From a passengers perspective is there a way of telling which system is installed, other than it working reliably (assuming they don't know the age of the vehicle etc.)

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Why would a normal passenger want to know what type of system is installed.
I did say normal, so guess that might count you out

Why would a normal passenger want to know what type of system is installed.
I did say normal, so guess that might count you out [emoji14]

How rude!
Obviously what I meant was how can I tell which one is installed [emoji23]

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How rude!
Obviously what I meant was how can I tell which one is installed [emoji23]

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63 plate and older have the old system. TVTs, Red Arrows, Fab 56s, Drifters, Connections 4s and Citylink 58s. I think. Obviously used to be Cobalt Clippers too before they were refurbished, think Quaylinks were upgraded to a newer system too.

63 plate and older have the old system. TVTs, Red Arrows, Fab 56s, Drifters, Connections 4s and Citylink 58s. I think. Obviously used to be Cobalt Clippers too before they were refurbished, think Quaylinks were upgraded to a newer system too.

Correct - Fab56s have been upgraded since, as have 5389, 5390, 6043, 6044 and 6065.

No easy way of identifying other than when they first boot up - one's a Windows XP, the other is a blue screen.

Northumberland Park Metro was finished in Dec 2005 according to wiki. 
However, Mr Mitchellhill has dated a photo of the R19 in Sept 2004.

https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...p?tid=1705

Presumably the R19 went somewhere else until Northumberland Park was opened.
I'm sure there will be a timetable or two kicking around. 

As well as the X10 and its livery and the variation of  corporate liveries for 'super route', there was the various X66 liveries - going way back to the times of the Nationals on them in the late 80s/early 90s. Plus the Expresslink stuff from the mid 80s onwards. 

There were the years of VFM, Wear Buses etc until the late 90s and apart from the swoops, I think that was it until the R19. 
Obviously from 2006 onwards, it was a paint factory shareholder's wet dream!

Edit. Just found this. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Defunct_Go...ast_Brands

Not sure how accurate it is (it's certainly not up to date), but it might help!

I visited langley Park, last year (nice wool shop there) and the Bobby Robson bus was on street view when I was trying to work out where to get off the 14.

Solo 468 was painted in to Ferrylink livery for the 333 in August 2003, seen here just after application of the base colour at Saltmeadows - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5193993302

MPD 515 was painted into Gateshead Quays livery for service 60 in 2002, seen here in July 2003 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5007457699

Solos 599 - 602 arrived in their various colours September 2004 in preperation of the launch of the S1 in October. 602 is seen at Saltmeadows just after delivery - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9119101171

Solars 4955 / 4972 - 4976 were repainted over the summer of 2004 for the launch of R19 (replaced the 309 which ran Silverlink to Palmersville) in September 2004 of which 4976 is seen on the first day of service at Palmersville. As previously mentioned the service was rerouted to serve Northumberland Park - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9225012733

Service X66 had its own special livery up until around 2000, then after a brief gap returned to it's own livery with a special varient on the Bendy Buses late in 2001 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3991883242

In 2001 Leyland Olympians 3674 & 3744 and Volvo Olympians 3832 / 3833 were repainted into DFDS livery for their use on service 327. They would later be joined by Tridents 3866 / 3867 / 3890 / 3891. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3804484333

Northumberland Park Metro was finished in Dec 2005 according to wiki. 
However, Mr Mitchellhill has dated a photo of the R19 in Sept 2004.

https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...p?tid=1705

Presumably the R19 went somewhere else until Northumberland Park was opened.
I'm sure there will be a timetable or two kicking around. 

As well as the X10 and its livery and the variation of  corporate liveries for 'super route', there was the various X66 liveries - going way back to the times of the Nationals on them in the late 80s/early 90s. Plus the Expresslink stuff from the mid 80s onwards. 

There were the years of VFM, Wear Buses etc until the late 90s and apart from the swoops, I think that was it until the R19. 
Obviously from 2006 onwards, it was a paint factory shareholder's wet dream!

Edit. Just found this. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Defunct_Go...ast_Brands

Not sure how accurate it is (it's certainly not up to date), but it might help!

I can help you here,the R19's original terminus was Palmersville Metro,it used to then run N.I.S down Great Lime Road,Forest Hall Road,Meadway/Feetham Avenue, which i believe was the original 309 route,which i think was around 2004, 2004 was also the year the route branding kicked off,but i do think the 333 was branded in 2002/2003 which was round about the time GNE changed their corp livery

Solo 468 was painted in to Ferrylink livery for the 333 in August 2003, seen here just after application of the base colour at Saltmeadows - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5193993302

MPD 515 was painted into Gateshead Quays livery for service 60 in 2002, seen here in July 2003 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5007457699

Solos 599 - 602 arrived in their various colours September 2004 in preperation of the launch of the S1 in October. 602 is seen at Saltmeadows just after delivery - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9119101171

Solars 4955 / 4972 - 4976 were repainted over the summer of 2004 for the launch of R19 (replaced the 309 which ran Silverlink to Palmersville) in September 2004 of which 4976 is seen on the first day of service at Palmersville. As previously mentioned the service was rerouted to serve Northumberland Park - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9225012733

Service X66 had its own special livery up until around 2000, then after a brief gap returned to it's own livery with a special varient on the Bendy Buses late in 2001  - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3991883242

In 2001 Leyland Olympians 3674 & 3744 and Volvo Olympians 3832 / 3833 were repainted into DFDS livery for their use on service 327. They would later be joined by Tridents 3866 / 3867 / 3890 / 3891. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3804484333

Must admit I totally forgot about the Ferry Link and the DFDS. Was never aware of the Gateshead Quays one though - what a horrid livery that is mind.

Thought the R19 was one of the first though mind I never knew it went to Palmersville originally, I always thought it started as part of the opening of Northumberland Park. Same as always thought the 309's first ever route was the one which it is now so learnt something new there tbh.

Thanks though guys for the replies.

Go North East The Crusader 5321 / NK58 DVX by kieron mathews, on Flickr

5321 has reverted to its original registration after 7111 gained N21 GNE.

There used to be a 309 way back in the 1980s.

Anyway the 309 from Silverlink to Palmersville was a bit of an odd timetable. Usual vehicle for a while was MetroRider 366 which had this perma display.

K366SCN - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6825435896 (Note the cinema in the background was still UCI)

Got J110SPB on one occasion - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6240113100

And the last time I caught it before the R19 came along, it was G676TCN - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6114125374

Rode up to Newcastle yesterday and experienced the X10 for the first time in a while. Seen this service develop over time, probably best when it was advertised as Tynelink (?) and drivers faced the challenge of running between Middlesbrough and Newcastle in just an hour! Now it's in the hands of the 63xx B5's (?) which look the part and can clearly cope with the loadings on the route but we need something better, something different that is suited to the route, given this is 80/90% on the A19 and motorway style. Question is though, just what is out there that could replace the B5's?

Go North East 7098 / JCN 822 by kieron mathews, on Flickr

7098 at Riverside this afternoon now in Voyager livery and has gained JCN 822 from 3962


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Go North East 7098 / JCN 822 by kieron mathews, on Flickr

7098 at Riverside this afternoon now in Voyager livery and has gained JCN 822 from 3962


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I wonder if the design budget was blown on the first three!
Still looks good though

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I wonder if the design budget was blown on the first three!
Still looks good though

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You must be too young to remember when the coaching division of GNE was called Voyager and ran coaches in that livery

I wonder if the design budget was blown on the first three!
Still looks good though

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Obviously no budget left for the wheels again

You must be too young to remember when the coaching division of GNE was called Voyager and ran coaches in that livery

While you're not wrong there, I do indeed know about Voyager.
All I was saying was all the other ones seem to be a bit more than painting a bus and writing a name, be it stripes or multiple colours

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While you're not wrong there, I do indeed know about Voyager.
All I was saying was all the other ones seem to be a bit more than painting a bus and writing a name, be it stripes or multiple colours

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That's all Voyager was. 
The others weren't.

That's all Voyager was. 
The others weren't.

All I was saying was they didn't have to pick Voyager, they could have picked another one with a bit more design.
If I were being cynical I would say they picked Voyager purely because it was simple!

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Obviously no budget left for the wheels again

The coaches have alloys so these have to be washed and polished at the depot, rather than the paint treatment a normal conventional bus gets at Saltmeadows.

They’re due to be washed tomorrow hopefully.


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All I was saying was they didn't have to pick Voyager, they could have picked another one with a bit more design.
If I were being cynical I would say they picked Voyager purely because it was simple!

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It's likely the coaching brand with most historical connection to the company, so it's clear why it was chosen. Unfortunately GNE aren't able to pick up a time machine and change all of these heritage liveries to suit the ideals of one enthusiast. 

If they were picking purely based on simplicity they'd put them all into red and slap a GNE logo on.