4905 on OK1s today - will be the 1105 from M'bro.

571 is on the 71 today departed Chester le Street at 09.45

8246 South Tyne (5) Cadet at Chester le Street at 10.10 this morning.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98641142@N08/9465296108/

(06 Aug 2013, 9:06 pm)ifm001 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 9:00 pm)gtomlinson wrote Not forgetting 221 and 21 which ran alongside all those during the bus war

And also Tyne Rider route 20 qhich operated to Harlow Green

Another one from the bus war was the OK service 23 from Worswick Street to Vigo Bridge via Low Fell and Birtley. That one caused Go Ahead Gateshead to run the 124 to compete with the OK 724. The 124 was an interesting service as it ran dead miles on a morning from Winlaton to Bishop Auckland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplytrans...096927076/

Hopefully the timetables are uploaded in the next few days

(08 Aug 2013, 10:05 am)GuyParkRoyal wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 9:06 pm)ifm001 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 9:00 pm)gtomlinson wrote Not forgetting 221 and 21 which ran alongside all those during the bus war

And also Tyne Rider route 20 qhich operated to Harlow Green

Another one from the bus war was the OK service 23 from Worswick Street to Vigo Bridge via Low Fell and Birtley. That one caused Go Ahead Gateshead to run the 124 to compete with the OK 724. The 124 was an interesting service as it ran dead miles on a morning from Winlaton to Bishop Auckland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplytrans...096927076/

The OK 23 was an extension/adaptation of their original 727 (which ran via Old Durham Road and The Bronx, shadowing the Go-ahead 26 every inch of the way.
Ironic the two fought over a route that GNE abandoned not long afterwards.

The 124 is a service I had been trying to remember for ages. It was always empty and may have only ran as far as Spennymoor initially.

I too forgot about the 727 and the 124. I always doubt myself the 735 existed but I remember the Metrobuses on it.

Re - the 23. At the same time the OK ran the 23 to Newcastle were the Northern metrolink buses running the short local 23 (Birtley East School - Vigo)

The 23 must have been competing with the 26 at the time too?

From traveline for X39...

Newcastle (city centre) Haymarket Bus station-Std M 8:25 Bus service X39 to Cobalt, operated by Go North East
Newcastle (city centre) Haymarket St Mary's Place E/B 8:26 8:26
Battle Hill Tyne Met Coast Road Campus 8:39 8:39
Willington Square Middle Engine Lane E 8:41 8:41
Cobalt Cobalt Link Road NW/B 8:43 8:43
Walk Cobalt Silver Fox Way W/b 8:45 Walk 6 min
Cobalt (Business Park) min

Looks like it will only take 20 mins

(08 Aug 2013, 10:05 am)GuyParkRoyal wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 9:06 pm)ifm001 wrote

(06 Aug 2013, 9:00 pm)gtomlinson wrote Not forgetting 221 and 21 which ran alongside all those during the bus war

And also Tyne Rider route 20 qhich operated to Harlow Green

Another one from the bus war was the OK service 23 from Worswick Street to Vigo Bridge via Low Fell and Birtley. That one caused Go Ahead Gateshead to run the 124 to compete with the OK 724. The 124 was an interesting service as it ran dead miles on a morning from Winlaton to Bishop Auckland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplytrans...096927076/

It seems strange that the 124 was ran from Winlaton considering there Chester and Sunderland Road (both more or less on route) and Stanley (which was nearer). How long did the service run for? The reason I ask is because I used to live behind Winlaton depot and I can't remember any bus applied with vinyls for that route. Obviously, based upon the pictorial evidence, I'm wrong but I wonder if it was initially ran from Winlaton before being moved to somewhere else (or withdrawn)?

Contrary to what it is now, the Derwent Valley corridor played host to fierce bus competition. Classic introduced the 745 (subsequently renumbered 75) to compete with the Northern's 745. And then you had Classic 736/738 which ran in competition with Go-Gateshead's 607/608 around Chopwell and Blackhall Mill. Go Ahead then introduced another set of services called the 'B' and 'C' (presumably referring to Blackhall Mill and Chopwell) to compete with the 736/738. Throw in the 611 (not sure of the frequency back then), then that's something like 11/12 services an hour between Rowlands Gill and Newcastle, and 7/8 between Chopwell and Newcastle. The 'B' and 'C' were operated with coaches so there was the choice of travelling in comparative luxury too.

Ah but now we have branded buses, simplified timetables, simplified fare structures and happy shareholders....

(08 Aug 2013, 11:13 am)gtomlinson wrote Ah but now we have branded buses, simplified timetables, simplified fare structures and happy shareholders....

tbh most of the routes should just be Northern such as


lambton worm
Highwayman
Drifter
Diamond
Washington Street shuttle
Lime
Cobolt Connect/Clipper
Pronto
Toonlink
North Tyne Links
Whey aye five-0
Orbit
FAB 57
Pulse
Tynedale links
South tyne
East Durham

(08 Aug 2013, 10:58 am)gtomlinson wrote I too forgot about the 727 and the 124. I always doubt myself the 735 existed but I remember the Metrobuses on it.

Re - the 23. At the same time the OK ran the 23 to Newcastle were the Northern metrolink buses running the short local 23 (Birtley East School - Vigo)

The 23 must have been competing with the 26 at the time too?

Yeah - the 721 was xx.15 ish from Worswick Street, setting off just behind the 26.
The OK 727 was xx.45 ish and set off just behind the 26 too.
Obviously the 26 was a Durham Road service, with the other two being Old Durham Road. the 721 continued to Chester, with the other two heading back through Birtley from Barley Mow.

If I remember rightly, the 735 also set off from Worswick Street approx xx.15 and played chase with the 26 all way along Durham Road.
The 231 at xx.45, also playing chase with the 26.

When the 727 stopped running in the mid 90's, that was when the 777 was extended to Newcastle, leaving Worswick Street and picking up on the xx.45 slot.

Don't forget the other twice hourly 24, 25, 27 and 28 or the hourly services such as the 722, 723, 725, 726, OK1/724, x1 or x46 either mind . Quite a frequency they had going, radiating south from Worswick Street....

So there was a local service, basically guaranteed to be shadowed by a long distance service.
Is it better now or then?

I believe the OK 23 only competed locally with the Birtley Town 23, but cannot remember whether GNE had it at that particular time.

I don't think anyone on here will disagree with you, branding is a hot topic of contentious debate that tends to flow towards the negative. I'm surprised they haven't branded their drivers as pilots yet

As far as I can recollect the 124 services was operated only by winlaton and started to operate when the 4775 4788 batch of vectas were delivered new. These were L reg so circa. 1994

what timetables r avadilble at either durham or Chester-Le-Street

(08 Aug 2013, 11:31 am)ifm001 wrote As far as I can recollect the 124 services was operated only by winlaton and started to operate when the 4775 4788 batch of vectas were delivered new. These were L reg so circa. 1994

I first became aware of it in the summer holidays when I was down Chester.
Pretty certain it didn't last long at all.

(08 Aug 2013, 11:36 am)Andreos1 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 11:31 am)ifm001 wrote As far as I can recollect the 124 services was operated only by winlaton and started to operate when the 4775 4788 batch of vectas were delivered new. These were L reg so circa. 1994

I first became aware of it in the summer holidays when I was down Chester.
Pretty certain it didn't last long at all.

if I remember correctly that Ok Travel gived into GNE shortly afterwards, I remember that GNE gived Ok Travel a hammering along the 160/161 route between Sunderland and Herrington with the 61 every 15 minutes running in front of the Ok travel 160/161, 61 route stopped at Hetton-Le Hole from Sunderland.

Can anyone remember prior to go ahead northern playing around with local identities ie vfm buses. Wear buses etc gne started in south tyneside with south tyne buses.

These were just transfers stuck over the go ahead northern fleetnames. There was no change to livery or service numbers but it was the beggining of the messing around with different brands.

Vaguely. I do remember each division getting a Small sticker placed by the door to represent their location.

Gateshead had a torch, Wearside an image of Penshaw Monument, Shields had Marsden Rock etc

(08 Aug 2013, 1:23 pm)cbma06 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 11:36 am)Andreos1 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 11:31 am)ifm001 wrote As far as I can recollect the 124 services was operated only by winlaton and started to operate when the 4775 4788 batch of vectas were delivered new. These were L reg so circa. 1994

I first became aware of it in the summer holidays when I was down Chester.
Pretty certain it didn't last long at all.

if I remember correctly that Ok Travel gived into GNE shortly afterwards, I remember that GNE gived Ok Travel a hammering along the 160/161 route between Sunderland and Herrington with the 61 every 15 minutes running in front of the Ok travel 160/161, 61 route stopped at Hetton-Le Hole from Sunderland.

Cant remember them competing in those areas, but I never had the need to be over that way then.
I remember the giant brown dashboarded Optare/Dafs that OK had going that way in rhe late 90s and Redby working a bus through Success to New Lambton

(08 Aug 2013, 2:12 pm)ifm001 wrote Can anyone remember prior to go ahead northern playing around with local identities ie vfm buses. Wear buses etc gne started in south tyneside with south tyne buses.

These were just transfers stuck over the go ahead northern fleetnames. There was no change to livery or service numbers but it was the beggining of the messing around with different brands.

I think there was:

Go-ahead Northern Southtyneside
Go-ahead northern Wearside
Go-ahead northern Gateshead
I think there was Go-ahead northern Durham or south durham are something like that, cant remember completely as it was quite awhile ago

(08 Aug 2013, 2:12 pm)ifm001 wrote Can anyone remember prior to go ahead northern playing around with local identities ie vfm buses. Wear buses etc gne started in south tyneside with south tyne buses.

These were just transfers stuck over the go ahead northern fleetnames. There was no change to livery or service numbers but it was the beggining of the messing around with different brands.

Some of these logos appeared on the bus timetables for that era, the timetables are in the go-ahead northern section in the bygone era.

(08 Aug 2013, 2:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 1:23 pm)cbma06 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 11:36 am)Andreos1 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 11:31 am)ifm001 wrote As far as I can recollect the 124 services was operated only by winlaton and started to operate when the 4775 4788 batch of vectas were delivered new. These were L reg so circa. 1994

I first became aware of it in the summer holidays when I was down Chester.
Pretty certain it didn't last long at all.

if I remember correctly that Ok Travel gived into GNE shortly afterwards, I remember that GNE gived Ok Travel a hammering along the 160/161 route between Sunderland and Herrington with the 61 every 15 minutes running in front of the Ok travel 160/161, 61 route stopped at Hetton-Le Hole from Sunderland.

Cant remember them competing in those areas, but I never had the need to be over that way then.
I remember the giant brown dashboarded Optare/Dafs that OK had going that way in rhe late 90s and Redby working a bus through Success to New Lambton

The timetable for the 61 appears somewhere in the Bygone section offering cheaper fares, greater connectivity and other such promises. Did competition provide the catalyst for the introduction for the 242 between Sunderland, Ryhope and Washington? I used to enjoy exploring new areas on buses when I was in my teens and this service definitely would have been of interest as I don't think, until recently, I'd ever explored Tunstall, Silksworth or Doxford Park. Yet, I can't recall ever noticing this service in timetables and seeing it in operation. I used to explore Sunderland quite often too after a lengthy journey from Winlaton on the 638.

(08 Aug 2013, 2:37 pm)cbma06 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 2:12 pm)ifm001 wrote Can anyone remember prior to go ahead northern playing around with local identities ie vfm buses. Wear buses etc gne started in south tyneside with south tyne buses.

These were just transfers stuck over the go ahead northern fleetnames. There was no change to livery or service numbers but it was the beggining of the messing around with different brands.

I think there was:

Go-ahead Northern Southtyneside
Go-ahead northern Wearside
Go-ahead northern Gateshead
I think there was Go-ahead northern Durham or south durham are something like that, cant remember completely as it was quite awhile ago





South tyne buses were operated before the logos etc were introduced. It happened just after the big strikes which nearly crippled go ahead northern at the time.

They were interesting times as other operators ended up operating their services and some continued to do so long after the strik finished.

Any pics of strike operators anywhere?

(08 Aug 2013, 2:37 pm)cbma06 wrote

(08 Aug 2013, 2:12 pm)ifm001 wrote Can anyone remember prior to go ahead northern playing around with local identities ie vfm buses. Wear buses etc gne started in south tyneside with south tyne buses.

These were just transfers stuck over the go ahead northern fleetnames. There was no change to livery or service numbers but it was the beggining of the messing around with different brands.

I think there was:

Go-ahead Northern Southtyneside
Go-ahead northern Wearside
Go-ahead northern Gateshead
I think there was Go-ahead northern Durham or south durham are something like that, cant remember completely as it was quite awhile ago

There used to be little stickers denoting the area (or local identity) placed to the right hand side of the doors. I think that was the extent of it, no vinyls or anything. Go Ahead Northern was still plastered over the rest of the bus so it wouldn't have been immediately obvious unless you were boarding.

The go ahead northern 242 and sister 243 were operated in competition with the then redby travel services to from sunderland to washington

The redby buses were operated by them funny shaped double deckers they purchased. Dennis bodies posibly

I remember Northern : Proud of our Routes

With all due respect, is this conversation best suited to the bygone era?

Just picking up on earlier points made about a GNE favourite 'minor changes'. In June minor changes to service 39 saw it frequency doubled (the introduction of the short 39's), so it'll be interesting to see if any of the minor changes have any noteworthy changes.

(08 Aug 2013, 5:21 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Just picking up on earlier points made about a GNE favourite 'minor changes'. In June minor changes to service 39 saw it frequency doubled (the introduction of the short 39's), so it'll be interesting to see if any of the minor changes have any noteworthy changes.

Same i said earlier in a post that they will be the one's to watch as GNE haven't give us much information about them.

Anyone know whats running the Ashes 500/501 and 502?

500 is from Durham Rail station to the Emirates
501 is from Lambton Park and Ride to the Emirates
502 is from Chester Le Street to the Emirates