08:09 #825 South Stanley - Lanchester: Volvo Olympian NC Palatine 2 3823 (S823 OFT)
15:23 #825 Lanchester - Flint Hill: Volvo Olympian NC Palatine 2 3823 (S823 OFT)
Quite a nice start to the week for me. Although it might not be the best Olympian based at Stanley in my view, it certainly beats the likes of 3814 and 3822! It is comfortable and is very tidy inside eventhough the seats are filled with dust but that isn't a massive problem providing you don't smack them really hard. I must comment on how good the engine sounds with that squeal!
Both journeys were brilliant too - the driver even managed to swing round at the top of South Moor without a struggle too as other drivers don't give it as much swing as needed or none at all. Thats obviously discounting the times when cars go over the white line not expecting a bloody big bus to come around as all other services turn right rather than left.
Coming home is the best bit as thats when you get to do a bit of two-fingering at times going up the bank. Especially if either the 823 or 828 is allocated 3814 - not too good if we have it though
. We didn't overtake any other vehicles tonight. Mainly because we were late getting on the bus because the bus had been brought down to the school but the driver was nowhere to be seen. He did eventually appear in the van along with the usual supervisor who is there with a battery pack just in case one of the buses has trouble starting. Anyway, when we got doing, we went up the bank at a reasonable speed and the driver gave it a good pounding between the crossroads at Maiden Law to the Morrison Busty Roundabout. Nowt more exciting until Holly Hill Gardens when he took the 'shops' route rather than go straight along the bottom like the 78 does. When we got to Stanley, we went around the roundabout as normal and there was a 43 waiting to get out (was heading to Durham). Now with the service not stopping in Stanley Bus Station itself, the driver slowed down to let this 43 out. The roundabout was clear so much to my surprise, the driver of the 43 told the driver of 3823 to carry on which is quite surprising since that roundabout is a bugger to get onto when coming out of that specific exit. It was just a standard journey all the way to Flint Hill after that. 15:59 NIS Flint Hill - Stanley Travel Depot: Volvo B7TL Plaxton President 6021 (LK03 NJY)
I love this bus - so smooth and is a really fast accelerator. I can tell it has power and would fly up banks which is unusual for an ex-London vehicle. Shame there are no massive banks on the trip back to the depot though so I can't really make a brilliant review. The bus wasn't in its usual immaculate condition though as it had just returned from Byker where it had been based for last week covering for S2 STX which had developed a mechanical fault. I think its amazing how drivers seem unable to misjudge the swing into the depot as its such a small gap to get something of that size in and out. Doesn't help when you end up holding traffic coming down from Consett up while people going up in the Consett direction don't stop and let them in. Nowt really exciting about this journey but like i said at the start, briliant bus.