Unfortunately there comes a time when a building is deemed unfit for purpose and its occupants are left with no choice but move on to pastures new. I don't know if this is the case with the depot at Chester, but I imagine it would be harder than most to install the most modern, up-to-date, mechanical equipment apparatus whilst maintaining the required space necessary to store enough vehicles to make the operation (and investment) sustainable. Ultimately, that is why new depots are constructed.

Some sort of transport museum would be a good idea though if GNE did decide to relocate. Although parking would be an absolute nightmare and could potentially cause problems around the town if the museum proved popular, Chester-le-Street is conveniently located near to the A1(M); has a train station; and boasts frequent bus services to three major cities: Newcastle. Sunderland and Durham. It could work.

Try finding a parking space for the London Transport Museum!

Maybe a park and ride system could operate operate on certain hours of a weekend using vintage buses from the museum.

I think it´s a sound idea but would need huge funding who is up for contacting lottery funding?

Try finding a parking space for the London Transport Museum!

Maybe a park and ride system could operate operate on certain hours of a weekend using vintage buses from the museum.

I think it´s a sound idea but would need huge funding who is up for contacting lottery funding?

That would be good - possibly some B10BLES?

It is of course possible to use 'vintage buses' for special occasions (maybe two or three times per year) however continuous use will present a myriad of mechanical problems and an exhibit (or exhibits) could be lost due to overuse.

Scania L94 4949 is no longer at Riverside, and instead, Saltmeadows Road.

Hopefully a good sign that things are progressing and it will be back on the road soon!

It is of course possible to use 'vintage buses' for special occasions (maybe two or three times per year) however continuous use will present a myriad of mechanical problems and an exhibit (or exhibits) could be lost due to overuse.

Using them only two or three times a year is likely to cause far more mechanical issues than regular use. I speak as a previous owner of many old buses including a 45 year old Routemaster that made many trips back to the smoke from Stockton.

The key is regular and preventative maintenance.

Scania L94 4949 is no longer at Riverside, and instead, Saltmeadows Road.

Hopefully a good sign that things are progressing and it will be back on the road soon!

Shame its gonna come out of its currently livery and in to red, could GNE not continue it for one more year...?

Shame its gonna come out of its currently livery and in to red, could GNE not continue it for one more year...?

Was 4949 the poppy bus?

Was 4949 the poppy bus?

Ye, was hoping they would extend it because of the fire,i'm sure it was Dan who said it was due to end soon anyway.

That would have been good

If it were to happen, I'd suggest for the Washington routes to be split like this:

X88, M2/M3, W5/W6 - Birtley
4, 88, X1 - Deptford

X1 to Riverside.
X88 to Riverside.

M2/M3 & 4 to New Depot

W5/W6 & 88/88A to Saltmeadows.


353 to Riverside.
5 to Deptford (interwork with short 9 on Mon-Sat Days & 35 Eve/Sun)

Would GNE ever move back into Northumberland? If they were, Cambois Industrial Estate or Nelson Industrial Estate wouldn't be a bad location.

I think Stanley would be better merged with Consett?

I think there joined on all ready as Consett is an outstation to Stanley

Liveried TEN passing through Corbridge @ 19:42 (probably heading for Hexham as it followed an earlier one by a few minutes) with scrolling rear destination blind - too far away to see FN.

Newcastle-bound due 19:36, Hexham-bound due 19:39.

I think there joined on all ready as Consett is an outstation to Stanley

Thats correct but what i think he means is both depots are combined together like it used to be before the outstation.

Liveried TEN passing through Corbridge @ 19:42 (probably heading for Hexham as it followed an earlier one by a few minutes) with scrolling rear destination blind - too far away to see FN.

Newcastle-bound due 19:36, Hexham-bound due 19:39.

Same one as always - 6076.

Are all Gemini 2's going to get full rear blinds fitted eventually?

Are all Gemini 2's going to get full rear blinds fitted eventually?

No

Liveried TEN passing through Corbridge @ 19:42 (probably heading for Hexham as it followed an earlier one by a few minutes) with scrolling rear destination blind - too far away to see FN.

Newcastle-bound due 19:36, Hexham-bound due 19:39.

Full display, or just scrolling like this?

23.png (Size 1.17 KB Downloads 294)

Are all Gemini 2's going to get full rear blinds fitted eventually?

Doubt it.

I think the idea behind it was to scrap coloured destination displays in favour of having full rear destination displays as it was thought that the latter would benefit customers more.

Wrights cocked up the order with the Fab56s and Cobalts though, so delivered them to the same spec as previous examples in the fleet. Obviously this isn't what GNE wanted, so the full rears were retrofitted.

It is now thought that all around white would be better, as 5390's front destination display has proven to be popular. So I think/hope for future orders they'll go for all around white with the full rear too? Cost will be greater, but if it helps customers... At a guess, to make things a bit more standardised, they will make more numbers like the X1 and 56 so that they're white too. I guess citaro5284 will be able to provide a greater insight though!

Full display, or just scrolling like this?

It's like that, yeah. Malarkey has a photo of 9120 doing the same thing on his Flickr.

It's like that, yeah. Malarkey has a photo of 9120 doing the same thing on his Flickr.

Thought so, thanks for clearing that up! I've noticed that on 9120, but it must be Chester-le-Street's programming, because it didn't do that with the X66 at Riverside.

Full display, or just scrolling like this?

Like that - '10' then destination scrolling alongside within the small square.

Like that - '10' then destination scrolling alongside within the small square.

Clearly not intentional by GNE and slightly off topic, but has anyone been to Aberdeen before?

First seem to think that's a great idea because they have the route number then the destination and/or via points scrolling in that small square before flashing back to route number. I found you couldn't make out what it said unless you stood and stared at it...

Like that - '10' then destination scrolling alongside within the small square.

We are busy going through a pretty large project of making sure all the vehicles with LED all round are sorted and a global list is then programmed into the vehicle rather than depot specific which we currently have.

As you can imagine trying to put all the lists together along with sign/switch settings on the progamme and vehicles is a mammoth task. We have just completed Washington's vehicles and will be doing depot by depot, so the TEN vehicle is not going to be touched until we hit Riverside.

Clearly not intentional by GNE and slightly off topic, but has anyone been to Aberdeen before?

First seem to think that's a great idea because they have the route number then the destination and/or via points scrolling in that small square before flashing back to route number. I found you couldn't make out what it said unless you stood and stared at it...

I've attached some examples, photos by "Prisma Aberdeen". Personally, I'm not a big fan of those, and they could have at least put the number on the top row and destination on the bottom row if they were that bothered about showing the destination of the bus!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/9273531141
https://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/9276285070

Would GNE ever move back into Northumberland? If they were, Cambois Industrial Estate or Nelson Industrial Estate wouldn't be a bad location.

Got a nice little depot in Hexham thanks ! Plus Percy Main stretch their legs to Ashington & Blyth too

Got a nice little depot in Hexham thanks ! Plus Percy Main stretch their legs to Ashington & Blyth too

I meant SE northumberland

I meant SE northumberland

They should try and get more people using the 19 in that part of the route first, and see where it goes from there

I meant SE northumberland

I know, just messing - the only problem really is that depots are a pricey item in set up and running costs, so it makes them difficult to justify especially if its only a small site. Sharing space for outstations, such as Consett or Crook are probably the most cost effective way to develop new routes or break into new areas of operation.

They should try and get more people using the 19 in that part of the route first, and see where it goes from there

What if they could save people 10-15 minutes of their commute to Newcastle from Ashington or Newbiggin here not as fast but more frequent than the X20 but quicker than the X22 and much quicker than the X21 with no detour via Ridge Farm with CCL or Moovbox retrofitted into 10 Mercs. I could just imagine the ZF howling away on the A1 between Seaton Burn and Ponteland Road.

I know, just messing - the only problem really is that depots are a pricey item in set up and running costs, so it makes them difficult to justify especially if its only a small site. Sharing space for outstations, such as Consett or Crook are probably the most cost effective way to develop new routes or break into new areas of operation.

You should try a route from Newcastle to Alnwick, with a outstation at Alnwick.
Then have a MPD or two doing a route from Alnmouth to Bamburgh, and Alnwick to Ashington for connects?