(24 Sep 2018, 5:32 pm)Dan wrote 718 has gone back to Saltmeadows Road for internal seat modifications - 5206 to be retained at Peterlee until these are complete.

Cheers for the info Dan.

Which solos in co operate colours that are based at Peterlee?


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(24 Sep 2018, 5:49 pm)cbma06 wrote Cheers for the info Dan.

Which solos in co operate colours that are based at Peterlee?

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718, 719 and 720.

One allocated to service 206, one allocated to 452/968, and one spare to be shared across the minibus services at Peterlee.

I was on a Citylink 58 Versa this afternoon which was covering on the Citylink 57 service and it wasn't playing any NSAs. I would have thought it would have had the 57's media available?

(24 Sep 2018, 7:16 pm)ne14ne1 wrote I was on a Citylink 58 Versa this afternoon which was covering on the Citylink 57 service and it wasn't playing any NSAs. I would have thought it would have had the 57's media available?

They are different systems. 58 versas have TFT monitors, 57 has LEDs. Different info/format would be my guess.

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(24 Sep 2018, 7:18 pm)Jamie M wrote They are different systems. 58 versas have TFT monitors, 57 has LEDs. Different info/format would be my guess.

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The Versa's with the newer TFT monitors - Quaylinks, 8328 & 5389 have the media for all services with announcements in.

Does the 58A have NSAs?

Since both systems have been used, I have thought that every service with Next Stop Announcements should have the relevant systems programmed with those announcements.

I appreciate that the TFT announcements take longer to be made due to having to go through the marvellous thing that is Microsoft Powerpoint. I also appreciate that for how many times an instance like this one happens, there probably isn't the urgency to create the media, but it should be looked at for the future (understand it has already been done on the services in the Tyne Valley), just to go a step further to providing the advertised features, Next Stop Announcements arguably being the most important one.

Does anyone know where 5337 & 5338 are based at and what routes they are commonly used on.

(24 Sep 2018, 7:46 pm)GNE6312 wrote Does anyone know where 5337 & 5338 are based at and what routes they are commonly used on.

Deptford and any applicable service. They go on literally anything that isnt baby solo routes.

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(24 Sep 2018, 7:46 pm)GNE6312 wrote Does anyone know where 5337 & 5338 are based at and what routes they are commonly used on.

9s mostly but do make a common appearance on the 35

(24 Sep 2018, 7:16 pm)ne14ne1 wrote I was on a Citylink 58 Versa this afternoon which was covering on the Citylink 57 service and it wasn't playing any NSAs. I would have thought it would have had the 57's media available?

(24 Sep 2018, 7:18 pm)Jamie M wrote They are different systems. 58 versas have TFT monitors, 57 has LEDs. Different info/format would be my guess.

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(24 Sep 2018, 7:35 pm)pbjd wrote The Versa's with the newer TFT monitors - Quaylinks, 8328 & 5389 have the media for all services with announcements in.

Does the 58A have NSAs?

(24 Sep 2018, 7:41 pm)S813 FVK wrote Since both systems have been used, I have thought that every service with Next Stop Announcements should have the relevant systems programmed with those announcements.

I appreciate that the TFT announcements take longer to be made due to having to go through the marvellous thing that is Microsoft Powerpoint. I also appreciate that for how many times an instance like this one happens, there probably isn't the urgency to create the media, but it should be looked at for the future (understand it has already been done on the services in the Tyne Valley), just to go a step further to providing the advertised features, Next Stop Announcements arguably being the most important one.

It relates to the hardware sitting behind the scenes rather than whether the screen is LED or a TFT monitor - although Jamie is right in suggesting that most of the buses with TFT monitors have the older system sitting behind the scenes.

The Quaylink vehicles (as well as the aforementioned 5389 and 8329 as two spares) were fitted with a new version of the system last year, bringing the hardware sitting behind the scenes up to the standard of a bus with an LED screen, so to speak. The Sunderland Connect and Hadrian's Wall AD122 Solos are the only other exceptions where buses with TFT monitors also have the newer system.

There are still 113 vehicles in the fleet with the older system, which is very outdated technology now (it's essentially a Windows XP computer). These cannot be updated wirelessly (using the on-bus Wi-Fi) and have a lower amount of storage space available. Because the hardware is so old, it is failing and not supported by Hanover anymore. Work is going on behind the scenes to have the hardware replaced but it's quite costly and not something that can be done overnight.

Any bus with the newer hardware is able to have audio announcements working for any route - regardless of whether it has a TFT monitor or an LED screen - and work is underway on programming the routes these buses are allocated to on evenings and Sundays (i.e. the X70/X71 at Stanley, 11 at Percy Main, and so on). The creation process for the older systems is much much longer, not forgetting the time it then takes to manually load each bus via USB (>10 minutes, which is subject to increase even further if the update process causes "damage" to the old unit). Although Go North East leads the way in the region with the on-board announcements, and has done since they invested in the technology back in 2010, this comes at the price of now having a lot of old kit which needs to be replaced.

(25 Sep 2018, 5:54 am)Dan wrote It relates to the hardware sitting behind the scenes rather than whether the screen is LED or a TFT monitor - although Jamie is right in suggesting that most of the buses with TFT monitors have the older system sitting behind the scenes.

The Quaylink vehicles (as well as the aforementioned 5389 and 8329 as two spares) were fitted with a new version of the system last year, bringing the hardware sitting behind the scenes up to the standard of a bus with an LED screen, so to speak. The Sunderland Connect and Hadrian's Wall AD122 Solos are the only other exceptions where buses with TFT monitors also have the newer system.

There are still 113 vehicles in the fleet with the older system, which is very outdated technology now (it's essentially a Windows XP computer). These cannot be updated wirelessly (using the on-bus Wi-Fi) and have a lower amount of storage space available. Because the hardware is so old, it is failing and not supported by Hanover anymore. Work is going on behind the scenes to have the hardware replaced but it's quite costly and not something that can be done overnight.

Any bus with the newer hardware is able to have audio announcements working for any route - regardless of whether it has a TFT monitor or an LED screen - and work is underway on programming the routes these buses are allocated to on evenings and Sundays (i.e. the X70/X71 at Stanley, 11 at Percy Main, and so on). The creation process for the older systems is much much longer, not forgetting the time it then takes to manually load each bus via USB (>10 minutes, which is subject to increase even further if the update process causes "damage" to the old unit). Although Go North East leads the way in the region with the on-board announcements, and has done since they invested in the technology back in 2010, this comes at the price of now having a lot of old kit which needs to be replaced.

Yesss!! The day came where one of my guesses was partially correct!

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Looks like 6314 has broken down at Eldon Square Stand A.

Are there any particular workers services the ex-EYMS presidents are allocated to or is it luck of the draw?

(25 Sep 2018, 5:43 pm)Tom wrote Are there any particular workers services the ex-EYMS presidents are allocated to or is it luck of the draw?

Luck of the draw with Saltmeadows allocations.

It's such a tight confined space, the double deck allocation is dependent on how they roll back into the depot on a morning and on a night (i.e. last bus back on a morning will be first bus back out on afternoon).

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(25 Sep 2018, 6:06 pm)Dan wrote Luck of the draw with Saltmeadows allocations.

It's such a tight confined space, the double deck allocation is dependent on how they roll back into the depot on a morning and on a night (i.e. last bus back on a morning will be first bus back out on afternoon).

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Ah cheers, wouldn't have minded a go on one. Guess I'll just have to try at some point and hope for one.

Martijn Gilbert has post some photos of the new Consett depot on his Twitter - https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/10...5680890881

What is the PVR of the 15 and does it just interwork with itself so to speak.

Been using it recently instead of the car to get between Consett & Durham and from what I've traveled on so far it seems:

During the day its allocated B9's (awful seats, but actually enjoy the overall ride on most of them) 
Evening Allocated Corporate Solos (or venture, although seems to always be a corporate at the moment) - Love the solos, have since using the 30 a few years ago.  

Sundays allocated Red Kite Streelites

(26 Sep 2018, 9:34 pm)Arcticrossy92 wrote What is the PVR of the 15 and does it just interwork with itself so to speak.

Been using it recently instead of the car to get between Consett & Durham and from what I've traveled on so far it seems:

During the day its allocated B9's (awful seats, but actually enjoy the overall ride on most of them) 
Evening Allocated Corporate Solos (or venture, although seems to always be a corporate at the moment) - Love the solos, have since using the 30 a few years ago.  

Sundays allocated Red Kite Streelites

Interworks at Consett end. PVR is 3 or 4. I'd guess at 3 looking at the timetable.

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(26 Sep 2018, 9:36 pm)Jamie M wrote Interworks at Consett end. PVR is 3 or 4. I'd guess at 3 looking at the timetable.

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Yes its only 3.

(26 Sep 2018, 9:36 pm)Jamie M wrote Interworks at Consett end. PVR is 3 or 4. I'd guess at 3 looking at the timetable.

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3, 4th vehicle for the AM dupe.

Go North East Tynedale Links 723 / YD63 UZC by kieron mathews, on Flickr

Go North East Tynedale Links 721 / KY63 VTL by kieron mathews, on Flickr

As it hasn't been noted on here, 723 is back at Hexham from Washington and 721 has been branded into Tynedale Links.

How are the repaints going, there can't be too many left now can there? Are the Cobalt Clippers next in line?

6167 and 6171 are ready to transfer north.

So what's happening with the Connections4 citaros? They were due their 4 year warranty repaint last September/October. Have they not gone for repaint for a reason?

(28 Sep 2018, 5:08 pm)JP6004 wrote So what's happening with the Connections4 citaros? They were due their 4 year warranty repaint last September/October. Have they not gone for repaint for a reason?

The rest of the Mercedes Citaros in the fleet were only treated to a repaint at Thorntons under warranty as the bodywork had bubbled quite significantly around the wheel arches.

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(28 Sep 2018, 5:57 pm)Dan wrote The rest of the Mercedes Citaros in the fleet were only treated to a repaint at Thorntons under warranty as the bodywork had bubbled quite significantly around the wheel arches.

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Ah I see. So the rubber trim on the wheelarch is paying off on the Conn4 citaros then

(28 Sep 2018, 5:57 pm)Dan wrote The rest of the Mercedes Citaros in the fleet were only treated to a repaint at Thorntons under warranty as the bodywork had bubbled quite significantly around the wheel arches.

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(28 Sep 2018, 5:59 pm)JP6004 wrote Ah I see. So the rubber trim on the wheelarch is paying off on the Conn4 citaros then

Either way they going to end up being repainted next year anyway along with the other vehicles new in 2013.

(27 Sep 2018, 5:33 pm)ne14ne1 wrote How are the repaints going, there can't be too many left now can there? Are the Cobalt Clippers next in line?

I'd like to think the Cobalt Clippers will get repainted but as for them and the Fab 56, if the genuine opportunity of a good cascade plan came about either within GNE or EYMS, these routed would be a likely target to get replaced with Metrodeckers or Streetdecks as 6085-6117 although are good buses, could be considered as 'heavy' for the work that they currently do.

(28 Sep 2018, 9:46 pm)L469 YVK wrote I'd like to think the Cobalt Clippers will get repainted but as for them and the Fab 56, if the genuine opportunity of a good cascade plan came about either within GNE or EYMS, these routed would be a likely target to get replaced with Metrodeckers or Streetdecks as 6085-6117 although are good buses, could be considered as 'heavy' for the work that they currently do.

Hence why they had that streetdeck demonstrator afew years back and currently have 9083, they are wanting to get new buses on the 309

(29 Sep 2018, 5:52 am)GNE6312 wrote Hence why they had that streetdeck demonstrator afew years back and currently have 9083, they are wanting to get new buses on the 309

Most of the time demonstrators are allocated to the routes that they feel they will get the most out of in terms of data, not necessarily which routes they are planning new buses for.

9083 is here as a long term loan, not as a demomstrator, although i’d be surprised if they weren’t using the data as an added bonus to build on what they got from 9099.

The Cobalt Clipper repaints should hopefully start in the next few weeks, having been delayed over  the summer by the London cascades that needed to be prepared for September. The B9TLs are going nowhere for a few more years yet.