(03 Nov 2015, 4:58 pm)chrisnorthern wrote More dates for the 301, taken from old enthusiast news sheets. I don't have any timetable leaflets to support these dates so I'm open to correction:
At deregulation, 26/10/86, 301 was Whitley Bay Bandstand to Gateshead Interchange.
5//9/87 extended Gateshead to Metro Centre daily except Sundays
29/7/90 extended Whitley Bay Bandstand to caravan Park
23/10/94 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays (start of Sunday trading at MC)
29/7/95 withdrawn between Gateshead and Metro Centre
30/9/95 extended to Metro Centre again during shopping hours (supported by Tyne & Wear PTE)
8/1/96 Metro Centre extension withdrawn again except on Saturdays.
September 2002 designated a Tyne & Wear Superoute
30/8/03 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays
3/9/05 all Metro Centre journeys withdrawn.

I haven't checked the dates when it became the Coaster route 1 or when it was extended to Wrekenton/Kibblesworth (again) as they weren't relevant to this thread.

Now what was next - oh yes, routes along the full length of Saltwell Road. Back to the old news sheets...................

25/03/2007:

1= Whitley Bay to Gateshead.
2 = Whitley Bay to Eldon Square. No longer served Marden like the 302.

30/03/2008:

1= Whitley Bay to Kibblesworth
2 = North Shields to Wrekenton (from Whitley Bay evenings and Sundays)