(23 Apr 2017, 8:34 pm)Acky81 wrote 8319 8321 both now in light blue is the simplicity getting scrapped? Is it true they are going to Chester for there new 36? What brand will that be? How many  more will be going blue? Is 2 2a getting new buses?
About time the 39 was branded

(23 Apr 2017, 9:31 pm)Andreos1 wrote You're running Michael close there mind Acky!

(24 Apr 2017, 3:49 am)LeeCalder wrote What's this I hear about 5277 heading back to Blackburn because it's in completely the wrong colour? It's been on various Facebook groups, etc.....

(24 Apr 2017, 9:28 am)Dan wrote Sounds like another instance of things being posted to Facebook being a load of tosh.

Doubt it would be back out in service today, if it was returning to Blackburn to be corrected. I think I posted last week that 5282 would be painted black instead.

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(24 Apr 2017, 3:53 pm)S813 FVK wrote 'The case of the missing badge'
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nebp2/34111808921/in/dateposted/

Given that 5282 is being repainted black instead of 5283, could 5277/80/81 be going onto the 57 to replace 5320-5322 elsewhere with 5283 being a corporate liveried spare? Not entirely sure why they would replace 5320-5322 though so i'm probably talking rubbish!

(24 Apr 2017, 4:17 pm)Dan wrote Yes, that's right.

5320-22 to become Crusaders, replacing 5328-30.

The idea was that there'd be consecutive fleet numbers where possible. Will allow most of the 10-reg batch to be in fleet livery.

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(24 Apr 2017, 4:42 pm)JP6004 wrote Does this mean Crusader will be next to go as opposed to going in fleet order?

(24 Apr 2017, 4:42 pm)JP6004 wrote Does this mean Crusader will be next to go as opposed to going in fleet order?

(24 Apr 2017, 4:48 pm)Dan wrote I think people only ever assumed that every Mercedes Citaro would be refurbished - this was never confirmed.

Wear Xpress, Blaydon Races, Citylink57 and Crusader, with appropriate fleet liveried spares, are the only examples being refurbished at the moment.

Others may be done in future months, but not just yet. I cannot see the likes of 5331 and 5333-5336 being refurbished just yet, when they've just been repainted at Saltmeadows Road fairly recently.

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(24 Apr 2017, 4:57 pm)JP6004 wrote I only presumed the 07-58 reg would be done and the 10-63 reg would be done in a few years. i just thought it would be done via fleet number

(24 Apr 2017, 4:46 pm)missedbus wrote I'd hope it does, as I was on 5314 the other day and it was in a dreadful state internally, with light covers held on using sticky tape and the like.

(20 Apr 2017, 8:38 pm)Jamie M wrote 6014 of all buses has taken over from metrocentre...
Bad to worse!

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(25 Apr 2017, 11:58 am)Dan wrote That being the last time it was in service! 6014 withdrawn from service after these journeys. Now at the back of Saltmeadows Road awaiting its fate...

Other points of note are the withdrawal of the remaining DAF SB120s from the fleet (all now replaced by 4961-65), and 6130 is now at Saltmeadows Road to be repainted black.

(24 Apr 2017, 5:11 pm)Andreos1 wrote 5329 is in a mess externally. Particularly the rear.

(25 Apr 2017, 3:48 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote The majority/all of the Crusaders are a state, And have been left to long without any sort of tarting up. If 5328-30 are leaving it would be best to refurb them inside internally too, As there just as grubby as the 08 plates.

5333-36 are the best condition of the remaining non-refurbs ( bar the 63 plates ) still remaining in service, And are acceptable internally. Id say these will be last of the queue if they are to get refurbed In the future.

This can clear up the speculation of the Angel B5LH's ever cascading down to the 27 once displaced, Another candidate ive heard is the Coaster 1, Which could displace the Omnicity's to corporate roles?....

Will personally miss 5328-30 off the Crusader if they leave, Always hope for one of them three when I'm heading home on there.

(25 Apr 2017, 4:32 pm)EL1TE wrote The Simplicity Versas repainted blue are for the 36 when the operation of that service transfers to Chester-Le-Street.

(25 Apr 2017, 4:32 pm)Jamie M wrote Given not many depots have hybrid engineers, which I understand the B5s need, who says the B5Hs can't be converted to standard B5s?
It's also noteworthy that there are 15B5s and the normal daytime PVR of the 27 is 14 (1 spare). The coaster has a normal day time PVR of 17. They'll undoubtedly want to be keeping the B5s together for standardisation.



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(25 Apr 2017, 4:42 pm)S813 FVK wrote I find it particularly intriguing that they have chosen Saturday 3rd June as the first day of operation for Chester-le-Street as opposed to the usual Sunday (or Monday in this case given the service does not operate on Sunday).

(25 Apr 2017, 4:43 pm)Dan wrote Crusader PVR is 13 (and has until recently had one spare fleet liveried bus - 5332)
Coaster PVR is 14 (and has two spare fleet liveried buses - 5273 and 5274).

They'd work well on either, but I'd put my money on Coaster, with the OmniCitys directly replacing Scania L94s. Another feasible suggestion would be that some could transfer to Stanley to convert double-deck boards on Toon Link to singles, allowing the OmniDekkas to cascade to replace further ex-London Volvo B7. Unlikely that the OmniCity will spread out across every depot - more likely that they'll be kept together for standardisation, as they're not the simplest of vehicle types to work on.

(25 Apr 2017, 4:43 pm)Dan wrote Crusader PVR is 13 (and has until recently had one spare fleet liveried bus - 5332)
Coaster PVR is 14 (and has two spare fleet liveried buses - 5273 and 5274).

They'd work well on either, but I'd put my money on Coaster, with the OmniCitys directly replacing Scania L94s. Another feasible suggestion would be that some could transfer to Stanley to convert double-deck boards on Toon Link to singles, allowing the OmniDekkas to cascade to replace further ex-London Volvo B7. Unlikely that the OmniCity will spread out across every depot - more likely that they'll be kept together for standardisation, as they're not the simplest of vehicle types to work on.

(25 Apr 2017, 5:03 pm)Jamie M wrote I just wrote the timetables down on a piece of paper, I must have added double by accident!

I personally think that they'll end up changing the stanley system again by splitting branding up completely, so I don't think the black omnidekkas will go anywhere until they die, which I don't see as being too far in the distance given one stinks of fumes, one has had an engine bay falling out more than once and another two don't stop refusing to leak oil on a large scale. The fact that they stopped doing back-end repairs and thermal work makes me think that they stopped being worked on for more than just being 'busy'.

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(25 Apr 2017, 4:32 pm)EL1TE wrote The Simplicity Versas repainted blue are for the 36 when the operation of that service transfers to Chester-Le-Street.

(25 Apr 2017, 5:12 pm)Dan wrote The OmniDekkas are here to stay for a number of years, so I don't agree with you on this one!

25 V-reg and 18 02-reg Volvo B7s to dispose of first, before they can get rid of any OmniDekkas. A number of B7s will be cascaded/withdrawn as a result of OmniCitys transferring from Riverside to Stanley (6014 being the first), but there'll still be around 40 B7s to dispose of / find replacements for.

Unlikely to be very many new double-decks, so replacements will have to come in the form of further double-deck cascades from around the Group... From Brighton or London, who knows?

(25 Apr 2017, 4:57 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote Are the remaining versa's that are staying at Deptford going to be allocated to the 35 under the same brand as the 36?
As it would allow the 2/2A to be allocated the gold mercs under the current See It Do It Sunderland brand, and then the unbranded red solos/scanias could be branded Simplicity with a new design.