(08 Dec 2013, 5:32 pm)Dan wrote At Saltmeadows presently:

Fab56: 6/15
Deptford spares: 0/2
Cobalt Clipper: 0/15
Percy Main spares: 0/2

Cheers =)

The 56 has had "Nissan" and "Stadium of Light" added to the displays.

(08 Dec 2013, 7:53 pm)BJ10VUS wrote The 56 has had "Nissan" and "Stadium of Light" added to the displays.

And "Donwell"

(08 Dec 2013, 8:00 pm)citaro5284 wrote And "Donwell"

Oh, I'm not as observant as I thought. Still haven't managed to notice the change to the displays on the 5

Ah that's good, least more destinations are added to the displays, have any of them being branded yet?

(08 Dec 2013, 4:33 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Awaiting 1600 X71 Consett to Newcastle. Bus 4905 displaying X71 Newcastle pulls in on time at 1555, but parks at top stand for incoming passengers to alight. Driver seems to disappear in an OmniCity. No-one appears til 1613, then driver gets on, phaffs about then backs out and looks as if he's going to drive away without pulling onto correct stand until passengers, luckily standing outside, wave, then departs 1617. In the meantime have rung GNE Customer services to see if bus is running, only to speak to someone in Aberdeen!!! who knows nothing. The 17 min late departure means the person I drove to Consett for the bus will now be an hour late home due to missed connection. What a wonderful service both from this driver and the Customer Services.

On a hiding to nothing trying to make up 17 minutes, even on the best of days... not sure about the customer service in Aberdeen? I had thought they were based at Bensham. It'd obviously explain why you tend to get a lower level of customer service at the weekend though.

(08 Dec 2013, 4:33 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Awaiting 1600 X71 Consett to Newcastle. Bus 4905 displaying X71 Newcastle pulls in on time at 1555, but parks at top stand for incoming passengers to alight. Driver seems to disappear in an OmniCity. No-one appears til 1613, then driver gets on, phaffs about then backs out and looks as if he's going to drive away without pulling onto correct stand until passengers, luckily standing outside, wave, then departs 1617. In the meantime have rung GNE Customer services to see if bus is running, only to speak to someone in Aberdeen!!! who knows nothing. The 17 min late departure means the person I drove to Consett for the bus will now be an hour late home due to missed connection. What a wonderful service both from this driver and the Customer Services.

I can understand why reliability is down on the X70/X71, what with the four way temporary signals on Bensham Bank combined with the ever increasing Christmas traffic, but they seem to be falling back on short-running as far as Gateshead and running entire trips light as NIS far too often. They knew about the potential for delays beforehand so you would have thought they could have come up with a more creative solution to these problems in advance.

(08 Dec 2013, 9:03 pm)ApathyHack wrote I can understand why reliability is down on the X70/X71, what with the four way temporary signals on Bensham Bank combined with the ever increasing Christmas traffic, but they seem to be falling back on short-running as far as Gateshead and running entire trips light as NIS far too often. They knew about the potential for delays beforehand so you would have thought they could have come up with a more creative solution to these problems in advance.

Would it not be easier after Lobily Hill to divert them via the A1/A184/A184 Askew Road and up into Gateshead Interchange, Thus avoiding Tail Backs on Bensham Bank for however long

Would cause the service to miss out key stops at Team Valley North End.

(08 Dec 2013, 9:36 pm)GMitchelhill wrote Would cause the service to miss out key stops at Team Valley North End.

Nowt a shuttle bus wouldn't fix.
It has been done before and would certainly benefit passengers across the board.

(08 Dec 2013, 9:36 pm)GMitchelhill wrote Would cause the service to miss out key stops at Team Valley North End.

Well could it not go to Team Valley North End, then the way Adam said?

(08 Dec 2013, 9:40 pm)BJ10VUS wrote Well could it not go to Team Valley North End, then the way Adam said?

Askew Road can just be as bad

But this cock up was not a result of the roadworks as the incoming bus arrived on time, with destination set for next service and then had no driver for 18 minutes, either because it was a driver changeover and the one taking over was late, presumably coming from Stanley depot, or the continuing driver took an unscheduled break. It highlights however that GNE needs a number for passengers to contact about problems whenever buses are running.

Can i just ask, how are the Lolynes not DDA compliant?

3 car accident on the A19,north bound, just after the A183 slip road, will effect the X9/X10 heading to Newcastle.

Just passed on the 8, which is running late.

(09 Dec 2013, 1:30 am)Greg in Weardale wrote But this cock up was not a result of the roadworks as the incoming bus arrived on time, with destination set for next service and then had no driver for 18 minutes, either because it was a driver changeover and the one taking over was late, presumably coming from Stanley depot, or the continuing driver took an unscheduled break. It highlights however that GNE needs a number for passengers to contact about problems whenever buses are running.

Wonder if it had something to do with the incoming driver coming in late for his break, therefore impacting on the 2nd half of his duty. Happens quite regularly at our depot on certain duties with short breaks (35-40 mins).

(09 Dec 2013, 10:03 am)tyresmoke wrote Wonder if it had something to do with the incoming driver coming in late for his break, therefore impacting on the 2nd half of his duty. Happens quite regularly at our depot on certain duties with short breaks (35-40 mins).

Do they have back up drivers just in case this happens? If they dont i strongly suggest they get some.

Movements during the week:
- 6093 6094 6096 6098 6102 new vehicles received but not yet in service.
- 7111 7112 new vehicles in service at Chester le Street
- 641 - 652 new vehicles in service at Consett
- 545 560 565 618 619 Consett to Peterlee
- 501 510 519 520 withdrawn from Peterlee
- 526 530 531 withdrawn from Washington
- 8225 Gateshead to Deptford
- 7087 Chester le Street to Driver Training

(09 Dec 2013, 5:44 pm)Dan wrote Movements during the week:
- 6093 6094 6096 6098 6102 new vehicles received but not yet in service.

These vehicles are all listed as Percy Main based on Go North East's official fleetlist.
As we already know, the Deptford-based B9s are to be allocated fleet numbers 6084 – 6100, and the Percy Main-based B9s 6101 – 6117.

With this in mind, we know that 6093 (NL63 YHW), 6094 (NL63 YHX), 6096 (NL63 YHZ) and 6098 (NL63 YJB) are orange, while 6102 (NL63 YJF) is silver.

6097 (NL63 YRA) and 6103 (NL63 YRG) were the examples photographed at the docks yesterday, bringing the totals to:

Fab56: 6*/15
Deptford spares: 0/2
Cobalt Clipper: 2/15
Percy Main spares: 0/2

*Only five are listed as having arrived (inc. 6097), but I believe six have actually arrived.

(09 Dec 2013, 5:44 pm)Dan wrote Movements during the week:
- 6093 6094 6096 6098 6102 new vehicles received but not yet in service.
- 7111 7112 new vehicles in service at Chester le Street
- 641 - 652 new vehicles in service at Consett
- 545 560 565 618 619 Consett to Peterlee
- 501 510 519 520 withdrawn from Peterlee
- 526 530 531 withdrawn from Washington
- 8225 Gateshead to Deptford
- 7087 Chester le Street to Driver Training

Is 545 VOR? It is the only MPD destined for Peterlee not to be transferred? 502/503 retained at Peterlee, one to cover for 545 and one to cover for vehicles getting branded? Total guess work this mind.

(09 Dec 2013, 5:44 pm)Dan wrote Movements during the week:
- 6093 6094 6096 6098 6102 new vehicles received but not yet in service.
- 7111 7112 new vehicles in service at Chester le Street
- 641 - 652 new vehicles in service at Consett
- 545 560 565 618 619 Consett to Peterlee
- 501 510 519 520 withdrawn from Peterlee
- 526 530 531 withdrawn from Washington
- 8225 Gateshead to Deptford
- 7087 Chester le Street to Driver Training

nice to see Consett still has MPD's

Also by the fleet allocation - 4926 is Fleet Livery, not sure if it has being re-painted, sorry if someone had already posted that it had being re-painted.

(09 Dec 2013, 6:18 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Is 545 VOR? It is the only MPD destined for Peterlee not to be transferred? 502/503 retained at Peterlee, one to cover for 545 and one to cover for vehicles getting branded? Total guess work this mind.

I'm not sure, sorry. Hopefully one of our GNE reps will be able to answer that one!

(09 Dec 2013, 6:21 pm)Michael wrote nice to see Consett still has MPD's

The MPDs below 545 have been withdrawn from Consett - they must have been missed off the allocation, but actually appear on the fleet list. Hard day in the office, me thinks!

(09 Dec 2013, 6:23 pm)Dan wrote I'm not sure, sorry. Hopefully one of our GNE reps will be able to answer that one!


The MPDs below 545 have been withdrawn from Consett - they must have been missed off the allocation, but actually appear on the fleet list. Hard day in the office, me thinks!

Ah right, defiantly a hard day in the office.

(09 Dec 2013, 5:51 pm)Dan wrote These vehicles are all listed as Percy Main based on Go North East's official fleetlist.
As we already know, the Deptford-based B9s are to be allocated fleet numbers 6084 – 6100, and the Percy Main-based B9s 6101 – 6117.

With this in mind, we know that 6093 (NL63 YHW), 6094 (NL63 YHX), 6096 (NL63 YHZ) and 6098 (NL63 YJB) are orange, while 6102 (NL63 YJF) is silver.

6097 (NL63 YRA) and 6103 (NL63 YRG) were the examples photographed at the docks yesterday, bringing the totals to:

Fab56: 6*/15
Deptford spares: 0/2
Cobalt Clipper: 2/15
Percy Main spares: 0/2

*Only five are listed as having arrived (inc. 6097), but I believe six have actually arrived.

Looks like the Reg Plates are not even in alphabetical order like they usually are

(09 Dec 2013, 10:18 am)northtynelinks2 wrote Do they have back up drivers just in case this happens? If they dont i strongly suggest they get some.

All depots have leading drivers but they're stanley based, with the 43/44 suffering delays due to resurfacing of the road at sacriston there may not have been any spare leading driver and as tyresmoke pointed out the likely hood being the driver was late in from the first part of his duty and legally needing to take his break into the next part of his duty, happened a lot whilst i worked at crook.

(09 Dec 2013, 5:51 pm)Dan wrote These vehicles are all listed as Percy Main based on Go North East's official fleetlist.
As we already know, the Deptford-based B9s are to be allocated fleet numbers 6084 – 6100, and the Percy Main-based B9s 6101 – 6117.

With this in mind, we know that 6093 (NL63 YHW), 6094 (NL63 YHX), 6096 (NL63 YHZ) and 6098 (NL63 YJB) are orange, while 6102 (NL63 YJF) is silver.

6097 (NL63 YRA) and 6103 (NL63 YRG) were the examples photographed at the docks yesterday, bringing the totals to:

Fab56: 6*/15
Deptford spares: 0/2
Cobalt Clipper: 2/15
Percy Main spares: 0/2

*Only five are listed as having arrived (inc. 6097), but I believe six have actually arrived.

Wonder if we will get any of the deckers out before Christmas?, gonna be close.

Appears to be a few bugs on the GNE website. The 1 is now angel branded apparently!

Just a quick question, are any of you who have travelled on the venture solos aware of which routes have received next stop announcements? Is it all routes (inc. 689 etc.) or just the main routes such as V1,V2, V8?

(10 Dec 2013, 6:43 pm)randomdude wrote Just a quick question, are any of you who have travelled on the venture solos aware of which routes have received next stop announcements? Is it all routes (inc. 689 etc.) or just the main routes such as V1,V2, V8?

None were working at the weekend but I believe all are due to get the announcements.

(10 Dec 2013, 6:43 pm)randomdude wrote Just a quick question, are any of you who have travelled on the venture solos aware of which routes have received next stop announcements? Is it all routes (inc. 689 etc.) or just the main routes such as V1,V2, V8?

As far as i am aware it is all routes, i still cant get over the fact that i have seen 2 solo srs off route in 4 days of been in service!