(16 Jan 2016, 6:52 pm)LeeCalder wrote It's good to hear that the missing vinyl's are being replaced.
On the subject of branding's being dull, a friend of mine was talking about the branding's of the present and past, and how quite frankly they have gone downhill. I'll use the example he used...
1 - Magic Roundabout, Doxford Clipper and Pink Angel
2 - Green Arrow, indiGO and Coast and Country.
I know which option I would rather choose, and it certainly wouldn't be 2.
It's difficult to really compare Options 1 and 2, as these aren't like-for-like replacements.
If you and your friend were to compare the old "Lime" brand to the current "Coast & Country" brand, there would only ever be one winner (and that's the more modern "Coast & Country" design - if you needed that clarifying!) Whilst the name itself isn't as catchy, the brand design itself is spot on and is noticeable even from a distance. It really sells what's on the route of the 8 and 78 services - the various landmarks served en-route and places to visit are all clearly identifiable.
The current "indiGo" brand is a lot more eye-catching than the old "East Durham" brand, and dirt (which is unavoidable at this time of year due to grit on the road, etc) is a lot less noticeable on these buses than the examples they replaced, due to the darker base livery. In an area like Peterlee where there is competition with services from another bus operator, buses have to be striking, and I certainly feel like the pink base livery achieves this. Again - an improvement in my eyes.
I used to live in the Humbledon Hill estate when the "Magic Roundabout" was around, and I used to love travelling on the 33 service, which was ultimately down to the route branding on these buses. With hindsight; the main roundabout on the route of the 33 service was the Premier Road / Silksworth Lane roundabout, and there wasn't a great deal that was 'magic' about it, so I'm not entirely sure what is relevant about this brand..?
Route branding is always going down to be personal preference amongst enthusiasts - the above posts in response to yours provide further evidence of this. There's good designs, and not-so-good designs, but ultimately I feel the company is delivering improvements with route branding. The more pointless brand names have been dropped, and the company is no longer 'branding for branding's sake'.