(26 Jun 2020, 2:29 pm)Storx wrote For me it's something different personally and it's all about companies that make a big deal out of it like they're passionate and it's just a big political stunt which they even profiteer off in some cases but this year they've diverted it towards the NHS using the actual pride rainbow (GNE doesn't for reference here). Just to name a few:

• M&S (Profittered last year with those weird sandwiches, now profiteering using NHS by donating 10% - Ethical my arse - uses 6 pride rainbow)
  
• ASDA (Profittered with Gnomes)
  
• Morrisons (It's for key workers, no mention of pride until later, uses 6 pride flag)
  
• Iceland (NHS promotion, using 6 pride flag)
  

That's just supermarkets.

For those arguing over the rainbow flag:
The NHS flag / rainbow colours are: Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Indigo / Violet <-- GNE uses this to be fair.
The Pride flag is: Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Indigo / Violet

Anyone using the 2nd flag as their branding and mentioning Covid-19 / NHS or whatever else has blatently diverted their pride stuff to a cause with a 'bigger audience' and it's purely marketing especially if it involves profits.

The GNE one imo is just bad timing.


The ones above are the ones I'm talking about, purely a profiteering stunt and a real lack of interest in it. That's not every company don't worry - I know that.

That's the key thing right there, whether or not they have a real interest in it. The way I see it is if they put their logo on it, they've done it purely for the marketing. And to be totally honest, I'm fine with that.

It's when they half-arse it just to fit in I have an issue, whether it's adding a rainbow to the background of their Twitter, or changing their Avatar to a black square, or those identical statements everyone put out being saddened at the death of George Floyd (don't even get me started on that, I'd probably get banned)

I've moved the last few posts into a new thread based around franchising here - https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...p?tid=2582

3943 is the next Red Arrow to get repainted, likely this will go in the 2019 fleet livery.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrah...datetaken/ - Photo by Dan.

(27 Jun 2020, 10:31 am)Michael wrote 3943 is the next Red Arrow to get repainted, likely this will go in the 2019 fleet livery.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrah...datetaken/ - Photo by Dan.

Ah the first Gemini 1 into the 2019 corporate livery.

5409 has had it "Red Kites" branding stripped according to the fleet allocation sheet, according to Bustimes.org its out today, on the 09:15am X31, which is due to arrive in Stanley at 9:53am.


Could be heading for a repaint soon, unless GNE are just de-branding them all until the "Red Arrow" B9's are done?

(29 Jun 2020, 8:44 am)Michael wrote 5409 has had it "Red Kites" branding stripped according to the fleet allocation sheet, according to Bustimes.org its out today, on the 09:15am X31, which is due to arrive in Stanley at 9:53am.


Could be heading for a repaint soon, unless GNE are just de-branding them all until the "Red Arrow" B9's are done?

Well not long to go till new vehicles start to arrive, better to have them stripped instead of running around with branding on. I'd imagine will be a while until they all repainted

That's just supermarkets.

For those arguing over the rainbow flag:
The NHS flag / rainbow colours are: Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Indigo / Violet <-- GNE uses this to be fair.
The Pride flag is: Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Indigo / Violet

Anyone using the 2nd flag as their branding and mentioning Covid-19 / NHS or whatever else has blatently diverted their pride stuff to a cause with a 'bigger audience' and it's purely marketing especially if it involves profits.

The GNE one imo is just bad timing.

The NHS colour scheme also happens to be the Quecha / Inca flag in South America. 

When I was out there some years ago, I remember a tourist saying Cuzco seemed to be the gayest city in South America until he was put in his place.

Go North East 6050 / NK12 GDE by kieron mathews, on Flickr

6050 has re-entered service today after it’s repaint


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(29 Jun 2020, 8:44 am)Michael wrote 5409 has had it "Red Kites" branding stripped according to the fleet allocation sheet, according to Bustimes.org its out today, on the 09:15am X31, which is due to arrive in Stanley at 9:53am.


Could be heading for a repaint soon, unless GNE are just de-branding them all until the "Red Arrow" B9's are done?

5409: https://www.flickr.com/photos/27974644@N07/50057130573/ - photo by A&LSP8


Might need a repaint

5391 is now at Saltmeadows for repaint - a comment from Dan on the Busesnortheast Facebook page

Edit:

Reply from Dan:

PVR of X66 reduced to 3 buses from 1 June, from 4, as it no longer goes round the car parks (1A/1B cover the route as far as ASDA).

One of the X66 Streetlites (probably the one in Andrew's photo here) now covers a Misc Works run as there's nothing else to do with an X66 branded Streetlite, but now it's in for paint it gives a bit more flexibility to run on more frontline work, with an older bus allocated to Misc Works in its place.

5275 is now In corporate livery, was parked inside Saltmeadows when I passed earlier, just needs vinyls applying so should be out later this week (hopefully)


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With the AD122 starting on Saturday, will we see 635/636 get any work done to them before they head back to Hexham?

(30 Jun 2020, 10:59 am)Michael wrote With the AD122 starting on Saturday, will we see 635/636 get any work done to them before they head back to Hexham?

Through the wash 

(29 Jun 2020, 7:31 pm)Michael wrote 5391 is now at Saltmeadows for repaint - a comment from Dan on the Busesnortheast Facebook page

Edit:

Reply from Dan:

PVR of X66 reduced to 3 buses from 1 June, from 4, as it no longer goes round the car parks (1A/1B cover the route as far as ASDA).

One of the X66 Streetlites (probably the one in Andrew's photo here) now covers a Misc Works run as there's nothing else to do with an X66 branded Streetlite, but now it's in for paint it gives a bit more flexibility to run on more frontline work, with an older bus allocated to Misc Works in its place.

So do we know whether there'll still be a bus that continues to IKEA and round the Metrocentre post-COVID or has that part of the route been permanently axed?

(30 Jun 2020, 11:09 am)streetdeckfan wrote So do we know whether there'll still be a bus that continues to IKEA and round the Metrocentre post-COVID or has that part of the route been permanently axed?

1A/1B is doing permanently doing that section of the route now.

---

(30 Jun 2020, 11:06 am)JP6004 wrote Through the wash 

probs!

(30 Jun 2020, 11:12 am)Michael wrote 1A/1B is doing permanently doing that section of the route now.

---

probs!

It only goes as far as Asda though, I'd imagine there is enough time for it to continue on to IKEA and go round the MetroCentre car parks if they were to start going that way again instead of turning around at the IKEA roundabout and going directly back to the interchange, it seemed to sit at ASDA for a long while before leaving.

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(29 Jun 2020, 7:31 pm)Michael wrote 5391 is now at Saltmeadows for repaint - a comment from Dan on the Busesnortheast Facebook page

Edit:

Reply from Dan:

PVR of X66 reduced to 3 buses from 1 June, from 4, as it no longer goes round the car parks (1A/1B cover the route as far as ASDA).

One of the X66 Streetlites (probably the one in Andrew's photo here) now covers a Misc Works run as there's nothing else to do with an X66 branded Streetlite, but now it's in for paint it gives a bit more flexibility to run on more frontline work, with an older bus allocated to Misc Works in its place.

Does seem like they banging through the work, repainting 6050, 5213, 5214, 3943, 5391 in past 2 weeks and stripping the vinyls from 5309

(30 Jun 2020, 11:39 am)streetdeckfan wrote It only goes as far as Asda though, I'd imagine there is enough time for it to continue on to IKEA and go round the MetroCentre car parks if they were to start going that way again instead of turning around at the IKEA roundabout and going directly back to the interchange, it seemed to sit at ASDA for a long while before leaving.

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Don't think the deckers would be suitable for the remainder of the route though would they?

(30 Jun 2020, 11:42 am)JP6004 wrote Does seem like they banging through the work, repainting 6050, 5213, 5214, 3943, 5391 in past 2 weeks and stripping the vinyls from 5309

Ye defo, you can tell repaints are taking a priority now, ready for new buses.


I do hope they don't go ahead and strip the branding off the Red Kites because the way 5409 branding has came off, has left it looking patchy, it looks horrendous.

(30 Jun 2020, 1:48 pm)Michael wrote Ye defo, you can tell repaints are taking a priority now, ready for new buses.


I do hope they don't go ahead and strip the branding off the Red Kites because the way 5409 branding has came off, has left it looking patchy, it looks horrendous.

Possibly why they not stripped all the branding from the 9. Now its gonna be race to see who will deliver first, wrightbus or ADL

(30 Jun 2020, 2:00 pm)JP6004 wrote Possibly why they not stripped all the branding from the 9. Now its gonna be race to see who will deliver first, wrightbus or ADL

My bet... Wrightbus

(30 Jun 2020, 12:38 pm)ifm001 wrote Don't think the deckers would be suitable for the remainder of the route though would they?

Not sure to be honest, it goes under a bridge but I'm not sure how low it is, and IIRC the Streetlites are roughly the same length as the B5s.
The fact that they're rebranding one of the Streetlites suggest there's no plans to add it back on to the X66, personally I would prefer them to just bring back the S1 as it pretty much always ran on time since it doesn't get stuck in Gateshead traffic.

(30 Jun 2020, 4:17 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Not sure to be honest, it goes under a bridge but I'm not sure how low it is, and IIRC the Streetlites are roughly the same length as the B5s.
The fact that they're rebranding one of the Streetlites suggest there's no plans to add it back on to the X66, personally I would prefer them to just bring back the S1 as it pretty much always ran on time since it doesn't get stuck in Gateshead traffic.

It's the same bridge the M6/7/8 and 97 go under I think. Can they be allocated a decker.

(30 Jun 2020, 6:12 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote It's the same bridge the M6/7/8 and 97 go under I think. Can they be allocated a decker.

Well the 97 have been allocated the X9|X10 B5TLs on Boxing Day before, so I guess there’s no problem with that
Unless they took a different routing...

(30 Jun 2020, 9:27 pm)Adtrainsam wrote Well the 97 have been allocated the X9|X10 B5TLs on Boxing Day before, so I guess there’s no problem with that
Unless they took a different routing...

As far as I can remember, the only bridge the X66 encountered is in entrance to the red car park, and I don't think it's that low

(30 Jun 2020, 9:44 pm)streetdeckfan wrote As far as I can remember, the only bridge the X66 encountered is in entrance to the red car park, and I don't think it's that low

Hasn't the entrance to Ikea got one of those height bars things across and some of the bus only roads?

(30 Jun 2020, 9:56 pm)Michael wrote Hasn't the entrance to Ikea got one of those height bars things across and some of the bus only roads?

I don't think so, at least I don't remember seeing one anywhere along the route

(30 Jun 2020, 10:04 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I don't think so, at least I don't remember seeing one anywhere along the route

Its been that long since i actually went anywhere, I've forgot what things look that.

With the recent stripping of 5409's branding?, will the rest be debranded?

How long does it normally take for a Mini Bus, Single and double decker to be repainted?

(02 Jul 2020, 3:41 pm)Michael wrote With the recent stripping of 5409's branding?, will the rest be debranded?

 How long does it normally take for a Mini Bus, Single and double decker to be repainted? 

There are a number of factors in this. Things like: the size of the paintbrush, the height of the painter and the number of stepladders available at anyone time can all impact on how quickly they can get it done.