Is the Orbit brand coming back? Same as before, 51/52 local service around Gateshead?

I wonder how the Volvo B5Whatevers are going to cope on the 16/16A with the amount of steep climbs on that route.

Hopefully better than the Streetlites pulling away from the bus stop after St Stevens Church and turning right out of Avon Rd. My biggest concern having driven them on the 21 is how they'll pull out on to the roundabout at Stanley.

Hopefully better than the Streetlites pulling away from the bus stop after St Stevens Church and turning right out of Avon Rd. My biggest concern having driven them on the 21 is how they'll pull out on to the roundabout at Stanley.

They seem to handle the quite steep banks around Lobley Hill fine, at least whenever I've used them. Even the hill start at the top of Knightside Gardens

Wonder if they will change the 1A/B route like take the Metrocenter part off or cutting a part along the route. Probably but who knows yet

Wonder if they will change the 1A/B route like take the Metrocenter part off or cutting a part along the route. Probably but who knows yet

Would it not make sense to introduce a 96A/96B interworking with the 57?

I wonder how the Streetlites are going to fare going up Knightside Gardens!

Be faster than anything that's ever been on before. Can't knock a Merc powered Streetlite for their uphill abilities.

Will any vehicles be moving in/or out of Washington in the near future?

5505/06 received transverd there but for School's only

From what I can gather from the posts...

1A/1B - ex Black Cats Lites.
2/2A - Versas (presumably ex Quaylinks)
16/16A - B5LHs.
Q1/Q2 (presumably becoming some form of throwback to the Orbit) - ex Durham Diamond Lites.

Lets hope they remove the Black Cats branding before they enter service at Percy Main. Remember what happened when they transferred  the Black Cat solos a few years ago from Sunderland to Percy Main but did not remove the branding.

Hopefully the extra deckers at Consett will be referbished to FULL xlines standard and the fakelines ex angel and coperate streetdecks can be shifted off the xlines network.

To recap for those just joining:
Ex queylink versa to Washington for 2/2A
Streetlites of 2/2A to Riverside for Q1/Q2 and rebranded East Gateshead orbit (yes its still going to Quayside)
Streetlites of 16/16A from Consett to Percy Main for 1/1B possiably 19.
Coaster deckers of 1/1B to Consett for 16/16A
9 new yutong electrics on order
New electric deckers trial on 21.

Somehow in all of this the Mercs are to be withdrawn ASAP and the Scania omnicity taken off front line work and kept for spare.

Does anyone know what that little old white Dennis is doing at Riverside for, never yet seen it on the road?

Hopefully the extra deckers at Consett will be referbished to FULL xlines standard and the fakelines ex angel and coperate streetdecks can be shifted off the xlines network.

Come on, bar 6301-07, the 6315-33 & 6356-6376 are more than fine. Yes 6315-33 are slightly older but they're still a pretty decent spec only not having wireless chargers.

At least GNE have made the best of their resources. A 67 plate StreetDeck would be far better than 6056-70 on the X-Lines routes.

This actually raises a question? What is the fuel efficiency post hybrid removal between a B5LH & B9TL?

Hopefully the extra deckers at Consett will be referbished to FULL xlines standard and the fakelines ex angel and coperate streetdecks can be shifted off the xlines network.

To recap for those just joining:
Ex queylink versa to Washington for 2/2A
Streetlites of 2/2A to Riverside for Q1/Q2 and rebranded East Gateshead orbit (yes its still going to Quayside)
Streetlites of 16/16A from Consett to Percy Main for 1/1B possiably 19.
Coaster deckers of 1/1B to Consett for 16/16A
9 new yutong electrics on order
New electric deckers trial on 21.

Somehow in all of this the Mercs are to be withdrawn ASAP and the Scania omnicity taken off front line work and kept for spare.

Does anyone know what that little old white Dennis is doing at Riverside for, never yet seen it on the road?

BIB: if you’re actually staff, then you would know that but is incorrect.
As a large number of people outside the company have now seen the official notice through various channels, here’s the official wording:
Euro6 Streetlites onto ‘East Gateshead Orbit’ Q1/Q2
’Quaylink’ Versas are to be refurbished and cascaded to Deptford for ‘Sunderland District’ 2/2A - ‘Sunderland District’ to be the main Sunderland area brand replacing ‘Black Cats’
’Black Cats’ Streetlites to Percy Main for ‘Coaster’
‘Coaster’ B5s to Consett for ‘Durham Diamond’ 16/16A

The 9 Yutong ‘Voltra’ vehicles will be delivered in mid 2022 - so plenty of time for all the speculation to take place

Wait we are getting a new livery of the East Gateshead Orbit. Nice throwback there. To make it even more they should change it to 51/52 again

BIB: if you’re actually staff, then you would know that but is incorrect.
As a large number of people outside the company have now seen the official notice through various channels, here’s the official wording:
Euro6 Streetlites onto ‘East Gateshead Orbit’ Q1/Q2
’Quaylink’ Versas are to be refurbished and cascaded to Deptford for ‘Sunderland District’ 2/2A - ‘Sunderland District’ to be the main Sunderland area brand replacing ‘Black Cats’
’Black Cats’ Streetlites to Percy Main for ‘Coaster’
‘Coaster’ B5s to Consett for ‘Durham Diamond’ 16/16A

The 9 Yutong ‘Voltra’ vehicles will be delivered in mid 2022 - so plenty of time for all the speculation to take place

Does that confirm that the 39 will recieve the ex Red Kite Streetlites then, since its only confirmed the 2/2A getting the Versa?

‘East Gateshead Orbit’ instead of Quaylink? Why, who for, a few enthusiasts?

Will it omit the Quayside?
I take it the Q1/Q2 service number will be changed as the Q prefix will no longer be relevant.

I’m still wondering if the East Gateshead bus partnership thingy or whatever it was is trying to be revived now that 3 routes will have been renamed to include ‘East Gateshead’ in their title. All a bit of a mouthful to be repeated regularly on the NSAs.

The 93 nsa still says circular not sure on the 58 yet

Wonder what'll be swapped with the Citaro's at Riverside?

I hope these fleet changes will allow the branded buses to be in some sort of order too.

I would do it this way

2/2A – 8 PVR – 8329- 8336 (Versa) – Sunderland District
9 – 5 PVR – 8339-8343 (Streetlite)
20 – 16 PVR – 5422-5437 (Streetlite) – Prince Bishops
X20 – 6 PVR - 5328 – 5333 (Citaro) – X-Lines
33/38/38A/938/X6 – 7 PVR – 672-678 – Sunderland base – brand TBC)
35 – 8 PVR – 5280 - 5287 – (Citaro) – Go North East
39/39A – 7 PVR – 5410 - 16 (Streetlites) – Go North East
55 – 5 PVR – 5275 - 5279 – (Citaro) - Go North East
56 – 11 PVR – 6088 - 6098 - (B9’s) – CityRider
60 – 7 PVR - 5369 - 5375 (Streetlites) – Drifter
61 - 3 PVR - 5417- 19 (Streetlite) – Go North East
700 – 3 PVR - (Solo SR) – Sunderland Connect

Then all the Citaro's are in some sort of order with the rest in spare roles, at Deptford and Washington.

But I hope that all the non branded routes at Deptford would get the "Sunderland District" livery at some point.


Edit:


I've probables got numbers wrong - I was trying to follow bustimes.org as the GNE fleet page hasn't been updated for over a month.

Wonder what'll be swapped with the Citaro's at Riverside?

I hope these fleet changes will allow the branded buses to be in some sort of order too.

I would do it this way

2/2A – 8 PVR – 8329- 8336 (Versa) – Sunderland District
9 – 5 PVR – 8339-8343 (Streetlite)
20 – 16 PVR – 5422-5437 (Streetlite) – Prince Bishops
X20 – 6 PVR - 5328 – 5333 (Citaro) – X-Lines
33/38/38A/938/X6 – 7 PVR – 672-678 – Sunderland base – brand TBC)
35 – 8 PVR – 5280 - 5287 – (Citaro) – Go North East
39/39A – 7 PVR – 5410 - 16 (Streetlites) – Go North East
55 – 5 PVR – 5275 - 5279 – (Citaro) -  Go North East
56 – 11 PVR – 6088 - 6098 - (B9’s) – CityRider
60 – 7 PVR - 5369 - 5375 (Streetlites) – Drifter
61 - 3 PVR - 5417- 19 (Streetlite) – Go North East
700 – 3 PVR - (Solo SR) – Sunderland Connect

Then all the Citaro's are in some sort of order with the rest in spare roles, at Deptford and Washington.

But I hope that all the non branded routes at Deptford would get the "Sunderland District" livery at some point.


Edit:


I've probables got numbers wrong - I was trying to follow bustimes.org as the GNE fleet page hasn't been updated for over a month.

I doubt 8335 will get repaint unless gne make another pride bus. Possibly a Streetlite or an OmniCity

I doubt 8335 will get repaint unless gne make another pride bus. 

They're going to have to take it out of it's current pride livery if the Quaylink brand is being made redundant.

They're going to have to take it out of it's current pride livery if the Quaylink brand is being made redundant.

Would be good to paint all the buses with the pride brand on and re-do them again, linking in with the base style livery.

I doubt 8335 will get repaint unless gne make another pride bus. Possibly a Streetlite or an OmniCity

They already have one - 6050

They already have one - 6050

And 5292 so make that another 2

And 5292 so make that another 2

That will no doubt be gone before too long

They already have one - 6050

6050 isn't a pride bus.

6050 isn't a pride bus.

It's the One Tean GNE which encompasses LGBT. Surely it being in rainbow livery is more of a pride bus than the versa or citaro. It does have the same tagline as the old pride buses too

Hopefully the extra deckers at Consett will be referbished to FULL xlines standard and the fakelines ex angel and coperate streetdecks can be shifted off the xlines network.

To recap for those just joining:
Ex queylink versa to Washington for 2/2A
Streetlites of 2/2A to Riverside for Q1/Q2 and rebranded East Gateshead orbit (yes its still going to Quayside)
Streetlites of 16/16A from Consett to Percy Main for 1/1B possiably 19.
Coaster deckers of 1/1B to Consett for 16/16A
9 new yutong electrics on order
New electric deckers trial on 21.

Somehow in all of this the Mercs are to be withdrawn ASAP and the Scania omnicity taken off front line work and kept for spare.

Does anyone know what that little old white Dennis is doing at Riverside for, never yet seen it on the road?

If you mean the little old white Dennis with fleetnumber 9052, it has been used on service 29 recently. I saw it arriving at Gateshead Interchange on Monday evening and tonight at about 6.25pm finishing the service.

Hopefully the extra deckers at Consett will be referbished to FULL xlines standard and the fakelines ex angel and coperate streetdecks can be shifted off the xlines network.

To recap for those just joining:
Ex queylink versa to Washington for 2/2A
Streetlites of 2/2A to Riverside for Q1/Q2 and rebranded East Gateshead orbit (yes its still going to Quayside)
Streetlites of 16/16A from Consett to Percy Main for 1/1B possiably 19.
Coaster deckers of 1/1B to Consett for 16/16A
9 new yutong electrics on order
New electric deckers trial on 21.

Somehow in all of this the Mercs are to be withdrawn ASAP and the Scania omnicity taken off front line work and kept for spare.

Does anyone know what that little old white Dennis is doing at Riverside for, never yet seen it on the road?

Was that on the staff briefing too?

It's the One Tean GNE which encompasses LGBT. Surely it being in rainbow livery is more of a pride bus than the versa or citaro. It does have the same tagline as the old pride buses too

It's still not a pride bus though there's too many colours on the flag for a start. Pride only has 6 whereas that one uses all 7. 

I know it's a bit trivial and all that but it's not a pride bus and it's not for that reason. I'm sure they'll do something no doubt for July if they do with something else when pride is on in Newcastle. Not sure what though.

It's still not a pride bus though there's too many colours on the flag for a start. Pride only has 6 whereas that one uses all 7. 

I know it's a bit trivial and all that but it's not a pride bus and it's not for that reason. I'm sure they'll do something no doubt for July if they do with something else when pride is on in Newcastle. Not sure what though.

Your right but will still no doubt be used for pride. Amazing how many people dont know the difference.
 Newcastle been cancelled this year but be returning next year as far as I'm aware

Your right but will still no doubt be used for pride. Amazing how many people dont know the difference.
 Newcastle been cancelled this year but be returning next year as far as I'm aware

Yeah I know totally including some big companies using the 6 flag for the NHS last year, Plymouth (I think it was) rebranding it's pride bus for it went down like a lead balloon being the biggest cock up.

Aye it has been cancelled though, there's still an online event though so could do something for it around the time; the two now are getting a bit old now really and I believe GNE sponsor it, remember it being mentioned when I ranted about big companies using it as a marketing gimmick in the past.