(20 Feb 2015, 4:43 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Yup. 5202 and 5203 were on on Tuesday, and I think 4942 too.

And then 3979 and 4943(?) on today...

To be honest, I'd rather have a Solar than some of the Mercs. 5306 was horrible when I had it on the 35 from Heworth, and 5303 wasn't the best either.

(20 Feb 2015, 4:47 pm)Tom wrote To be honest, I'd rather have a Solar than some of the Mercs. 5306 was horrible when I had it on the 35 from Heworth, and 5303 wasn't the best either.

Likewise. The Mercs I've had so far on the 36:

1.) 5306 - rattled quite a bit.
2.) 5308 - just dreadful, worse than the first!
3.) 5303 - engine screamed like those two chavs on Dan & Scott's 81/81A!
4.) 5299 - best Merc I've had so far on the 36.

(20 Feb 2015, 4:50 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Likewise. The Mercs I've had so far on the 36:

1.) 5306 - rattled quite a bit.
2.) 5308 - just dreadful, worse than the first!
3.) 5303 - engine screamed like those two chavs on Dan & Scott's 81/81A!
4.) 5299 - best Merc I've had so far on the 36.

The Silver Arrow ones were always good, so I'd imagine 5325-5327 would be nice!

(20 Feb 2015, 4:51 pm)Tom wrote The Silver Arrow ones were always good, so I'd imagine 5325-5327 would be nice!

I miss them on the Silver Arrows... =(

(20 Feb 2015, 4:55 pm)Michael wrote I miss them on the Silver Arrows... =(

Yeah, they are far superior to the Versas like. 

(20 Feb 2015, 4:56 pm)Tom wrote Yeah, they are far superior to the Versas like. 

Don't get me wrong, i like the Versa's but rather have a Citaro anyday... lets hope it gets allocated Citaro's in the future.... (Although Citaro said the 2/2A is on their for a while)

(20 Feb 2015, 4:43 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Yup. 5202 and 5203 were on on Tuesday, and I think 4942 too.

And then 3979 and 4943(?) on today...

Aye, 4943 was on today with 4942.

There is a Merc on now, hasn't long left Houghton bound for Sunderland and there was at least one about on Wednesday.

5303 was the one with the hole in the bodywork (mentioned it a few weeks back), so whether they're using the time between branding to tidy them up or they're off the road for other reasons - until an insider shares the info, we can just speculate and wonder.

5327 was on earlier, noticed 4936, 6100 left chester at 10.45

 Scania 4964 is now at Riverside, and was on X66 today, with 5332 on 49.

(20 Feb 2015, 10:45 pm)park5354 wrote  Scania 4964 is now at Riverside, and was on X66 today, with 5332 on 49.

must have transferred over last night i had the privilege to ride both vehicles when they were both on 88/88A for 4964 during its Washington days as a spare role while 5332 on 27 but in a way might still get these vehicles this time all on 27 these are 2 really good vehicles canny and fast

(20 Feb 2015, 4:55 pm)Michael wrote I miss them on the Silver Arrows... =(

the Citaros really suited Silver Arrows really well for some strange reason i love the sound of a Citaro engine its grown a custom to me everytime am on a Crusader example which some but 3 are the same age as the former Silver Arrows batch

(20 Feb 2015, 11:56 pm)Racer_Experience wrote the Citaros really suited Silver Arrows really well for some strange reason i love the sound of a Citaro engine its grown a custom to me everytime am on a Crusader example which some but 3 are the same age as the former Silver Arrows batch

Good motors they are, suspension and kneeling a bit tempermental but otherwise, plenty of power. 

(20 Feb 2015, 11:40 pm)Racer_Experience wrote must have transferred over last night i had the privilege to ride both vehicles when they were both on 88/88A for 4964 during its Washington days as a spare role while 5332 on 27 but in a way might still get these vehicles this time all on 27 these are 2 really good vehicles canny and fast

Yes, it transferred over on Thursday. Just to provide clarification: this bus has been VOR and unable to transfer, but saw the withdrawal of an articulated vehicle earlier this month.

On paper, this frees up poppy bus 4949 from the X66 to act as a spare bus for service 58, allowing 5390 to form part of the X40's allocation on a temporary basis until the commercial QuayLink comes in to operation. Scanias 4944, 4964, 4966 and Mercedes 5332 should be allocated to service X66 on Monday - Friday until the new Streetlites arrive, with those vehicles and either 4949 or 5389 (if not required for service 58) covering the additional Saturday bus of the PVR.

(21 Feb 2015, 6:42 am)Dan wrote Yes, it transferred over on Thursday. Just to provide clarification: this bus has been VOR and unable to transfer, but saw the withdrawal of an articulated vehicle earlier this month.

On paper, this frees up poppy bus 4949 from the X66 to act as a spare bus for service 58, allowing 5390 to form part of the X40's allocation on a temporary basis until the commercial QuayLink comes in to operation. Scanias 4944, 4964, 4966 and Mercedes 5332 should be allocated to service X66 on Monday - Friday until the new Streetlites arrive, with those vehicles and either 4949 or 5389 (if not required for service 58) covering the additional Saturday bus of the PVR.

Is that confirmation or speculation?  

(21 Feb 2015, 9:36 am)Robert wrote Is that confirmation or speculation?  

Given that citaro5284 has said that new vehicles will have Cummins engines and will be manufactured in Ireland - a strong suggestion that the vehicles will be Streetlites - I think it's more or less confirmation...

(21 Feb 2015, 9:49 am)Dan wrote Given that citaro5284 has said that new vehicles will have Cummins engines and will be manufactured in Ireland - a strong suggestion that the vehicles will be Streetlites - I think it's more or less confirmation...

Being totally pedantic as the holder of an Irish passport. I can confirm there are no Streetlites manufactured in Ireland.

Does anyone know a decent reason why the 17 is so unreliable?

Thinking of emailing customer services now as it is getting beyond a joke. This morning it was four minutes early, and it isn't the first time either. If I go out for it at a reasonable time, like yesterday, it turns up fifteen minutes late, but if I only leave a couple of minutes spare it decides to come ridiculously early.

(21 Feb 2015, 11:23 am)Tom wrote Does anyone know a decent reason why the 17 is so unreliable?

Thinking of emailing customer services now as it is getting beyond a joke. This morning it was four minutes early, and it isn't the first time either. If I go out for it at a reasonable time, like yesterday, it turns up fifteen minutes late, but if I only leave a couple of minutes spare it decides to come ridiculously early.

Probables cause its one of GNE's longest routes?

(21 Feb 2015, 11:30 am)Michael wrote Probables cause its one of GNE's longest routes?

What, which causes it to be four minutes early?
To be honest it's no excuse.

(20 Feb 2015, 12:29 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Could be further down their respective routes that they are having difficulties with then, maybe the X1 having issues on that section of Old Durham Road and the 21 around the Birtley-Gateshead section.

It's Friday as well, so there may be an extra amount of passengers heading into Newcastle; that could have an effect of some sort.

I don't know!

The 21 has had reliability issues since....well 1990

(21 Feb 2015, 11:32 am)Tom wrote What, which causes it to be four minutes early?
To be honest it's no excuse.

If you're regularly seeing buses which are early and late, it's clearly not an issue relating to tight timings.

Could be a whole variety of reasons. Provide examples over the next few days to Customer Services in one e-mail and ask if they can provide reasoning.

(21 Feb 2015, 11:23 am)Tom wrote Does anyone know a decent reason why the 17 is so unreliable?

Thinking of emailing customer services now as it is getting beyond a joke. This morning it was four minutes early, and it isn't the first time either. If I go out for it at a reasonable time, like yesterday, it turns up fifteen minutes late, but if I only leave a couple of minutes spare it decides to come ridiculously early.

I think kicking off for 4 minutes is quite  pedantic, like I know it's late during the day but like michael says it is a long route, I use it regularly and there are places along the route which can are likely to be caught  traffic. However the early could just be an error like the drivers clock or your time

It can't be due to it being one of GNE's longest routes;

Somehow the 19 manages to get to Ashington on time, but a shorter distance 17 gets to wherever it goes 4 minutes early or late.

The only time that I've seen the 19 extremely late was due to an accident outside of Ashington bus station.

(21 Feb 2015, 11:32 am)Tom wrote What, which causes it to be four minutes early?
To be honest it's no excuse.

Put a complaint in and let them investigate it.  VOSA guidelines say a bus can be up to 1 minute early and 5 minutes late.

According to a driver, there is a delay on the 21 due to an accident at Low Fell.

I don't have any details, nor know it's legitimacy, I just hope it's nothing serious.

Like I say I don't know what has happened, and he says he hasn't been that way himself yet today.

The Western Bypass was closed between Birtley and Team Valley earlier and Low Fell (well Angel) was the diversion route but it shouldn't have affected the Angel as it has the bus lane unless everyone continued along Durham Rd.

Just looking at the Arriva app and the X2's are running to time

(21 Feb 2015, 2:20 pm)gtom wrote The Western Bypass was closed between Birtley and Team Valley earlier and Low Fell (well Angel) was the diversion route but it shouldn't have affected the Angel as it has the bus lane unless everyone continued along Durham Rd.

Just looking at the Arriva app and the X2's are running to time

As noted earlier in the Bus Incidents thread, X2 was running 20 minutes late at 1300.

4845 is making its way to Stanley depot. Just seen it running up Durham Road (South Stanley) out of service.

(21 Feb 2015, 4:46 pm)Robert wrote 4845 is making its way to Stanley depot. Just seen it running up Durham Road (South Stanley) out of service.

Was on the Lime this morning. I just missed it to get a photo!