(11 Feb 2017, 12:59 pm)Michael wrote I know Stagecoach North East use Twitter, which i don't use, i also know they do report if services are running late - however like GNE not all of them are reported...

No idea on Arriva tbh

Stagecoach tweet delays quite a lot alongside 'mechanical' problems

5214 has been loaned to Chester-Le-Street.
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/gpr_bus_ph...in/people/

(11 Feb 2017, 5:34 pm)Michael wrote 5462 spotted at Heysham docks

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nsf323alis...ateposted/

Thanks to Alister for the picture.

Delivered on Thursday, branded on Friday, entered service yesterday. 5276 and 5282 remain as the only "Blaydon Racers" branded vehicles now - the former is VOR and the latter was out in service on the 49 yesterday.

As already established; 5275 and 5281 have returned to service at Riverside, while 5277 is currently on loan to Washington. 5278 - 5280, 5283 and 5331 are all at Saltmeadows Road out of service at the moment.

The "Citylink 57" branded Mercedes Citaros have now been fitted with Wi-Fi - meaning that over 300 buses in the fleet are now fitted with Wi-Fi.

(12 Feb 2017, 10:44 am)Dan wrote Delivered on Thursday, branded on Friday, entered service yesterday. 5276 and 5282 remain as the only "Blaydon Racers" branded vehicles now - the former is VOR and the latter was out in service on the 49 yesterday.

As already established; 5275 and 5281 have returned to service at Riverside, while 5277 is currently on loan to Washington. 5278 - 5280, 5283 and 5331 are all at Saltmeadows Road out of service at the moment.

The "Citylink 57" branded Mercedes Citaros have now been fitted with Wi-Fi - meaning that over 300 buses in the fleet are now fitted with Wi-Fi.

I don't think it was even reported on here.


When will the first of the ex DD Citaro's arrive back from Coach and Bus?


Any news on where 5337/38 will end up?

Is there a particular reason why 5275 seems to have been allocated to the X9/X10 over the last week or is it just down to vehicle shortages? I'm assuming its just recently had a tachograph fitted too?

(12 Feb 2017, 11:36 am)Dans_bus_photos wrote Is there a particular reason why 5275 seems to have been allocated to the X9/X10 over the last week or is it just down to vehicle shortages? I'm assuming its just recently had a tachograph fitted too?

5275 has always had a tachograph fitted - in its batch, it was the vehicle fitted with a tachograph (like 6071 on the TENs, 5391 on the X66 etc)

(12 Feb 2017, 11:42 am)S813 FVK wrote 5275 has always had a tachograph fitted - in its batch, it was the vehicle fitted with a tachograph (like 6071 on the TENs, 5391 on the X66 etc)

The thing that throws me off is that on the weekly allocation sheet from the website, it shows 5275 as not being tachographed (newer ones won't show as they are counted as 'off road for refurb at the bottom'). Since it has made appearances branded, this is a little misleading.
See:
T = Tacho'd, as 5235 shows.

(12 Feb 2017, 12:26 pm)Jamie M wrote The thing that throws me off is that on the weekly allocation sheet from the website, it shows 5275 as not being tachographed (newer ones won't show as they are counted as 'off road for refurb at the bottom'). Since it has made appearances branded, this is a little misleading.
See:
T = Tacho'd, as 5235 shows.

Maybe it has just been tacho'd within the last year or so then and i was just imagining seeing it with a 'T' next to its fleet number for ages. Mind, 3943 is shown to have WiFi when it doesn't (although that would be great in an ideal situation).

(12 Feb 2017, 12:33 pm)S813 FVK wrote Maybe it has just been tacho'd within the last year or so then and i was just imagining seeing it with a 'T' next to its fleet number for ages. Mind, 3943 is shown to have WiFi when it doesn't (although that would be great in an ideal situation).

I caused a dispute with a few drivers at Stanley with 5410. It does actually have a tachograph, it's just obscured within one of the units. It's taking retrofitting to a new level. When most people think of Tachos, they imagine the standard ones you see on the likes of the 63 plate mercs. Just a place where you enter your card. With the ones at Stanley, they're all inbuilt (95/96 are in the dashboard). It stumped people for a long time (obviously the drivers had some other form of documentation that also showed tacho'ing), but then an engineer spoke up

When are the Citylink Citaros going for refurbishment?

(12 Feb 2017, 11:42 am)S813 FVK wrote 5275 has always had a tachograph fitted - in its batch, it was the vehicle fitted with a tachograph (like 6071 on the TENs, 5391 on the X66 etc)

According to a comment on my photo of 5275 on a Facebook Group last week:

5275 has had a Tachograph since new but was uncalibrated for quite a while, it wasn't calibrated until sometime early last year.

(12 Feb 2017, 1:30 pm)EL1TE wrote When are the Citylink Citaros going for refurbishment?

Probables after the ex Durham Diamond and ex Blaydon Racers are done.

It looks like all the Citaro will be done.

(12 Feb 2017, 12:45 pm)Jamie M wrote I caused a dispute with a few drivers at Stanley with 5410. It does actually have a tachograph, it's just obscured within one of the units. It's taking retrofitting to a new level. When most people think of Tachos, they imagine the standard ones you see on the likes of the 63 plate mercs. Just a place where you enter your card. With the ones at Stanley, they're all inbuilt (95/96 are in the dashboard). It stumped people for a long time (obviously the drivers had some other form of documentation that also showed tacho'ing), but then an engineer spoke up

Is it similar to how the Tachographs are positioned on Arriva's VDL Pulsar Gemini dashboard (the ones that come with a tachograph)?

(12 Feb 2017, 2:57 pm)L469 YVK wrote Is it similar to how the Tachographs are positioned on Arriva's VDL Pulsar Gemini dashboard (the ones that come with a tachograph)?

I'm not informed on other operators, sadly. 3995/6 do not have card slots for sure. It's a mechanism within the dashboard.

(12 Feb 2017, 3:32 pm)Jamie M wrote I'm not informed on other operators, sadly. 3995/6 do not have card slots for sure. It's a mechanism within the dashboard.

That will be due to the fact that 3995/6 will have the old analogue Tachograph. Everything built since 2007 have Digital Tachogrpahs for the Tacho Cards.

(12 Feb 2017, 3:38 pm)Kuyoyo wrote That will be due to the fact that 3995/6 will have the old analogue Tachograph. Everything built since 2007 have Digital Tachogrpahs for the Tacho Cards.

That would be true, but if they stopped working, they would have forced to use the digital technology. Who's to say it wasn't retrofitted in the first place? No other N94 uses tacho. If you ever get a peak in the cab, you will see there be no card insert slot.

Gateshead High Street West will reopen completely from first bus on Wednesday 15 February.

Services 1, 1A, 27, 56, 57, 58, Q1 and Q2 will therefore return to normal route southbound from Gateshead Interchange via Jackson Street and Gateshead High Street West, rather than use High West Street and The Gloucester.

One of the New Durham Diamond Streetlites was at Bell Trucks today.

675 front destination keeps playing up. It just jumps around and no one can read it. This is mainly when driving. When heard drivers talking they say they keep reporting it. Dan why is this not fixed

(14 Feb 2017, 2:58 pm)dannygee wrote 675 front destination keeps playing up. It just jumps around and no one can read it. This is mainly when driving. When heard drivers talking they say they keep reporting it. Dan why is this not fixed

First I heard about it was on Sunday morning, and it was repaired by Hanover's engineer yesterday afternoon.

Let me know if you spot it again having issues...

(14 Feb 2017, 4:39 pm)Dan wrote First I heard about it was on Sunday morning, and it was repaired by Hanover's engineer yesterday afternoon.

Let me know if you spot it again having issues...

Will do if i see it out and about. Also 673 (i think) has gone really dull

694 now has Wear Xpress branding.

(15 Feb 2017, 9:01 am)Jimmi wrote 694 now has Wear Xpress branding.

693 is supposed to be branded too

Which Durham diamond Merc is currently being stored at the Motorhome Repair centre at Annfield Plain? That's if there is one there, I can only see the top half of the vehicle due to sitting on the bottom deck.

(15 Feb 2017, 2:40 pm)S813 FVK wrote Which Durham diamond Merc is currently being stored at the Motorhome Repair centre at Annfield Plain? That's if there is one there, I can only see the top half of the vehicle due to sitting on the bottom deck.

5292 - been there since last month.

(15 Feb 2017, 3:14 pm)Dan wrote 5292 - been there since last month.

Ah thanks. When you look at the answer, it is the only one that it could have been but I was still under the impression that it was at Hogarths at Birtley.

(15 Feb 2017, 9:01 am)Jimmi wrote 694 now has Wear Xpress branding.

(15 Feb 2017, 9:11 am)Michael wrote 693 is supposed to be branded too

693: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/32...otostream/
694: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/32...ateposted/

I actually think it looks quite nice, even if its on the cluttered side.

Arriva 7471 has just reversed into the front of 6120 taking out 6120 windscreen

Saw a Nexus solo being towed by 1001 on Felling Bypass, I believe it was 638 as it has had an incident at South Shields.

(15 Feb 2017, 3:48 pm)S813 FVK wrote 693: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/32...otostream/
694: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/32...ateposted/

I actually think it looks quite nice, even if its on the cluttered side.

It looks quite good on the Solo's, looking forward to seeing it on the Citaro's now.