Looks like Volvo B9's are now allocated to the 93/94 - last few days its had them allocated, according to bustimes.org.


6151, 6155, 6157-6160 are allocated today

(31 Oct 2020, 11:47 am)Michael wrote Looks like Volvo B9's are now allocated to the 93/94 - last few days its had them allocated, according to bustimes.org.


6151, 6155, 6157-6160 are allocated today

Probably to displace versas onto the Q3 during refurb

Am I correct in thinking as the now-Crusader B9s only got a light refurb they didn’t get an updated destination panel controller, so their destination doesn’t change from Newcastle to Market Street after a certain point?

(31 Oct 2020, 8:15 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Am I correct in thinking as the now-Crusader B9s only got a light refurb they didn’t get an updated destination panel controller, so their destination doesn’t change from Newcastle to Market Street after a certain point?

Yeah probably a lot do with on going pandemic and I give them this you actually get USB charging at every and they many meant to match merc spec which they do

(22 Oct 2020, 12:38 pm)JP6004 wrote Gateshead is a town not a city. I'd imagine they are just referring to Newcastle when they say city.

Strictly, unless things have changed, Gateshead is a metropolitan Borough, not a town.

(31 Oct 2020, 8:15 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Am I correct in thinking as the now-Crusader B9s only got a light refurb they didn’t get an updated destination panel controller, so their destination doesn’t change from Newcastle to Market Street after a certain point?

I'm not sure if the NSAs have been updated to the new system, like on the 56s, if they have the auto-changing should work.

(31 Oct 2020, 8:38 pm)deanmachine wrote I'm not sure if the NSAs have been updated to the new system, like on the 56s, if they have the auto-changing should work.

Every bus in the fleet has the new Next Stop Announcement system now, so where automatic changing of the displays is programmed, it should work, no matter which bus it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(31 Oct 2020, 9:17 pm)Dan wrote Every bus in the fleet has the new Next Stop Announcement system now, so where automatic changing of the displays is programmed, it should work, no matter which bus it is.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Does the destination announcement upon door closure eg “This is the Angel 21 service to Newcastle” change too now, or just the external destination screens?

(31 Oct 2020, 9:17 pm)Dan wrote Every bus in the fleet has the new Next Stop Announcement system now, so where automatic changing of the displays is programmed, it should work, no matter which bus it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Saw an X10 the other day showing Dalton Park as its next stop. It was approaching Testos on a northbound service at the time. 
A glitch in the system or was the system not installed?

(31 Oct 2020, 10:42 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Does the destination announcement upon door closure eg “This is the Angel 21 service to Newcastle” change too now, or just the external destination screens?

No. I’ve explained previously that this isn’t really possible (not easily anyway!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(31 Oct 2020, 11:46 pm)Andreos1 wrote Saw an X10 the other day showing Dalton Park as its next stop. It was approaching Testos on a northbound service at the time. 
A glitch in the system or was the system not installed?

The coaches don't have the system installed, relies on the driver to remember to change it, which is harder to remember than you'd think.

(01 Nov 2020, 10:39 am)deanmachine wrote The coaches don't have the system installed, relies on the driver to remember to change it, which is harder to remember than you'd think.

An age old problem. I remember it being an issue way back when roller blinds were in play. Even more so when there were services interworking.
294 to Easington Lane anyone? It was on its way back from Harraton at the time, so must have been displaying the wrong blind for quite a while! Certainly longer than that X10 did.

(01 Nov 2020, 12:21 pm)Andreos1 wrote An age old problem. I remember it being an issue way back when roller blinds were in play. Even more so when there were services interworking.
294 to Easington Lane anyone? It was on its way back from Harraton at the time, so must have been displaying the wrong blind for quite a while! Certainly longer than that X10 did.

I've done it myself more than I'd like to admit, the NSAs normally end up coming to my rescue by announcing that the bus was still on it's way to it's previous destination, only for me to look up and realise I haven't changed it.

Saw this on twitter today. Have to say looks very smart. Seems like the style of livery is going to be similar to the Yutongs...

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

(01 Nov 2020, 3:26 pm)JP6004 wrote Saw this on twitter today. Have to say looks very smart. Seems like the style of livery is going to be similar to the Yutongs...

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

Thought the idea was for branded routes to have a modified corporate livery, they seem to be going back to their old ways!

(01 Nov 2020, 3:29 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Thought the idea was for branded routes to have a modified corporate livery, they seem to be going back to their old ways!

Who knows. We just have to wait and see. Road stripes definitely seem to of disappeared

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

(01 Nov 2020, 3:26 pm)JP6004 wrote Saw this on twitter today. Have to say looks very smart. Seems like the style of livery is going to be similar to the Yutongs...

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

Looks like a transdev livery.

(04 Nov 2020, 7:06 am)No GNE6312 wrote Looks like a transdev livery.

When I first saw it I thought they’d used a Brighton & Hove template. 

It feels like we’d just started seeing progress with the road strip design trying to give some identity and consistency across their multitude of liveries, but what, a year later it appears the latest two liveries now have this swoosh introduced. We’ll have to see what the finished articles look like I guess. Maybe the road strips will be applied on top? May look a little busy though.

It’s probably not long before they revise their corporate livery, again. It was done all the way back in 2019 after all.    

(31 Oct 2020, 9:17 pm)Dan wrote Every bus in the fleet has the new Next Stop Announcement system now, so where automatic changing of the displays is programmed, it should work, no matter which bus it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Apart from the little coaster network

(04 Nov 2020, 11:10 am)V514DFT wrote Apart from the little coaster network

The buses on the Little Coasters don’t have next stop announcements at all - can’t have a newer system on a bus if it doesn’t have a system full stop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is it just me or is the name 'Quaycity' just horrible to hear out loud? It looks tolerable on paper, but when you actually say it, it just doesn't sound right.

Wonder why they didn't follow the likes of 'Cobalt and Coast' and 'Coast and Country' and go with 'City and Quay' if they insist on having both City and Quay in the name. 

Then again, there was absolutely nowt wrong with Quaylink, if anything I think it's one of the better brand names, and still suits the route well as it links to the Quayside.

(04 Nov 2020, 3:29 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Is it just me or is the name 'Quaycity' just horrible to hear out loud? It looks tolerable on paper, but when you actually say it, it just doesn't sound right.

Wonder why they didn't follow the likes of 'Cobalt and Coast' and 'Coast and Country' and go with 'City and Quay' if they insist on having both City and Quay in the name. 

Then again, there was absolutely nowt wrong with Quaylink, if anything I think it's one of the better brand names, and still suits the route well as it links to the Quayside.

I can't stand it tbf. No idea why they would change an established brand and network, for the sake of 4 letters.

Even if the Q3 wore a slightly different colour scheme to the Q1 and Q2, the consistency was there within the brand it shared.
It linked the quayside with parts of Newcastle and North Tyneside, just like the Q1 and Q2 links the quayside with parts of Newcastle and Gateshead.
It did what it said on the tin. 
Not sure what it's trying to say with this new name at all.

(04 Nov 2020, 5:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote I can't stand it tbf. No idea why they would change an established brand and network, for the sake of 4 letters.

Even if the Q3 wore a slightly different colour scheme to the Q1 and Q2, the consistency was there within the brand it shared.
It linked the quayside with parts of Newcastle and North Tyneside, just like the Q1 and Q2 links the quayside with parts of Newcastle and Gateshead.
It did what it said on the tin. 
Not sure what it's trying to say with this new name at all.

Completely agree, should not have been changed. I’ve said already, I know GNE may have saved the Quaylink but at the same time I almost feel like it’s not their brand to change... even though now it unfortunately is.
Quaylink is kinda like a local transport icon, originally almost it’s own form of transport. 
I’ve read the waffle in the News section trying to justify the name change a few times now, and each time I’ve been left thinking, What!?
I really feel like they’re ruining something here.

First of the QuayCity Versa's back tomorrow, MG said in his update tonight.

(04 Nov 2020, 6:37 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Completely agree, should not have been changed. I’ve said already, I know GNE may have saved the Quaylink but at the same time I almost feel like it’s not their brand to change... even though now it unfortunately is.
Quaylink is kinda like a local transport icon, originally almost it’s own form of transport. 
I’ve read the waffle in the News section trying to justify the name change a few times now, and each time I’ve been left thinking, What!?
I really feel like they’re ruining something here.

Yeah, I read it and re-read it and I'm still no further forward in understanding their justification for changing the brand. Gave up reading it in the end.

(04 Nov 2020, 7:47 pm)Andreos1 wrote Yeah, I read it and re-read it and I'm still no further forward in understanding their justification for changing the brand. Gave up reading it in the end.

"expanding hospitality sector" - I must have missed something, last I heard the hospitality industry was up the creek without a paddle.

(04 Nov 2020, 8:40 pm)mb134 wrote "expanding hospitality sector" - I must have missed something, last I heard the hospitality industry was up the creek without a paddle.

Go North East’s current fleet changes were all planned pre-COVID.

Whilst the hospitality sector is currently poor, Go North East weren’t to know this pre-COVID, and can only hope that this recovers post-COVID.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(04 Nov 2020, 9:11 pm)Dan wrote Go North East’s current fleet changes were all planned pre-COVID.

Whilst the hospitality sector is currently poor, Go North East weren’t to know this pre-COVID, and can only hope that this recovers post-COVID.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Clearly not but surely like every other single business in the country they can reactively change plans? 
 
I like the brand,,,if it was for a batch of overpriced apartments but erm....we picked a brand pre Covid so despite covid we are spending the money and changing it anyway is naive and borderline incompetence. City centre footfall and office occupation especially on the Quayside and at Gr3at Park with the Sage departure isn’t coming back anytime soon, surely you get the NE1 data too?

Money could have been saved and people wonder why government are reluctant to bail out millionaire transport groups...

(04 Nov 2020, 10:33 pm)Ambassador wrote Clearly not but surely like every other single business in the country they can reactively change plans? 
 
I like the brand,,,if it was for a batch of overpriced apartments but erm....we picked a brand pre Covid so despite covid we are spending the money and changing it anyway is naive and borderline incompetence. City centre footfall and office occupation especially on the Quayside and at Gr3at Park with the Sage departure isn’t coming back anytime soon, surely you get the NE1 data too?

Money could have been saved and people wonder why government are reluctant to bail out millionaire transport groups...

A name is a name, and most people on this forum have suggested in the past that route branding doesn’t work, so not sure what all the hype is about Quaycity?

Really don’t get the issue.

The refurbishment itself is the right thing to do regardless - a 10 year-old Versa which has never been refurbished is hardly the most attractive option to try and get people back on bus as the industry recovers from Coronavirus. A 7 year-old Versa which looks a bit less tatty inside and out, after repaint and refurbishment, stands more of a chance with a bit of targeted marketing... surely?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(04 Nov 2020, 10:57 pm)Dan wrote A name is a name, and most people on this forum have suggested in the past that route branding doesn’t work, so not sure what all the hype is about Quaycity?

Really don’t get the issue.

The refurbishment itself is the right thing to do regardless - a 10 year-old Versa which has never been refurbished is hardly the most attractive option to try and get people back on bus as the industry recovers from Coronavirus. A 7 year-old Versa which looks a bit less tatty inside and out, after repaint and refurbishment, stands more of a chance with a bit of targeted marketing... surely?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think it's the fact that the name is, pardon my French, shite.

It sounds like a half arsed attempt at making it something different, and it just doesn't sound right when you say it out loud. I can't even imagine how bad it's going to sound coming over the NSA.

Quaycity is actually more restrictive than Quaylink as it implies it only links the quay and the city together, of which Great Park is in neither.

Plus, Quaylink is perhaps one of the best route brands GNE have in terms of describing what the route actually does, it links places to the Quay.

Sure, the Q3 was perhaps stretching the brand a little, but QuayCity is no better at all, if anything I'd say it's worse.