Had a great day out today with a North East Explorer.

07:51 X21 4934 Chester-le-Street Black Horse to Newcastle Eldon Square
As my outings tend to be restricted to Saturdays only, with the only opportunities for a weekday outing being in the school holidays, I decided I would catch one of the duplicate X21 runs through to Newcastle, rather than the usual Streetdeck. After waking up at about 06:30, I left my house at about 07:25, arriving at the Black Horse bus stop soon after. I had a wait of around five minutes, before I sighted one of the Scania L94UB saloons that usually operates this board (I think it goes back to the depot two or three times over the course of the day). Had one of the long-serving drivers behind the wheel, one of those faces that you see a lot of over the years and get used to, he used to take me to school a lot on the 21 and X25 (driving unit 1) prior to the rota amalgamation in July 2014, but now I see him, like all of the drivers, on every route. Was a nice trip through to Newcastle, made a change to the usual Streetdeck that I have now become fairly accustomed to on the X21.

08:38 X10 7607 Newcastle Haymarket to Cramlington Manor Walks
As I'd bought an Explorer, I decided I'd head north after arrival in Newcastle; crossing to Haymarket and observing the selection that was before me. A Coastliner Hybrid B5LH and Streetlite were present, along with two Sapphire Enviro400s, a MAX Pulsar and a Gemini on the expresses to Blyth, a Jesmond OmniCity on the 43 to Cramlington and a couple of Solos on the local services. I opted to catch the MAX Gemini, 7607, on the X10. The VDL DB300s are a mixed bag for many. Some seem to have a bitter disliking for them, while some appreciate them for the service they have provided over the last few years. 7607 being one of the older batch of DB300s, new in 2009 in the batch that consisted of 15 vehicles registered on 59-plates (7601-7615). I've made a few journeys on the MAX Geminis at Blyth before, and found this one was quite enjoyable. Managed to get up to some speeds when heading up the motorway. 

09:16 X8 1503 Cramlington Manor Walks to Blyth Bus Station
My last experience of a MAX Pulsar was, to my memory, was 1408 on the X16 up to Morpeth. The 09-plate Pulsars are known for their ability to pull like a train with what at times seems like unlimited power, but as Blyth only have an allocation of 6 Pulsars (1493 and 1501-1505), I knew I wouldn't be able to land an 09-plate on the X8 that I chose to connect onto after alighting 7607 at Manor Walks. I observed the Gemini depart, returning the middle finger to two ghastly, chavvy girls of around the same age as me (was a completely random thing for them to do, I just looked up to see them banging on the front window and sticking their fingers up; the pride of Cramlington). 1503 soon arrived, and I boarded to find a rather chirpy chap was behind the wheel. Was a smooth and punctual ride into Blyth, and I alighted in the bus station.

10:10 308 7802 Blyth Bus Station to Whitley Bay Town Centre
Following about twenty minutes of photos in Blyth, during which time I photographed 7458 (T313 FGN - a unique vehicle in the Arriva fleet, having been acquired from Classic I believe, and the only remaining ALX400 from it's batch, carrying a pre-millenial registration plate) parked up out of service, but annoyingly missed one of the Commanders on the 1. I don't recall ever making a journey behind one of the Commanders, something I shall have to put right soon, as I'd like to see what they're like for myself. As they have effectively a Cadet body and Pulsar chassis, I'd be willing to bet they're a fantastic ride. Two of the trio are driven by 3-speed gearboxes, while one of them has a 4-speed. After a sufficient amount of time in Blyth, I decided my next move would be one of the Coastliner Hybrids on the 308 down to Whitley Bay. I find that these Hybrids, which are exactly the same as the fifteen that Go North East use at my nearest depot, Chester-le-Street, on the 21 service, are in finer fettle than their equivalent at the competing company. 7802 provided a good ride down the coast, I observed that the Optare Metrorider that is used as the ''Butty Bus'' is still kicking around.

10:48 17 5153 Whitley Bay Town Centre to North Shields Town Centre
The next ride was ex-Oxford Bus Company Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 5153. Part of a batch of a batch of twenty one B10s that migrated north from Oxford a few years ago, 5153 is now a resident at Percy Main, having been modified to be DDA-compliant last year, in order to carry on it's service life for a while longer until newer vehicles joined the fleet. 5153 was one of the lucky ones, as some of it's siblings were in too poor a shape to justify being kept. As this one was still required for haulage, I thought I'd take the chance to have a ride on it before it goes. I noted how clean the interior was, still retaining red and yellow stopping bells from it's career in Oxford, which I thought was quite nostalgic. While I was expecting this to be very laggy and dragging along like a dog on a leash that doesn't want to go for a walk, I was quite surprised at how quick off the mark it was, with it's gearbox hardly slipping at all. 

11:18 310 6113 North Shields Town Centre to Newcastle Haymarket
After alighting 5153 in North Shields, I photographed 5166, another ex-Oxford B10BLE, on Rudyerd Street with a 9 for Sunderland. Volvo B9TL 6113 arrived with a 310 back to Newcastle, and I decided I'd catch this as far as Battle Hill Drive, then one of the Percy Main Solo SRs across to Wallsend on the indiGo 40/41 services. I am a fan of the B9TL; they're powerful, provide a smooth journey, and are overall a pretty good bus. About twenty years into the future, I can see the vehicle type being held in the same regard as the Leyland Olympian by enthusiasts in the north east, much like the Dennis Trident Enviro400s could be seen in the same light as the Leyland Atlanteans that once roamed the streets of Newcastle. I was expecting a driver changeover to take place near Percy Main, but the driver continued onwards to Newcastle, as did I; I was too comfortable where I was to be bothered to alight at Battle Hill Drive.

12:13 6 3831 Newcastle Eldon Square to Metrocentre Interchange
When I got back to Haymarket, I was overjoyed to see a Yellow Bus Olympian was on Percy Street. To my jubilance, it was 3831; arguably the best of the Volvo Olympians left in service. My last ride on an Olympian was at the Metrocentre Rally, where I had a ride out on 3818, one of the three at Riverside that are confined to the Jewish scholars, when it was taken out for a spin by Ben Stoves. Of the five still left in service at Stanley, my opinion is that 3831 is the best. It feels the most powerful and is just an amazing ride when you have the right sort of driver on it. The classical Volvo/ZF driveline produces a beastly sound from the high horsepower engine, and the ZF was clearly heard on 3831. It will be a sad day when the last Olympian is withdrawn from public service, and with the news of more Scania OmniDekkas due to arrive from Brighton & Hove, these fine machines have been finally sentenced to the scrapyard. 

12:50 6 3832 Metrocentre Interchange to Newcastle Eldon Square
As I received a tip-off that 3832 was on the Red Kite 45/46/47 services, I realised it was to be the 12:44 departure from the Metrocentre back to Newcastle, so I decided I'd stick around for it. As we approached the Metrocentre, I noticed that 3814 was also out in service, standing in the Newcastle-bound stand with the 6. I couldn't believe my luck, as 3814 is the only one of the Olympians that is required for haulage, but it departed just as I got to the exit doors. Bugger. I stuck around for about fifteen minutes, and 3832 fortunately showed up. I was really tempted to get 4923, one of the only remaining unrefurbished B10BLEs which is imminently due to be withdrawn, on the 67 service, but stuck with 3832. The Olympians are fewer in number, although the B10s are going thick and fast. 3832 is renowned for being a bit of a boneshaker, and one of the poorer performers, much like 3822, which has a belt that is always slipping, but it sounded almost as good as 3831 when I took my seat right next to the engine (seat had no padding - which was a shame), although 3831 is always going to be my favourite of the Olympians. Even if 3822 is a former Chester-le-Street resident...

13:21 T&W Metro 4047 + 4065 Haymarket to South Shields
As I was on an Explorer, I decided I would go for a trip on the Metro. As I'd not done the Coast line from Newcastle to South Shields in some time, I decided to have a trip to South Shields. Walked through to Haymarket Metro from Eldon Square and descended into the station. Fortunately, a service to South Shields was imminently due. I always have a tendency to live in hope of 4001 whenever I travel on the Metro. It carries the iconic yellow and cream Tyne & Wear PTE livery that it wore when the Metro opened in 1980, and retains the interior to match it. Although I've heard the unrefurbished sets are awful to ride on, it's something I'd still love to do, just so that I've done it. I have a thing for unrefurbished things; such as Tridents 3875 and 3878 at Chester-le-Street. It is the nostalgic atmosphere that one feels on them, if anything. After a nice ride from Haymarket, I arrived into South Shields just after ten-to-two.

14:02 T&W Metro 4034 + 4058 South Shields to Gateshead
After walking out of the Metro station, observing a boisterous fruit seller shouting his offers at people (much like the guy in Durham), and then out onto Kepple Street to find that the place looked worse than Stanley and Peterlee, I retreated back to the Metro station. The set I had just come in on was now on it's way back to do another run around the coast circuit, and the next set came in about five minutes later, comprising of 4034 and 4058. I am a rare user of the Metro system to begin with, only ever when on an Explorer, and that tends to be restricted to the Green line (Airport-South Hylton). A fun fact; when the extension to Sunderland was opened in 2002, the Metro became the first light rail system in the UK to bring in the Karlsruhe Model, which involves a tram/train/light rail system/whatever (as long as it's two different things that run on rails) operating on the same set of tracks, as the Metro shares some sections of the Green line with the Durham Coast Line. 

14:47 X25 6038 Gateshead Interchange to Chester-le-Street Red Lion
One of my driver friends contacted me, telling me that he was due to be the 14:25 X25 from Newcastle. I therefore alighted the Metro at Gateshead Interchange, and waited around the stand for the 14:35 X21 to Langley Park. On schooldays, this journey finishes at Chester-le-Street at 15:06 and operates a scholars duty, unless the boards have changed. During the holidays, it does a return trip to Langley Park. Running twelve minutes late when it got to Gateshead, I was quite happy to see it was Crook-based Volvo B7TL 6038. A vehicle that only visits Chester-le-Street for maintenance, it occasionally sees use in service at the depot. I was amazed at how quickly it climbed the arduous Old Durham Road, must be one of the fastest ex-London Presidents I've encountered in some time. My friend was relieved by another driver at Chester-le-Street for the run to Langley Park, and I decided to head to Durham next. He's on a backshift today, so he won't be finishing until later tonight. My thoughts are with him.

15:23 X12 7620 Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Durham Bus Station
The next move was my second DB300 of the day, 7620, on the 15:26 X12 through to Durham. All of the MAX X12-branded DB300s feel the same to me, with only their livery and differing ages (7609 and 7610 being 59-plates, and 7618-20/26/27 on 61-plates) being the distinguishable factor for me. As I've done the Chester-le-Street-Durham route via the A167, Pity Me and Framwellgate Moor more times than I'd like to think, the route does hardly anything for me. It's just an opportunity to sit down and spend about fifteen-twenty minutes on my phone, or flick through my photos from the day so far. Upon arrival at Durham, I got a few photos and had a wander down North Road, before returning to the bus station for about ten to four. 

15:55 21 6068 Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Clifford Terrace
The last journey of the day came in the form of Volvo B5LH 6068, almost identical (aside from the higher roof option that Go North East's are) to the Coastliner Hybrid I sampled earlier in the day. I don't use the Hybrids anywhere near as much as I used to these days, and I pity the drivers who have to drive them for sometimes up to five hours. While they still hold some appeal to me, as they were one of the things that re-sparked my interest in buses back in late 2012, just after starting secondary school, they've deteriorated in condition, with gearboxes sometimes randomly banging around, and rattles becoming more prevalent with each journey I make on one. Let's not forget the brilliantly cleaned interior... I alighted at my local bus stop at about 16:15, and walked home from there.

Was a great day out. Two Olympian rides and a B10BLE. Thanks for reading.