Latest News Nov 2015

Service WW1 is currently facing delays of up to 25 minutes. This is due to heavy Poppies traffic around Woodhorn.

Bus is not running to timetable.

Ashington's Sapphire E400s are gaining A4 size poster holders below the downstairs NSA monitor. What a ridiculous place to put them.  
Also, if anyone gets on one of Ashington's Sapphire E400s with green "Hello" stickers on the cabs, please drop me a message with the fleet number so I can pass it on.

(01 Nov 2015, 2:58 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Ashington's Sapphire E400s are gaining A4 size poster holders below the downstairs NSA monitor. What a ridiculous place to put them.  

Also, if anyone gets on one of Ashington's Sapphire E400s with green "Hello" stickers on the cabs, please drop me a message with the fleet number so I can pass it on.

Not the best place for them, also seems that these may be the only Sapphire buses in the North East to have these A4 advert frames? Although if you think that is silly I remember the Darlington Sapphire Pulsars once had service changes info on a piece of A4 paper in the advert frames on the roof! Not sure if they should or not but the Belmont Sapphire 7 Pulsars had the Arriva style adverts on the roof (don't know if they still do or not).

(01 Nov 2015, 3:19 pm)Jimmi wrote Not the best place for them, also seems that these may be the only Sapphire buses in the North East to have these A4 advert frames? Although if you think that is silly I remember the Darlington Sapphire Pulsars once had service changes info on a piece of A4 paper in the advert frames on the roof! Not sure if they should or not but the Belmont Sapphire 7 Pulsars had the Arriva style adverts on the roof (don't know if they still do or not).

It was requested by the promotional (or whatever its called) department to have the advert frames on the buses, but they didn't say where.

What would be really good is timetables on board and clean buses... 

(01 Nov 2015, 3:23 pm)GX03 SVC wrote It was requested by the promotional (or whatever its called) department to have the advert frames on the buses, but they didn't say where.

What would be really good is timetables on board and clean buses... 

Wonder if the other Sapphire buses will get them although you'd struggle for space for them on the StreetLite's and on the 7 you'd have to place them over the landmarks behind the drivers cab. Wish they'd sort them out on the Pulsars that transferred from the 7 to the 24, not sure how relevant Barclay's Bank in Darlington is to the 24 route!

Also Darlington's E400 7540 doesn't have the Sapphire welcome sticker on the cab door.

Our Sapphire buses on the 7 are usually clean although some mess is made over the course of the day. Think all buses should have timetables on-board, for example I think Belmont buses should have timetables for the likes of the X12 and X24 on-board in the hope it may push passengers on the likes of the 43 and 46 to connect to the X12/X24 to head to Newcastle/Metrocentre.

(01 Nov 2015, 3:39 pm)Jimmi wrote Wonder if the other Sapphire buses will get them although you'd struggle for space for them on the StreetLite's and on the 7 you'd have to place them over the landmarks behind the drivers cab. Wish they'd sort them out on the Pulsars that transferred from the 7 to the 24, not sure how relevant Barclay's Bank in Darlington is to the 24 route!

Also Darlington's E400 7540 doesn't have the Sapphire welcome sticker on the cab door.

Our Sapphire buses on the 7 are usually clean although some mess is made over the course of the day. Think all buses should have timetables on-board, for example I think Belmont buses should have timetables for the likes of the X12 and X24 on-board in the hope it may push passengers on the likes of the 43 and 46 to connect to the X12/X24 to head to Newcastle/Metrocentre.

I agree, GNE is MUCH better than Arriva for putting timetables in buses.

Just a few questions please.

Are the pulser that were shaphire at Blyth now the MAX onces that are going around?
What depots are the ex london eclipse gemini going to? What services? How many are there?
Are there any plans for the withdraw of the alexandre dennis single deckers that arrive use (simular to stagecoach onces)
Are there plans to scrap the arriva north east B10. Just for last rides thats all.

thanks

(01 Nov 2015, 4:48 pm)B10man wrote Just a few questions please.

Are the pulser that were shaphire at Blyth now the MAX onces that are going around?
What depots are the ex london eclipse gemini going to? What services? How many are there?
Are there any plans for the withdraw of the alexandre dennis single deckers that arrive use (simular to stagecoach onces)
Are there plans to scrap the arriva north east B10. Just for last rides thats all.

thanks

I'll try and deal with these...

- The only Sapphire Pulsars that Blyth had were the ones now at Durham operating on service 6, they were temporarily helping out covering refurbishments of Blyth's fleet to MAX standard. These have ultimately been replaced by Darts (1305, 1314) and Volvo B10BLE's (4501, 4509) which are doing the same job. Two of the refurbished MAX Pulsars are temp at Stockton, replaced at Blyth by 1492 and 1494. These should swap back in the next few weeks.

- The recent ex London B7TL Gemini's currently in service - 7410 and 7411 in MAX- I believe could be both for Blyth. Originally I thought Blyth were only getting one but they may well be keeping both now, they are to be used on MAX services X7-X11, time will tell whether they get set duties or just mixed in amongst the other deckers. Another 4 are due for Ashington depot, from the fleet in London, for the X20.

- As for the Volvo B10BLE's - yes once removed from service they will be sold, whether that be for scrap or further use. Some have already gone for scrap, so I expect the other V-DFT's will follow, being as they're not DDA compliant. The ALX300's at Jesmond will be staying for the moment, seeing use on North Tyne services 52/53 for which they are branded. These are DDA compliant and therefore won't be leaving us urgently.

Many thanks tyresmoke thats cleared that up nicely for me.

(01 Nov 2015, 2:58 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Ashington's Sapphire E400s are gaining A4 size poster holders below the downstairs NSA monitor. What a ridiculous place to put them.  
Also, if anyone gets on one of Ashington's Sapphire E400s with green "Hello" stickers on the cabs, please drop me a message with the fleet number so I can pass it on.

752x has a tacky sticker on the stair artwork, if you remember the blue and white information stickers of old? 

I think it's 7525, not 100% sure though. 

7504 has one of the "Hello" stickers, surely it should be a Sapphire sticker on the cab door?

(01 Nov 2015, 5:28 pm)mb134 wrote 752x has a tacky sticker on the stair artwork, if you remember the blue and white information stickers of old? 

I think it's 7525, not 100% sure though. 

7504 has one of the "Hello" stickers, surely it should be a Sapphire sticker on the cab door?

Yes, yes it should be. I can't believe Ashington still haven't sorted this.

Just remembered that I saw one of the old Arriva - Welcome Aboard stickers on the cab door on one of Ashington's MAX Enviro 400's on my recent trip to Morpeth. Can't remember which though.

Also saw the same Welcome Aboard sticker on 1415 yesterday.

Hope that the list on stops on the interior branding on the X12 Gemini's and Pulsars is updated at some point as I noticed the other week that Plawsworth was still on it but the X12 no longer stops at Plawsworth. Also the X66/X67 Omnicitys only have interior branding for the X66 at present.

(01 Nov 2015, 5:35 pm)tyresmoke wrote Yes, yes it should be. I can't believe Ashington still haven't sorted this.

They haven't even bothered to put them on every bus, the inconsistency is astounding. 

The sticker on 7525 is one of the old 'Do not step beyond this point' ones, I think.

(01 Nov 2015, 5:35 pm)tyresmoke wrote Yes, yes it should be. I can't believe Ashington still haven't sorted this.

I'm confused as to how they can still have these "Hello" stickers as I assume that the cab doors will have been repainted (or something like that) as part of their refurbishment so if they still have these stickers I can only assume they either painted round them or have reapplied them.

(01 Nov 2015, 5:36 pm)mb134 wrote They haven't even bothered to put them on every bus, the inconsistency is astounding. 

The sticker on 7525 is one of the old 'Do not step beyond this point' ones, I think.

I know that the new Sapphire E400s had the ones specially designed in the new typeface before the photos came, they were removed but Ashington were rushed to get the vehicles back on the road hence why most don't have them.

(01 Nov 2015, 5:52 pm)Jimmi wrote I'm confused as to how they can still have these "Hello" stickers as I assume that the cab doors will have been repainted (or something like that) as part of their refurbishment so if they still have these stickers I can only assume they either painted round them or have reapplied them.

These "Hello" stickers are the new "Arriva - a DB company" timetable green ones which were applied a couple of months ago.

mb134

Do the stickers look like this?

(01 Nov 2015, 5:54 pm)GX03 SVC wrote These "Hello" stickers are the new "Arriva - a DB company" timetable green ones which were applied a couple of months ago.

I suppose that's better than nothing but they should really have the Sapphire or MAX ones...

(01 Nov 2015, 5:58 pm)GX03 SVC wrote mb134

Do the stickers look like this?

No it was the old, old type, the sky blue and white type, in the same style as the old 'Welcome Aboard' stickers, I'll try and find a photo somewhere

(01 Nov 2015, 6:02 pm)tyresmoke wrote I suppose that's better than nothing but they should really have the Sapphire or MAX ones...

Thats why I've been asked to get the fleet numbers of the buses with these stickers, so they can sort them out and get the proper Sapphire ones.

Can't remember how to get the photo to display when replying on my phone, but it is the same era of signage as the following:

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/tommy1581/...D_w_IS_all

White box, blue strip.

(01 Nov 2015, 5:36 pm)Jimmi wrote Just remembered that I saw one of the old Arriva - Welcome Aboard stickers on the cab door on one of Ashington's MAX Enviro 400's on my recent trip to Morpeth. Can't remember which though.

Also saw the same Welcome Aboard sticker on 1415 yesterday.

Is this the same one?

(01 Nov 2015, 6:09 pm)mb134 wrote Can't remember how to get the photo to display when replying on my phone, but it is the same era of signage as the following:

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/tommy1581/...D_w_IS_all

White box, blue strip.

Cheers, I'll pass this on. I'm surprised that they still have them available to use.

(01 Nov 2015, 6:17 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Is this the same one?

Yeah, that's the stickers I was referring to.

(01 Nov 2015, 6:17 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Is this the same one?

Cheers, I'll pass this on. I'm surprised that they still have them available to use.

As was I, went back about 10 years when I boarded it on Friday (positive it was 7525 now).

Looks like Metro trays are starting to appear on Darlington's Sapphire buses, the Pulsar I'm on now has one... but no newspapers.

(02 Nov 2015, 2:52 pm)Jimmi wrote Looks like Metro trays are starting to appear on Darlington's Sapphire buses, the Pulsar I'm on now has one... but no newspapers.

For gods sake. They're fine when theres space for them but in luggage areas.  Same problem with StreetLites, you can't put anything in the area. 

(02 Nov 2015, 3:05 pm)GX03 SVC wrote For gods sake. They're fine when theres space for them but in luggage areas.  Same problem with StreetLites, you can't put anything in the area. 

Thing that annoys me even more is they've once again put it in the larger luggage Bay rather than the one on the drivers side so there is less space in the larger rack so it can be a bit of a faff, especially if a pushchair has to be folded up and put in that luggage rack.

(02 Nov 2015, 3:23 pm)Jimmi wrote Thing that annoys me even more is they've once again put it in the larger luggage Bay rather than the one on the drivers side so there is less space in the larger rack so it can be a bit of a faff, especially if a pushchair has to be folded up and put in that luggage rack.

Not to mention the mess that Metro papers cause anyway!
I try to keep my bus looking tidy which is a challenge at the best of times

Definitely 7525 with the old sticker, and the 'Hello' on the cab door also.