On a Sunday?

That's Good, least it wont be lobbed with rubbish.

Versa's on the 61 on a Sunday is better than the Cadets.

Does anyone know where the Spare Simplicity versa's will be used during the week?

Oh okay. So they'll be on the 61 too, assuming they are interworking? That for me could suggest that the simplicity Versa's are the allocated vehicles for the 61 and will all be gradually branded as drifter.

EDIT: Simplicity Versa are usually used for the 26A Sunday service, so I wonder what's been used on their today?

Hopefully but ive being told only the Saltwell park Versa's are moving to Street shuttle, leaving the Drifters here, so maybe once the Streetlites arrive and are in service for the 60, the Current drifters will move to 61, it does seem ideal... as they are already branded for the Drifter

So now it looks like...

Saltwell Park - Washington Street Shuttle
Drifter Versa's to 61 (hopefully)
Simplicity Versa's from 36 - ???

Edit, i think its still Under contract of NEXUS for the 26A so probley's be simplicity Versa's to but GNE is now running at all times, Arriva lost the contract.

But that wouldn't be enough for WSS. They currently have 14 MPD's, with only 8 Saltwell Park. However unless the M2/M3 are getting bigger buses with W5/W6 keeping MPD's? Or the simplicity Versa could be temporay on the 61 until StreetLites arrive then 5 drifter Versas go to 61. The Saltwell park & spare simplicity Versas go to WSS that would give them 13 buses, with 3 drifter Versa's spare- so one could go to WSS, giving them their 14 buses, with 2 buses going northern or to somewhere else?
RE 26:- Yeah I know there are contract changes, but if the simplicity Versa's are on the 2A/2C/61, there won't be enough for the 26A.

I only heard 2 out of the 4 Street Shuttle services will be getting versa's, not sure on which ones.

But we will have to wait and see what happens over the month, the streetlites should be arriving soon.

On fleet movements over changes... has any happened yet?

So the centenary bus turned out to be the spare Versa with a few stickers on the side? Brilliant thinking whoever came up with this idea. Celebrate 100 years of operation with one of the most problematic vehicles purchased in recent times.

(02 Jun 2013, 11:25 am)Michael wrote I only heard 2 out of the 4 Street Shuttle services will be getting versa's, not sure on which ones.

But we will have to wait and see what happens over the month, the streetlites should be arriving soon.

On fleet movements over changes... has any happened yet?

I use all 4 services regularly. If what I see is anything to go by, and this is indeed the case, then I'd say the M2/M3 rather than the W5/W6. The latter two don't get anywhere near as busy as the M2/M3.

GNE are running a twitter competition today called #spotthenefestbus or similar.

I assume the answer isn't - Broken in Sunderland Road?

On the livery. Outside this community is anyone bothered? I'll hold off until this Beamish Event

(02 Jun 2013, 1:58 pm)gtomlinson wrote GNE are running a twitter competition today called #spotthenefestbus or similar.

I assume the answer isn't - Broken in Sunderland Road?

On the livery. Outside this community is anyone bothered? I'll hold off until this Beamish Event

The honest answer is that I don't think anyone outside of the enthusiast community cares, as long as the bus turns up on time, and gets them to where they want to go.

Few things uploaded on Flickr by Ray Parnaby, Great pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923778369/ - A shot of 8319 at Penshaw, he even got a wave.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8924308334/ - 8320 on Silver Arrow 2A.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923650487/ - is it me or is the number a different style?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923765759/ - 1 which i thought id never see... A angel passing Penshaw!

(02 Jun 2013, 2:29 pm)Michael wrote Few things uploaded on Flickr by Ray Parnaby, Great pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923778369/ - A shot of 8319 at Penshaw, he even got a wave.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8924308334/ - 8320 on Silver Arrow 2A.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923650487/ - is it me or is the number a different style?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/8923765759/ - 1 which i thought id never see... A angel passing Penshaw!

I agree. Some quality shots there. Regards to the 3rd shot, the number appears not to be using the full height of the blind for whatever reason. So it looks a bit compressed! I really like that 3rd shot actually.

8328 on 2c just now heading into Sunderland

Does anyone know which Simplicity buses are for 42 which are/were for 36? As the 36 buses say 'Every 12 Minutes' with 42 buses saying 'Every 10 Minutes' 8320-8329 are all branded SimpliCity, but unsure as to which ones branded for which service.

(02 Jun 2013, 3:47 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Does anyone know which Simplicity buses are for 42 which are/were for 36? As the 36 buses say 'Every 12 Minutes' with 42 buses saying 'Every 10 Minutes' 8320-8329 are all branded SimpliCity, but unsure as to which ones branded for which service.

8319-24 were branded specifically for the 36, while 25-29 were for the 42.
8319 is now in the centenary livery, while 20-24 retain their "SimpliCity" branding.

Thanks Daniel. So has it been all simplicity Versa's on the 2A/2C/61?

@CatsFast100 Just looking at previous comments, photos and the one I saw mean two have been accounted for on the 2a and 2c 8320 and 8328

Laser 35c in silver arrows what's depford playing at!!

I've never seen any GNE buses as badly branded and painted, especially of its iconicness, as 8319. Pealing vinyls along bottom and still purple in places. Absolutely shocking job.

(02 Jun 2013, 11:11 am)CatsFast101 wrote Oh okay. So they'll be on the 61 too, assuming they are interworking? That for me could suggest that the simplicity Versa's are the allocated vehicles for the 61 and will all be gradually branded as drifter.

EDIT: Simplicity Versa are usually used for the 26A Sunday service, so I wonder what's been used on their today?

The 2A/2C Interworked with Drifter 61 Using Simplicity Versas and the Difter 60 interworked with Simplicity 4 using Drifter Versas, Simplicity Versas were also on the 26A as usual, not one cadet was out on road to day from Deptford.

Unfortunately I accidentally deleted all photos so I'll have to catch them another day, Truly Guttered.

As for 8319 although the design is Lazy, I did think it looked quite nice to be fair. I will try to recover my photos hopefully... Fingers Crossed

Time to get rid of the branding, it's become meaningless. Kevin

Totally agree with u Kevin go north east never stick brand to correct route so I'd axe it. I've noticed the 39 is been stripped so god knows which bus will be operating every 10 mins from tomorrow

I am inclined to agree with the above comments. I'm a fan of branding routes, but It becomes ridiculous when they can't get the right buses on the route, and I mean I'm not so bothered about the occasional mishap for the day but it's when like at the minute at Deptford on Sundays, four branded routes (2A&2C/60/61/42) all not using correct buses so it means at least two services won't have correct branding, and even 3 today isn't (I understand the 60 had drifters so was the right brand.) It proves it logistically can't happen. Simplicity Versas are used on the 26A on Sundays as a regular working. Waggonway 28 & Lambton Worm 34A services interwork on Sundays using Waggonway DAF's. It was also suggested that 17/307 interwork on weekdays (never actually got clarification) with the 17 now reintroducing 'The Centurion' brand, it would mean that 307 uses wrong branded buses, when it should really be northern.

(02 Jun 2013, 10:50 pm)CatsFast101 wrote I am inclined to agree with the above comments. I'm a fan of branding routes, but It becomes ridiculous when they can't get the right buses on the route, and I mean I'm not so bothered about the occasional mishap for the day but it's when like at the minute at Deptford on Sundays, four branded routes (2A&2C/60/61/42) all not using correct buses so it means at least two services won't have correct branding, and even 3 today isn't (I understand the 60 had drifters so was the right brand.) It proves it logistically can't happen. Simplicity Versas are used on the 26A on Sundays as a regular working. Waggonway 28 & Lambton Worm 34A services interwork on Sundays using Waggonway DAF's. It was also suggested that 17/307 interwork on weekdays (never actually got clarification) with the 17 now reintroducing 'The Centurion' brand, it would mean that 307 uses wrong branded buses, when it should really be northern.

Totally agree. I'm a fan of the branding and don't actually think its a bad thing having the majority of routes branded - in principle. But planning to have an incorrect brand running an entire service one day out of seven completely removes the point of branding a service. The 307/17 example is less bad (but far from ideal) in my mind, as the 307 isnt a branded route so not as confusing, but having a branded route operated by a different brand makes the whole thing pointless.
The odd mis-branding due to vehicle shortages is less of a problem - better the wrong bus than no bus - but it has been getting stupid lately. Despite having fewer branded Drifters thanks to repaints, Deptford seemed hellbent on having at least one Drifter on the 38 most of last week, while the 61 had Northern randoms.
Sad as it would be to see the whole fleet in Northern red, I think the time has come to abandon the branding farce, or get some management who understand how to apply it successfully.

8326 NK11 GMX GNE Simplicity Optare Versa on the 2C to Otterton-Penshaw
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/8929709603/

Operating the last 2C working of the day from Washington Galleries at 23:25

I know this is a bit blurry that is due to the Night Light situated along the top of the Bus Station, it was also a one shot once chance only as it stood still for all of 10 seconds before pulling out.

As for the branding, I do like the Idea of branding, but the whole point of the Interworkings on the Sunday is to A.) Save Money B.) GNE will use less buses thus resulting save fuel and I know this is stupid, but it's clever as it would meet GNE's targets if they have any for reducing co2 emissions etc.

I think you'll realise what i'm trying to say hence why it is logical GNE have made this move regarding the 2A/2C/60/61 and 42 at Deptford and the 28/28A/34/34A at Chester le Street. Personally I think it was a nice change coming home on a Optare Versa on the 2A today compared to the same old boring Citaro all the time, hopefully they'll variate the fleet allocations.

Does anyone know if the above will be interworking on a night Mon-Sat.

Also a note regarding the 27X after speaking to a Saltmeadows driver on the W6 Tonight, it will be using MPD 564 as of tomorrow.

No changes to evening interworking- On an evening the 42/60 will interwork usually with Drifter Versas. 61 evening runs are shorter than Sundays so they will operate independently, usually with Drifter Cadets. The 2C will operate idependently most likely with Silver Arrows Ciatro's.

Just woken up a short while a go to see what is running some of the early trips on 36/36A, 99 and X36; can't see fleet numbers from my window though.

36

0652 Town End Farm - 0719 Sunderland......."Drifter" Cadet.
0649 Sunderland - 0749 Sunderland............."Drifter" Cadet.


36A

0700 Southwick - 0742 Sunderland..............."Northern" Cadet.
0718 Sunderland - 0812 Sunderland.............."Drifter" Cadet.

99

0737 Southwick - Vicarage Farm..................."Plain yellow" MPD - A bit confused by this one, I assumed this bus would have been dropping out on to a Scholars in the afternoon, unless it gets replaced at some point during the day.

X36

0720 Sunderland - 0821 Newcastle................."Northern" Renown (no surprise really, this made up the previous allocation for X3). When this particular bus returns to Sunderland at 0927, I can't quite figure out if it will go straight back out on the 0930 X36, or the 0934 short X3 to Boldon ASDA. During the day X36 and short X3's appear to interwork, but because this first X36 from Newcastle runs three minutes earlier, it could theoretically do another round trip on X36 before going on to the X3.

No sign of SimpliCity Versas in North Sunderland so far it seems.

Now I have to get ready

I shall keep an eye out for what's on the 61 today then! Seems odd that the 36 and its variants could occupy so many "Drifter" branded Cadets.

"Prince Bishops" 5215 has just been taken out of service and is now going back to the depot with an engineer at the wheel.

"SimpliCity" 8323 is on the 61s today, so to me looks like an allocation swap between the 36 and 61!

Certainly looks that way!

A Vyking is currently working the 0930 ex-Sunderland X36 if anyone is wanting a photo. She is running about 10 minutes late mind.

I'm hoping to be over that way some point on Tuesday. But first I have the matter of tracking down Arriva's 7361 on an early morning work service, need it for a ride on.

Also minor fleet changes. Mainly shuffling of MPDs.
540 - Peterlee to Deptford
544 - Consett to Deptford
564 - Deptford to Saltmeadows
565 - Deptford to Consett

(03 Jun 2013, 9:45 am)GMitchelhill wrote I'm hoping to be over that way some point on Tuesday. But first I have the matter of tracking down Arriva's 7361 on an early morning work service, need it for a ride on.

Also minor fleet changes. Mainly shuffling of MPDs.
540 - Peterlee to Deptford
544 - Consett to Deptford
564 - Deptford to Saltmeadows
565 - Deptford to Consett

I remember someone, no idea who a few months back mentioning about the MPD's replacing the SPD's I think these fleet movements and the upcoming release of MPD's off the Doxford Clipper and Street Shuttle, It could happen. 547 is already Northern so anything is possible