(03 Sep 2015, 5:48 pm)Dan wrote Clear favouritism, soz pal. 

You'll have to wait until next month!

Favouring Slobert over Marcurse... Wow!!

Is 3872 just on loan to Washington or has it moved over permanently?

(03 Sep 2015, 6:02 pm)Michael wrote Is 3872 just on loan to Washington or has it moved over permanently?

I'd imagine just a loan.

(03 Sep 2015, 6:02 pm)Michael wrote Is 3872 just on loan to Washington or has it moved over permanently?

(03 Sep 2015, 6:03 pm)R852 PRG wrote I'd imagine just a loan.

Neither - the 17:05 #X1 is operated by Chester-le-Street Depot now. Runs off one of Marcus' scholars services - shame on him for not knowing this!

Didn't note its allocation to service X1 for a reason... 

(03 Sep 2015, 6:01 pm)R852 PRG wrote Favouring Slobert over Marcurse... Wow!!

Been so long since we donated those names to eachother i forgot about them!

Chester-le-Street seems to be going up in the world though...operating an X1 now (unless its a loan)!

Go North East: 3872 / W182SCU by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(03 Sep 2015, 6:03 pm)Dan wrote Neither - the 17:05 #X1 is operated by Chester-le-Street Depot now. Runs off one of Marcus' scholars services - shame on him for not knowing this!

Didn't note its allocation to service X1 for a reason... 

I am so sorry.

Surprised that Dan didn't go for the 16:55 #11 from Newcastle with it being operated by Stanley now. I am going to guess that it comes off the 827 (in which case it would have been 3874) with Rowlands Gill being the closest to Newcastle (although that probably seems illogical).

(03 Sep 2015, 6:04 pm)Michael wrote , oh well!

In terms of commercial work:-

Stanley now operates:

• 08:01 #90 from Winlaton (previously Riverside)
  
• 16:55 #11 from Newcastle (previously Riverside)
  
• 16:08 #92 from Team Valley (previously Riverside)
  
• 17:05 #90 from Team Valley (previously Riverside)

Chester-le-Street now operates:

• 06:52 #1 from Wrekenton (previously Washington)
  
• 07:25 #91 from Newcastle (previously Washington)
  
• 17:08 #X1 from Newcastle (previously Washington)
  
• 16:07 #265 from Framwellgate Moor (previously Deptford)

Deptford now operates:

• 16:07 #8 from Waterview Park (previously Washington)
  
• 16:23 #982 from Stephenson Industrial Estate (previously Washington)

Washington now operates:

• 08:25 #889 from Ouston (previously Chester-le-Street)
  
• 07:45 #94 from Gateshead (previously Chester-le-Street)
  
• 16:40 #8 from Enterprise Park (previously Deptford)
  
• 17:21 #33 from Fawcett Street (previously Deptford)

Riverside now operates:

• 08:20 #95 from Lobley Hill (previously Washington)

There are also revisions to which depot operates various Nexus Miscellaneous Works services.

Thanks Dan... i would imagine that the revisions to which depot operates various Nexus Miscellaneous Works services is massive....

(03 Sep 2015, 6:12 pm)S813 FVK wrote Surprised that Dan didn't go for the 16:55 #11 from Newcastle with it being operated by Stanley now. I am going to guess that it comes off the 827 (in which case it would have been 3874) with Rowlands Gill being the closest to Newcastle (although that probably seems illogical).

I had intended to get a photograph of 4932 at the Metrocentre and head to Newcastle after that for photographs of the working you mention plus Chester-le-Street's output on service X1, but I ended up getting held up at work (meaning that I missed the 15:56 49 from Victoria Road), which meant that I missed 4932 by a minute or two. As there is plenty of time to get photographs of that working, but only the one occasion to get a photograph of a bus on its first day out in service following repaint, I decided to prioritise 4932 which was due on Market Street at around 17:02 (though usually arrives a minute or two early).

I still managed to intercept Chester-le-Street's X1 at Gateshead (slap on the back of the hand for me - taking photographs within a bus station!) by getting the Metro from Monument to Gateshead, then the following Metro back home.

As for what the aforementioned #11 working runs off - it's the #822 from St Bede's. Instead of returning to the depot after arrival at Consett, it now heads to Emmanuel College to work the 16:07 #832 to Carr Hill (arr 16:30), then light to Eldon Square from here.

(03 Sep 2015, 6:18 pm)Michael wrote Thanks Dan... i would imagine that the revisions to which depot operates various Nexus Miscellaneous Works services is massive....

It is, hence why I'm not typing those out!

(03 Sep 2015, 6:21 pm)Dan wrote It is, hence why I'm not typing those out!

What will Washington use on the 33?, that might be an interesting working.

(03 Sep 2015, 6:26 pm)Michael wrote What will Washington use on the 33?, that might be an interesting working.

A bus

(03 Sep 2015, 6:26 pm)Michael wrote What will Washington use on the 33?, that might be an interesting working.

A corporate liveried Volvo B7TL - the same bus works the 16:40 #8 from Enterprise Park. Runs off scholars 457.

(03 Sep 2015, 6:28 pm)citaro5284 wrote A bus

Really? i thought it was a lorry ;P

(03 Sep 2015, 6:30 pm)Michael wrote Really? i thought it was a lorry ;P

Aye...you knar the craic Michael

In other news, Go North East will be operating three Metro Replacement services this Sunday.

Metro Replacement 900 (Haymarket - Four Lane Ends via Regent Centre) and Metro Replacement 901 (Haymarket - Regent Centre) are to operate between 07:15am and 19:30pm. For these services, a total of 15 vehicles will be provided by Go North East from various depots:

• Chester-le-Street - 6 vehicles
  
• Deptford - 1 vehicle
  
• Riverside - 3 vehicles
  
• Stanley - 3 vehicles
  
• Washington - 2 vehicles
  

Metro Replacement 902 (Sunderland - South Hylton) is to be operated until around 11:30am. Washington Depot are to supply vehicles for this service.

(03 Sep 2015, 6:29 pm)Dan wrote A corporate liveried Volvo B7TL - the same bus works the 16:40 #8 from Enterprise Park. Runs off scholars 457.

"Marketing"  = " The Right Goods in the Right Place at the Right Time at The Right Price" = Maximum Nett Profit"

GNE need to get back to basics  - They have lost a corporate identity through meaningless brands, which do nothing other than dilute a corporate brand identity wich should promote values, identity and company corporate image.  - Note Lothian's use of strong primary brand with local Sub route branding (Best of both worlds)
Peter Huntley probably had it right for short term recognition of routes (and enthusiasts) but I believe the time is right to now move on and develop a Quality "Northern" quality brand, with specific premium routes SUB branded within the "Northern" Prime brand  - Go/ Go Ahead are legal  company names/ identities which should be kept behind the scenes only - They are NOT established  in the region or beyond...!

I would suggest Arriva Sapphire /Max are now marketed where Northern Gold Standard and Premium routes should hsve  developed further - We are/will be left behind if this continues

Add to this the incapacity for depot managers to realise the importance of Branding, if adopted by the Company.and the Negative impact on such policy when they decide to release ANY bus (Branded imapropriately or not) on the route.

Consider visitors to the region requiring more simplicity, Strong regional identity & acceptance of cross region acceptance of tickets.

We should strive to be more like; Geneva, Paris, Berlin, London etc... and promote travel via hotel/ travel passes, ease of use (tickets) etc... And switch travel to Bus/ regional Train/ Metro / Ferry etc...

Hard hat on.... But please consider the wider issues of an integrated and easily visible policy on local public transport service, where GNE could have a strong (Profitable) corporate image.  ......Think Outside The Box!  .... or lets just go TfL / QCS model. ... But even there We could do much better,   ....... (study: M. Inst. Marketing)

Why would they want to go back to 'Northern'? That's the past.

You're talking about a premium service from Go North East, but what features would the service have? WiFi, plug sockets, next stop announcements and eleather seats are already being offered as a standard - not a premium.

South of the Tyne, at the very least, Arriva's Sapphire and Max services mostly cover areas where there is no GNE presence and never has been. There is the tiniest overlap between GNE's Indigo services and Arriva's 22/24 which have always carried way more capacity and a token inroad by the X12 in the Durham-CLS-Gateshead-Newcastle spine where GNE pretty much have dominance.

And, AFAIK, in the past decade, GNE's identity has been all about the recognisable route brands. It was almost a decade from moving out of Gateshead before I had reason to set foot on a GNE service. Believe it or not, that was a Diamond bus. It was only a short journey, but the feel of those already quite old buses was so much lighter and brighter than what Arriva were offering at the time - all of 3 years ago, a long way prior to the Sapphire and Max launches.

It's hard not to smile at an approaching Whey Aye Five-O, while Arriva's ageing Omnicities, currently on the 21a, really don't elicit the same reaction (until they hit the A66 and the driver gets to put their foot down a bit).

And it's the branded routes that got my eldest interested in buses - and I think the same goes for a few people.

Colourful branded vehicles such as Coaster, Angel, Fab56 catch the eye more easily and act as a mobile billboard for the service. I find Arrivas Max and Sapphire liveries not as eye catching. And to be honest, I'm not a big fan of the Max livery either.

(04 Sep 2015, 1:14 am)GMitchelhill wrote Colourful branded vehicles such as Coaster, Angel, Fab56 catch the eye more easily and act as a mobile billboard for the service. I find Arrivas Max and Sapphire liveries not as eye catching. And to be honest, I'm not a big fan of the Max livery either.

And at the rate which Arriva's services are being converted to this specification, it'll soon be more eye-catching to see a standard corporate liveried vehicle than a Sapphire or MAX..! Not that I am saying this is a bad thing; after all, I think the fitting of Wi-Fi (at the very least) to new vehicles should be standard, not something to scream and shout about as a 'premium' feature.

Branding will always divide opinion. I'm personally in favour of it, providing it can be managed correctly. From a customer point of view, I can identify my bus from a distance allowing me to prepare for the vehicle arriving in advance; from an enthusiast point of view, there's always a new colourful livery to 'spot' which is one of the more interesting aspects to the hobby in my opinion (due to ongoing fleet standardisation); and from a company point of view, route branding is said to deliver market growth.

With regards to branding being managed correctly; I was stood at Haymarket Bus Station yesterday for ten minutes and saw several Arriva branded vehicles on the wrong routes, and this is where branding gets silly. By comparison, I was at Gateshead and Eldon Square for ten minutes at each location too, and saw no wrong allocations from Go North East. Perhaps I got lucky, but I have seen a significant improvement in recent months. Saw plenty of corporate liveried vehicles covering for branded vehicles, but this is what should happen..!

Seems the 8 from Park Lane to Hylton retail Park did not operate due to a burst water pipe so it wasn't able to run.

Does 9109 have a set running board or is it allocated to any random board. Just thinking of tracking it down next week.

8301 is currently at DiagTest.

(04 Sep 2015, 9:35 am)GMitchelhill wrote Does 9109 have a set running board or is it allocated to any random board. Just thinking of tracking it down next week.

It seems to differ from day to day. It's just left Durham as the 20A

Am on upper deck of 6133 and there is a loud noise  at the left side of the bus about  half way  alomg never heard anything like it on any others in the batch  sounds like some sort of motor  running

Asked driver on arrival at consett  he said it was the motor for the aircon !!

Come and join our Passenger Panel

http://www.simplygo.com/news/passenger-panel

Of course  they do not have aircon so still do not know what caused the racket !!!

Contrary to the latest fleet news, which stated 3879 as being withdrawn - it is still going. Was operating the short 888 service this evening. Excuse the poor photo, it took me by complete surprise.