Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the Fab Fifty Six logo on the GNE website has been updated to feature the new butterflies as well as the flowers. The bus is still a Solar though.

Do the venture solos also have a message on the back?, i'm sure i've seen " venture in to stanley every 30 mins" but cant be sure.

(20 Dec 2013, 12:53 am)nk55 wrote Do the venture solos also have a message on the back?, i'm sure i've seen " venture in to stanley every 30 mins" but cant be sure.

They do, and each one of those is different as well

(20 Dec 2013, 12:53 am)nk55 wrote Do the venture solos also have a message on the back?, i'm sure i've seen " venture in to stanley every 30 mins" but cant be sure.

Their's a list on the last page with the list of what every bus has on.

(20 Dec 2013, 8:39 am)Michael wrote Their's a list on the last page with the list of what every bus has on.

I didn't include those in the list because I didn't note them originally.
Only the nearside and offside roofline ones.

(20 Dec 2013, 8:41 am)Dan wrote I didn't include those in the list because I didn't note them originally.
Only the nearside and offside roofline ones.

Oh right haha, thought they were on the back to... my bad

(20 Dec 2013, 8:46 am)Michael wrote Oh right haha, thought they were on the back to... my bad

They do, but as citaro5284 has said above, it's a different message.
I don't think there's a pattern in which the messages are placed on vehicles, so we can't really guess what they may be either.

Fab 56 page on simplygo updated with picture of DD. Also engine efficiency updated to euro 5 kite mark

Issues with the 689 and a Solo by the looks of a post on the GNE fb page.

No idea which vehicle it is.

Further evidence to support an upgrade for the X30/X31 services...

Marsha Giles Its ok to say sorry but can you guarantee a better service as one bus an hour to a rural area is bad enough but then for it to not even turn up is appalling ???
Like · Reply · 2 · 19 hours ago via mobile

Go North East Yes, I can assure you that there are action plans in place to improve the reliability of the service.
Like · 19 hours ago

These comments were made after a vehicle broke down, and a woman had to wait approximately 45 minutes for the replacement vehicle to turn up - the Facebook post can be found here.

Go North East report Hills St, Gateshead, to be open again.
Expect fewer delays to services heading over the Tyne Bridge to Newcastle, and expect the X66 to start serving Centrelink in both directions again.

Just seen 5204 pass the wheatchef.

(20 Dec 2013, 10:53 am)JP6004 wrote Fab 56 page on simplygo updated with picture of DD. Also engine efficiency updated to euro 5 kite mark

Yet the 'Crusader' Citaros are still Euro 2!

(20 Dec 2013, 1:34 pm)BJ10VUS wrote Yet the 'Crusader' Citaros are still Euro 2!

Don't worry... The little timing thing still has a photograph of the Solar. Didn't complete the job perfectly!

3801 is back at Stanley today.

(20 Dec 2013, 10:53 am)JP6004 wrote Fab 56 page on simplygo updated with picture of DD. Also engine efficiency updated to euro 5 kite mark

Without wanting to sound stupid here, I know very little about Vehicle Types and Models, I am still convinced the B10BLE is really called The BIBLE lmao, and I know nothing about Engines and shit, what does the Euro Kite Mark i.e. Euro 4 and Euro 5 actuallly mean, is it do with the engine, i.e. how quiet and how clean the emissions are??? I dont really have the mind for stuff like that and most of it is beyond me, unlike some of you guys, so, I would be grateful if someone if someone could give me an idea how 'The Idiots Guide To Euro Kitemarking' works...

Many Thanks

(20 Dec 2013, 3:18 pm)fozzovmurton wrote Without wanting to sound stupid here, I know very little about Vehicle Types and Models, I am still convinced the B10BLE is really called The BIBLE lmao, and I know nothing about Engines and shit, what does the Euro Kite Mark i.e. Euro 4 and Euro 5 actuallly mean, is it do with the engine, i.e. how quiet and how clean the emissions are??? I dont really have the mind for stuff like that and most of it is beyond me, unlike some of you guys, so, I would be grateful if someone if someone could give me an idea how 'The Idiots Guide To Euro Kitemarking' works...

Many Thanks

I doubt anyone could explain it any better than Go North East has on their website:
http://www.simplygo.com/cleaner-engines/

(20 Dec 2013, 1:57 pm)Dan wrote 3801 is back at Stanley today.

Back where it belongs :p, it should never come to Deptford!!, any idea why it was here?

(20 Dec 2013, 3:27 pm)Michael wrote Back where it belongs :p, it should never come to Deptford!!, any idea why it was here?

Not a clue! I suspect citaro5284 would have told us if it was for its annual test like he did with the Waggonway.

(20 Dec 2013, 3:31 pm)Dan wrote Not a clue! I suspect citaro5284 would have told us if it was for its annual test like he did with the Waggonway.

Might be =D

Has any more buses being painted or is that done untill January, where they will start again?

(20 Dec 2013, 3:36 pm)Michael wrote Might be =D

Has any more buses being painted or is that done untill January, where they will start again?

A Cadet from Washington and an Omni from Percy have been repainted this week off memory - will confirm when I get home.

5205 was out in service today on 56s though.

(20 Dec 2013, 3:38 pm)Dan wrote A Cadet from Washington and an Omni from Percy have been repainted this week off memory - will confirm when I get home.

5205 was out in service today on 56s though.

Np, =), Cheer's, will i be able to have a list of what buses need re-painting and branding, iv'e sort of lost track.
I seen a black Scania but wasn't sure if it was a Fast Cat's bus

(20 Dec 2013, 3:40 pm)Michael wrote Np, =), Cheer's, will i be able to have a list of what buses need re-painting and branding, iv'e sort of lost track.
I seen a black Scania but wasn't sure if it was a Fast Cat's bus

I've been listing the vehicles yet to be repainted in the news recently, to make it easier for people keeping track of individual brand repaints.

So if you look at the news from Sunday, the same buses need to be repainted minus one Cadet from Washington and one Omni from Percy. I have the fleet numbers at home, so will be able to confirm which two vehicles when I get back.

(20 Dec 2013, 3:45 pm)Dan wrote I've been listing the vehicles yet to be repainted in the news recently, to make it easier for people keeping track of individual brand repaints.

So if you look at the news from Sunday, the same buses need to be repainted minus one Cadet from Washington and one Omni from Percy. I have the fleet numbers at home, so will be able to confirm which two vehicles when I get back.

Ill take a look =)

http://www.simplygo.com/news/recording-l...investment

Recording legends The Drifters celebrate £14m bus investment

We have enlisted the help of recording icons, The Drifters, to help launch our new Drifter buses and to also celebrate £14m investment in 100 new vehicles - in our 100th year.

14m for over 100 buses - that't not bloody bad!

(20 Dec 2013, 12:12 pm)Dan wrote Further evidence to support an upgrade for the X30/X31 services...


These comments were made after a vehicle broke down, and a woman had to wait approximately 45 minutes for the replacement vehicle to turn up - the Facebook post can be found here.

It need more than just an Upgrade in Vehicles, It needs a whole New Service Model in that Area by the sounds of it, Obviously 1 Bus an Hour isn't exactly Suitable is it in a Rural Area.

(20 Dec 2013, 6:53 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote It need more than just an Upgrade in Vehicles, It needs a whole New Service Model in that Area by the sounds of it, Obviously 1 Bus an Hour isn't exactly Suitable is it in a Rural Area.

New Service Model.....are we going to get one of Adam's service suggestions. You have to remember, if the passengers are not there, maybe 1 an hour is enough!

(20 Dec 2013, 6:53 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote It need more than just an Upgrade in Vehicles, It needs a whole New Service Model in that Area by the sounds of it, Obviously 1 Bus an Hour isn't exactly Suitable is it in a Rural Area.

I agree but not sure how they would change it (not from the area, don't know it well) maybe a try and increase it to every 30 mins... it might help?

If i remember well the Omnicity's didn't really cope with the route either.

Not sure what would they should use on it..

I would suspect the currently hourly X30 / X31 would suffice during the day, maybe they could throw a couple of extras in at peak times to solve capacity issues? Its finding the resources to do that though...

(20 Dec 2013, 6:59 pm)Michael wrote I agree but not sure how they would change it (not from the area, don't know it well) maybe a try and increase it to every 30 mins... it might help?

If i remember well the Omnicity's didn't really cope with the route either.

Not sure what would they should use on it..

From my observations the hourly frequency of both the X30 & X31 on their meandering thirty minute journeys between Lanchester and Stanley is quite sufficient for the loadings, as are the two buses per hour from Lanchester itself. It's at Stanley they get busy, but I can't see it getting anything new if it really needs deckers, although both X30/31 and the X70/71 to Consett do need better buses and branding - there was nothing wrong with West Durham Swift, so perhaps when they decide on vehicles they should go back to that.