(06 Feb 2016, 8:25 pm)Davie wrote Me and Dan were on 5398 & 5408 and they weren't working on either of them.

Did anyone get a bus with working plug sockets today? They weren't working on the Enviro 400 I had on the 7 this evening.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:27 pm)Adrian wrote Have you emailed them? If not, drop an email to customerservices@gonortheast.co.uk

I did in September when I was on 5401. They replied saying something like they would "Investergate and sort the issues out." I've not been on it since so I couldn't tell you if it's sorted or not.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Did anyone get a bus with working plug sockets today? They weren't working on the Enviro 400 I had on the 7 this evening.

We never tried 6074 but last week they weren't working and I believe they weren't on 09/1/16 and weirdly we've had 5398 two weeks in a row with the same driver.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Did anyone get a bus with working plug sockets today? They weren't working on the Enviro 400 I had on the 7 this evening.

I don't think so, the FAB56 ones are usually fine.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:33 pm)Davie wrote I don't think so, the FAB56 ones are usually fine.

I've only had problems with the C&C and the 7 once they stopped working 20 mins outside Durham.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:34 pm)DanPicken wrote I've only had problems with the C&C and the 7 once they stopped working 20 mins outside Durham.

Same with me.

Send them an email for each occurrence, and do it on the day you notice it. I suppose like everything else, the more examples they get, the more likely they are able to identify and resolve the issue.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:39 pm)Adrian wrote Send them an email for each occurrence, and do it on the day you notice it. I suppose like everything else, the more examples they get, the more likely they are able to identify and resolve the issue.

I think I might do that then, I can't see how they work on the Red Kite Streetlite's, yet not the Coast & Country.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:43 pm)Davie wrote I think I might do that then, I can't see how they work on the Red Kite Streetlite's, yet not the Coast & Country.

Maybe more people use the wifi?

(06 Feb 2016, 8:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Did anyone get a bus with working plug sockets today? They weren't working on the Enviro 400 I had on the 7 this evening.

The only buses I caught today with plug sockets were the 22 streetlites and we know it's not even worth trying those ones. Thankfully, I had my power bar fully charged, as I was losing signal on three a lot, today, even in the middle of Newcastle, and that tends to drain my battery really quickly, as my phone's dual SIM.

(06 Feb 2016, 8:47 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote Maybe more people use the wifi?

I didn't think the amount people who use the WiFi had anything to do with the sockets being faulty?

(06 Feb 2016, 9:19 pm)Davie wrote I didn't think the amount people who use the WiFi had anything to do with the sockets being faulty?

You are right, the 2 are not connected.

I've decided to do Hexham next Saturday, and get my photos of the Tynedale Links (and alternatively liveried) MPDs, as well as the loan Solo and the B10BLE that is over there at present (unless it has changed by then). Will most likely have a walk to the depot while I'm over there, but will otherwise probably be floating around the bus station area. Might get some photos up at the railway station also. I'll most likely provide a review in a similar format to the reviews of recent weeks.

(06 Feb 2016, 11:34 pm)R852 PRG wrote I've decided to do Hexham next Saturday, and get my photos of the Tynedale Links (and alternatively liveried) MPDs, as well as the loan Solo and the B10BLE that is over there at present (unless it has changed by then). Will most likely have a walk to the depot while I'm over there, but will otherwise probably be floating around the bus station area. Might get some photos up at the railway station also. I'll most likely provide a review in a similar format to the reviews of recent weeks.

4900 is the Renown currently on loan to Hexham.

Saturday 13th February 2016

My outing from today, on a North East Explorer:

08:35 X21 6035 Chester-le-Street Corals to Gateshead Interchange
I'd arranged to meet fellow forum member Jimmi in Newcastle, catch the 09:30 X20 up to Ashington, and have a day out in the Northumberland area before returning to Newcastle via Blyth, Whitley Bay, North Shields and Wallsend. I made the usual twenty minute walk into Chester-le-Street, arriving on the Front Street for around 08:15. I'd decided to catch the 08:28 X21 service through to Newcastle; in hopes of another Pronto President, before they are removed from the service when the Streetdecks arrive. 6035 was my chariot, running a few minutes late and with no more than five passengers already on board. I sat at the back, and all of a sudden, we stopped outside of Chester-le-Street depot. I saw Ben Stoves was leaving the depot with 5401 as we passed. The driver told us that we were waiting for some water to be added to the coolant, and within a few minutes, the engine died. About five minutes of silent waiting ensued, before the driver got back in his cab and started 6035 up again. He thrashed it down the A1(M), taking a few shortcuts to get us to Gateshead as quick as possible, as we were dreadfully late, but upon arrival at Gateshead Interchange, the driver got out of his cab and asked us all to alight here and get on another bus. He was one of the older members of staff at Crook, I think he may have worked for OK Travel.

09:04 21 6067 Gateshead Interchange to Newcastle Eldon Square
I conversed with the driver of 6035 briefly about the new buses, and he told me when they would be on the road. After departing his company, he parked up in the layovers, and I headed to find another bus through to Newcastle. Angel Hybrid 6067 was the first to appear, so I decided to catch that. One of the leading drivers at Chester-le-Street was at the wheel. The engine sounded incredibly rough, which was quite unusual, as I think the Hybrids are usually spot on. Think it may have been in limp mode as it was going very slowly. I can still vividly remember how much of a novelty these were when they entered service in October 2012, with the plush headrests, free WiFi and Next Stop Announcements (although the lattermost quickly became something of a liberty); all of which are now expected by customers upon hearing news of brand new buses.

09:23 X20 7413 Newcastle Haymarket to Ashington Bus Station
I walked across to Haymarket, floated around the stand for the X20, and Jimmi soon arrived, as arranged. We were initially going to stay in the Durham area today, to bash some of the Lowlanders, but decided to do something else instead. Ex-London and recent entry into service 7413 was our vehicle for the run up to Ashington. Fortunately, we managed to seat ourselves at the front upstairs, Jimmi took the nearside while I sat above the driver on the offside. Another forum member boarded this run, and sat downstairs, later alighting at Regent Centre. This was my first experience of one of these, and I have to say I thought it was quite decent. Didn't have any issues getting up to speed on the motorway, and it was very smooth, with few rattles. The internal refurbishment was quite nice too, in my opinion. When we got to Ashington, we jumped ship for a few photos.

10:30 1 1791 Ashington Bus Station to Blyth Bus Station
7415, an example identical to the vehicle we had just been on, was parked up in the layover, out of service, so we took a few photos of it. Blyth's 1791 soon appeared, with the 10:32 service 1 to Blyth, so we decided to catch this across rather than stick around in the slowly deteriorating weather. The driver was incredibly pleasant and greeted me as I boarded. We sat at the back for this journey, this MPD was very fast and had no issues with acceleration, but I find that can be a common trait of some MPDs. One thing that must be note, however, is how busy this run got. Standing room only at more than one point. I think a full-time allocation of Pulsars would be more suitable than MPDs. After an alright journey from Ashington, we arrived into Blyth at 11:10.

11:24 308 7808 Blyth Bus Station to Whitley Bay Town Centre
Following some photos at Blyth, where we caught another of the ex-London B7TLs amongst various other MAX Geminis and Coastliner Hybrids, we boarded 7808 on the 11:27 308 service, intent on travelling as far as Whitley Bay before alighting there for some photos. A passenger had spilled some strange substance all over the front of the upper saloon, so we sat behind the stairs. I've had only two experiences of the Hybrids on the 308 before; both of which were from Newcastle to Blyth (although I bailed at Whitley Bay on the second occasion – as I was feeling suicidal with the stop-start nature of the route and how hot it was). The bus left Blyth with a very small load, and the journey to Whitley Bay was excellent, with very few stops and the pleasant scenery out to sea providing a splendid backdrop. We passed citaro5284 at Seaton Sluice; he was on his way to the fish and chips shop on one of his usual Saturday jaunts.

12:24 17 4915 Whitley Bay Town Centre to North Shields Town Centre
We photographed a few Coastliner Hybrids and Cobalt Clipper B9TLs while we were in Whitley Bay, and we decided to catch the 12:16 17 service to North Shields, in hopes of a native Volvo B10BLE. Thankfully, our luck was in, as, although it was running late and that was not great in the downpour at the time, 4915 appeared. I led Jimmi to the back, to allow us to experience the full thrash. As per usual, a fantastic journey, I needed 4915 for haulage (one of the few B10s required!) so this was another bonus. Alighted in North Shields, where we got some photos of it, and then looked around helplessly in a vain attempt to locate the stand for the 1 to Gateshead/Wrekenton. 

13:08 1 5274/5269 North Shields Town Centre to Wallsend The Forum
Eventually, we managed to find the bus stop we were looking for, with the help of Google Maps. Before long, I sighted a red OmniCity coming along in the distance, operating the 13:09 1 service from that stop. We managed to secure the seats at the emergency exit, where the legroom is plentiful. Was a smooth journey, and was only disrupted when we arrived at Percy Main, where the driver got out of his cab and informed us of a vehicle switchover. Coaster branded 5269 was our replacement, and it was much colder than 5274, which wasn't great given how bad it was outside. Nevertheless, it provided an enjoyable journey up until Wallsend, where we chose to alight.

13:58 12 19388 Wallsend Interchange to Newcastle Blackett Street
We walked through the hail (which was actually physically painful) and down into the interchange. Blyth's 7458, a unique vehicle within the Arriva fleet, was parked up out of service, in between duties on the Metro Replacement 900 service. I had a desire to bash it, but decided against it when I saw a Metro coming in, and loads of people descending into the interchange to catch it. Photographed 549, the oldest MPD branded for the North Tyne Links, and would have had 554 as well, but the driver shook his finger at us as if to tell us we weren't allowed, so we didn't bother. He smiled as if to say thank you as he exited the interchange, which seemed quite odd, but most likely just out of appreciation for us not taking his photo. Presumably he's on Yewtree's hitlist. Caught Stagecoach Enviro400 19388 on the 12 to Newcastle, which was an enjoyable and fast journey.

14:36 33 110 Newcastle Pilgrim Street to Regent Centre Interchange
We saw Kingsley's Cadet 110 as we turned onto John Dobson Street, and as I needed a photo as well as a ride on it since it's arrival in the Kingsley's fleet a few months ago, I decided it was a good idea to bash this across to Regent Centre. On Pilgrim Street, it turned the corner and I got a photograph of it before crossing over and joining Jimmi on board, double checking that Explorers were valid with the driver, to be flagged on by him. I noticed a few internal differences from when it was with Go North East. The nice Allison gearbox made easy work of the undemanding route up to Regent Centre, passing through Jesmond, one of the nicest suburbs of Newcastle. It didn't sound the same as when it was with Go North East, a bit rougher and poorly-kept, but it did the job. Was nice to have 110 cleared for photo and haulage.

15:10 X14 4659 Regent Centre Interchange to Newcastle Haymarket
After jumping off 110, Jimmi and I got some photos at Regent Centre, observing Sapphire 7527 take a load from the Sapphire behind, with the Sapphire behind it then spinning around on a run to Newbiggin. We received a middle finger from an OAP on a Pulsar; I swiftly returned it. I noticed a MAX OmniCity was coming in, and as I needed one of the Ashington-based examples for haulage, I decided we'd catch that back to Newcastle. The loading on it was about half full, but we managed to sit together, at the seats before the quadrant on the offside. Was quite an enjoyable journey, and within ten minutes, we arrived back into Haymarket. 

15:28 21 3962 Newcastle Eldon Square to Chester-le-Street Clifford Terrace
We went to get some shots of buses on Percy Street, and I noticed Ben Stoves, who I spent the morning with last Saturday, was driving Volvo B7TL/Wright Gemini 3962 on a 21 for Durham, so Jimmi and I decided to catch this back. Ben greeted me as I boarded, and I stood at the front to talk to him while Jimmi headed upstairs. I noticed 3962 had some new seating installed; it looked incredibly smart as the previous Civic V3 seating had become very shabby and tatty over time. Ben mentioned that Biglugs had boarded 5401 on his 50 earlier in the day, from Concord to Boldon ASDA. He told me that he was driving 14s and X22s tomorrow morning, followed by the 28 and the 34A in the afternoon, but I had stuff on, although I may have otherwise joined him for some photos en-route. Upon arrival in Chester-le-Street, I jumped off for a photo of him driving, as did Jimmi, although Jimmi headed to Tesco, so I thanked him for his company and we parted ways. When we got to my local stop, Ben held on for a moment, and allowed me to cross over and get a photo of 3962 there, which came out quite well. As I was about to start my long walk home, I was most surprised to see MurdnunoC was parked up in a van, I went to converse with him for a while, and he informed me that he was waiting there on purpose as he suspected I would get off a bus there at around 16:00. I'm too predictable, that's for sure. Will make sure of something else next time!

It was a great Explorer overall; I certainly enjoyed myself and amassed a good amount of photos. New haulages include: 7413, 1791, 7808, 4915, 5269, 19388, 110 and 4659. Thanks to Jimmi for his company. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thank you for reading.

R852 PRG

Tuesday 16th February 2016

Had a little jolly on a Get Around day ticket today, given that it's half-term and I've got a week off; otherwise, I'd end up climbing the walls in my house with boredom. Just a brief review:

#36 - Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Houghton-le-Spring Church - Go North East 4903
#36 - Houghton-le-Spring Church to Chester-le-Street Corals - Go North East 5326
#X21 - Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Durham Bus Station - Go North East 6040
#16A - Durham Bus Station to Stanley Bus Station - Go North East 3876
#16 - Stanley Bus Station to Durham Bus Station - Go North East 3876
#X21 - Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Corals - Go North East 3878

I did my usual 20 minute walk into Chester-le-Street, arriving on Front Street for around 08:30. Photographed some of the usual goings on, and I was overjoyed to see Deptford-based B10BLE 4903 coming in with what would then form the 09:45 36 to Town End Farm. The driver had about ten minutes to layover, so I floated around in anticipation. During this period of time, an old acquaintance of mine came in with an Angel 21 service, for Durham. He was awaiting his relief driver; his name is Les, and he is a long-serving member of staff at Go North East, with 43 years of service, having come out of the armed forces and into the industry in 1972. Based at Washington for a number of years, he then spent a while instructing in the training school, before coming to Chester-le-Street about twenty years ago (if I can remember correctly). He now only works part-time, as he is semi-retired and in his 60s, spending most of his time rostered on 21s. I first befriended him when he spent a while covering my scholars service a few years ago; to be quite honest, I was surprised he was still around. We had a quick conversation, during which he informed me of his disliking for the Streetlites on the 8/78. Ever optimistic, he said he was still enjoying his job, which I was pleased to hear. When 4903 appeared, I said goodbye to Les and headed up to the stand for the 36. Whilst 4903 was based at Stanley, prior to the arrival of the Streetlites in May 2015, it frequently appeared in Chester-le-Street, but now it only ever returns if it sees allocation to the 36. I hadn't been on 4903 in some time, so was intrigued to see how much it had changed. Unfortunately, it was quite laggy, and didn't really top 35mph, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, it was nice to ride through some sections of the 78 route that once frequently saw B10BLEs, such as Great Lumley. 

When Houghton-le-Spring came, I alighted and got some photos of 4903 (which didn't come out great due to the position of the sun), as well as 4970 and two Connections4 Citaros. One of the Citaros was being driven by a young, attractive female driver who seems to have caught the attention of quite a few members on the forum. 58-plate Citaro 5326 soon appeared with a 36 for Chester-le-Street, and as it was freezing cold, I decided to catch this back rather than stick around. I boarded and made my way to the very back, as is standard procedure with a Citaro, and was annoyed to see Drifter 5376 behind us, making an incredibly rare appearance on the 38. Would have been a good photo opportunity, but in hindsight, the things that came later in the day made catching that 36 back the better decision to make. The journey back to my hometown was smooth and enjoyable, although the bus filled up by Great Lumley, with few seats remaining available. 

Upon arrival back in Chester-le-Street, I took a few photos and floated around, before I decided I'd head to Durham next. The first bus to appear was Pronto 6040, with the 11:05 X21 to Bishop Auckland. As the Presidents at Crook have only a limited amount of time left on the X21, with the Streetdecks due to enter service in the near future, I decided to bash this across to Durham, for what could possibly be my last ride on 6040. Sat at the back in the lower saloon, on the offside. I enjoyed listening to the engine roaring as it was flat out on the A167, and the cooling fans came on at one point. Was an enjoyable journey on the whole, when we got to Durham, I alighted and made my way up to the North Road roundabout for some photos. I noticed the amount of Y-reg Lowlanders roaming around, and I've now decided to focus on bashing them this Saturday. About twenty minutes of photos ensued, before I spied Stanley-based Lolyne 3876 coming around the roundabout, covering for a branded Citaro on the Durham Diamond services. As I love the Lolynes, as is frequently stated in my reviews, I decided to catch this up to Stanley.

When I boarded, I noted that this was the 16A, and thus only travelling as far as Stanley before terminating and then returning to Durham. With this in mind, I decided to therefore alight at Stanley and then catch it back to Durham. The interior was very well kept, and as I usually do with Lolynes, I sat at the back downstairs, on the offside. Seating was very comfortable, with the graffiti moquette seating clearly being reupholstered recently. While some of the Lolynes have the traditional graffiti moquette seating, some are refurbished so that they sport the commonly found blue ''Go'' moquette seating. It was a typical run behind a Lolyne up until the University Hospital, not really topping any great speeds, but the harmonious sound of the Cummins engine hard at work provided some makeshift entertainment. When we began to hit the countryside (as many of you will know, the 16/16A between Durham and Stanley has some very scenic parts to the route), the driver started to put his foot to the floor; thrashing 3876 along at some tremendous speeds. I was absolutely astonished at how fast we managed to go at one point, it must have been close to 50mph, which I don't think I've ever had occur in my experience of riding the Lolynes. An excellent run up to Stanley, but I wasn't sad to alight here, as I intended to catch 3876 back to Durham. A few minutes passed, as the driver had thrashed it so much that we'd arrived well ahead of schedule, and then I opted to board again. Decided to sit upstairs this time, though. Even from the upper saloon, I could hear the soothing sound of the mellifluous engine hard at work. Once again, the driver caned 3876 on some of the open stretches. I was saddened to have to get off in Durham, but, luckily, this wasn't to be the end of my Lolyne bash. 

I headed back up to the top of the bus station, and stood for only a short period of time, before I could hear the unmistakable sound of a Lolyne approaching (again!). This time, it was on a Newcastle-bound X21, with Chester-le-Street's 3878 in charge. 3878 is my favourite of the 4 Tridents still in service at the depot, for sentimental reasons. I opted to jaunt back to Chester-le-Street on this vehicle, as I'm always quite happy to see it. Once more, I took the offside seat at the rear of the downstairs saloon. I noted how hot it was coming from the engine, as I was able to feel the tremendous heat coming through the seating. Sadly, the interior of 3878 was much more worn than that of 3876, but it was yet another unrefurbished Lolyne, so I was completely fine with that. The euphonious sound of the Cummins powering along the A167 was marvellous. I don't understand why the Lolynes are so maligned by the wider enthusiast community, as I think they're fantastic. Each to their own, I suppose. 

I alighted at the bottom of the Front Street, and crossed over to the island located half way across, where I take many of my photos from when I'm in Chester-le-Street. With that done, I turned and saw Beamish branded 5419 with a 78 for Sunderland, so I got some photos of that, and then began to make the onerous climb up the incline that is the Front Street. This turned out to be worth it, however, as I therefore managed to get a photograph of 3869, yet another Lolyne, at a halt in the middle of the Front Street. 3869 is my most photographed of Chester-le-Street's Lolynes (3872 keeps avoiding me...), but having another photograph of it is always good for archival purposes. I headed into BonBons, a local independently-run confectionary specialist located half-way up the Front Street. The owners are family friends, and I managed to secure my work experience placement, which takes place at the end of this academic year, during my time in there, having a catch-up with them. 

I had a superb day out, overall. I may have another outing over the next few days, but if otherwise, I will definitely be out hunting Lowlanders on Saturday. Photographs from today are available to view on my Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127739730@N02/

Thanks for reading.

R852 PRG

(16 Feb 2016, 10:21 pm)R852 PRG wrote 58-plate Citaro 5326 soon appeared with a 36 for Chester-le-Street, and as it was freezing cold, I decided to catch this back rather than stick around. I boarded and made my way to the very back, as is standard procedure with a Citaro, and was annoyed to see Drifter 5376 behind us, making an incredibly rare appearance on the 38. Would have been a good photo opportunity, but in hindsight, the things that came later in the day made catching that 36 back the better decision to make.

I nearly did the same with 5376 this afternoon, I was about to board the X1 to Hetton-le-Hole as I was sick of waiting for 3885 to turn up in a rather chilly Houghton-le-Spring, so I went to board the X1 but fortunately it pulled behind before I jumped on the X1. Nearly gave up on my search for 3885 but I stuck at it, I somehow feel slightly less sad about spending 30 minutes in Houghton-le-Spring after seeing the people queuing for 17 hours at the Stadium of Light for Beyonce tickets which they could have quite easily got online.

Wish Stanley could have provided me with a Lolyne on my 15 this morning instead of the rather naff 6016. May do some Lolyne bashing next week. Unlike you I can only get 3872!

(16 Feb 2016, 10:21 pm)R852 PRG wrote Tuesday 16th February 2016


When I boarded, I noted that this was the 16A, and thus only travelling as far as Stanley before terminating and then returning to Durham. With this in mind, I decided to therefore alight at Stanley and then catch it back to Durham. The interior was very well kept, and as I usually do with Lolynes, I sat at the back downstairs, on the offside. Seating was very comfortable, with the graffiti moquette seating clearly being reupholstered recently. While some of the Lolynes have the traditional graffiti moquette seating, some are refurbished so that they sport the commonly found blue ''Go'' moquette seating. It was a typical run behind a Lolyne up until the University Hospital, not really topping any great speeds, but the harmonious sound of the Cummins L10 engine hard at work provided some makeshift entertainment. When we began to hit the countryside (as many of you will know, the 16/16A between Durham and Stanley has some very scenic parts to the route), the driver started to put his foot to the floor; thrashing 3876 along at some tremendous speeds. I was absolutely astonished at how fast we managed to go at one point, it must have been close to 50mph, which I don't think I've ever had occur in my experience of riding the Lolynes. An excellent run up to Stanley, but I wasn't sad to alight here, as I intended to catch 3876 back to Durham. A few minutes passed, as the driver had thrashed it so much that we'd arrived well ahead of schedule, and then I opted to board again. Decided to sit upstairs this time, though. Even from the upper saloon, I could hear the soothing sound of the mellifluous engine hard at work. Once again, the driver caned 3876 on some of the open stretches. I was saddened to have to get off in Durham, but, luckily, this wasn't to be the end of my Lolyne bash. 

I headed back up to the top of the bus station, and stood for only a short period of time, before I could hear the unmistakable sound of a Lolyne approaching (again!). This time, it was on a Newcastle-bound X21, with Chester-le-Street's 3878 in charge. 3878 is my favourite of the 4 Tridents still in service at the depot, for sentimental reasons. I opted to jaunt back to Chester-le-Street on this vehicle, as I'm always quite happy to see it. Once more, I took the offside seat at the rear of the downstairs saloon. I noted how hot it was coming from the engine, as I was able to feel the tremendous heat coming through the seating. Sadly, the interior of 3878 was much more worn than that of 3876, but it was yet another unrefurbished Lolyne, so I was completely fine with that. The euphonious sound of the Cummins L10 powering along the A167 was marvellous. I don't understand why the Lolynes are so maligned by the wider enthusiast community, as I think they're fantastic. Each to their own, I suppose. 



Marcus

Lolynes don't have Cummins L10 Engines, L10s are found in Older Olympians.
Euro 2 Dennis Tridents ( Lolynes ) Have Cummins C Series Engines

(16 Feb 2016, 11:09 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Lolynes don't have Cummins L10 Engines, L10s are found in Older Olympians.
Euro 2 Dennis Tridents ( Lolynes ) Have Cummins C Series Engines

I knew I had half of it right. I've been studying Leyland Olympians far too much recently. I'll amend it now.

(16 Feb 2016, 11:43 pm)R852 PRG wrote I knew I had half of it right. I've been studying Leyland Olympians far too much recently. I'll amend it now.

Youll probably know but Leyland Olympians had either : Leyland TL11         Coupled to a  ZF, Voith , Maxwell or Leyland Gearbox  
                                                                              : Gardner 6LXB
                                                                              : Gardner 6LXCT
                                                                              : Cummins L10

I've always liked the Tridents. They were a welcome  relief after the Omnicities 21 disaster, I'll always remember them from original 723/4 branding to the pink front coaster body branding to the 24 hr 21 branding

It's always a nice surprise when one pops up in normal service on the 21

Vykings however are the work of the devil

(17 Feb 2016, 12:07 am)Ambassador wrote I've always liked the Tridents. They were a welcome  relief after the Omnicities 21 disaster, I'll always remember them from original 723/4 branding to the pink front coaster body branding to the 24 hr 21 branding

It's always a nice surprise when one pops up in normal service on the 21

Vykings however are the work of the devil

I wasn't really interested in buses during that period of time, but I remember being told about the OmniCities being completely unsuitable, with people left behind frequently. Whenever I see a Lolyne, I have an urge to bash it, as they're so small in number now.

I agree about the Vykings. Their dual-door features were completely unsuitable for the infrastructure up here (for example, rear doors opening onto the face of a bus shelter), and most of them didn't know what had hit them when they'd gone from trundling around the streets of London at 30mph to Newcastle-Bishop Auckland. I like 3983, it is seemingly well-liked overall, and it's quite a speedy machine. Shame about the Voith gearbox.

Saturday 5th March 2016

A delayed review of my Get Around outing on Saturday.

My day started with an alarm at 07:00, I left my house at 07:45 and walked to Chester-le-Street depot for 08:10. I'd decided, the night prior, to try and time 6301 leaving the depot on it's way to Bishop Auckland for the launch (with the launch starting at 10:00, I figured it would leave the depot at around 09:00 in order to get there for around 09:30, therefore allowing sufficient time to get into position and set everything up). Upon arrival at the depot, one of my friends in the engineering department, Craig Smith (of the Northern National Restoration Group) came over and spoke with me for about five minutes. I hovered around the depot until about 09:25, photographing 6301 leaving for Bishop Auckland, 6303 out on an engineering run, 7093 leaving on a National Express turn, and 572 leaving, all of which were required for photograph.

09:37 X21 6035 Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Bishop Auckland Market Place
Following my successful session down by the depot, I walked to Front Street, arriving at about 09:30. My intention was to catch the shortly due X21 through to Bishop Auckland. When it appeared, my favourite of the Pronto B7s, 6035, appeared. Of the 6 B7s left in service as of Saturday, 6035 and 6040 were the best in condition (although I saw the latter leaving the depot with an engineer at the wheel when I first arrived!), with the others stringing along in no particular order of preference for me. One of the older drivers at Crook was at the wheel, and after obtaining my Get Around day ticket at the price of £3.75 (great value for money if it is milked), I took a seat at the very back downstairs. When the lower deck emptied at Durham Bus Station, I took the seat of the passenger who had been sat in the offside corner next to the emergency exit door. As it always has done in the past, 6035 provided a superb journey through to Bishop Auckland, where I alighted at the Market Place. Two other forum members had been sat upstairs, and also alighted here. 

11:29 X21 6037 Bishop Auckland Bus Station to Durham Bus Station
I walked across to where 6301 was parked, and spent a few minutes standing with Ian Robinson and Andrew Tydsley, taking photos, before heading across to the Streetdeck to have a look inside. The driver who had brought 6301 from Chester-le-Street was Gary Hindhaugh, I hadn't spoken to him in years, at one point he used to drive one of my scholars and we got on well. He didn't fail to recognise me when I walked over, and we stood and had a catch up for around 15 minutes. I had a little look around inside, I was certainly impressed, and I can't wait to try the Castles Express for myself, this Saturday, at some point. Having got all of my photos, I departed company with Gary with a handshake, and proceeded to wake my way along to the bus station. Spent about 20 minutes getting photos in the bus station, before the same driver as before, having had his meal break, took 6037 out of the layover bays and started boarding passengers. I took the front seat upstairs, above the driver, and shortly realised that BusLoverMum and Big'un were sat a few rows behind me. 6037 was never one of the better Presidents on the X21; lacking power on inclines and struggling up gradients, which was demonstrated on this occasion, which was to be my final ride on 6037.

12:25 21 6068 Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Corals
I decided to bail from 6037 at Durham, saying goodbye to BusLoverMum as I made my way downstairs, and proceeded to walk out onto North Road for some photos. Managed to snap 7438 and 7442 (both duds for photo and haulage, sadly) on the 64, which I was fairly pleased about, and then I headed back into the bus station, intent on catching the next service back to Chester-le-Street. This came in the form of 6068, an Angel Hybrid. Rather than head upstairs, I sat at the offside quadrant, adjacent to the emergency exit door, and watched the journey go by. It passed quite quickly, and before I knew it we were in the vicinity of Chester-le-Street. In my recent rides on Angel Hybrids, I have noticed some are started to sound a bit ''off'', making strange noises when pulling away, which I noticed on 6068. As I alighted, the driver made a sarcastic remark, asking if I'd been through to Bishop Auckland to see the new Streetdeck. As nothing of any real interest to me was present, I headed across to the ''Isle of Wheat'' to speak to Gary Wheatley, the supervisor at Chester-le-Street. 

13:06 50 3869 Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Durham Bus Station
Following about 15 minutes of talking to Gary, I sighted 3983, Chester-le-Street's single Vyking allocation, coming in with the 13:04 34A service up to Urpeth Grange. Was quite tempted to bash it up to Urpeth Grange and back, but as I was about to join the end of the queue, I saw Lolyne 3869 coming in with a late-running 50 for Durham. The driver, who, in my opinion, is the most miserable one at Chester-le-Street, showing absolutely no customer service skills, and always looking like he's sick to death of his life. A disabled passenger in front of me fell victim to his abusive manner, when he ripped the ticket from the machine and caused something to jam, resulting in ''oh why don't do you just break me flaming ticket machine while you're at it''. As we were running late, he pulled away as soon as I had showed him my Get Around, and I consequently made my way towards the back. While 3869 is the eldest Lolyne at Chester-le-Street, in my opinion, it is also the slowest. It didn't top 30mph at the very best, and travelled along the A167 in snail mode. 

13:37 X21 3878 Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Corals
Headed up to North Road roundabout for a photograph of 3869 (which did not come out with a destination blind), and then retreated back to the bus station. Fortunately, my luck was in once again, as Lolyne 3878 came in with the 13:39 X21 for Newcastle. As I've discussed many times in my reviews, 3878 is my favourite of the four Lolynes still in service at Chester-le-Street, for sentimental reasons, and it is always a pleasure to ride, or even just see in service. As per usual, I hit the back seats, sitting directly next to the emergency exit door, and I enjoyed the ride back to Chester-le-Street. While the Durham-Chester-le-Street route is quite mundane, when, like me, you've done it many times, it is always worth doing just for a ride on something decent, in this instance, 3878. Sounding as good as ever, and speeding along at a much faster pace than 3869 did, I arrived back into Chester-le-Street at just before 14:00.

14:04 34A 3983 Chester-le-Street Corals to Chester-le-Street Red Lion via Urpeth Grange
Having seen 3983 on the 34A earlier in the day, I was looking forward to a ride on it at some point, and it just so happened that it was due in just a few minutes after I returned. I'd photographed it leaving the depot earlier in the morning, assuming it was going out on Metro Replacements, as Chester-le-Street were covering a few duties on them on this occasion. However, a ride on 3983 is always hard to turn down, as it is arguably one of the better Vykings in the Go North East fleet, as well as being something of a novelty to me, as it is the only one of it's type left at Chester-le-Street (with the depot once being swarmed with an allocation of them on the Angel routes). I enjoyed a return journey up to Urpeth Grange and back behind 3983, while the interior is very shabby, with lots of vandalism evident through etched names on the side of the interior, I think 3983 has an abundance of power when the right sort of driver is behind the wheel.

When I got back to Chester-le-Street, I decided to end the outing there, and after doing a few things that I needed to, I headed home, arriving back at around 15:30. Thanks for reading.

R852 PRG

(09 Mar 2016, 9:44 pm)R852 PRG wrote The driver, who, in my opinion, is the most miserable one at Chester-le-Street, showing absolutely no customer service skills, and always looking like he's sick to death of his life. A disabled passenger in front of me fell victim to his abusive manner, when he ripped the ticket from the machine and caused something to jam, resulting in ''oh why don't do you just break me flaming ticket machine while you're at it''.

I had a Chester-le-Street driver turn round and gave me a lecture on how to pull tickets from their ticket machines when I got on either the 8 or 78 in Stanley at the start of last year as I pulled it too early. Wasn't used to Go North East's ticket machines at the time of the incident.

[quote pid='155280' dateline='1457559896']
 we were in the vicinity of Chester-le-Street. In my recent rides on Angel Hybrids, I have noticed some are started to sound a bit ''off'', making strange noises when pulling away, which I noticed on 6068
[/quote]

It's not just you. I use them every day and they are getting rougher by the week. Certainly interior standards are failing dramatically but they definitely lack some punch, the Allerdene dual carriageway is painful compared to X12 allocation or even B7s

The Angel Hybrid's are becoming very tedious. Horrendously underpowered, becoming very shabby inside and taking an age to pull away from stops

According to a Chester driver, the 21 will be getting StreetDeck's next year, whether there's much truth in this I'm unsure.

Good review Marcus.

(10 Mar 2016, 12:48 am)LeeCalder wrote The Angel Hybrid's are becoming very tedious. Horrendously underpowered, becoming very shabby inside and taking an age to pull away from stops

According to a Chester driver, the 21 will be getting StreetDeck's next year, whether there's much truth in this I'm unsure.

Good review Marcus.

At least if that were to happen, the buses on the 21 would likely to be the same specification as the StreetDeck's on the X21 which would be good on evenings and Sundays when the X21 interworks with the 21 using the Angel branded buses. If the Volvo B5LH's were to be taken off the 21, where would they go? The current double decker branded routes use buses of similar age to the hybrids, so I think if they are taken off the 21 they would either convert a single decker route to double deck operation (27 possibly) or become corporate liveried buses to see off the President's and possibly the Vykings.

Good review, enjoyed reading. I'm going to see if I can catch the castles Express from the Canon to Newcastle on Saturday.

Jimmi - good photos on your flckr, my favourites are 4945 and 6306. I like the way you have the red bin and red edged sign next to 4945.

Charles

(10 Mar 2016, 1:28 pm)Charles41 wrote Jimmi - good photos on your flckr, my favourites are 4945 and 6306. I like the way you have the red bin and red edged sign next to 4945.

Charles

Thanks Charles, don't forget the red car behind 4945! Not intentional, more the fact that I had just come out of Coopland's and saw it leaving the bus station, so quickly ran and dug the camera out my bag.

I do quite like how my photos turned out on Monday, especially 6305 and 6306. In addition to the Nightingale Coaches StreetLite, I also snapped a Coast and Country StreetLite and a Waggonway Solar in the same spot which I'll upload another day.

Saturday 12th March 2016

Had an enjoyable outing today, using a North East Explorer ticket.

07:57 X21 6303 Chester-le-Street Corals to Newcastle Eldon Square
My day began with an alarm at 07:00. Leaving my house at 07:30, I made a leisurely walk into Chester-le-Street, arriving at 07:50ish. Didn't have to wait long before the 07:59 X21, the first of the day from Bishop Auckland all the way through to Newcastle, and it soon appeared in the form of 6303, which was to be my first of the new Streetdecks that I could clear for haulage. My favourite of the drivers at Crook was at the wheel, and we exchanged greetings as I boarded, before I received my Explorer from him and ascended the staircase. Thankfully, the front seats upstairs on the offside were available, so I took a seat there. Legroom was fantastic, and the plug sockets and WiFi worked perfectly. I had noticed, as the bus had pulled into the bus stop, that the fans were blaring, loud enough for me to hear them upstairs still. Therefore, it came as no surprise that the driver stopped outside of Chester-le-Street depot while some engineers tended to the problem. A few minutes passed before we were on our way again, and the journey through to Newcastle flew past from that point onwards. Definitely a massive improvement on the Pronto B7TLs, and as I disembarked, I asked the driver what he thought of the Streetdecks; he expressed his liking for them.

08:43 685 27141 Newcastle Eldon Square to Hexham Bus Station
As I made my way up to Percy Street, I photographed 6083 on TENs and 6118 on the 47, before I looked down and saw Stagecoach in Cumbria's 27141 coming into the uppermost stand. A trip to Hexham for some photos of the loaned vehicles from Optare, and some final photos of the MPDs before they are replaced on the local Hexham services in the near future was needed, so I decided to catch this across to Hexham. The queue was very short, but it moved incredibly slowly due to some OAPs faffing on with their bus passes. In the corner of my eye, I saw another forum member, to my left. Took a seat at the back row, on the offside, and we departed on-time. I knew that 27141, as well as sibling 27142, had high-back seating and WiFi, but I didn't realise there was an addition of seatbelts as well. Spent the majority of the journey listening to some music through my earphones, but I didn't manage to catch forty winks at any point, despite being quite tired. When Hexham came into view, I noticed the building work on the new bus station appeared to be well underway.

10:30 85 4662 Hexham Bus Station to Newcastle Eldon Square
After assisting a disabled gentleman in getting off 27141, I thanked the driver and watched him depart on his way to Carlisle, somewhere I intend to visit in the near future. I've heard it's a pretty dire place. My luck seemed to be in, as within the first ten minutes; I photographed both 9106 and 9105 on the 683 and 682 respectively. Then, I managed to shoot 557 and 558 (both of which were required), and the former had enthusiast and driver Mark Westgarth at the wheel. He stopped for a few minutes to talk to me, and seemed very nice, even offering to tell me where any of the things I was after in particular were at. Sadly, 9104, the most recent addition, was on the 681/185 runs. Following a successful visit to Hexham, I boarded Jesmond-based 4662 on the 10:27 85 back to Newcastle. Managed to bag the quadrant on the offside, next to the emergency door. I'm of the understanding that the OmniCities on the 85/685 are widely disliked by many enthusiasts, but I honestly couldn't see anything wrong with 4662. It was quick off the mark, provided some nice thrash, and the seats were relatively comfortable.

11:33 6 6126 Newcastle Eldon Square to Metrocentre Interchange
While I had been returning to Newcastle on 4662, one of my friends at Chester-le-Street depot, Ben Stoves, informed me that he was to be the 14:32 900 Metro Replacement service from North Shields to Four Lane Ends. I knew he was starting his shift in the afternoon, hence the journey to Hexham in the morning, but this later start than expected gave me some more time to play with. When I alighted 4662 in Eldon Square, I contemplated a trip to Blaydon and back on the 11, in hopes of two B10BLEs, but I then noticed OmniDekka 6126 coming in with the 11:35 service 6 for Stanley. I still needed 6126 for haulage, so I decided to catch it across to the Metrocentre (boring, I know) for the new haulage. Contrary to what I typically do with an OmniDekka ride, which is to sit upstairs, I sat downstairs. Until then, I had not seen just how poor the legroom is at the very back row of one, and, as I'm 6 foot tall, I struggled to get in, so opted for the offside quadrant instead. A pleasant journey across to the Metrocentre, I still find an OmniDekka ride to be appealing, even though their novelty has long worn off.

12:04 6 6009 Metrocentre Interchange to Newcastle Eldon Square
After I alighted 6126 in the interchange, I floated around for about ten minutes. 8266 arrived with the 12:00 S1 circular service, and I had an urge to bash it, with it's seats recently re-trimmed into the standard ''Go'' moquette. However, I saw a President coming in with an inbound 6. My hopes for up for one of the native Plaxton-bodied Tridents, but alas, I was landed with 6009; a clapped-out ex-London B7TL. I made my way to the rear of the lower saloon for this journey, sitting on the nearside as opposed to the usual offside, for a change of scenery. Not much to say about this journey really, although I have to say I think 6009 is one of the poorer ex-London Presidents. 

12:47 310 6114 Newcastle Haymarket to North Shields Town Centre
Upon return to Newcastle, I wandered across to the Haymarket, intent on catching the next Cobalt Clipper 310 up to North Shields. It turned out that I had only just missed one, so I paced up and down the bus station for about ten minutes, until the next one came in. 6114 was my chariot; I was somewhat peeved to see the young child, and presumably his grandfather, take the front seats above the driver. However, I ended up looking like I was having a stroke with my failed attempt to later contain my laughter, when the young boy randomly turned around to him and yelled ''I will f*** you up''. He must have been no younger than six. What are the current generation coming to...? I was pleased to find that the plug sockets worked perfectly on 6114, and I therefore managed to charge my phone up for the journey to North Shields. I noticed that the queue for the 900 was colossal, which worried me, as no replacement buses appeared at all for the first fifteen minutes that I was there.

14:30 900 6036 North Shields Town Centre to Four Lane Ends Interchange
Ben brought ancillary van 1020 from Chester-le-Street depot, and proceeded to park it in the layover area. We spent about twenty minutes talking, before we headed up to Railway Terrace. 6036 was the haulage for this little jolly (and, at the time that I'm writing this, he will still be jollying in!). Not my favourite, but not my least favourite of the Presidents allocated to Chester-le-Street. My previous experience of Metro Replacements put me off very much, it was during the Heworth-Monument closures at some point last May, I think. My train from Sunderland was terminated at Brockley Whins, meaning we were all stood in a housing estate for about twenty minutes until the 901 arrived, followed by a further twenty minute wait at Heworth for a 900 through to Newcastle! Was an absolute farce. Thankfully, this journey passed without any real issues, although I'd say that the time of the day and the route contributed to that fact. When we arrived at Four Lane Ends at about 15:35, I thanked Ben and then he proceeded to head over to the layover bays, while I awaited the next Arriva service back to Newcastle.

15:40 55 2848 Four Lane Ends Interchange to Newcastle Haymarket
This came in the form of the 15:38 55 service, running a couple of minutes late and in the hands of Optare Solo 2848. I noted that the driver was being mentored by an evidently more senior driver, sadly, this new starter appeared to be very rough on the brakes and too quick with the accelerator; the two of which can make a nasty combination in terms of passenger comfort. I heard other passengers voice their discomfort when the brakes were slammed on, and further to this, the chassis of the Solo felt like it was scraping off of the road. A sound that I only really associate with the Solos and Lowlanders based at Belmont. On the upside, the hasty driving got us into Haymarket on-time, despite the original loss of time when I boarded. Aside from that, it was an enjoyable journey, albeit mainly because I rarely use any of Arriva's Optare Solos.

16:05 X21 6302 Newcastle Eldon Square to Chester-le-Street Clifford Terrace
As the time was 15:55 when I checked my watch, I decided to head to ''Cling-on Corner'' (*shudders*) for a shot of the 16:09 when it came in. In front of the Streetdeck in the queue on Percy Street, was 'sentenced' President 6024, coming in with a 6 for Stanley. I recalled seeing a Northern OmniDekka when I was in North Shields, and it must be said, it's quite poor that a branded vehicle is doing Metro Replacements while a vehicle branded for a now non-existant brand, and supposed to be confined to scholars services only, was in it's place. Luckily, the X21 that was also entering was winner 6302 (for both photograph and haulage!). I then descended down into the bus station and boarded, but this time, I sat at the back downstairs. I like how the seats at the back are more moulded to the rear of the vehicle than those in the Streetlites, which are incredibly uncomfortable. I enjoyed listening to the whistling Voith retarder whenever we slowed down, and the rattle-free environment provided a great journey back to Chester-le-Street, where I alighted at my nearest stop.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable day out. My first impressions of the Streetdecks are overly positive, and I'm looking forward to riding and photographing more of them in the near future. Thanks for reading, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

R852 PRG