(03 Sep 2022, 4:33 pm)Unber43 wrote I wonder how many CLS drivers actually like the X21, X21 & 21 moving to gateshead will definitely add some life into the rota
Some of them will have spent periods of years driving just the 21, so with jadedness to account for, it probably doesn't make much difference to them. The 21 is a straightforward route which gets heavy footfall, so a duty of 21s, while appearing repetitive, might feel busy enough to pass quickly. The X21 is more of a run out in comparison. Prior to the rotas being amalgamated in 2014, there were two driving units which covered the work at Chester. I recall most depots had the same principle in their allocation of work; at Stanley, for example, in the same sort of time period, the services which passed through Stanley (8/78, 43/44, X30/X31) formed unit 1, while those which passed through Consett (15/15A, 45/46, X70/X71) were unit 2, with the Venture minibus network being its own thing based at Consett. An easy way to learn find out driving unit covered a route back in the day was to check the duty number on the ticket - if the duty was 1xx, it was unit 1; if it was 2xx, it was unit 2. With rotas being mostly amalgamated at all depots, duty numbers in today's money do not mean the same thing; 1xx is typically an early, 2xx a middle and 3xx a late.
Although some routes changed rotas over the years, by the time the rotas were combined, unit 1 consisted of the 21, the X25 and the 71, while unit 2 was the 8/78 (then with a combined PVR of thirteen, seven of which were at Chester and six of which were at Stanley), 28/28A, 34/34A, the 50 and the 13/14, which was facilitated with remote changeovers (at Sacriston, if I recall). When the X22 still went around the world through Lumley, Rainton and Carrville between Durham and Chester, this had its own rota (mostly old timers) which was mixed with duties which consisted otherwise of solely 21s. When the X22 was later altered in October 2013 so that it essentially followed the 21/X21 route between Chester and Durham, it became part of unit 2 and interworked with the Langley Parks at Durham to remove the need for remote changeovers. I know that, at least at one point, the 4-day rota on unit 1 consisted of only 21s.
When they still had the two separate units, there was little correlation between length of service and driving unit allocation; although newly qualified drivers would always go onto unit 2, an experienced licence-holder might have been asked to go onto unit 1. I suspect, especially with tenured drivers, it was a matter of personal preference. Of the long-serving drivers at Chester who remained at closure, I recall most of them being on unit 1 in the time I am recollecting, but a good few were on unit 2. It must be strange for those who have moved to anywhere but Riverside to think that they might never drive the 21 again after years of driving it and its predecessors.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:09 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I don't think there's a set route for dead runs is there?
I know with the X21 some drivers would go via the A167 while others would go down the A1.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:14 pm)Unber43 wrote no, however how do drivers learn Dead runs, if there are dead runs from such places as South Sheilds & Hexham going via 27/10 would take ages
So do they just need to know where to join and turn off of the A69 and Leam lane etc
Duty boards which involve a period of dead running (the majority of which do) detail the most efficient route to be taken for running light as well as the time in which dead runs are expected to be completed.