/wristbands available

(09 Aug 2017, 12:24 pm)omnicity4659 wrote 7505 was the one that had them removed in error, all other ones have them.

No bus at Gosforth launch, but there's Arriva/Sapphire branded pencils/pens/stress buses/smart phone fans/wristbands available

Ah it was just the one then - thought it may have been a long shot to suggest it had been removed from every single bus!

Now if they could just sort out what other buses should be moving between depots as a result of the 43/44/45 going Sapphire as 1513 is now again alleged to be transferring from Darlington to Jesmond depot with 7538 still due to move from Belmont to Darlington.

(09 Aug 2017, 12:36 pm)Jimmi wrote Now if they could just sort out what other buses should be moving between depots as a result of the 43/44/45 going Sapphire as 1513 is now again alleged to be transferring from Darlington to Jesmond depot with 7538 still due to move from Belmont to Darlington.

Yep that's still meant to be happening. It relies on Ashington releasing 2 E400s to Durham, which still hasn't happened - both of the ones that should be moving south were in service yesterday.

Seen here is the new 52 / 54 branding on Streetlite 1583 https://flic.kr/p/Xyna4n

Severe disruption and cancellations to some services on Monday 4th September.

This is due to the Tour of Britain cycle race (yeah, that...). More info to follow on Facebook and online.

Don't travel if it's like 2015's....

(09 Aug 2017, 12:36 pm)Jimmi wrote Now if they could just sort out what other buses should be moving between depots as a result of the 43/44/45 going Sapphire as 1513 is now again alleged to be transferring from Darlington to Jesmond depot with 7538 still due to move from Belmont to Darlington.

What we have so far:

7501-9/22: Ashington to Jesmond (7522 is there already - spotted today in service already branded for the 43/44/45)
7518: Ashington to Durham (joining sisters 7519-21)

What is reported
7538: Durham to Darlington
1513: Darlington to Jesmond
1479: Durham to Jesmond

That therefore leaves one E400 unaccounted for departing Ashington. Durham of course now need an extra Sapphire as they gain 7518 but lose both 1479 and 7538.

I wonder though how long 1513 will last before someone realises it has a lower seating capacity compared to 1479/1512 and either 1497 or 1499 end up getting refurbished to take its place.

(09 Aug 2017, 9:29 pm)Kuyoyo wrote That therefore leaves one E400 unaccounted for departing Ashington. Durham of course now need an extra Sapphire as they gain 7518 but lose both 1479 and 7538.

Believe it should be 7523 - It was in service yesterday morning, but was pulled out around 10:00 and replaced by 7541, whether or not this was so it could be prepared for transfer who knows. 7518 was still working for Ashington yesterday as well.

7518 and 7523 have now arrived at Belmont, apparently 7518 will be a Sapphire spare whilst 7523 will be branded and allocated to service 6 (is the 6 losing a Pulsar as I can't work out why an extra branded bus would be needed for the 6?)

(10 Aug 2017, 3:26 pm)Jimmi wrote 7518 and 7523 have now arrived at Belmont, apparently 7518 will be a Sapphire spare whilst 7523 will be branded and allocated to service 6 (is the 6 losing a Pulsar as I can't work out why an extra branded bus would be needed for the 6?)

I would have branded 7518 for the 6 to give a set of consecutively numbered branded vehicles? Perhaps it is only Go North East that favours that.

They had to send 7522/3 which have rear advertisements for X21/X22, instead of 7527/8 which were left unbranded for this exact reason... 

Wasting money on pointless vinyls yet again...

(10 Aug 2017, 4:52 pm)S813 FVK wrote I would have branded 7518 for the 6 to give a set of consecutively numbered branded vehicles? Perhaps it is only Go North East that favours that.

I'd assume 7523 is being allocated to the 6 to try and improve the reliability of the decker output on the service.  This should free up a branded 6 pulsar to be re-branded for the 24, replacing 7538.

7538 has now arrived at Darlington depot.

It's been reported that 7416 is away at Thornton's having its Urban90's seats replaced with MAX seats.

Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk

(14 Aug 2017, 5:35 pm)Jimmi wrote 7538 has now arrived at Darlington depot.

It's been reported that 7416 is away at Thornton's having its Urban90's seats replaced with MAX seats.

Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk

BIB: Only a year and a bit later after it was originally meant to make the trip there.

Most if not all of the Frequenta 27s have been branded at last, while 1457-60 seem to have had 'Stockton' replaced by 'town'.

(16 Aug 2017, 3:26 pm)Cock Robin wrote Most if not all of the Frequenta 27s have been branded at last, while 1457-60 seem to have had 'Stockton' replaced by 'town'.

That seems randomly sensible! Given they are now spare for services in Stockton & Middlesbrough. Unusual for Arriva!

(16 Aug 2017, 3:26 pm)Cock Robin wrote Most if not all of the Frequenta 27s have been branded at last, while 1457-60 seem to have had 'Stockton' replaced by 'town'.

Quite sure we saw one passing through Durham, this evening. We were just too far behind to make out which one. Have they been going to Belmont to have work done?

(16 Aug 2017, 9:59 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Quite sure we saw one passing through Durham, this evening. We were just too far behind to make out which one. Have they been going to Belmont to have work done?

A branded one? The Afternoon Peak Extra X12 from Durham is on the end of a 27/27a board so will have been that.

(16 Aug 2017, 10:12 pm)Kuyoyo wrote A branded one? The Afternoon Peak Extra X12 from Durham is on the end of a 27/27a board so will have been that.

It was heading up Gilesgate andbleazes road towards leases bowl.

---

7523 in layover at dbs, all tarted up for the 6.

---

7523 in layover at dbs, all tarted up for the 6.

---

7523 in layover at dbs, all tarted up for the 6.

Just had a text saying that a Max has been towed into Ashington depot.... 

(16 Aug 2017, 9:21 pm)RobinHood wrote That seems randomly sensible! Given they are now spare for services in Stockton & Middlesbrough. Unusual for Arriva!

True! One has half the branding missing from one side though!

As there hasn't been an update to the Arriva fleetlist for a little while now, can anyone say if 1773 is still in service and, if so, which services it tends to be allocated to?

Thanks!