Just thought I'd start a thread to appreciate these which have been part of the North East bus scene for over 30 year which are near extint with the big 3 now after the latest Arriva reductions for Covid. We've certainly had plenty of them across all 3 operators in all form of bodies, some generally alright like the MPD to the damn right ugly Wright Handybus and Marshall Capital. Never really appreciated by many, and by god some of them we're awful, but they've always just been there and have been little workhorses.

Believe there's only 5 left now Arriva's: 1767, 1768, 1791 and Stagecoach's: 34605, 34611 (Arriva's 1800 is in 7510 for those looking at tracking). Can't imagine the Arriva trio have long left once school duplicates are gone, unsure on Stagecoach's 2.

RIP the Dennis Dart

1800 and 1801 are still at Ashington. Doubt how long they have left.

Darts are a nice bus to ride on. It will be a miss when the last darts go on the North East

(08 Jun 2021, 5:33 pm)Storx wrote Just thought I'd start a thread to appreciate these which have been part of the North East bus scene for over 30 year which are near extint with the big 3 now after the latest Arriva reductions for Covid. We've certainly had plenty of them across all 3 operators in all form of bodies, some generally alright like the MPD to the damn right ugly Wright Handybus and Marshall Capital. Never really appreciated by many, and by god some of them we're awful, but they've always just been there and have been little workhorses.

Believe there's only 5 left now Arriva's: 1767, 1768, 1791 and Stagecoach's: 34605, 34611 (Arriva's 1800 is in 7510 for those looking at tracking). Can't imagine the Arriva trio have long left once school duplicates are gone, unsure on Stagecoach's 2.

RIP the Dennis Dart

35188/89 at Shields

8107 M817 GFT Go Wear Buses by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

I quite liked these.

(08 Jun 2021, 5:51 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote 1800 and 1801 are still at Ashington. Doubt how long they have left.

Darts are a nice bus to ride on. It will be a miss when the last darts go on the North East

Not sure if they are now, 1800's ticket machine is definitely in 7510 today and 1801 hasn't been on the road for nearly 2 weeks now. 2843 and 2849 turned up for the Stakeford Shuttle but haven't seem to have returned to Darlington and have seemed to replaced them (not 100% sure on that though).

Yeah agreed more pleasant that original Solo's imo. Wasn't too keen on the full size ones though.

(08 Jun 2021, 6:08 pm)Adrian wrote
8107 M817 GFT Go Wear Buses by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

I quite liked these.

Absolutely hated them.
Nationals -> Lynxes -> these.

Weren't suited to the 194 at all imo.
I was over the moon when the Nationals rocked back up again.

(08 Jun 2021, 6:06 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote 35188/89 at Shields

Missed them two, had a feeling there were more around with Stagecoach; can't imagine them being around for too long though, having a microfleet of 4 buses.

(08 Jun 2021, 6:08 pm)Adrian wrote
8107 M817 GFT Go Wear Buses by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

I quite liked these.

If my mind serves me correctly, wasn’t 8107 at the time of this photo doing the duplicate from Heworth to Houghton in front of Wearside buses service 13 (Redby)


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(08 Jun 2021, 8:18 pm)cbma06 wrote If my mind serves me correctly, wasn’t 8107 at the time of this photo doing the duplicate from Heworth to Houghton in front of Wearside buses service 13 (Redby)


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I always remember a Metrorider being the duplicate. Not to say this didn't run in front of the 13, but there was a full PVR of these Darts at one point.
My memory tells me the re-engined Nationals re-appeared and saw them off.

Rural Link still have at least one Plaxton MPD plus a Caetano Nimbus Dart which can often be seen in Morpeth

Let's not forget our 574, which lives on in preservation 

Preserved: 574 / NK53 TMZ by Lee  Calder, on Flickr

(11 Jun 2021, 7:24 am)LeeCalder wrote Let's not forget our 574, which lives on in preservation 

Preserved: 574 / NK53 TMZ by Lee  Calder, on Flickr

Is that the only Dart gne had in preservation

I believe there may be an NA52-XXX example preserved somewhere in the South West.

(11 Jun 2021, 11:26 am)LeeCalder wrote I believe there may be an NA52-XXX example preserved somewhere in the South West.

Aye. It's AWJ. It's green https://flic.kr/p/nawzv1
Was white and red at one point https://flic.kr/p/2hqaDte

Im sure somwhere in the country that some Darts will make it into a driver training role aswell,like what Stagecoach NE have done with some ALX300's,scary to think that both types of these buses,i pretty much grew up with will end up either driver training vehicles or scrapped

(11 Jun 2021, 2:08 pm)V514DFT wrote Im sure somwhere in the country that some Darts will make it into a driver training role aswell,like what Stagecoach NE have done with some ALX300's,scary to think that both types of these buses,i pretty much grew up with will end up either driver training vehicles or scrapped

When I was a kid, we didn't like the newfangled Nationals and Olympians 'cos they were too modern and displacing the proper buses!

I remember those aswell

Redcar still also have 3 darts, however only 1 seems to be operational

Much better buses than the optare solo shite that has replaced them at Arriva.

(08 Jun 2021, 6:08 pm)Adrian wrote
8107 M817 GFT Go Wear Buses by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

I quite liked these.

Just saw a video on YouTube featuring the bus in this photo. It was bought for preservation apparently but not sure of the progress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBQNJij4jFo

I saw video on Facebook the other day that an ice cream company has bought a Dart, apparently its ex Birmingham stock

Stagecoach Hartlepool still have about 5 which see daily use and 34605 and 34611 look like they are going to be around for another year or 2 at least as both seem to have had work done to them.