As just fourteen vehicles are now outstanding for the 2014/15 financial year, it makes sense to move on to the 2015/16 financial year order predictions...

Paired with DDA regulations coming into affect for single deckers from 1 January 2016 and likewise double deckers from 1 January 2017, final decisions for the Quality Contracts Scheme are just around the corner, so it's bound to be an interesting year on the order front.

I'm sure we'll hear all about how great it would be if the Volvo B9TLs were replaced on the X1, so fire away...

Durham Vintage Bus Gathering


Sunday 21st June - 10:00 AM
At Howlands Park and Ride site


Hello.

Just to let people know that on June the 21st at the Durham Howlands Park and Ride rally 4710 will be running on the "free" bus service. This is your one and only chance to sample the 310BHP Volvo THD100E power in FTN710W this year.

Craig Smith, Operations Engineer, NNRG. 

Just an idea I had today while waiting time out, one for me would be a Sapphire branded Leyland National 2. Now I'm in no doubt someone with Photoshop skills far superior to mine could make it happen, I know Garry Luck on Flickr (northernblue109) likes to dabble and some of his creations are very good indeed. Feel free to add anything you like, just a bit of fun!

Following a suggestion in the Go North East: Rare and Odd Workings Thread, i decided that it would be good to have a vehicle allocation list like both Stagecoach and Arriva have had posted within the past few weeks/days. Even if we were to have a scheduled odd workings list, the other allocations should be self explanatory. Obviously, its all well and good leaving the allocations to the usual culprits but it would be nice if we could all get involved, especially as the PVR is so big. I was thinking about having the layout a bit like this (I am aware that i have missed some details out):

·         1/1A: Coaster branded Scania Omnicity
·         V1/V2/V3/V4/V5/V6/V8/V9/130/131/689/706/707: Venture branded Optare Solo SR
·         Q1/Q2: Quaylink branded Optare Versa
·         S1: Metrocentre S1 branded VDL SB120 Wright Merit
·         2/2A: Simplicity branded Optare Versa
-          21:28 2 Sunderland-Washington: Drifter branded Wright Streetlite
-          22:05 2 Washington-Sunderland: Drifter branded Wright Streetlite

The main allocation will be found next to a circular bullet point and a scheduled odd working will be found next to a dash bullet point. 

This thread is mainly just to assess whether it would be worth doing it or not (would it help people etc) and if the proposal isn't as popular as I intend, the idea won't go ahead because me (and any other users who help) don't want to spend hours on end putting the list together for it not to be used by that many people.

Good afternoon, everyone.

As some of you noticed, we gained our one thousandth member yesterday, following the forum's creation in August 2012. Although perhaps only a tenth regularly contribute on the forums, I'm sure you'll agree this is a fantastic achievement for any forum and one which we should mark.

Liam started to record the site's statistics with Google Analytics from 1 January 2013. Since then, we've had a massive seven million pageviews. This site has gone from strength to strength, and is still growing to this day. The site and its forums have overcome the negative reputation they were first given by sceptical enthusiasts, and is now a very valuable source of information for all enthusiasts both in and outside of the North East region.

As ever, we're continuing to work on developing new features and improving existing features. When things quieten down for myself next month, I'll be sure to provide regular updates on some of the things going on behind the scenes.

Stay tuned!

Just seen this on RTT - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U5...6/advanced


Any ideas? 

I hope it is okay to start a new thread?

I was just wondering, has anyone had any 'run ins' with the general public for taking photographs which they might be in? I've had a couple, a lad probably about 18/19 came storming off the 27 in South Shields and had a massive shouting match with me. Another incident I've had in South Shields was with a driver, again on the 27 who said I was 'encroaching on his privacy'.

Sunderland is a nightmare especially when you get a photo of the Drifter's turning the corner to enter Park Lane! The amount of people I've seen give me 'hackies' or have gave me a signal is crazy.

Seeing as we don't have a Network Rail thread...

RMT now have a mandate to take their members out on strike. 1/3 of which are signal workers. 

Ballot result - http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/network-rail-...tion12515/

Press release - http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/overwhelming-...-rail-pay/

Currently having problems changing my signature, tried it a few weeks ago and didn't work either.

Any idea who is behind these?

Saw an 06 reg Bova in Chester earlier.
A short while later, it came down Ropery Lane.

Local/Durham number on rear of the vehicle.

Edit: It appears the reg was N606. The set up of the plate, looked like NG06.
Photos on flickr of the coach I spotted.
Never seen/heard of them at all.