(08 Dec 2014, 9:51 pm)aureolin wrote Looks like it - you can see better in the original size view: https://www.flickr.com/photos/simplybuse...1/sizes/o/

They look smart externally, but those seats look a bit uncomfortable..

I'm not convinced they do - I think it's just the windowsill. May be wrong though. 

(08 Dec 2014, 9:51 pm)aureolin wrote Looks like it - you can see better in the original size view: https://www.flickr.com/photos/simplybuse...1/sizes/o/

They look smart externally, but those seats look a bit uncomfortable..

They do look pretty bad like, can't be worse than those Urban 90's though can they! 

Quite surprised about the plugs if I'm honest

(08 Dec 2014, 9:51 pm)Tom wrote I'm not convinced they do - I think it's just the windowsill. May be wrong though. 

If you zoom in just before the first double seat on the left on this photo, you can kind of see the outline of the three holes: 
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/simplybuses/15977764442/

Doesn't matter if the seats are comfortable or not or wether it has charging points when your standing because there isn't enough seats.

The seats don't look comfortable, they look a little bit like the ones in the Tesmas and they are awful, especially when your sat on them for over 2 hours on the X93 :s

Bit of a stupid question, are these Enviro200s retaining their Southern Counties fleet numbers (4071 - 4079?) or receiving something like 1321-1329? (Sure I saw that somewhere!)

(08 Dec 2014, 10:03 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Bit of a stupid question, are these Enviro200s retaining their Southern Counties fleet numbers (4071 - 4079?) or receiving something like 1321-1329? (Sure I saw that somewhere!)

They'll be changing to 1320-1328
http://northeastbuses.co.uk/fleet/anefle...&euro=Euro

(08 Dec 2014, 10:05 pm)mb134 wrote They'll be changing to 1321-1329 :
http://northeastbuses.co.uk/fleet/anefle...&euro=Euro

That answers my question! Cheers!

(08 Dec 2014, 10:06 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote That answers my question! Cheers!

No problem  
It's quite nice to see a new vehicle type in the fleet 
Edit: Just noticed, it'll be 1320-8 not 1321-1329  so I changed the first post  

(08 Dec 2014, 10:07 pm)mb134 wrote No problem  
It's quite nice to see a new vehicle type in the fleet 

I agree! Mind, I do miss the DAFs (Jesus, I'll be on moderation before long! ), but I think anything beats a Dart! Haven't sampled ANE's much, other than about ten or so on the 64, but GNE's were all crappy!

(08 Dec 2014, 10:10 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I agree! Mind, I do miss the DAFs (Jesus, I'll be on moderation before long! ), but I think anything beats a Dart! Haven't sampled ANE's much, other than about ten or so on the 64, but GNE's were all crappy!

gtom is not a forum mod, you know!

Quite liked a few of the Darts, actually. 8222 was one of my favourites.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:15 pm)Dan wrote gtom is not a forum mod, you know!

Quite liked a few of the Darts, actually. 8222 was one of my favourites.

Of course! But we all know how BUSIST some people are on here! - you people know who you are, the DAFs have brought me nothing but joy!!!

Of memory, I had 8236/37/38 and 89 during their career at Chester, as well as 8227 and 31/32 when they were sent to Stanley then loaned to Chester. Think I once had one on the 20s too, they seemed to be regulars on there; didn't they!

If Marcus' comment would have him on moderation what I'm about to say will get me banned

I actually quite liked the older Darts Arriva had at Darlington depot and was rather sad to have my last ride on 1616 on service 8 on Saturday, I think I liked them as I have ridden them since I was a little kid, they were mainly used on Newton Aycliffe services when they were brand new and regularly appeared on Aycliffe services until the X reg examples arrived at Darlington depot, I was less of a fan of the R reg examples. I can't stand the X reg examples as they awful, they are knackered and have no leg room and recently they have mainly been confined to Darlington Town services while the 8/8A has had to use the older Darts and an MPD today.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:26 pm)Jimmi wrote If Marcus' comment would have him on moderation what I'm about to say will get me banned

I actually quite liked the older Darts Arriva had at Darlington depot and was rather sad to have my last ride on 1616 on service 8 on Saturday, I think I liked them as I have ridden them since I was a little kid, they were mainly used on Newton Aycliffe services when they were brand new and regularly appeared on Aycliffe services until the X reg examples arrived at Darlington depot, I was less of a fan of the R reg examples. I can't stand the X reg examples as they awful, they are knackered and have no leg room and recently they have mainly been confined to Darlington Town services while the 8/8A has had to use the older Darts and an MPD today.

To be honest, I nearly always used to have 1313 and 1315. I'd say I've had each about 4 times. 1312 and 1318 were another couple I remember being on. Had a handful of Solos on the 64s too, along with 7620 and an 7462.

Used the 42 twice, and had 1424 the first time and 1311 the second.

In terms of Service 7, the only journey I've had on it was under 1522. Also had 7456, 7461 & 7463, 7469, 7477 on Service X24.

Used the X2 dozens of times, and had mainly the batch of 7618/19/20/26/27, but the odd Stockton Pulsar and 1423 from Belmont.

Wanna know how I remember this - keep your tickets, sonny!!

Expensive hobby when you're buying single tickets all day just for the actual bus tickets..!

We don't have a Dart with the fleet number 1318.

1315 is the slowest bus in the world, had it a few times on the 7 before the Sapphire Pulsars entered service. If that isn't the slowest it's got be 1308.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:39 pm)Jimmi wrote We don't have a Dart with the fleet number 1318.

1315 is the slowest bus in the world, had it a few times on the 7 before the Sapphire Pulsars entered service. If that isn't the slowest it's got be 1308.

Whoops! Meant to put 1317! (I'm sure that one rings a bell anyway!)

@Dan - thing is, with me using GNE over ANE and SNE by a mile (purely because it's where my interests are most!), and having a Key Card, I just have to pay 90p for every journey.

So.....if I travel on 6 buses on an average Saturday (the only day I ever really go out!), and with money for lunch and stuff, I can only really need no more than a tenner.

Besides, everyone has a certain aspect of the hobby that interests them most! However, I must say I am tempted to buy the odd Explorer or Day Ticket during the long summer days where I can be out from about 09:00 to 18:00!

Also, all those Arriva journeys have been over the course of about 3 years! lol, and I don't really use Stagecoach much at all.

Still no, we only have the fleet numbers 1301 - 1315.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:48 pm)Jimmi wrote Still no, we only have the fleet numbers 1301 - 1315.

Flamin' Nora! - I'm lost off now! Maybe 1311? The ticket is fading by now, and I suppose it's possible to mistake a 7 for a 1?

(08 Dec 2014, 10:35 pm)Dan wrote Expensive hobby when you're buying single tickets all day just for the actual bus tickets..!

Could maybe start to ask if you could get a 'fleet ticket' stating your time of boarding, origin and destination for nothing when you board?

(Or am I going overboard? )

(08 Dec 2014, 10:46 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Whoops! Meant to put 1317! (I'm sure that one rings a bell anyway!)

@Dan - thing is, with me using GNE over ANE and SNE by a mile (purely because it's where my interests are most!), and having a Key Card, I just have to pay 90p for every journey.

So.....if I travel on 6 buses on an average Saturday (the only day I ever really go out!), and with money for lunch and stuff, I can only really need no more than a tenner.

Besides, everyone has a certain aspect of the hobby that interests them most! However, I must say I am tempted to buy the odd Explorer or Day Ticket during the long summer days where I can be out from about 09:00 to 18:00!

Also, all those Arriva journeys have been over the course of about 3 years! lol, and I don't really use Stagecoach much at all.

Iv'e always used Explorers, still have one of first ones I bought with its original wallet bought on the 43 at 09:01 (had to be bought after 09:00 back then) in 2012 on Centro 0004 on the 43. Eeeee I loved them Centro's!

1636/7/9 have just left Faverdale heading towards the A1M - presumably storage as they still had their LED's display in, so I doubt they will be going to Barnsley just yet.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:18 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Of course! But we all know how BUSIST some people are on here! - you people know who you are, the DAFs have brought me nothing but joy!!!

Of memory, I had 8236/37/38 and 89 during their career at Chester, as well as 8227 and 31/32 when they were sent to Stanley then loaned to Chester. Think I once had one on the 20s too, they seemed to be regulars on there; didn't they!  

Covering for missing purple Solars?
Yes, Darts were often on the 20 unfortunately.

(09 Dec 2014, 12:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote Covering for missing purple Solars?
Yes, Darts were often on the 20 unfortunately.

The circumstances have not really changed: service 20 had no branded spare vehicles when SPDs were in operation within the fleet and it still doesn't now.

Very few of Go North East's services within the region do have branded spare vehicles - it is more common for a depot to have spare vehicles of the same type in GNE's corporate livery. At least now the quality of service is usually retained when a Solar on service 20 is missing, because the depots should allocate a red Solar as the first point of call.

I highly doubt anything will change with the changes either - the PVR will rise and there still won't be any branded spare vehicles. It just means that red Solars will become even more frequent on there.

(08 Dec 2014, 10:46 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Whoops! Meant to put 1317! (I'm sure that one rings a bell anyway!)

@Dan - thing is, with me using GNE over ANE and SNE by a mile (purely because it's where my interests are most!), and having a Key Card, I just have to pay 90p for every journey.

So.....if I travel on 6 buses on an average Saturday (the only day I ever really go out!), and with money for lunch and stuff, I can only really need no more than a tenner.

Besides, everyone has a certain aspect of the hobby that interests them most! However, I must say I am tempted to buy the odd Explorer or Day Ticket during the long summer days where I can be out from about 09:00 to 18:00!

Also, all those Arriva journeys have been over the course of about 3 years! lol, and I don't really use Stagecoach much at all.

Get a Get Around day ticket man.  Just hop off and on buses, and see where you end up.

I usually use my Durham District Arriva ticket to get to and from T&W, and then just buy a Day Rover from there on. I very rarely buy a single tickets, as two adult single fares isn't usually a millon miles away from the price of a day ticket. 

(08 Dec 2014, 11:01 pm)NK05 GWZ wrote Iv'e always used Explorers, still have one of first ones I bought with its original wallet bought on the 43 at 09:01 (had to be bought after 09:00 back then) in 2012 on Centro 0004 on the 43. Eeeee I loved them Centro's!

I can vaguely remember Explorer tickets being in the form of a scratch card. No idea when they were phased out though!

1517 adding some sparkle to service X26 leaving Darlington for marne barracks now

(08 Dec 2014, 10:48 pm)Jimmi wrote Still no, we only have the fleet numbers 1301 - 1315.

Annoying how they start new classes at xxx0 (eg Streetlites and now E200s) rather than xxx1 as they always used to.

New allocation has landed, some interesting moves!

Darlington gain all the Max Scanias
4643/44/45/46/47/48/49/50/51/55/56/57
This displaces 1410 and 1424 to Durham (swaps for the Scanias)
1611, 1626, 1647, 1712 and 1724 to disposal
1646 & 1649 to Ashington, along with 1616 (from reserve), displacing 1792, 1800/1 to Thorntons for wifi fitting. Ashington also gain 7458 from Jesmond (replaced by 7488 from repairs) to replace 7518 for refurb for Max (apparently)
1636, 1637 & 1639 to Blyth, displacing 1773/4/5 to Thorntons for wifi fitting. 7466 arrives from reserve to replace 7607 for refurb (for Sapphire apparently) 
Durham will have to shuffle their fleet around with 1320/1/2/3/6/7/8 added from refurb, replacing 1415/16 and the 5 Geminis to refurb for Max X12/X2
Stockton gain Prestiges 4001/07/38 from reserve to send 1441/2/3 to refurb for Max X12/X2.

Don't think I've missed anything - just a quick note on the refurbs, my thoughts would be 7518 will be Sapphire and 7607 Max rather than the other way around, but I will try and confirm that.

(09 Dec 2014, 9:52 pm)tyresmoke wrote New allocation has landed, some interesting moves!

1611, 1626, 1647, 1712 and 1724 to disposal
1646 & 1649 to Ashington, along with 1616 (from reserve), displacing 1792, 1800/1 to Thorntons for wifi fitting.
1636, 1637 & 1639 to Blyth, displacing 1773/4/5 to Thorntons for wifi fitting.

MPD's getting Wi-Fi?! 

(09 Dec 2014, 9:52 pm)tyresmoke wrote 1792, 1800/1 to Thorntons for wifi fitting. Ashington also gain 7458 from Jesmond (replaced by 7488 from repairs) to replace 7518 for refurb for Max (apparently)

According the Arriva website the X18 timetable is a reduced winter timetable, so if there's a summer timetable change they may be needing another Max bus from somewhere. Is 7518 that bus? Or is it for something else?

Could the MPDs be getting WIFI to go on the X14/57A services?

How long will the darts be at Blyth/Ashington? (1646/1649 etc.)