(05 Apr 2016, 8:01 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Id take a guess and say Around May after Saltmeadows are finished with the Prince Bishops Streetlites.

Saltmeadows Road have already done their bit on them - they've painted the buses and removed the old internal cove panel branding.

Screen Services (third party company who apply vinyls) are able to go into any depot to sort out the branding. I would hope that they'll squeeze it in before the first Streetlites arrive and need to be branded up, as we will be waiting months otherwise.

(05 Apr 2016, 4:34 pm)Michael wrote Wrong thread Jamie =)

Haha, took me a while to figure out what you were talking about. Oh well, cheers.

I saw an awful lot of Deptford's destination blinds playing up today...

8267 - Side and Rear working with front not working
9102 - Side and rear working with front not working

There were also a few more exactly the same but I didn't take a note.

3980's rear blind is displaying a large number 9 on the left and 'Jarrow' scrolling one letter at a time.

Stanley's 6009 passed me earlier on the 15 with probably the longest tailback I've ever seen behind one, It passed me doing about 10MPH and with the tailback stretching around the bend around 30 cars in length... https://www.flickr.com/photos/140662069@...ed-public/ Picture taken from the top of 6024.

(05 Apr 2016, 8:19 pm)LeeCalder wrote I saw an awful lot of Deptford's destination blinds playing up today...

8267 - Side and Rear working with front not working
9102 - Side and rear working with front not working

There were also a few more exactly the same but I didn't take a note.

3980's rear blind is displaying a large number 9 on the left and 'Jarrow' scrolling one letter at a time.

it was working about 4pm when I seen it on the X35

(05 Apr 2016, 8:03 pm)Dan wrote Saltmeadows Road have already done their bit on them - they've painted the buses and removed the old internal cove panel branding.

Screen Services (third party company who apply vinyls) are able to go into any depot to sort out the branding. I would hope that they'll squeeze it in before the first Streetlites arrive and need to be branded up, as we will be waiting months otherwise.

Like the Silver Citaro's

(05 Apr 2016, 8:19 pm)LeeCalder wrote I saw an awful lot of Deptford's destination blinds playing up today...

8267 - Side and Rear working with front not working
9102 - Side and rear working with front not working

There were also a few more exactly the same but I didn't take a note.

3980's rear blind is displaying a large number 9 on the left and 'Jarrow' scrolling one letter at a time.

9102 is back to normal with all screens working

(05 Apr 2016, 8:47 pm)Michael wrote Like the Silver Citaro's

Think this whole branding exercise is becoming a joke, black cats brand gets released then everything goes quiet, silver mercs, black solars. Plain redbuses, whatever happened to the corporate livery, bring back the red/yellow/blue livery styled for 2016.

(05 Apr 2016, 9:35 pm)wise owl wrote Think this whole branding exercise is becoming a joke, black cats brand gets released then everything goes quiet, silver mercs, black solars. Plain redbuses, whatever happened to the corporate livery, bring back the red/yellow/blue livery styled for 2016.

Priorities constantly change, and you have to react to that - as in business. It's not ideal, but I'm sure there's a good reason?

(05 Apr 2016, 10:06 pm)Adrian wrote Priorities constantly change, and you have to react to that - as in business. It's not ideal, but I'm sure there's a good reason?

Partly branding cadets that will go in the next few months

(05 Apr 2016, 8:28 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Stanley's 6009 passed me earlier on the 15 with probably the longest tailback I've ever seen behind one, It passed me doing about 10MPH and with the tailback stretching around the bend around 30 cars in length...  https://www.flickr.com/photos/140662069@...ed-public/ Picture taken from the top of 6024.

So much frustration that the sky's turned blue!

(05 Apr 2016, 10:11 pm)BusLoverMum wrote So much frustration that the sky's turned blue!

Yes haha, It was actually a pretty mild day up in Leadgate earlier on, Though I'm sure South Shields is on a different planet for weather! Pretty much raining all day in Shields.

(05 Apr 2016, 9:35 pm)wise owl wrote Think this whole branding exercise is becoming a joke, black cats brand gets released then everything goes quiet, silver mercs, black solars. Plain redbuses, whatever happened to the corporate livery, bring back the red/yellow/blue livery styled for 2016.

Black Solars should be branded soon.

No idea whats happening with the Silver Citaros.

Black Cats brand for the 33/33A/39 was supposently dropped because it was going to be applied to the Cadets however the brand would be took off a little while later and applied else where due to some of the Cadets getting withdrawn, all of them should be gone soon...

I do hope they decide to use the brand again, if so it'll probables end up on the 39 only as the 33 won't interwork with the 39 from 22nd May due to the changes, that doesn't mean it can't be applied to the 33 also.

It'll be interesting what they use on the 33 and 39 when changes take place.. I'm hoping they'll use Scania's.

Lothian DD with the Diamond livery has just gone down felling bypass - maybe toward Saltmeadows?.....

(06 Apr 2016, 7:07 am)JP6004 wrote Lothian DD with the Diamond livery has just gone down felling bypass - maybe toward Saltmeadows?.....

Possibly one of Kingsleys' ex-Lothian Presidents?

Kingsley's Coaches of Birtley: 249 / V534ESC by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(06 Apr 2016, 7:10 am)Dan wrote Possibly one of Kingsleys' ex-Lothian Presidents?

Kingsley's Coaches of Birtley: 249 / V534ESC by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

Quite possibly. I was going down Sunderland road and only caught a fleeting glance 

Yeah Kingsley still have at least one flitting about in Harlequin livery

(06 Apr 2016, 8:12 am)GMitchelhill wrote Yeah Kingsley still have at least one flitting about in Harlequin livery

248/49/51

Was it GNE who bought the Sunderland Connect Solo SR's or did Sunderland uni, NEXUS and Sunderland Council put money together for them, due to them all funding it?

Next year it will be 5 years since the Sunderland Connect launched... i was wondering if NEXUS etc would want new buses on the route.... if GNE win the contract again.

(06 Apr 2016, 10:17 am)Michael wrote Was it GNE who bought the Sunderland Connect Solo SR's or did Sunderland uni, NEXUS and Sunderland Council put money together for them, due to them all funding it?

GNE definitely paid for 628, I think they bought the two 61 Reg examples and I am not sure about 640

(06 Apr 2016, 10:17 am)Michael wrote Was it GNE who bought the Sunderland Connect Solo SR's or did Sunderland uni, NEXUS and Sunderland Council put money together for them, due to them all funding it?

Next year it will be 5 years since the Sunderland Connect launched... i was wondering if NEXUS etc would want new buses on the route.... if GNE win the contract again.

GNE would've put some money towards the Hybrids, Though they would've been funded through that Green Bus Grant back then too.

I wouldn't be surprised if GNE keep the contract, Theve invested quite a bit in it since it was launched.

(06 Apr 2016, 10:27 am)South Tyne Lad wrote GNE would've put some money towards the Hybrids, Though they would've been funded through that Green Bus Grant back then too.

I wouldn't be surprised if GNE keep the contract, Theve invested quite a bit in it since it was launched.

I think they could have, i hope they do keep it, they've done a lot for the brand.

It seems to be really popular, i wish they would send it all the way down to Seaburn in summer and not stopping it at Roker, especially when Seaburn is getting done up.

(06 Apr 2016, 10:44 am)Michael wrote I think they could have, i hope they do keep it, they've done a lot for the brand.

It seems to be really popular, i wish they would send it all the way down to Seaburn in summer and not stopping it at Roker, especially when Seaburn is getting done up.

That's a good idea extending it to Seaburn, Though that will probably need the Diesel Spare Solo allocated full time.

(06 Apr 2016, 10:49 am)South Tyne Lad wrote That's a good idea extending it to Seaburn, Though that will probably need the Diesel Spare Solo allocated full time.

Ye that would be the only problem and with Deptford not having 635 or 636 , they'll be no spare Solo Sr's - unless of cause they use one of the Versa's.


With it coming up to 5 years, hopefully new buses could be bought for them.

Any news on 636? Seems to have dropped off the radar over the past few weeks. According to the GNE site, it has been transferred to Hexham as planned - on paper, at least.

(06 Apr 2016, 4:36 pm)S813 FVK wrote Any news on 636? Seems to have dropped off the radar over the past few weeks. According to the GNE site, it has been transferred to Hexham as planned - on paper, at least.

It's VOR, and has been since the end of February. It has yet to be repainted and branded.

Go North East records it as a Hexham-based bus, as it's technically not a Deptford-based bus any more (as its replacement has arrived and entered service at Deptford). That bus also forms part of the PVR at Hexham now, so needs to be shown as VOR there.

(06 Apr 2016, 4:39 pm)Dan wrote It's VOR, and has been since the end of February. It has yet to be repainted and branded.

Go North East records it as a Hexham-based bus, as it's technically not a Deptford-based bus any more (as its replacement has arrived and entered service at Deptford). That bus also forms part of the PVR at Hexham now, so needs to be shown as VOR there.

Oh dear. Must be something reasonably 'bad' for it to be VOR for over a month.

(06 Apr 2016, 5:08 pm)S813 FVK wrote Oh dear. Must be something reasonably 'bad' for it to be VOR for over a month.

Nah, it just it has had to go to Bells Trucks, so they dont rush and you just join the queue.

(06 Apr 2016, 5:12 pm)citaro5284 wrote Nah, it just it has had to go to Bells Trucks, so they dont rush and you just join the queue.

Ah right. A quite search on google maps shows that it was where that i saw 633 a few months ago now. It was the one over in Benton and i found it very odd. Had no idea it was that company, though.

(06 Apr 2016, 5:21 pm)S813 FVK wrote Ah right. A quite search on google maps shows that it was where that i saw 633 a few months ago now. It was the one over in Benton and i found it very odd. Had no idea it was that company, though.

I believe it's on the Team Valley.