Here is the Vehicle in question

BU13 ZVE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91489991@N0...ist-fowMsV

Any Ideas on when it'll arrive for testing Liam. Got to say this quite a stunning looking Citaro compared to it's sister Citaros, although I do like the batches we have on the Laser and Silver Arrows

(06 Aug 2013, 6:47 pm)Liam wrote See my post from June. Could be incorrect on the date front, but that is the initial timeframe I was given. http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=495&pid=9145&highlight=Citaro+K#pid9145

Searching to find that took forever. Citaro is used way too much on here

Cheers Liam.

GNE Update

''Simplicity'' branded Versa 8326 (NK11 GWX), made a rare appearance on the 56 today, as seen here.
''East Durham'' branded MPD 541 (NA52AXF) was working the short 39 workings to Doxford Park as seen here.

Also, 506 is still going strong, working the full 39's today as seen here, And finally, a photograph of the adverts applied to the ''Centurion'' B10BLE's can be viewed here.

(06 Aug 2013, 10:46 am)gtomlinson wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 10:39 am)idiot wrote Also would like to say that Sunderland is a bigger City than Newcastle....

It was (because you included Washington whereas Newcastle didn't include its suburbs) but its not any longer

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/local...-1-4746170

To be fair, Sunderland is still the bigger city (the link you provided was about population, not area). Not sure what you mean by Newcastle not including its suburbs - these measures are generally based on local authority boundaries i.e. including suburbs, excluding areas which are part of another LA. Data here http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/what...-wales.xls.

(06 Aug 2013, 4:39 pm)Andreos1 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 4:31 pm)ifm001 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 4:14 pm)Andreos1 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 3:32 pm)ifm001 wrote I know its the wrong bus company but talking about Durham Road Low Fell can anyone remember the Calvary Coaches service 380 that used to run the lengthy Tynemouth to Washington route via Coast road Newcastle City Centre Gateshead Low Fell and Birtley

I certainly can. Was it a service to link in with Kings School?
If I remember correctly, GNE got the route and extended it to run to Philadelphia depot

Yes it was for KIngs school start and finish times. Travelled on it just the once. Can't remember it passing to gne though. Thought it just got withdrawn when Calvary finished

Pretty sure it did - not sure if it kept the same number, but 99.9% certain it kept going for a short while.

This was purely a positioning route rather than running light (whilst also making a little money and fuel tax relief as a registered service) to take up the Kings School journeys in Tynemouth.

When first registered, Go-Ahead Northern registered the morning Tynemouth to Newcastle part of the journey but retreated soon after when they realised the lack of passengers.

Service was withdrawn when kings school changed to use Armstrong Galley for their transport at the end of July 1993.

Bloody hell the mackems are taking this a bit seriously, how can you compare a city centre based stadium and a stadium built on wasteland next to the river....

(06 Aug 2013, 2:48 pm)gtomlinson wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 2:44 pm)Andreos1 wrote Sorry to bring it up again, but that Durham Road corridor via the Angel had some frequency prior to the changes - quite an array of destinations being served too!

My favourite topic

It's quite telling how few destinations are being served now (as a terminus). I can only count Chester Le Street, Durham, Wrekenton, Kibblesworth and Middlesbrough - Which isn't many

It is also telling how relatively poor the amount of buses per hour directly into Newcastle from Low Fell is now compared to what it used to be. Now there is just one direct GNE service which serves all stops along the Durham Road corridor that serves Newcastle direct (8 per hour), where as there used to be a whole host of them before GNE took on the 21 (231, 709, 722, 723, 724, 728, 735) plus all of the Gateshead depot services (24, 25 etc.). I know people would say that a 7/8 minute frequency is good, but that's quite a bit less than it has been in the past.

Not forgetting 221 and 21 which ran alongside all those during the bus war

(06 Aug 2013, 9:00 pm)gtomlinson wrote Not forgetting 221 and 21 which ran alongside all those during the bus war

And also Tyne Rider route 20 qhich operated to Harlow Green

How many other Tyne Rider routes were there?

There was one that ran to Allerdene/Harlow Green as mentioned, and I know that one was introduced on the 53/54 Saltwell Circular shortly after Classic introduced their own services on that route. Were there any more?

Coatsworth Road must have been an absolute nightmare given the high-frequencies of each of these services.

(06 Aug 2013, 9:16 pm)AdamY wrote How many other Tyne Rider routes were there?

There was one that ran to Allerdene/Harlow Green as mentioned, and I know that one was introduced on the 53/54 Saltwell Circular shortly after Classic introduced their own services on that route. Were there any more?

Coatsworth Road must have been an absolute nightmare given the high-frequencies of each of these services.

Can't remember any others but there probably was.

That's what we need now. More competition

Bring back catch a bus. Twoc. Redby. Classic buses. Ok travel

(06 Aug 2013, 8:46 am)Andreos1 wrote The 638 was Sunderland - Rickleton at one point, with the 777 not running on a Sunday or evening.
When the 638 ran to Heworth, pretty sure that was when the 777 was introduced on a Sunday for the short working to Rickleton.
The evening runs for the 777 - couldn't tell you to be honest. By the mid/late 90's when it did run late, I never had need to use the section before Harraton/Fatfield - it was always the bit after. Its last run towards Sunderland terminated on the A19 junction at Pennywell though, before running light to Chester.

I can't remember the 638 terminating at Low Fell though. Where would it have turned around? To be honest, if it had ran to Low Fell, I probably would have used it.

Spent an hour looking through old leaflets and then thought I bet its already in the bygone area.

http://northeastbuses.net78.net/archive/...r1986d.jpg

Talking to a Washington driver this evening he thinks the 638 never went to Rickelton, the 776 was the service that terminated there until the 777 was introduced. He remembers doing the 638 to Ryton and later Crawcrook and the Evenings to Low Fell and later Heworth. He also remembers doing the 777 from Rickelton to Sunderland then a 140 to Doxford Park and back to Sunderland then the 777 back to Rickelton.

(07 Aug 2013, 3:44 am)ADLEnviro wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 8:46 am)Andreos1 wrote The 638 was Sunderland - Rickleton at one point, with the 777 not running on a Sunday or evening.
When the 638 ran to Heworth, pretty sure that was when the 777 was introduced on a Sunday for the short working to Rickleton.
The evening runs for the 777 - couldn't tell you to be honest. By the mid/late 90's when it did run late, I never had need to use the section before Harraton/Fatfield - it was always the bit after. Its last run towards Sunderland terminated on the A19 junction at Pennywell though, before running light to Chester.

I can't remember the 638 terminating at Low Fell though. Where would it have turned around? To be honest, if it had ran to Low Fell, I probably would have used it.

Spent an hour looking through old leaflets and then thought I bet its already in the bygone area.

http://northeastbuses.net78.net/archive/...r1986d.jpg

Talking to a Washington driver this evening he thinks the 638 never went to Rickelton, the 776 was the service that terminated there until the 777 was introduced. He remembers doing the 638 to Ryton and later Crawcrook and the Evenings to Low Fell and later Heworth. He also remembers doing the 777 from Rickelton to Sunderland then a 140 to Doxford Park and back to Sunderland then the 777 back to Rickelton.

There were two 638 services circa-2002. During the day it ran Sunderland - Crawcrook using a Delta or something similar. The daytime route through Washington was Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Lambton, and on to the Galleries. On an evening though, it ran Sunderland - Heworth using a Washington MPD. It used to run Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Rickleton, and then on to Lambton, for the Galleries.

SPD on the 35 seen on durham road heading for south shields..
4914 also on 35 heading towards hougton just passing bede
Centruian on 9 currently at park lane
SPD on 56 heading to park labne currently heading over the bridge.

Editing this as i see haha

(07 Aug 2013, 6:05 am)aureolin wrote There were two 638 services circa-2002. During the day it ran Sunderland - Crawcrook using a Delta or something similar. The daytime route through Washington was Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Lambton, and on to the Galleries. On an evening though, it ran Sunderland - Heworth using a Washington MPD. It used to run Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Rickleton, and then on to Lambton, for the Galleries.

That is correct. I spent a full year on the 638 every night from Concord to Hastings Hill as I was seeing a lass from there! Just to mention it mentioned Fatfield out on a Friday, unsure why.

THe 638 to Crawcrook I done the full route once! Never again haha.

I don't know what Chester-le-Street have done to the front display on 4944, but it's not just the 28 it displays odd!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nerbp/92502...otostream/
Photo by: NERBP

Lambton Worm 4865 on the Lime 78 today, Chester le Street to Consett at 10.25.
Replacement bus on the Lambton Worm is 4944 running on the 34A, the destination board on 4944 is in normal working order now.

Silver Arrows Merc 5327 has just been taken out of service and returned to the depot by an engineer.
547 could be its replacement as the same engineer has just driven that back out from the depot.

Not sure how long this has been the case for, but 8240 has been stripped of Northern vinyls having been withdrawn and looks ready to be stored prior to getting scrapped.

(07 Aug 2013, 9:18 am)idiot wrote

(07 Aug 2013, 6:05 am)aureolin wrote There were two 638 services circa-2002. During the day it ran Sunderland - Crawcrook using a Delta or something similar. The daytime route through Washington was Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Lambton, and on to the Galleries. On an evening though, it ran Sunderland - Heworth using a Washington MPD. It used to run Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Rickleton, and then on to Lambton, for the Galleries.

That is correct. I spent a full year on the 638 every night from Concord to Hastings Hill as I was seeing a lass from there! Just to mention it mentioned Fatfield out on a Friday, unsure why.

THe 638 to Crawcrook I done the full route once! Never again haha.

When I moved from Birtley in the early 90s, the two long distance services from my new house, were the 777 and 638. I used both to see family in either Birtley or Low Fell (except when they weren't running the full service).
Prior to Park Lane being built, the 638 on an evening and Sunday went to Sunderland CBS and served Rickleton.
It was the late 90s that it got extended to Heworth (sure it went via Sulgrave etc), rather than Rickleton and it pretty much stayed that way until it stopped.

It was the only Wear Buses that served Rickleton on a Sunday, using the stop near Breamish Drive on Rickleton Way as its terminus.

Yeah, the 194 missed out Fatfield too - apparently there had been a few instances of rowdiness after trips to the pubs along the river.

Not sure when the timetable was from which was mentioned earlier, but if it had serviced Low Fell after 6 from the early 90s onwards, I would have used it.

The 777 definately didn't do either the Chester route or in later years, the Newcastle or Metrocentre route beyond peak times either. Pretty sure that when the 638 was moved to Heworth, that was when the short 777 runs were introduced.
Either way, I couldn't use them to see family.

My mum has just phoned me questioning why there is a yellow bus with "East Durham" on the side on the normal 39 runs today... Bless!
Arrived Wavendon heading to Pennywell approx 5 mins ago. Not sure if it was a Deptford example or a Peterlee one though. Just in case anyone wants a photo!

It went Sunderland - Chester Road - Barnwell - Penshaw - Fatfield (or via Hghway on Fridays) - Harraton - Rickleton - Lambton - Galleries - Albany - Concord - Sulgrave...

Never done the rest of the route lol.

'East Durham' 510 on the X7 today, supposed to be the 1210 from Middlesbrough, however due to a fatal accident on the A66 in Middlesbrough, expected it to be delayed.

(07 Aug 2013, 11:35 am)Kuyoyo wrote 'East Durham' 510 on the X7 today, supposed to be the 1210 from Middlesbrough, however due to a fatal accident on the A66 in Middlesbrough, expected it to be delayed.

Meanwhile, 4907 sits in Deptford depot...

I'm also told that a Laser is on the 2A/C cycle today. At The Wavendon heading to town about 5 mins ago.

Yeah, the 194 missed out Fatfield too - apparently there had been a few instances of rowdiness after trips to the pubs along the river.

Back when people used to use buses for a night out! I remember some re-routing's because of rowdy behaviour, particularly the 27 on Sunday nights, where the last journey omitted the Black Horse bus stop on Kells Lane, instead diverting via Valley Drive, Old Durham Road and Beacon Lough Road to reach Easedale Gardens.

I can't think of any services GNE run today which still have a diversion on the last journey to avoid the pubs.

5266 has just departed Saltmeadows to return to Percy Main, wearing a fresh coat of blue.
5261 is being repainted now.

5261 going blue?

Wonder if any if the other northen omi's will go blue?

(07 Aug 2013, 12:47 pm)Michael wrote 5261 going blue?

Wonder if any if the other northen omi's will go blue?

Sure I've said a few times that 5261 would go blue to accommodate for the higher PVR of 1/24 from September. :p
Few other things may come shortly..!

On the subject of Omnis, repainted 5265 departed Gateshead on the 1345 1 to Whitley Bay. Next due back 1645.

Sorry i forgot, wonder if the full route for the 1 will still run every 15 mins or decrease to every 20 mins.

Oh so the Coaster could loose the Omi's?

(07 Aug 2013, 1:01 pm)Michael wrote Sorry i forgot, wonder if the full route for the 1 will still run every 15 mins or decrease to every 20 mins.

Oh so the Coaster could loose the Omi's?

Lose, but also gain. Same for the Cobalt Clipper and Northern branded Omnis at Percy Main.

3964 is having her second day on the X10, while sister 63 is running 30 mins late on the X9.