(27 Sep 2015, 10:27 am)northern156 wrote Quite honestly Jimmi, folk walking in the way of pictures happens all the time in Edinburgh - it's just one of those places where you have to put up with it. I sometimes stop on islands for pics. Not been for a while though.In Edinburgh itself we had very little problems with this especially as we kept away from people by standing on islands etc. I did understand the few times it did happen in Edinburgh itself as it's a busy place with lots of people walking around so that's understandable and didn't really bother me, it was just at the open day where I got incredibly hacked off about it, there was one person stood talking to a driver in front of a bus for around the entire 20-30 or so minutes we were there.
(28 Sep 2015, 8:12 pm)S813 FVK wrote Giving this another go, really tried to focus on the vehicle this time rather than the journey:
Go North East's Volvo Olympian NC Palatine 2 3814 (S814 FVK):
This vehicle is, in terms of batches, the oldest Olympian (and indeed the oldest vehicle in service across the fleet) and it certainly does show. As I have continuously said in the past, the bus really does lack the power that all other Stanley based Olympians (and indeed 3819 and 3824 at Riverside - I can't speak for 3818 having never ridden on it) have. Struggling to get up Maiden Law Bank coming out of Lanchester, some drivers keeping their foot flat to the floor (probably gaining at dead leg in the process) and others being forced to stop otherwise it will run out of power. It really needs to go, why 3813 couldn't have been kept over this thing I really have no idea. I've always found this vehicle quite quiet (although this tends to be cancelled out by the noise being made by the younger kids) but the rattles that are made by the lights are quite annoying. The ride quality is alright, not as good as the other Olympians but for a bus of its age, it absorbs bumps really well without making it look like we were on a trapoline bouncing up and down everytime we went over a pothole.
Overall opinion: Bad
(03 Oct 2015, 9:23 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "Digging up an old argument but you can say all you want about the Civic 3 e-leather seating being the same that Arriva have for it's Sapphire buses but I still don't think they are as comfortable on GNE buses than Arriva's Sapphire buses, just seems harder to me whereas Arriva's feel softer,"
Funny this, but we caught 2 different aged E400s on our run to Ashington and back, this afternoon, both with the same seat type, but of different stock. The first had rock hard seats, set a little high and attached to an obvious track on the floor, which made it uncomfortable for me to put my feet down, as I couldn't put the outside one down flat. The second had softer seats, clearly not retrofitted, so lower. They were also softer.
"the 22 all the way to Durham, some of the next stop audio announcements on this route are terrible "See Ham" was quite bad but there was quite a few sniggers (not just from me) when see said "the next stop is... More Cock!"
Some of the pronunciation is terrible on Arriva services. On the X22 to Ashington we had "Cheviot" pronounced as if it was French, rather than "cheeviot" ending with a hard T. Many of the spellings are equally dreadful.
If Arriva had a Sapphire service to Chichester I'd catch it just for the inevitable pronunciation balls up.
I should have waved when you passed us. We were home, by then!
(17 Oct 2015, 9:44 pm)Jimmi wrote 4649 (or 4644) has to be my least favourite Omnicity, I get it on the X66 everytime without fail usually. It sounds awful, it seems to be the worst for battered panels etc. inside. It was terrible the day I had it one the 8 from Spennymoor - Aycliffe especially on hills.You'll know this - where is the "Town Hall" stop in Darlo? Big'un fancies a trip out to Richmond, sometime. (I'll be making it a Farmer's market day, I think!)
Might as well give a brief account of my journeys this afternoon.
1323 7 Newton Aycliffe - Harrowgate Hill Roundabout (ANE 1513)
1348 X66 Harrowgate Hill Roundabout - Stockton (ANE 4649)
1435ish X66 Stockton - Middlesbrough (ANE 4643)
1632 X66 Middlesbrough - Darlington (ANE 4643)
1800 5 Darlington - Newton Aycliffe (ANE 1426) ....
(17 Oct 2015, 9:52 pm)BusLoverMum wrote You'll know this - where is the "Town Hall" stop in Darlo? Big'un fancies a trip out to Richmond, sometime. (I'll be making it a Farmer's market day, I think!)It's just off Tubwell Row, I've attached a map showing where the stop is. Richmond buses leave from stand M.
(17 Oct 2015, 9:57 pm)Jimmi wrote It's just off Tubwell Row, I've attached a map showing where the stop is. Richmond buses leave from stand M.
(18 Oct 2015, 2:06 pm)Jimmi wrote To add a bit more variety, I am thinking of maybe doing the following outings in the coming weeks.
Wed 21st: Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, Newcastle.
Sat 24th: Teesside.
Mon 26th: GNE changes - Lanchester, Stanley, Metrocentre, Newcastle and also the new Arriva X66/X67.
Sat 31st: Teesside Park - new S1.
I'm also thinking of planning a rare Sunday outing somewhere, possibly on November 8th.
(18 Oct 2015, 2:06 pm)Jimmi wrote To add a bit more variety, I am thinking of maybe doing the following outings in the coming weeks.
Wed 21st: Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, Newcastle.
Sat 24th: Teesside.
Mon 26th: GNE changes - Lanchester, Stanley, Metrocentre, Newcastle and also the new Arriva X66/X67.
Sat 31st: Teesside Park - new S1.
I'm also thinking of planning a rare Sunday outing somewhere, possibly on November 8th.
(18 Oct 2015, 2:59 pm)GX03 SVC wrote You're better off missing Ashington off (as nothing has changed since your last visit ) and going to Blyth direct by the 2. The 434 stops at Clayton Arms in Bedlington Station (same stop as 1&2 towards Blyth) and theres a frequent service (1&2) to Blyth from there, so an opportunity there.
(18 Oct 2015, 5:03 pm)NK53 TKT wrote 11:00 S1 Metrocentre-Metrocentre Go North East 8266
Amazing bus, always astounds me how it is viable to use a merit in this service with it being so large compared to the Classic solos it replaced. One of the best buses in the GNE fleet, very nice engine sound, the Euro 5 eminox I believe changed the engine sound for the better. Expected to end up on the next S1 service as it arrived late.
(18 Oct 2015, 5:12 pm)Jimmi wrote When Classic did the S1 it ran every 7/8 minutes instead of the 15 minute frequency GNE runs. It's probably more cost effective to run one Merit rather than two Solos.
I'm personally not a fan of 8266 when I've used the S1, rattles far too much when stationary when I've been on it although it has been a while since I last rode it.
(18 Oct 2015, 5:12 pm)Jimmi wrote When Classic did the S1 it ran every 7/8 minutes instead of the 15 minute frequency GNE runs. It's probably more cost effective to run one Merit rather than two Solos.
I'm personally not a fan of 8266 when I've used the S1, rattles far too much when stationary when I've been on it although it has been a while since I last rode it.