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RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - BusLoverMum - 31 Aug 2015
Sounds like a grand day out, despite the rain.
I vaguely recall 708 and 710 being at Howlands together? We've yet to take any rides, but I might "persuade" the husband that it's worthwhile if big'un's still enthusiastic for next year's rallies.
R852 PRG's Reviews - Jimmi - 31 Aug 2015
Great review Marcus [emoji2]
Would still love a ride on 4710 but I missed it at Howlands thanks to the lengthy trip round Durham instead. Was not amused about that!
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 31 Aug 2015
(31 Aug 2015, 8:25 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Sounds like a good day, what was the occasion? Was something happening in Seaburn today?
Oh you.
(31 Aug 2015, 8:50 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Sounds like a grand day out, despite the rain.
I vaguely recall 708 and 710 being at Howlands together? We've yet to take any rides, but I might "persuade" the husband that it's worthwhile if big'un's still enthusiastic for next year's rallies.
Yes, on the whole I did enjoy the outing and think it was probably on par with Howlands back in June. 4710 has only ever been out on a shuttle the once, and that was at Howlands. Not sure about 4708.
(31 Aug 2015, 8:54 pm)Jimmi wrote Great review Marcus [emoji2]
Would still love a ride on 4710 but I missed it at Howlands thanks to the lengthy trip round Durham instead. Was not amused about that!
Thanks, Jimmi. Did you not stay on board when we moved out of our parking spot to the line-up, or did you walk? I can't remember.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - Jimmi - 31 Aug 2015
(31 Aug 2015, 9:52 pm)R852 PRG wrote Thanks, Jimmi. Did you not stay on board when we moved out of our parking spot to the line-up, or did you walk? I can't remember.
Walked, as I was getting some of the photos of stuff leaving then went down to get photos of the line-up which sadly hasn't made it onto Flickr as the camera kept steaming up because of the rain.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - omnicity4659 - 01 Sep 2015
Great review, Marcus!
I look forward to seeing your photos from yesterday.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 01 Sep 2015
(01 Sep 2015, 7:16 am)GX03 SVC wrote Great review, Marcus!
I look forward to seeing your photos from yesterday.
Thanks, Tommy. Photos from Seaburn; https://www.flickr.com/photos/127739730@N02/albums/72157655713848834
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - S813 FVK - 01 Sep 2015
Re. review of 29th August:
I do normally sit at the back downstairs but i can assure you that i have not been getting up to anything naughty with glue
I was quite happy with my double Olympian outing on the 27th. Would have preferred one to have been a 44 as opposed to a 43 (for scenery variety) but certainly enjoyed it nevertheless, especially as i hardly travel on buses outside of school!
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 05 Sep 2015
Saturday 5th September 2015
Had a nice outing today on a Get Around day ticket. As I'm doing something bus-related tomorrow (expect a review), I was contemplating staying in today. Last night, I decided I would go out in the end, and after drawing from the hat, decided I would catch a ''Whey Aye Five 0'' 50 service to start.
#50 – Chester-le-Street Corals to Washington The Galleries Bus Station – (08:50 --- 09:03) – Go North East 5409 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Corporate''
After an 08:00 alarm, I left my house at about 08:25; after a twenty minute walk into Chester-le-Street town centre, I messaged citaro5284 on Facebook Messenger to see if he could tell me what I was going to be landed with. I'd seen a ''Whey Aye Five 0'' branded OmniCity standing stationary with a Durham-bound service as I descended Front Street, and was kind of hoping I'd get one; as I rarely use the 50 service and haven't covered many miles in 5255-5260 as a result. In fact, the last time I really cared about the ''Whey Aye Five 0'', was when citaro5284 asked me to get a photograph of 5256's missing branding as evidence of some missing vinyls. Was quite disappointed when I sighted a red Streetlite turning onto Front Street; knowing it could only be Chester-le-Street's 5409, I reluctantly got my Key Card ready. The female driver appeared to have some difficulty in negotiating the U-turn at the bottom of Chester-le-Street, but did it eventually. I believe she is called Audrey; she has a thick Scottish accent and blonde hair. She seemed quite pleasant. We departed on-time, I decided I would take this service as far as the Galleries (would have made the effort to carry on to South Shields had it been an OmniCity, but there is only so much Streetlite you can handle before you feel like throwing yourself out of the emergency door). While I sat just above the step towards the rear; a Chester-le-Street driver was sat at the very back with his children. He referred to the depot as ''Alcatraz''... About ten passengers boarded in Lambton, and we arrived at the Galleries before I knew it. Standard Streetlite journey; uninspiring and depressing. On a positive note, I got to milk some unexpected free WiFi.
#4 – Washington The Galleries Bus Station to Heworth Metro Interchange – (09:12 --- 09:30) – Go North East 5358 – Mercedes 0530N/Mercedes Citaro – ''Connections4''
After jumping off the 50; I looked around to see if there was anything of interest. The bus station was obviously quite quiet for 09:00 on a Saturday morning, after watching a Solar head up to the layover bays while working the ''Simplicity'' services; I made my way up into the shopping centre for my standard bottle of water. The McColls newsagents just to the right as I walked in was the easiest option, so picked up a bottle of Volvic water for £1.00 and returned to the bus station. As I'd left the bus station, only about two or three people were queuing for the X1 and 4, by now, it had reached the bottom of the escalators. Fortunately, within a minute or two, I saw a ''Connections4'' branded Citaro coming along and into view. The long queue split, with about half a dozen making their way outside for the 4. I decided I'd go with this, then connect onto a 27 at Heworth. 5358 was the vehicle operating this run, I seem to recall riding this example before so it wasn't a winner. My preferred seat was occupied (grrr) so found myself sat at the quadrant, next to the emergency exit. Legroom was spacious and the seat was comfortable. The man who was occupying my favourite seat suddenly jumped off at the Galleries, meaning it was available; but I chose not to move as I was comfy where I was. After we set off, it didn't take long for us to reach Concord and soon after, Heworth Metro was announced on the Next Stop Announcement. Although I was on the verge of getting a photo of 5358, I saw a Newcastle-bound ''Crusader'' 27 was due at 09:32, so waited...
#27 – Heworth Metro Interchange to Newcastle, Market Street East – (09:33 --- 09:51) – Go North East 5328 – Mercedes 0530N/Mercedes Citaro – ''Crusader''
I didn't have long to wait after checking the timetable, before I saw a silver Citaro entering the Interchange. Was quite happy when I noticed it was one of the recently branded examples; 5328. A couple of others were waiting for this service; I was expecting it to be full to the brim to be honest, but found it was pretty quiet with only about fifteen passengers on board. Luckily for me; my favoured seat, the one next to the air conditioner/heater thing where I can rest my right arm on the luggage rack(?) above it. While I messaged Sean throughout the journey, as he was heading across on the 685 but contemplating bailing at Throckley and then onto something else to Newcastle, I said I'd meet him for a quick catch-up and then go separate ways. I was considering heading onto some of the ''Diamond'' routes, following up to the proposed service changes, and Sean was looking to go north on some Arriva routes. I didn't pay much attention up until Gateshead, where I took note of anything good in the Interchange. Have to say I'm surprised at just how many of the ''Crusader'' Mercedes are now fully branded in the new livery. Upon arrival on Market Street, I headed up to Costa in Eldon Square... It wasn't very busy, so I sat in and enjoyed my usual small Hot Chocolate before heading to Market Street again to meet Sean. I got a good photo of 5314, another ''Crusader'' liveried Citaro, before Sean soon arrived on a Stagecoach Enviro400. We casually walked back up to Eldon Square/Haymarket from there.
#31 – Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station to Handy Drive, Riverside Bus Depot – (11:26 --- 11:42) – Go North East 4921 – Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown – ''Corporate''
We sat in Haymarket for a while, in hopes of Sean's favourite Pulsar; 1480, appearing. After a while, it did not, so he nipped into Gregg's for something before we headed out to the little island for some photos. One of Sean's friends, Dennis, was driving a Pulsar on the 306 to Tynemouth, so he spoke to him for a while before departure. Over some time, Steven Hodgson and Gary Devlin both joined us on the island. Sean had forgotten his camera (LOL) so had to watch me getting some photos. Eventually, Sean left my company and soon after, I headed back into Eldon Square. He informed me he was on 6049, on the X1, and asked me to come up and give him a wave. I then noticed a red Renown was on Percy Street, so watched it as it descended into the bus station. It was operating the ''Toon Link'' 31 to Winlaton and decided I'd go with it. Walking towards the rear, I saw some of the DDA modifications; this was my first DDA-compliant B10BLE. The graffiti moquette seating made a nice change from the ''Go'' colours that I am accustomed to. Some great kickdowns were heard on the Redheugh Bridge, and again on Handy Drive. Decided to bail at Riverside, and get some photos there.
#X66 – Handy Drive, Riverside Bus Depot to Gateshead Transport Interchange – (11:58 --- 12:07) – Go North East 5332 – Mercedes 0530N/Mercedes Citaro – ''Corporate''
After finally crossing the road; I noticed a line-up of three ''Toon Link'' Renowns and a few red B10BLEs. On inspecting my photos; it was 4841, 5148, an unidentified mauled Cadet, 5163, 4845 and 5149. Further along, where the main parking area is, I saw ''TEN'' branded 6072 and ''Toon Link'' 5234 sitting doing nothing, and an assortment of Vykings. Down by the Driver Training area, were the three resident Riverside Olympians, a handful of repatriated Cadets, and a Driving School coach with the NHS Shuttle MPD. I made my way back along to the Gateshead-bound bus stop, where two Riverside drivers were awaiting an X66. As opposed to a branded Streetlite; I was treated with the sight of dedicated spare vehicle 5332. It had a loading of about fifteen passengers already on board; I ended up sitting facing the rear of the vehicle. Didn't have much to say about this journey, as I spent the majority of it deleting any duplicate photos to save some time later on this evening when they were on the desktop. As we approached Gateshead Interchange, I sighted a Lolyne behind us; working the X71 service to Consett. I was hoping to catch it, so made my way towards the front of the bus to maximise my chances.
#X71 – Gateshead Transport Interchange to Consett Bus Station – (12:09 --- 12:53) – Go North East 3873 – Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne – ''Corporate''
As the East Lancs Lolynes are being picked off thick and fast, one of my aims for today was to have a ride of one and hopefully a photograph. Walking across the Interchange and keeping my eyes peeled on the bus, which I identified as 3873. This is one of the regular Tridents I'm landed with; I had it on the X70 up to Consett with Adrian once and then on the X43 with Adam about a month later. It's not a bad bus internally, having been refurbished about a year ago, but it struggles on some banks and goes into snail mode. Nevertheless, it was one of my aims for today, so I was happy. One other man was upstairs, just behind the front seats, so I got my preferred spot above the driver. What ruined it somewhat was two men who sat opposite me, going on like a pair of girls and kissing every few minutes. I'm not overly keen on public affection. Despite flying along some stretches of open road to the point that the speed was worrying, it really did struggle on the banks out of the Bensham area and up to Streetgate and Sunniside. I'm going to admit it, I'll really miss the Lolynes when they're all gone, I'm going to start hunting them down in the coming weeks for final rides and the usual. I have lots of fond memories of them on the scholars home when I was in Year 8, I used to sit at the back, facing the rear, on the nearside. Some funny times. Didn't appreciate them at the time but now it's saddening when I see one has been withdrawn, there aren't many left. Can't imagine we'll see any of them in 2016. This supposed upcoming wave of more Scania OmniDekkas will finish them off I predict.
#78 – Consett Bus Station to Stanley Civic Hall – (13:00 --- 13:28) – Go North East 5396 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Coast & Country''
I exited and snapped some photographs of the buses in the layover; 3863 being easy pickings and then a few Tridents parked in pairs together. A Sunderland-bound ''Coast & Country'' Streetlite entered the bus station, so I made my way back in and joined the end of the queue. While I would have preferred to get the seat next to the emergency exit, I settled for the seat behind, just above the step. WiFi seemed to work brilliantly, however I was highly irritated by some children. One of them was no harm at all, but the other, who looked slightly older and around the age of ten; kept faggoting around. Around Leadgate, he spilt a bottle of Coca-Cola all over. At least the mother – who sat far away from him (no surprise) – had the decency to go up and ask the driver if she had anything to clean it up with. For the remainder of the journey; he was shouting up the bus ''have I been a good boy''; ''mam, mam, mam'' and ''eh, eh, eh''... I was annoyed out of my mind. Rather than stay on until the bus station; I decided to alight at the Civic Hall, the bus stop just before the bus station where a few people alight to get closer to the Front Street (and avoid the inbreeds that lurk in the bus station).
#8 – Stanley Bus Station to Chester-le-Street South Burns – (13:42 --- 14:11) – Go North East 5403 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Coast & Country''
An average day in Stanley; an elder was being sacrificed to the gods outside of the Civic Centre and the residents of Stanley were throwing their benefits money at the sacrificed. After walking down to Greggs for my lunch (a Ham & Cheese Baguette for £2.50 – enjoyable) and stowing it in my bag for when I got home; I headed back into the bus station. The next 8 back to Chester-le-Street was due at 13:45; and the time was 13:35, so I had a while to wait. Sat down in the seats around the stand, and observed the goings on in the bus station. Before long; I could see a ''Coast & Country'' Streetlite coming around the roundabout. After I boarded and sat at the row before the back seats, we sat there doing nothing until 13:48 (3 minutes after our scheduled departure – nothing was holding us back from departing on-time). The driver was an absolute maniac on the road; he mounted several curbs and drove at extreme speeds. At the very back; a man of foreign decent was talking on the phone. The person on the other end of the phone, presumably his wife, was asked ''how many men have you f***ed so far today?'' and after receiving a response; ''I find it hard to take anything you say seriously when I know what's been in that mouth of yours''. No comment.
My ride back up to the Clifford Terrace bus stop was 6066; one of the average ''Angel'' B5s with little character in them. It was operating the 14:15 service to Durham, I sat downstairs and waited for the bus stop, only a few minutes away and just beyond the Front Street. After a quick visit to my grandma's, I was home for 16:00. Tomorrow I'm off to a running day, so might have the review up tomorrow night if I can be bothered. Otherwise, on Monday night most likely. Thanks for reading this one anyway.
R852 PRG
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - NK53 TKT - 05 Sep 2015
(29 Aug 2015, 9:35 pm)R852 PRG wrote I'm looking forward to Edinburgh on Saturday 26th September, and I'm also looking at the likes of Leeds and Carlisle in 2016.
I went to Carlisle for the DRS open day and it was quite enjoyable, walked the length of a Class 68 in the engine room
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - S813 FVK - 05 Sep 2015
You haven't been on 3874 going up a bank if you think 3873 went into snail mode! That time when it was VOR for a while at Percy Main must have killed it
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - BusLoverMum - 05 Sep 2015
(05 Sep 2015, 7:40 pm)S813 FVK wrote You haven't been on 3874 going up a bank if you think 3873 went into snail mode! That time when it was VOR for a while at Percy Main must have killed it
We were on 3873, this afternoon. It barely made it up the bank toward Sunniside and got very hot inside
in the process.
It is a nice bus inside for its age, though.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - S813 FVK - 05 Sep 2015
(05 Sep 2015, 7:46 pm)BusLoverMum wrote We were on 3873, this afternoon. It barely made it up the bank toward Sunniside and got very hot inside
in the process.
It is a nice bus inside for its age, though.
Is that the bank with the speed camera on? (Watergate Bank is its official name i think)
The lolynes are starting to age quite badly and this is shown by the fact they struggle as bad but none are as bad as 3874 which is a lot worse than simply 'crawling' up. This is just the Stanley based lolynes of course - haven't ridden on any others (apart from 3872 and 3875 when they were based at Stanley).
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - MurdnunoC - 05 Sep 2015
(05 Sep 2015, 8:01 pm)S813 FVK wrote Is that the bank with the speed camera on? (Watergate Bank is its official name i think)
The lolynes are starting to age quite badly and this is shown by the fact they struggle as bad but none are as bad as 3874 which is a lot worse than simply 'crawling' up. This is just the Stanley based lolynes of course - haven't ridden on any others (apart from 3872 and 3875 when they were based at Stanley).
It's colloquially known as Watergate Bank but its official name is Gateshead Road.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - northern156 - 06 Sep 2015
(05 Sep 2015, 7:34 pm)NK53 TKT wrote I went to Carlisle for the DRS open day and it was quite enjoyable, walked the length of a Class 68 in the engine room
You probably seen me then, I was guiding folk round 68003 and 37606.
Great review Marcus, was a pleasure meeting up apart from the constant digs at me being an idiot forgetting my camera
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - Craig Smith - 08 Sep 2015
fantastic review Marcus. Just A shame we couldn't make Newcastle but perhaps next year we can organize it again. It thrills me to think someone who cannot remember the National in everyday service thinks so much about one of them.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 08 Sep 2015
(08 Sep 2015, 5:58 pm)Craig Smith wrote fantastic review Marcus. Just A shame we couldn't make Newcastle but perhaps next year we can organize it again. It thrills me to think someone who cannot remember the National in everyday service thinks so much about one of them.
Thanks, Craig. After hearing so highly of the Nationals on the forum from older members, it's encouraged me to try and see an interest in the preserved stuff as well as the modern stuff.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 12 Sep 2015
Sunday 6th September 2015 – Northern National Restoration Group Running Day
I do apologise for the delay in this review, but I've been busy/pre-occupied all week and not had time until now to publish it. On Sunday 6th September, I had a great afternoon spent on three preserved Leyland Nationals; former Northern General Mk2 4710 (FTN 710W), the Workington Transport Heritage Trust's Mk1 REV01 (WHH 556S), which saw use as a test bus at the Leyland plant in Workington for the majority of it's life, and former National Welsh Mk1 YFY 4M. The outing was organised by the Northern National Restoration Group; departing Bishop Auckland at 12:30 and supposedly arrived back at 15:30, after a trip down to Barnard Castle. While it was originally a private outing to which I was invited, it was opened to everybody later on, so I invited Adrian, MurdnunoC, and also Adrian's work friend Ken, who came along with his wife. As there was a lot of changing around and goings on, I'm going to give this review in story format.
I'd invited MurdnunoC along to the event, because I know he loves Leyland Nationals, and also because he would no doubt still be bummed out after the loss of his alter-ego Geoff at the Seaburn Rally on 31st August. He offered to take Adrian and I through to Bishop Auckland in his car, which we accepted. I wasn't keen on catching the X21 service that arrived in Bishop Auckland at 11:34 as I feared it would be loaded with the dregs of enthusiasts, then the one before that would get in at 10:34 was unappealing as it meant roughly two hours in the god awful place we call Bishop Auckland Bus Station. It was nice of MurdnunoC to offer us a journey through in his car; after I'd walked into Chester-le-Street for 10:15, I sat with Adrian on Cone Terrace until roughly 10:45, when his Vauxhall Vectra appeared; as we got in, MurdnunoC pointed out that he had fitted a special fleet number to the vehicle, 0006, to go in my review. It was a very nice car, however it doesn't compare to citaro5284's Seat Leon I'm afraid. At around 11:15, we got to our destination.
Following a comfortable ride through to Bishop Auckland, we found ourselves getting out of the car in Morrison's Car Park. As none of us are really familiar with Bishop Auckland, I had a look on Google Maps to see how far away from the bus station we were; I suggested we just walked however MurdnunoC told us we ought to park as close as possible as we had the car and it would be easier. After a brief drive, we parked in the multi-story Newgate Centre car park, almost adjacent to the bus station. We observed the closing time on a Sunday was 16:15, we would be back by then so needn't have worried. While we sat down at a bench in the pretty much deserted bus station; I saw one of the ''Frequenta'' branded EcoCities coming in so decided to go down for a photo. A man who stood near me, also getting a photo, and after an introduction he said he was called Paul. I walked him up to the top of the bus station to introduce him to the others; in this time, Ken and his wife had arrived. A group of the six of us stood and observed the goings on; the 11:34 X21 soon arrived and a young boy called John (I've met him before on one of my outings) came over and made himself welcome in our group, and then Jimmi arrived at about 12:00.
After informing Ian & Craig of some of the numbers in the bus station, I heard the growl of a National approaching. Sure enough, it was YFY 4M; driven by the owner of The Eden, Graeme Scarlett, with it's owner, Steve Foster, sat near the front of the vehicle. To my surprise, it did a loop of the bus station, before leaving and coming back around. As we watched YFY 4M parking up, the now familiar horns of FTN 710W were sounded as it came into the bus station, followed by REV01. I was pleased the latter had had a good journey from Workington. While the three buses lined up in the layover and they sorted out drivers, Adrian, MurdnunoC, Jimmi and I hopped on board FTN 710W while Ken and his wife went for REV01. Each bus in attendance was different in some way; FTN 710W has a Volvo repowered engine, YFY 4M has an original Leyland, and REV01 is a fantastic DAF repower. We sat at the front of the bus as the back appeared to have been hijacked by the families of the key group members; I originally sat in Craig's dad Alan's seat (was only keeping it warm for him) however when he came back on, I darted over to the opposite seats where Adrian was. With Stu Gray driving, we pulled out of the bus station, following the other two.
Ian was driving REV01, I'm unsure of who was at the wheel of YFY 4M. Some charver children that were no older than thirteen (most likely part of an inbreeding programme, I imagine the oldest one was the father of the youngest) that had hurled a bit of abuse at us in the bus station (saying to me – ''do you mind not taking photos of us you dodgy cunt'') deliberately got in our way when exiting the bus station; a blast of FTN 710's horns did the job and I think I saw one of them crying in shock. Believe it or not, we were separated from Ian in REV01 at some traffic lights, but I could see them again shortly afterwards. Following a loop of a housing estate (which meant a long drive downhill then a long climb back up, showing what the bus was made of), we arrived at our first photo stop; Paradise. In the meantime, YFY 4M had fallen behind after some issues climbing a bank, and we overtook it. It seemed to be a small little village, and our photo stop was conveniently in the right place for the sun, offering some nice photos over the grass that we were parked near. Once again, I enjoyed my time on FTN 710W. I've started to cover a few miles in this machine recently, having had a quick ten minute ride on it at the Howlands Rally and then I was invited to go to Seaburn with the group in the vehicle. Our next move was decided as REV01; the DAF repowered National, which I was eager to try.
Adrian and I sat on the back seats while Jimmi and MurdnunoC went for the seats just in front. Ian was still driving REV01 if I remember correctly, and a handful of other passengers were sat further down the bus. It seemed FTN 710W was the centre of attention, with a lot of people seeming to go for that over REV01 or YFY 4M. I was actually expecting REV01 to be the centre of attention, having travelled such a long way for the event. As REV01 was in the lead, we departed first. One of my favourite aspects of this vehicle, after riding it on two occasions today, is what it does when pulling away from a stop, or a junction (basically after standing stationary for about five seconds) is the violent shaking at the back, as the engine kicks into life again. It's hard to try and explain what it was like, but it showed how much power was in the vehicle. Another point, is the sound. REV01 sounds a lot different to my accustomed FTN 710W; as it has a DAF engine as opposed to a Leyland or a Volvo. It was very melodious and some of the country roads we travelled on allowed some nice kickdowns. I was very impressed with this one. Our next stop was on the outskirts of a place called Butterknowle...
With REV01, FTN 710W and YFY 4M in their remaining formation, we snapped some photos of the three on an open country road, complete with beautiful scenery. I spoke to Craig for a few minutes, showing him some of the photos that I'd obtained so far from the outing. After about ten minutes at this photo stop, people started boarding the buses again. I opted to go with FTN 710W for a second time, which seemed to be the busiest still. As the convoy departed once more, I was surprised to find that only a few minutes after setting off again – we came to a stop again. It appeared we were at a turning circle of some sort; a flat sheet of tarmac that spanned the length of a small bus station such as Concord. FTN 710W; REV01; and YFY 4M all stood for about fifteen minutes while we all got photos of them. I spoke to Ken and his wife for a few minutes, trying to convince them to join me on YFY 4M for a ride; to no avail, as he was hoping for another ride on REV01. Adrian and MurdnunoC appeared pretty content with their seats on FTN 710W, so I decided not to trouble them. Jimmi seemed to just be going with the flow, but I decided I'd have a ride on YFY 4M until the next photo stop, on my own. As I boarded; I was greeted by the cheery Steve Foster, who owns the vehicle. I introduced myself and took my seat in the middle of the vehicle. We departed with about half a dozen passengers on board; Keith Lee was driving and Ian was at the front with him, having planned the route. YFY 4M was leading this time; the others all sat at the back and I think, in hindsight, I must have looked like a bit of a Billy-no-mate, as Steve shouted down a couple of times asking if I was alright. In the end I was persuaded to come up and join them; but only about thirty seconds after taking my seat, we were stopping again for another photo-stop...
I think it was somewhere near Cockfield this time; it was an open country road and the scenery stretched out for miles. It was breathtaking. While most people just took photos from close to the buses themselves; some people ventured out a bit further to capture all three in-shot, complete with the pleasant scenery, myself included. Once again I got chatting to Ken, and decided I'd join him and his wife on REV01. We sat down in the OAP section; the loading was light with only half a dozen people at the best, including the three of us. Ken was talking to me about when he was younger; to keep it National-related, he recalled the time he had a walk up to the now demolished Waddington Street depot one morning, to find FTN 710W parked out in full view; he later expanded by saying that Northern and United worked hand-in-hand at the time. I actually thought they were rivals, similar to Go North East and Arriva now. Another memorable occasion for him, was when he had a look at Durham Bus Station one morning (think he said it was a Sunday) to find an East Yorkshire National was there, I'm trying to rack my brains but I think he said it was on a route from Middlesbrough. He later managed to blag the driver for a quick photo under the Durham viaduct. Ken has some pretty interesting things on his Flickr; search for ''Ken Weaver''. Similar to my first ride on it, REV01 provided another great journey. The melodious sound of the DAF engine is quite distinguished from the full-Leyland in YFY 4M and the repowered Volvo in FTN 710W; it was nice that each vehicle had something unique and different about it. Before I knew it, I started seeing signs for Barnard Castle, and within a few minutes, we were coming to a stop in the town centre.
Several others went on their own adventures (most people to Morrisons for lunch); I walked down to FTN 710W and sat down, talking to Ian and Alan, then Craig. MurdnunoC and Adrian later returned; sitting next to me. Slowly, everybody returned, and we set off. The time by this point was 15:45; over the course of the afternoon, the proposed timetable seemed to have gone out of the window. It was only a short drive to the Bowes Museum; which NNRG photographer Alex Tighe had managed to secure for the outing. While we waited outside for confirmation of our entry; we edged our way through the tight gates and started driving around the car park towards the top of the museum. During the time, it seemed the young boy who joined us in the bus station at the start of the outing; John, was a bit upset over something. Wasn't overly sure what it was, but I'm guessing it was to do with the fact that we'd been out longer than expected and he'd been caught out. Mere speculation on the matter; it may have been past his bedtime.
While others took advantage of the photo stop (FTN 710W in front of the Bowes Museum), the organisers discussed how to deal with the situation. News got back that the people in REV01 and YFY 4M were hoping to come up for a photo; so Craig made the decision, based on the time, to take FTN 710W straight back to Bishop Auckland once we were done. Ian offered to stay until the other two buses had been up, then hitch a lift back to Bishop Auckland on the last one to be done. At about 16:15, we pulled out of the museum grounds, and after Craig informed Steve Foster of the change of plan (YFY 4M was next in line to go in), we headed back to Bishop Auckland. In hindsight, it really does amaze me how quickly we managed to get back; we left at about 16:15, and returned to Bishop Auckland at 16:38, just as the X21 was pulling into the bus station. Looked like John's luck was in; had we been about five minutes later, he wouldn't have made it. As people started alighting, I thanked Alan and Craig for a great day out, before we walked back up to MurdnunoC's car; which had survived the few hours in Bishop Auckland. We had a nice photo opportunity to have FTN 710W with 6069, which was operating the 16:38 X21 back to Newcastle, before jumping back in the car. MurdnunoC kindly handed me a shoebox filled with old timetables as ''reading material'', which I had a look through. Some that were of interest to me were the 194/294 from Heworth to Easington Lane (the timetable taking into account connections from the Tyne & Wear Metro at Heworth Metro), and the 775/778 from Consett to Sunderland. I was dropped back off at the Durham County Cricket Ground bus stop and thanked the two of them for accompanying me on the outing, before a walk home had me in the house for about 17:20.
All-in-all, it was a great outing and I really enjoyed it. I would hope the turnout numbers (in excess of twenty people) might convince the Northern National Restoration Group to hold another event similar to this in the 2016 season. Ideally, I would like to see a route replicated as opposed to what we did on this running day; possibly the 194 from Heworth to Easington Lane, and back (with Heworth being an easier starting point to Easington Lane, taking into account travel connections), as that was a distinguished route that operated for a lot of years with Leyland Nationals; including FTN 710W at one point. I have to thank them for putting on a good show though, it was an enjoyable day out and I got quite a few miles in each of the three vehicles in attendance. Thank you for reading the review, and I apologise for the delay in publishing it.
R852 PRG
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - Craig Smith - 12 Sep 2015
First thanks to everyone who came out. Also the owners of YFY 4M and REV01 were over the moon that people came onto there Nationals for a run. We at the NNRG are holding A meeting about next year. We will be discussing lots of things one is a road run or event next year. I for one was very happy that people took the time out and came for A ride in the 3 Nationals. Unfortunately we were behind time more or less straight away. However these events don't have A strict time table and I was happy that we were back for 16.40 so John could get home. That was my main concern. Also I was able to show people what 4710 can do on A long high speed run. How do we top this year... I don't know as yet. Getting 4710 onto A former route is possible. But cost comes into it. I will have to see if the paid membership scheme takes off first. Then again this event was organized in only 4 weeks....
Hopefully next year we will have something else on the road that will run along side FTN710W.
As ever A good review by Marcus. (NNRG young enthusiast officer)
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 13 Sep 2015
Saturday 12th September 2015
Yesterday, I had a great day out on a Get Around day ticket, priced at £3.75. Originally, I was planning around a railtour that was due through Durham Railway Station just after noon, the Durham & Beamish Open Air Museum I think it was called. When I saw that the expected haulage was a Class 66, 67 or 90, I decided to scrap the idea as it was nothing special. After some contemplation, I decided I'd head through to Hexham and have a walk down to the Go North East depot there for photos of the coaches.
#21 – Chester-le-Street Corals to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (08:56 --- 09:42) – Go North East 3965 – Volvo B7TL/Wright Gemini 1 – ''Angel''
Having woken to an 08:00 alarm, I prepared myself as usual, and left my house at 08:30. Listened to my music as I walked the familiar route into Chester-le-Street town centre, before coming to a stop at the Black Horse bus stop on Front Street. I was waiting for the 08:43 service, the 08:49 from the bottom of Front Street, but as the time crept towards 08:50, I decided I'd walk all the way to the bottom and catch the 08:57 from there. The 08:49 is a run that comes from Durham (I think), while the 08:57 is a ''bus from depot'' situation; it's allocated a Volvo B7TL Gemini, either 3962 or 3965. As soon as I reached the bus stop, I saw it turning onto Front Street from Picktree Lane, then swinging around the U-turn at the bottom and coming to a standstill. John Westmoorland was driving, I've never actually said a word to the guy but he does seem like a careful and pleasant driver, also an enthusiast. May as well introduce myself the next time I see him at a rally. We departed with a a light load consisting of just myself and a few people downstairs; my favoured seat just above the driver didn't look particularly clean, the padding was all worn down, but I nevertheless chose to sit there. As the bus filled up on the journey to Newcastle, I kept my eyes peeled for any dodgy destination blinds on any of the ''Angels''; one or two seemed to be having issues following a recent software update, so citaro5284 could see which buses needed attention.
#X85 – Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station to Hexham Bus Station – (10:06 --- 10:56) – Go North East 5231 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar – ''Tynedale Express''
Before long, we were pulling into Eldon Square; so I thanked John as I alighted and had a look at what was in the bus station. A Stagecoach ALX300 was present on one of the Throckley express services (X82?) while a ''TEN'' Gemini 2 was on it's stand. On the advice of citaro5284, I made my way to the small Costa that is located in Eldon Square. My favourite place to sit in this Costa is at the bench area; with the high chairs, from here, I can see everything coming in and out of the bus station. It's perfect for reporting rare workings, but I opted not to do this... I enjoyed a small Hot Chocolate to sit in with, which I drank in the space of about fifteen minutes, leaving Costa at 10:00. citaro5284 informed me that 5231 would be operating the 10:10 X85 service that I was aiming to catch. I've little experience of the ''Tynedale Express'' services, I can remember travelling on them to Hexham and back when they were first introduced, then once when I was with Adam, on the X84 from Corbridge to Newcastle. Two foreign women were also queueing for this service, I was actually expecting it to be rather busy but fortunately, we left Newcastle on-time and with no more than fifteen passengers. I abused the free WiFi that was on offer, and listened to my music from time to time. What got my attention were the brilliant noises being produced by the ZF gearbox in this machine; every time I hear a good ZF, I am reminded of the DAF SB220GS/Plaxton Prestiges that once roamed the streets. Arrival in Hexham was prompt, and after photographing spare 5229 in the layover at the top of the bus station, I began walking towards the depot.
#10 – Hexham Bus Station to MetroCentre Transport Interchange – (11:26 --- 12:39) – Go North East 6078 – Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2 – ''TEN''
As I'd already walked the route on Google Streetview last night, I knew the direction I was travelling in; I could see the depot from a distance, with a red double decker seeming to be parked up outside. After walking closer, I identified it as Riverside's 3964; it must have finished last night on a Hexham-board, and thus spent the night at the depot. Three coaches were present in the yard, but the poor weather conditions meant I didn't get very good photos; 7087 came out well enough so I uploaded it to Flickr. As I had a little peak in the depot itself, 5210 was on the pits receiving some maintenance while a ''Tynedale Links'' MPD was present towards the back, withdrawn 524 was also present, being cannibalised for spare parts, presumably to feed the now many MPDs at Hexham. Two employees were present; an engineer and presumably either a driver or a leading driver, they both acknowledged my presence and made the effort to say hello to me, which was nice. The walk back up to the town centre was quick; I passed 618, now fitted with high-back coach-style seating which looks quite comfortable, on one of the services to Acomb (682?), before sighting a ''TEN'' Gemini 2 in the bus station, picking up passengers. Fortunately, I just made it. My favoured front seat was taken by a mother and her child, so I ended up sat towards the back upstairs. Although the WiFi worked well, and my phone was charged to nearly full-percentage with the plug sockets, I couldn't enjoy the scenery at all because of the poor weather steaming up the windows. From Prudhoe onwards; the bus started to fill up, with passengers boarding at every stop. A few alighted at Blaydon, but the journey was by now just boring and depressing; the MetroCentre couldn't have come sooner.
#46 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (12:41 --- 13:07) – Go North East 6127 – Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka – ''Corporate''
I inhaled the fresh air after alighting 6078, relieved to be off. citaro5284 used to enjoy catching the 602 from Newcastle to Hexham, when it was operated by Northumbria Motor Services, when he first started working for Go-Ahead Northern and obtained his staff pass, so I was sad to say that I didn't enjoy it. It was my first time using the ''TEN'' from Hexham to the MetroCentre; at least I've now got the whole route cleared and don't have to think about it any more. I imagine it would be so much nicer on a sunny afternoon, where the loadings are light and the scenery is viewable. In hindsight, I think I just wasn't using it at the right time, when it was busy and raining outside. It's a recipe for a miserable journey. Every cloud has a silver lining though... I was overjoyed when I saw an OmniDekka approaching, so I decided to go with it. Originally, I suspected it was a late-running X43 but it was proven to be operating ''Red Kite'' service 46 to Newcastle. Two people were sat downstairs and a family were sat at the front upstairs. I perched myself behind the staircase; but one of the little girls was irritating me. She kept going ''Make way for'' – then a Prince or Princess. Gimp. 6127 was a winner for me so I was quite pleased; my most travelled on OmniDekka seems to be 6128. As we stood on Percy Street, I saw Gary Devlin was standing getting some photos, so I decided to go over and talk to him for a while.
#X31 – Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station to Stanley Bus Station – (13:24 --- 14:09) – Go North East 3830 – Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine 2 – ''Yellow Bus''
During the ten or so minutes I was stood there, I got some photos of Arriva Pulsars and Stagecoach ALX300s. Steven Hodgson also came over to the island. It seemed they were both waiting for Streetdeck 9119 on the ''Cobalt Clipper'' routes. As I looked back over to Percy Street; I saw the unmistakable sight of a ''Yellow Bus'' Olympian. You can imagine I was over the moon about it; my last ride on an Olympian was two round-trips on the Stanley circulars towards the end of the summer holidays, I thought at the time that that could be my last adventure on an Olympian, with their days creeping onto services other than scholars being rare and few between. I stood waiting for it, realising that it was on the X31 to Lanchester and running nearly ten minutes late. Luckily for me, it was 3830; along with 3831, I feel this is one of the better examples we have left. Rather than head upstairs to my usual spot on an Olympian, I chose to sit downstairs on the nearside, at the back; so I could get the full experience from the power of the Olympian engine. The loading was very light, so I decided I'd get a five minute recording of the monstrous engine (I can sense a lot of facepalms...). Luckily I did then, as a small family boarded in Gateshead and sat at the back as well. They jumped ship in Sunniside. From Tanfield onwards, I had the lower deck all to myself. We flew up the banks and climbs that stood in front of us, 3830 had no issues at all. Taking advantage of the lower deck being empty, I went and sat down in the seat that I used to sit in on 3825, when it was always allocated to my scholars; the single seat facing the staircase. It was somewhat nostalgic. As we approached Stanley Bus Station, I was seriously thinking about staying on until Lanchester, but I reminded myself that I had other things to do, so I alighted.
#78 – Stanley Bus Station to Pelton Church – (14:25 --- 14:50) – Go North East 5397 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Coast & Country''
As I always tend to do when I'm in the area, I had a look outside of the bus station. Civil war seems to have broken out recently; with the South Moor rebels taking the Front Street shop-by-shop, while the East Stanley army attempt to push them back. Following a safe trip to Greggs for my lunch (a Ham & Cheese baguette – nom), I returned to the bus station for 14:20. Hovered around the stand for the ''Coast & Country'' services to Sunderland, then at 14:25, I saw a branded Streetlite coming in, so prepared to board. A queue of about five passengers had formed for the 14:30 to Sunderland; I sat on the nearside (which was unusual for me; nine times out of ten I sit on the offside). The plug socket worked well as soon as the driver turned the engine on and applied some power, but the WiFi did not play the game. It's frustrating when you can't use one of the features being advertised, meaning I have to eat into my precious mobile data. Standard Streetlite journey; boring and uninspiring. As we reached the top of the village of Pelton, I pressed the bell to alight at the bus stop directly outside of the church. I located my grandparent's grave, as I have done many times before, and paid my respects before walking back out to catch the 15:00 ''Coast & Country'' 8 service down to Chester-le-Street.
#8 – Pelton Church to Chester-le-Street South Burns – (15:03 --- 15:10) – Go North East 5395 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Coast & Country''
The rain turned really violent as I was in the graveyard, so opted to seek shelter in the bus stop until the bus was due. Running a few minutes late, I saw a ''Coast & Country'' Streetlite approaching from a distance, so got my Virgin West Coast ticket wallet that I acquired from Sean last Saturday (makes a nice addition to the fleet) and boarded 5395, showing the driver my Get Around and my Key Card and then taking my seat on the offside, just above the step. I can handle short journeys on the Streetlites, but anything over fifteen minutes and I'm ready to commit. As we passed the Pelton Schools bus stop; we saw two police officers were standing in there sheltering in the rain, with a police van pulling up behind us to pick them up. The driver shouted back to us all that they must have been scared of the rain, which generated a few chuckles.
I walked home from there and was back in the house for 15:45. It was a good outing overall. Thanks for reading.
R852 PRG
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - BusLoverMum - 13 Sep 2015
"#46 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (12:41 --- 13:07) – Go North East 6127 – Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka – ''Corporate''"
This is the exact same one we caught! Just saw it pulling in behind the TEN and I left my flaming bottle of water behind on the seat in the bus station in the rush!
We took a couple of seats downstairs over the wheelarch and had a laugh at the implausibility of the back seats.
We had stuff to do, though, so didn't hang around to see what the Olympian was going to do.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - Adrian - 13 Sep 2015
(13 Sep 2015, 4:04 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "#46 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (12:41 --- 13:07) – Go North East 6127 – Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka – ''Corporate''"
This is the exact same one we caught! Just saw it pulling in behind the TEN and I left my flaming bottle of water behind on the seat in the bus station in the rush!
We took a couple of seats downstairs over the wheelarch and had a laugh at the implausibility of the back seats.
That's the last thing you need - being stalked by Marcus.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 13 Sep 2015
(13 Sep 2015, 4:04 pm)BusLoverMum wrote "#46 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (12:41 --- 13:07) – Go North East 6127 – Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka – ''Corporate''"
This is the exact same one we caught! Just saw it pulling in behind the TEN and I left my flaming bottle of water behind on the seat in the bus station in the rush!
We took a couple of seats downstairs over the wheelarch and had a laugh at the implausibility of the back seats.
We had stuff to do, though, so didn't hang around to see what the Olympian was going to do.
I recall seeing two children sat at the back downstairs, when I was descending the stairs on Percy Street. If I'd known I'd have made the effort to introduce myself.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - citaro5284 - 13 Sep 2015
(13 Sep 2015, 4:17 pm)R852 PRG wrote I recall seeing two children sat at the back downstairs, when I was descending the stairs on Percy Street. If I'd known I'd have made the effort to introduce myself.
Get away....surprised at that mind.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - BusLoverMum - 13 Sep 2015
(13 Sep 2015, 4:05 pm)aureolin wrote That's the last thing you need - being stalked by Marcus.Aye - though it sounds like we stalked him!
(13 Sep 2015, 4:17 pm)R852 PRG wrote I recall seeing two children sat at the back downstairs, when I was descending the stairs on Percy Street. If I'd known I'd have made the effort to introduce myself.
The wet weather does have a habit of smoothing out my wrinkles and darkening my grey hairs
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 20 Sep 2015
Saturday 19th September 2015
Enjoyed an excellent day out on a North East Explorer ticket today. I accomplished my only real aim of the day, to use all of the Explorer's facilities; the Shields Ferry, Northern Rail trains between Newcastle and Sunderland, the Tyne & Wear Metro, and each of the three major bus operators (Go North East, Arriva and Stagecoach). Read on to find out more...
#X12 – Chester-le-Street Black Horse to Gateshead Transport Interchange – (08:08 --- 08:34) – Arriva North East 1442 – VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar 2 – ''MAX''
Last night, I made my mind up to catch the 09:30 Northern Rail service from Newcastle to Sunderland, which meant I would have to catch a slightly earlier bus into Newcastle then I usually would. Eventually decided to catch the 08:12 ''Angel'' 21 from the Black Horse, which would get me to Eldon Square for just before 09:00, where I could then catch the Metro to Central Station. After an 07:00 alarm, I left my house at 07:45, allowing a casual walk into Chester-le-Street for the 08:12 service. I arrived at the Black Horse bus stop at 08:00; I checked the timetables in the bus stop and discovered that the Arriva X12 was actually due before my planned 21, at 08:08. In two minds as to catch the X12 due in a few minutes or wait a bit longer for the 21, when I saw one of Stockton's ''MAX'' Pulsars coming along, I decided to go with it. The driver seemed to be quite a happy chap who said good morning as I boarded. This was my first Explorer ticket to be bought on a non-Go North East bus; when I tried to fit the Arriva ticket into my Virgin West Coast ticket wallet (acquired from Sean a couple of weeks ago and now an essential), I found it was too big, meaning I had to fold it in half. When I did, I noticed some McDonalds vouchers on the back. I'm really fond of the Arriva Pulsars; I find they're a nice bus to ride on. Some examples are still only a few years old, which some might put under the ''plastic'' category, but I think they're the opposite. Nearly always an enjoyable journey on one.
Tyne & Wear Metro – Gateshead to Central Station – (08:36 --- 08:39) – Tyne and Wear Metrocars 4066 and 4012 - ''Refurbished''
The loading remained no more than twenty passengers throughout, I sat just below the step up towards the rear, and decided to bail at Gateshead and catch the Metro from there. Descending into the Metro station that is located beneath the bus interchange, I passed through the unattended ticket barriers with my Explorer ticket and began walking down to platform level. At this time, an announcement came on, stating that due to a points failure in the Pelaw area, services were suspended between there and Brockley Whins, advising that passengers use the Go North East 9 service as an alternative. Conveniently, as I was within a few steps from the platform, I heard the rumble of a Metro before one shot out of the tunnel and ground to a halt. The leading car was 4066, with 4012 on the rear. I just stood for this journey, as were several others, because the seats were more-or-less all taken and the journey was just to the next station, a two minute hop. After alighting 4012, which I took the journey in, I headed up to the station itself, well ahead of schedule thanks to catching the X12. Decided to head straight through to the platforms to get some photos of the trains. A Virgin Trains East Coast service was on it's platform but began rolling away just as I got within reach of a photograph. Was a nice surprise to see 67020 in the Thunderbird siding, as it's nearly always 67024 when I'm at Newcastle Central. Northern Rail's 156475 was present in one of the smaller platforms, so I got a photograph of that before heading towards Costa for a small Hot Chocolate to take-out. I took a seat on Platform 3 and read a newspaper that was present, before heading over to Platform 5 at 09:20.
2N10 – Newcastle Central Station to Sunderland Station – (09:27 --- 09:54) – Northern Rail 156463 – Class 156 ''Sprinter'' DMU
I didn't have long to wait before I sighted a Class 156 coming into the station; I'd never travelled on one prior to today, so wasn't sure what to expect. All I'd gathered was that they were ten times nicer than Class 142s. The two-coach set came a stop in Platform 5, the numbers on board didn't look massive and only about twenty people were on the platform and edging towards the train to board; a lot of people left the train before we started boarding. I sat in the leading carriage, simply to get a better view of what was coming ahead of us. I've travelled Newcastle-Sunderland three times now with an Explorer, the other two have both been Pacers (142090 and 142086 in a pair, then the god awful 142089...), so to receive a 156 was nice. Shortly after departure on-time, the guard came into the carriage and announced that he was coming around for tickets. When he reached my seat, I handed him my Explorer ticket. He made a funny face at it, to which I assumed was uncertainty, so I told him that it was valid on Northern Rail services between Newcastle and Sunderland. The guard then got closer to me and told me that it was an Arriva ticket that I had, and that the train I was on was a Northern Rail train. I offered to show him the website and proof that it was valid, to which he said was fine. When I showed him the writing about the Explorer ticket being valid on trains between Newcastle and Sunderland, he explained that it meant the Tyne & Wear Metro and not Northern Rail. I proceeded to try and explain that it meant mainline rail services, and not a light rail system... I think in the end, he just ran out of arguments, so he just smiled and said that he would let me have it. One thing I'd like to see Northern Rail actually do is train (pun intended) their guards to understand the concept of an Explorer. At least the guard was nice enough about it, I'm going to claim victory on it though...
#20 – Sunderland, Park Lane Interchange to South Shields Market Place – (10:09 --- 10:45) – Go North East 4972 – Scania L94UB/Wright Solar – ''Prince Bishops''
Aside from the guard taking initial issue with my ticket, I really enjoyed my ride on 156463. The seating was absolutely brilliant, the train wasn't busy in the slightest, and the train itself was fantastic. Whenever we pulled away after stopping at a signal or another obstruction, it was fast off the mark and was speeding along again within fifteen seconds. Really enjoyed it, as York was a successful trip, I'm thinking of doing Carlisle at some point in 2016, most likely at Easter, so I'll hopefully land a 156 on the train that I'll catch there. The 685 just puts me off as the scenery of the Tyne Valley Line seems far superior to a couple of hours on the A69. Also, with the popular 4663 no longer in service, the chances of a crummy OmniCity showing up seems very high. As I know literally nothing of Sunderland City Centre, I managed to navigate my way to Park Lane Interchange using my Google Maps app. Turned out I'd just missed the 10:02 20A to South Shields, so I hung around to catch the 10:12 20. 4972 was the ''Prince Bishops'' Solar operating this run; I sat at the back. Around Cleadon, a young girl, who looked only a couple of years older than me, got on with a young boy no older than three. The boy addressed her as ''mam'', so I'm guessing it was a teenage pregnancy. Good god. This one had a weakened ZF gearbox so I was naturally let down by it. Arrival at South Shields was just about on-time, and I began walking down to the Ferry Landing to catch the 11:15 Ferry across the river.
Shields Ferry – South Shields Ferry Landing to North Shields Ferry Landing – (11:12 --- 11:21) – ''Spirit of the Tyne''
I'd never travelled on the Shields Ferry before, so it was something I was somewhat looking forward to doing. One of Stagecoach's new ''Connect the Dots'' Enviro300s was parked up with nobody on board, so I took advantage and got some photos of it. I was almost tempted to have a ride on one, seeing as I had the correct ticket to do so, but reminded myself that I was here for the Ferry. There was a building site near the landing, so after navigating my way around it, I walked across the little bridge and onto the landing itself for 10:55. A couple of people were already there; Pride of the Tyne was moored next to the landing and I looked across the river to see the other one, Spirit of the Tyne, over at North Shields. Shortly after 11:00, it pulled away from North Shields and began the crossing over to South Shields. In this time, about twenty people, myself included, had gathered to catch the service across to North Shields, a good number of which had bikes with them. I didn't realise the Ferry catered for bikes nor was there a demand for it. Once the load from the other side had dispersed, we began boarding. I showed the crew member that was sat at the entrance desk my Explorer, who seemed alright with it. When one elderly man came on with a bike just before departure, struggling to find his pass, he seemed a little snappy with him and told him to go and put his bike away before coming back. He just read a newspaper for the entire crossing. I quite enjoyed my ride on the Ferry, it was punctual and over before I knew it. Was quite nice to be gliding across the river at a speed. When I was on land again, I began walking up to the town centre.
#310 – North Shields Town Centre to Newcastle, Haymarket Bus Station – (11:37 --- 12:30) – Go North East 6108 – Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2 – ''Cobalt Clipper''
I looked around to try and locate the 333 service, but it wasn't there. As I knew a lot of the people on board would be going for that, I just decided to walk up. The bank is an absolute killer, my feet were hurting by the time I was within sight of Rudyerd Street. No buses were present but a ''Cobalt Connect'' OmniCity, 5244, appeared with a 19 service to Northumberland Park. I crossed the road to get a photo, as the sun was in a good position. The photo came out fantastic and it's now on my Flickr for those who would like to see. Running a few minutes late, ''Cobalt Clipper'' branded 6108 rounded the corner and came to a stop. I was half expecting a driver changeover, but the present driver just nodded as a sign for me to board. Luckily I had the upper deck to myself, so opted for my favourite seat at the front, just above the driver. WiFi worked brilliantly as did the plug sockets. The seating was comfortable and I relaxed into it. About ten minutes into the journey, I saw a few police cars were surrounding an area, with some bits cordened off. A pair of smart looking Audi A5s and a BMW 320 series were present; I didn't even realise such cars were within the police force but they looked incredibly smart in the livery. At the next stop, a woman and a little girl boarded, sitting opposite me at the front. The little girl just kept asking sackless questions to the mother, who looked thick as a brick, and a lengthy driver changeover near Percy Main depot (I'm guessing) just made for an irritating journey; which people boarding in numbers along the Coast Road... When I saw Haymarket, I was relieved.
#52 – Newcastle, Haymarket Bus Station to Four Lane Ends Interchange – (13:07 --- 13:31) – Arriva North East 4520 – Volvo B10BLE/Alexander ALX300 – ''52/53 Sub-Branding''
After exiting Haymarket and briefly speaking to Gary Devlin and David Jobe, I began walking around to Monument to head to Waterstones. Afterwards, I returned to Haymarket. An Arriva ALX300 was at the top of the bus station, boarding passengers, so I went with that. Sat at the back to enjoy the full B10BLE engine; the legroom was absolutely fantastic but sadly the engine wasn't as nice as one of Go North East's. A woman driver alighted at Jesmond depot, and from there nobody really alighted or boarded. When I saw Four Lane Ends coming, I pressed the bell and made my way to the front of the vehicle.
Tyne & Wear Metro – Four Lane Ends to Haymarket – (13:35 --- 13:48) – Tyne & Wear Metrocars 4012 and 4066 – ''Refurbished''
Following the identification of the ALX300 as 4520, and a loop of Four Lane Ends Interchange (nothing of interest was there, a pretty dismal place), I decided to head down into the Metro Station. When I reached platform level, I saw about twenty people were awaiting the next Metro; the majority were wearing Newcastle United football shirts. I could see a Metro was approaching, as it came into the station, I noticed it was 4012 leading... I'm sure I had that and 4066 earlier in the day. Sure enough, as the second car came in, it was 4066. What a surprise. As I'd spent the journey earlier on in 4012, I chose to go for 4066. All of the seats were taken and a handful of people were standing, so I remained on my feet. Stops at Longbenton; South Gosforth; Ilford Road; West Jesmond and Jesmond took place before I decided to bail at Haymarket. I'm somewhat quite fond of this set now, never had the same pair of Metrocars in one day. About half of the passengers in 4066 jumped ship here as well. Rather than get caught up in the crowds heading up the escalators; I watched 4012 and 4066 depart before strolling towards the escalators and getting up to the ticket barriers. The Metro staff there seemed to have lost the plot with the number of people, with constant shouting and yelling coming from them. When I had passed through, I headed towards the bus station and looked for something Arriva-related to go for a ride on.
#306 – Newcastle, Haymarket Bus Station to Sandyford, Arriva Jesmond Depot – (13:53 --- 14:00) – Arriva North East 1585 – Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid – ''Coastliner''
Rather surprisingly, the only bus present in the stands was an Arriva ''Coastliner'' branded Streetlite, operating the 306. I pondered as to where I could go on it; I knew the 306 route to Whitley Bay took about an hour, and there was better things I could be doing in that time. The prospect of that long on a Wright Streetlite was also off-putting. Then, having passed Arriva's Jesmond depot earlier on the 52 and 310, I decided I'd head to Jesmond on this Streetlite. 1585 was the fleet number; I sat towards the back. The seating was leather of some sort, I wasn't sat on it long enough to be able to give my thoughts on it, but it didn't seem so bad for such a short journey. When I could see the Nisa Local, I pressed the bell to alight and made my way towards the front of the bus. Thanking the driver, I then began walking along the road up towards Jesmond Depot.
#310 – Sandyford, Arriva Jesmond Depot to Newcastle, Haymarket Bus Station – (14:12 --- 14:18) – Go North East 6115 – Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2 – ''Cobalt Clipper''
ALX300 4519 was stood near the front of the depot, with an ALX400 and a Gemini opposite it. A 46-branded Solo was parked just behind 7493 at the front of the garage, while an ALX300 was being reversed onto the pits at the back of the depot. They seem to be rather unreliable. After getting my photos, I was prepared to head back towards the bus stop, but I remember driving through Jesmond once and seeing that a lot of buses were parked around the side (this was a Sunday). I decided it was worth a look; so walked up. Sure enough, I struck oil. Fire-damaged 4663 was parked up, looking forlorn, with a couple of windows put out and some fire-damaged seats visible. Some of the smoke damage was quite evident on the cream swoop of it's original Arriva livery. Several hazard cones were surrounding it along with a tape cordoning it off. Even though I never travelled on 4663 before, it was something of a sad sight. I know Sean and Dan both loved it as it offered the superior ride to 4660-4662 and 4664 on the 685 service it was allocated to. When I was done, I walked back down to Sandyford Road and crossed over for a bus back to Newcastle. A ''Cobalt Clipper'' B9TL was the first to appear so I flagged it to a halt. 6115 was the fleet number; I think I've travelled on this one before but I don't really keep track of the ''Cobalt Clippers'' as they don't effect me in any way. Not many people were on board, which came as a surprise, so I sat at the back downstairs. The ride was smooth, just a standard B9 journey.
#100 – Newcastle, Blackett Street to MetroCentre Transport Interchange – (14:30 --- 14:53) – Stagecoach North East 27507 – Dennis Enviro300/Alexander Enviro300 – ''100''
I decided I'd give the Arriva stuff a break for a while, and instead go for the only thing I needed to complete my aim for the day; a Stagecoach bus. The easiest thing I could think of was the 100 to the MetroCentre, I did some maths in my head and realised if I got a move on, I could catch the 14:58 96 from the MetroCentre to Gateshead, which would be a Wright Renown (hehehehehehehe). Having waited for a couple of minutes, I saw one of the distinctive ''MetroCentre 100'' branded Dennis Enviros coming along Blackett Street. The queue consisted of about fifteen people, I sat next to the emergency exit at the back. While the seat I was sat in was very comfy (I find that with most Stagecoach seats), the seats opposite looked almost like Urban 90s... Some nice kickdowns from this machine, especially when crossing the Tyne and going along Handy Drive. Quite like these buses, but for some reason I think they look a bit ugly externally. The ALX300s will always remain my favourite body on a Stagecoach bus, I just think they're so smart in the Stagecoach livery. Upon arrival at the MetroCentre; I noticed a Go North East Wright Renown and a Wright Solar were parked up in the layover bays, out of service.
#S1 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to MetroCentre Transport Interchange – (14:56 --- 15:13) – Go North East 8266 – VDL SB120/Wright Merit – ''S1 MetroCentre''
Upon closer inspection; the Renown, 4901, had it's rear destination screen set for the 67 to Wardley. Damn. Within seconds of that realisation, the Solar, 4944, pulled out with the rear screen set for the 96 to Gateshead... Well that plan went out of the window! After looking around for anything good; I noticed the S1 was coming in, with it's allocated vehicle, 8266, operating it. I'd never used the S1 before, so decided to kill some time by seeing where exactly it went. The driver seemed initially confused by my Explorer but after a closer look he nodded and smiled, he appeared quite pleasant. A group of old ladies boarded outside of Gala bingo (surprised Sean wasn't amongst them, inside joke...), before we headed around to ASDA and IKEA. I'll confess, I had no idea we had either of them at the MetroCentre... Next up was Debenhams, which I am familiar with, before looping around Marks & Spencer, yet another familiar name and then turning back up towards the Interchange. Was an interesting way to spend fifteen minutes, similar to the Stanley circulars. Just to kill a bit of time. 8266 sounded a bit rough at first, it took the driver three attempts to get the engine turned on, but when it was running, it was a nice little machine. Only problem with the place I chose to sit was the lack of legroom, I'm nearly 6 foot tall so that is often a problem...
#45 – MetroCentre Transport Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station – (15:20 --- 15:40) – Go North East 6133 – Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka – ''Metro Radio''
After waiting for about five minutes for something Newcastle-bound, ''TEN'' branded Volvo B9TL 6082 came in. Quite a lot of people were going for this, so I joined the end of the queue, but in the corner of my eye, I could see ''Metro Radio'' liveried 6133 coming up behind it. I'd not yet rode this OmniDekka, and I find it's a very attractive livery, so I was pretty pleased to have the chance to ride this. It's also internally refurbished, along with 6131, so I've now got both of those cleared. I boarded and quickly got an interior shot upstairs while it was empty. As other passengers boarded, an announcement came over stating that all buses in and around Newcastle would be running significantly late due to the football match traffic. I have to say, I don't think we really encountered any traffic in the city centre. The only traffic we were stuck in was on Handy Drive, and that is to be expected. A few people alighted at Clayton Street, but I stayed on until Eldon Square, which we rolled into at 15:40. I then decided I was going to call it a day and catch the 15:50 X12 service back to Chester-le-Street. Following a trip to Greggs for a Ham & Cheese Baguette, I returned to the bus station for 15:45.
#X12 – Newcastle, Eldon Square Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Black Horse – (15:52 --- 16:28) – Arriva North East 1476 – VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar – ''Arriva Corporate''
After spending a couple of minutes browsing the timetables for any that I didn't have the latest update of, I looked up to Percy Street and saw a corporate-liveried Pulsar. YES. I love how smart the Pulsars look in this livery; they're brilliant buses and they wear a fantastic coat. Driver seemed like a nice enough guy, and I sat a row from the back seats. We departed Eldon Square with about ten passengers on board; picking up three more at the High Level Bridge (who departed in Low Fell) and nobody at Gateshead Interchange. This machine was just brilliant to ride, I can't express my liking of the Pulsars very well but they're very speedy too. We left Eldon Square a few minutes late and when we reached Chester-le-Street Red Lion; we had to wait for a few minutes until our departure time. I jumped ship at the next advertised stop, at the Black Horse, before walking home from there. I was home for 16:50, having had a superb day out.
Was really happy with how the day went. It was certainly worth the £9.70 I paid for it; my next Explorer will likely see me venture south to Darlington, Stockton and Middlesbrough, an area I have little experience of so shall have to get clued up on.
R852 PRG
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - northern156 - 20 Sep 2015
Great review Marcus. Nice little joke about the Gala Bingo too (...)
Glad to see you milked it slightly as well! Morpeth, Berwick, Carlisle and Scarborough next!
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - tyresmoke - 20 Sep 2015
As I said to you on Facebook, its great to see you getting out and about a bit more. The best way to discover new places is to hop from place to place by using well known, or easy to spot, places to alight and connect between different services. I used this method when learning the network when I moved to Sheffield, by using supermarkets or interchanges to use as waypoints on my journey. This would be the best way to go about your discoveries in the south end of our region too
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 20 Sep 2015
(20 Sep 2015, 4:40 pm)northern156 wrote Great review Marcus. Nice little joke about the Gala Bingo too (...)
Glad to see you milked it slightly as well! Morpeth, Berwick, Carlisle and Scarborough next!
(20 Sep 2015, 5:29 pm)tyresmoke wrote As I said to you on Facebook, its great to see you getting out and about a bit more. The best way to discover new places is to hop from place to place by using well known, or easy to spot, places to alight and connect between different services. I used this method when learning the network when I moved to Sheffield, by using supermarkets or interchanges to use as waypoints on my journey. This would be the best way to go about your discoveries in the south end of our region too
Thanks both for your feedback. My current itinerary for the next few weeks is as follows;
- Saturday 26th September - Lothian Buses Doors Open Day in Edinburgh
- Saturday 3rd October - Most likely a Get Around adventure with no plan
- Saturday 10th October - No outing, going paintballing with friends from school
- Saturday 17th October - Aiming to do the south-end of the region trip
- Saturday 24th October - In two minds as to what to do.
24th October there is an event on at NRM Shildon called ''Diamond Deltic'', but I'm not sure if I should go to that or not. Will decide nearer the time. On the following Monday I'm going to New York for a few days, so consequently won't have any transport-related outings until November.
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - Charles41 - 21 Sep 2015
Marcus wrote "I was in need of a book, which we're currently studying for GCSE English and will supposedly be in the final exam at the end of Year 11 (a daunting prospect but I'm sure I'll be fine if I just stick in), ''Lord of the Flies'' by William Golding. We've currently read up to Chapter 5 in English lessons; I'm enjoying it so far, probably my favourite of the books and plays we've covered in English in secondary school so far."
Great review Marcus, the X12 is one of my most used services.
Have you watched the film of Lord of the Flies? My partner's son is also studying the book for his GCSE English. We were able to watch the entire film on YouTube. He found it very useful when doing his coursework.
Charles
RE: R852 PRG's Reviews - R852 PRG - 21 Sep 2015
(21 Sep 2015, 8:12 am)Charles41 wrote Marcus wrote "I was in need of a book, which we're currently studying for GCSE English and will supposedly be in the final exam at the end of Year 11 (a daunting prospect but I'm sure I'll be fine if I just stick in), ''Lord of the Flies'' by William Golding. We've currently read up to Chapter 5 in English lessons; I'm enjoying it so far, probably my favourite of the books and plays we've covered in English in secondary school so far."
Great review Marcus, the X12 is one of my most used services.
Have you watched the film of Lord of the Flies? My partner's son is also studying the book for his GCSE English. We were able to watch the entire film on YouTube. He found it very useful when doing his coursework.
Charles
Thank you, Charles. I have to say the ''MAX'' upgrade has encouraged me to use the X12 more. I love the Pulsars that Stockton have, they're brilliant all-round. Can't say the same for the Geminis, their only advantage is the increased capacity. I find them pretty slow. I can remember when Stockton used to have an allocation of Plaxton Prestiges on the X1 and X2; they had absolutely fantastic ZF gearboxes and sounded brilliant. Was somewhat annoyed I didn't get a final ride on one, if I could; I'd do a round trip on the whole route on one.
The film version has been referenced several times in my English lessons, and as I've got no work to do this evening, I'm thinking of watching it. I certainly find it a gripping novel, far superior to ''1984'' in terms of entertainment value.