The 701 during the day operates the 458 Scholars on the morning, then comes off to operate the 458 Scholars again on the afternoon, so in reality anything could be alloacted to the 701 during to day.

the washington street shuttle brand is gone on the go north east website

Wondered if anyone could clear up some sightings, think all were GNE, bar one.

NIS Fab Fifty Six B9 at Wrekenton this morning, heading toward Sunderland

Solo SR NIS Northbound A1 (branding not recognised)

Silver (I'm sure of it) Citaro Artic A1 Northbound


All this morning, between 06:30 and 07:30

(06 Jan 2014, 7:53 pm)michael_kelly wrote the washington street shuttle brand is gone on the go north east website

Has been since last week

(06 Jan 2014, 8:14 pm)legend wrote Wondered if anyone could clear up some sightings, think all were GNE, bar one.

NIS Fab Fifty Six B9 at Wrekenton this morning, heading toward Sunderland

Solo SR NIS Northbound A1 (branding not recognised)

Silver (I'm sure of it) Citaro Artic A1 Northbound


All this morning, between 06:30 and 07:30

U sure it wasn't gold? It was dark

(06 Jan 2014, 8:39 pm)JP6004 wrote U sure it wasn't gold? It was dark

I suppose if it wasn't GNE, it could have been one of the First York Park and Ride ones?

(06 Jan 2014, 5:18 pm)andreos1 wrote Does anyone know what the mid-day 921's run off or how they interwork with the x1?

Looked at timetable and can't see a gap in the x1 running...

There's a board that does some peak work on X1/921 in the morning & afternoon and then does the lunchtime 921

(06 Jan 2014, 9:38 pm)busman101 wrote There's a board that does some peak work on X1/921 in the morning & afternoon and then does the lunchtime 921

Cheers.
Been wondering for a while how it worked.

(06 Jan 2014, 8:39 pm)JP6004 wrote U sure it wasn't gold? It was dark

Silver, this is the one it could be any operator, I just put it in this thread to keep it with the others.

(06 Jan 2014, 9:38 pm)busman101 wrote There's a board that does some peak work on X1/921 in the morning & afternoon and then does the lunchtime 921

What is the usual allocation for that? I don't the PVR of the X1 to know if there's an Red Arrows bus spare during daytime or what not?

(06 Jan 2014, 8:45 pm)BJ10VUS wrote I suppose if it wasn't GNE, it could have been one of the First York Park and Ride ones?

Perchance, but it was without that branding...

(06 Jan 2014, 10:47 pm)CatsFast101 wrote What is the usual allocation for that? I don't the PVR of the X1 to know if there's an Red Arrows bus spare during daytime or what not?

It is usually a branded Gemini that works it.
That's what has thrown me over the years.

Quite often an ex-London President can be seen on the x1, whilst the 921 can be more or less guaranteed to be worked by the Gemini.

(06 Jan 2014, 10:48 pm)legend wrote Perchance, but it was without that branding...

I would say the branding might be getting updated as part of the expansion of the Park & Ride network down there this summer, but let's get back on topic.

I saw a loop bus on driving training on Chester road in Sunderland today what's that all about

6086 & 6087 have returned to Saltmeadows

(06 Jan 2014, 11:33 pm)Acky81 wrote I saw a loop bus on driving training on Chester road in Sunderland today what's that all about

Whats what all about, the fact a loop was on Driver Training or the fact it was on Chester Road or both

(07 Jan 2014, 5:50 am)safc27 wrote 6086 & 6087 have returned to Saltmeadows

any idea why?

New timetables being uploaded for the changes for 26.1.14

So far at 8:53am

9 - B10
13/14 - B10
38/38A/238 - B10 - (38C not included on timetable)
99/99A - B10
204
208
265
307

If anymore is uploaded - please add to the list, as i'm off to uni =)

(07 Jan 2014, 7:51 am)Michael wrote New timetables being uploaded for the changes for 26.1.14

So far at 7:50am

9 - B10
13/14 - B10
38/38A/238 - B10 - (38C not included on timetable)
99/99A - B10

If anymore is uploaded - please add to the list, as i'm off to uni =)

The 99 had an image of a B10 before too iirc.

(07 Jan 2014, 8:06 am)Dan wrote The 99 had an image of a B10 before too iirc.

Ye but ran by a MPD, wonder why they didn't just put a MPD on the front?

(07 Jan 2014, 8:44 am)Liam wrote Notice the lack of 'Northern' branding on the B10 timetables, including the B10 itself.

Never noticed, good spot
They seem to be going really slow uploading the new timetables, couldnt they just upload them all at once?

Some reason it wont let me edit my last post

timetables uploaded continued
X3 - really limited service
X35

(07 Jan 2014, 8:58 am)Michael wrote Some reason it wont let me edit my last post

timetables uploaded continued
X3 - really limited service
X35

Service 90 & Fast Cats X36 now online.
East Durham 208 timetable is wrong upload as it's the Durham guide which means the 208 is hourly across route when it's actually half hourly to Easington.

What a pathetic, pointless service the new X3 is. Which lunatic would design a timetable like that? Three Saturday journeys run only from Newcastle to not even the edge of Fulwell where the Newcastle Road joins the Shields Road. Last Mon - Fri run to Newcastle is lunchtime and there's a journey from Monkwearmouth at 09.19 so biddy passes can't use it. It is MENTAL and the company should be ashamed. The rot which set in 18 months or so ago in the design of their services and timetables is spreading.

And the X3 isn't run by just one vehicle so the reason it stops at Monkwearmouth isn't as I had assumed because that was as far as the bus could get in the time available, but it presumably runs empty into Sunderland and does something else. It is perhaps the worst case of bus service design I can remember. Why not just kill it off now. The X3 was a perfectly good service when it first started, although it did suffer from the disappearance of buses at school times, but even after it was cut to hourly to Newcastle it was quite well used - better than X36 for intermediate passengers between Sunderland and Boldon.

(07 Jan 2014, 10:58 am)Greg in Weardale wrote And the X3 isn't run by just one vehicle so the reason it stops at Monkwearmouth isn't as I had assumed because that was as far as the bus could get in the time available, but it presumably runs empty into Sunderland and does something else. It is perhaps the worst case of bus service design I can remember. Why not just kill it off now. The X3 was a perfectly good service when it first started, although it did suffer from the disappearance of buses at school times, but even after it was cut to hourly to Newcastle it was quite well used - better than X36 for intermediate passengers between Sunderland and Boldon.

From what I can see;
Board 1:
7:30 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
Runs dead to depot to pick up a scholar. Then returns onto the X3's.
9:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
10:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
There's a gap.
13:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
14:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up a scholar.
17:20 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth

2nd board;
Picks up the scholar.
10:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
11:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Then there's a gap.
12:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
13:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up scholar.

Very strange workings. I can't quite make out if I'm right with what I've said, and the gaps in the middle of the day are strange. Not sure what buses will be used. I've guessed that these will interwork with the scholar the 99 used to do, 'board 1' pick that one up. I've said before about a scholar in Seaham which uses an MPD, it's possible that this bus will now be used on X3's during daytimes.
I can't see anything more than MPD been needed for this service I'm guessing we'll see 547 & 542 used on this with 544 & 561 used on the 99. Obviously with the East Durham branded examples, 541 & 543 been used on 238's. This does mean all Deptford MPD's are required daily with only 1 spare at Peterlee. I can see shortage of these vehicles in coming months, maybe more cadets on some MPD routes?

(07 Jan 2014, 10:29 am)Greg in Weardale wrote What a pathetic, pointless service the new X3 is. Which lunatic would design a timetable like that? Three Saturday journeys run only from Newcastle to not even the edge of Fulwell where the Newcastle Road joins the Shields Road. Last Mon - Fri run to Newcastle is lunchtime and there's a journey from Monkwearmouth at 09.19 so biddy passes can't use it. It is MENTAL and the company should be ashamed. The rot which set in 18 months or so ago in the design of their services and timetables is spreading.

Maybe you should apply for a job........

(07 Jan 2014, 11:15 am)CatsFast101 wrote From what I can see;
Board 1:
7:30 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
Runs dead to depot to pick up a scholar. Then returns onto the X3's.
9:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
10:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
There's a gap.
13:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
14:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up a scholar.
17:20 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth

2nd board;
Picks up the scholar.
10:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
11:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Then there's a gap.
12:19 Monkwearmouth-Newcastle
13:00 Newcastle-Monkwearmouth
Picks up scholar.

Very strange workings. I can't quite make out if I'm right with what I've said, and the gaps in the middle of the day are strange. Not sure what buses will be used. I've guessed that these will interwork with the scholar the 99 used to do, 'board 1' pick that one up. I've said before about a scholar in Seaham which uses an MPD, it's possible that this bus will now be used on X3's during daytimes.
I can't see anything more than MPD been needed for this service I'm guessing we'll see 547 & 542 used on this with 544 & 561 used on the 99. Obviously with the East Durham branded examples, 541 & 543 been used on 238's. This does mean all Deptford MPD's are required daily with only 1 spare at Peterlee. I can see shortage of these vehicles in coming months, maybe more cadets on some MPD routes?

They'd have been better using one bus and running it two-hourly all day.

29/39 timetables still to be uploaded, arguably the two most important ones left to be uploaded particularly the former. Blaydon Racers, East Durham, Ten, Fab56, ToonLink 32, Lime, diamond still to be uploaded too.

The way 'some' people go on you'd think the X3 was some super route operated by fleets of constantly packed double deckers

Sunderland and its outyling surburban bus routes are not the centre of the universe

nb - the last sentence is not a dig at some of the enjoyable debate that has taken place on the topic