(24 Dec 2022, 8:13 am)RobinHood wrote Durham use Solos on midi routes that are much more challenging than the 57 (ironically the same number though!) and they seem to cope fine.

Given they knackered the last Solos they had, now these ones, tends to suggest that it's not the bus that is the issue, it's more likely the quality of the engineering.

I'm not sure mind, the Durham ones are just as bad. Just looking at them today, 2860 and 2864 assuming are VOR, 2865 appears to have broken down near the A19 plus 2859 and 2869 have been pulled off already (obviously could be other reasons).

All the Solo's need to go imo, they're absolutely shot to bits, yet the ones doing the harder work are still in service while ones pottering around the estates of Darlington have been replaced - not saying Darlington shouldn't have investment aswell.

Mind I'd say the Ashington 57 isn't any easier than Durham's - they're very similar though it's why I put probably