(25 Mar 2015, 6:10 pm)Malarkey wrote Nah I wasnt intending to set it on fire or cause any damage to the Vehicle, just take it for a Joy Ride to see the look on Citaro5284s face.

He'll have you locked up within half an hour of you stealing it, as he'll be tracking every tiny movement the steering wheel makes!  

(25 Mar 2015, 6:10 pm)Malarkey wrote Nah I wasnt intending to set it on fire or cause any damage to the Vehicle, just take it for a Joy Ride to see the look on Citaro5284s face.

The reaction:

He will be so frightened that a Pringles-style moustache will sprout from his face.  

(25 Mar 2015, 6:12 pm)Dan wrote He'll have you locked up within half an hour of you stealing it, as he'll be tracking every tiny movement the steering wheel makes!  

Not if I disable the tracking device he wont.

(25 Mar 2015, 6:16 pm)Malarkey wrote Not if I disable the tracking device he wont.

You'll have to find each and every SIM card first!  

(25 Mar 2015, 6:17 pm)Dan wrote You'll have to find each and every SIM card first!  

Did I ever tell you I hate smart arses, think ill just steal the wheels and put out a few windows instead and leave it VOR for a week or so.

(25 Mar 2015, 6:23 pm)Malarkey wrote Did I ever tell you I hate smart arses, think ill just steal the wheels and put out a few windows instead and leave it VOR for a week or so.

4909, 3804, 6018 and 6036 all been on the pronto today.... as four of the blue deckers were at Chester this morning... knackered yet again. Losing passenger to Arriva 6 due to unreliability 

(25 Mar 2015, 7:51 pm)pdiddy wrote 4909, 3804, 6018 and 6036 all been on the pronto today.... as four of the blue deckers were at Chester this morning... knackered yet again. Losing passenger to Arriva 6 due to unreliability 

Can most likely see a new batch of deckers coming next year for the Red Arrows (don't know what type) allowing this to happen:
- 6001 to 6006 to Crook for Pronto service X21 alongside 3943 acting as a spare.
- 6049(T) to Riverside as a TTX spare allowing 6084 to become a permanent TEN vehicle. This would displace 3963.
- 6007 / 6050 to Riverside / Hexham as spares for the TEN. Displacing 3941 / 3942.
- 6051 and 3941 to Deptford as FAB 56 spares allowing the service to be re-increased to every 10 minutes if warranted with a PVR of 16.
- 6052 and 3942 to Percy Main as Cobalt Clipper spares allowing the PVR to be increased to 17 if warranted.
- 6053 and 6054 to CLS for the Angel and fitted with hybrid flywheel technology displacing 3962.
- 6055 to CLS and acting as a spare for the Angel alongside 3965.
- This would then leave 3962, 3963 and 3964.
- 3962 could then transfer to Riverside as a last resort spare.
- 3963 and 3964 (which are both complete and utter goners) could then replace 3866 / 3867 at Percy Main for DFDS work.

I know that it seems daft replacing 4/5 year old buses but, the Red Arrows is due a refresh with new NSAs and could even do with Power Sockets and there have been many unforeseen PVR increases to services such as the TEN and the Angel and if the 12 minute frequency becomes too much of a strain on the Fab 56 or if the Cobalt Clipper needs an extra bus to take passengers from Arriva and tackle congestion issues at Cobalt, then they'd be able to achieve both things without having buses running in threes or being stuck at Cobalt.

And lets not forget that 6001-6006 would be the most suitable vehicles for the X21 compared to the risk of hammering a Cummins or a low capacity Volvo or Daimler engine up and down all the way from Bishop to Newcastle. I know that they could last 3-4 years but anything beyond that and they'd be heading for trouble. 6001-6006 could give 5 years of service with minimal issues bar the typical Wrightbus 'lecky faults'.

Davey do you dream about the Red Arrows every night? :p

I think they'll leave the 56 every 12 minutes for the time being....

We haven't even got all the orders for this year yet...

(25 Mar 2015, 8:33 pm)Michael wrote Davey do you dream about the Red Arrows every night?

I think they'll leave the 56 every 12 minutes for the time being....

We haven't even got all the orders for this year yet...

I highly doubt they are going to put the 56 back up to every 10 minutes when they have just put it down to every 12 minutes.

I'm not sure about new buses for the X21 as it interworks with the 21 on evenings and Sunday's although it could do with newer stock.

4/5 year old deckers are not going to be replaced by more double deckers. I can't see any logic in it personally.

(25 Mar 2015, 4:27 pm)citaro5284 wrote Dont know about Dan but let me have a think....errrr.........NO!

---

Herbert, Sherbert, Maggot or Rusty? The question is, which one...

(25 Mar 2015, 8:33 pm)Michael wrote Davey do you dream about the Red Arrows every night? :p

I think they'll leave the 56 every 12 minutes for the time being....

We haven't even got all the orders for this year yet...

Don't dream about the X1 all night and there's nothing wrong the the B9s currently allocated but:
- They're the oldest B9s in the fleet.
- Don't hace power sockets like post TTX standard (bar the Angel).
- Have paid themselves off.
- Are proven and mostly reliable.
- Would provide good quality spares and make up for shortfalls in PVRs.

(25 Mar 2015, 9:25 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Don't dream about the X1 all night and there's nothing wrong the the B9s currently allocated but:
- They're the oldest B9s in the fleet.
- Don't hace power sockets like post TTX standard (bar the Angel).
- Have paid themselves off.
- Are proven and mostly reliable.
- Would provide good quality spares and make up for shortfalls in PVRs.

And they're still going to be most of those if they get cascaded! They have got many more years left in them. Leave them where they are.

(24 Mar 2015, 3:49 pm)Michael wrote Ye, gutted because they're good buses!

they were canny bus rides

(24 Mar 2015, 4:05 pm)Dan wrote The spare for each depot comes after the branded examples.

5391 - 5394: X66 Blue
5395 - 5400: 8/78 Green Stanley
5401: Spare Red Stanley
5402 - 5408: 8/78 Green Chester
5409: Spare Red Chester

mmm interesting imagine 5409 on 21 

(24 Mar 2015, 4:24 pm)Dan wrote If I told you, I'd have to kill you!

We'll find out next month what is to come for the 8/78.

you have been watching too much johnny english

(25 Mar 2015, 1:06 pm)Michael wrote Looks like it but it looks much better on the blue base than the gold one... 

i like it looks nice cannot wait to see it in action now

(25 Mar 2015, 4:15 pm)Citaro5292 wrote Well 5234 has arrived back at stanley depot today in black

Photo courtesy of Paul Lamb

looks nice  in black am now thinking they could put it in a revised livery for toon link

(25 Mar 2015, 9:25 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Don't dream about the X1 all night and there's nothing wrong the the B9s currently allocated but:
- They're the oldest B9s in the fleet.
- Don't hace power sockets like post TTX standard (bar the Angel).
- Have paid themselves off.
- Are proven and mostly reliable.
- Would provide good quality spares and make up for shortfalls in PVRs.

the 11 reg plates are older but 12 plates are not only beaten by Tyne Tees Express examples

Citaro5292 Wrote:
Well 5234 has arrived back at stanley depot today in black
Photo courtesy of Paul Lamb

I hope they go onto the Loop. Loop Buses are way overdue & need improve buses.

I was hoping they would come onto Crusader shame. Mers are ugly.

I think the omnicities will go on the Loop allowing the solars to transfer to Percy Main for service 17

(24 Mar 2015, 10:29 pm)Versa5389 wrote FTransbus MPD 561 NK53TLF was seen today in plain Yellow being driven towards Riverside Depot from Blaydon on Trade Plates at around 16:00. The driver was wearing black overalls suggesting not a GNE fitter.

My guess is that it had been to Thorntons for a deep clean, so that the bus is pristine when it transfers to Hexham for use on the AD122.

Much to my surprise, 561 (NK53 TLF) has been branded for service AD122. There's a large logo (usually where the "Tyndeale Links" logo would be) for the AD122, and sub-branding at the top with all the places the AD122 serves. It's not as good as Alba Travel's Solo SR (as seen below - for those who haven't seen it before), but it's a lot better than running around in a plain yellow base livery.

Exterior shot of Alba Travel of Penrith's YJ10EZA, Optare Solo SR by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

557 (NK53 TKV) was absent from Saltmeadows Road yesterday, so my guess is that Thorntons have got that at the moment, following the return of 561. I'd expect that 561 would now transfer directly to Hexham rather than to Hexham via Deptford.

(25 Mar 2015, 7:51 pm)pdiddy wrote 4909, 3804, 6018 and 6036 all been on the pronto today.... as four of the blue deckers were at Chester this morning... knackered yet again. Losing passenger to Arriva 6 due to unreliability 

Knackered, or having their destinations updated? Just because a vehicle is absent from service does not mean it is "knackered".

All of Chester-le-Street and Crook's vehicles had their destinations updated yesterday if they could be captured, and if they couldn't, they'll be done at some point this week. The main thing that will be noticed is that the Angels no longer have a green square, and they have a large white number in Arial font instead. In fact, all branded services now have white route numbers - regardless of whether a branded vehicle with colour route number or corporate liveried vehicle with colour route number is allocated. The via points on a large number of services have been revised to coincide with timing points on the timetable or key points of the route.

Stanley's destinations have also been updated at my end, but a full depot update has not yet taken place. Riverside's destinations are going to be updated at my end today, but I doubt we will push out an update until July when the QuayLink is due to change.

(26 Mar 2015, 1:34 am)Davie wrote I think the omnicities will go on the Loop allowing the solars to transfer to Percy Main for service 17

If the OmniCities do go on the loop, does that mean your going to refuse to get it to Gateshead Stadium

Yesterday, a further Streetlite destined for services 8/78 arrived at Saltmeadows Road, this being 5398 (NK15 ENL).

(25 Mar 2015, 4:15 pm)Citaro5292 wrote Well 5234 has arrived back at stanley depot today in black

Photo courtesy of Paul Lamb

Yeah I passed it as an engineer was driving up towards Stanley on the A693.

It looked quite smart to be honest.

(26 Mar 2015, 7:11 am)Dan wrote Knackered, or having their destinations updated? Just because a vehicle is absent from service does not mean it is "knackered".

All of Chester-le-Street and Crook's vehicles had their destinations updated yesterday if they could be captured, and if they couldn't, they'll be done at some point this week. The main thing that will be noticed is that the Angels no longer have a green square, and they have a large white number in Arial font instead. In fact, all branded services now have white route numbers - regardless of whether a branded vehicle with colour route number or corporate liveried vehicle with colour route number is allocated. The via points on a large number of services have been revised to coincide with timing points on the timetable or key points of the route.

Stanley's destinations have also been updated at my end, but a full depot update has not yet taken place. Riverside's destinations are going to be updated at my end today, but I doubt we will push out an update until July when the QuayLink is due to change.

Hopefully bringing Chester le Streets "Not In Service" destination in line with the other depots. They were still using the Not In Service for all the latest info blind on Monday. I'd like to see the new 21 destination colour. I quite liked the green number but do admit all tha could be seen was the green square and not the route number. 

(26 Mar 2015, 7:11 am)Dan wrote Knackered, or having their destinations updated? Just because a vehicle is absent from service does not mean it is "knackered".

All of Chester-le-Street and Crook's vehicles had their destinations updated yesterday if they could be captured, and if they couldn't, they'll be done at some point this week. The main thing that will be noticed is that the Angels no longer have a green square, and they have a large white number in Arial font instead. In fact, all branded services now have white route numbers - regardless of whether a branded vehicle with colour route number or corporate liveried vehicle with colour route number is allocated. The via points on a large number of services have been revised to coincide with timing points on the timetable or key points of the route.

Stanley's destinations have also been updated at my end, but a full depot update has not yet taken place. Riverside's destinations are going to be updated at my end today, but I doubt we will push out an update until July when the QuayLink is due to change.

No there had been put off the previous say... either broken down or defects.

6021 only got 2 mile down the road this morning and broke down/defects again

Are the black scanias the possible volvo replacements at crook?, not forgetting the 4 vehicles as mentioned earlier. Possible split vehicle allocations. Dont think the pronto needs a full decker allocations.

(26 Mar 2015, 11:40 am)nk55 wrote Are the black scanias the possible volvo replacements at crook?, not forgetting the 4 vehicles as mentioned earlier. Possible split vehicle allocations. Dont think the pronto needs a full decker allocations.

I'd hate to have single deckers on the X21, the one that leaves Durham at 0936 for Newcastle is often completely full and the X21 can often be full or near full a large amount of the time, thankfully the extra peak journeys have spread things out a bit between Durham and Newcastle around peak times.

If single deckers go on the X21 I think I'd use it even less than I do now and opt for the X2 (soon to be X12) instead.

(26 Mar 2015, 9:07 am)Versa5389 wrote Hopefully bringing Chester le Streets "Not In Service" destination in line with the other depots. They were still using the Not In Service for all the latest info blind on Monday. I'd like to see the new 21 destination colour. I quite liked the green number but do admit all tha could be seen was the green square and not the route number. 

The reason why Chester-le-Street was the first depot to be completed was because the old Not in Service destination was still being used.

The coloured square, in my opinion, detracted attention from the number itself. We have discussed in the recent past how customers are heavily reliant on branding and the colour of vehicles to determine which service an approaching bus is, and a coloured square behind the route number only added to this. As there was duplication in the colour of the squares on shared corridors between different services, I personally think it's better that we moved away from this. The new number is a lot larger, and in white to contrast against the normal amber LEDs. It works well, in my opinion, especially in low light conditions. As all new deliveries are fitted with full white LED displays all around, it (to a degree) allows consistency, as well.

Where is 8327?

(26 Mar 2015, 11:46 am)Jimmi wrote I'd hate to have single deckers on the X21, the one that leaves Durham at 0936 for Newcastle is often completely full and the X21 can often be full or near full a large amount of the time, thankfully the extra peak journeys have spread things out a bit between Durham and Newcastle around peak times.

If single deckers go on the X21 I think I'd use it even less than I do now and opt for the X2 (soon to be X12) instead.

I did say a split allocation of deckers & singles same as X30/X31/X70/X71. Gne would know which type to allocate on what service.

What time is 8327 is on today to arrive at the galls?