(11 Jun 2014, 8:13 pm)Robert wrote Or if thats still difficult to work out, providing you havent already thrown it away, it should say the bus fleet number on every bus ticket as well as the driver no. etc.

Nee good if you've got a smart ticket though, or you're using a multi trip paper ticket. I've suggest in the past it should be included in your journey history on the smart card portal.

(11 Jun 2014, 8:13 pm)Robert wrote Or if thats still difficult to work out, providing you havent already thrown it away, it should say the bus fleet number on every bus ticket as well as the driver no. etc.

Or, in the past with me anyway, the ticket may display the wrong fleet number. A couple of times if I recall, once it was 4853 on the 78A and it read 8238, and when I got on 4838 it read 4931.

"Lime" branded Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4897 has now arrived at Saltmeadows for repaint into corporate livery.

(12 Jun 2014, 10:36 am)Dan wrote "Lime" branded Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4897 has now arrived at Saltmeadows for repaint into corporate livery.

Taking their time with the repaints

Thanks for the update

Forgot to Mention that I gave the Driver of the X1 to Newcastle some Driver Training as we came into Gateshead Interchange Yesterday, as he didn't know where to go or where to stop after going past the Police Station to the Traffic Lights when coming into Gateshead, once we stopped in Gateshead Interchange he politely thanked me for my help and then asked where to stop on the Return Journey, This was despite another Driver being on Board to assist the New Driver, but he was to busy sitting down taking notes on the Drivers Performance etc I would assume.

(12 Jun 2014, 2:22 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Forgot to Mention that I gave the Driver of the X1 to Newcastle some Driver Training as we came into Gateshead Interchange Yesterday, as he didn't know where to go or where to stop after going past the Police Station to the Traffic Lights when coming into Gateshead, once we stopped in Gateshead Interchange he politely thanked me for my help and then asked where to stop on the Return Journey, This was despite another Driver being on Board to assist the New Driver, but he was to busy sitting down taking notes on the Drivers Performance etc I would assume.

He was more than likely learning the route too - a leading driver at the very least should have been present though.

(12 Jun 2014, 2:30 pm)Dan wrote He was more than likely learning the route too - a leading driver at the very least should have been present though.

It was a Leading Driver, as I have had said Driver who was Sitting Down on the X1 on Numerous Occasions in the Past, I found it odd that he didn't get up to assist the Driver when he asked where to go after the Traffic Lights though, which was when I had to step in.

On VOSA:

PB0003954/597 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA

Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between WALLTOWN ROMAN ARMY MUSEUM and BRAMPTON MARKET PLACE given service number AD122 effective from 14-Jun-2014. To amend Route.

This should make our Longbyre correspondent very happy!

(12 Jun 2014, 2:41 pm)eezypeazy wrote On VOSA:

PB0003954/597 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA

Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between WALLTOWN ROMAN ARMY MUSEUM and BRAMPTON MARKET PLACE given service number AD122 effective from 14-Jun-2014. To amend Route.

This should make our Longbyre correspondent very happy!

And a good example of customer comments being positively acted upon.

on the subject of the x1 I was talking to a washington driver in eldon square today and he said that the x1 is going to be extended to hartlepool instead of the x35 which will be cancelled...just another rumour or is there something in this..

(12 Jun 2014, 5:41 pm)andymac wrote on the subject of the x1 I was talking to a washington driver in eldon square today and he said that the x1 is going to be extended to hartlepool instead of the x35 which will be cancelled...just another rumour or is there something in this..

I did hear something similar about X1 to Peterlee for some journeys. Reliability on X1 leaves a lot to be desired never mind an extension to Hartlepool- don't think that'll ever come off.

(12 Jun 2014, 5:41 pm)andymac wrote on the subject of the x1 I was talking to a washington driver in eldon square today and he said that the x1 is going to be extended to hartlepool instead of the x35 which will be cancelled...just another rumour or is there something in this..

Just another rumour!

(12 Jun 2014, 5:56 pm)Dan wrote Just another rumour!

I agree with you there Dan...

If anything I would like to see a Newcastle service extended to Murton or Dalton Park

(12 Jun 2014, 7:04 pm)marxistafozzski wrote I agree with you there Dan...

If anything I would like to see a Newcastle service extended to Murton or Dalton Park

I think the X93 did that

(12 Jun 2014, 7:06 pm)danpick wrote I think the X93 did that

But the X93 doesnt exist anymore...

It would be good if services were like they were back in the day. A service from Sunderland to Crawcrook? Companies would think of doing anything like that but its actually more convenient for the passengers rather than having to get a bus to Newcastle then another bus to Sunderland. Will probably cost less too.

(12 Jun 2014, 7:06 pm)danpick wrote I think the X93 did that

It certainly did...1 return journey a day about 7am from Murton and just before 5pm from Newcastle, it only lasted about 6 months, it was never very well advertised though

(12 Jun 2014, 7:13 pm)Robert wrote But the X93 doesnt exist anymore...

It would be good if services were like they were back in the day. A service from Sunderland to Crawcrook? Companies would think of doing anything like that but its actually more convenient for the passengers rather than having to get a bus to Newcastle then another bus to Sunderland. Will probably cost less too.

Just one of many reasons why it's a bad idea for the operators..!

(12 Jun 2014, 7:13 pm)Robert wrote But the X93 doesnt exist anymore...

It would be good if services were like they were back in the day. A service from Sunderland to Crawcrook? Companies would think of doing anything like that but its actually more convenient for the passengers rather than having to get a bus to Newcastle then another bus to Sunderland. Will probably cost less too.

#retroroutes

(12 Jun 2014, 7:16 pm)danpick wrote #retroroutes

Talking about #retroroutes didn't there used to be routes that was something like South Shields to places like Sacriston and Esh Winning

(12 Jun 2014, 7:19 pm)marxistafozzski wrote Talking about #retroroutes didn't there used to be routes that was something like South Shields to places like Sacriston and Esh Winning

There used to be a Chester service to Witton Gilbert from Newcastle (21B), and I think that sort of got 'morphed' into the X25 with the Langley Park stretch. Not sure about South Shields, as far as I can remember, the 551 is now the 50, but it may have followed a different way from Chester to Durham.

(11 Jun 2014, 5:31 pm)aureolin wrote Can you remember when the Scania bendies were first put on the X66? They used to display both a video and audio presentation for the duration of the journey? I'm sure they played stuff like Robbie Williams - Millenium

The 21 did that...constant adverts for a firm of accident lawyers and sexual health services in Durham!

(11 Jun 2014, 7:05 pm)G-CPTN wrote I've just noticed that the TEN buses now have a split rear blind with horizontal-scrolling destination as well as '10'.

Having seen two consecutive TEN buses with split rear blind yesterday, all those that I have seen today were not split - just showing '10'.

Maybe it was an experiment that has been abandoned?

(12 Jun 2014, 7:13 pm)Robert wrote But the X93 doesnt exist anymore...

It would be good if services were like they were back in the day. A service from Sunderland to Crawcrook? Companies would think of doing anything like that but its actually more convenient for the passengers rather than having to get a bus to Newcastle then another bus to Sunderland. Will probably cost less too.

But, how many people actually want to travel from Crawcrook to Sunderland ? I expect the demand just isn't there for that sort of service - I can remember the ran that ran before and it was awful from a customers point of view as it was too slow, hence it didn't last too long in deregulation. For a route that is a "sum of the parts" type of route like Crawcrook to Sunderland, where end to end travel is minimal, it also makes it tricky to explain why your bus from Crawcrook to Blaydon is delayed due to roadworks in Sunderland.

It's nice to have links like these, but they just don't stack up commercially unfortunately.

(12 Jun 2014, 7:28 pm)Marcus wrote There used to be a Chester service to Witton Gilbert from Newcastle (21B), and I think that sort of got 'morphed' into the X25 with the Langley Park stretch. Not sure about South Shields, as far as I can remember, the 551 is now the 50, but it may have followed a different way from Chester to Durham.

The 551 used to run south shields to washington to chester to scariston and the x50 used to be south shields to durham via washington and chester. Merging later to be come the 50.
We also had the x20 south shields to durham via sunderland. Fantastic service express to sunderland from either direction

(12 Jun 2014, 8:00 pm)ifm001 wrote The 551 used to run south shields to washington to chester to scariston and the x50 used to be south shields to durham via washington and chester. Merging later to be come the 50.
We also had the x20 south shields to durham via sunderland. Fantastic service express to sunderland from either direction

The 551 used to run through Birtley. I believe it took around 4 years to reach South Shields

(12 Jun 2014, 8:00 pm)ifm001 wrote The 551 used to run south shields to washington to chester to scariston and the x50 used to be south shields to durham via washington and chester. Merging later to be come the 50.
We also had the x20 south shields to durham via sunderland. Fantastic service express to sunderland from either direction

Am I correct when I say, didn't the X50 and X20 inter-work?

Check this out in the comments section;

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/8050359@N07/7226954952/

(12 Jun 2014, 8:46 pm)gtom wrote The 551 used to run through Birtley. I believe it took around 4 years to reach South Shields

lol...A genuine magical mystery tour...

Who remembers the 231, got it from Newcastle to Easington Lane and I was surprised to hear I was not reported missing by the time I got to where I was going...didn't that eventually make it to Hartlepool after making a detour to Tokyo

Wrote a big post, lost signal and it vanished.

@busman101 - granted, point to point the 638 wont have carried many (AdamY apart) - but if it doesn't work commercially, why is the combined pvr of the replacement services, exceed the 638?

@Marcus - aye, they interworked. Used a hotch potch of vehicles initially, inc Plaxton Verde's off the 638, before the Solars which are on the x84/85 were purchased/branded.

@Fozz - Yup. Mates often got the first 231 after a night out. Was on a Superliner coach, that the Avenue Vivienne lot smashed up with a brick one night.

(12 Jun 2014, 10:53 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Wrote a big post, lost signal and it vanished.

@busman101 - granted, point to point the 638 wont have carried many (AdamY apart) - but if it doesn't work commercially, why is the combined pvr of the replacement services, exceed the 638?

I don't think I've ever travelled from point to point on the 638. I've travelled between Winlaton and Sunderland on a few occasions; and between Winlaton and Washington most weekends circa 1993-94. To be honest, if I had to travel between Winlaton and Sunderland on a regular basis back then I would've caught a bus into town and a train into Sunderland.

(12 Jun 2014, 11:21 pm)AdamY wrote I don't think I've ever travelled from point to point on the 638. I've travelled between Winlaton and Sunderland on a few occasions; and between Winlaton and Washington most weekends circa 1993-94. To be honest, if I had to travel between Winlaton and Sunderland on a regular basis back then I would've caught a bus into town and a train into Sunderland.

My mistake. Incorrectly thought you had done the whole journey