(12 Apr 2014, 8:07 pm)Michael wrote Wonder when the gas buses will make an apperance on the 39.

I haven't even seen one of the 39xxx series E200s on the 39 since I started taking photos, so I'm guessing we'll have a long wait!

I've seen most of the 39s for the past week and certainly hasn't happened.

(12 Apr 2014, 8:10 pm)Dan wrote I haven't even seen one of the 39xxx series E200s on the 39 since I started taking photos, so I'm guessing we'll have a long wait!

I've seen most of the 39s for the past week and certainly hasn't happened.

Thought they might of made an apperance by now.

(12 Apr 2014, 7:17 pm)AIG20 wrote A Pointer Dart is on the "E" services this evening, however, it was too far away to be able to see the fleet number.

Its 35194. The dart had the pleasure of taking me and my mate home from the Grey Horse on the penultimate E service of the night.

(13 Apr 2014, 8:30 am)AIG20 wrote Gosh! That makes the working even more rare! I'm assuming the second last "E" bus is the E2 from Whitburn to Chichester.

The E2 that terminates at Chi is the last one mate (which arrives in Whitburn at 22:20). I was on the E1 (at 23:07) prior to that working .

17028 on 36/38

22021 on the 4 in Sunderland

(14 Apr 2014, 3:05 pm)AIG20 wrote 27736 is on the X34
19196 has also returned to service following its "pigeon incident"

27736 replaced 22050 early this morning, 19196 replaced 19194 which then replaced 27736 which then went on to replace 27729

(14 Apr 2014, 6:45 pm)AIG20 wrote It's amazing how South Shields depot "over complicate" the workings on the X34. I'm guessing 19197 is off the road (VOR) due to mechanical issues.

19197/19194/22050 were allocated to the X34 this morning, 22050 developed a fault so was changed with 27736. 19194 was operating 15 minutes late in the afternoon so 19196 was used to put the service back on time. 19194 was then put back onto the X34 as that is where it needs to be so giving the depot 27736 as a spare bus

I forgot to mention that 33101 was on 7/4/8/3 yesterday too

Delays appear to continue to affect the X34 as well as the Es, 19196 was running light from Newcastle around lunchtime. Wonder how much light running occurs on the X34s!

(15 Apr 2014, 4:27 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Delays appear to continue to affect the X34 as well as the Es, 19196 was running light from Newcastle around lunchtime. Wonder how much light running occurs on the X34s!

19196 was running about 20 minutes late so was adjusted to put it back on time.

19197 operated the 17:04 E6 MKT - SUN

(15 Apr 2014, 6:00 pm)AIG20 wrote Is it still on the Economic services or has it been swapped with another bus?

I only operated that trip, I returned light to the depot after that as I was finished

It'll be the new South Tyneside Collage advert

36-branded E300 24105 is on 11s today, but at present is working the 0827 34. It will work onto evening 12/610/611 at 1746.
Sister 24111 is on 58s
Trident 17026/32 are on 13s while 17027 is on 35s

17025 is also on 13s. 24103 is now on 59/61.

The shields dart which has a rear advert on it is 35191. Regards Robin

22489 was working 14/34's in Middlesbrough this afternoon

(16 Apr 2014, 9:10 pm)AIG20 wrote I guess more South Shields Pointer Darts may get similar advertisements to 35191. The MAN ALX300s might get new advertisements as well; but we'll just have to wait and see.

22070 will more than likely be the next bus in the paint shop

I think it will Happen one day. Regards Robin

35155 working 19s today.

(17 Apr 2014, 10:55 am)Dan wrote 35155 working 19s today.

35158 likewise.

(17 Apr 2014, 2:08 pm)AIG20 wrote In South Shields today, 36466 is on services 10/11 - a service which is usually operated by MAN E200s on Mon-Sat daytimes.

That'll soon become bog standard. It saves change over in the evening when the board it'll run is nexus contract and requires a 36xxx on it.

Another two shields darts have rear adverts on them 35193 & 35194 along with 35191. 35192 and 35195 have yet to be done. so one of go north east's buses with the same advert on as south shields has done it was on the service 27 the afternoon saw at westoe going to the market. Regards Robin

(17 Apr 2014, 5:02 pm)AIG20 wrote I have noticed that the ADL E200s run on the evenings and on Sunday's, but like you said I think it would make sense swapping the workings round so that the MAN E200s work on the 3/4/7/8, to allow the ADL E200s to work on the 10/11 and 30 - which are longer routes than the 3/4/7/8.

The ADL 200s mainly run the 3/4/7/8. The board that the 36xxx is needed is 101 running board so instead of in evening doing a change over at the market for what's already allocated on it, simpler just to whack the 36xxx on beginning of day and allocate an MAN E200 onto something else.

That's the beauty of a corporate livery, no bus is restrained to one service unlike them and the skittles buses.

(17 Apr 2014, 9:48 pm)Half Pint wrote The ADL 200s mainly run the 3/4/7/8. The board that the 36xxx is needed is 101 duty so instead of in evening doing a change over at the market for what's already allocated on it, simpler just to whack the 36xxx on beginning of day and allocate an MAN E200 onto something else.

That's the beauty of a corporate livery, no bus is restrained to one service unlike them and the skittles buses.

Still good to exercise consistency in allocations. Customers do notice different vehicle types, but this is mainly linked to the size of the vehicle rather than anything else. My mam can certainly tell the difference between an ADL E200 and a MAN E200 because she complains about the latter deafening her whenever she has the misfortune of one turning up. Like most people who aren't midgets, she hates it when there aren't any seats at the front of a MAN example too - simply because you have to 'duck' to get to a seat at the back of one! She's discovered that she doesn't have this issue with the "SUNderland Bus" branded ones.

One wonders why so many operators are introducing new liveries and/or variations on their corporate livery to promote certain services!

28003 on 13s today. Image copyright to
Neil Sunderland Busways Heskett‎

(18 Apr 2014, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote 28003 on 13s today. Image copyright to
Neil Sunderland Busways Heskett‎

That's a good photo

Won't be long before they appear on the 13 every day =)

(17 Apr 2014, 9:54 pm)Dan wrote Still good to exercise consistency in allocations. Customers do notice different vehicle types, but this is mainly linked to the size of the vehicle rather than anything else. My mam can certainly tell the difference between an ADL E200 and a MAN E200 because she complains about the latter deafening her whenever she has the misfortune of one turning up. Like most people who aren't midgets, she hates it when there aren't any seats at the front of a MAN example too - simply because you have to 'duck' to get to a seat at the back of one! She's discovered that she doesn't have this issue with the "SUNderland Bus" branded ones.

One wonders why so many operators are introducing new liveries and/or variations on their corporate livery to promote certain services!

Customers see a bus with a number on the front. The only difference they see is double deck and single deck. Bus is a bus to them

(18 Apr 2014, 6:01 pm)Half Pint wrote Customers see a bus with a number on the front. The only difference they see is double deck and single deck. Bus is a bus to them

All companies introducing branding must have their business plans completely wrong - Stagecoach included! Stagecoach North East have adapted their livery in several ways: a green version of their corporate livery to show that the bus is eco-friendly, sub-branding for service 1, sub-branding for service 37, sub-branding for service X47, sub-branding for service 36, branding for service 100, branding for the Economic services, branding to show that the bus is powered by gas... A lot of different liveries there when 'a bus is a bus' to customers.

Clearly my mam isn't a 'customer' either, because she can, as I said in my previous post, tell the difference between many different buses and she can often tell whether a bus is old or fairly new...

Customers really aren't as daft as you make them out to be. Have you ever been on a bus when brand new? Heard customers talking about the brand new buses and comparing them to the old ones? For Go North East, this is primarily linked to new/updated branding - but for other operators, it's completely different:
Noises from the bus, on-board facilities such as Wi-Fi and power sockets, leather seating, even the location of the emergency exit door, all suggest how old a bus is to normal customers - or at least from personal experience this is the case... Clearly you think otherwise.