(07 Dec 2018, 9:22 pm)Jamie M wrote It's a good warm bus. Somebody would have to crash into it or requiring PSV tests for it to be missing. It gets used for 4 hours a day max so is working at fraction of a bus of its ability.

Yeah, fair comment, given that the similar Washington based ones are still often used on X1s all day, 3965 does seem to have an easy life.

(07 Dec 2018, 9:26 pm)Boggle wrote Yeah, fair comment, given that the similar Washington based ones are still often used on X1s all day, 3965 does seem to have an easy life.

That 30 mins between X21s also makes a huge difference, on a related note. The guy in front misses all the picktree lane stuff and all the slip lane chaos. I stay in the middle lane up past the services for that reason. People stuck indicating left onto A1231 on the left lane then just after the brow of the hill A194 southbound traffic and A195 departing traffic at the services. Apparently Birtley is just as bad, so I have the short straw by having that run at that time.

Hopefully if I still have it going on from christmas, it'll be a lot calmer and less chaos from The Angel to Chester.

(07 Dec 2018, 9:39 pm)Jamie M wrote That 30 mins between X21s also makes a huge difference, on a related note. The guy in front misses all the picktree lane stuff and all the slip lane chaos. I stay in the middle lane up past the services for that reason. People stuck indicating left onto A1231 on the left lane then just after the brow of the hill A194 southbound traffic and A195 departing traffic at the services. Apparently Birtley is just as bad, so I have the short straw by having that run at that time.

Hopefully if I still have it going on from christmas, it'll be a lot calmer and less chaos from The Angel to Chester.

Yeah, it's amazing the difference 30 mins makes to the traffic.  It should calm down a bit after Christmas as you say, Newcastle is starting to get pretty manic which can't help.  I'm not convinced by those new lights next to the castle either, the timing really seems to back traffic up which means buses are struggling to get out at the bottom of the Bigg Market.

It seems that your X21 run is settling down timing-wise this week, which is good, although it looks like being on time for the 93 run is still going to be difficult, if not impossible, particularly given that you finish in Newburn pointing the wrong way for Team Valley so presumably have to go somewhere to turn before setting off, which in itself must eat into the 20 mins allowed for your empty run.

(07 Dec 2018, 10:13 pm)Boggle wrote Yeah, it's amazing the difference 30 mins makes to the traffic.  It should calm down a bit after Christmas as you say, Newcastle is starting to get pretty manic which can't help.  I'm not convinced by those new lights next to the castle either, the timing really seems to back traffic up which means buses are struggling to get out at the bottom of the Bigg Market.

It seems that your X21 run is settling down timing-wise this week, which is good, although it looks like being on time for the 93 run is still going to be difficult, if not impossible, particularly given that you finish in Newburn pointing the wrong way for Team Valley so presumably have to go somewhere to turn before setting off, which in itself must eat into the 20 mins allowed for your empty run.

I push the bus as much as itll do and I'm allowed to do (whilst being comfortably safe) on the X21. Teething issues have cleared. One of those days it was just hitting every red light and tonnes of idiots but now I can get through those gaps and issue fares quick enough to get on with it. I was so nervous of scraping those lovely B9s lol but now I've gotten used to it all. Had to also get riversides displays fitted onto 6017, the first day I had it, at gateshead on the way in light when I was due at gateshead on the way out because the controller had messed up.

Eldon square is enough chaos already without a bus saying "welcome aboard" on for a partial dupe journey.

After christmas it'll be easier for me too. I don't mind being late but it starts getting crazy and impractical when I'm covering a half shift 90 mins after I'm due to finish and I'm barely making it. But it's all good at the end of the day.

It's probably one of the most chaotic runs a new starter could have but I love a good ol' challenge

(07 Dec 2018, 10:16 pm)Jamie M wrote I push the bus as much as itll do and I'm allowed to do (whilst being comfortably safe) on the X21. Teething issues have cleared. One of those days it was just hitting every red light and tonnes of idiots but now I can get through those gaps and issue fares quick enough to get on with it. I was so nervous of scraping those lovely B9s lol but now I've gotten used to it all. Had to also get riversides displays fitted onto 6017, the first day I had it, at gateshead on the way in light when I was due at gateshead on the way out because the controller had messed up.

Eldon square is enough chaos already without a bus saying "welcome aboard" on for a partial dupe journey.

After christmas it'll be easier for me too. I don't mind being late but it starts getting crazy and impractical when I'm covering a half shift 90 mins after I'm due to finish and I'm barely making it. But it's all good at the end of the day.

It's probably one of the most chaotic runs a new starter could have but I love a good ol' challenge

Good stuff.  Hopefully it all settles down for you.

(07 Dec 2018, 5:53 pm)Michael wrote New announcement on the 8 "please take personal belongings and we hope to see you ride with Go North East again"

Or something like that

Sounds better

Sounds copied off Arriva Sapphire.
"We are now approaching the end of the route, please remain seated until the bus stops....
Thank You for travelling with Arriva on This Sapphire Service."

(07 Dec 2018, 11:14 pm)S830OFT wrote Sounds copied off Arriva Sapphire.
"We are now approaching the end of the route, please remain seated until the bus stops....
Thank You for travelling with Arriva on This Sapphire Service."

It also sounds like Shakin Steven's "Merry Christmas" on that basis, that probably shares the same amount of words.

(07 Dec 2018, 11:14 pm)S830OFT wrote Sounds copied off Arriva Sapphire.
"We are now approaching the end of the route, please remain seated until the bus stops....
Thank You for travelling with Arriva on This Sapphire Service."

I think I've only ever been in 2 Sapphire services that have had the NSA enabled. And both of those it was too quiet to hear over the sound of the engine. The displays never work either, the other day it was in a boot loop so was constantly loading into XP

(07 Dec 2018, 11:19 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I think I've only ever been in 2 Sapphire services that have had the NSA enabled. And both of those it was too quiet to hear over the sound of the engine. The displays never work either, the other day it was in a boot loop so was constantly loading into XP

Belmont driver told me before they complained about it being too loud so had it turned down on system settings, whatever they use.

(07 Dec 2018, 11:23 pm)S830OFT wrote Belmont driver told me before they complained about it being too loud so had it turned down on system settings, whatever they use.

Sounds about right. Or rather not as the case may be

If anyone is interested in hearing it, I recorded it on my way back home tonight.
I'm not a big fan of the pronunciation of Go North East, it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the announcement

Hopefully this link to the audio will work

https://vocaroo.com/i/s0hIQcu8570s

(07 Dec 2018, 11:28 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If anyone is interested in hearing it, I recorded it on my way back home tonight.
I'm not a big fan of the pronunciation of Go North East, it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the announcement

Hopefully this link to the audio will work

https://vocaroo.com/i/s0hIQcu8570s

Im passive about it, it does the job, what else is expected from it?

Means people who are idling and staring out the window or upstairs know to come downstairs so drivers are less likely to have to convince anyone that the terminus theyre at is genuinely the terminus..

(07 Dec 2018, 11:35 pm)Jamie M wrote Im passive about it, it does the job, what else is expected from it?

Means people who are idling and staring out the window or upstairs know to come downstairs so drivers are less likely to have to convince anyone that the terminus theyre at is genuinely the terminus..

I wonder how it acts with the evening X21 which changes to the 21 at Durham, I've never really taken notice before but if it is telling passengers that bus terminates at the next stop it could cause confusion, but I imagine GNE have already thought of this and it won't be a problem

(07 Dec 2018, 11:43 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I wonder how it acts with the evening X21 which changes to the 21 at Durham, I've never really taken notice before but if it is telling passengers that bus terminates at the next stop it could cause confusion, but I imagine GNE have already thought of this and it won't be a problem

X21 and X21E are different options and different routes so can be made to work differently. I'd imagine no such message plays since some journeys may terminate at durham without connecting.

(07 Dec 2018, 9:04 pm)streetdeckfan wrote It was said in jest but now I come to think about it, it's not that untrue
I think the Streetlite suits services like the 49 perfectly because the roads are half decent, but the 45/46 feels like you're going to shatter.
Same with the Streetdecks, they're great for the 21, but with the X21 the engine noise is borderline unbearable on the motoroway, in my opinion anyway.

Don't the 21 and X21 Street decks have completely different engines? 

Different suspension, too. The 21 is far less bouncy.

---

(07 Dec 2018, 11:23 pm)S830OFT wrote Belmont driver told me before they complained about it being too loud so had it turned down on system settings, whatever they use.

(07 Dec 2018, 11:27 pm)Jamie M wrote Sounds about right. Or rather not as the case may be

They were initially deafening on the 22, but became so unobtrusive as to be inaudible, when they were tweaked. Only potentially annoying on the vehicles with non working visual displays. Ie a few of the 22 streetlites and all the 24 pulsars.

Just a quick question for Jamie, do GNE have any boards that don't require buses with ramps?, DDA regs spring to mind. I am pretty sure GNE got rid of the final bus without a ramp earlier this year, i am happy to be corrected of course.

(08 Dec 2018, 6:27 am)Stanleyone wrote Just a quick question for Jamie, do GNE have any boards that don't require buses with ramps?, DDA regs spring to mind. I am pretty sure GNE got rid of the final bus without a ramp earlier this year, i am happy to be corrected of course.

Problem with bus stations is the ramp has to be at the front. Dual door buses have ramps in the middle which makes them inaccessible at eldon square.

(08 Dec 2018, 7:57 am)Jamie M wrote Problem with bus stations is the ramp has to be at the front. Dual door buses have ramps in the middle which makes them inaccessible at eldon square.

That must make allocation difficult for those scholars boards which run into normal service afterwards. Thinking of the 10X when leaves Eldon Square at 16:52, that is regularly a dual door bus. Likewise, quite a few peak 309 runs out of Haymarket seem to be.

(07 Dec 2018, 7:04 pm)Jamie M wrote Here's for your daily confused face moment if that wasn't enough.

? / ? - Wright Streetlite by Jamie GNE, on Flickr

Start guessing! Where's dan when you want something from him..

Anymore info on this?

(08 Dec 2018, 10:20 am)Michael wrote Anymore info on this?

Registration of SK68TXP

Does anyone know why the next stop announcements have been removed from the Sunderland Connect 700 vehicles (629,630,640)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(08 Dec 2018, 1:15 pm)Josh wrote Does anyone know why the next stop announcements have been removed from the Sunderland Connect 700 vehicles (629,630,640)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Could be due to the new Solo's arriving soon for the service, maybe they've took them out, so once the new buses arrive, they can be fitted straight away.

2 scania's and a Citaro on the Belsay Park and Ride... all I've seen so far.

Edit:

Versa and a 2nd Citaro on the park and ride too.

(08 Dec 2018, 10:20 am)Michael wrote Anymore info on this?

Doesn't look as though it's been very far. 
Parked towards the rear at Riverside when I drove past earlier.

(08 Dec 2018, 7:29 pm)Michael wrote 2 scania's and a Citaro on the Belsay Park and Ride... all I've seen so far.

Would have been better with deckers but I think they value their windows. Ha.

Go north east should repainted percy main's 61 reg low spec indigGOs 625/627/631/632 to corp as there's literaly no point what so ever for them to be indigo as they only have 1 of the features which is free wi-fi so what is the point and when they are not on indiGO routes they are used on the W1/W1A and 333 as the 63 plate corp solos do are so they might aswell repaint them to corp

because they were repainted for the increased PVR of the indiGo services when they extended to Cramlington and Kingston Park

(07 Dec 2018, 5:51 pm)streetdeckfan wrote When did they replace the "where this bus terminates" on the NSA? I'm sure it wasn't like that yesterday!
The new version is much better, it doesn't sound like it's just been tacked on the end, plus it reminds me I'm travelling with Go North East which I always seem to forget!

On a second note, 6302 had an awful rattle on one of the upstairs window when idle, was driving me crazy!

(07 Dec 2018, 5:53 pm)Michael wrote New announcement on the 8 "please take personal belongings and we hope to see you ride with Go North East again"

Or something like that

Sounds better

(07 Dec 2018, 11:14 pm)S830OFT wrote Sounds copied off Arriva Sapphire.
"We are now approaching the end of the route, please remain seated until the bus stops....
Thank You for travelling with Arriva on This Sapphire Service."

It was uploaded to vehicles early last week.

It's been on the agenda to do for quite some time now to combat the issue with the gap in audio between the place name and 'where this bus terminates'. The message is just the same as what was used for the X9|X10 which have the more detailed announcements: it wasn't inspired by Arriva's Sapphire announcements. If anything, if I recall correctly, I think the script for the X9|X10 was loosely based on the announcements used by Virgin Trains.

Glad to hear some positive feedback though. Given the comment about Arriva, it's somewhat ironic that I had a group of women travelling on my 60 on Saturday night (one of whom had an Arriva partner pass), and when that announcement was played, another woman in the group commented how it was a nice message and how it's a pity Arriva's buses aren't of the same quality as Go North East's! I had an elderly woman make similar positive comments on the 20 - she said it was like being on a coach trip with an announcement like that, and how she's never heard something like that on a bus before.

(07 Dec 2018, 7:05 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Annnoyingly when heading into central Newcastle the majority of drivers on the Fab56, CityLink58 and Angel21 seem to set the return destination before we reach the last or even second last stop, which has confused me on a few occasions nevermind any blind or visually impaired passengers. 
Glad to hear the gap between the last stop name and ‘where this bus terminates’ has been reduced, although I rarely get to hear it anyway.

Drivers changing their displays too early is still something being combated internally. It shouldn't happen and this new announcement is a good "trigger" for the drivers to be reminded that now that message has played, it is OK to change the display.

(07 Dec 2018, 11:46 pm)Jamie M wrote X21 and X21E are different options and different routes so can be made to work differently. I'd imagine no such message plays since some journeys may terminate at durham without connecting.

Correctamundo!

The announcement will only play if it's programmed to do so. It isn't included on circular services (such as the 40/41 at Hadrian Park) as passengers can travel through, and likewise isn't triggered on the '21E' or 'X21E' journeys which connect through to another service.

At some point in the new year, the announcements will be revised on these services to advise passengers that the bus continues through to Newcastle or Bishop Auckland.

(07 Dec 2018, 8:50 pm)Jamie M wrote There's always something missing from somewhere. Normally one of everything somewhere round the depot throughout the day.

I can't see it being used to compare against an almost identical vehicle unless this offers some magical powers, which it may do. Only the man who tried to befriend a pigeon but ended miserably can confirm or deny though.

I would hope it would be for 94s and 97s at riverside for the summer so they can knock off those solars to the can factory.

(07 Dec 2018, 8:46 pm)Malarkey wrote I reckon it will see use at Riverside on there Streetlite operated services, seems to be a few missing on "The 49" recently with Solars covering.

Malarkey was kinda right - it's a warranty replacement vehicle to cover for the 49 branded Streetlites which are currently off the road.

(08 Dec 2018, 6:27 am)Stanleyone wrote Just a quick question for Jamie, do GNE have any boards that don't require buses with ramps?, DDA regs spring to mind. I am pretty sure GNE got rid of the final bus without a ramp earlier this year, i am happy to be corrected of course.

The only services which Go North East operate which don't have to be operated by a DDA-compliant vehicle are the 850 and 851 (private Jewish Scholars contract). These are now operated by three black Scania OmniDekkas, although were using three step-entrance Volvo Olympians beyond the date of double-deck PSVAR compliance.

(08 Dec 2018, 1:15 pm)Josh wrote Does anyone know why the next stop announcements have been removed from the Sunderland Connect 700 vehicles (629,630,640)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(08 Dec 2018, 1:18 pm)Michael wrote Could be due to the new Solo's arriving soon for the service, maybe they've took them out, so once the new buses arrive, they can be fitted straight away.

You don't need me after all - Michael has got this one spot on.

(10 Dec 2018, 9:52 am)Dan wrote You don't need me after all - Michael has got this one spot on.

Does this indicate they're arriving sooner than we thought?

(10 Dec 2018, 10:21 am)Michael wrote Does this indicate they're arriving sooner than we thought?

Depends on what we thought