(17 Mar 2016, 7:32 am)NK53 TKT wrote They are very, very bad. Sometimes smoke comes out the back. The ticket bins vibrate. The wheels catch on the body when the bus turns

If they are as bad as 8316 & 8318 I feel sorry for you.

(17 Mar 2016, 7:58 am)Davie wrote If they are as bad as 8316 & 8318 I feel sorry for you.

I've ridden on 8316 on the Q3 before, it is fine in comparison

(17 Mar 2016, 7:44 pm)NK53 TKT wrote I've ridden on 8316 on the Q3 before, it is fine in comparison

Really?!?! Are 8310-8315 that bad???

(17 Mar 2016, 7:45 pm)Davie wrote Really?!?! Are 8310-8315 that bad???

All but 8314, 8311 is living hell
EDIT: 8312 is not much good either

(17 Mar 2016, 7:49 pm)NK53 TKT wrote All but 8314, 8311 is living hell
EDIT: 8312 is not much good either

From what I've heard; 8311 has been a problem bus.

(17 Mar 2016, 8:17 pm)Davie wrote From what I've heard; 8311 has been a problem bus.

It is, it is the most often replaced

(17 Mar 2016, 8:39 pm)NK53 TKT wrote It is, it is the most often replaced

Isn't that the Versa with 555's ticket machine?

(17 Mar 2016, 8:40 pm)Davie wrote Isn't that the Versa with 555's ticket machine?

I don't know. I believe 8313 has 561's as I boarded and my NEXUS CAT said 561 on it

(17 Mar 2016, 8:43 pm)NK53 TKT wrote I don't know. I believe 8313 has 561's as I boarded and my NEXUS CAT said 561 on it

That might have been the one I was thinking of.

(17 Mar 2016, 8:17 pm)Davie wrote From what I've heard; 8311 has been a problem bus.

I'm getting the feeling there's one in every batch. Like Arriva 1598, which we were discussing, the other night. Had that recently fixed mechanical fault and has always had glitchy electronics, from the destination displays, to the NSA screen to the ticket machine, which receives a fair bit of percussive maintenance. 1599, OTOH, behaves perfectly, other than being a prang magnet.

Best

Eclipse Gemini 2/B9TL (the most comfortable seats)

ALX300 (got these regularly on the 604 as it stopped outside my house when Arriva used to run the Prudhoe services)

Volvo B10BLE (mainly the Lime services and Arriva when they ran them on the 602)

Castles Express Streeetdecks (minus the 50mph limit, interior is one of the best I have seen on a bus)

Leyland National 2 (had these on the old 718 to get to school and back when I lived in Craghead until they were replaced by the Optare Excel which were awful, Always a pleasure to see at bus rallies)

Worst

Eclipse Gemini 1 (especially 3942/3963/3964 could hear it coming before I saw it on Prudhoe front street the other day)

Wright Solar (earlier models, in particular The Waggonway fleet)

Fiat Bluebird

Plaxton Prestige (rattled a lot on the way to Beamish from Newcastle, especially on the the road between Birtley and Ouston)

Optare Excel (made weird creaking noises when they first entered service from what I remember on way back from school)

Volvo Olympian (3822, itchy seats bad ride quality. Haven't been on others so can't comment on them

(17 Mar 2016, 10:54 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I'm getting the feeling there's one in every batch. Like Arriva 1598, which we were discussing, the other night. Had that recently fixed mechanical fault and has always had glitchy electronics, from the destination displays, to the NSA screen to the ticket machine, which receives a fair bit of percussive maintenance. 1599, OTOH, behaves perfectly, other than being a prang magnet.

Examples include GNE:
8311
8297
636
5390
5384
3814
ANE:
7501
1598
4512

(19 May 2016, 4:41 pm)NK53 TKT wrote Examples include GNE:
8311
8297
636
5390
5384
3814
ANE:
7501
1598
4512

8297 doesn't have NSA's, Its only function is showing CCTV images from inside the bus.
Mechanically wise its also one of the better ones too, 8299 and 8301 are the worst on here in my opinion.

(19 May 2016, 7:10 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote 8297 doesn't have NSA's, Its only function is showing CCTV images from inside the bus.
Mechanically wise its also one of the better ones too, 8299 and 8301 are the worst on here in my opinion.

3814 certainly doesn't have NSAs, either. With that in mind, I think he could have been on about destinations and other electrical issues as mentioned in the post he was replying to.

I like:
Tridents (plaxton not loyne)
B7s (plaxtons/vykings/eclipses)
MPDs (particularly 547)
Omnicities

I don't like:
Citaros
Tridents (W182SCU's engine reaks)
Versas (awful)
Omnidekkas (GNE really need to refurb some of them imo, then they'd be nice. GJE/F/G are nice.)

(19 May 2016, 10:59 pm)Jamie M wrote I like:
Tridents (plaxton not loyne)
B7s (plaxtons/vykings/eclipses)
MPDs (particularly 547)
Omnicities

I don't like:
Citaros
Tridents (W182SCU's engine reaks)
Versas (awful)
Omnidekkas (GNE really need to refurb some of them imo, then they'd be nice. GJE/F/G are nice.)

Omnidekkas: don't half move but complete boneshakers.

(19 May 2016, 11:24 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Omnidekkas: don't half move but complete boneshakers.

YN04GJE is my favourite from the series, actually seems powerful.

The whole fleet can be reet pains when you have to deal with them

(20 May 2016, 5:18 am)citaro5284 wrote The whole fleet can be reet pains when you have to deal with them

You say that but from being born in 2004 up until 2012 MPDs were used on my local service, the Arriva 46 and I never tired of 1719, 1751, 1752, 1753, 1758, 1760, 1762, 1766, 1767, 1790 and BY FAR THE BEST EVER ARRIVA BUS.....1799

2501 and 2502 were also very rare on the 46, they are the only nice solos, now sadly they have been scrapped along with 1719, 1751, 1752 and 1753

Mind I may have a different opinion now four years later, they were all better than the current solos though, the even more annoying thing is the very day I moved onto the route of the then bendy-bus ran X40, the 46 got WiFi and an upgraded frequency, plus an extended route   

I long for MPDs now instead of my normal 8310-8315