(30 Jan 2015, 4:43 pm)Dan wrote All of the examples I've been on today have been fine, but the Drifter I got this morning was far from ideal. The windows seemed foggy - it wasn't like the normal darker muck. It was like they'd been washed, but it hadn't taken off all of the grime completely.

(30 Jan 2015, 5:28 pm)tyresmoke wrote Aye I mentioned 5334 this morning lol! Peterlee based though

(30 Jan 2015, 5:46 pm)gtom wrote Difficult to keep things clean with the grit and gunk around the roads in this weather.

Stagecoach (esp the hybrids) are absolutely filthy at the moment. I think the public are fairly understanding at this time of year, especially like me they own a car and are aware of how filthy they get too in Winter

(30 Jan 2015, 7:01 pm)tyresmoke wrote Oh I agree, but this was at 0805 this morning and you couldn't see out of any of the windows. Dan informed me that Peterlee don't have any way of washing the buses though??

(30 Jan 2015, 7:01 pm)tyresmoke wrote Oh I agree, but this was at 0805 this morning and you couldn't see out of any of the windows. Dan informed me that Peterlee don't have any way of washing the buses though??

(30 Jan 2015, 7:05 pm)Dan wrote Yes - as far as I am aware Peterlee presently has no wash facilities and this means that they'll only get a "proper" wash when they go back to Deptford. The Mercs are regularly swapped around as they have the dedicated branded spare covering a PVR of 3, which means they're more likely to be clean, but there's over 10 MPDs which means that it's harder to swap them around. They tend to take one or two MPDs from Peterlee to Depford each morning, and the Mercs are just swapped around when they get into Sunderland on an X7. Guessing one of the Mercs is VOR at the moment though, as they had a Scania on loan from Deptford, which was used for at least one run on the X7 yesterday, and the priority will be to keep the Merc on the X7 rather than take it off to get washed.

They may have a hose / pressure washer at Peterlee, but it certainly won't get all of the muck off at this time of year. It's alright during summer when conditions aren't as bad, but still far from ideal, so I'd expect that washing facilities will be implemented in the future (providing the cost for ensuring the fleet is looking presentable can be justified.)

(30 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)Robert wrote Any particular reason for the destination showing 'Gateshead' rather than 'Newcastle'? I can't find anything on the timetable suggesting that a journey does terminate at Gateshead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75698454@N08/16402804251/

(30 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)Robert wrote Any particular reason for the destination showing 'Gateshead' rather than 'Newcastle'? I can't find anything on the timetable suggesting that a journey does terminate at Gateshead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75698454@N08/16402804251/

(31 Jan 2015, 3:12 pm)citaro5284 wrote http://www.simplygo.com/smartzone

Smartzone as per GNE website.

(31 Jan 2015, 8:38 pm)Malarkey wrote Found it rather amusing watching a GNE Driver get on the Arriva Evening Operation of the 82 at 8pm from Washington Galleries to Lambton, Driver was miserable as sin with the Arriva Driver being equally miserable, although both Drivers did have a little bit of banter as the GNE Driver got off, which was nice to see.

(31 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote So, no gunfire?

(31 Jan 2015, 6:37 pm)Robert wrote 5283 is back in service in Blaydon Racers livery like the rest.

(31 Jan 2015, 8:42 pm)Dan wrote As are the two former "Laser" Scania L94s - just 5204 at SMR for paint at the moment.

(31 Jan 2015, 9:06 pm)Malarkey wrote Something I have just came across on Facebook, it would appear that incoming Wright StreetDeck Demo 9119 (SN64 CTU) is covering for fellow StreetDeck Demo (BX14 SYT) at Transdev, which according to Gregg Collins went bang in Harrogate.

(31 Jan 2015, 9:25 pm)Robert wrote According to the vehicle enquiry section GOV.UK, BX14 SYT is actually a Volvo B5TL rather than a Streetdeck as it falls under 'Volvo' rather than 'Wrightbus' on the website: https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

(31 Jan 2015, 9:27 pm)Dan wrote Or you could just look at the Volvo badge underneath the windscreen! Malarkey will learn one day - you're getting there...