(19 Apr 2022, 4:10 pm)54APhotography wrote The patternation during school terms means rather than dead mileages the 18 normally starts at Seaburn with the one Wheatsheaf E400 that ends at Whitburn, the others head down the A19 and drop onto 13/16/20. Stark contrast to the dead mileage of the Walkergate buses that they provide daily
One of Sunderland’s Scholars boards does Scholars 827 from Mile End Road to Harton Academy then Scholars 802 from Harton Academy to Whitburn academy before picking up Service 18 at Seaburn. On an afternoon the same bus runs off at Fawcett Street just after half two, picking up Scholars 827 running from St Wilfrids RC College to Jarrow.
Another of Sunderland’s Scholars boards does Scholars 542 from Low Simonside to Boldon School then runs onto Service 16. On an afternoon the same bus runs off at Hastings Hill at 20 past 2 and picks up Service 556 at St Josephs Catholic Academy, operating to South Shields Interchange. Unlike the board running off the 18, this vehicle returns to service in Sunderland after the scholars, picking up Service 16 at half four, from Hastings Hill and operates through til end of service.
The rest of Sunderland’s Scholars boards interwork with Services 99/939 utilising two vehicles. One does a 939 then 801 the picks up Service 99 before running off onto an afternoon 939 to end the day. The second only operates in the afternoon, running light to Durham to operate the St Leonards SL06 then runs light to Team Valley to pick up a 939.
There are no Scholars boards on Services 13 or 20.