(06 Aug 2013, 2:09 am)ADLEnviro wrote(05 Aug 2013, 1:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote Yeah, the evening services went through that part of Sunderland too at one point.
Nearly sh!t a brick the first time it happened, not knowing the area at all then or being certain I was on the right bus (or indeed if it had changed its route completely and was going no-where near where I lived at the time).
Pretty sure at one point, the Sunday service was ran as two separate services. 638 Sunderland - Rickleton/Heworth and also between two points in Western Gateshead, effectively missing out the Wrekenton - Whickham section.
Something is telling me the Sunderland section on a evening and Sundays was Sunderland to Low Fell then changed to Sunderland to Heworth. Sure the Sunderland to Rickelton evening and Sundays was as the 777 that then changed to Sunderland to Newcastle.
The 638 was Sunderland - Rickleton at one point, with the 777 not running on a Sunday or evening.
When the 638 ran to Heworth, pretty sure that was when the 777 was introduced on a Sunday for the short working to Rickleton.
The evening runs for the 777 - couldn't tell you to be honest. By the mid/late 90's when it did run late, I never had need to use the section before Harraton/Fatfield - it was always the bit after. Its last run towards Sunderland terminated on the A19 junction at Pennywell though, before running light to Chester.
I can't remember the 638 terminating at Low Fell though. Where would it have turned around? To be honest, if it had ran to Low Fell, I probably would have used it.