(31 Dec 2013, 8:51 pm)andreos1 wrote I can't find it at the mo, but I put a link on the forum somewhere regarding the guy who designs the whole Trent Barton branding.
Apparently he is a bit of a legend.

Edit: here it is www.passengertransport.co.uk/2013/06/what-makes-a-really-good-bus-company/

Ray Stenning is renown in the bus industry for creating liveries, but also branding down to timetables, bus stop flags etc.

(01 Jan 2014, 12:25 am)citaro5284 wrote Ray Stenning is renown in the bus industry for creating liveries, but also branding down to timetables, bus stop flags etc.

He even designed the internal decorating for the Cowley Road offices of the Oxford Bus Company.

(31 Dec 2013, 10:23 pm)Dan wrote Getting back on-topic...


Of course this could not be right because a senior member of staff at Deptford depot disagrees, but as a New Year's Eve present to you all... Here's my first (incomplete) paper bus:

How about this Dan

(01 Jan 2014, 12:35 am)Kuyoyo wrote How about this Dan

Same colour as the Tyne Tees Xpress... I think you've got it in one!! Mustn't be your first paper bus.
Not sure about the black bit at the top being repainted mind.

(01 Jan 2014, 12:38 am)Dan wrote Same colour as the Tyne Tees Xpress... I think you've got it in one!! Mustn't be your first paper bus.
Not sure about the black bit at the top being repainted mind.

It's not, trust me
As for the black bit, only did it in the maroon to get the 'X' right

EDIT: Restored the black bit

Will the 29 be going threw boldon and when will the changes be on the website

My Attempt with the "X" being Repositioned

[attachment=5112]

Just to add further to my thought on the Black Solars/X36, I think the X36 and this is merely just a thought that it may fall under the "Cats Fast" Brand alongside the X35, Think about it why would GNE have 2 Branded Services with the Same Base Colour, But different Branding at the exact same Depot.

(31 Dec 2013, 6:07 pm)citaro5284 wrote I don't

I do.

4 Citaros from Cobalt Clipper for WTX.
what will happen to the other 3?? I would suggest Laser Displacing, but considering them getting new vehicles soon I wonder if that's not an option. Citaros in GNE generic livery?
Or a frequency increase for the X7? I can't see that mine!

(01 Jan 2014, 1:47 am)Adam Malarkey wrote Just to add further to my thought on the Black Solars/X36, I think the X36 and this is merely just a thought that it may fall under the "Cats Fast" Brand alongside the X35, Think about it why would GNE have 2 Branded Services with the Same Base Colour, But different Branding at the exact same Depot.

Now wouldn't that be sensible?! Rob has certainly hinted at that a few times, and didn't I mention something about greater reliablity post network changes, in regards to both the vehicles being allocated and indeed the services themselves?
"Fast Cats" is certainly appropriate for the X36, as it primarily serves Sunderland but does continue to go elsewhere too - the service is supposedly an express (Fast) and it's a service within the City of Sunderland (Cats).

Maybe Malarkey hasn't lost his touch in his old age after all - I think he's on the ball.

---

(01 Jan 2014, 3:11 am)CatsFast101 wrote 4 Citaros from Cobalt Clipper for WTX.
what will happen to the other 3?? I would suggest Laser Displacing, but considering them getting new vehicles soon I wonder if that's not an option. Citaros in GNE generic livery?
Or a frequency increase for the X7? I can't see that mine!

Now only if you're sure you want to stop fighting against everything I say, CatsFast101... After all, a senior member of staff disagrees remember? The X7, according to a depot manager at Deptford, is in line to receive Solar vehicles next year. Y'know, the vehicles which are all entering a spare role to allow for SPDs and Renowns to be withdrawn.
(Sorry gtomlinson, I'm excluding "The Waggonway" from all of this business... They ain't moving from there until they need to be withdrawn!!)
In all seriousness, yes. I can assure you that I am not 'pulling your leg' - hints and suggestions from the past month or so have all certainly been in favour of the "Wear Tees Xpress" receiving these vehicles as opposed to the "Pronto".

As for the other three, well...
I believe timetable changes may reveal where one bus will end up, at the end of this week. With this, you need to keep in mind at all times what I've said about network reliability and how I expect things to improve (not just in the Sunderland area, but across the entire network). If you want to get ahead of the game, you may consider looking at the VOSA registrations posted a few weeks ago, and match up the vehicle types!
The other two (perhaps the two 06-reg) can be discussed nearer the time - there are certainly a great deal of windows open for these two given recent events of newer vehicles entering the spare role fleet and many services, such as the Diamond and Crusader, requiring an allocated spare.
However, to put it from the "Laser" perspective (which is one of many possible outcomes)... If it means two extra Olympians being withdrawn earlier due to Laser Solar cascades, do you think it would be worth repainting the Solar vehicles at an additional cost? Like I said, a lot of scope for the final two.

Oh...and what did I say not so long ago about it not being long until the eldest Citaro vehicles are on services which aren't some of the 'high player' services? It all adds up, and I did say if you read through all of the hints at once you could have worked it out for yourself!

At least we're getting somewhere, though... It wasn't so much of a battle to try and get you all to believe something this time!

Completely forgot about this article re Trent Barton and Peter Huntley
www.busandcoach.com/featurepage.aspx?id=1441&categoryid=0

There are some interesting comments from him re Northern versus Go North East and diluting the brand too.

There is also a Versa (827 on checking) in the Trent Barton fleet, which was named after Peter Huntley.

(01 Jan 2014, 7:46 am)Dan wrote Now only if you're sure you want to stop fighting against everything I say, CatsFast101... After all, a senior member of staff disagrees remember? The X7, according to a depot manager at Deptford, is in line to receive Solar vehicles next year. Y'know, the vehicles which are all entering a spare role to allow for SPDs and Renowns to be withdrawn.
(Sorry gtomlinson, I'm excluding "The Waggonway" from all of this business... They ain't moving from there until they need to be withdrawn!!)
In all seriousness, yes. I can assure you that I am not 'pulling your leg' - hints and suggestions from the past month or so have all certainly been in favour of the "Wear Tees Xpress" receiving these vehicles as opposed to the "Pronto".

As for the other three, well...
I believe timetable changes may reveal where one bus will end up, at the end of this week. With this, you need to keep in mind at all times what I've said about network reliability and how I expect things to improve (not just in the Sunderland area, but across the entire network). If you want to get ahead of the game, you may consider looking at the VOSA registrations posted a few weeks ago, and match up the vehicle types!
The other two (perhaps the two 06-reg) can be discussed nearer the time - there are certainly a great deal of windows open for these two given recent events of newer vehicles entering the spare role fleet and many services, such as the Diamond and Crusader, requiring an allocated spare.
However, to put it from the "Laser" perspective (which is one of many possible outcomes)... If it means two extra Olympians being withdrawn earlier due to Laser Solar cascades, do you think it would be worth repainting the Solar vehicles at an additional cost? Like I said, a lot of scope for the final two.

Oh...and what did I say not so long ago about it not being long until the eldest Citaro vehicles are on services which aren't some of the 'high player' services? It all adds up, and I did say if you read through all of the hints at once you could have worked it out for yourself!

At least we're getting somewhere, though... It wasn't so much of a battle to try and get you all to believe something this time!

Dan I've never fighter what you've said and I hope you don't take our discussion/disagreements personally as it's certainly not meant to be.
So 4/7 Citaros will move onto WTX. I'm thrilled. 1 will end up on Crusader/Diamond/Blaydon Racers?? And the 2 '06 reg could be put into GNE livery??

Happy new year too.

(01 Jan 2014, 10:28 am)CatsFast101 wrote Dan I've never fighter what you've said and I hope you don't take our discussion/disagreements personally as it's certainly not meant to be.
So 4/7 Citaros will move onto WTX. I'm thrilled. 1 will end up on Crusader/Diamond/Blaydon Racers?? And the 2 '06 reg could be put into GNE livery??

Happy new year too.

I really don't. In all honesty, I love it really, you help boost the posts which provokes further discussion from everyone!
Just a tad irritating when people don't read into the likes of Rob's posts, and often suggest the complete opposite of what he has told us. The answers have been out there for the past week or two for what was established last night, but it required people to look into the posts properly (and perhaps all at once, if people were that fussed in working it out). He mustn't like repeating himself, haha.

I certainly believe that's the plan, yes. I think everyone knows just how badly the Renowns currently allocated are coping which is evident by the amount of breakdowns we've seen and indeed the amount of times a "Northern" branded vehicle has appeared on "Wear Tees Xpress" service X7. A heavy-weight vehicle was needed to ensure that performance was still good, and the newer Mercedes vehicle is most definitely more reliable than a Solar, or indeed the Volvo B7RLE which was suggested a few days back. I suggested quite a number of weeks ago that Go North East needed to 'act sooner, rather than later' and it seems they have. If Go North East had waited any longer, it could have had an impact on both the client-base of the X7 service, but it could have also had an impact on the "Tyne Tees Xpress" services as both brands are linked together.
If you can remember, the same happened with the "Tyne Tees Xpress" too - it was invested in owing to passenger numbers slowly falling (most likely due to the ongoing unreliability of the services at the time of B7TL allocation), and worked well as passenger numbers are at their best now.

In regards to the one which could be repainted in accordance with changes...

PB0003954/296 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Variation Accepted: Operating between Winlation Bus Station and Gateshead Interchange given service number 49/49B/49C effective from 02-Feb-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.

I've noticed that the "Blaydon Racers" network can often suffer with terrible reliability. Reliability is an important factor of operating a bus service as I'm sure you'll agree, and if the costs can stack up (which I'm sure they can), perhaps an additional vehicle could be added to the PVR so layover could be increased and reliability was bumped up..?

I'm not too sure where the two final Citaros (presumably the eldest - '06 regs) will end up, but Blaydon Racers, Diamond, Crusader and Silver Arrows could all benefit from a spare vehicle, be it branded or red liveried. If one was to be based at Riverside and repainted into Go North East's corporate livery, it would allow the vehicle to be shared between the Crusader and Blaydon Racers. That said, if the vehicles were repainted gold and allocated to the "Laser" network, two Solars could be released from Deptford to presumably replace Olympians (providing all current contracts do not require every single Olympian in the fleet at present, which is highly unlikely). Rob hasn't really hinted at these two vehicles, which may suggest that the decision has not yet been finalised.
I believe these vehicles are in line to receive a free repaint from Mercedes as has been discussed previously (as is the norm for a vehicle's first repaint from Mercedes), so the decision will need to be finalised pretty quickly - I hope, soon after, we will have confirmation on these two repaints too.

Happy New Year, and here's to another year of guessing the future fleet position with the aid of hints!

Sorry i'm behind... i haven't check the posts since my last post -


I'm glad Deptford is keeping all their Scania's (expect for 5210)...

Wonder what the people of Castletown will think when they get the Scania's... its quite a posh bus for them, as their used to B10's Cadet's, SPD's....

Wonder if the Citaro's will boost passenger numbers on the Wear Tee's Express... Shame they will be based at Peterlee... Isn't peterlee depot just some land?, are they sure they want to keep them down their (no offensive to anyone from Peterlee)

Adam - your paper bus for the Wear Tee's Express is really good!


Looking forward to reading the changes now! =D

Just waiting for the new B9's to go in service now. =)

Edit: Oh and the new Riverside Depot to open =D

(01 Jan 2014, 11:14 am)Michael wrote Sorry i'm behind... i haven't check the posts since my last post -


I'm glad Deptford is keeping all their Scania's (expect for 5210)...

Wonder what the people of Castletown will think when they get the Scania's... its quite a posh bus for them, as their used to B10's Cadet's, SPD's....

Wonder if the Citaro's will boost passenger numbers on the Wear Tee's Express... Shame they will be based at Peterlee... Isn't peterlee depot just some land?, are they sure they want to keep them down their (no offensive to anyone from Peterlee)

Adam - your paper bus for the Wear Tee's Express is really good!


Looking forward to reading the changes now! =D

Just waiting for the new B9's to go in service now. =)

Edit: Oh and the new Riverside Depot to open =D

Peterlee depot is secure it's more than just buses left on a field overnight hahaha!
I believe Citaros will certainly boost the X7 especially if GNE do some small publicity about new buses for the service.

(01 Jan 2014, 11:31 am)CatsFast101 wrote I believe Citaros will certainly boost the X7 especially if GNE do some small publicity about new buses for the service.

It will certainly be the make or break of the X7 service, and let us all hope it's the former rather than the latter...

lmao, i'm sure i read it somewhere, glad about that, were talking posh buses.

I do hope it boost's passenger numbers increase with the Citaro's.. looking forward to seen the Citaro's in the brand!

What we can look forward to in 2014:

Loads of new buses!
Riverside depot opening
New brands!
Debates!

Mod: I have moved the posts regarding the X7 and re-numbering of the Washington network services to the "Latest" thread - I think it's more apt given that it's discussion of the present fleet, rather than the future fleet of 2014. My fault for starting the discussion in there...sorry! Ta!

So the Pronto isn't getting ex-Cobalt Clipper Citaros?

(01 Jan 2014, 12:48 pm)northtynelinks2 wrote So the Pronto isn't getting ex-Cobalt Clipper Citaros?

No. It has been suggested for a few weeks now that it won't. The unknown details should have been where the vehicles were going instead of the "Pronto".

(01 Jan 2014, 12:51 pm)Dan wrote No. It has been suggested for a few weeks now that it won't. The unknown details should have been where the vehicles were going instead of the "Pronto".

I would think the replacements for the B7s on there will have to be sourced from another of Go Ahead's operations.

(01 Jan 2014, 1:17 pm)Kuyoyo wrote I would think the replacements for the B7s on there will have to be sourced from another of Go Ahead's operations.

I would be very surprised.
In 2015, I think the service will receive cascades from the "Red Arrows". This would allow the "Red Arrows" to receive direct investment once more, no doubt with the usual benefits of travelling (power sockets, Wi-Fi, Next Stop Announcements etc).
By this time, the B9s on the "Red Arrows" would have pulled quite a bit of the cost back to purchase them, allowing for the rational decision to cascade them.

The only immediacy for an upgrade to the "Pronto" was to allow Olympian withdrawal, which should be achieved next year without the aid of "Pronto" cascades.

Will deptford loose their Vykings and 6020 with the new B9's and Sunderland changes?

Don't think they will be needed as it looks like the 29 might not go to Jarrow.

(01 Jan 2014, 1:33 pm)Michael wrote Will deptford loose their Vykings and 6020 with the new B9's and Sunderland changes?

Don't think they will be needed

I'd imagine (at least some of) the Vykings will go to other depots to allow for Olympian withdrawal, as service 29 will be operated by corporate liveried Solars.
Not sure about 6020, but could be worth keeping that one at Deptford for the likes of the 20 if a branded Solar is VOR.

(01 Jan 2014, 1:38 pm)Dan wrote I'd imagine (at least some of) the Vykings will go to other depots to allow for Olympian withdrawal, as service 29 will be operated by corporate liveried Solars.
Not sure about 6020, but could be worth keeping that one at Deptford for the likes of the 20 if a branded Solar is VOR.

Would make my year if Deptford lost all their Vykings, their terrible

However they might keep a couple and 6020 just for back up, like you said
Or
We could loose all our Vykings and just keep 6020.

(01 Jan 2014, 1:23 pm)Dan wrote I would be very surprised.
In 2015, I think the service will receive cascades from the "Red Arrows". This would allow the "Red Arrows" to receive direct investment once more, no doubt with the usual benefits of travelling (power sockets, Wi-Fi, Next Stop Announcements etc).
By this time, the B9s on the "Red Arrows" would have pulled quite a bit of the cost back to purchase them, allowing for the rational decision to cascade them.

The only immediacy for an upgrade to the "Pronto" was to allow Olympian withdrawal, which should be achieved next year without the aid of "Pronto" cascades.

Angel would get an upgrade before Red Arrows?

The Hybrids seem to be constantly off road at some points these days. Only one that seems to cope is the non hybrid ex 724 and TTX vehicles and the many red Northern deckers covering

(01 Jan 2014, 2:45 pm)gtomlinson wrote Angel would get an upgrade before Red Arrows?

The Hybrids seem to be constantly off road at some points these days. Only one that seems to cope is the non hybrid ex 724 and TTX vehicles and the many red Northern deckers covering

Lets not forget the lack of foresight in ordering 13 hybrids and then upping the PVR to 15 a matters of weeks after them entering service! No surprise then that red buses feature daily.

(01 Jan 2014, 2:45 pm)gtomlinson wrote Angel would get an upgrade before Red Arrows?

The Hybrids seem to be constantly off road at some points these days. Only one that seems to cope is the non hybrid ex 724 and TTX vehicles and the many red Northern deckers covering

While I cannot deny that the Angel makes a lot more revenue than the Red Arrows and would therefore justify any investment you throw at it, the Red Arrows vehicles are older and have had longer on a star service to be paid for.

I wouldn't have thought the B5LH vehicles would be suitable elsewhere just yet, so if the X21 did not receive its upgrade in the way I suggested above, I'd suggest that a ten minute frequency would be instated on Angel service 21 to Durham (5m to CLS), with half hourly journeys extending to Bishop Auckland. If this was to happen, I'd imagine that enough B5LH vehicles would be ordered to cover the PVR so the two B7TL spares would actually be..spare.

What would the customer prefer? What would GNE prefer?
I think we'll need to start a '2015 orders' thread in a minute. Of course this is all very early days, so there is ample chance for things to change...

(01 Jan 2014, 2:55 pm)Dan wrote While I cannot deny that the Angel makes a lot more revenue than the Red Arrows and would therefore justify any investment you throw at it, the Red Arrows vehicles are older and have had longer on a star service to be paid for.

I wouldn't have thought the B5LH vehicles would be suitable elsewhere just yet, so if the X21 did not receive its upgrade in the way I suggested above, I'd suggest that a ten minute frequency would be instated on Angel service 21 to Durham (5m to CLS), with half hourly journeys extending to Bishop Auckland. If this was to happen, I'd imagine that enough B5LH vehicles would be ordered to cover the PVR so the two B7TL spares would actually be..spare.

What would the customer prefer? What would GNE prefer?

Personally I wouldn't really care what bus I got, all I want out of a bus is where it gets me from A to B without any problems. I always thought the Hybrids were a bad idea. They should of settled with ordinary B9s I think. Its very rare I see the Branded Spares out actually on the route covering for a B9, not like im at the places they operate very often like but still...B9s cope a lot better than B5s.

Must say, these changes are the most interesting yet