(05 Oct 2015, 4:51 pm)Diamond One wrote would be nice to have 685 as a Sapphire as opposed to MAX

It would be nice but it is not even MAX the buses just have tatty leather seats with awful engines.

(05 Oct 2015, 7:55 pm)mb134 wrote I'd agree here, I think long routes such as the 685 should, because of the way Arriva have equipped each service level, be Sapphire rather than MAX, 

A power supply will be far more useful on a 2+ hour journey than it would be on short hops between Newcastle and Ashington (less than an hour), then again, Yorkshire MAX E400's have sockets....

I think the X18 could do with NSA's as well, think I may have mentioned it before, as it is a very touristy route. Not sure what the 685 is like as I've never used it.

NSAs would be hard, most of it uses the A69, it would be worse having ones on the X85 though

is there any reason for w664 cwx beng at ashington

(06 Oct 2015, 9:08 am)buss14 wrote is there any reason for w664 cwx beng at ashington

On loan. Was on 35 yesterday evening.

(06 Oct 2015, 9:36 am)GX03 SVC wrote On loan. Was on 35 yesterday evening.

Interestingly, this vehicle doesn't have any external fleet numbers with the remains of 664 still visible. It also retains Arriva Durham County Ltd legals.

My mam twigged the blacked out windows on the rear, she wasn't impressed mind.

If I get the 35a on Saturday at midday Woodhorn to Morpeth will it be busy or have an ALX400?

(06 Oct 2015, 8:06 pm)NK53 TKT wrote If I get the 35a on Saturday at midday Woodhorn to Morpeth will it be busy or have an ALX400?

664 is quite bumpy but nice change from what is usually on the route

(06 Oct 2015, 8:19 pm)buss14 wrote 664 is quite bumpy but nice change from what is usually on the route

Will I stand a chance of catching it on Saturday?

(06 Oct 2015, 8:20 pm)NK53 TKT wrote Will I stand a chance of catching it on Saturday?

well it depends on on how long it is on loan and what service it gets put on

(06 Oct 2015, 8:23 pm)buss14 wrote well it depends on on how long it is on loan and what service it gets put on

I hope it is in the 35A of X14

Have noticed that the 15 min frequently can be a bit of a laugh as 22/24 can there at the same time eg through Shotton Colliery.

(06 Oct 2015, 8:20 pm)NK53 TKT wrote Will I stand a chance of catching it on Saturday?

How long's a piece of string?

PVR 6
3x StreetLites
3x ALX400s

(07 Oct 2015, 7:43 am)GX03 SVC wrote How long's a piece of string?

PVR 6
3x StreetLites
3x ALX400s

or it has lately been
3x streetlites
1x MPD
1x alx400s

(07 Oct 2015, 9:36 am)buss14 wrote or it has lately been
3x streetlites
1x MPD
1x alx400s

So services have been dropped throughout the day? 

The MPDs are only on there because Ashington are short of double deck vehicles. In an ideal situation a spare Sapphire or MAX E400 could be allocated, but the allocation nazis will be all over that.

(07 Oct 2015, 4:57 am)2bagstew wrote Have noticed that the 15 min frequently can be a bit of a laugh as 22/24 can there at the same time eg through Shotton Colliery.

The 24's route through Peterlee and onto Hartlepool seems to be the weak point. When it was the 22 that did that, it was the 22 that always got held up.

(07 Oct 2015, 9:40 am)GX03 SVC wrote So services have been dropped throughout the day? 

The MPDs are only on there because Ashington are short of double deck vehicles. In an ideal situation a spare Sapphire or MAX E400 could be allocated, but the allocation nazis will be all over that.

that will explain a lot, saying that have not seen NK09 BPX or NK05 GWY.

(07 Oct 2015, 9:42 am)BusLoverMum wrote The 24's route through Peterlee and onto Hartlepool seems to be the weak point. When it was the 22 that did that, it was the 22 that always got held up.

Is there a particular pinch point or area that it can get stuck?
Apart from any estates it may go through (can't remember its route through Peterlee), I can't think of anywhere specific that could cause hold ups.

Might have a look at the X35 timetable to compare/contrast if I get a chance.

Have a feeling 7506 has broke down at some point today, it was on the run I got this morning, and should be on the one I'm on now, however 7508 has turned up instead.

(07 Oct 2015, 10:01 am)Andreos1 wrote Is there a particular pinch point or area that it can get stuck?
Apart from any estates it may go through (can't remember its route through Peterlee), I can't think of anywhere specific that could cause hold ups.

Might have a look at the X35 timetable to compare/contrast if I get a chance.

There's an interminable meander through various narrow streets in Peterlee - all it takes is a bit of crap parking for it to be held up. When I caught the 22 that was about this time last year, before they swapped over, there was one of the journeys when we lost a good 10 minutes simply with the number of people getting on and off and the fact that there was only room for single file traffic, in places. There was a long period last summer when there were roadworks near hart village and the 22 barely kept to a timetable at all. Much, much worse than it's been with the Dalton park roadworks.

(07 Oct 2015, 10:01 am)Andreos1 wrote Is there a particular pinch point or area that it can get stuck?
Apart from any estates it may go through (can't remember its route through Peterlee), I can't think of anywhere specific that could cause hold ups.

Might have a look at the X35 timetable to compare/contrast if I get a chance.

Go on, you know you want to 

The latest fleet movements:

0664 is now officially allocated to Ashington as a replacement for 4509
4501 is now at Blyth, allowing 1493 to go for MAX refurbishment. 1502's return will allow 1501 to go, while 1503 takes 1504's place at Thorntons.
1906/12 have been reinstated at Stockton to cover the lost of 4652/4 pending the completion of refurbishment of 1404/5. 1407 takes 4658's place at Stockton however I understand 4658 has been sent back to Stockton for unknown reasons.
1909 has moved into the reserve fleet from disposal.
7469 has transferred from Durham to Jesmond, seemingly replaced by 7519.
7440 is listed as 'under repair' as is Blyth's 7606. 7605/19 are back listed at Blyth and Durham respectively.

Oh, and there's 7410/11 are now listed on the fleet list as 'Under Repair'

(07 Oct 2015, 9:49 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The latest fleet movements:

0664 is now officially allocated to Ashington as a replacement for 4509
4501 is now at Blyth, allowing 1493 to go for MAX refurbishment. 1502's return will allow 1501 to go, while 1503 takes 1504's place at Thorntons.
1906/12 have been reinstated at Stockton to cover the lost of 4652/4 pending the completion of refurbishment of 1404/5. 1407 takes 4658's place at Stockton however I understand 4658 has been sent back to Stockton for unknown reasons.
1909 has moved into the reserve fleet from disposal.
7469 has transferred from Durham to Jesmond, seemingly replaced by 7519.
7440 is listed as 'under repair' as is Blyth's 7606. 7605/19 are back listed at Blyth and Durham respectively.

Oh, and there's 7410/11 are now listed on the fleet list as 'Under Repair'

d

we dont have 7410/7411 they went ages ago and i gather we are not gettng 1408 anymore

(08 Oct 2015, 2:39 am)buss14 wrote d

we dont have 7410/7411 they went ages ago and i gather we are not gettng 1408 anymore

Ashington had 1408 on loan, I believe it was a short term measure until Ashington got 0664.

(07 Oct 2015, 3:44 pm)citaro5284 wrote Go on, you know you want to 

I haven't had my 5mins yet!

(08 Oct 2015, 2:39 am)buss14 wrote d

we dont have 7410/7411 they went ages ago and i gather we are not gettng 1408 anymore

We do have 2 B7TLs due - figure it out

Sapphire service 7 subject to delays due to a accident between rushyford roundabout and burnhill way in Newton aycliffe, it's on midridge road

[quote='Kuyoyo' pid='133381' dateline='1444294364']

We do have 2 B7TLs due - figure it out
[/qu

ah ok i thought you meant the platine2s

Annoying when they re-use numbers so frequently. There was only ever one 4194 (for example) and it will always be remembered, not like these days.

(07 Oct 2015, 2:55 pm)BusLoverMum wrote There's an interminable meander through various narrow streets in Peterlee - all it takes is a bit of crap parking for it to be held up. When I caught the 22 that was about this time last year, before they swapped over, there was one of the journeys when we lost a good 10 minutes simply with the number of people getting on and off and the fact that there was only room for single file traffic, in places. There was a long period last summer when there were roadworks near hart village and the 22 barely kept to a timetable at all. Much, much worse than it's been with the Dalton park roadworks.

Had a quick look, compare and contrast between the 22 and X35 and between Hartlepool - Peterlee, they're almost identical. Whatever will make one late between that stretch, will impact on the other.

Obviously they split at that point, with the 22 going on its 'interminable meander' of Peterlee.
Knowing those roads and what they can be like, particularly at school times - the delays are probably inevitable.
There isn't much slack in the timetable at all.

(08 Oct 2015, 3:40 pm)Andreos1 wrote Had a quick look, compare and contrast between the 22 and X35 and between Hartlepool - Peterlee, they're almost identical. Whatever will make one late between that stretch, will impact on the other.

Obviously they split at that point, with the 22 going on its 'interminable meander' of Peterlee.
Knowing those roads and what they can be like, particularly at school times - the delays are probably inevitable.
There isn't much slack in the timetable at all.

It's the 24 for Hartlepool, but yep, it has to get there and back to Durham in 3 hours.

There's actually been a couple of times, on that note, in the past few weeks that I've been tempted to put a flea in the ear of people waiting a whole minute for a driver changing over at Durham to get his (or her) seat right. I don't think that they even consider that the driver isn't just on a wee jaunt to Wheatley Hill and has a 3 hour round trip ahead of them with no breaks!