(09 Dec 2025, 10:41 pm)Glen1974 wrote Why is that stockton has got it from Scotland now and now at Sunderland  Why is that?

I’m confused Glen, you were complaining about them saying they need to go back to rugby and now ones left you’re complaining again? I don’t think Stockton are getting anymore, in my opinion they had too many some just sat around doing nothing so I’m sure they can spare losing one.

(10 Dec 2025, 8:58 am)ReDemPTiion wrote I’m confused Glen, you were complaining about them saying they need to go back to rugby and now ones left you’re complaining again? I don’t think Stockton are getting anymore, in my opinion they had too many some just sat around doing nothing so I’m sure they can spare losing one.

Stockton have 65 Yutong E12s now 73056 has moved to Sunderland - and have a Single Decker PVR of 61 for most of the week (counting the 58 board that works the Sedgefield School Contract in that as 80000 only works the school related part of that unless there's a shortage of Yutongs). I know from discussion with people in the know that Stockton's Engineering Manager was a bit conceded at only having 5 spares - lord knows how he feels having only 4, particularly when one hasn't been out for 3 days now. Not to mention that from Wednesday onwards, the PVR for singles is technically 62 as there's an additional school-only board to work one of the UTCs (Wednesdays that's down to the East Cleveland board which works one of them on Mondays and Tuesdays not being back in the depot early enough, Thursdays and Fridays due to Sedgefield finishing at the usual half 3 instead of half 4 as it does on Wednesdays meaning 80000 can only work the Sedgefield contract rather than that and a UTC). There's also possible proposals for (funded) service enchantments in the pipeline, which will require additional vehicles.

(10 Dec 2025, 9:24 am)Kuyoyo wrote Stockton have 65 Yutong E12s now 73056 has moved to Sunderland - and have a Single Decker PVR of 61 for most of the week (counting the 58 board that works the Sedgefield School Contract in that as 80000 only works the school related part of that unless there's a shortage of Yutongs). I know from discussion with people in the know that Stockton's Engineering Manager was a bit conceded at only having 5 spares - lord knows how he feels having only 4, particularly when one hasn't been out for 3 days now. Not to mention that from Wednesday onwards, the PVR for singles is technically 62 as there's an additional school-only board to work one of the UTCs (Wednesdays that's down to the East Cleveland board which works one of them on Mondays and Tuesdays not being back in the depot early enough, Thursdays and Fridays due to Sedgefield finishing at the usual half 3 instead of half 4 as it does on Wednesdays meaning 80000 can only work the Sedgefield contract rather than that and a UTC). There's also possible proposals for (funded) service enchantments in the pipeline, which will require additional vehicles.

Interesting. I’m surprised they’ve let 73056 go. Gotta think as well they’ve lost 73176 to Slatyford as well so should have had 6 spares before they both went.

(10 Dec 2025, 9:24 am)Kuyoyo wrote Stockton have 65 Yutong E12s now 73056 has moved to Sunderland - and have a Single Decker PVR of 61 for most of the week (counting the 58 board that works the Sedgefield School Contract in that as 80000 only works the school related part of that unless there's a shortage of Yutongs). I know from discussion with people in the know that Stockton's Engineering Manager was a bit conceded at only having 5 spares - lord knows how he feels having only 4, particularly when one hasn't been out for 3 days now. Not to mention that from Wednesday onwards, the PVR for singles is technically 62 as there's an additional school-only board to work one of the UTCs (Wednesdays that's down to the East Cleveland board which works one of them on Mondays and Tuesdays not being back in the depot early enough, Thursdays and Fridays due to Sedgefield finishing at the usual half 3 instead of half 4 as it does on Wednesdays meaning 80000 can only work the Sedgefield contract rather than that and a UTC). There's also possible proposals for (funded) service enchantments in the pipeline, which will require additional vehicles.

That's the problem with having 60 odd brand new electric buses, management will just assume you'll be able to use them without any problems and cut back on your engineering and spares budgets.

(09 Dec 2025, 10:57 pm)Acky81 wrote Looks like there’s only 3 gas buses left operating in Sunderland 28006 28013 and 28015. Where have they all gone or are they been stored somewhere. I know some departed for reading

They are two at least stored at Hartlepool depot.

(11 Dec 2025, 3:48 pm)deanmachine wrote That's the problem with having 60 odd brand new electric buses, management will just assume you'll be able to use them without any problems and cut back on your engineering and spares budgets.

This is also the reason why I think it was a mistake going completely electric as well.  I think they is at least 2 off the road again due to repeated vandalism as well so that will put it down to about 2 spares which means 360s and 364s from Hartlepool will be needed at Stockton due to not having enough buses, I think 36089 might still be at Stockton so that will likely have to be used again, which is then putting pressure on Hartlepool because then it’s a struggle to have enough working buses for the services here.  I actually don’t think it will be a bad idea for one of the larger depots to have say 6-10 buses there to be used as floating buses for any emergency’s which can be quickly put into service at any of the depots as and when needed, instead of having to constantly borrow off each other.

(12 Dec 2025, 12:59 am)col87 wrote This is also the reason why I think it was a mistake going completely electric as well.  I think they is at least 2 off the road again due to repeated vandalism as well so that will put it down to about 2 spares which means 360s and 364s from Hartlepool will be needed at Stockton due to not having enough buses, I think 36089 might still be at Stockton so that will likely have to be used again, which is then putting pressure on Hartlepool because then it’s a struggle to have enough working buses for the services here.  I actually don’t think it will be a bad idea for one of the larger depots to have say 6-10 buses there to be used as floating buses for any emergency’s which can be quickly put into service at any of the depots as and when needed, instead of having to constantly borrow off each other.

I think this is the exact same reason Walkergate aren't going electric until its fully enforced by law. A few drivers have told me they're just going to do low emmision conversions on most of their buses so thankfully, we won't be going fully electric for a while.

However, I have heard that they want to do an electric conversion of one of their 19XXX's however nothing is set in stone.

I'm in a groupchat where I'm the only person in it that's not a Walkergate driver lol

Why both double deckers be in use for 4 days now babe lt like got use for them want going on

(12 Dec 2025, 12:59 am)col87 wrote This is also the reason why I think it was a mistake going completely electric as well.  I think they is at least 2 off the road again due to repeated vandalism as well so that will put it down to about 2 spares which means 360s and 364s from Hartlepool will be needed at Stockton due to not having enough buses, I think 36089 might still be at Stockton so that will likely have to be used again, which is then putting pressure on Hartlepool because then it’s a struggle to have enough working buses for the services here.  I actually don’t think it will be a bad idea for one of the larger depots to have say 6-10 buses there to be used as floating buses for any emergency’s which can be quickly put into service at any of the depots as and when needed, instead of having to constantly borrow off each other.

see about 15 years when i worked at stagecoach, there was a suggested policy that "alternative fuelled" vehicles have a fall back option of conventially powered vehicles incase of unforeseen issues. i cant remember if that was something like 1 in 5, so for every 5 alternate vehicles you would have 1 spare vehicle to cover them. 

sunderland would probably be a good choice as a base for the electric spare vehicle pool if it ever became a thing

(12 Dec 2025, 12:59 am)col87 wrote This is also the reason why I think it was a mistake going completely electric as well.  I think they is at least 2 off the road again due to repeated vandalism as well so that will put it down to about 2 spares which means 360s and 364s from Hartlepool will be needed at Stockton due to not having enough buses, I think 36089 might still be at Stockton so that will likely have to be used again, which is then putting pressure on Hartlepool because then it’s a struggle to have enough working buses for the services here.  I actually don’t think it will be a bad idea for one of the larger depots to have say 6-10 buses there to be used as floating buses for any emergency’s which can be quickly put into service at any of the depots as and when needed, instead of having to constantly borrow off each other.

Except there's currently no Hartlepool vehicles on-loan at Stockton - indeed, one of the E200s has been parked at Stockton recently but that's partly down to the fact Stockton's Engineering Team are currently doing work to vehicles from other depots due to the fact there's less work for them to do now the Yutongs are all in use.
The 'Stockton not having enough buses' is exactly what the engineering manger raised issue with - the increase in vandalism obviously doesn't help matter (and also another reason why 80000 hasn't seen much use on service work outside of covering trips - also due to it having a window put out when it was used on Route Learning in the summer, although that wasn't due to mindless vandalism).

Surely the issue is there's just not enough buses at Stockton rather than whether they're electric, gas, diesel or what not?

The North East fleet is a complete mess imo all over the place with a complete lack of deckers. I still have a feeling it's all linked to the Stockport issues and instead of ordering extra buses to replace the buses which would've been displaced from there they've decided to instead to have a whole load of inappropiate allocations to get the gas buses out since there's nothing else. As result, there's now loads of E200's and E300's in Newcastle which are inappropiate - these being the ones which should've been the Stockport E400MMC's.

Does anyone know if 27740 was actually at Slatyford yesterday? Was apparently on the 18:12 X88 service then started tracking somewhere down near Spennymoor and replaced by 10639.

Why haven't the double decker been in use for 4 days it feels know use for them now