Walk into Brockely Whins Metro to find a Metro just pulling in to the station, Thought id use my football and sprinting skils to make the metro ( I am the fastest in year 7 if you didn't know... not being big headed! ) Sadly it didn't pay off missing the metro by a fraction so I took my time and found out the next metro was in only 7 minutes so a quick check on my phone to see what my friends are doing and in a flash my metro appears.
Journey 1 Brockely Whins Metro - Heworth Metro Metrocars 4034 and Unknown rear Metrocar ( Both Refurbished )
This journey was packed London underground style, I only managed to squeeze in with me faceplanting the door till Heworth and with Hot days comes the sweat off everyone exactly like Marcuses journey on the 40. This metrocar was excellent with no rattles or vibrations of the wheels just that noise from the articulated section
and finnaly I arrive at Heworth.....
I thought id wait for the 93 to Gateshead then the 95 or 96 to the Metrocentre to ride one of the ex Lime B10s but that didn't work then I remember that the train after mine at Brockely Whins showed Not Stopping after mine so I thought I would go down to the National Rail platforms to see what it was suspecting it was a Northern 142 to appear, a quick on realtime trains shows the train as being a Coal from Drax power station to Tyne Dock via Hartlepool and of course that would turn off at Boldon East Curve in the end not passing Heworth I then head for the 4 to Concord
Journey 2 Heworth Bus Interchange - Concord Bus Station Mercedes Banz Citaro 5360 (sorry forgot the time! )
I actually waited 17 minutes for the 4 and then 2 come at once! worrying about my X88 connection to the Metrocentre a jump on board and sit at the very front seats next to the doors and we get going. The driver was alright speed wise but for some reason decided to hold at 40 MPH on the road between Follingsby and Usworth .
the bus was full of passengers more people paying than OAP passes showing this has to be one of GNEs most profitable routes. Arriving into Concord 7 mins after the X88, and of course it runs every hour! so I have no choice but to wait.
I didn't know but Concord is Chav Central and some noticed I was wearing more expensive joggers and nike trainers than his dirty ones so started talking about me behind the shelter to his mates, if he was a bit younger and had less mates I probably had a fight with him or row with him but because he looked around 16/17 and had about 8 mates with him a thought it was best to hop onto the oncoming Citaro bound for the Galleries, catching the X88 from there....
Journey 3 Concord Bus Station - Washington Galleries Bus Station Mercedes Benz Citaro 5367 (sorry forgot the time! )
Just a quick journey of around 5 minuetes so nothing to comment about it really.
While in the Galleries a got board so decided to jog round to the retail park stop and catch it there, Then chatting to my friends again until something came that I was not expecting....
Journey 4 Washington Retail Park - Metrocentre Bus Station Volvo B7TL Plaxton President 6011
While in the Galleries I seen 3963 on the X88 back to Chav Central so thinking that it would return for me to ride to the Metrocentre but instead 6011 turns up sitting at the back of the bottom deck. The bus struggled a bit on little gradients but I suppose nearly all ex London B7s are like this, we then suddenly turn off at the Angel of the North going through low fell,Dunston and other areas eventually ending up at the Metrocentre with a very healthy amount of passengers waiting for the return journey. My dad then calls me and says hes in KFC next to the Bus Station so meet him there 2 and a half hours after leaving him and mam and sister at home.
so I tuck into my KFC and chat to my dad and then leave him again my dad going to look around the shops with my mam and me heading to Consett to find a Trident.
Journey 5 Metrocentre Interchage - Consett Bus Station Wright Streetshite Micro Hybrid 5401
So desperate to ride a Red Kite Branded Streetshite I waited and guess what turns up? a corporate one! at least it was one from the Lime order or Coast and Country.
I hated this journey because of one thing...it was a Streetlite theres only 3 windows all at the front, the heating is always on, the seats are shocking and the E leather
Don't get me started on GNEs E leather it is disgusting arrgh!! atleast the scenery was nice, never been on the 45 before if only they had the Omnicities back thankfully arriving into Consett just before I nearly fainted off the heating!! and what do I see?
A trident on the X70!! and its a loylne,3876 to be exact.
Journey 6 Consett Bus Station - Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station Dennis Trident East Lancs Loylne 3876
Jumping off the Streetshite I ran to the Trident, I didn't really have time to have a look around the Bus Station but at east I got what I came out for.
This Trident is so good compared to others,who gets rid of these? I certainly wouldn't. True Workhorses with a great engine noise to go with it.it also had original seating and yellow bars and also original door bell pressers which I have not seen since stagecoach had Mini step entrance Darts with Alexander dash bodies and that was 7 years ago! the route is spectacular with views as far as Cumbria and the borders from my nippy loylne with the trident handling the hills and fast running with ease and comfort
not a E leather seat in sight! sadly this might be one if not last ride on one of my favourite buses from my childhood I remember riding this exact bus on the 50 from Sheilds all the way to Durham when it was based at Chester when I was around 3 years old before it moved to Sunderland Road
These buses replacements are also true powerful and trustworthy buses but them Scanias will never make me forget these Tridents.
Arriving into Eldon Square I decide to walk round to the Monument to catch the 27 to Jarrow everywhere is packed like normal.
Journey 7 Newcastle Monument - Jarrow Bus Station Mercedes Benz Citaro 5310
With a queue as long as long as long as a football pitch I doubted I would make this citaro but managed to make it on catching my favourite seat which was for some reason not taken driver done a few kickdowns and the bus quietened down after Monkton Lane and Hebburn arriving into a very quiet Jarrow bus station having just missed my 88 strait to my front door I waited for the 5...
Journey 8 Jarrow Bus Station - Lakes Estate A19 Bridge ( Banana Bridge ) Scania L94UB Wright Eclipse Solar 4966
Having Volvo B7RLE 4982 working the X40 in Monument earlier I knew one bus out of the usual 4 would not be one of my beloved B7RLEs and of course I catch it!
When the Scania pulled onto its stand I noticed it had been fitted with Eminox like the Solars of the Highwayman and Prince Bishops making this Solar Euro 5 compliant
Nothing much to comment on really just the ZF gearbox was slipping and the engine had that spraying sound normally found in Omnicities there was 8 passengers on over my 10 minute journey
with my house in sight all I had to do was either walk or run the 3 quarter mile route across the A19 into Brockely Whins and up the road home.
Thought id time myself running nonstop the 3 quarter mile doing it in 3 mins 43 seconds! im sure I said I am one of the fastest in my school
Also note DAF SB120 Wright Cadets 8248 and 8252 still in service working Staff Shuttle and the 82A respectively.
Thanks for reading my very long review, Have a good weekend!