(30 Jan 2015, 4:43 pm)Dan wrote All of the examples I've been on today have been fine, but the Drifter I got this morning was far from ideal. The windows seemed foggy - it wasn't like the normal darker muck. It was like they'd been washed, but it hadn't taken off all of the grime completely.

Aye I mentioned 5334 this morning lol! Peterlee based though

(30 Jan 2015, 5:28 pm)tyresmoke wrote Aye I mentioned 5334 this morning lol! Peterlee based though

Difficult to keep things clean with the grit and gunk around the roads in this weather.

Stagecoach (esp the hybrids) are absolutely filthy at the moment. I think the public are fairly understanding at this time of year, especially like me they own a car and are aware of how filthy they get too in Winter

(30 Jan 2015, 5:46 pm)gtom wrote Difficult to keep things clean with the grit and gunk around the roads in this weather.

Stagecoach (esp the hybrids) are absolutely filthy at the moment. I think the public are fairly understanding at this time of year, especially like me they own a car and are aware of how filthy they get too in Winter

Oh I agree, but this was at 0805 this morning and you couldn't see out of any of the windows. Dan informed me that Peterlee don't have any way of washing the buses though??

(30 Jan 2015, 7:01 pm)tyresmoke wrote Oh I agree, but this was at 0805 this morning and you couldn't see out of any of the windows. Dan informed me that Peterlee don't have any way of washing the buses though??

Yes - as far as I am aware Peterlee presently has no wash facilities and this means that they'll only get a "proper" wash when they go back to Deptford. The Mercs are regularly swapped around as they have the dedicated branded spare covering a PVR of 3, which means they're more likely to be clean, but there's over 10 MPDs which means that it's harder to swap them around. They tend to take one or two MPDs from Peterlee to Depford each morning, and the Mercs are just swapped around when they get into Sunderland on an X7. Guessing one of the Mercs is VOR at the moment though, as they had a Scania on loan from Deptford, which was used for at least one run on the X7 yesterday, and the priority will be to keep the Merc on the X7 rather than take it off to get washed.

They may have a hose / pressure washer at Peterlee, but it certainly won't get all of the muck off at this time of year. It's alright during summer when conditions aren't as bad, but still far from ideal, so I'd expect that washing facilities will be implemented in the future (providing the cost for ensuring the fleet is looking presentable can be justified.)

(30 Jan 2015, 7:01 pm)tyresmoke wrote Oh I agree, but this was at 0805 this morning and you couldn't see out of any of the windows. Dan informed me that Peterlee don't have any way of washing the buses though??

The East durham buses gets a quick wash on the A19 northbound services when the bus get filled up.

(30 Jan 2015, 7:05 pm)Dan wrote Yes - as far as I am aware Peterlee presently has no wash facilities and this means that they'll only get a "proper" wash when they go back to Deptford. The Mercs are regularly swapped around as they have the dedicated branded spare covering a PVR of 3, which means they're more likely to be clean, but there's over 10 MPDs which means that it's harder to swap them around. They tend to take one or two MPDs from Peterlee to Depford each morning, and the Mercs are just swapped around when they get into Sunderland on an X7. Guessing one of the Mercs is VOR at the moment though, as they had a Scania on loan from Deptford, which was used for at least one run on the X7 yesterday, and the priority will be to keep the Merc on the X7 rather than take it off to get washed.

They may have a hose / pressure washer at Peterlee, but it certainly won't get all of the muck off at this time of year. It's alright during summer when conditions aren't as bad, but still far from ideal, so I'd expect that washing facilities will be implemented in the future (providing the cost for ensuring the fleet is looking presentable can be justified.)

For today and past week there's been a WTX on 201 earlys then 206's then 807 scholars

5246 broke down in Ashington bus station earlier, they must have managed to get it to the old depot gates. 5272 arrived with an engineer on it, then the driver of 5246 must have drove 5272 to Percy Main (not confirmed). This was at about 13:15.

Any particular reason for the destination showing 'Gateshead' rather than 'Newcastle'? I can't find anything on the timetable suggesting that a journey does terminate at Gateshead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75698454@N08/16402804251/

(30 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)Robert wrote Any particular reason for the destination showing 'Gateshead' rather than 'Newcastle'? I can't find anything on the timetable suggesting that a journey does terminate at Gateshead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75698454@N08/16402804251/

The usuals have already got to it...

(30 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)Robert wrote Any particular reason for the destination showing 'Gateshead' rather than 'Newcastle'? I can't find anything on the timetable suggesting that a journey does terminate at Gateshead.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75698454@N08/16402804251/

Aside from the obvious possibility that it could have just been a mistake, Go North East did make a post earlier stating that there were delays to services which use Lobley Hill Road due to temporary traffic signals (perhaps accounting for the delays mentioned earlier to services 93/94). Perhaps if it departed severely late out of Consett, it was organised to regulate the service Gateshead - Newcastle? Those who were waiting for the bus in Newcastle would have been advised to get on a bus to Gateshead and transfer there, if so.

547 on Prudhoe shuttle - running to schedule (and, empty when I saw it between 13:00 and 13:40), but 6078 TEN from Newcastle was running 15 minutes late so passengers for the closed section west of Dr Syntax would have missed the shuttle.

What can you do, though, when the shuttle has to interface with TENs in both directions?

Oh - the TENs in both directions (12:30 from Corbridge and 13:40 from Prudhoe) could have done with a wash - unable to see out of the side windows, and it's unlikely that the dirt was from today (not raining AFAIK).

http://www.simplygo.com/smartzone

Smartzone as per GNE website.

5301 following in 5308's footsteps - it's now had it's "Laser" branding removed:
https://flic.kr/p/q4dYzU

5307 likewise:
https://flic.kr/p/q4yLeF

5283 is back in service in Blaydon Racers livery like the rest.

(31 Jan 2015, 3:12 pm)citaro5284 wrote http://www.simplygo.com/smartzone

Smartzone as per GNE website.

I take it Smartzone is just a pilot in South Shields for now? It's good to finally have a bus only multi-operator ticket, and I hope it's a success. 

Would love to see it extended into a what was the old 'Three Cities' area, if Arriva come on board.

Found it rather amusing watching a GNE Driver get on the Arriva Evening Operation of the 82 at 8pm from Washington Galleries to Lambton, Driver was miserable as sin with the Arriva Driver being equally miserable, although both Drivers did have a little bit of banter as the GNE Driver got off, which was nice to see.

(31 Jan 2015, 8:38 pm)Malarkey wrote Found it rather amusing watching a GNE Driver get on the Arriva Evening Operation of the 82 at 8pm from Washington Galleries to Lambton, Driver was miserable as sin with the Arriva Driver being equally miserable, although both Drivers did have a little bit of banter as the GNE Driver got off, which was nice to see.

So, no gunfire?

(31 Jan 2015, 8:40 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote So, no gunfire?

Rather surprisingly there wasnt, totally disappointed as I had a front row seat.

(31 Jan 2015, 6:37 pm)Robert wrote 5283 is back in service in Blaydon Racers livery like the rest.

As are the two former "Laser" Scania L94s - just 5204 at SMR for paint at the moment.

(31 Jan 2015, 8:42 pm)Dan wrote As are the two former "Laser" Scania L94s - just 5204 at SMR for paint at the moment.

Guessing we will see Repaints recommence for the Ex London B7TL Plaxton Presidents then, unless something unexpected occurs in reference to New Vehicles coming in.

Something I have just came across on Facebook, it would appear that incoming Wright StreetDeck Demo 9119 (SN64 CTU) is covering for fellow StreetDeck Demo (BX14 SYT) at Transdev, which according to Gregg Collins went bang in Harrogate.

(31 Jan 2015, 9:06 pm)Malarkey wrote Something I have just came across on Facebook, it would appear that incoming Wright StreetDeck Demo 9119 (SN64 CTU) is covering for fellow StreetDeck Demo (BX14 SYT) at Transdev, which according to Gregg Collins went bang in Harrogate.

He's probably correct.
As the StreetDeck has been built to Go-Ahead specification, and was allocated a fleet number by Go North East whilst in production, it is a little strange it appeared at Transdev first. Was said that it was being compared to the Volvo B5TL (not StreetDeck!!) but this does sound more plausible. 

According to the vehicle enquiry section GOV.UK, BX14 SYT is actually a Volvo B5TL rather than a Streetdeck as it falls under 'Volvo' rather than 'Wrightbus' on the website. Not even SN64 CTU comes up as being a Wright Streetdeck either so they could be wrong..

(31 Jan 2015, 9:25 pm)Robert wrote According to the vehicle enquiry section GOV.UK, BX14 SYT is actually a Volvo B5TL rather than a Streetdeck as it falls under 'Volvo' rather than 'Wrightbus' on the website: https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

Or you could just look at the Volvo badge underneath the windscreen! Malarkey will learn one day - you're getting there... 

(31 Jan 2015, 9:27 pm)Dan wrote Or you could just look at the Volvo badge underneath the windscreen! Malarkey will learn one day - you're getting there... 

I will get there eventually, both look the bloody same thats the problem.

Despite the recent changes to the 17, I haven't noticed an increase of passenger numbers. In fact, a lot of people tend to jump on the 41/80 now, and walk from Rosehill to wherever they want to do!
Also, rather than being late, they all seem to be running early! The one this morning was four minutes early!