it doesn't look bad on the Omni

Probably took advantage of it being VOR and quickly stuck the vinyls on. I'll be glad to see these out and about, to be honest I think it's got to be the most complex livery Chester has.

Must agree with the previous comments; it really suits an Omnicity!

(18 Mar 2014, 7:55 am)Tom wrote Introducing the new ''Whey Aye Five 0''. Thankfully, the design isn't similar to the ''Coaster'' or ''Drifter'', just the same as before, which is good.

i kinda like it bit like the old but still like the style glad it isnt like Coaster or Drifter but it is brilliant in my opinion gonna snap this bus tomorrow as it is on my target list for tomorrow anyways

(18 Mar 2014, 7:08 pm)Bazza Houston wrote i kinda like it bit like the old but still like the style glad it isnt like Coaster or Drifter but it is brilliant in my opinion gonna snap this bus tomorrow as it is on my target list for tomorrow anyways

Might have a long wait, its currently VOR with a broken piston.

(18 Mar 2014, 7:08 pm)Bazza Houston wrote i kinda like it bit like the old but still like the style glad it isnt like Coaster or Drifter but it is brilliant in my opinion gonna snap this bus tomorrow as it is on my target list for tomorrow anyways

You'll have a hard job photographing it tomorrow, it's currently VOR.

EDIT: Michael beat me to it!

Seen the X3 coming into gateshead metro about 5.25, double with only 1 pasenger on. Living on borrowed time i think.

(18 Mar 2014, 7:10 pm)Tom wrote You'll have a hard job photographing it tomorrow, it's currently VOR.

EDIT: Michael beat me to it!

oh well could hang on for a bit got plenty of time i do have a trip planned for Chester-le-Street anyways plus one of my mates works for them so i could recieve a text when there out

(18 Mar 2014, 7:32 pm)nk55 wrote Seen the X3 coming into gateshead metro about 5.25, double with only 1 pasenger on. Living on borrowed time i think.

I'll give it until the school summer holidays...

Does the X3 take its normal route then missies boldon asda r does it go a complete diffrent route

(18 Mar 2014, 8:33 pm)speedwheels22 wrote Does the X3 take its normal route then missies boldon asda r does it go a complete diffrent route

Operates from Market Street to Heworth via Gateshead and Sunderland Road, then non-stop to West Boldon, then the 9/old X3 route to Monkwearmouth.

(18 Mar 2014, 8:33 pm)speedwheels22 wrote Does the X3 take its normal route then missies boldon asda r does it go a complete diffrent route

It is a little bit different to the previous X3, as well as now terminating at Monkwearmouth, rather than Park Lane.

It operates from Newcastle Market Street to Heworth, then missing out Wardley (served by X36), and non-stop to Testo's Roundabout. Then, the X3 misses out Boldon Business Park and Boldon Asda, operating instead via West Boldon, to the North Road junction. It's then the previous X3 route down Newcastle Road to Monkwearmouth, North Bridge Street.

Edit: Oops, Tom beat me to it.

Haven't had any need (or desire) to be in that part of Washington for a long, long time - but having passed the depot around the same time over the last 3/4 nights, the number of vehicles parked up outside on the main road, is staggering.

Can anyone confirm if this is standard practice or if more stuff is moved inside as the night progresses?

(18 Mar 2014, 8:46 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Haven't had any need (or desire) to be in that part of Washington for a long, long time - but having passed the depot around the same time over the last 3/4 nights, the number of vehicles parked up outside on the main road, is staggering.

Can anyone confirm if this is standard practice or if more stuff is moved inside as the night progresses?

Any time I've passed, there's always been vehicles parked on the road. I've only ever passed during the day, however.

(18 Mar 2014, 8:39 pm)BJ10VUS wrote It is a little bit different to the previous X3, as well as now terminating at Monkwearmouth, rather than Park Lane.

It operates from Newcastle Market Street to Heworth, then missing out Wardley (served by X36), and non-stop to Testo's Roundabout. Then, the X3 misses out Boldon Business Park and Boldon Asda, operating instead via West Boldon, to the North Road junction. It's then the previous X3 route down Newcastle Road to Monkwearmouth, North Bridge Street.

Edit: Oops, Tom beat me to it.

Does anyone know how the recently changed services are doing? (9, 29, X36 e.g)?

(18 Mar 2014, 8:47 pm)BJ10VUS wrote Any time I've passed, there's always been vehicles parked on the road. I've only ever passed during the day, however.

Yeah, they park outside during the day - but had never seen so many on a night.
I counted just 7 on the main road - there may have been more.

Venture Solo on X70 this evening - Saw it at 17.25 leaving Burnopfied toward Newcastle - Another case of depots not understanding the importance of correct brands on routes! - Good quality corporate branding with coordinating sub-brands for a FEW special services in my opinion would work much better moving forward.

X3 is a dead route anyways i only seen one person on it and that's the driver when i have passed it even a Solo or a MPD it would still be a quiet route even 27X gets more passengers than that service has had in a week and that is a nice service quiet and lovely for travelling when am on 27X it has been a few people on but i am gonna give X3 til the next service changes as Go North East need to look at X3 and i do not think they will replace that route when it was 1st started was quickly under Red Arrows brand then it went to the Northern spare role renowns then anything like Vykings, Presidents, Renowns now since the X36 was increased and went to Fast Cats the X3 became now unpopular as dan said School Holidays in a earlier post some of my mates use the X3 anymore they did used to til the services changed now they use Metro or 56 or X36 just to get to Newcastle i think if Go North East are looking they could now realise the X3 is not working at all i hardly saw the X3 since the last service changes only off working i noticed was Silver Arrows on X3 and i was enroute home from Stadium Of Light after recieving my Wembley Tickets even though my legs ached for 7 hours standing with only 1 min sitting time p.s i saw the same driver while i was in que twice in 24 hours her other half was in the que while next day i had her driving me home on 27X

(18 Mar 2014, 9:33 pm)Venturego wrote Venture Solo on X70 this evening - Saw it at 17.25 leaving Burnopfied toward Newcastle - Another case of depots not understanding the importance of correct brands on routes! - Good quality corporate branding with coordinating sub-brands for a FEW special services in my opinion would work much better moving forward.

seen earlier taken by me copyrighted by me

(18 Mar 2014, 9:33 pm)Venturego wrote Venture Solo on X70 this evening - Saw it at 17.25 leaving Burnopfied toward Newcastle - Another case of depots not understanding the importance of correct brands on routes! - Good quality corporate branding with coordinating sub-brands for a FEW special services in my opinion would work much better moving forward.

Think it's been brought up on here that the working that does the 689 goes onto X70/X71 later in the day. So it's a booked working - much like, for examples, 'The Captiain's Tale' Pulsars appearing on 42s, 'The Director's Cut' Pulsars appearing on a 7 or Stagecoach on Teesside having a 36-branded Enviro working a 52 and a 14 as they are on those boards (36 Enviros even reach the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland on Saturdays)

(18 Mar 2014, 9:55 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Think it's been brought up on here that the working that does the 689 goes onto X70/X71 later in the day. So it's a booked working - much like, for examples, 'The Captiain's Tale' Pulsars appearing on 42s, 'The Director's Cut' Pulsars appearing on a 7 or Stagecoach on Teesside having a 36-branded Enviro working a 52 and a 14 as they are on those boards (36 Enviros even reach the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland on Saturdays)

Afraid that's not true - the vehicle allocated to the 689 performs two scholars before and after its scheduled weekday running of the 689. Indeed, I'm not aware of any scheduled X70/X71 workings which interwork with the Venture network.

(18 Mar 2014, 10:10 pm)Dan wrote Afraid that's not true - the vehicle allocated to the 689 performs two scholars before and after its scheduled weekday running of the 689. Indeed, I'm not aware of any scheduled X70/X71 workings which interwork with the Venture network.

But it's nothing new. The old MC1 solo used to op an express around that time

Pointless running the X3 non stop to testos roundabout then straight to boldon theve gt a 15 mintute 9 and that's old people use it can't see this running any longer shame it didn't go to south shields r somthing

(18 Mar 2014, 7:32 pm)nk55 wrote Seen the X3 coming into gateshead metro about 5.25, double with only 1 pasenger on. Living on borrowed time i think.

A good route turned into a Joke for the amount of passengers now might as well use a taxi bus lol

(18 Mar 2014, 8:38 pm)Tom wrote Operates from Market Street to Heworth via Gateshead and Sunderland Road, then non-stop to West Boldon, then the 9/old X3 route to Monkwearmouth.

doesn't do eldon wardley asda or Sunderland. Go north east just axe it

(18 Mar 2014, 8:48 pm)Tom wrote Does anyone know how the recently changed services are doing? (9, 29, X36 e.g)?

Seen two 29s coming from Doxford today in middle of day packed which is good.,think people are using 29 over 39 as bigger buses. Never heard anyone ask for a ticket to asda boldon when. U pass ryhope and near enough grangetown one lol

Completely irrelevant to most, but thought I'd mention it nevertheless...

As part of a Media Studies school trip, I went to the Sun FM radio station yesterday. We had a tour of the building, were shown how things work, and we also had a chat with the commercial team.

I was interested to see a poster with Sun FM's top ten clients for radio advertising. I don't listen to Sun FM all too often, but Go North East was listed as the company's second best client - in my time there, two 30-second adverts for "The Key" were played. I was quite intrigued to hear this, and tried to imagine how big Go North East's marketing budget must be - I could only assume that the same story would apply for other radio stations in the region, as well as newspapers too.

(18 Mar 2014, 11:38 pm)gtom wrote But it's nothing new. The old MC1 solo used to op an express around that time

Yes - The FQ1 (Flippin' Quick One). I think it used to operate when Stanley Taxis were still doing contract work for Nexus. Passengers could board it in the morning from Oxhill to Newcastle before it started doing journeys on the 106 between Newcastle and Walker. The return journey back to Stanley operated sometime between 23:00 and 00:00 after the last journey on the 16 between Four Lane Ends and Newcastle.

NTL MPD 554 has been given the new seat covers

(19 Mar 2014, 7:57 am)Dan wrote I was interested to see a poster with Sun FM's top ten clients for radio advertising. I don't listen to Sun FM all too often, but Go North East was listed as the company's second best client - in my time there, two 30-second adverts for "The Key" were played. I was quite intrigued to hear this, and tried to imagine how big Go North East's marketing budget must be - I could only assume that the same story would apply for other radio stations in the region, as well as newspapers too.

Compared to television and print advertising, radio advertising really doesn't cost that much. I doubt a company like Go North East would need a huge marketing budget to produce a couple of radio ads. I suppose if you wanted to draw a rough comparison, imagine the size of GNE to, say, Frank's Carpets, Browell Smith and Co, or any other company that you regularly hear adverts for on the radio.