(28 Jul 2014, 7:47 pm)Dan wrote Certainly aren't doing one a day, as they've been doing them for a while now... Before we've recently started to discuss the modifications being performed, that's for sure.
Only 14 in every 28 days should we see a full branded vehicle allocation, and that's down to GNE servicing the vehicles frequently (although Stagecoach does it even more frequently).
This is of course before we take into account other factors. Take the bus in Houghton the other day... It had to remain off the road the following day, due to the accident. Not anything to do with the lack of reliability. A window is smashed by local youths in Houghton - the bus has to be VOR for a day or two... The possibilities are endless (and most of these possibilities would be the same if newer stock was on the 20 too).
Mid-day changeovers (both removing and adding branded vehicles) are frequent. Vehicles can be removed if they are showing early signs of facing issues, and vehicles can be put back into service if engineering has fixed the issue. Your sightings, much like mine, are probably based at random times around the clock. You may find 4934 allocated at 8am on your journey, but who is to say that wasn't replaced by 5213 come 11o'clock?
Long story short: mechanically, the Solars on the 20 aren't in a bad condition. Although corporate liveried vehicles regularly creep up on the service, the same can be said about almost every branded service too.
Make your mind up man
Are they fitting one a day or not - cos you said they were just a few moments ago... :p