(08 Sep 2019, 11:19 am)Andreos1 wrote

Somewhere in East Durham perhaps? Peterlee/Seaham area?

County Coaches had Headways stuff in the past and full size coaches were used on those contracts.

4274 Belmont to Coxhoe.

(09 Sep 2019, 2:40 pm)Citaro5338 wrote When will 5323 return to service as it a awesome Citaro

Still was having work done to it today.

(08 Sep 2019, 10:26 am)Michael wrote Martijn Gilbert has confirmed on Twitter that EY coach 91 was brought back lastt night and its going to Deptford depot for new school contacts.

https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/1170453388133318662


What fleet number will it gain, and is it a permanent move or just temporary until new buses arrive allowing the appropriate cascades?

7143 & 7144 seem to be coaches based at Deptford.

(10 Sep 2019, 9:40 pm)park5354 wrote

7143 & 7144 seem to be coaches based at Deptford.

(11 Sep 2019, 10:49 am)streetdeckfan wrote Is it GNE that's got the E200 demo parked in Interchange?

Edit: it must be, it has GNE logos on the front and rear. It was wedged in between two buses when I spotted it.
What will it be running on?

It's 9076 and it's back on 97s again...

(11 Sep 2019, 7:06 pm)S830OFT wrote

It's 9076 and it's back on 97s again...

It hasn't yet been allocated to 97s in reality, since it's come back.

(12 Sep 2019, 4:53 am)Jamie M wrote

It hasn't yet been allocated to 97s in reality, since it's come back.

It was sat in Gateshead yesterday with 97 displayed on the screen...

6303 now in corporate livery

(12 Sep 2019, 4:53 am)Jamie M wrote

It hasn't yet been allocated to 97s in reality, since it's come back.

Wonder if it'll be out and about today, I never got a chance to have a try on it last time it was here. I wonder if it'll have as many rattles as every other E200

(12 Sep 2019, 7:44 am)JP6004 wrote

6303 now in corporate livery

I'll have to keep an eye out for it, I never thought the Streetdeck looked very good in red though

(12 Sep 2019, 9:17 am)streetdeckfan wrote

Wonder if it'll be out and about today, I never got a chance to have a try on it last time it was here. I wonder if it'll have as many rattles as every other E200

I'll have to keep an eye out for it, I never thought the Streetdeck looked very good in red though

On 97s today.

(12 Sep 2019, 9:28 am)pbjd wrote

On 97s today.

Great! Just found it on the tracker

Update: Had a ride, and here's a quick review

It's not half bad, definitely better than the other E200s I've been on in the past, although that could be because it's a demo so they keep it nice.

Very few rattles, ride quality is perhaps a tiny bit better than the Streetlite, but to be fair that isn't that difficult.

Engine is definitely a lot quieter, and smoother. There were no spine breaking gear changes like you get in the Streetlite

The seats are lovely, I do hope the half and half leather ones are just as comfortable

If I have one complaint, it's that the window is a touch too high to rest my elbow on comfortably, but I'd rather have it too high than too low.

The interior styling is definitely better than the Streetlite, but I'm not a fan of all the glossy plastic everywhere, it looks awful and will only get worse as it gets scratched

Oh, and there's the exterior styling. I was always told if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.... but he front just looks like it's having a stroke, the back is pretty nice though!

I really do like the smart mirrors, I spent most of the ride watching them, it's quite mesmerising actually. Plus, they means there's no risk of walking into the wing mirror when you get off the bus!

As a self-confessed ADL disliker, I have to admit it is quite nice, probably a bit better than the Streetlite, assuming it stays rattle free

(12 Sep 2019, 2:00 pm)TEN 6083 wrote Go North East 6303 / NK16 BXC by kieron mathews, on Flickr


6303 fresh from the paintshop

Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk

(12 Sep 2019, 2:00 pm)TEN 6083 wrote Go North East 6303 / NK16 BXC by kieron mathews, on Flickr


6303 fresh from the paintshop

Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk

Why has this been painted in corporate colours? Have I missed something?

(12 Sep 2019, 2:18 pm)Andreos1 wrote

Why has this been painted in corporate colours? Have I missed something?

(12 Sep 2019, 2:20 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Only 4 of the Castles Express Streetdecks are being kept on the X21 once the new Streetdecks arrive, so the other 3 will become corporate (presumably 6301-6304)

6304-6307, 6332 and 6333 will be repainted into X-Lines, along with 2 new Streetdecks.
What this means is there will be 3 different interior specs on the X21

I knew about two different specs, but didn't make the connection on cascaded vehicles and then the 6332/3.

Surely it would have made more sense to have kept it to two different interiors and had 6332/3 in corporate livery along with one of the new vehicles?

Or is that just me?

(12 Sep 2019, 2:49 pm)Andreos1 wrote

I knew about two different specs, but didn't make the connection on cascaded vehicles and then the 6332/3.

Surely it would have made more sense to have kept it to two different interiors and had 6332/3 in corporate livery along with one of the new vehicles?

Or is that just me?

The 67 plates are a lot more reliable than the 16 plates. So they have moved some of the 16 plates into a spare role replacing 6332/6333

(12 Sep 2019, 2:56 pm)JP6004 wrote

The 67 plates are a lot more reliable than the 16 plates. So they have moved some of the 16 plates into a spare role replacing 6332/6333

I still think if you're going through the hassle of repainting all of them, you might as well just replace the lot instead of having three different specs on one service

Just palm the 16 plates off on the X45/46/47 where they'll be wrecked anyway

(12 Sep 2019, 3:03 pm)streetdeckfan wrote

I still think if you're going through the hassle of repainting all of them, you might as well just replace the lot instead of having three different specs on one service

Just palm the 16 plates off on the X45/46/47 where they'll be wrecked anyway

You got a spare £1million for an extra 4 vehicles?

(12 Sep 2019, 3:18 pm)JP6004 wrote

You got a spare £1million for an extra 4 vehicles?

(12 Sep 2019, 3:24 pm)streetdeckfan wrote As it happens, I don't.
They could just take some of the new Streetdecks from the X45/46/47 though.

Thats what I'm thinking.

There must be another way, rather than having a situation like this.

I was just thinking about my reply to JP6004 when your post appeared.

(12 Sep 2019, 3:03 pm)streetdeckfan wrote

I still think if you're going through the hassle of repainting all of them, you might as well just replace the lot instead of having three different specs on one service

Just palm the 16 plates off on the X45/46/47 where they'll be wrecked anyway

Aren't the Red kite services the main bread winner at Hownsgill, surely having brand new buses is more of a priority given how long the Castles Express buses have been in service?

As for 3 different interiors, despite the age gap, aren't they all pretty high standard and very much the same, apart from colours etc

Dare I get into a discussion of where a bus is more likely to be 'wrecked'. Are we on about the road surface conditions & damaged that way or the population of the area? I would argue if its population that a bus has more of a chance getting damaged in Durham City or Bishop than Consett or Newcastle (as someone in works in all 4 locations)

(12 Sep 2019, 3:24 pm)streetdeckfan wrote As it happens, I don't.
They could just take some of the new Streetdecks from the X45/46/47 though.

Or they could not bother purchasing a further 2 vehicles for X21. They could save £500k, leave customers with a less reliable service and leave the 14yr old omnidekka as the dedicated spare.

Perhaps also you have a high frequency 21 running alongside the X21 for a lot of the route, which customers can easily transfer onto between Durham and Newcastle. A lot better than being stranded out in the country

(12 Sep 2019, 3:37 pm)Arcticrossy92 wrote

Aren't the Red kite services the main bread winner at Hownsgill, surely having brand new buses is more of a priority given how long the Castles Express buses have been in service?

As for 3 different interiors, despite the age gap, aren't they all pretty high standard and very much the same, apart from colours etc

Dare I get into a discussion of where a bus is more likely to be 'wrecked'. Are we on about the road surface conditions & damaged that way or the population of the area? I would argue if its population that a bus has more of a chance getting damaged in Durham City or Bishop than Consett or Newcastle (as someone in works in all 4 locations)

(12 Sep 2019, 3:49 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I see where you're coming from, but I think with the red kites being 3 different services, having 2 different interiors would be less jarring than having them all on one service.
The specs are actually quite different, the 16 plates have sockets at every seat whereas the 67 plates (and presumably 69 plates) only have them at the tables, the 67 plates have extra padding on the seats as well as being different colours, and the 69 plates will only be part leather and a different colour yet again. The 16 plates are also missing the glass staircase.

I don't get your logic - in one breath saying it's naff having different batches of StreetDecks on the X21, and in the next saying allocate 6301-07 to the X45/6/7 (so you'd have the same issue there?!) There have been two different interior specifications since May. 6332 had made up the PVR of the X21 with just 7 branded for a PVR of 8, since the route was extended to Tindale Crescent (and indeed since delivery 6332 has spent most of its time being the spare bus for the X21).

Repainting 6332 and 6333 for the X21 provides customers on this route with a more reliable service, and displaces the older StreetDecks to become spare vehicles for the 21/X21 (three rather than just two). The three oldest StreetDecks, 6301 - 6303, have been identified as some of the most problematic (incurring the most defects and/or off service most frequently).

The partial renewal of the fleet with two new buses having been ordered also shows Go North East's commitment to improving commuter services and investing into its new X-lines brand.

I'm with JP6004 on this one...