(07 Aug 2013, 9:18 am)idiot wrote(07 Aug 2013, 6:05 am)aureolin wrote There were two 638 services circa-2002. During the day it ran Sunderland - Crawcrook using a Delta or something similar. The daytime route through Washington was Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Lambton, and on to the Galleries. On an evening though, it ran Sunderland - Heworth using a Washington MPD. It used to run Fatfield riverside, Harraton, Rickleton, and then on to Lambton, for the Galleries.
That is correct. I spent a full year on the 638 every night from Concord to Hastings Hill as I was seeing a lass from there! Just to mention it mentioned Fatfield out on a Friday, unsure why.
THe 638 to Crawcrook I done the full route once! Never again haha.
When I moved from Birtley in the early 90s, the two long distance services from my new house, were the 777 and 638. I used both to see family in either Birtley or Low Fell (except when they weren't running the full service).
Prior to Park Lane being built, the 638 on an evening and Sunday went to Sunderland CBS and served Rickleton.
It was the late 90s that it got extended to Heworth (sure it went via Sulgrave etc), rather than Rickleton and it pretty much stayed that way until it stopped.
It was the only Wear Buses that served Rickleton on a Sunday, using the stop near Breamish Drive on Rickleton Way as its terminus.
Yeah, the 194 missed out Fatfield too - apparently there had been a few instances of rowdiness after trips to the pubs along the river.
Not sure when the timetable was from which was mentioned earlier, but if it had serviced Low Fell after 6 from the early 90s onwards, I would have used it.
The 777 definately didn't do either the Chester route or in later years, the Newcastle or Metrocentre route beyond peak times either. Pretty sure that when the 638 was moved to Heworth, that was when the short 777 runs were introduced.
Either way, I couldn't use them to see family.