(06 Jun 2015, 9:07 pm)Malarkey wrote How many Minutes Layover do the Saltwell Parks get in Newcastle City Centre though as I would think an extra Vehicle or 2 might be needed, it takes the Q1 takes 18 Minutes to go from Gateshead to Central Station.

Was watching the Champions League Final so my previous post was pure guess work.

I was watching it aswell.            By what I've seen its about 7-8 minutes because the drivers normally switch their engines off and have a tab or read the paper and then set off again.  

(06 Jun 2015, 9:13 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I was watching it aswell.            By what I've seen its about 7-8 minutes because the drivers normally switch their engines off and have a tab or read the paper and then set off again.  

Sounds about right to me, would mean the drivers wouldnt get a Layover period though unless it was built into a revised timetable, still think it would be better than extending the 51/52, more cost effective also.

(06 Jun 2015, 7:10 pm)Dan wrote You'll find that most companies in this industry now favour light-weight vehicles opposed to heavy-weight vehicles - it's not a case of "Go North East turning into Arriva" or anything like that.

I think the reason why a large number of bus operators are ordering single-deckers from Wrightbus is because Euro 5 is still offered. Euro 6 offers a greater fuel efficiency, which, when paired with a lighter weight, offers significant fuel savings. However, in the present climate, the operators struggle to reap the rewards from Euro 6 because the initial cost is so much greater than its Euro 5 equivalent. When manufacturers no longer offer Euro 5 products (ADL recently suggested that they were looking to wholly move over to Euro 6 soon), Euro 6 will be less of a novelty and I think this is when new buses will reduce in price, giving operators more of a choice between light-weight and heavy-weight.

As it stands, operators don't have much of a choice for heavy-weight products anyway. The Volvo B8RLE and Mercedes Citaro are some of the only heavy-weight vehicles available, and I think we're still waiting on a Wrights-bodied demonstrator vehicle of the former, with a MCV body presently being the only option available? 

Lets not forget the Scania N250UD E400MMC which is a euro 6 decker.

(06 Jun 2015, 9:25 pm)Malarkey wrote Sounds about right to me, would mean the drivers wouldnt get a Layover period though unless it was built into a revised timetable, still think it would be better than extending the 51/52, more cost effective also.

How?

Riverside-based "Red Kite" branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6118 (BG15 RNF) is currently heading south on the A1 - presumably to form part of the annual Tyne Tees run.

(07 Jun 2015, 7:09 am)Dan wrote Riverside-based "Red Kite" branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6118 (BG15 RNF) is currently heading south on the A1 - presumably to form part of the annual Tyne Tees run.

That's good as I'm going to South Shields for it.

(07 Jun 2015, 7:09 am)Dan wrote Riverside-based "Red Kite" branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6118 (BG15 RNF) is currently heading south on the A1 - presumably to form part of the annual Tyne Tees run.

I may be being stupid here, but what is the annual Tyne tees run about?

(07 Jun 2015, 8:12 am)Jackamcardle wrote I may be being stupid here, but what is the annual Tyne tees run about?

Its basically a massive rally where vintage and modern vehicles (not just buses!) run from Teeside up to South Shields.

(07 Jun 2015, 8:12 am)Jackamcardle wrote I may be being stupid here, but what is the annual Tyne tees run about?

http://www.classiccarwebsite.com/tyne-tees-run

You can get the E1 to South Bents Park from Sunderland or South Shields, if you wish to see the various preserved and modern vehicles on display. I think they usually arrive between 11:00am and noon - 6118 hasn't yet left Stockton.

(07 Jun 2015, 8:25 am)Dan wrote http://www.classiccarwebsite.com/tyne-tees-run

You can get the E1 to South Bents Park from Sunderland or South Shields, if you wish to see the various preserved and modern vehicles on display. I think they usually arrive between 11:00am and noon - 6118 hasn't yet left Stockton.

Its at Gypsies Green this year.

Any NEB News updates Dan?

(07 Jun 2015, 9:50 am)Racer_Experience wrote Any NEB News updates Dan?

News page says:

It looks like we are experiencing technical difficulties. We apologies.




Just a simple click away............... 

(07 Jun 2015, 9:54 am)Michael wrote News page says:

It looks like we are experiencing technical difficulties. We apologies.




Just a simple click away............... 

Will be updated tonight - I'm out at this bus event in South Shields until around 15:00.

Liam set that as the default when no news had been added for the past fortnight, while he was working on the archive.

(07 Jun 2015, 9:59 am)Dan wrote Will be updated tonight - I'm out at this bus event in South Shields until around 15:00.

Liam set that as the default when no news had been added for the past fortnight, while he was working on the archive.

Dan its at Bents Park.

(07 Jun 2015, 10:04 am)danpick wrote Dan its at Bents Park.

Also I'm stood at the Pedestrian entrance at the corner of the grass bit.

(07 Jun 2015, 10:04 am)danpick wrote Dan its at Bents Park.

Aye... You've changed your tune! You just wanted to see me walk again!

(07 Jun 2015, 10:06 am)Dan wrote Aye... You've changed your tune! You just wanted to see me walk again!

I didn't i swear. I went straight past it on the E1 as I thought it was Gypsies Green.

(07 Jun 2015, 10:08 am)danpick wrote I didn't i swear. I went straight past it on the E1 as I thought it was Gypsies Green.

Its always been at Bents Park though as far as i can remember.

If your part of the Pat Fan Club she's at the Tyne Tees Run.

Is it worth giving the X on the X30/X31/X70/X71 the magical X or is it just for branded routes? Reckon it would look good on the Omnideckers .

Does 6084 shout "STOP LOW BRIDGE" when it passes the rail bridge near Riverside depot before the up slip into Metrocentre interchange?

(07 Jun 2015, 11:48 am)DaveyBowyer wrote Does 6084 shout "STOP LOW BRIDGE" when it passes the rail bridge near Riverside depot before the up slip into Metrocentre interchange?

I would have thought so I think it has the new system in rather than the system we have used in the past.

(07 Jun 2015, 11:52 am)citaro5284 wrote I would have thought so I think it has the new system in rather than the system we have used in the past.

Is this the same system as 6118-21? I was on 6120 heading to the Metrocentre, and it sounds some sort of repetitive alarm whilst waiting at the lights. 

(07 Jun 2015, 12:08 pm)aureolin wrote Is this the same system as 6118-21? I was on 6120 heading to the Metrocentre, and it sounds some sort of repetitive alarm whilst waiting at the lights. 

Yep, says something like "Danger - low bridge in x metres".

Quite irritating but hopefully prevents any chance of buses being de-roofed...

(07 Jun 2015, 12:08 pm)aureolin wrote Is this the same system as 6118-21? I was on 6120 heading to the Metrocentre, and it sounds some sort of repetitive alarm whilst waiting at the lights. 

(07 Jun 2015, 12:11 pm)Dan wrote Yep, says something like "Danger - low bridge in x metres".

Quite irritating but hopefully prevents any chance of buses being de-roofed...

http://www.bridgeclear.com/index.html

(07 Jun 2015, 11:29 am)Simmy wrote Is it worth giving the X on the X30/X31/X70/X71 the magical X or is it just for branded routes? Reckon it would look good on the Omnideckers .

Is this the 'X' that is on the X84/X85?

I'd not really thought about putting it on the X30/X31 & X70/X71, if so. It is on the X7 for the revised destination list for Deptford/Peterlee brought in last Sunday, but the vehicles based at Peterlee weren't updated as I thought they were going to be (when ideally they should have been). The X9/X10 destinations have also been updated with this 'X' ready for the destination upload at the back end of July.

(07 Jun 2015, 1:57 pm)Dan wrote Is this the 'X' that is on the X84/X85?

I'd not really thought about putting it on the X30/X31 & X70/X71, if so. It is on the X7 for the revised destination list for Deptford/Peterlee brought in last Sunday, but the vehicles based at Peterlee weren't updated as I thought they were going to be (when ideally they should have been). The X9/X10 destinations have also been updated with this 'X' ready for the destination upload at the back end of July.

Why wait till July when it could be now 

(07 Jun 2015, 2:12 pm)Michael wrote Why wait till July when it could be now 

Each bus takes two to three minutes to load and test (especially with the size of Gateshead's database), and there are approximately 200 vehicles based at Riverside.

200 buses * 3 minutes = 600 minutes
600 minutes / 60 (minutes in an hour) = 10 hours.

Leading driver(s) have to be paid for those ten hours to upload a revised destination display format to 200 vehicles when it really isn't required - not sure how I could justify that! Come July, it will be required, owing to the QuayLink changes.

(07 Jun 2015, 7:09 am)Dan wrote Riverside-based "Red Kite" branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6118 (BG15 RNF) is currently heading south on the A1 - presumably to form part of the annual Tyne Tees run.

Four vehicles were brought along in total:
- Riverside-based "Red Kite" branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6118 (BG15 RNF)
- Stanley-based "Venture" branded Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 648 (NL63 XZV)
- Chester le Street-based "Coast & Country" branded Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid 5407 (NK15 ENW)
- Riverside-based "Yellow Bus" branded Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine 2 3818 (S818 OFT)

Tyne Tees Run 2015: Go North East line-up by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

648 and 6118 were the two to complete the run from Teesside, while I believe the other two came direct from the depot.

(07 Jun 2015, 1:57 pm)Dan wrote Is this the 'X' that is on the X84/X85?

I'd not really thought about putting it on the X30/X31 & X70/X71, if so. It is on the X7 for the revised destination list for Deptford/Peterlee brought in last Sunday, but the vehicles based at Peterlee weren't updated as I thought they were going to be (when ideally they should have been). The X9/X10 destinations have also been updated with this 'X' ready for the destination upload at the back end of July.

Yep it was the X84/X85 'X'. No worries. Looks good on the X7 .