(12 Sep 2024, 4:36 pm)Storx wrote I'm not going to suggest what replaces them but personally I'd send 7401 - 7406 down to Kent or Bedfordshire to join the other batches of B9's down there. No point having a micro fleet of buses which are unreliable to boot. 

They're just a nuisance anywhere in the North East. Yorkshire have already sent their Olympus' down there. It's better to keep them together imo.

Kinda agree, but if anything (although out of warranty), Volvo have support in the North East.

And I doubt they'd struggle on the 43/44/45 and 306/308 either. Should also be 'ok' on the Blyth 'X' routes too.

GNE still use 6043-48 on the winding, twisting and uphill 47. They haven't exactly had easy lives either although maybe not extreme as 7401-06.

(12 Sep 2024, 4:36 pm)Storx wrote I'm not going to suggest what replaces them but personally I'd send 7401 - 7406 down to Kent or Bedfordshire to join the other batches of B9's down there. No point having a micro fleet of buses which are unreliable to boot. 

They're just a nuisance anywhere in the North East. Yorkshire have already sent their Olympus' down there. It's better to keep them together imo.

(12 Sep 2024, 9:35 pm)L469 YVK wrote Kinda agree, but if anything (although out of warranty), Volvo have support in the North East.

And I doubt they'd struggle on the 43/44/45 and 306/308 either. Should also be 'ok' on the Blyth 'X' routes too.

GNE still use 6043-48 on the winding, twisting and uphill 47. They haven't exactly had easy lives either although maybe not extreme as 7401-06.

See I think Arriva Northumbria is just the complete wrong place. 

If, and big if, they got some replacement asap for the X93 I'd send them to Durham to see off the B7's there until the electrics come. If Durham then can turn them into something that actually works, once the electrics use them to displace the 09 E400's out the fleet otherwise just write them off as done and get shot of them if they continue being a nuisance. 

The B7's are life expired as an understatement.

The 64 is probably the easiest route in the North East, if they can't do that then they're not fit for purpose anywhere.

For Arriva Northumbria when the new electrics turn up personally I'd do:

43/44/45/47: Electrics
553: 1500
X7/X8/X9: 1502 - 6, 7522/24-28/53/54/56
X10/X11: 7616/17/20-25
306/308: 7613-15/28-37
Spares/Schools: 1501/Remaining DB300's

35/X14/X15/X18/X20/X21: All but 2 E400 MMC's
X16/777: 1479/1512/1513
X22: 7529-7533
1/2: Streetlites
434/57/57A: Solos (Need replacing)
Spares/Schools: 2x E400 MMC, 1537 - 1543, 7557/8/60/62

Out: 1462/63/80/93/95/96/97, 7501-7/9

There's no need for any B9's up here. If you upgrade the X21/22/35 back up then fill them with Pulsars (not ideal but there's all there is).

The 64 might not be long or fast but it's very much uphill both ways. Half of Durham's fleet struggle on the uphill stretch of Canterbury road, heading back towards the city centre.

I was on 1444 recently and my goodness, what a state. 

The interior is a patchwork mess and it was full of diesel fumes and/or brake pad dust.
Could see the fumes/dust clouding the view of the saloon. In addition to smelling it. 

Surprisingly, it hasn't been off the road at all since the trip.

Wonder what tourists on the X4 or X93/94 think of it?

(15 Sep 2024, 9:09 am)Andreos1 wrote I was on 1444 recently and my goodness, what a state. 

The interior is a patchwork mess and it was full of diesel fumes and/or brake pad dust.
Could see the fumes/dust clouding the view of the saloon. In addition to smelling it. 

Surprisingly, it hasn't been off the road at all since the trip.

Wonder what tourists on the X4 or X93/94 think of it?

I genuinely think Dormanstown and Whitby don’t have a hired cleaner. I was on 1425 and one of the new E400 MMC’s the other day and they were disgusting. Is the company that poor they can’t have one hired cleaner to clean a couple of buses a day?

(15 Sep 2024, 10:09 am)Mike_98 wrote I genuinely think Dormanstown and Whitby don’t have a hired cleaner. I was on 1425 and one of the new E400 MMC’s the other day and they were disgusting. Is the company that poor they can’t have one hired cleaner to clean a couple of buses a day?

 It's seems to be all depot  buses that seems to be thilthy ot seems  I been right to Durham last week  and each Vechale  was rather dirty

clearly trying to catch up on all the money they lost "preventing" covid with all the deep cleans in recent years

Was on 7614 before, didn't ride like a bus approaching it's 15th birthday and was a very smooth ride!

Gotta give it to Blyth keeping these going!

(15 Sep 2024, 10:51 pm)Mark66t wrote  It's seems to be all depot  buses that seems to be thilthy ot seems  I been right to Durham last week  and each Vechale  was rather dirty

Not all the depots, most of buses at Stockton are clean on the outside a few are abit dirty but not much, I was on a few of Stockton’s buses the other day & they where tidy inside

(15 Sep 2024, 9:09 am)Andreos1 wrote I was on 1444 recently and my goodness, what a state. 

The interior is a patchwork mess and it was full of diesel fumes and/or brake pad dust.
Could see the fumes/dust clouding the view of the saloon. In addition to smelling it. 

Surprisingly, it hasn't been off the road at all since the trip.

Wonder what tourists on the X4 or X93/94 think of it?

Sounds very similar to 1443 last time I had that on the X12. Went well though!
All the way back from Durham to Boro reeked of diesel hah


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I've just had 7504 (NK57 DYA) on the X7 to Blyth, stank of fumes on both decks and sounded like it was a 30+ year old Bus!

(19 Nov 2024, 7:11 pm)tyresmoke wrote Sounds very similar to 1443 last time I had that on the X12. Went well though!
All the way back from Durham to Boro reeked of diesel hah


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree with 1443 with the diesel

I'm assuming Blyth are short of deckers at the moment? The 7.30am 44 from Dinnington to Newcastle had been a single decker for several weeks and there were a few complaints due to the amount of people standing. Arriva said they'd review the loadings, so now that one is a decker but the 8.05am service has got the single decker and is having the same issue being full before leaving Hazlerigg. What happens if they get complaints about that one? ?

(27 Nov 2024, 6:42 pm)Shrek wrote I'm assuming Blyth are short of deckers at the moment? The 7.30am 44 from Dinnington to Newcastle had been a single decker for several weeks and there were a few complaints due to the amount of people standing. Arriva said they'd review the loadings, so now that one is a decker but the 8.05am service has got the single decker and is having the same issue being full before leaving Hazlerigg. What happens if they get complaints about that one? ?

Ideally Blyth should be all deckers IMHO, loadings are always a bit tight during the peaks when a Pulsar shows up. Let's see what happens if the electric busses ever arrive...

(27 Nov 2024, 6:42 pm)Shrek wrote I'm assuming Blyth are short of deckers at the moment? The 7.30am 44 from Dinnington to Newcastle had been a single decker for several weeks and there were a few complaints due to the amount of people standing. Arriva said they'd review the loadings, so now that one is a decker but the 8.05am service has got the single decker and is having the same issue being full before leaving Hazlerigg. What happens if they get complaints about that one? ?

It's probably not a mistake, there's too many singles at Blyth and now with the X7/X8/X10/X11 interworking it's changed things big time.

imo there badly needs to be some investment in some Deckers to replace the whole lot of the X7/X8/X9/X10/X11 allocation with the DB300's staying on the 306/308/43/44/45 until the electrics turn up and 7501-7/9 withdrawn.

I know some will say that it's unrealistic but there hasn't been a new bus at the depot since 2012 ignoring the hybrids which aren't here anymore. If they done that and sent the newer Enviro 400's and some Pulsars to Ashington for the 57/57A, Northumbria would be sorted until at least 2026/27 really.