(29 Apr 2014, 8:45 pm)G-CPTN wrote https://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/14062058702/

That's 7079, not 8245?

7079's repaint was originally noted here four days ago. It was confirmed by me that this repaint was being done to the coaches to introduce a new driver training livery, instead of the current mis-match of various coloured coaches.

We've now moved onto 8245, the latest vehicle to arrive at Saltmeadows for repaint. 8245 only arrived at Saltmeadows this afternoon (having previously been at Riverside for maintenance work alongside most of the other vehicles in the "South Tyne" batch). I've suggested that this vehicle will be repainted red (corporate livery) tomorrow, providing all of the prep got done today.

(29 Apr 2014, 8:48 pm)Dan wrote That's 7079, not 8245?

7079's repaint was originally noted here four days ago. It was confirmed by me that this repaint was being done to the coaches to introduce a new driver training livery, instead of the current mis-match of various coloured coaches.

We've now moved onto 8245, the latest vehicle to arrive at Saltmeadows for repaint. 8245 only arrived at Saltmeadows this afternoon (having previously been at Riverside for maintenance work alongside most of the other vehicles in the "South Tyne" batch). I've suggested that this vehicle will be repainted red tomorrow, providing all of the prep got done today.

Sorry, I'm not keeping up - I've been out all day . . .

I think the white stripe looks nice - it relieves the overall red of the old 'Northern' livery and is reminiscent of the 'Northumbria' brand.

(29 Apr 2014, 8:50 pm)G-CPTN wrote Sorry, I'm not keeping up - I've been out all day . . .

Haha, completely different topic now!
So many vehicles get repainted, it's often hard to keep up!

(29 Apr 2014, 8:28 pm)Dan wrote 8245 is the next vehicle to enter the paintshop - should go in tomorrow providing they got all of the prep done today. I'd assume it's coming out in red!
Told you the painters were going to be kept busy, Michael!

, they are

Wonder if the 5 will ever be branded as South Tyne again or they just gonna keep it as Northern

(29 Apr 2014, 9:28 pm)Michael wrote , they are

Wonder if the 5 will ever be branded as South Tyne again or they just gonna keep it as Northern

i think it is going red myself that will be the last cadets that is no longer route branded probs will look something like this but with 5 on the blind with Jarrow and all of its places it has served

it will basicly look like the merits on daily

3941 is on X9 it has returned to its routes for the 1st time since it was moved to Winlaton

Don't know if its just me as the angle of the photo isn't great but 546 looks to have had its off-side Venture logo removed at the back:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza1990/14046462976/

(30 Apr 2014, 3:18 pm)Robert wrote Don't know if its just me as the angle of the photo isn't great but 546 looks to have had its off-side Venture logo removed at the back:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza1990/14046462976/

Yeah it's been removed

(29 Apr 2014, 9:28 pm)Michael wrote , they are

Wonder if the 5 will ever be branded as South Tyne again or they just gonna keep it as Northern

Probably will be left as 'red', as a regularly 5 driver has told me 2 weeks ago that nexus were unhappy about the amount breakdowns, which was leading to a lot of mileage lost due to length of time it takes Riverside to attend. The solution, he had been told, was swop the cadets for the ex pulse b10's, which are much more reliable. The cadets would then be used at riverside on 67/69 and 95/96/64, meaning that when a breakdown occurs, riverside could attend much quicker.

(30 Apr 2014, 3:46 pm)minibus1474 wrote The solution, he had been told, was swop the cadets for the ex pulse b10's, which are much more reliable. The cadets would then be used at riverside on 67/69 and 95/96/64, meaning that when a breakdown occurs, riverside could attend much quicker.

Correct, hence why they are both getting painted red. However they should only be used on 67/69 as it is a straight swap and should not be used on anything else.....but you know Riverside only too well

This morning I got on my regular 21. The driver opened the doors and immediately asked me 'can I ask you something because I know your a bus spotter (I prefer the term 'enthusiast'). I told him to go ahead (he had probably heard me talking to my mate on the front seats upstairs, he isn't an enthusiast like me and I bet he doesn't even listen to a word I say. He asked me 'are we getting rid of these (B5s), because apparently they cost a fortune to run'. I told him I didn't know, but the only new buses speculated to be new to Chester this year would be the new Limes. A look of dissappoinment came across his face. I spoke with my mate when we got upstairs, and he said he wasn't surprised the B5's (he used the actual word B5 so I think he had been listening) were possibly going to go (he doesn't understand how stuff gets debated and then finalised) because the stop announcements were a 'waste of money'.

He stopped again when I got off, and I spoke to him for about ten seconds. He said he had heard they were due to get B9s. I told him about the 'rough order list' for 2014, and I told him the rumour about the new B5s for the Red Arrows and those B9s onto the Pronto and PVR increase on a few different services.

It just seems strange for a driver to ask me if the B5s of all buses on the 21 of all services was going to get replaced.

(30 Apr 2014, 3:57 pm)Marcus wrote He asked me 'are we getting rid of these (B5s), because apparently they cost a fortune to run'.

No and they don't

(30 Apr 2014, 4:02 pm)citaro5284 wrote No and they don't

I knew that but I just thought I would put a comment on about it because it seemed strange.

(30 Apr 2014, 3:46 pm)minibus1474 wrote Probably will be left as 'red', as a regularly 5 driver has told me 2 weeks ago that nexus were unhappy about the amount breakdowns, which was leading to a lot of mileage lost due to length of time it takes Riverside to attend. The solution, he had been told, was swop the cadets for the ex pulse b10's, which are much more reliable. The cadets would then be used at riverside on 67/69 and 95/96/64, meaning that when a breakdown occurs, riverside could attend much quicker.

(30 Apr 2014, 3:54 pm)citaro5284 wrote Quite correct, hence why they are both getting painted red. However they should only be used on 67/69 as it is a straight swap.....but you know Riverside

Thank you both for the info

Wonder what the Saltmeadows staff will think about getting the B10's back

I don't think there that bad, however only being on them a few times but not for long

(30 Apr 2014, 3:54 pm)citaro5284 wrote Quite correct, hence why they are both getting painted red. However they should only be used on 67/69 as it is a straight swap.....but you know Riverside

Cadets on the hills of Gateshead? Wonder how they get on with those!
Is there not another option available such as swapping the cadets with a more reliable and powerful bus from another depot?

(30 Apr 2014, 4:12 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Cadets on the hills of Gateshead? Wonder how they get on with those!
Is there not another option available such as swapping the cadets with a more reliable and powerful bus from another depot?

I'd argue that the only 'spare' vehicles are Volvo B10s...

For Stanley, could you imagine a Cadet covering for something on the Lime? For Chester, same again. For Deptford, they've only got three Volvo B10s.
So you're left with Volvo B10s at Riverside (which will no doubt appear on there with a Cadet allocation anyway).

(30 Apr 2014, 4:20 pm)Dan wrote I'd argue that the only 'spare' vehicles are Volvo B10s...

For Stanley, could you imagine a Cadet covering for something on the Lime? For Chester, same again. For Deptford, they've only got three Volvo B10s.
So you're left with Volvo B10s at Riverside (which will no doubt appear on there with a Cadet allocation anyway).

How about Cadets for the spare Solars at Deptford?
The routes that Deptford operate are a touch less hilly than those of the 67 and 69 and would help with route standardisation where Solars are running alongside Cadets on the 29.

(30 Apr 2014, 4:26 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote How about Cadets for the spare Solars at Deptford?
The routes that Deptford operate are a touch less hilly than those of the 67 and 69 and would help with route standardisation where Solars are running alongside Cadets on the 29.

Reason the Solars are allocated to service 29 is because of interworking with scholars - contractual requirement for them to be full sized singles.

(30 Apr 2014, 4:29 pm)Dan wrote Reason the Solars are allocated to service 29 is because of interworking with scholars - contractual requirement for them to be full sized singles.

Had a feeling that may have been the case.

Either way, the Cadets are going to struggle on the 67 and 69s.
If the 5 was proving too troublesome and wasn't an easy enough run for them, leading to mileage being lost - I dread to think what will happen to them after a few climbs of Beacon Lough Bank.

(30 Apr 2014, 4:36 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Had a feeling that may have been the case.

Either way, the Cadets are going to struggle on the 67 and 69s.
If the 5 was proving too troublesome and wasn't an easy enough run for them, leading to mileage being lost - I dread to think what will happen to them after a few climbs of Beacon Lough Bank.

Why can't the Cadets be transferred to Percy Main temporarily, as the 17 isn't a demanding route. Allowing 5151-54 to go to Saltmeadows for the 5?

I'm in agreement with Andreos and Tom on the points they have made in relation to the Cadets.

And what about that massive Hill Climb up to Winlaton, literally 2 Seconds after you come out of Blaydon, I had 5210 on the 49B a few months back and that struggled, if it was a Cadet I could them going up in Flames after a few trips up there, along with the Banks at the Opposite end of the Route towards Wardley.

I have to say the best option is to send them to Percy Main for the 17/17A in exchange for a Few Renowns from there, like Tom has suggested. Other than that where else could they go in the Go North East Fleet.

(30 Apr 2014, 4:54 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote I'm in agreement with Andreos and Tom on the points they have made in relation to the Cadets.

And what about that massive Hill Climb up to Winlaton, literally 2 Seconds after you come out of Blaydon, I had 5210 on the 49B a few months back and that struggled, if it was a Cadet I could them going up in Flames after a few trips up there, along with the Banks at the Opposite end of the Route towards Wardley.

I have to say the best option is to send them to Percy Main for the 17/17A in exchange for a Few Renowns from there, like Tom has suggested. Other than that where else could they go in the Go North East Fleet.

Speaking of Flames, 6024's engine started billowing smoke this evening on Scholars 886.

(30 Apr 2014, 4:54 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote I'm in agreement with Andreos and Tom on the points they have made in relation to the Cadets.

And what about that massive Hill Climb up to Winlaton, literally 2 Seconds after you come out of Blaydon, I had 5210 on the 49B a few months back and that struggled, if it was a Cadet I could them going up in Flames after a few trips up there, along with the Banks at the Opposite end of the Route towards Wardley.

I have to say the best option is to send them to Percy Main for the 17/17A in exchange for a Few Renowns from there, like Tom has suggested. Other than that where else could they go in the Go North East Fleet.

If worst comes to worst, they will have to be transferred elsewhere again - that, or they'll stay at Riverside, and the allocation will simply be four of the single door Volvo B10BLEs with those Cadets taking the reserve role instead.

The idea behind it is so that the vehicles are kept 'local', or as local as they can be. Cramlington is about 10 miles away from Percy Main at a rough guess, so that's hardly local... Wardley is pushing it, but Winlaton and Metrocentre are both local and vehicles can be sent there to replace the Cadets easily. Kind of like the Cadets at Washington!

(30 Apr 2014, 4:41 pm)Tom wrote Why can't the Cadets be transferred to Percy Main temporarily, as the 17 isn't a demanding route. Allowing 5151-54 to go to Saltmeadows for the 5?

I don't know the 17 route too well, but apart from a few places on North Tyneside, the entire area is pretty much flat and undemanding.
Either way, there has to be a better alternative than the option they have taken.

The B10s replacing the MPD's on the Blaydon - Wardley route was obviously for a reason (not just for additional capacity), so to replace them with a less powerful and less reliable vehicle seems very short sighted.

(30 Apr 2014, 5:13 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote I don't know the 17 route too well, but apart from a few places on North Tyneside, the entire area is pretty much flat and undemanding.
Either way, there has to be a better alternative than the option they have taken.

The B10s replacing the MPD's on the Blaydon - Wardley route was obviously for a reason (not just for additional capacity), so to replace them with a less powerful and less reliable vehicle seems very short sighted.

There aren't really any demanding places on the 17 route at all. Might struggle with Archer Street, but it's not too bad. The only other problem would be the Rosehill Bank from what I know, but the 17 route avoids that. Could be used on the 9 possibly? 5151-54 could then transfer to Saltmeadows, then 5247-49 and 5274 temporarily used on the 17.

(30 Apr 2014, 5:17 pm)Tom wrote There aren't really any demanding places on the 17 route at all. Might struggle with Archer Street, but it's not too bad. The only other problem would be the Rosehill Bank from what I know, but the 17 route avoids that. Could be used on the 9 possibly? 5151-54 could then transfer to Saltmeadows, then 5247-49 and 5274 temporarily used on the 17.

Sunderland is about 12 miles away from Percy Main? Give or take a mile or two? We're getting less and less local...

(30 Apr 2014, 5:21 pm)Dan wrote Sunderland is about 12 miles away from Percy Main? Give or take a mile or two? We're getting less and less local...

Short 17's only then?

(30 Apr 2014, 5:22 pm)Tom wrote Short 17's only then?

And you expect Percy Main to be able to stick to that?

(30 Apr 2014, 5:25 pm)Dan wrote And you expect Percy Main to be able to stick to that?

Talking of Cadets, when will 8266 be branded?