(02 Feb 2014, 10:06 am)tyresmoke wrote Well as its a quiet Sunday morning I thought I would round up our orders for this year... Most of these have been mentioned and/or hinted at on various Facebook groups already.

10 VDL Pulsar - Stockton -Service 5/5A (Sapphire spec)
14 VDL Pulsar - Redcar/Whitby - Service X3/X4/4 (Sapphire spec)
8 VDL Pulsar - Jesmond - Service 306
5 VDL Pulsar - Darlington - Service 1/5 (may go to Durham svc 23)
6 ADL Enviro 400 - Ashington - Service X21/X22 (Sapphire spec)
6 unknown double deck -Ashington/Alnwick -Service X18

Total 49

This should enable us to bin what's left of the Prestiges and make a good start on the Darts too, especially with so many Solos freed up by cascades.
X21/X22 Sapphire will be also getting 8 E400 refurbished, likely to be 7514-21

(02 Feb 2014, 11:27 am)NK07 FZG wrote I agree there, seems very odd that they are getting E400's? Surely even VDL Gemini 2's would have done the job? Wonder why they ordered them?

(02 Feb 2014, 11:27 am)NK07 FZG wrote Speaking of which; this is going to cause a heavy shuffle around of new vehicles? I wonder how true my idea of bringing Temsa's to Durham is? Probably quite likely......

(02 Feb 2014, 11:37 am)Kuyoyo wrote 12 Temsas will be leaving Redcar depot later this year I understand - Redcar will be keeping 4715-20, 4701-6 and 4707/9-13 will transfer to two depots, Durham being one of those mentioned at present.

(02 Feb 2014, 10:06 am)tyresmoke wrote Well as its a quiet Sunday morning I thought I would round up our orders for this year... Most of these have been mentioned and/or hinted at on various Facebook groups already.

10 VDL Pulsar - Stockton -Service 5/5A (Sapphire spec)
14 VDL Pulsar - Redcar/Whitby - Service X3/X4/4 (Sapphire spec)
8 VDL Pulsar - Jesmond - Service 306
5 VDL Pulsar - Darlington - Service 1/5 (may go to Durham svc 23)
6 ADL Enviro 400 - Ashington - Service X21/X22 (Sapphire spec)
6 unknown double deck -Ashington/Alnwick -Service X18

Total 49

This should enable us to bin what's left of the Prestiges and make a good start on the Darts too, especially with so many Solos freed up by cascades.
X21/X22 Sapphire will be also getting 8 E400 refurbished, likely to be 7514-21

(02 Feb 2014, 1:01 pm)busman101 wrote Interesting that 2 routes that always used to need deckers will be all single deck operated with the new arrivals

(02 Feb 2014, 1:29 pm)G-CPTN wrote How many more passengers can be carried on deckers?

GNE's Tens 85 total including standees against Arriva's 685 Scanias 77 including standees.

Hardly seems worth it . . .

(02 Feb 2014, 1:29 pm)G-CPTN wrote How many more passengers can be carried on deckers?

GNE's Tens 85 total including standees against Arriva's 685 Scanias 77 including standees.

Hardly seems worth it . . .

(02 Feb 2014, 11:40 am)Michael wrote Iv'e never being on a Temsa, are they any good?

(02 Feb 2014, 2:20 pm)GuyParkRoyal wrote I have only been on a Temsa on one occasion and it was one of the worst buses that I have travelled on. The heating was poor and from discussing this with fellow passengers it appears to be a common issue with the Temsa. The seats were uncomfortable and the bus seemed to be sadly lacking power to negotiate any up hill gradient. My experience might not be the norm based on a one off journey but I will avoid the Temsa next time even if that means taking a DAF or a Dart.

(02 Feb 2014, 1:58 pm)Dan wrote If it means 8 passengers aren't being left behind at a bus stop, then it definitely does seem worth it in my eyes...

(02 Feb 2014, 2:28 pm)andreos1 wrote Would love to see the difference in prices between the two vehicles for the sake of 8 extra passengers.

(02 Feb 2014, 2:31 pm)Dan wrote I think a Citaro (heavy weight single decker) is £180k, and a Volvo B9TL/Gemini 2 is £200k - when equipped with Wi-Fi, power sockets etc.

You can get a rough idea from the above, but I also agree with GuyParkRoyal's point too... If it meant I was standing with about 30 other people on an OmniCity compared to standing with about 10 people on a Gemini... Think I'd go with the double decker.

(02 Feb 2014, 2:41 pm)andreos1 wrote For the sake of 8 passengers, is it worth buying a smaller, cheaper vehicle and upping the frequency or a bigger, more expensive one and reducing frequency.

(02 Feb 2014, 3:03 pm)Dan wrote Assuming the frequency was to stay the same with a double decker (not sure where the reduction in frequency comes into play?), buying additional smaller single decked vehicles to meet the same seats per hour is likely to be more expensive in the long run.

With a bigger frequency comes more costs (insurance, various equipment a company uses to track vehicles etc, destination display equipment, drivers' wages etc).

(02 Feb 2014, 3:16 pm)Kuyoyo wrote I think you've got the prices wrong - single deckers can cost anywhere from £110k upto £180k, deckers from £180k upwards.

(02 Feb 2014, 3:03 pm)Dan wrote Assuming the frequency was to stay the same with a double decker (not sure where the reduction in frequency comes into play?), buying additional smaller single decked vehicles to meet the same seats per hour is likely to be more expensive in the long run.

With a bigger frequency comes more costs (insurance, various equipment a company uses to track vehicles etc, destination display equipment, drivers' wages etc).

(02 Feb 2014, 3:19 pm)citaro5284 wrote Trying buying a Mercedes Citaro for £110k. Daniel is more near the mark by the time VAT is added, that is for sure!

(02 Feb 2014, 3:19 pm)andreos1 wrote The 10 is probably a good example of that (cant think of ANE examples off the top of my head).

If you think about when it was all single deck operation and ran on the greater frequency between Hexham and Newcastle - compared to the current frequency on the deckers, with a smaller PVR, but similar seats per hour on the route.

I imagine costs equated to wages etc are better currently, but that could be reduced slightly, with it costing more per hour to run a bigger vehicle.

(02 Feb 2014, 12:51 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote Dennis Trident 2 based vehicles have always been rubbish:

- 7430 to 7435 couldn't cope on the 602 and Arriva had to bring in a batch of Volvo B10BLE's from Scotland. They then went to Blyth on the 308 and again, couldn't cope. Finally at Jesmond, they could only work Monday to Saturday daytime on the 306 and because they were worn they were when only 5 year old, Palatine 2's and Volvo B10BLE's had to operate the evening and Sunday 306 journeys to give the ALX400's a rest.

- GNE 3801 to 3804 ; 3858 to 3879 had to get the temperature sensors removed when new due to the fact that they constantly overheated. They struggled on several routes. They couldn't cope with thw Coaster extension to Kibblesworth / Wrekenton. They couldn't cope on the Angel when CLS gave Percy Main some Omnicities in exchange for the Lolynes. Ex London castoffs have to be brought up to replace the Lolynes. Lolynes have had trouble on the X25 and can't cope with the route.

- SNEW NK07 HBL went up in smoke in Killingworth as did Arriva's 7510 in Felton.

- Arriva 7501 to 7506 struggled on the 308 and literally crawled up the slip roads on the Coast Road. They were sluggish and they were requiring heavy maintenace at only 3 year old.

(02 Feb 2014, 3:21 pm)citaro5284 wrote Even talking about GNE on the Arriva thread - anyone would think you were obsessed with GNE

(02 Feb 2014, 3:21 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Different markers=different prices. A normal-spec Pulsar is going to cost a lot less than a normal-spec Citaro.

(02 Feb 2014, 3:24 pm)andreos1 wrote I have a little folder in the shed that Mrs Andreos1 doesn't know about, dedicated to all things GNE

(02 Feb 2014, 3:25 pm)citaro5284 wrote I bet you do!

(02 Feb 2014, 12:51 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote Dennis Trident 2 based vehicles have always been rubbish:

- 7430 to 7435 couldn't cope on the 602 and Arriva had to bring in a batch of Volvo B10BLE's from Scotland. They then went to Blyth on the 308 and again, couldn't cope. Finally at Jesmond, they could only work Monday to Saturday daytime on the 306 and because they were worn they were when only 5 year old, Palatine 2's and Volvo B10BLE's had to operate the evening and Sunday 306 journeys to give the ALX400's a rest.

- GNE 3801 to 3804 ; 3858 to 3879 had to get the temperature sensors removed when new due to the fact that they constantly overheated. They struggled on several routes. They couldn't cope with thw Coaster extension to Kibblesworth / Wrekenton. They couldn't cope on the Angel when CLS gave Percy Main some Omnicities in exchange for the Lolynes. Ex London castoffs have to be brought up to replace the Lolynes. Lolynes have had trouble on the X25 and can't cope with the route.

- SNEW NK07 HBL went up in smoke in Killingworth as did Arriva's 7510 in Felton.

- Arriva 7501 to 7506 struggled on the 308 and literally crawled up the slip roads on the Coast Road. They were sluggish and they were requiring heavy maintenace at only 3 year old.