(29 Mar 2015, 8:31 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Ok, how about this, are the engines made in Britain?

Cummins make engines in Darlington, so its possible.

(30 Mar 2015, 8:41 am)Scott wrote Cummins make engines in Darlington, so its possible.

My dad is a Purchasing Manager or Head of Purchasing (something along those lines!) there.

Alexander Dennis: Yorkshire and Scotland
Optare: They don't have Cummins engines? Yorkshire
Wrightbus: Ireland

That's what I think anyway, unless a new bus manufacturer is based in them places  

(30 Mar 2015, 9:03 am)Tommy_1581 wrote Alexander Dennis: Yorkshire and Scotland
Optare: They don't have Cummins engines? Yorkshire
Wrightbus: Ireland

That's what I think anyway, unless a new bus manufacturer is based in them places  

Optare do come with the option of cummins engines.

(30 Mar 2015, 9:05 am)Robert wrote Optare do come with the option of cummins engines.

Your right. Cummins or Mercedes are the options, although some earlier models did have MAN engines.

(29 Mar 2015, 6:47 pm)Michael wrote Was hoping the new Lime Streetlites would of being out for the April 11th, as Beamish has 2 events on.......Sadly, doesn't look like it =(

you never know i think the streetlites will enter service right after X66 examples am thinking this Wednesday for X66 examples due to Tax thing limes will follow a few weeks later when all 15 arrive then red kites will soon follow

(30 Mar 2015, 8:39 am)Scott wrote But they rebranded the X66 only to bring in replacements - yet to see any of the new buses in service.

Although it must be said that the new vehicles for service X66 are to enter service over a year after the articulated Mercedes Citaros were re-branded, and the new buses for the 2014/15 financial year will mostly arrive between March and May... There's a difference between re-launching a brand for a year and re-launching a brand for a month or two - if, of course, new buses were to arrive for the Crusader!

The X66 brand re-launch may well have received funding from Intu, as well, whereas the Crusader will not.

Who's idea was it to brand these StreetLites, in a way of which it blocks the purpose of the window?
Haven't GNE already received complaints relating to this subject?

window
noun
an opening in the wall or roof of a building or vehicle, fitted with glass in a frame to admit light or air and allow people to see out.

(30 Mar 2015, 1:29 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Who's idea was it to brand these StreetLites, in a way of which it blocks the purpose of the window?
Haven't GNE already received complaints relating to this subject?

window
noun
an opening in the wall or roof of a building or vehicle, fitted with glass in a frame to admit light or air and allow people to see out.

Go North East have quite a few brands where the vinyls block windows at some part of the vehicle, to name one: the ''Whey Aye Five 0'' OmniCities. I think you've got to be pretty low to complain about a sticker over a window, in nearly all cases, you can still see through the window, albeit not as well. Seeing as the X66 service takes no more than 15 minutes (10 in the majority of journeys) - I can't see many passengers complaining about not being able to see out of the windows for such a short journey time.

(30 Mar 2015, 1:51 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Go North East have quite a few brands where the vinyls block windows at some part of the vehicle, to name one: the ''Whey Aye Five 0'' OmniCities. I think you've got to be pretty low to complain about a sticker over a window, in nearly all cases, you can still see through the window, albeit not as well. Seeing as the X66 service takes no more than 15 minutes (10 in the majority of journeys) - I can't see many passengers complaining about not being able to see out of the windows for such a short journey time.

So, if I came to your house and stuck lots of Multi-coloured dots and a large purple crown on your window, would that be fine? 

Thought not.

(30 Mar 2015, 2:06 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote So, if I came to your house and stuck lots of Multi-coloured dots and a large purple crown on your window, would that be fine? 

Thought not.

No, but the difference is; I do not own the bus. I would be peeved if it was on my property, but seeing as the X66 is not owned by me, I would just let it go. 

(30 Mar 2015, 2:06 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote So, if I came to your house and stuck lots of Multi-coloured dots and a large purple crown on your window, would that be fine? 

Thought not.

The use of contravision on the "Prince Bishops" and "Wear Tees Xpress" means that customers can look out of the windows with ease. The "Whey Aye Five 0" isn't contravision (though it isn't a solid block of colour - it just looks misty), so I could understand any complaints here. The old X66 branding didn't use contravision, but who's to say that it won't be used this time around?

Two further Streetlites have arrived at Saltmeadows: 5399 (NK15 ENM) and 5400 (NK15 ENN). These are both green and will be allocated to Stanley Depot.

(30 Mar 2015, 2:06 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote So, if I came to your house and stuck lots of Multi-coloured dots and a large purple crown on your window, would that be fine? 

Thought not.

You need to direct your concerns/complaint for the issue towards Go North East and see what the reply is (It wont be illegal as their would of took the defending advertisement off the bus window).

(30 Mar 2015, 2:48 pm)Dan wrote Two further Streetlites have arrived at Saltmeadows: 5399 (NK15 ENM) and 5400 (NK15 ENN). These are both green and will be allocated to Stanley Depot.

Branded 'Lime'?

(30 Mar 2015, 3:12 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Branded 'Lime'?

The branding will be unveiled soon. All four X66s are now branded.

(30 Mar 2015, 3:13 pm)Dan wrote The branding will be unveiled soon. All four X66s are now branded.

When's the launch?

Saw 6034 and 4854 on my travels today.
Big issues with the rear blind on 4854 and some nasty bubbling on 6034. They may need looking at.

4935 departed Chester le Street at 15:35 with no front of rear destination displays. I assume that it was on a 28/28A based on the stand it departed from and the fact it went towards Pelton Fell.

(30 Mar 2015, 3:13 pm)Dan wrote The branding will be unveiled soon. All four X66s are now branded.

Any pictures of the X66 Streetlites?, as the one on the GNE site only shows half of it  

(30 Mar 2015, 6:08 pm)Michael wrote Any pictures of the X66 Streetlites?, as the one on the GNE site only shows half of it  

I typed every fleet number into Flickr to no avail, every reg - no, even tried Google - just the remains of Dan's photos.

GNE have done a better job than what's happened previously.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:08 pm)Michael wrote Any pictures of the X66 Streetlites?, as the one on the GNE site only shows half of it  

They're still tucked away at Saltmeadows - so there's no photos at present! I'm not sure if drivers will need familiarisation or not as the cab layout is pretty much identical to the "Saltwell Park" branded examples Riverside already has. If the drivers do need this, I'd expect one will be sat at Gateshead or Riverside Depot ASAP.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:11 pm)Dan wrote They're still tucked away at Saltmeadows - so there's no photos at present! I'm not sure if drivers will need familiarisation or not as the cab layout is pretty much identical to the "Saltwell Park" branded examples Riverside already has. If the drivers do need this, I'd expect one will be sat at Gateshead or Riverside Depot ASAP.

Will it still be the dedicated X66 drivers or will it become for all drivers?

(30 Mar 2015, 6:11 pm)Dan wrote They're still tucked away at Saltmeadows - so there's no photos at present! I'm not sure if drivers will need familiarisation or not as the cab layout is pretty much identical to the "Saltwell Park" branded examples Riverside already has. If the drivers do need this, I'd expect one will be sat at Gateshead or Riverside Depot ASAP.

If they're the same, they should be ok, only Stanley and Chester-Le-Street drivers need familiarisation, as they haven't drove them before. 

---

(30 Mar 2015, 6:12 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Will it still be the dedicated X66 drivers or will it become for all drivers?

Should be all drivers as they're rigid buses now.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:12 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Will it still be the dedicated X66 drivers or will it become for all drivers?

For now, at least, the X66, EU and scholars rotas are still separate as they have not been amalgamated with the rest of the Riverside's services.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:08 pm)Michael wrote Any pictures of the X66 Streetlites?, as the one on the GNE site only shows half of it  

Trust you to be impatient 

(30 Mar 2015, 6:14 pm)Dan wrote For now, at least, the X66, EU and scholars rotas are still separate as they have not been amalgamated with the rest of the Riverside's services.

Will this be changed in the near future or just sticking at it until all of this years orders have arrived?

(30 Mar 2015, 6:15 pm)Michael wrote Will this be changed in the near future or just sticking at it until all of this years orders have arrived?

Not my area of expertise, I'm afraid!

The "Tyne Tees Xpress" services will remain separate until there's no need for tachos. Arriva North East has recently split most of its EU work into several sections to avoid the need for tachos, but it would be difficult to do this as only the X9 calls into Peterlee Bus Station, and it wouldn't really be feasible to split the X10 anywhere.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:19 pm)Dan wrote Not my area of expertise, I'm afraid!

The "Tyne Tees Xpress" services will remain separate until there's no need for tachos. Arriva North East has recently split most of its EU work into several sections to avoid the need for tachos, but it would be difficult to do this as only the X9 calls into Peterlee Bus Station, and it wouldn't really be feasible to split the X10 anywhere.

It's not?, has Citaro not trained you yet  

The Tacho's on the X9/X10 will remain for a long time. 

(30 Mar 2015, 6:19 pm)Dan wrote Not my area of expertise, I'm afraid!

The "Tyne Tees Xpress" services will remain separate until there's no need for tachos. Arriva North East has recently split most of its EU work into several sections to avoid the need for tachos, but it would be difficult to do this as only the X9 calls into Peterlee Bus Station, and it wouldn't really be feasible to split the X10 anywhere.

Peterlee A19 Slip Road would not right as a destination for the X10.

(30 Mar 2015, 6:22 pm)Michael wrote It's not?, has Citaro not trained you yet  

The Tacho's on the X9/X10 will remain for a long time. 

What can I say... Some of us are good at knowing whether further amalgamation of rotas is planned - others are good at knowing which buses are at Saltmeadows for repaint (and, on that note, there have been no further arrivals since my last post)!