(07 Aug 2024, 5:36 pm)Storx wrote Personally can't see them splitting them up, better keeping them in the same place.
If I had to make predictions I'd say:
21: New Buses
10/10A/10B/12: Ex Angel Streetdeck's
51/52/93/94 B9's: Ex Ten B9's
59/60 Plate B9's: Withdraw 07/57/08 Buses
Technically, they'd be the same as now in terms of split fleets, given 6352-55 being at Riverside. They always have been (Consett/Hexham) or had plans (Consett / Washington pre-covid) to be split . If the X20 rightfully got a downgrade from XLines and ran using other Misc deckers, would be:
Consett:
- 6x E400MMC (incl 2x spare)
- 8x StreetDeck**
- 7x B5TL**
**PVR of 13x with 2x spare
Riverside:
- 1x StreetDeck (6 cylinder)*
- 14x E400MMC*
* PVR of 12x with 3x spare, or no spares if X9 re-instated, full Enviro allocation on X9/X10 with VOR's being covered by Misc spare allocated on X21
As for the StreetDeck cascade idea....I don't think it's a bad shout. However.......
- The 602 (and maybe a bit Blyth engineering) killed off Arriva Northumbria 7430-35 to the extent that Jesmond never sent them out on evenings & Sundays. How would StreetDecks handle the 10/10A/10B if the voith geared Tridents which were of far inferior quality to the modern E400/E400MMC, couldn't handle the 602?
- Volvo B9TL's have always been overkill on the 307 (310/311) & 309 to the extent that GNE tried to retrofit GKN mods. Would it not be better sending Angel StreetDecks to Percy Main and bar the misc workings fleet, have a standardised main fleet of StreetLites & StreetDecks? Then the less leggy Volvo B9TL's currently on the Cobalts, could go on the 10/10A/10B/12 and then cascade down from there as mentioned?