Not sure how true this is but a driver mentioned that the 24 was to get branding at some point, possibly as part of the Orbit family.

It's not Angel anymore but I can see why they'd brand it, fairly regular and right through your money maker Durham Rd corridor.

(04 Jan 2013, 6:56 pm)gtomlinson wrote Not sure how true this is but a driver mentioned that the 24 was to get branding at some point, possibly as part of the Orbit family.

It's not Angel anymore but I can see why they'd brand it, fairly regular and right through your money maker Durham Rd corridor.

The 24 only requires 3 buses, GNE said they will only be branding buses which have a 5/6 PVR.

It could mean anything about the 24 possibly becoming branded to be fair. When Openline first started a good few years ago, I suggested the idea of branding the 160 as Metrolink M4, back when each Metrolink service M1/M2/M3 had their own vinyls on the corporate liveried Scania L94's and MPD's. I was told that there were plans in place for the 160 route to join the Black Cats brand. From this, I assumed that the 160 would become a Black Cats branded service alongside the 26/36; so it took me by surprise when the Black Cats 26 was re-routed to Heworth instead, replacing the 160.

I'm sure something like this wouldn't happen with the 24 though - like half of the 51's/52's via 24 route between Wrekenton and Gateshead and half via existing route along Dryden Road. That would be too much of a reduction in frequency for many passengers in the area. I hope the 24 number is retained whatever may happen; I like it and it seems like a canny service.

Shouldn't believe all you hear from drivers!

24 is a red fleet livery service, no plans to change as far as I know

Has anyone been on the 17 recently because when i saw 5166 go past me today it looked as if it had new branding vinyls on the inside because they were no longer the fab fifty seven, so was wondering if anyone knew if it was the vinyls for the new branding??

(05 Jan 2013, 12:59 am)Wellsey18 wrote Has anyone been on the 17 recently because when i saw 5166 go past me today it looked as if it had new branding vinyls on the inside because they were no longer the fab fifty seven, so was wondering if anyone knew if it was the vinyls for the new branding??

They have got new vinyl's, but has nothing to do with a branding... They are just plain yellow...

I'm told the 17 will be getting a brand name in the next few weeks

(05 Jan 2013, 4:10 pm)busmanT wrote I'm told the 17 will be getting a brand name in the next few weeks

I presume this will be a temp thing as all of the ex Oxford B10s are due off by the end of this year. They are planning for the Percy Main ones to be withdrawn in around ten months depending on new buses displacing the original B10BLEs.

Must be getting a lot of new vehicles this year, as there are a lot of SPD and DAF SB220 rumoured to be be withdrawn before the Volvo B10BLE.

(05 Jan 2013, 9:29 pm)busmanT wrote Must be getting a lot of new vehicles this year, as there are a lot of SPD and DAF SB220 rumoured to be be withdrawn before the Volvo B10BLE.

I think it would be a good idea for the Volvo's from 'Crusader' to go to 'Waggonway' and 'Lambton Worm', leaving 5 for spares.

crusader B10s are due to replace dafs on waggonway & more than likely dafs on lambton worm. it is also thought 10 06plate scania deckers from a batch of 30 are heading north from london. unknown which depot will recieve them.

(05 Jan 2013, 10:10 pm)ian wrote it is also thought 10 06plate scania deckers from a batch of 30 are heading north from london. unknown which depot will recieve them.

They could be for upgrading the X30/31/70/71 to double deck, because I'm sure that was meant to have happened by now? I can only think of that, as other than that Go North East only have four double deck routes, being the 'Angel' 21, 'Red Arrows' X1 and 'Tyne-Tees Express' X9/X10, but they've all recieved brand new buses - this will be followed by 'Ten' in February.

(05 Jan 2013, 10:30 pm)tom.robinson206 wrote

(05 Jan 2013, 10:10 pm)ian wrote it is also thought 10 06plate scania deckers from a batch of 30 are heading north from london. unknown which depot will recieve them.

They could be for upgrading the X30/31/70/71 to double deck, because I'm sure that was meant to have happened by now? I can only think of that, as other than that Go North East only have four double deck routes, being the 'Angel' 21, 'Red Arrows' X1 and 'Tyne-Tees Express' X9/X10, but they've all recieved brand new buses - this will be followed by 'Ten' in February.

Could some of them be for the X25 as well? GNE didn't replace the Sir Bobby Robson branding and it does have a PVR of 5, the minimum PVR GNE say it is to brand buses.

I think West Durham Swift will get them as that's been due an upgrade since the Omnicities were debranded and transferred away. The X25 may see cascaded B7TLs? Still a step forward from Tridents...

(06 Jan 2013, 12:36 am)tyresmoke wrote I think West Durham Swift will get them as that's been due an upgrade since the Omnicities were debranded and transferred away. The X25 may see cascaded B7TLs? Still a step forward from Tridents...

I'm not sure, as they weren't very good on the 21 and I think the X25 is quite similarly demanding.

(06 Jan 2013, 12:36 am)tyresmoke wrote I think West Durham Swift will get them as that's been due an upgrade since the Omnicities were debranded and transferred away. The X25 may see cascaded B7TLs? Still a step forward from Tridents...

The whole "West Durham Swift" brand was withdrawn to my knowledge... Would they really re-instate it?

(06 Jan 2013, 11:11 am)Daniel wrote The whole "West Durham Swift" brand was withdrawn to my knowledge... Would they really re-instate it?

Maybe it's just until they get new buses? Back in 2010, the X9/X10 was unbranded for quite a few months using plain plum-coloured Gemini's. And besides, the 'Lambton Worm' brand was re-instated after about a year, albeit on a new route in a new area.

(06 Jan 2013, 1:42 pm)tom.robinson206 wrote

(06 Jan 2013, 11:11 am)Daniel wrote The whole "West Durham Swift" brand was withdrawn to my knowledge... Would they really re-instate it?

Maybe it's just until they get new buses? Back in 2010, the X9/X10 was unbranded for quite a few months using plain plum-coloured Gemini's. And besides, the 'Lambton Worm' brand was re-instated after about a year, albeit on a new route in a new area.

Didn't the "Lambton Worm" branded vehicles remain branded though? The brand itself was removed but the vehicles retained their branding, if I am correct.

Were they both completely removed from the site too though? I know I've seen brands in the past that have been removed but they've remained on the website.
Don't know whether that's because they were to come back at another point or they've just not thought to remove them though...

(06 Jan 2013, 2:24 pm)Daniel wrote Didn't the "Lambton Worm" branded vehicles remain branded though? The brand itself was removed but the vehicles retained their branding, if I am correct.

Were they both completely removed from the site too though? I know I've seen brands in the past that have been removed but they've remained on the website.
Don't know whether that's because they were to come back at another point or they've just not thought to remove them though...

I think the reason the brand was removed was because the vehicles were getting withdrawn. Go North East aren't very good at updating their website, the 'Pronto' page still mentions the X20 to Bishop Auckland and the 'Blaydon Racers' page has a Citaro image, but states 'Euro 2' emissions at the bottom of the page.

Hi guys,

Have a small request to settle an argument.

I seem to remember when the Volvo Plaxton B10M coaches left the X9/10 that they were used on the X23 Bishop-Newcastle service (which cost me like £1.80 to use on one off peak journey!!)

Now I recall that one of the coaches (or the one) used to do a stint on the 21 in late afternoon before commencing the 5.20ish X23 to Bishop. My friend says they didn't and never strayed off the 21

I can't find any photos of them in action on the 21 though!

Was I right? Or horribly wrong?

(06 Jan 2013, 7:07 pm)gtomlinson wrote Hi guys,

Have a small request to settle an argument.

I seem to remember when the Volvo Plaxton B10M coaches left the X9/10 that they were used on the X23 Bishop-Newcastle service (which cost me like £1.80 to use on one off peak journey!!)

Now I recall that one of the coaches (or the one) used to do a stint on the 21 in late afternoon before commencing the 5.20ish X23 to Bishop. My friend says they didn't and never strayed off the 21

I can't find any photos of them in action on the 21 though!

Was I right? Or horribly wrong?

Don't worry, you're not imagining it. I remember coming across a photo of one of them on the 21. Just done a quick Google search and found one on the 22 and one on the X66.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriswhites...927155264/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagecoachuk/5859875291/

Me too, I definitely remember coming across a photo once of one on the 21, I think it was coming down Prudhoe Place about to turn into Eldon Square Bus Station. Can't find it now though, perhaps the photographer hadn't added any tags or a description for Google to search for

(06 Jan 2013, 7:34 pm)Brandon wrote Me too, I definitely remember coming across a photo once of one on the 21, I think it was coming down Prudhoe Place about to turn into Eldon Square Bus Station. Can't find it now though, perhaps the photographer hadn't added any tags or a description for Google to search for

Brilliant thanks guys. All I could find was the X9/10

Strange allocation, especially the X66 one. Wouldn't mind a nice coach on the X21. Alas, DDA preventing that I guess! (that and them not being available!)

Always thought an Oxford Tube style service would work between Newcastle and Middlesbrough/Durham.

A rail season ticket between Newcastle and Durham is to rise to around £1400 this year!! :s

(06 Jan 2013, 7:34 pm)Brandon wrote Me too, I definitely remember coming across a photo once of one on the 21, I think it was coming down Prudhoe Place about to turn into Eldon Square Bus Station. Can't find it now though, perhaps the photographer hadn't added any tags or a description for Google to search for

The day after the X23 finished the Coach did a very early morning stint on service 28 but nobody got a photo.

'Loop' branded Scania's, 5219 and 5224 were on the 27 today.

3811 has been re-painted in a fresh coat of yellow; photo by Sean Blair - http://www.flickr.com/photos/77351420@N04/8362036488/

The 0602 9A ex-Sunderland this morning was a yellow Volvo B10BLE / Wright Renown, couldn't believe what I was seeing! I've never even seen one of these on the main daytime service!

(08 Jan 2013, 9:45 pm)Brandon wrote The 0602 9A ex-Sunderland this morning was a yellow Volvo B10BLE / Wright Renown, couldn't believe what I was seeing! I've never even seen one of these on the main daytime service!

And I got a bloody Omnicity! :L

Open Line today.
I asked about the X3 Sunderland to Newcastle:

Hello GNE, Theres a rumour doing the rounds that the X3 Sunderland to Newcastle is getting withdrawn, can you let me know if this rumour of withdrawling this service is true?.
Can i place a suggestion about the X3 service, will it not be better to extend this service from Sunderland to Peterlee Bus Station via Dalton Park with the service being express and running only at major destinations along the route (example: Sunderland Interchange-Grangetown-Ryhope-Dalton Park-Easington-Peterlee Bus Station), so passengers from the X9/X10 from Middlesbrough, Stockton and Billingham can change at Peterlee bus station for the proposed X3 from Peterlee and Sunderland, and also GNE passsengers travelling from Hartlepool to Sunderland as passengers wishing to travel between Peterlee and Hartlepool to Sunderland doesnt want to add to there travel to go via Hetton and Houghton and the rush hour traffic in the mornings and afternoon is horridious on Durham Road and Doxford international.

GNE replied : I have heard these rumours too but I assure you we have no plans to withdraw service X3 at the current time. We continually review our services to ensure that they best meet the needs of our customers. Service X3 will next be reviewed in May 2013, and no changes to the service will take place before then.
Thank you for the suggestion of a new express between Peterlee and Sunderland - we will keep it in mind in any future service reviews in the area.

Good to hear that about the X3. As I said before, it would have been stupid.

In other news, I assume a B10BLE was on the 9A this morning, as one left Park Lane on the 9 at about 8am. Would have gotten a picture but I didn't have my camera and I was with friends anyway!

3979 seems to be on Staff Shuttles daily now.

Finally, a plain red Omnicity and "The Key" branded ALX300 were on the "Lime" 8/78 today - links to the photos to follow soon.

X3 - GNE dodged the question. The X3 won't be withdrawn before May, but no commital after that.

An un ID'd BT7L was on Driver Training through Birtley this morning. First time I've seen these used.

My Waggonway expired again this morning. Getting beyond a joke now, strongly worded email fired off!