(16 May 2014, 9:07 pm)speedwheels22 wrote Think gne should extend the 27X to shields think be a good idea express from shields to newcastle non stop r is that a bad idea

27X is a nice quiet route highly doubt it to be extended to South Shields it has been over a year since it was introduced I remember last year seeing a Nexus Bus Solo on that route I accidently photographed the bus on route familiarisation while as for me I had some rather sad news do not wanna talk about it and happened exactly 1 year ago today the 27A tried that in the past that's how it got replaced by 27 and Hebburn has enough buses going to South Shields with 27, 88/88A we don't need another one as if ya extend the 27X to South Shields would kill the service and vehicle MPDs are well some are ok some are terrible some are like tanks and sound awful

(17 May 2014, 2:59 pm)Racer_Experience wrote 27X is a nice quiet route highly doubt it to be extended to South Shields it has been over a year since it was introduced I remember last year seeing a Nexus Bus Solo on that route I accidently photographed the bus on route familiarisation while as for me I had some rather sad news do not wanna talk about it and happened exactly 1 year ago today the 27A tried that in the past that's how it got replaced by 27 and Hebburn has enough buses going to South Shields with 27, 88/88A we don't need another one as if ya extend the 27X to South Shields would kill the service and vehicle MPDs are well some are ok some are terrible some are like tanks and sound awful

I think if 27X did get extend (27X to 2015 before axing it) to S/S will not kill 27. It will help it when 27s run in 2s/3s.

Their should be another service to S/S or Newcastle. Their was 3/half bus service running in Hebburn to S/S back in 90s its very possible to add theme back in.

However their is 1 bus service which follows 27X (which is 515 - TCM Group). Like 27X do's not get used all the time.

I would like to see QCS to be introduce which will (i hope) sort half the problems.

I'm just wondering, is TEN branded Gemini 2 6080 based at Hexham or Riverside? A few photos on Flickr state Hexham, as does the forum's fleet list. But, I have a ticket from the 12th April, and there was a driver changeover took place at the Metrocentre which I got on, and a Riverside driver was in the drivers seat, and I spoke to him (it was a few minutes late and I engaged in conversation with him) and he said he was previously at Winlaton. I'm not sure why Hexham drivers would be changing over at the Metrocentre, as Riverside Van 1017 was involved in the changeover. I'm really confused.

(17 May 2014, 3:48 pm)Marcus wrote I'm just wondering, is TEN branded Gemini 2 6080 based at Hexham or Riverside? A few photos on Flickr state Hexham, as does the forum's fleet list. But, I have a ticket from the 12th April, and there was a driver changeover took place at the Metrocentre which I got on, and a Riverside driver was in the drivers seat, and I spoke to him (it was a few minutes late and I engaged in conversation with him) and he said he was previously at Winlaton. I'm not sure why Hexham drivers would be changing over at the Metrocentre, as Riverside Van 1017 was involved in the changeover. I'm really confused.

There is no set allocation for the "TEN" branded Geminis - they swap over between depots each night.

(17 May 2014, 3:48 pm)Marcus wrote I'm just wondering, is TEN branded Gemini 2 6080 based at Hexham or Riverside? A few photos on Flickr state Hexham, as does the forum's fleet list. But, I have a ticket from the 12th April, and there was a driver changeover took place at the Metrocentre which I got on, and a Riverside driver was in the drivers seat, and I spoke to him (it was a few minutes late and I engaged in conversation with him) and he said he was previously at Winlaton. I'm not sure why Hexham drivers would be changing over at the Metrocentre, as Riverside Van 1017 was involved in the changeover. I'm really confused.

The TEN vehicles operate from both sites and also there is some trips on a night whereby the Hexham driver has their bait at the Riverside.

(17 May 2014, 3:51 pm)citaro5284 wrote The TEN vehicles operate from both sites and also there is some trips on a night whereby the Hexham driver has their bait at the Riverside.

Should do the same with the Tyne Tees Xpress Services X9/X10, And have half the PVR move to Peterlee to help improve Reliability.

(17 May 2014, 4:03 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Should do the same with the Tyne Tees Xpress Services X9/X10, And have half the PVR move to Peterlee to help improve Reliability.

Not sure how moving three B9TLs to a low-cost outstation would be any good at all? The resources at Riverside are far superior to the resources at Peterlee.
You could argue that having a tacho-fitted B10BLE at Peterlee would be purposeful, as well as having a spare driver readily available in the bus station, but there's also the cost-factor you'd have to consider. Certainly could appreciate that it's better to have one spare tacho-fitted vehicle present at Peterlee to replace breakdowns at the Middlesbrough end of the route, but even then, it takes 30 minutes to get from A to B and the next TTX is ready and picking up passengers by then.

(17 May 2014, 4:16 pm)Dan wrote Not sure how moving three B9TLs to a low-cost outstation would be any good at all? The resources at Riverside are far superior to the resources at Peterlee.
You could argue that having a tacho-fitted B10BLE at Peterlee would be purposeful, as well as having a spare driver readily available in the bus station, but there's also the cost-factor you'd have to consider. Certainly could appreciate that it's better to have one spare tacho-fitted vehicle present at Peterlee to replace breakdowns at the Middlesbrough end of the route, but even then, it takes 30 minutes to get from A to B and the next TTX is ready and picking up passengers by then.

It doesn't need to go all the way to Middlesbrough - it just needs to get to the relevant stand in Peterlee Bus Station (or the slip road on A19) to head North and pick up the route from that point.
As you say, the following bus would be in Middlesbrough to pick up passengers between there and Peterlee.

Not to mention all the background infrastructure to go with it, EU rotas at Peterlee and tacho card downloading?

I was talking to a Chester driver this morning while waiting for my X2 to Durham, and we spoke about the route learning. We moved onto the new vehicles for the year, and when I mentioned the Citaro's for the Lime, he told me he had driven them before.

I asked him how come, and he told me he had driven them along at Gateshead (when Sunderland Road was still open). I asked him what he had done there, and he said he had done overtime there on The Loops at Gateshead and The Fab56 at Deptford.

So, this thread is to discuss why overtime is at different depots to where the drivers are from, obviously considering that overtime must be available at their Home Depots anyway.

Although I'm not a bus driver (or indeed anything else to do with buses), I am employed as a van driver and sometimes pick up overtime away from my home depot.

The reason I do this is simple: petrol expenses. If I managed to get loaned out for a few days to, say, another depot in Teesside - I can almost double my daily wage through the petrol allowance I'm given which is paid in cash at the end of the shift. In addition to expenses, I also get paid for the time travelled to/from that location which, in the case of travelling to Teesside and back, is about an extra two hours on top of my normal shift. I also like exploring new places which is another reason why I jump at the chance to do overtime at another depot.

Perhaps bus drivers do overtime at other depots for similar reasons.

(17 May 2014, 10:21 pm)Marcus wrote I was talking to a Chester driver this morning while waiting for my X2 to Durham, and we spoke about the route learning. We moved onto the new vehicles for the year, and when I mentioned the Citaro's for the Lime, he told me he had driven them before.

I asked him how come, and he told me he had driven them along at Gateshead (when Sunderland Road was still open). I asked him what he had done there, and he said he had done overtime there on The Loops at Gateshead and The Fab56 at Deptford.

So, this thread is to discuss why overtime is at different depots to where the drivers are from, obviously considering that overtime must be available at their Home Depots anyway.

Most overtime is at the drivers home depot, there are times when another depot is short of drivers on a short term basis and drivers from other locations can go there to work, but this is not the norm.

(17 May 2014, 4:03 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Should do the same with the Tyne Tees Xpress Services X9/X10, And have half the PVR move to Peterlee to help improve Reliability.

When Arriva announced that the Peterlee depot to be closed, I made a phone call to the old GNE MD at the time to see if GNE would do a purchase deal with Arriva at the time, and instead of sharing the compound with East Durham community transport, and GNE could of stored all the East Durham services, X35, some of the 60/61 services with early mornings and late evenings to commence and terminate at Peterlee, also store some of the X9/X10 services for early starts and late finishes between Peterlee and Middlesbrough. But GNE was just content of servicing the buses at Deptford when needed.

(17 May 2014, 2:23 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Was around the old folks earlier on and my Mam (bless her) was on about how the x1 flies along the Washington Highway.
She has mentioned it a few times recently, but it got me thinking about how the Gemini's whizz along and are still pushed for time, compared to the Metrobuses, Olympians or Spectra's - when they were on the x5 (that didn't really need to hammer along the highway).

Back when the x5 operated and the x1 ran with the Merc's, the service was limited stop for more or less the entire journey - since the x1 is only limited between Shiney Row and Gateshead now, is this a contributing factor in the services reliability (timing) issues and drivers needing to push the buses to the limit whenever possible.
The Fencehouses x3 was pretty much the same once it became a stopping service, compared to the limited stop x94.

I have had a quick look at the timetables (on phone so hard to compare/contrast) and there doesn't seem that much difference in scheduled journey times on the x1 - despite the extra stops.
Obviously in the past, the lack of scheduled stopping points will have also helped make up time.

Unless a local bus between Houghton and Washington via Newbottle is reintroduced, affording the x1 to have the luxury of being limited stop again, maybe it is time the x1 had a bit more slack in the timetable.

In January 1994, service X5 was allocated 53 minutes to get from Newcastle to Easington Lane Clock Tower while 47 minutes were allocated for the return journey. By March 2003 another minute was added on to journey times between Newcastle and Easington Lane (54 in total) and an additional 10 minutes (57 in total) were added to the return journey. In comparison, service X1 is allocated 62 minutes between Newcastle and Easington Lane in both directions.

As you have pointed out, both services operate limited stop between Newcastle and Shiney Row stopping mostly at the timing points shown on each timetable. So, in total, an extra 7-8 minutes have been added between Newcastle and Easington Lane over the past twenty years while an average of 10 have been added in the opposite direction. Perhaps, we should also give some consideration to increased traffic congestion over the same period which also affects journey times.

Is this enough time in your opinion?

(18 May 2014, 9:03 am)AdamY wrote In January 1994, service X5 was allocated 53 minutes to get from Newcastle to Easington Lane Clock Tower while 47 minutes were allocated for the return journey. By March 2003 another minute was added on to journey times between Newcastle and Easington Lane (54 in total) and an additional 10 minutes (57 in total) were added to the return journey. In comparison, service X1 is allocated 62 minutes between Newcastle and Easington Lane in both directions.

As you have pointed out, both services operate limited stop between Newcastle and Shiney Row stopping mostly at the timing points shown on each timetable. So, in total, an extra 7-8 minutes have been added between Newcastle and Easington Lane over the past twenty years while an average of 10 have been added in the opposite direction. Perhaps, we should also give some consideration to increased traffic congestion over the same period which also affects journey times.

Is this enough time in your opinion?

Between Shiney Row and Easington Lane, I guesstimate there are roughly 19/20 stops.
Round it to 20 for ease at an average of 30secs per stop.
Roughly half of those stops were used on the x5.

The 62mins from Easington Lane is optimistic at the best of times.
Many a time I have done Houghton - Newcastle (or vice versa) and it has taken an hour just for that stretch.

(19 May 2014, 12:44 am)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Between Shiney Row and Easington Lane, I guesstimate there are roughly 19/20 stops.
Round it to 20 for ease at an average of 30secs per stop.
Roughly half of those stops were used on the x5.

The 62mins from Easington Lane is optimistic at the best of times.
Many a time I have done Houghton - Newcastle (or vice versa) and it has taken an hour just for that stretch.

62 mins Newcastle-Easington Lane, I have done Newcastle-Hetton many times in 58 minutes, add another 7 or 8 to that and it is closer to between 65-70 up to the Lane, a question about the Red Arrows branding, it's external branding says Hetton-Houghton-Shiny-Washington and so on, it does not say Easington Lane, are GNE ashamed of the fact they goto E.Lane, heehee, I mean I would be ashamed of the place, it is like the toilet off trainspotting a manky shitehole

Plain purple versa at saltmeadows hmm??? 39 getting branded I wonder

(19 May 2014, 9:04 am)Acky81 wrote Plain purple versa at saltmeadows hmm??? 39 getting branded I wonder

Doubt it...
The branding for those would have been done at Deptford rather than Saltmeadows - no need to send them to another depot when the branding is fairly simplistic. More than likely for maintenance/repair purposes.

(19 May 2014, 8:07 am)marxistafozzski wrote 62 mins Newcastle-Easington Lane, I have done Newcastle-Hetton many times in 58 minutes, add another 7 or 8 to that and it is closer to between 65-70 up to the Lane, a question about the Red Arrows branding, it's external branding says Hetton-Houghton-Shiny-Washington and so on, it does not say Easington Lane, are GNE ashamed of the fact they goto E.Lane, heehee, I mean I would be ashamed of the place, it is like the toilet off trainspotting a manky shitehole

No idea about the branding. Never noticed to be honest.

The 10mins increase in duration, possibly includes the time given for additional stops - but not traffic or possibly the changes to the route in Newcastle.

In the past, it was down High St West and straight over the High Level Bridge to Eldon Square via Clayton St.
Calling into the Interchange and getting stuck at the lights in the entrance/exit and Prince Consort Road/Askew Road added 10mins on occasions when Hills Street was closed - on top of having to negotiate John Dobson St, Blackett St and Percy Street (extra time needed just to negotiate Eldon Square Bus Station) and a possible queue/wait in traffic, compared to the old 'in and out' underground bus station.
The way out of Newcastle hasn't changed and is what it was years ago.

Very rarely do I see a bus laying over in the turning circle, behind Easington Lane clock, waiting time - it used to happen quite often.
Nowadays you are more likely seeing them struggle around the mini roundabout to get straight back onto a Newcastle run.

Forgot to include Hetton Interchange in this too.
The sets of lights in and out, plus the additional few hundred yards of route has added a few mins also.

Aside from at peak times, I've never really had a great issue with time-keeping on service X1. I usually do the Galleries to Newcastle stretch, and the bus is often sat waiting time at the Galleries and tends to get into Eldon Square on-time (providing there's not a massive queue of buses trying to get into the bus station).

For those that didn't see the news article of 4949 prior to it being updated with a photograph at the time of being on fire, do click here.

(19 May 2014, 3:08 pm)Dan wrote Aside from at peak times, I've never really had a great issue with time-keeping on service X1. I usually do the Galleries to Newcastle stretch, and the bus is often sat waiting time at the Galleries and tends to get into Eldon Square on-time (providing there's not a massive queue of buses trying to get into the bus station).

For those that didn't see the news article of 4949 prior to it being updated with a photograph at the time of being on fire, do click here.

Compared to that fire with the Cadet at Washington, that's really not that bad. No doubt it will be VOR for a long time though.

6099 is in Saltmeadows havent a clue why its there is it there for a new panel? possibly is it there to get branded possibly? could someone help me solve the mystery why it was there?

(19 May 2014, 3:38 pm)Racer_Experience wrote 6099 is in Saltmeadows havent a clue why its there is it there for a new panel? possibly is it there to get branded possibly? could someone help me solve the mystery why it was there?

I think we would have discussed it by now if it was going for repaint. Maybe just there for a check-up?

(19 May 2014, 3:40 pm)Marcus wrote I think we would have discussed it by now if it was going for repaint. Maybe just there for a check-up?

It could well be there for vinyls for the new cooperate livery as Dan suggested a couple of weeks a go the new cooperate livery would be released soon.

(19 May 2014, 3:45 pm)Tom wrote It could well be there for vinyls for the new cooperate livery as Dan suggested a couple of weeks a go the new cooperate livery would be released soon.

Don't you mean Corporate livery?

I know this has nothing to do with this site but I've just got omnibus simulator does anyone know how i can get some go north east livery's or more buses

(19 May 2014, 3:47 pm)Marcus wrote Don't you mean Corporate livery?

Yeah I do
The spell check is dodgy

(19 May 2014, 3:50 pm)Tom wrote Yeah I do
The spell check is dodgy

Thought so. I couldn't imagine a livery advertising the Co-Op!

(19 May 2014, 3:48 pm)jaimz13 wrote I know this has nothing to do with this site but I've just got omnibus simulator does anyone know how i can get some go north east livery's or more buses

Is it on Steam? I don't really use it much anymore (well, occasionally), but when I got TS2014 I instantly went to the Steam Store and downloaded a few accessories. Do they not have anything like that?

(19 May 2014, 3:48 pm)jaimz13 wrote I know this has nothing to do with this site but I've just got omnibus simulator does anyone know how i can get some go north east livery's or more buses

Vehicles
See here for downloads.

Maps
See here for downloads.

Repaints

Repaints for the NL202:
- Tynedale Links
- Venture
- Cobalt Clipper

Repaints for the SD200/202 series:
- Tynedale Links
- The Key
- Yellow Bus
- Northern
- Red Arrows
- Retro GNE livery

Repaints for the E400:
- Tynedale Links

Repaints for the 0530N/G Citaros:
- Crusader, Blaydon Racers, Laser

Repaints for the Dennis MPD:
- Kingfisher

Repaints for the MAN Lion City:
- Diamond
- Red Arrows

Repaints for the Busscar:
- Drifter
- SimpliCity
- Saltwell Park
- Orbit
- QuayLink

There are others (I seem to remember circa four or five GNE liveries for the MPD), but those are what I can find from a quick search on AussieX.