(10 Feb 2013, 12:09 pm)Michael wrote To many, the newer MAN's are quite good but the older ones are starting to get worse and worse.
If Sunderland do get buses, they probley's be E200... shame because sometimes i think we need deckers.
Sunderland don't need Deckers - as proved by the fact they never replaced their Leyland Olympians back in 2006 with cascaded Volvo Olympians. The only depot that doesn't currently have a LF alloation of deckers that needs deckers for front-line work is Stockton, but likelihood is that it will never happen with the current management in change (although from details I've heard, that might be changing shortly).
As for the MANs, here at Stockton we have a sandwich effect - the S/T/V-regs are starting to show their ages (22671 looks brand new inside and out now it's been refurbished), the 03-reg examples are the best and the 54-reg examples are more-trouble than they are worth (they run hotter than the others, so overheat quicker on the summer).
(10 Feb 2013, 12:13 pm)dans_bus_photos wrote SUnderland are getting some E200s this year ive herd to replace the darts, and apparently some gas busses to replace the MANs. Sunderland dont need decekers on any of their routes really, i agree there busy on a morning and night but they never leave anyone at a bus stop, and its a every 10 minute frequency so there isnt long to wait for another one.
21 E200s due in the Autumn, and yes the Gas Buses (Scania K230UB/E300s) are the ones that depend on funding.
(10 Feb 2013, 12:18 pm)Michael wrote Ive also heard Gas buses, the darts are ok but some routes sometimes do need bigger buses.
How many darts have Sunderland got, cant find a fleet list for stagecoach NE
Can't be looking hard enough for a fleetlist, try this:
http://northeastbus.co.uk/companies/sne/snefleetlist.htm