(10 Dec 2018, 10:21 am)Michael wrote Does this indicate they're arriving sooner than we thought?

(10 Dec 2018, 10:22 am)Jamie M wrote Depends on what we thought

The order would have been placed when Go North East were awarded the new contract. Delivery should be expected this month, with the buses launched early part of next month.

(10 Dec 2018, 10:31 am)Dan wrote The order would have been placed when Go North East were awarded the new contract. Delivery should be expected this month, with the buses launched early part of next month.

Hopefully a better style brand and a darker green.

How long will 9087 be with GNE?

(12 Dec 2018, 8:11 am)enviro7501 wrote How long will 9087 be with GNE?

Would assume until they have a healthy number of Streetlites on the road again, so dependant on the work needing carried out on them.
It's out today 49-ing.

Also 4976 is on loan to Chester, X25s.

Go North East 9087 / SK68 TXP by kieron mathews, on Flickr

9087 has entered service today

(12 Dec 2018, 12:44 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote Would assume until they have a healthy number of Streetlites on the road again, so dependant on the work needing carried out on them.
It's out today 49-ing.

Also 4976 is on loan to Chester, X25s.

If necessary it'll probably make a visit to Stanley and Deptford I'd imagine.

Is anybody else's GNE app even more buggy than usual at the minute?
I only seem to be able to track a couple buses before it decides to crash.

HThanks R

(10 Dec 2018, 12:26 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully a better style brand and a darker green.

The livery and brand are specified by Nexus as part of the contract.

When will the Cathedral Solo's be branded?

6125 has returned to Stanley repainted into corporate livery.

What is the best run to get 6924-6941

(14 Dec 2018, 9:56 am)enviro7501 wrote What is the best run to get 6924-6941

EYMS are very rarely to be used on services so you can disregard those.
There's one of the unbranded dual door ones on the 10X at around 1650 sometimes and on a 93 arriving gateshead at around 1700. These vary from eclipses to plaxtons.

(14 Dec 2018, 9:56 am)enviro7501 wrote What is the best run to get 6924-6941

(14 Dec 2018, 9:58 am)Jamie M wrote EYMS are very rarely to be used on services so you can disregard those.
There's one of the unbranded dual door ones on the 10X at around 1650 sometimes and on a 93 arriving gateshead at around 1700. These vary from eclipses to plaxtons.

On paper; 6920 - 6941 should never be allocated to normal 'mainstream' commercial services, just the scholars contracts based at Riverside and Saltmeadows.

The following journeys are operated by Volvo B7s:

• 08:31 95 (Cragside Gardens - Gateshead) - East Lancs bodied Volvo B7
  
• ASDA Metrocentre Free Bus and 17:08 Q3 (Great Park - Newcastle) and 17:42 97 (Newcastle - Metrocentre) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:45 and 17:25 93 (Team Valley - Gateshead) and 18:08 92 (Team Valley - Wardley) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:20 X21 (Newcastle - Durham) - Wright bodied Volvo B7, usually 3965.
  
• 16:50 X21 (Newcastle - Durham) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:52 10X (Newcastle - Prudhoe) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:05 and 17:05 64 (Gateshead circular), 16:27 95 (Gateshead - Lobley Hill) and 16:41 95 (Lobley Hill - Gateshead) and 17:38 91 (Team Valley - Newcastle) - East Lancs bodied Volvo B7
  

Although the above is what is planned on paper, what happens on the ground is often different, so 6920 - 6941 could well find themselves allocated to any of the above...

(14 Dec 2018, 10:17 am)Dan wrote On paper; 6920 - 6941 should never be allocated to normal 'mainstream' commercial services, just the scholars contracts based at Riverside and Saltmeadows.

The following journeys are operated by Volvo B7s:

• 08:31 95 (Cragside Gardens - Gateshead) - East Lancs bodied Volvo B7
  
• ASDA Metrocentre Free Bus and 17:08 Q3 (Great Park - Newcastle) and 17:42 97 (Newcastle - Metrocentre) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:45 and 17:25 93 (Team Valley - Gateshead) and 18:08 92 (Team Valley - Wardley) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:20 X21 (Newcastle - Durham) - Wright bodied Volvo B7, usually 3965.
  
• 16:50 X21 (Newcastle - Durham) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:52 10X (Newcastle - Prudhoe) - Wright bodied Volvo B7
  
• 16:05 and 17:05 64 (Gateshead circular), 16:27 95 (Gateshead - Lobley Hill) and 16:41 95 (Lobley Hill - Gateshead) and 17:38 91 (Team Valley - Newcastle) - East Lancs bodied Volvo B7
  

Although the above is what is planned on paper, what happens on the ground is often different, so 6920 - 6941 could well find themselves allocated to any of the above...

6935-6941 are routinely never allocated to public service work, I got very lucky!

Plaxtons and wright B7s mix around, they're never the same.

3965 is always on the 1620 board without exception.

(14 Dec 2018, 10:20 am)Jamie M wrote 6935-6941 are routinely never allocated to public service work, I got very lucky!

Plaxtons and wright B7s mix around, they're never the same.

3965 is always on the 1620 board without exception.

Should be the same though - the Geminis were repainted for a reason! 

(14 Dec 2018, 10:42 am)Dan wrote Should be the same though - the Geminis were repainted for a reason!  

I've had a fair mix of both for my morning scholars for the time I've been here so far!

I prefer the plaxtons, a few of those eclipses only get sensible warm at ASDA roundabout on the way back to the depot. Nobody wants a cold bus at 6/7 in the morning

Bit of a headsup but roadworks start on 5/1/19 on Whitley Road stretching from where the Wheatsheaf Pub is to the Roundabout outside of The Range(that i can see),anyone know the extent of the works,the 42/42A will be effected along with Arriva services 51/51A and 53 and Stagecoach service 1 and Gateshead Taxis service 335

(14 Dec 2018, 12:30 pm)V514DFT wrote Bit of a headsup but roadworks start on 5/1/19 on Whitley Road stretching from where the Wheatsheaf Pub is to the Roundabout outside of The Range(that i can see),anyone know the extent of the works,the 42/42A will be effected along with Arriva services 51/51A and 53 and Stagecoach service 1 and Gateshead Taxis service 335

Believe there's some emergency timetables to come out for GNE and GCT at least.

(14 Dec 2018, 1:19 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote Believe there's some emergency timetables to come out for GNE and GCT at least.

Go North East registered changes to the 42/42A a while back.
https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...p?tid=1832&pid=223130#pid223130

This refers to the revised route and timetable of these services due to the removal of the roundabout at Benton ASDA, and the service will no longer serve Wallsend Metro on Mon-Sat daytimes.

(14 Dec 2018, 9:56 am)enviro7501 wrote What is the best run to get 6924-6941

A related question, can anyone advise if 6941 is a runner?

It's not listed as out of use, but I've never seen it, I don't recall app sightings either and apart from photos taken over the summer on Tall Ships/Airshow work, there is only one photo of it on Flickr, that being taken in Riverside depot.

Is it long-term broken or does it perhaps always do a particular job?  Just seems strange that it's so rarely seen/photographed compared to the others.

GNE don’t have services running in the Tow Law area do they as I was on the A68 yesterday going to visit a friend who lives near Darlington and passed one of the training buses going the other way


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Seen this on 6124's news page

With the output for the double-deck boards on "Toon Link" services X70/X71 being revised to newly-acquired Volvo B9TLs from Go-Ahead London back in March 2018, the three remaining "Toon Link" branded Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka vehicles were re-allocated to the St. Bede's scholars services operated from Stanley Depot. Initially these buses were not going to be repainted into fleet livery, but due to a gap in the paint plan schedule and in line with other brands being removed following a review, this vehicle has now been repainted into Go North East's corporate livery. This example carries the tagline


Wonder if any other brands will be removed then?, as we've already lost the Lambton Worm and See It Do it Sunderland.

(14 Dec 2018, 10:04 pm)TEN 6083 wrote GNE don’t have services running in the Tow Law area do they as I was on the A68 yesterday going to visit a friend who lives near Darlington and passed one of the training buses going the other way


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Theres a test centre at Darlo. Nice trip back via the A68 rather than the A1?

(14 Dec 2018, 10:07 pm)Michael wrote Wonder if any other brands will be removed then?, as we've already lost the Lambton Worm and See It Do it Sunderland.

I'd go with MetroCentre Mini, Blue & Green Arrow, Loop and Wear Xpress (Solo's Only) being removed.

(14 Dec 2018, 8:08 pm)Boggle wrote A related question, can anyone advise if 6941 is a runner?

It's not listed as out of use, but I've never seen it, I don't recall app sightings either and apart from photos taken over the summer on Tall Ships/Airshow work, there is only one photo of it on Flickr, that being taken in Riverside depot.

Is it long-term broken or does it perhaps always do a particular job?  Just seems strange that it's so rarely seen/photographed compared to the others.

It had been VOR with engine issues at Volvo at the start of September until mid-November.

It was returned to Go North East then, but has had a few more niggles since.

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(14 Dec 2018, 10:04 pm)TEN 6083 wrote GNE don’t have services running in the Tow Law area do they as I was on the A68 yesterday going to visit a friend who lives near Darlington and passed one of the training buses going the other way


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As posted above there is a test centre down there.

The training buses are never used for route learning, and often the training schedules aren't just test routes. I ended up in Seaton Carew in my training. Someone else ended up in Hexham area.

On a saturday they're used as driver transport between places.

(15 Dec 2018, 8:09 am)Jamie M wrote As posted above there is a test centre down there.

The training buses are never used for route learning, and often the training schedules aren't just test routes. I ended up in Seaton Carew in my training. Someone else ended up in Hexham area.

On a saturday they're used as driver transport between places.

Fish and chips in the big bus stop just beyond the shops? 
Seems to have been a regular thing for a number of years now.

(15 Dec 2018, 9:12 am)Andreos1 wrote Fish and chips in the big bus stop just beyond the shops? 
Seems to have been a regular thing for a number of years now.

Yeah on a friday too. If you see a test bus flying around strange places on a weekday, it's just drivers out getting experience on unfamiliar roads. They rightly say it's pointless getting used to test routes. Mine was somewhere completely different to the test routes I had learned.

(15 Dec 2018, 9:15 am)Jamie M wrote Yeah on a friday too. If you see a test bus flying around strange places on a weekday, it's just drivers out getting experience on unfamiliar roads. They rightly say it's pointless getting used to test routes. Mine was somewhere completely different to the test routes I had learned.

To be honest, I've no idea what the test routes are these days. I imagine they have changed and evolved slightly, just as the tests themselves have. 
There's limits as to where the tests routes can be I suppose. There's only so far you can get in the limited time the test takes place. 

Issues with Gosforth and Darlington years ago, meant Carlisle was used as an last choice alternative. Quite a trek and unless you know Carlisle - very unfamiliar roads.

(15 Dec 2018, 9:36 am)Andreos1 wrote To be honest, I've no idea what the test routes are these days. I imagine they have changed and evolved slightly, just as the tests themselves have. 
There's limits as to where the tests routes can be I suppose. There's only so far you can get in the limited time the test takes place. 

Issues with Gosforth and Darlington years ago, meant Carlisle was used as an last choice alternative. Quite a trek and unless you know Carlisle - very unfamiliar roads.

If you can drive on local roads you can drive on any roads. Local knowledge is helpful but doesn't affect how you deal with and anticipate situations. It's a confidence booster more than anything that the trainees can drive anywhere in any situation and manage it, especially on the test.

Theres a handful of core test routes but the examiner often deviates from them massively. The only requirement is you complete a certain amount of turns and situations to analyse safety. The where and then when is largely irrelevant.