(20 Aug 2015, 8:28 pm)Jimmi wrote In what way would Blyth benefit from having 2503? It's a total shed, some people on here think the MPDs used on the 2 sound bad so I dread to think what you would all make of 2503. The seats are a mix match of different moquette's and it looks tatty as owt inside.

It was on the 64 earlier on, it struggled going up the slight hill at county hall that's how bad it is

(20 Aug 2015, 10:10 pm)mb134 wrote E400's to B7TL's is a bit of a downgrade?! How old will these be?

Would have thought the B10BLE's would be converted over the Cadets?

True I forgot it was down as E400 now, though I suppose that's where the 3 for the 6 have been sacrificed from. Like I say I don't know what's being taken off Durham in return but the B7s from London would be 2004 builds I assume. There are some under conversion at Enfield but I don't know if they are ours or for somewhere else. Enfield are also doing some 04 DAF Geminis for other divisions at the same time too.
Cadets are higher book value (and newer) than the Volvo's.

(20 Aug 2015, 9:45 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: Already effectively known that the MPDs will be leaving the fleet in 2016.

saying that blyth do seem to hang onto buses for more longer than expected for example T313 fgn the only one of the batch arriva north east owns now

(20 Aug 2015, 10:40 pm)buss14 wrote saying that blyth do seem to hang onto buses for more longer than expected for example T313 fgn  the only one of the batch arriva north east owns now

I would think that one owes its life to 7605 being off awaiting a new engine!

(20 Aug 2015, 10:45 pm)tyresmoke wrote I would think that one owes its life to 7605 being off awaiting a new engine!

but mind i went on that bus yesterday and i have to say it sounds great compared to some of the newer stock

(20 Aug 2015, 10:58 pm)buss14 wrote but mind i went on that bus yesterday and i have to say it sounds great compared to some of the newer stock

I like DAFs they may not be the best performers but they do have a lot of character to them.

The DAF / VDL DB250 in my eyes was the low floor 'successor' to the Volvo Olympian. Shame the 57 plate examples got a bit of a hammering otherwise they would've made good summer extras for the X93.

(20 Aug 2015, 10:39 pm)tyresmoke wrote True I forgot it was down as E400 now, though I suppose that's where the 3 for the 6 have been sacrificed from. Like I say I don't know what's being taken off Durham in return but the B7s from London would be 2004 builds I assume. There are some under conversion at Enfield but I don't know if they are ours or for somewhere else. Enfield are also doing some 04 DAF Geminis for other divisions at the same time too.
Cadets are higher book value (and newer) than the Volvo's.

Fair enough, hope the B7s from London would have ALX400 bodies, like 7445/6. 

With the Cadets, I'm quite surprised that they have higher book values (although they were all refurbished weren't they, whereas of the Renown bodied B10's only about 4/5 were?). What does this mean for Jesmond's ALX300 bodied B10's, can't remember if they are DDA compliant, if not I thought they were the same age as the Cadets?

(21 Aug 2015, 7:40 am)mb134 wrote Fair enough, hope the B7s from London would have ALX400 bodies, like 7445/6. 

With the Cadets, I'm quite surprised that they have higher book values (although they were all refurbished weren't they, whereas of the Renown bodied B10's only about 4/5 were?). What does this mean for Jesmond's ALX300 bodied B10's, can't remember if they are DDA compliant, if not I thought they were the same age as the Cadets?

the renowns did half get get refurbed the ones that did where:
V501 DFT
V513 DFT
V514 DFT
V515 DFT
the rest remained the same inside.
i think the plan with jesmonds alx300 b10s they will get modified because they are still usefull and seem in good condition.

(21 Aug 2015, 8:28 am)buss14 wrote the renowns did half get get refurbed the ones that did where:
V501 DFT
V513 DFT
V514 DFT
V515 DFT
the rest remained the same inside.
i think the plan with jesmonds alx300 b10s they will get modified because they are still usefull and seem in good condition.

I'm not 100% sure whether the ALX300 bodied ones need any modifications, seem to remember something saying that they were already DDA compliant.

(21 Aug 2015, 10:52 am)mb134 wrote I'm not 100% sure whether the ALX300 bodied ones need any modifications, seem to remember something saying that they were already DDA compliant.

i knew they had bigger pram/wheelchair bays. saying that they where good on the x20 when at ashington, even know they hadn't been refurbed then

B10BLE refurbishments
4501 was done in-house at Jesmond (I believe)
4512-5 and 4516-23 were all done at Thorntons
All done in mid-late 2012

(21 Aug 2015, 11:32 am)Kuyoyo wrote B10BLE refurbishments
4501 was done in-house at Jesmond (I believe)
4512-5 and 4516-23 were all done at Thorntons
All done in mid-late 2012

yes your right i knew one got done at jesmond but i thought it was 4514. easy mistake to make

(21 Aug 2015, 10:52 am)mb134 wrote I'm not 100% sure whether the ALX300 bodied ones need any modifications, seem to remember something saying that they were already DDA compliant.

The ALX300 bodied B10s are definitely DDA Compliant

Are route decisions made by people who actually know the North East and even live up here? I made a suggestion for an x38 service and they replied back to me saying that an 8 minute journey saving (more during peak times) would not be enough over the 308. They claim that an express needs to save 22-25% in time over a regular service. Now they did also reply back to me mentioning that this was why the old 44 failed.

Do they not look at things such as WHERE a bus serves? They forget that the 44 served Marden and New York / Norham Road rather than Hillheads, Billy Mill Lane, Billy Mill and the Formica Slip Roads. OK, 8 minutes isn't huge but it aint bad and would certainly help the 308 improve in terms of reliability and offer a faster alternative to passengers during peak times.

This isn't a service suggestion post as such. I just wonder how Arriva actually look into routes. For example putting Arriva's X9 (to be X6) a side, GNE's X39 particularly the 17:05 service isn't much quicker than the 309 but, at least gives passengers an alternative way to get to and from Cobalt whilst saving them a bit of time. Do Arriva not look at journey patterns closely to see where passengers are travelling to and from?

(21 Aug 2015, 8:22 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Are route decisions made by people who actually know the North East and even live up here? I made a suggestion for an x38 service and they replied back to me saying that an 8 minute journey saving (more during peak times) would not be enough over the 308. They claim that an express needs to save 22-25% in time over a regular service. Now they did also reply back to me mentioning that this was why the old 44 failed.

Do they not look at things such as WHERE a bus serves? They forget that the 44 served Marden and New York / Norham Road rather than Hillheads, Billy Mill Lane, Billy Mill and the Formica Slip Roads. OK, 8 minutes isn't huge but it aint bad and would certainly help the 308 improve in terms of reliability and offer a faster alternative to passengers during peak times.

This isn't a service suggestion post as such. I just wonder how Arriva actually look into routes. For example putting Arriva's X9 (to be X6) a side, GNE's X39 particularly the 17:05 service isn't much quicker than the 309 but, at least gives passengers an alternative way to get to and from Cobalt whilst saving them a bit of time. Do Arriva not look at journey patterns closely to see where passengers are travelling to and from?

Yup I'd agree that if you're going to save 8 mins off the journey time then it wouldn't be worth doing. a proper express like our X5 on Teesside saves about 20-25 mins off an hour journey

(21 Aug 2015, 8:24 pm)tyresmoke wrote Yup I'd agree that if you're going to save 8 mins off the journey time then it wouldn't be worth doing. a proper express like our X5 on Teesside saves about 20-25 mins off an hour journey

Correct me if I'm wrong (which I know I'm not   ) but isn't the X5 an hour journey? The 5 takes about 1 hour 25 minutes at peak time (going off the 5 that leaves Easington at 0700, it leaves 15 minutes in front of the 0715 X5 but arrives in Middlesbrough at 0825, 10 minutes after the X5. The afternoon one likewise (1645 X5 leaves Middlesbrough 10 minutes before a 5 but reaches Easington 5 minutes before the 5 that left Middlesbrough at 1625 - 1715 X5 leaves 20 minutes after the 1655 5 but gets to Easington 3 minutes in front of it, and runs together with it between Skelton and Carlin How where the 5 goes into Skinningrove)

(21 Aug 2015, 8:52 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Correct me if I'm wrong (which I know I'm not   ) but isn't the X5 an hour journey? The 5 takes about 1 hour 25 minutes at peak time (going off the 5 that leaves Easington at 0700, it leaves 15 minutes in front of the 0715 X5 but arrives in Middlesbrough at 0825, 10 minutes after the X5. The afternoon one likewise (1645 X5 leaves Middlesbrough 10 minutes before a 5 but reaches Easington 5 minutes before the 5 that left Middlesbrough at 1625 - 1715 X5 leaves 20 minutes after the 1655 5 but gets to Easington 3 minutes in front of it, and runs together with it between Skelton and Carlin How where the 5 goes into Skinningrove)

I was going by the times from Middlesbrough to Skelton (ie the express section) where the 5 is roughly an hour at peak times and the X5 is 35 minutes (though can be done in 25 on a morning quite easily!)

hi
i just wanted to ask when the x4/x5 go max, will it have pulsars on that route instead of the cadets.

(22 Aug 2015, 8:28 am)buss14 wrote hi
i just wanted to ask when the x4/x5 go max, will it have pulsars on that route instead of the cadets.

Doesn't have Cadets they are Commanders.

(22 Aug 2015, 8:54 am)danpick wrote Doesn't have Cadets they are Commanders.

sorry i thought they looked different thank you. someone on arriva north east facebook page said that 1502 and 1493 are away get refubed into max livery.

(22 Aug 2015, 9:10 am)buss14 wrote sorry i thought they looked different thank you. someone on arriva north east facebook page said that 1502 and 1493 are away get refubed into max livery.

tyresmoke confirmed here that 1502 was at Thornton's.

(22 Aug 2015, 9:10 am)buss14 wrote sorry i thought they looked different thank you. someone on arriva north east facebook page said that 1502 and 1493 are away get refubed into max livery.

Its Ok its basically a Pulsar on Merit body.

Would be good for the Commanders to go on the X16, as I think it'll struggle with MPDs passenger loadings wise.

Cadet body on a Pulsar chassis - best of both worlds!
Yes X7/X8 will get 2 Pulsars and the X9 will be the other 4 Pulsars at Blyth

(19 Aug 2015, 4:55 pm)Jimmi wrote As reported in the odd workings thread earlier, 1527 is now in service, operating service X18 this afternoon.
Arriva North East: 1527 / MX12 KXF by Jimmi's Transport Photos, on Flickr

Just realised that this bus doesn't appear to have legal lettering anywhere on the exterior of the bus from what I can see.

(22 Aug 2015, 12:07 pm)Jimmi wrote Just realised that this bus doesn't appear to have legal lettering anywhere on the exterior of the bus from what I can see.

If it hasnt.....naughty!

(20 Aug 2015, 9:45 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: Already effectively known that the MPDs will be leaving the fleet in 2016.

Says who?

(22 Aug 2015, 11:12 am)tyresmoke wrote Cadet body on a Pulsar chassis - best of both worlds!
Yes X7/X8 will get 2 Pulsars and the X9 will be the other 4 Pulsars at Blyth

Very scrappy that. Why not a full double deck allocation on the X7 / X8?

(22 Aug 2015, 12:29 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Very scrappy that. Why not a full double deck allocation on the X7 / X8?

technically i would say that the MPDs are that bad they are very reliable on the 57/57a and they go well on the x14.
i do know they dont look the best or sound the best but at the end of the day they are still fit for service and i think that will possibly be the way arriva sees it aswell.