Nasty photos, but worth it.

3823 on the V8
3830 on the 131.
3859 on the 34A
564 on the 61.
5159 on the 19

(13 Jan 2013, 5:22 pm)Brandon wrote I really like that idea! Langley Park used to have its own hourly service to Sunderland on the X6.



The journey time back in 2003 was around an hour but this will have increased now. Four minutes from Sunderland Interchange to Royal Hospital? No way these days; even on the quicker route omitting the University! But there could be scope for the X25 & X26 to interwork at Langley Park.

In the way back of 1990, the 777 left park Lane bus station on the hour and it was timed at Grindon Mill at 11 minutes past and the X6 only had 6 minutes to get to grindon Mill and the X95 timed off Park Lane 1 minute after the X6 was timed at Grindon Mill 3 minutes later after the X6.

---

(13 Jan 2013, 6:06 pm)W179SCU wrote X25 - Langley Park - Waldridge Park - Chester-le-Street - Portobello - Newcastle

X26 - Langley Park - Waldridge Park - Chester-le-Street - Portobello - Royal Hospital - Sunderland

X27 -Sunderland - Royal Hospital - Birtley - Chester-le-Street - Great Lumley - West Raiton - Belmont - Gilesgate Moor.

What about this instead - Each servcie runs every hour...

Didnt there used to be a 726 Newcastle to Langley Park? and the 725 Newcastle to East (Hedleyhope? spelling might not be right). OK Travel used to do the 727 Newcastle to Birtley then GNE bought OK Travel and the 727 and 777 was merged together (777 Sunderland to Birtley then old 727 route to Newcastle instead of Birtley to Chester-le-street, express services are dead these days, the 700 series of bus services along Newcastle to Chester-le-street corridor were cancelled due to GNE putting a higher frequency of the 21. orginally the X6 went from Sunderland to Consett via Chester-le-street, then the X6 diverted from Chester-le-street upto Langley Park and also diverted via Washington Galleries.

It's not in GNE's commercial interest to create more direct services, as cyncial as this sounds.

It makes more sense for them to make you change at Gateshead, Heworth, Washington, Eldon Square or Chester Le Street so you'll buy your red or purple zone ticket

They'd rather you travelled on the 21 from say, Birtley to Gateshead and then changed to an X66 than put on a full direct service all day. This means they can sell you a day ticket and they hope you'll take out a key card and increase your loyalty

Where there is demand to make an obvious profit (say the limited X22 Chester-Metrocentre or even the X9/X10) they'll run the route of course.

Re- route discussion.

777 was Sunderland - Metrocentre, this replaced the 183 which was Washington-Birtley-Low Fell-Shipcote-Bensham-Metrocentre, then it was axed and replaced with the 77 became Sunderland-Newcastle via Washington area, Barley Mow, Birtley, Wrekenton, QE, Gateshead-Newcastle with later journeys and Sundays ending at Gateshead.

Other 700 series were the 735 from Houghton le Spring to Newcastle via Chester, Birtley, Low Fell which became part of the 21 as the 21A then disappeared. and the 733 became the 28A.

(13 Jan 2013, 6:54 pm)gtomlinson wrote Re- route discussion.

777 was Sunderland - Metrocentre, this replaced the 183 which was Washington-Birtley-Low Fell-Shipcote-Bensham-Metrocentre, then it was axed and replaced with the 77 became Sunderland-Newcastle via Washington area, Barley Mow, Birtley, Wrekenton, QE, Gateshead-Newcastle with later journeys and Sundays ending at Gateshead.

Other 700 series were the 735 from Houghton le Spring to Newcastle via Chester, Birtley, Low Fell which became part of the 21 as the 21A then disappeared. and the 733 became the 28A.

The 777 ran between Sunderland and Newcastle. It was withdrawn in 2006 and the new 28 replaced the 777 between Newcastle and Birtley. The 28 also replaced the 709 and the 728 through Ouston, Pelton, Beamish and other places like that. The rest of the 777 route between Sunderland and Birtley was replaced with the 77, which then continued along Low Fell, Shipcoat, Bensham and then the Metrocentre. There wasn't enough demand for the Sunderland to Birtley section, so the 77 route was reduced so it ran from the Galleries to the Metrocentre. Demand dropped further and it was withdrawn and replaced with the 187 between the Metrocentre and the QE Hospital. Of course that was withdrawn and now exists as part of the 69A.

(13 Jan 2013, 6:54 pm)gtomlinson wrote It's not in GNE's commercial interest to create more direct services, as cyncial as this sounds.

It makes more sense for them to make you change at Gateshead, Heworth, Washington, Eldon Square or Chester Le Street so you'll buy your red or purple zone ticket

They'd rather you travelled on the 21 from say, Birtley to Gateshead and then changed to an X66 than put on a full direct service all day. This means they can sell you a day ticket and they hope you'll take out a key card and increase your loyalty

Where there is demand to make an obvious profit (say the limited X22 Chester-Metrocentre or even the X9/X10) they'll run the route of course.

Re- route discussion.

777 was Sunderland - Metrocentre, this replaced the 183 which was Washington-Birtley-Low Fell-Shipcote-Bensham-Metrocentre, then it was axed and replaced with the 77 became Sunderland-Newcastle via Washington area, Barley Mow, Birtley, Wrekenton, QE, Gateshead-Newcastle with later journeys and Sundays ending at Gateshead.

Other 700 series were the 735 from Houghton le Spring to Newcastle via Chester, Birtley, Low Fell which became part of the 21 as the 21A then disappeared. and the 733 became the 28A.

The 777 was Sunderland to Chester-le-street then the 777 was Sunderland to Newcastle then it turned into a 77 Sunderland to Metro Centre replacing the 183 section then it got withdrawn, as far as i know the 77 never went to Newcastle and i lived on this route in Sunderland during those years. (anybody got a timetable for a 77 Sunderland to Newcastle?)

The 231 and 735 got turned into a 21A every 30 minutes to Houghton with one per hour extending to Hartlepool.

Can anybody remember when the 735 used to be from Newcastle to Seaham Bus Station, and then the Houghton to Seaham got withdrawn and replaced by a secured service 148

i used to travel from the grindon mill on the 183 to the metrocentre, with this journey being an express from washington to metrocentre before operating the 188 back to sunderland. usually operated by leyland nationals. occasionally if i got it from the old park lane, it used to arrive from shields as a 535, in the days of the green, grey & white wear buses livery.

Getting all my 77's and 777's mixed up :s

Only other services I remember that Birtley lost was the 26 Barley Mow-Birtley-Low Fell-Pilgrim St

The 721 which went from Newcastle to Chester Le Street but around the houses in Birtley and via Wrekenton and Old Durham Road. That's never been replaced

Also Birtley had the 23 which went from Malone Gardens - Vigo Bridge, the number still exists as a Nexus service but on a completely different route

PB0003954/365 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Variation Accepted: Operating between Consett Bus Station and Durham Bus Station given service number 15/15a, 815, 822 effective from 10-Mar-2013. To amend Timetable.

Seen a yellow B10 this morning around 7am heading towards Sunderland City Centre also cant confirm but 1 might of still being on it at around 3:50-4pm this afternoon


Fleet changes:
Volvo B7TL/Wright 3942: NK05 GZP has been transferred from Winlaton to Hexham and SPD 8222: V822 ERG from Washington to Deptford.

Ex-London Olympian 3940: R399 LGH has been sold to North East Bus & Coach, Stockton.

Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

One of these MPD's in all-over yellow with an old green flip-dot matrix blind has been operating for Deptford on 99's today. I couldn't catch a fleet number as I ended up catching the Stagecoach 19 back home instead and I just saw this particular MPD passing the other way through misted windows.

(15 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm)Brandon wrote Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

One of these MPD's in all-over yellow with an old green flip-dot matrix blind has been operating for Deptford on 99's today. I couldn't catch a fleet number as I ended up catching the Stagecoach 19 back home instead and I just saw this particular MPD passing the other way through misted windows.

564 rings a bell - I was on the 2A/2C behind it at 16:05!

(15 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm)Brandon wrote Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

I know 563, the QE Hospital shuttle bus, has the newer seat design. I don't think there's any other MPD's with it though.

(15 Jan 2013, 7:51 pm)Adam wrote

(15 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm)Brandon wrote Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

I know 563, the QE Hospital shuttle bus, has the newer seat design. I don't think there's any other MPD's with it though.

im sure one of the street shuttles have it to, not sure

564 has a LED display, was on the 61 on Saturday.

(15 Jan 2013, 8:03 pm)W179SCU wrote 564 has a LED display, was on the 61 on Saturday.

564 was also on the 99 then! :L

Cheers guys! I haven't a clue at all how many have been done, and I'm a bit gutted I missed out on a trip today.

I saw it Seaburn bound on Thompson Road getting close to 5pm, so if you saw 564 at Sunderland at 16:05 then this should have been the same bus I saw. But it definitely had a flip-dot matrix destination with the 99 number, so who knows what happened! Maybe I could have been seeing things and convinced myself I'd seen the 592 instead, but I'd only just passed a Doxford Clipper MPD on the 592 minutes earlier!

I think I read somewhere that one of the Street Shuttles had the new moquette. I thought a canny few MPD's across the fleet had been treated, including some of the East Durham fleet; but it looks like I'm mistaken - they're rather few and far between!

(15 Jan 2013, 8:46 pm)Brandon wrote Cheers guys! I haven't a clue at all how many have been done, and I'm a bit gutted I missed out on a trip today.

I saw it Seaburn bound on Thompson Road getting close to 5pm, so if you saw 564 at Sunderland at 16:05 then this should have been the same bus I saw. But it definitely had a flip-dot matrix destination with the 99 number, so who knows what happened! Maybe I could have been seeing things and convinced myself I'd seen the 592 instead, but I'd only just passed a Doxford Clipper MPD on the 592 minutes earlier!

I think I read somewhere that one of the Street Shuttles had the new moquette. I thought a canny few MPD's across the fleet had been treated, including some of the East Durham fleet; but it looks like I'm mistaken - they're rather few and far between!

Positive it was 564. I could be wrong, but I am fairly positive. I had considered jumping off the bus at the Royal Hospital to get a photo, that's why I mentally logged the fleet number :L
Reason why I didn't was because the 78 was running early. It's meant to run a minute or two after the 2A/C, so that would have been perfect timing (to jump off the 2A/C, get a photo of the 99 and jump on the 78) but it managed to overtake the 2A/C at the University - despite the 2A/C leaving a minute early by the clock on the front of the bus!
I've seen a few on the 202 with the new moquette too! One may have been done for Street Shuttle brand too - not sure.

(15 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm)Brandon wrote Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

One of these MPD's in all-over yellow with an old green flip-dot matrix blind has been operating for Deptford on 99's today. I couldn't catch a fleet number as I ended up catching the Stagecoach 19 back home instead and I just saw this particular MPD passing the other way through misted windows.

Could it not have been 542? 564/565 both have LED blinds, and East Durham MPDs 502, 535 and 541 have all had their seats recovered

"Nexus" branded Solo SR on the 42 this morning - arriving to Park Lane at around 08:20am!
And I luckily managed to catch it on the evening, they hadn't taken it off! http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/8386529835/

Also managed to get a few other odd ones:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgraha...otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgraha...otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgraha...otostream/

Chose not to upload the other oddities that I managed to catch - they were worse than the ones of the Fast Cats vehicles! :L

A "Fab Fifty Six" Scania was on the 60 again today - second day in a row.

Anyone have any idea what's going on with Deptford's allocations lately? All of the branded Scanias are making their way out onto any service... Are they covering for Versas for some reason?

(17 Jan 2013, 9:21 pm)Daniel wrote A "Fab Fifty Six" Scania was on the 60 again today - second day in a row.

Anyone have any idea what's going on with Deptford's allocations lately? All of the branded Scanias are making their way out onto any service... Are they covering for Versas for some reason?

Simplicity 8327 was having a run out on the X35 yesterday, surprised me when I passed it in Hartlepool while doing a 36!

(17 Jan 2013, 9:39 pm)tyresmoke wrote

(17 Jan 2013, 9:21 pm)Daniel wrote A "Fab Fifty Six" Scania was on the 60 again today - second day in a row.

Anyone have any idea what's going on with Deptford's allocations lately? All of the branded Scanias are making their way out onto any service... Are they covering for Versas for some reason?

Simplicity 8327 was having a run out on the X35 yesterday, surprised me when I passed it in Hartlepool while doing a 36!

As was a "Drifter" branded Versa! But if this is the only reason why branded Scanias are making their way onto the 60/61; as a result, other branded Scanias are being put on other services in their place like an ongoing cycle, that's down to Go North East, and really doesn't suffice as a good enough reason for it happening..!

(15 Jan 2013, 11:34 pm)dans_bus_photos wrote

(15 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm)Brandon wrote Does anyone know how many MPD's are now carrying the newer style blue seat moquette?

One of these MPD's in all-over yellow with an old green flip-dot matrix blind has been operating for Deptford on 99's today. I couldn't catch a fleet number as I ended up catching the Stagecoach 19 back home instead and I just saw this particular MPD passing the other way through misted windows.

Could it not have been 542? 564/565 both have LED blinds, and East Durham MPDs 502, 535 and 541 have all had their seats recovered

Quite possibly! There was an East Durham MPD on the 592 this evening, so maybe vehicles swapping depots between Deptford and Peterlee happens more often than reported. But it must have replaced 564 somewhere on the route because 564 was seen at Sunderland.

Just noticed on GNE FB now -

Ross Alan Cording
Hi, whats happened to the Bobby Robson livery on the X25?
Like · · 2 hours ago

Go North East Ross, the decision was made to have buses with this livery used on other services so that more of our customers could see it.
2 hours ago · Like

Ross Alan Cording What route has this been transferred to? Will the X25 get a new theme?

I wonder if the additional services are, or will include, the 13/14 since they run to/from Langley Park too.

Buses haven't been as disrupted today as I might have thought, at least the local Sunderland services anyway. My metro from Benton was late so missed the connecting metro to catch the 99 from Seaburn. I was counting on the 99 being late but it was actually on time and sailed past while I was waiting to cross, it was empty I think. I waited for the 19 instead, that was on-time too, and I was the only one on! These two services are rather long, circuitous routes so it was definitely a surprise to see them on-time despite the worsening weather. Seems everyone must have dove indoors for the snow...

Let's try this again... ;-)


Aha, I'd seen the "East Durham" MPD today and I tried to get to Park Lane to catch it but I didn't actually manage to get there on-time - all the traffic lights were against my 2A
I doubt the photo would have come out brilliantly anyway... I spotted a "Lambton Worm" Prestige on the 8 to Sunderland with a "BAGGAGE ZONE" destination blind - something along those lines? I had hoped the same destination blind (but with the number 78 instead) would be there on the journey back to Consett, but unfortunately not... And the photo came out hideously too to make everything even worse!

I also noticed that earlier, but didn't think to post it here! I was rather intrigued indeed and I was annoyed to see Go North East ignored his question in response to their reply.

All of my Sunderland-based services have been running on-time too, and even more surprisingly, so has the "Lime" 8/78! The only disruption that this service has is the vehicles being used on it! While out and about today, I only saw two "Lime" branded Vehicles in total, with a "Lambton Worm" Prestige and two vehicles carrying the generic "Northern" livery being the others. Didn't spot any Omnicitys though, which makes a change!
Yet another blizzard has hit Sunderland over the past hour or so, so I'll be looking out to see how well buses are coping tomorrow. Areas outside of Tyne & Wear are forecast for a lot worse snow than the cities are within Tyne & Wear, so I'm going to make my way out to the bad weather tomorrow: Chester-le-Street, Consett, Stanley, Durham and Bishop Auckland... Will be my first opportunity to get some decent photos in the snow!

Good luck getting out and about! It's coming down a right blizzard in Southwick now and it's getting rather deep now! I'm just looking forward to a bit of a lie-in in the morning, but I'll have to head out to Sunderland at some point to renew my One pass and then off across to Hylton Castle in the afternoon, will get the 99 for that.

My experiences with the 8/78 have been mostly ok. But then again it's not everyday I'm using the route! In the past I've found that drivers on the Sunday 78/78A's are a bit hard-pressed for time, but nothing too major really.

Finishing school at 16:00, the 16:08 #78 used to be the bus I got back home every day pre-11th November changes - with the only exception being when the 16:00 #2A was rather late indeed or I got out 5 minutes early and effectively managed to catch it when it was running on-time... Now it's the 16:07 #2A - which I can gladly say has not departed late once since I started getting it from 11th Nov. onwards!

It was a lot worse then than it is now, but it's still not perfect. I'd say three out of five days a week at the very least, it leaves late. And by 'late', that's anything from 2 minutes late to 12 minutes late.
By the time it gets to The Wavendon public house on Chester Road (my stop), it has to battle the rush hour traffic - causing it to have an additional ten minutes lateness.

I've had some problems with the 78/78A on Sundays too, running up to 20 minutes late.

Primary objective of this forum post was just to alert you all that Metro replacement service 900 operates from today for two days (see below):

19th January - No trains Shiremoor to Whitley Bay
All day Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 January, to allow for modernisation work. Bus replacment service 900 will call at or close to all stations between Shiremoor and Whitley Bay. Please leave extra time for your journey.
Bus replacement stopping points
Saturday 19 bus replacement timetable
Sunday 20 bus replacement timetable


But also some Go North East diversions over the next couple of days too:


21st January - Routes 26 and 26A in Castletown
Castletown Way, Sunderland, will be closed for resurfacing between North Hylton Road and Wessington Way between 8am and 6pm from Monday 21 January for up to three days. Routes 26 & 26A are unable to serve North Hylton Road and Fern Avenue during these times, and will divert from Sunderland Road via Stoney Lane, Alexandra Avenue, Hylton Park Road, Timber Beach Road and Colima Avenue to Castletown, in both directions.

20th January - Routes 39 & 42 - Borough Road/Tavistock Place, Sunderland
Toward Road will be closed between Borough Road and Tavistock Place from 8am to 4pm (approximately) on Sunday 20 January 2013. The closure is required for works in connection with the Better Bus Improvement Programme.
Go North East services 39 and 42 will divert from Toward Road via Peel Street, Salem Road and Tatham Street to Borough Road, in both directions, omitting one stop (Toward Road – The Mowbray).


I'll hopefully be out on the go taking photos of the 39 and 42 on diversion tomorrow, and also I should get a photo of the Metro replacement 900 service too. Go North East are operating it today and I'd assume they were operating it tomorrow - but anything's possible!

Today:
4936 on the X35
564 on the X3
519 on the 38/61s
Has anyone seen 4973/4 lately? i havent seen them for awhile so im assuming theyve gone to Thorntons to be refurbished.

I believe I have the most recent photos of both...

4973 on December 21st 2012, unusually working "Fab Fifty Six" service 56 to Newcastle.
4974 during the Boxing Day madness, working "MetroLink" service M1 to Houghton-le-Spring.

If they are being refurbished, that answers a previous question of mine as to why allocations have gone to pot! To cover for the two missing vehicles, other Scanias are being used on the X35, causing those services to be without the necessary amount of vehicles required for the service, resulting in odd allocations. A month is a bit excessive though, surely?

I thought it was odd this morning seeing Fast Cats X35 leaflets stocked in the SimpliCity Versa (36) I was on! I am a bit surprised that the spare Versa hasn't been re-painted into Northern Red yet.

(19 Jan 2013, 9:17 pm)Brandon wrote I thought it was odd this morning seeing Fast Cats X35 leaflets stocked in the SimpliCity Versa (36) I was on! I am a bit surprised that the spare Versa hasn't been re-painted into Northern Red yet.

I've noticed a hell of a lot of branded service leaflets being stocked in the wrong vehicles - that's not just Deptford either!
The 78 I was on today had leaflets for the 50 on it...