(21 May 2014, 6:20 pm)AIG20 wrote Oh, I see. Though I wonder what 20554 is doing at South Shields depot, unless 20552 is VOR with mechanical issues or took its place at Walkergate.

The Driver Trainer Vehicles seem to be still going strong, though I wonder how long left they have until they get replaced. I guess the trainees must be shown how to work the Hanover displays, floor lowering pistons and the ticket machines on a depot spare bus.

(23 May 2014, 8:08 am)AIG20 wrote It must have went back to Walkergate, as that definitely was the one that I saw on Wednesday. It may have been on loan for a short period as Walkergate already has one "Route Learning" Driver Trainer which is 20121.

(23 May 2014, 4:14 pm)Racer_Experience wrote Just seen a bus that's usually used on E1/E2/E6 on X20 aka the seaside bus it's deffo on there just seen it at Mcdonalds Low Simonside

(24 May 2014, 11:36 am)Richard Smiles wrote To All of the fellow Stagecoach North East Bus Enthusiasts on the forum.

A company called Steven Knight Media are planning to produce a Stagecoach North East Hand Book possibly in 2014 & his website is currently asking if anyone can supply Photographs for the same.

Photos are paid for & you would also get a complimentary copy of the finished publication. If anyone is interested you can have a look on the website & submit your interest via email.

The website address is http://www.stevenknightmedia.com/

Then, see the foot of the page in Red Font.

(24 May 2014, 5:19 pm)Dan wrote Thanks for telling us Richard - I've contacted the company submitting my interest.


On another note, two further gas buses were delivered to Sunderland today. These vehicles are again currently unregistered, and are presently housed at the back of the depot. The first three gas buses to arrive are now tucked up inside of the sheds (as we saw in one of my terrible mobile phone shots the other day), so cannot be photographed any more.

(24 May 2014, 5:24 pm)Michael wrote Ah oh well!, least u got a picture before the first 2 were moved inside

(24 May 2014, 5:27 pm)Dan wrote 'Tis good news - should mean that the vehicles will be checked over, prepared for service and given fleet numbers etc!

Managed to get a photo of the two which were delivered today with my camera rather than with my phone - was grudged getting my camera out 'cause it was absolutely torrential rain. I'll check the depot again on Monday or Tuesday and hopefully get another photo or two!

(24 May 2014, 5:34 pm)AIG20 wrote I guess the registration plates will begin with "NK14" as most of the post 2001 SNE vehicles begin with these two letters; unless they are going to be "privately registered". We'll just have to wait and see!

(24 May 2014, 8:11 pm)Richard Smiles wrote Again in relation to the GAS buses, these have been ordered & are to be delivered in two batches, the first is a batch of 10 vehicles to be delivered by 5 June 2014.

The second is a batch of 13.

Given 5 of the first batch have arrived this week, this would suggest a further 5 will be delivered next week, completing the delivery of the first batch on schedule by 5 June 2014 & also suggests Service 3 will be converted to GAS bus operation next with a PVR of 9 and one Spare vehicle = Delivery of 10 vehicles.

The 2nd batch of 13 are expected to be delivered between the 13th June 2014 & 27th June 2014.

(24 May 2014, 8:31 pm)AIG20 wrote I guess the first 10 entering service will allow 22072-22082 to go to Stockton, or some of that batch along with 35155-35159 to Hartlepool.

(24 May 2014, 8:35 pm)Dan wrote In doing so, Sunderland would be left with non-DDA compliant buses.

I know it's been suggested in the past that Stagecoach will 'spread the benefits' of new buses, but with South Shields being a fully DDA-compliant depot (although not presently, with the arrival of 22734) as well as Walkergate (can't remember off the top of my head), it would seem each depot is being worked on one by one and that Sunderland would be next.

(24 May 2014, 8:51 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The depot that, on paper, are DDA are:

Hartlepool (33101 reserve)
Walkergate (21155 and 22735 reserve)
South Shields (22734 reserve)

Of the rest:

Sunderland have just 15 active non-DDA MANs to replace
Slatyford have just 12 active non-DDA MANs to replace (2 additional examples currently VOR)
Stockton have 37 active non-DDA MANs to replace (then the reserve examples)

So, I think we'll see the benefits spread between depots - in a way Sunderland will lose some of 22021/72-82 regardless as they are gaining 23 Gas Buses with only 15 non-DDA MANs to replace.

(24 May 2014, 9:01 pm)AIG20 wrote If possible, Stockton may have to result in obtaining DDA compliant vehicles from other Stagecoach fleets around the country if they don't think they will meet the deadline in time.

(24 May 2014, 8:55 pm)Dan wrote Yes, but Stockton's 37 will become just 12 later this year... Unless we're going to 'spread the benefits' then, too? To me it makes sense to work on direct replacements and once you've finished that, go on to cascades to allow more withdrawals. Eight of the DDA-compliant examples could easily contribute to the withdrawal of non-DDA compliant vehicles at other depots?
At the end of the day, there are going to be very few non-DDA ALX300s left in a few months time - I don't really see it being such a huge issue if one depot has to wait a little longer?

(24 May 2014, 9:09 pm)Kuyoyo wrote That's not how it works - the assumption they are working one depot at the time is solely based on the fact South Shields's conversion was almost entirely through new vehicle deliveries. Compare that to both Hartlepool and Walkergate - their DDA conversion is a result of spreading investment benefits between depots (both went DDA on paper as a result of 36960-80). So instead of assumptions - lets wait and see what actually happens.

(24 May 2014, 9:26 pm)AIG20 wrote Gas Bus 28014 appeared to be at the Stagecoach Cumbria Open Day today. The image by Sean Blair is shown below:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77351420@N04/14073962157/

(25 May 2014, 5:06 am)Richard Smiles wrote I doubt it will be before June Michael, due to where we are in the month, again this is down to the Road Tax issue.

For example, if a bus is taxed for a year on say the 28 May 2014, the Road Tax would actually expire on the 30 April 2015 having to be renewed for the 1 May 2015, rather than the 28 May 2015, so potentially you would be taxing the vehicle for less than a year in the first instance, so I would expect the vehicles to be taxed from early June & of course it is 1 June next Sunday.

It will also depend on Scania pulling there finger out & registering the vehicles, which will then allow Stagecoach North East to get the Road Tax Organised for them. The fact that they are gradually being moved into the Garage suggests to me that, they are being prepared for service by having Fleet Names & Numbers applied, as well as the Legal lettering and Ticket Machines fitted as well of course.

I would also expect perhaps they will stagger into service, as ALL of the previous batch had been on site for sometime before entering service, due to awaiting completion of the Gas refuelling Station.

This is what happened with the 369xx series last year, so many entering service each day over a certain period, once fully prepped for service.

Finally for now, the Period 2 Fleet Allocation Cards are expected during this coming week, so these may? shed a little bit more light on the situation. No doubt Mr Toyota will contradict this of course (as usual).

(24 May 2014, 9:12 pm)Dan wrote That's all we can do for now - assume - unless someone wants to provide confirmation of the definite movements? It's been very quiet at Sunderland recently, and I don't think drivers have even been informed of the gas bus conversion on services 3/13 yet, nevermind the movements which will occur as a result of the buses entering service...

For reference, this post contains the movements which I think are most likely (they are the most sensible, after all). I do think that two Pointer 2s will also be released.

Although the official fleet allocation suggests otherwise, the allocation at Sunderland would therefore become:

- 3: Scania E300 (PVR 9) with 1 Scania spare.
- 4: ADL Enviro 200 (PVR 11) with 1 E200 spare.
- 5/5A: ADL Enviro 200 (PVR 3) with no spares.
- 8: Dennis Dart SLF (PVR 2) with no spares.
- 10/11: ADL Enviro 200 (PVR 10) with 1 E200 spare.
- 12: MAN ALX300 (PVR 4) with 2 ALX300s spare.
- 13: Scania E300 (PVR 11) with 2 E300s spare.
- 16: Scania E300 (PVR 10) with 1 E300 spare.
- 18/19: MAN Enviro 200 (PVR 6) with no spares.
- 20: Scania E300 (PVR 5) with 1 E300 spare.
- 23: ADL Enviro 200 (PVR 8) with 1 E200 spare.

Think/hope I've added up the vehicles correctly. The ALX300s in reality would probably be used as the main backup for services 3, 13, 16 and 20 - should the spare gas buses not be enough.

(25 May 2014, 10:22 am)Michael wrote Which i think would be unlikely, as there have being no major problems with 28001-17 yet, i'm hoping 28018-40 is the same

(25 May 2014, 10:27 am)Dan wrote Think there has only been two cases reported of service 16 having an ALX300 allocated? None for service 20 (other than the scheduled evening workings) as far as I know?

(25 May 2014, 10:28 am)Michael wrote Oh right i must of missed that post if it's happened! oops!

(25 May 2014, 10:31 am)Dan wrote Only two occurrences is pretty good going if you ask me! They've been in service for 3 months now.

Compare that to the likes of the Cobalt Clipper, where we've had a few more buses allocated which aren't B9s...

(25 May 2014, 10:32 am)Richard Smiles wrote As I believe I mentioned some time ago, the feedback from a friend in the Commercial Department has indicated the GAS buses have been performing extremely well straight out of the box.

These vehicles will still need to enter the workshops from time to time however, as part of the regular Vehicle Maintenance Programme, Chassis Wash, Light Docking, PSV (Annual Test) etc., etc.

(25 May 2014, 10:50 am)Richard Smiles wrote Teesside Municipal Transport/Cleveland Transit however can still blow the Trumpet as having had a Rolls Royce Engine powered Double Decker Bus that ran on LPG (Gas) back in the 1970s, it used to be taken each Day to a Calor Gas facility to be re-fuelled each day, so Teesside did it first.

(25 May 2014, 11:02 am)Richard Smiles wrote I will privately email you a copy of my 40 Anniversary Cleveland Transit Fleet List Michael & you will find the article on Page 38. There is a picture too!

The vehicle is a Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetline, which carried Fleet No. L470 (FXG870E).

(25 May 2014, 11:04 am)Michael wrote Thanks Richard =)

(25 May 2014, 12:49 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote https://www.flickr.com/photos/25187932@N08/3818491008/

Further pics, including a bit of background to the vehicle.