Well I'm coming to this discussion a bit late but here goes...
1415 should be used on the X12 when required and while I understand why Durham prefer a high capacity vehicle (ie Lowlander) they should be using the branded spare vehicle, ie 1415. Stockton don't have a branded spare so we try to put a vehicle on that closely matches the spec which will usually see one of 1491/2/4 used when required.

1512 is a branded spare for the 5s which when not required will be thrown on a town service (ie the 27) so that it is never far away when it is required... We usually know in advance if a Streetlite needs to come off so that another bus can be taken over to Middlesbrough and replace 1512 on the 27. If that happens to be a Cadet then another swap can be arranged with a Pulsar on another service to have a suitable vehicle by the end of the day for the X5 that it's regular board operates. I would have expected Durham to utilise their spare Sapphire vehicles in the same way, presumably a town service such as the 43/46/48 would be the best place to put them so that they are available at short notice. Obviously Durham should know best where to put it (I'm aware some of the 43s and 46/48s do schools and therefore require double decks).

As for the Northumberland MAX routes, I think they're trying to fit the capacity to the routes but we simply have a lack of double decks obviously. Maybe time to look at boosting some frequencies? The X15 has gone all DD for the summer but this has obviously meant that another route has had to lose out, the X14 in this case.

I don't really understand the "quick links" branding on one Scania and X14 branding on the other - they're wanting to convert the X4/X5 to MAX next but again there's a lack of suitable double deck stock for that which is why 1402/3 are branded currently I would assume. Will they upgrade some 12-13 year old single decks for that? I'm not convinced but then again the Scanias are 10 years old now. A logical swap in my eyes would be Stockton's 4652/4/8 to swap with 1401-3 which would mean all of the Scanias would be MAX spec (apart from the 07 plates, not sure what will happen to those now!...) and the Commanders would have a good home on the 21A. I'm biased, of course, as I would love a go of a Commander having ridden the Yorkshire ones many times.

As for the elderly double decks, the Lowlanders are down to be replaced this year by more cascaded London double deckers, I just hope we get something a bit less fragile than the B7TL's we got last winter. Some of the 04 plate DAF Geminis would be a superb replacement for the Lowlanders, and I expect the next things to go, though probably into 2016, would be the batch of DLAs we got in early 2013. By that time we would have got 3 years out of them which is a decent extended life for cascaded London stock. Single decks tend to last longer but there again those X-GGO Darts are getting binned at the moment!

PS: Sorry for the essay

(31 May 2015, 7:24 pm)tyresmoke wrote As for the Northumberland MAX routes, I think they're trying to fit the capacity to the routes but we simply have a lack of double decks obviously. Maybe time to look at boosting some frequencies? The X15 has gone all DD for the summer but this has obviously meant that another route has had to lose out, the X14 in this case.

I don't really understand the "quick links" branding on one Scania and X14 branding on the other - they're wanting to convert the X4/X5 to MAX next but again there's a lack of suitable double deck stock for that which is why 1402/3 are branded currently I would assume. Will they upgrade some 12-13 year old single decks for that? I'm not convinced but then again the Scanias are 10 years old now. A logical swap in my eyes would be Stockton's 4652/4/8 to swap with 1401-3 which would mean all of the Scanias would be MAX spec (apart from the 07 plates, not sure what will happen to those now!...) and the Commanders would have a good home on the 21A. I'm biased, of course, as I would love a go of a Commander having ridden the Yorkshire ones many times.

As for the elderly double decks, the Lowlanders are down to be replaced this year by more cascaded London double deckers, I just hope we get something a bit less fragile than the B7TL's we got last winter. Some of the 04 plate DAF Geminis would be a superb replacement for the Lowlanders, and I expect the next things to go, though probably into 2016, would be the batch of DLAs we got in early 2013. By that time we would have got 3 years out of them which is a decent extended life for cascaded London stock. Single decks tend to last longer but there again those X-GGO Darts are getting binned at the moment!

PS: Sorry for the essay

Tried to cut it down as much as possible for my reply

Regarding capacity on the X14/5/8, especially the X14 now, would it be a possibility to see some new double deckers on order for Ashington to make all operations on their MAX routes double decker? Think it's just me, but are they down a MAX spare with the increase in summer time PVR, or does it match?

Could it be a possibility for the four Pulsars used on the X1 prior to the Streetlites to be refurbished for the X4/5 along with the Quorum Gemini's? 

With regard to double deckers, there seems to be an alarming shortage all around, especially of decent stuff. Would it not be better to buy new stuff, than to keep relying on mostly worn out, past it, ex London stock?

(31 May 2015, 7:36 pm)mb134 wrote Tried to cut it down as much as possible for my reply

Regarding capacity on the X14/5/8, especially the X14 now, would it be a possibility to see some new double deckers on order for Ashington to make all operations on their MAX routes double decker? Think it's just me, but are they down a MAX spare with the increase in summer time PVR, or does it match?

Could it be a possibility for the four Pulsars used on the X1 prior to the Streetlites to be refurbished for the X4/5 along with the Quorum Gemini's? 

With regard to double deckers, there seems to be an alarming shortage all around, especially of decent stuff. Would it not be better to buy new stuff, than to keep relying on mostly worn out, past it, ex London stock?

Yeah, the 14 would be fine with an Omnicity, but not sure about the X14.

It's ridiculous that they still allocate an MPD on the X14, as I'd imagine they would leave a lot of people behind at peak times. The 57A can also get good loads. 

(31 May 2015, 7:54 pm)Tom wrote Yeah, the 14 would be fine with an Omnicity, but not sure about the X14.

It's ridiculous that they still allocate an MPD on the X14, as I'd imagine they would leave a lot of people behind at peak times. The 57A can also get good loads. 

Could this be an idea:

Omnicities used on the 57A, 33(?), X14 (Newcastle to Morpeth only)

2 new E400's to be used for X14/14 to replace the two Omnicities placed onto the 57A/33/X14 cycle?

(31 May 2015, 7:57 pm)mb134 wrote Could this be an idea:

Omnicities used on the 57A, 33(?), X14 (Newcastle to Morpeth only)

2 new E400's to be used for X14/14 to replace the two Omnicities placed onto the 57A/33/X14 cycle?

The problem with that is the PVR for the 33/57a/X14 is more than two.

(31 May 2015, 7:59 pm)Tom wrote The problem with that is the PVR for the 33/57a/X14 is more than two.

Yeah I know, others would have to be sourced from elsewhere, am I right in thinking the PVR is 5 or 6?

(31 May 2015, 7:59 pm)mb134 wrote Yeah I know, others would have to be sourced from elsewhere, am I right in thinking the PVR is 5 or 6?

I think it's only four actually. 

Works like:

#57A 0956 Whitley Bay to Morpeth 1103
#X14 1108 Morpeth to Newcastle 1141
#X14 1148 Newcastle to Morpeth 1221
#33 1227 Morpeth to Lancaster Park 1233
#33 1234 Lancaster Park to Morpeth 1240
#57A 1245 Morpeth to Whitley Bay 1351

Not enough layover time really, and the 57A can be like tinned sardines sometimes so a larger vehicle would be much better. Even the Omnicities from Stockton would be great, and then they could but the Centros from Stockton on the 57.

(31 May 2015, 7:59 pm)Tom wrote The problem with that is the PVR for the 33/57a/X14 is more than two.

(31 May 2015, 7:59 pm)mb134 wrote Yeah I know, others would have to be sourced from elsewhere, am I right in thinking the PVR is 5 or 6?

The 33/57a/X14 is PVR 4  (2 Blyth, 2 Ashington) of which 2 boards are Euro3 with a minimum capacity of 36, presumably for the evening 57s which are of course funded by Nexus (the other runs off a 2).

(31 May 2015, 8:05 pm)Tom wrote I think it's only four actually. 

Works like:

#57A 0956 Whitley Bay to Morpeth 1103
#X14 1108 Morpeth to Newcastle 1141
#X14 1148 Newcastle to Morpeth 1221
#33 1227 Morpeth to Lancaster Park 1233
#33 1234 Lancaster Park to Morpeth 1240
#57A 1245 Morpeth to Whitley Bay 1351

Not enough layover time really, and the 57A can be like tinned sardines sometimes so a larger vehicle would be much better. Even the Omnicities from Stockton would be great, and then they could but the Centros from Stockton on the 57.

Oh aye, counted the number of Darts with WiFi

Think the Centros would be a good shout 

(31 May 2015, 8:07 pm)mb134 wrote Oh aye, counted the number of Darts with WiFi

Think the Centros would be a good shout 

Yeah, then the Darts could either be withdrawn, or used elsewhere. 

I've read on other forums that the Darlington Solos are all being repainted into a revised corporate livery ahead of 'Town Branding'. Does anyone have any more details on this please? I hope the busses are getting wifi too!?

(31 May 2015, 9:46 pm)JoshP wrote I've read on other forums that the Darlington Solos are all being repainted into a revised corporate livery ahead of 'Town Branding'. Does anyone have any more details on this please? I hope the busses are getting wifi too!?

Nice to know someone reads my posts on other forums - the 08/58-reg Solos are being repainted, those back so far are in normal livery minus the cream 'cow horn'. All we know for sure at present is that Darlington service 3/3a/3b, 4, 9/10 and 13a/13b are all getting branded (13a/13b, as we know, using 2852-61). As for WiFi on the older Solos - the only Solos I can confirm should be getting WiFi are Stockton's 7 when they get repainted for the 7.