1500 is now at Ashington depot, although I don't know about any others.

1640 has left Faverdale on the back of an Alpha Low Loader for scrap.
1611 has also left Faverdale under its own power, so that may be moving to another depot

1618 has now also been taken by an Alpha tow truck for scrap

Blyth have 1637 on the 2 today, running 16 minutes late when I saw it a few minutes ago

(11 Dec 2014, 8:45 pm)Tom wrote Cheers

What's the point of that? Why not just send the 12 regs to Redcar and Stockton?! Less than a year difference.

When are they due anyway?

(12 Dec 2014, 5:09 pm)Cock Robin wrote What's the point of that? Why not just send the 12 regs to Redcar and Stockton?! Less than a year difference.

When are they due anyway?

I would imagine as soon as North West put their E400s on the road - 61 to be delivered (of which they currently have 5) so it may not be until February sort of time.

Heard a story that one of the Prestiges at Redcar were seen on the back of a low loader yesterday.

No idea which ones are/were there.

(13 Dec 2014, 11:37 am)Andreos1 wrote Heard a story that one of the Prestiges at Redcar were seen on the back of a low loader yesterday.

No idea which ones are/were there.

4044 I believe 

Does anyone know if the X66's loadings on Sundays are as low as the 1430 from Darlington I was on this afternoon? In total there were about 12 people who boarded the bus; all leaving the bus at Stockton where one person got on.
Don't know if it was intentional or not but I can see the sense of an Optare Solo on (excepting not being able to get to as high a speed easily/comfortably on the A66 as an Omnicity or Pulsar). If usage is so low, would it be worth reducing it to a two-hourly service or even turning the vehicles round at Stockton?

I think at that time on a Sunday more people are travelling from Middlesbrough to Darlington than Darlington to Middlesbrough.

I think the Sunday X66 loadings are okay but nothing spectacular.

God knows why they used a Solo on the 26A/X66 today unless it because of the roadworks in Catterick which someone on here mentioned the other day.

The Sunday X66 working is down as a Solo, although some of the later runs to Catterick do tend to be busy. The loadings are never very high, a few weeks ago, I took 2 people all the way to Boro and brought 6 back. The top speed thing is a good point, most top out at 52/53, some can hit 58 and 2865 can hit 60 whereas all the Pulsars are limited to 60, although the Solos can manage the timings ok. Anything is better then an EcoCity on the A66 on a windy day though!

2857 was on the Felton Shuttle 115 today now in Arriva livery with Northumbria legals.

About 11:30am today, their was 2 Arriva pulsars heading up the A19 passing Peterlee. Drivers had yellow jackets on. Going to Jesmond?.

(13 Dec 2014, 3:06 pm)Stuart Phin wrote 4044 I believe 

4044 and 4068 taken on Friday I'm told (both new livery).

(14 Dec 2014, 9:13 pm)MrPottski wrote The Sunday X66 working is down as a Solo, although some of the later runs to Catterick do tend to be busy. The loadings are never very high, a few weeks ago, I took 2 people all the way to Boro and brought 6 back. The top speed thing is a good point, most top out at 52/53, some can hit 58 and 2865 can hit 60 whereas all the Pulsars are limited to 60, although the Solos can manage the timings ok. Anything is better then an EcoCity on the A66 on a windy day though!

So not even Max on a Sunday?! Surprised they haven't done up a Solo with wifi.
They were talking of providing an evening service at the recent Stockton bus forum, if loadings improve with the relaunch.

I would love an evening X66, it would mean so many good things for me, one of them being longer trips to Whitby / Scarborough for photos - at the moment I have to leave Scarborough before 5pm in order to catch the X66 to Darlington otherwise it is a long detour via Durham on the X1 with a 50 odd minute wait for the 7 home.

Presumably if this happened it would interwork with the 26A which could also run hourly on evenings again as at present it has two journeys that are an hour apart then the next one leaves an hour and 15 minutes later and another an hour behind due to the journey time taking just over an hour on the 26A.

No Max on Sundays at all, the Scanias stay tucked up in the depot. I don't think the loadings would justify an evening service, but stranger things have happened.

On a different note, I was driving the X66 today and noticed 4001 in Boro bus station, 4007 NIS in Stockton high street and 4039 (I think) on the 17a, also in Stockton, while quite a few Pulsars were left in the depot. Must have been test day I guess, because I saw an Catterick branded Scania being driven there by a fitter as well.

(15 Dec 2014, 4:39 pm)MrPottski wrote No Max on Sundays at all, the Scanias stay tucked up in the depot. I don't think the loadings would justify an evening service, but stranger things have happened.

Pretty poor really spending money on refurbishing buses and then not use them on Sunday's, not even a mention that MAX buses won't be used so we aren't getting the level of service that's been advertised.

I can't see a later X66 happening either, some of the last few journeys seem to carry few passengers.

I think if Arriva wanted to try an evening X66 they should try it in the summer when OAPs from Darlington and parts of County Durham may be venturing down to Whitby and Scarborough for a bus pass day trip.

(15 Dec 2014, 4:43 pm)MrPottski wrote On a different note, I was driving the X66 today and noticed 4001 in Boro bus station, 4007 NIS in Stockton high street and 4039 (I think) on the 17a, also in Stockton, while quite a few Pulsars were left in the depot. Must have been test day I guess, because I saw an Catterick branded Scania being driven there by a fitter as well.

Stockton have gotten 4001/4007/4038 from reserve to release 1441/1442/1443 for MAX refurbishment for services X12/X2.

Think I saw 4039 still kicking around in service the other week too.

Wednesday test day I think unless its changed.

(15 Dec 2014, 5:49 pm)Cock Robin wrote Wednesday test day I think unless its changed.

Sure is still Wednesday at Stockton.
4001 entered service on 28s today while 4007 was on 6s (possibly replaced 1451 as that was allocated to 6s this morning), didn't see 4038 or 4039 but they may have been out too.

The peak X2 that leaves Fram at 1704? Was parked at the Holmlands Crescent stop until about 5pm then pulled round to the High Carr Road stop.

Didn't see what happened after that but I doubt it started at the correct stand at Salutation Bus Gate.

More problems on the 21/X21 today:

The 1415 departure from Darlington ended up leaving Darlington 30 minutes late.

4813 was the bus allocated, although I'm not sure if this replaced something else.

(15 Dec 2014, 4:39 pm)MrPottski wrote No Max on Sundays at all, the Scanias stay tucked up in the depot. I don't think the loadings would justify an evening service, but stranger things have happened.

I think that's pretty poor, tbh. If customers board the service expecting everything MAX offers - they'll be pretty peeved on a Sunday when they can't access any of those.

Can probably claim 'false advertising'.

(18 Dec 2014, 5:03 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I think that's pretty poor, tbh. If customers board the service expecting everything MAX offers - they'll be pretty peeved on a Sunday when they can't access any of those.

Can probably claim 'false advertising'.

Yeah it is rather poor that we aren't getting the advertised MAX benefits on a Sunday.

Sapphire service 7 passengers weren't happy when MPD 1760 turned up this afternoon, especially as it was smaller bus which made me unhappy as everyone piled on the 5A instead. I once had this disappoint in the form of Dart 1611 which really annoyed me as I really wanted to use the WiFi on this day as Stockton Calling were announcing their headliners and because I didn't want to pay to use my mobile internet data, so I had to wait until I got home.

The topic of buses not having enhanced features which were advertised but not provided on Sunday's was debated on here in the past when Go North East launched the Tynedale Xpress X84/X85 where on the first day an MPD was used instead of a Solar with WiFi as advertised. I think this was pinned down to lower costs - I'm not sure if this is still the case on that service. I imagine this happens on the 26A/X66 on a Sunday to keep the running costs down, same with the 2/11/12 in Darlington which use Solos on Sundays instead of EcoCitys.

Also there was 2865 and at least one Solo on the X26/X27 today.

(18 Dec 2014, 5:23 pm)Jimmi wrote Yeah it is rather poor that we aren't getting the advertised MAX benefits on a Sunday.

Sapphire service 7 passengers weren't happy when MPD 1760 turned up this afternoon, especially as it was smaller bus which made me unhappy as everyone piled on the 5A instead. I once had this disappoint in the form of Dart 1611 which really annoyed me as I really wanted to use the WiFi on this day as Stockton Calling were announcing their headliners and because I didn't want to pay to use my mobile internet data, so I had to wait until I got home.

The topic of buses not having enhanced features which were advertised but not provided on Sunday's was debated on here in the past when Go North East launched the Tynedale Xpress X84/X85 where on the first day an MPD was used instead of a Solar with WiFi as advertised. I think this was pinned down to lower costs - I'm not sure if this is still the case on that service. I imagine this happens on the 26A/X66 on a Sunday to keep the running costs down, same with the 2/11/12 in Darlington which use Solos on Sundays instead of EcoCitys.

Also there was 2865 and at least one Solo on the X26/X27 today.

I'm told that this Sunday, X66 and 26A will be MAX.

The depot didn't allocate them last week for reasons unknown.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gne-bus-ph...otostream/

Some pics of one of the new volvo's for the X93. they look rather uncomfortable

Confirmed registrations for the 10 Pulsars transferring from North West next year...
3113-3122 MX12KXC/D/E/F KWK/L/M/N/O/P
Part of the list of 49 transferring out of North West as a result of the new E400s entering service over there. Full list posted on my Arriva group at www.facebook.com/groups/arrivauk

They don't look too bad, I bet they are still more comfortable than the seats in the Tesma's.