Fleet update states Consett solos due for repaint over summer. Hope they keep venture branding.....although if PM solos are anything to by, look out for the Little Diamonds

(10 Aug 2020, 8:15 am)JP6004 wrote Fleet update states Consett solos due for repaint over summer. Hope they keep venture branding.....although if PM solos are anything to by, look out for the Little Diamonds

Sounds like some retro jazz band, full of kids playing kazoos!

(10 Aug 2020, 9:23 am)Andreos1 wrote Sounds like some retro jazz band, full of kids playing kazoos!

I genuinely quite like the idea of having 'Little' brands for the minibuses.
In fact, I'm probably alone in thinking this, but Little Coasters is one of my favourite route brands they've done in a while!

I can just imagine having Little Diamonds, Little Angels, Little Drifter.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

(10 Aug 2020, 10:09 am)streetdeckfan wrote I genuinely quite like the idea of having 'Little' brands for the minibuses.
In fact, I'm probably alone in thinking this, but Little Coasters is one of my favourite route brands they've done in a while!

I can just imagine having Little Diamonds, Little Angels, Little Drifter.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Dont forget Little Connections   yes it is a lot better than the uninspiring Cobalt & Coast. Saying that they could just end up in corporate yet

(10 Aug 2020, 10:43 am)JP6004 wrote Dont forget Little Connections   yes it is a lot better than the uninspiring Cobalt & Coast. Saying that they could just end up in corporate yet

Actually, thinking about it, Little Connections would probably be a good overall brand for the minibuses

(10 Aug 2020, 10:44 am)streetdeckfan wrote Actually, thinking about it, Little Connections would probably be a good overall brand for the minibuses

2nd repaint for these in 7 years. Sure they'll get round to the 4 citaros and some point 

---

(10 Aug 2020, 10:09 am)streetdeckfan wrote I genuinely quite like the idea of having 'Little' brands for the minibuses.
In fact, I'm probably alone in thinking this, but Little Coasters is one of my favourite route brands they've done in a while!

I can just imagine having Little Diamonds, Little Angels, Little Drifter.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Or the Kittens 

---

(10 Aug 2020, 10:09 am)streetdeckfan wrote I genuinely quite like the idea of having 'Little' brands for the minibuses.
In fact, I'm probably alone in thinking this, but Little Coasters is one of my favourite route brands they've done in a while!

I can just imagine having Little Diamonds, Little Angels, Little Drifter.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Or the Kittens 

(10 Aug 2020, 10:47 am)JP6004 wrote 2nd repaint for these in 7 years. Sure they'll get round to the 4 citaros and some point 

---

Or the Kittens 

---

Or the Kittens 

I mean, I was thinking of a different name for a cat.

(10 Aug 2020, 10:53 am)streetdeckfan wrote I mean, I was thinking of a different name for a cat.

So did I but it's not past the 9pm watershed 

(10 Aug 2020, 10:56 am)JP6004 wrote So did I but it's not past the 9pm watershed 

Perhaps that could be the name for the mini night buses

That probably explains why quite a few have missing branding and are plain yellow at the back now . Some just have the top half of the venture name on the windows and are missing any other branding. Must admit their 1st repaint hasn't weathered well at all

(10 Aug 2020, 10:09 am)streetdeckfan wrote I genuinely quite like the idea of having 'Little' brands for the minibuses.
In fact, I'm probably alone in thinking this, but Little Coasters is one of my favourite route brands they've done in a while!

I can just imagine having Little Diamonds, Little Angels, Little Drifter.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Argh no, please don't encourage them! 

Personally if I was GNE I'd get arid of the Little Coasters; it's got no history, hasn't brought any benefits at all (which a brand should do) infact it's done the complete opposite; degraded buses, frequency cuts, services gone altogether (42) and the loss of GNE night services and that's before bringing the point it's totally irrelevant to the 19 and 42/42A.

I'd call that a failure and certainly wouldn't want to replicate it, keep Venture thanks which is the opposite.

(10 Aug 2020, 4:51 pm)Storx wrote Personally if I was GNE I'd get arid of the Little Coasters; it's got no history, hasn't brought any benefits at all (which a brand should do) infact it's done the complete opposite; degraded buses, frequency cuts, services gone altogether (42) and the loss of GNE night services and that's before bringing the point it's totally irrelevant to the 19 and 42/42A.

I'd call that a failure and certainly wouldn't want to replicate it, keep Venture thanks which is the opposite.

The brand hasn't done any of that, if they were driving around in corporate livery services would still have been cut and contracts lost.

(10 Aug 2020, 4:54 pm)streetdeckfan wrote The brand hasn't done any of that, if they were driving around in corporate livery services would still have been cut and contracts lost.

That's debateable as the brand only came around since they took the Indigo buses off for the X-Lines network and sent the utter crap that is 698 - 705 which could've easily reduced customers and also resulted in removed WiFi, removed NSA's etc or a downgrade from Omnicities on the 11.

Either way, the brand has failed if your going to brand something you do it to improve profit / increase customers otherwise it's a waste of time. Little Coasters done the opposite. There's no point rebranding Venture to something random like Little Diamonds if your not making improvements it's just a pointless exercise. When you release a new brand you need to have something behind it otherwise it means nothing and just confuses people (where's my Venture bus gone).

(10 Aug 2020, 5:17 pm)Storx wrote That's debateable as the brand only came around since they took the Indigo buses off for the X-Lines network and sent the utter crap that is 698 - 705 which could've easily reduced customers and also resulted in removed WiFi, removed NSA's etc or a downgrade from Omnicities on the 11.

Either way, the brand has failed if your going to brand something you do it to improve profit / increase customers otherwise it's a waste of time. Little Coasters done the opposite. There's no point rebranding Venture to something random like Little Diamonds if your not making improvements it's just a pointless exercise. When you release a new brand you need to have something behind it otherwise it means nothing and just confuses people (where's my Venture bus gone).

The little coasters have Wi-Fi

5413 has returned to Consett in fleet livery.

645 is in the paint shop at Saltmeadows https://flic.kr/p/2jvHKqX


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

---

(10 Aug 2020, 5:59 pm)Stanleyone wrote 5413 has returned to Consett in fleet livery.

Go North East 5413 / NK15 EOD by kieron mathews, on Flickr


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

(13 Aug 2020, 1:54 am)TEN 6083 wrote 645 is in the paint shop at Saltmeadows https://flic.kr/p/2jvHKqX


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Looks smart

Just passed solo 645 on consett bypass, so no pics, but basically the front is all yellow and the rear maroon in the corporate style. Gone are the cartoon like Venture lettering in favour of the early 1970's lower case Venture lettering.
Looks really smart and a vast improvement

Pics of the revised Venture livery tweeted by Martijn

https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/12...5774512128

(14 Aug 2020, 11:38 am)ne14ne1 wrote Pics of the revised Venture livery tweeted by Martijn

https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/12...5774512128

Nice to see that they've kept the Venture brand. Looks a hell of a lot smarter than the previous livery. I wonder if anything will go on the cove panels?

(14 Aug 2020, 11:48 am)Adtrainsam wrote Nice to see that they've kept the Venture brand. Looks a hell of a lot smarter than the previous livery. I wonder if anything will go on the cove panels?

Will be nice to see Tynedale Links refreshed into new style livery....also bring back East Durham!

(14 Aug 2020, 11:38 am)ne14ne1 wrote Pics of the revised Venture livery tweeted by Martijn

https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/12...5774512128

100% looks much better, looks more professional

That looks great. Hopefully other mini brands will be revamped.

(14 Aug 2020, 12:08 pm)JP6004 wrote Will be nice to see Tynedale Links refreshed into new style livery....also bring back East Durham!

Should bring OK travel name in the east Durham areas same design as venture buses with the 2 tone colours of Ok, the east Durham brand was driery,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(14 Aug 2020, 2:44 pm)cbma06 wrote Should bring OK travel name in the east Durham areas same design as venture buses with the 2 tone colours of Ok, the east Durham brand was driery,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Noticed this reply on your Tweet to Martijn Gilbert:


On step at a time. This ‘upgrade’ is linked to major investment in this part of our our operation, with an impending relaunch of the town and inter-urban bus network there. These sorts of things don’t happen every year, sometimes not even every centuary!


I wonder if the Venture network is changing? or does he just mean a relaunch with the new buses?

(14 Aug 2020, 4:10 pm)Michael wrote Noticed this reply on your Tweet to Martijn Gilbert:


On step at a time. This ‘upgrade’ is linked to major investment in this part of our our operation, with an impending relaunch of the town and inter-urban bus network there. These sorts of things don’t happen every year, sometimes not even every centuary!


I wonder if the Venture network is changing? or does he just mean a relaunch with the new buses?

If you look at Dan's Tweet, there's two blank spaces under 'Newcastle' and 'Metrocentre' on the leaflet design, could suggest there's more in the works otherwise they wouldn't be blank

https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1294271141566132225

(14 Aug 2020, 4:10 pm)Michael wrote Noticed this reply on your Tweet to Martijn Gilbert:


On step at a time. This ‘upgrade’ is linked to major investment in this part of our our operation, with an impending relaunch of the town and inter-urban bus network there. These sorts of things don’t happen every year, sometimes not even every centuary!


I wonder if the Venture network is changing? or does he just mean a relaunch with the new buses?

I wonder if the yellow and maroon on the venture solos be the same as the colour on the xline rear end x5/x15


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(14 Aug 2020, 4:38 pm)cbma06 wrote I wonder if the yellow and maroon on the venture solos be the same as the colour on the xline  rear end x5/x15


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd imagine they might use the same shade of yellow to save on having loads of different paint types.

Go North East Venture Optare Solo 645 | NL63 XZS sporting its new look

Flickr : https://flic.kr/p/2jwwFuj


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk