If you like Pulsars, then you should try out one of the newer examples on the 24, sometime. It's not an unchallenging route, either, as it leaves Durham - they're really good on steep banks and sound great, too.

It's also possible to do all the places you mention on an arriva day ticket instead of an explorer, saving you a couple of quid. If you travel to Peterlee, then you can change onto the 21 for Darlington or the 21A for Stockton & Boro - that's often an OmniDekka of the unrestrained variety. A bit tired inside, but a bit of a rollercoaster ride on some of the windy country roads and put the Pulsars to shame going uphill - they're not limited to 50mph like the GNE ones and really have a lot of oomph.

(21 Sep 2015, 9:10 pm)BusLoverMum wrote If you like Pulsars, then you should try out one of the newer examples on the 24, sometime. It's not an unchallenging route, either, as it leaves Durham - they're really good on steep banks and sound great, too.

I managed to get him on one between Peterlee and Sunderland on Air Show day.

(21 Sep 2015, 9:18 pm)aureolin wrote I managed to get him on one between Peterlee and Sunderland on Air Show day.

I'm guessing on the 22? That bit of the route doesn't really show off what they can do. The terrain is a lot less flat between Durham and Peterlee!

(21 Sep 2015, 9:18 pm)aureolin wrote I managed to get him on one between Peterlee and Sunderland on Air Show day.

It was really more a case of ''right we're getting the next bus to Sunderland and out of this god awful place''.

(21 Sep 2015, 9:10 pm)BusLoverMum wrote If you like Pulsars, then you should try out one of the newer examples on the 24, sometime. It's not an unchallenging route, either, as it leaves Durham - they're really good on steep banks and sound great, too.

It's also possible to do all the places you mention on an arriva day ticket instead of an explorer, saving you a couple of quid. If you travel to Peterlee, then you can change onto the 21 for Darlington or the 21A for Stockton & Boro - that's often an OmniDekka of the unrestrained variety. A bit tired inside, but a bit of a rollercoaster ride on some of the windy country roads and put the Pulsars to shame going uphill - they're not limited to 50mph like the GNE ones and really have a lot of oomph.

Did that last on an ex GNE Prestige last summer. Love the section between North Tees and Peterlee.

(21 Sep 2015, 9:33 pm)R852 PRG wrote It was really more a case of ''right we're getting the next bus to Sunderland and out of this god awful place''.

I can believe that. Even the husband avoids the place as much as possible and his family lives there!

Saturday 26th September 2015 – Lothian Buses Doors Open Day 2015

I'd never been to Edinburgh for transport before, prior to yesterday, so it was something I was looking forward to. As I'd decided to skip the Open Day last year, I opted to attend this year, as the weekend happens to fall on my birthday (it's on the upcoming Tuesday if anybody is interested), and I'm started to expand my horizons and visit new places now. After booking my train tickets and deciding which bus ticket I was going to require, I did a bit of research into the Lothian network and the latest additions to their fleet so I could map out some ideas.

1S03 – Newcastle Central Railway Station to Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station – (08:39 --- 10:25) – Virgin Trains East Coast Class 43 43272 and Class 43 43206 – InterCity 125 Set
When I checked Real Time Trains for some allocations, and discovered that 1S03 (the 08:42 service from Newcastle) was a High Speed Train (HST, or a Class 43 to some) as it ran on to Aberdeen (the line of which is not electrified, meaning Class 91s cannot be used as they require electrified lines, whereas a Class 43 can be used as they are diesel and don't need electrification), I decided to book that train up to Edinburgh. I don't actually know what my fascination with HSTs is. When I frequently have discussions with citaro5284 about trains, he tells me that he finds the Class 91s more comfortable to ride, they're more convenient as the guard has to slam all of the doors shut on Class 43s at stations, and the Class 91s are more modern than them. I can't say I disagree with him. But it's something about me; I love older and more historic items in life. The Class 43 was absolutely revolutionary at the time it first entered service, it was like nothing the people had ever seen before. Then the Class 91 was just a slight upgrade/improvement. They're just iconic trains and I always look forward to a ride in one. When my dad and I arrived at the station, we sat in the Costa on Platform 3 until 08:30, when we moved across to Platform 2, which the 08:42 was due to depart from. Within a few minutes, it rolled into the station, and we located the flag for Coach G, which we were booked in. An Asian was sat in our seats, so we had to ask her to move. When I messaged Adrian about this, claiming victory, he misinterpreted my words and thought I was actually being highly racist. I probably should have expanded on what I said in my message to him, rather than ''just booted an Asian hahahah''. Anyway, Coach G was swarmed with what appeared to be a hen party. They made such a racket that I resorted to listening to my music. Following stops at Morpeth; Berwick-upon-Tweed; and Dunbar, we rolled into Edinburgh Waverley more-or-less on time. 

#34 – Princes Street, Edinburgh City Centre to Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre – (11:03 --- 11:38) – Lothian Buses 561 – Volvo B5LH/Wright Gemini 3 – ''Madder and White''
As I'd seen 43272 was leading the train at Newcastle Central; I just needed to identify the rear car. Following a walk down to the bottom of the platform, I got a few photos of 43206, which was on the rear, and my dad and I walked back into the station. I noticed 67003 was the Thunderbird at Edinburgh today as well as a Freightliner Class 90, 90047. Got a photo of 90047 however I couldn't be bothered to walk down to 67003. When we walked out of the station and up onto the Waverley Bridge, I immediately got a photo of ''Airlink'' liveried 435, first time I'd seen one for myself and I have to say they look incredibly smart. My dad went off to do his shopping, leaving me to my own devices. Adrian and Jimmi soon appeared so we headed across to the middle of Princes Street for some photos. A driver stopped by Adrian as he pulled away, informing him of the event at Central depot, which of course we were aware of. Was nice that a driver took the time to tell us though. As the event didn't open until 12:00, we decided to head to Ocean Terminal for some photos. Adrian told us to wait for the 34 as that would be one of the new Gemini 3s, with the Streetdeck-like body. Before long, I saw one coming in the distance. While Adrian and Jimmi had Plusbus tickets, I had decided to buy a Day Ticket for the pure novelty of it. As I asked the driver of 561, a 15-plate Hybrid Volvo, for said ticket and put my money in the cash box, he said ''I can't give you any change, sir''. Wasn't aware that I was a ''sir'' but I was happy to be given such a privileged title nonetheless. Journey was really smooth and enjoyable, and we arrived at our destination at 11:38.  

#35 – Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre to South End, Edinburgh City Centre – (11:58 --- 12:39) – Lothian Buses 996 – Scania CN94UD OmniCity/Scania – ''Madder and White''
We walked across to the centre island for a photo of 561; it shortly departed on a Riccarton bound service. Have to say, the Hybrids on the 34 seem really nice. Next time I'm in Edinburgh, I'll be sure to have another ride on one. Adrian commented that the Lothian interior is incredibly smart; I have to agree. That was my first Lothian experience and I was given a good first impression. After about fifteen minutes of photo-taking, we decided to catch the next 35 back to the city centre. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the 35 didn't actually serve Princes Street, which was where we wanted to be. I can remember when Adam visited Edinburgh; he told me of the luxurious interior of the double decker OmniCity vehicles that Lothian had, hence, I was keen to try one. After having a magical mystery tour on this machine, I wasn't fussed over one anymore. On some of the rougher roads, it rattled like a shed in a gale, and despite the comfortable seating, the bus was just average. When we stopped in some traffic, Adrian pointed out that there was a railway station that he could see. We looked and saw a railway station, but make heads or tails of whether or not it was Waverley or Haymarket. Jimmi checked Google Maps and found that we were actually heading away from Princes Street rather than towards it. As a result, I pressed the bell and we made our way downstairs. The driver dropped us off just up from a near a mainstream street, which we walked down towards.

#3 – South End, Edinburgh City Centre to Princes Street, Edinburgh City Centre – (12:46 --- 12:49) – Lothian Buses 406 – Volvo B5TL/Wright Gemini 3 – ''Madder and White''
After reaching one of the series of bus stops, it became apparent that this place was called South End, and it seemed to have a decent flow of buses. This detour had now led to a lack in time; we were hoping to fit in Gyle Centre for photos too, but with time being pressed for me (had to be back for my train for around 15:00), and the need to go to the depot too. Luckily, the 3, which I knew went to Princes Street based on it's destination blind, came along, which we jumped on. Expecting it to be a short ride to Princes Street, we were hoping to be able to sit downstairs, but it was really busy so ended up venturing upstairs. It was a Gemini 3 but with a different body to the earlier example I rode, think it's the same as the demonstrator that Go North East used on the 47 and X21. With it being such a short ride to Princes Street, I can't really comment on it. Seemed alright internally. Upon arrival on Princes Street, we crossed over for a 22 to Elm Row, where we would alight for the depot. One pulled up, but a lot of people jumped on, and another was coming along, so we decided to wait for that.

#22 – Princes Street, Edinburgh City Centre to Elm Row, Edinburgh City Centre – (12:56 --- 13:01) – Lothian Buses 340 – Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2 - ''22''
340 came a stop, so we happily jumped on. Managed to secure some seats downstairs, as we knew it was just a few stops to Elm Row, so this was good. A couple of stops after Princes Street, the driver opened his cab door and shouted down the bus that he wasn't stopping at Marks & Spencer. No explanation was given. When Elm Row came, Adrian pressed the bell to alight and we followed him down the aisle. After a short walk no longer than five minutes, we arrived at the depot. 305 and another Gemini were parked outside, and after walking into the depot, we were greeted with the sight of various other displays. Three Presidents that appeared to see use in the Driver Training fleet were present, with a long queue formed to have a closer look at them. Having gotten some photos of them, we made our way up to the Volvo demonstrator thing that was present. Wasn't interested in it, just looked like a recycled bottle of water... Around this time, Malarkey joined us. An ''Airlink'' 100 was parked up at the top of the depot so we went for a closer look. After trying and failing to get photos of the big line-up, due to families mindlessly wandering in front of the buses and some people just being pig ignorant, we gave up and walked off. Jimmi lost his temper outside of the depot. One suggestion to Lothian in the future, is to try and accommodate photos. I appreciate it's a family event, but it can and will attract enthusiasts and it's only fair that they are catered for...

#25 – Elm Row, Edinburgh City Centre to Princes Street, Edinburgh – (13:43 --- 13:51) – Lothian Buses 203 – Dennis Trident 2/Enviro400 Hybrid
Having been to the shambles that was the Open Day, we headed back towards the bus stop for a service back to Princes Street. A Hybrid Enviro400 came along, operating a 25 service, which we knew passed through Princes Street. Adrian and Malarkey occupied two seats in the reserved area for those who are less able to stand, while I stood and observed the rather nifty NSA screen that was located on the wall in front of the staircase. It was somehow similar to those that we have on the ''Quaylink'' services, where it shows the bus moving along. The dot (representing the bus) also flashed repeatedly when it was at a stop, if my memory is correct. Jimmi sat down at the fold-down seat that hangs from the wheelchair cushion thing in the wheelchair bay. It wasn't long before we could see the familiar sight of Princes Street, with it's distinctive buildings and hoards of crowds of both people and vehicles, so we alighted here. As I'd arranged to meet my dad back at Edinburgh Waverley no later than 15:00, in order to safely catch our train at 15:30, we decided it would be wise to not bother with Gyle Centre. When I return to Edinburgh in the future, maybe in the New Year, possibly on my own, it will be one of my priorities. I'd mentioned that Edinburgh had a bus station, although mainly seeming to have coach services, which Adrian was unaware of. As the prospect of standing at the Princes Street tram stop for an hour didn't really sound like fun, we decided to head up towards the bus station. Malarkey knew the way, having been there earlier in the morning with his new camera (which I must say takes some nice photos), so he led us up to the bus station. My first impressions were quite positive; a number of Citylink coaches and a Stagecoach Enviro or two were present in the layover, which made easy targets for photographs.

Edinburgh Trams – York Place Tram Stop to Princes Street Tram Stop – (14:35 --- 14:43) – Edinburgh Tram 264 – Edinburgh Tram
We all photographed several Citylink, Stagecoach and First services that were serving the bus station. One thing that amused me, was that one of the Citylink services seemed to have an ''attendant'' (if that can be the correct term to use – I mean a member of staff who sits at the front of the coach opposite the driver, unsure of what their jobs entails), a rather portly female who seemed to shake her head at us taking photographs. Perhaps she thought we were taking photos of her. God knows why anybody would want to take a photo of her, she looked disgusting. Adrian suggested we caught the tram back up to Princes Street, which sounded fair enough. Perhaps we shouldn't have walked along the tramlines to get to the station though. A few people in cars were giving us dodgy looks. Didn't have to wait long for the next tram service to arrive, which we boarded and took a seat in. My first impression of an Edinburgh Tram was that it was nothing special; it appeared to have an interesting number of features to it including Next Stop Announcements and a ticket inspector on board, which we don't see on our light rail system, the Tyne and Wear Metro. Upon arrival at Princes Street station, we alighted and took a few photos until the time got close to 14:55, so I bade farewell to Adrian, Jimmi and Malarkey and descended down into Waverley station, where I met with my dad outside of WHSmiths. He seemed to have had a good day as well.  

1E21 – Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station to Newcastle Central Railway Station – (15:20 --- 16:57) – Virgin Trains East Coast Class 91 91108 and Class 82 82213 DVT – InterCity225 Set
I got a photograph of 82213, which was on the end of our train at Platform 19, and after my dad located himself a seat, I headed up to the top of the platform to identify the Class 91 at the front of the train; it was 91108. One more winner ticked off for haulage, since August, I've started making a note on a Word Document, similar to what I write my reviews on, of the various rides I make. As it stands, I have 91102, 91106 and 91108 cleared, and then 43272 and 43206. I personally find the Mk4 sets are more comfortable to ride than the HSTs; although the latter will always retain the classical value that it has. Both classes only have a few more years left before the Hitachi Class 800s take over their duties in 2018 at an estimate, so it's important to try and enjoy a few rides on them while they're still going strong. We were booked in Coach E this time; in seats 59 and 60. There appeared to be a bit of a dispute between the two parties at the table seats in front of us, I think it was regarding some reservations. One was a rather posh(er than me) old gentleman who was handed a glass of sherry and various nibbles throughout the journey. Was somewhat amused by him voicing his thoughts on the world; proclaiming he had Alzheimer's based on the fact that he misplaced his train tickets in his glasses case. Following a stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed, we rolled into Newcastle Central on-time. We headed back to the car park to find our car had survived the day; before I was treated with the surprise of ''Tornado'' entering the station with a blow of it's whistle and then grinding to a halt. Was too busy anyway, don't think I could be bothered to get a photograph even if I was on the platform next to it. We were home for 18:30; to find my mam had made £900 at her MacMillan Coffee Afternoon earlier in the day. 

Some of you may have noticed my absence on the forum recently. To be brutally honest, I'm finding this forum harder and harder to enjoy with the number of sackless idiots, opinionated clowns and unconstructive buffoons that lurk on here. From now on, I intend to keep my activity as limited as possible on the forum, as I no longer find it an enjoyable place to be. I imagine those of you who seem intent on ruining it for others, no matter how innocent you feel your actions are, know who you are. It's becoming an incredibly tedious place to be and sadly, I no longer find it very enjoyable. In a nutshell; the forum has become a children's playground. It drags the hobby down for me too, knowing how many clowns do the same as myself, albeit in a less educated manner. It spoils it for others quite frankly. I still intend to go out on my outings, but if I become a regular poster on the forum again is a matter of time or if anything changes. My only posts from now on will likely be my reviews, and that will be it. Better to have my views/thoughts on it out there than clogged up. Sad that it has come to this, but it's just the way I feel now. Anyway, thanks for reading the review.

R852 PRG

(05 Oct 2015, 5:26 pm)R852 PRG wrote Saturday 26th September 2015 – Lothian Buses Doors Open Day 2015

I'd never been to Edinburgh for transport before, prior to yesterday, so it was something I was looking forward to. As I'd decided to skip the Open Day last year, I opted to attend this year, as the weekend happens to fall on my birthday (it's on the upcoming Tuesday if anybody is interested), and I'm started to expand my horizons and visit new places now. After booking my train tickets and deciding which bus ticket I was going to require, I did a bit of research into the Lothian network and the latest additions to their fleet so I could map out some ideas.

Some of you may have noticed my absence on the forum recently. To be brutally honest, I'm finding this forum harder and harder to enjoy with the number of sackless idiots, opinionated clowns and unconstructive buffoons that lurk on here. From now on, I intend to keep my activity as limited as possible on the forum, as I no longer find it an enjoyable place to be. I imagine those of you who seem intent on ruining it for others, no matter how innocent you feel your actions are, know who you are. It's becoming an incredibly tedious place to be and sadly, I no longer find it very enjoyable. In a nutshell; the forum has become a children's playground. It drags the hobby down for me too, knowing how many clowns do the same as myself, albeit in a less educated manner. It spoils it for others quite frankly. I still intend to go out on my outings, but if I become a regular poster on the forum again is a matter of time or if anything changes. My only posts from now on will likely be my reviews, and that will be it. Better to have my views/thoughts on it out there than clogged up. Sad that it has come to this, but it's just the way I feel now. Anyway, thanks for reading the review.

Marcus

That was a brilliant review Marcus, shame about the Open Day. I had to laugh at the comment about the Citylink guard/attendant!

I hope this doesn't sound picky, but the 82s are Mark 4 Driving Van Trailers, which are basically coaching stock, not a class. You get quite some stick from people when the Class 82 is mentioned.   

I've got to agree with you on the forum part, I find myself repeating detailed information and some don't want to hear it. I do wish that it never got to the part of very little activity, and I feel partly responsible for that.

Again, that was a great review. I know its very stressful typing reviews of this type and its harder when you don't know if people are going to like it.

(05 Oct 2015, 5:44 pm)GX03 SVC wrote That was a brilliant review Marcus, shame about the Open Day. I had to laugh at the comment about the Citylink guard/attendant!

I hope this doesn't sound picky, but the 82s are Mark 4 Driving Van Trailers, which are basically coaching stock, not a class. You get quite some stick from people when the Class 82 is mentioned.   

I've got to agree with you on the forum part, I find myself repeating detailed information and some don't want to hear it. I do wish that it never got to the part of very little activity, and I feel partly responsible for that.

Again, that was a great review. I know its very stressful typing reviews of this type and its harder when you don't know if people are going to like it.

I agree, I also feel that people only listen to certain people and think if its from some people then its bullshit.

An update regarding my reviews.

Due to a lack of motivation, I won't be writing nor publishing my reviews from Saturday 3rd October and Saturday 17th October. However, if I have the time and can be bothered, I will publish a review of my outing from this coming Saturday.

A few events that I'm attending in coming weeks include; the Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Show on Sunday 1st November, I'll be travelling down on the organised NEBPT coach trip (think the coach is Scarlet Band's R712 KGK) with Dan and I think Adrian as well. Then on Saturday 14th November; I'm heading down to Manchester with Dan for the Stagecoach Manchester B10M Farewell event, in conjunction with the 896 Bus Group. Looking forward to both, and as they're special occasions, I'll be sure to write reviews of both days.

R852 PRG

Just to give something to show for the two aforementioned outings in my above post, here is a brief log of what I got up to on those days. Both were just Get Around day tickets. Also included is a brief outing on Sunday 11th October for rail photos.

Saturday 3rd October 2015

#28A - Chester-le-Street South Burns to Gateshead Transport Interchange - Go North East 4960
#96 - Gateshead Transport Interchange to Dunston, Ravensworth Road - Go North East 4923
#44A - Gas Works Bridge, Handy Drive to Whickham Front Street - Go North East 5286
#44 - Whickham Front Street to Stanley Bus Station - Go North East 5296
#78 - Stanley Bus Station to Consett Bus Station - Go North East 5406
#15A - Consett Bus Station to Lanchester Village Green - Go North East 6012
#15 - Lanchester Village Green to Durham Bus Station - Go North East 6013
#50 - Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Black Horse - Go North East 3872

Sunday 11th October

1S05 - Durham Railway Station to Newcastle Central Railway Station - VTEC 43319 and 43306
1E10 - Newcastle Central Railway Station to Durham Railway Station - VTEC 91114 and 82201
#50 - Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Black Horse - Go North East 5258

Saturday 17th October

#36 - Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Ground to Houghton-le-Spring Church - Go North East 5307
#4 - Houghton-le-Spring Church to Washington Galleries Bus Station - Go North East 5361
#X1 - Washington Galleries Bus Station to Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station - Go North East 6004
#X30 - Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station to Stanley Bus Station - Go North East 6123
#8 - Stanley Bus Station to Beamish, Station Road - Go North East 5402
#128 - Beamish Museum Main Entrance to Durham Bus Station - Go North East 650
#21 - Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Clifford Terrace - Go North East 6016

Saturday 24th October 2015

My outing from yesterday;

#X12 – Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Durham Bus Station – (08:28 --- 08:45) – Arriva North East 7626 – VDL DB300/Wright Gemini 2 – ''MAX''
I'd decided, the night prior, to have a walk down to Chester-le-Street depot before starting my outing. This meant a 07:00 alarm, I'm trained to waking up at this time on weekdays but weekends is another matter, I tend to give myself until around 07:30-08:00 usually. Nevertheless; I woke to my alarm, did the usual morning stuff, and left the house at 07:30. Walking an entirely different route to the route that I usually would, I arrived at Chester-le-Street depot for 07:50. The massive white doors that lead to the engineering facility were completely shut, so I carried on to the centre door, where most buses leave from on a morning. Standing there was a ''Lambton Worm'' Versa, with a young female driver at the wheel and a Leading Driver stood at the depot entrance, presumably seeing all of the drivers out of the depot safely. Bringing up the rear was an ''Angel'' B5LH and ''Work, Eat, Play'' Dennis Trident 3804. It looked like quite a hectic scene, so I opted not to get in the way by taking some photos (albeit from just the footpath). A walk along to the final door; the entrance into the depot for buses, where they refuel and then drive along the back of the depot to be washed, proved to be a wasted walk; as no vehicles were present. After walking along to Front Street, I had nearly half an hour to kill before the 08:26 X12 to Durham was expected. I occupied this time by taking a number of photos; a surprise included recently transferred 5201 on the 08:28 X21 to Newcastle. Moments after taking that photo, I spotted a ''MAX'' branded Gemini 2 coming, so headed across to the bus stop to board. A couple of passengers were sat downstairs, and after collecting my All Zones Day Ticket from the female driver, I headed upstairs.

#6 – Durham Bus Station to Bishop Auckland Bus Station – (08:55 --- 09:29) – Arriva North East 1526 – VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar 2 - ''Sapphire''
It was an enjoyable ride through to Durham; although I find the Pulsars offer a better ride than the Geminis, the former can sometimes reach 60mph when let loose, whilst the latter sometimes struggle to get above 50mph. I think the highest 7626 got to was probably 45mph. However, we did manage to pick up a couple of minutes, and arrival in Durham was punctual. As I'd yet to sample one of the ex-Arriva North West Pulsars for myself; I'd decided to include one in the review to give my thoughts on them. With the X12 scheduled to arrive into Durham Bus Station at 08:45, I aimed to catch the 08:57 6 to Bishop Auckland. This was also to be my first time on the route since it was upgraded to ''Sapphire'' standard. A ''Pronto'' branded Volvo B7TL was stood in the layover of the bus station at the top, with the driver stood outside on his mobile phone and having a cigarette. Then, I noticed that the blind was actually still set for the X46; an early-morning and late-evening service that runs a couple of times per day. As it's a rarely photographed service, I wasted no time in getting a photograph. With that done, I headed back into the bus station. I didn't have long to wait before a ''Sapphire'' branded Pulsar entered the bus station, and came onto the stand for the 6. Along with two other passengers, I boarded. 1526 was the fleet number; I took my seat at the row before the back. I don't care what people say about Arriva's ''Sapphire'' and ''MAX'' seating being the same as Go North East's ''e-leather'' seating; the Arriva seating is far nicer. I managed to connect to the speedy WiFi without any issues, and charged my phone to get it back up to the full 100% battery. I didn't pay much attention to the scenery, or other passengers (although the bus remained lightly loaded throughout the journey), as most of this journey was spent talking in the Facebook Messenger group chat (which consists of Dan, Adrian, tyresmoke, northern156, citaro5284 and I). When Bishop Auckland Bus Station came up on the Next Stop Announcement system, I prepared to disembark.  

#1 – Bishop Auckland Bus Station to Dale Road Industrial Estate, Shildon – (09:57 --- 10:23) – Arriva North East 1498 – VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar 2 - ''Corporate''
My next decided target was to visit the National Railway Museum at Shildon, for the event taking place over the weekend. This meant catching the 09:58 service 1 to Darlington. I took some photos to kill time; Chester-le-Street based President 6036 was parked in the layover bays. I managed to get a few shots of ex-North West Pulsars on the 6, and also ''OK Way'' MPD 571, which I believe forum user pdiddy was driving. Bishop Auckland is alright for photos, providing there are no tossers present. Before long; Pulsar 1498 emerged from the layover bays, having had a rest after working a 5A service. When it came to the stand, with the blind set for the 1 to Darlington, I boarded and showed the driver my ticket, before taking my seat in the same place I did on 1526; the row before the last on the offside. As I'd never done this route before, I watched my progress on the Google Maps app on my phone; passengers boarded and disembarked throughout this journey, and I soon alighted in Shildon, as close to the National Railway Museum as possible. One of my key targets for the outing was to visit the event at the National Railway Museum in Shildon; ''Diamond Deltic'', which celebrates the 60th anniversary of DP1's entry into service; October 24th 1955. The Class 55 (''Deltics'' as they were nicknamed) were the legendary predecessor to the HST; operating the London-Edinburgh expresses along the East Coast Mainline for decades. They operated in service from 1960 until 1981, and 6 of the 22 made survive in preservation. Some time ago, I became friends with one of the moderators on RailUK Forums; David Russell (''theblackwatch'' is his username). After walking around, getting photos of the 3 Deltics on display; DP1, 55019 and D9009, and watching 55002 take a train of brake vans on a ride, I soon located David and we got talking. The service arrived back in shortly after, and Ian Robinson and his dad came over and joined us. David and I decided to purchase some tickets for a ride behind 55002; being a ''Deltic crank'' (his words, not mine), he still needed 55002 for haulage for the year, having covered the other active Deltics earlier in 2015. I was charged £1.70 for my ticket. David explained that they used to run them for free but had to start charging as they couldn't afford to just keep running them and relying solely on donations. It was my first ride behind a Deltic, albeit only a short one, but it was very quick off the mark and the distinctive sound of the Napier engine combined with the intense clag was mesmerising. However, it is only a short ride, and before long, we were being pushed back towards the small platform that we left from. Following a walk along the side of the tracks, so David could get a decent shot of 55002 leaving, we headed up to the bridge for some more photos before walking having a walk back to the bus stop for 11:48 1 service to Darlington. David crossed over so he could get a photo, despite not being much of a bus fanatic; however, the 5A came first, which I let go past as it would have taken me back to Bishop Auckland. We parted ways and David headed back to the bridge for more photos, before I saw another Pulsar coming...

#1 – Dale Road Industrial Estate, Shildon to Darlington, Tubwell Row – (11:51 --- 12:20) – Arriva North East 1511 – VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar 2 – ''Corporate''
I was happy to be landed with another corporate-liveried Pulsar. I can't express how much I love the Arriva corporate livery on the Wright Pulsar body; it just looks so smart. The VDL SB200 chassis also offers a superb ride in my opinion, but sometimes sounds too similar to a Wright Streetlite... Think it's just the retarder whistling when slowing down. Took my seat at the rearmost seats as my favoured pair were occupied. I noticed that this Pulsar has a Next Stop Announcement system fitted; forgive my lack of knowledge, but why is this? I don't follow Arriva closely enough to know this. Some nice kickdowns were produced on the open roads, and before long, we were getting close to Darlington town centre. A decent number of passengers alighted at Northgate, and I stood up to disembark when I heard the announcement for the terminus; Tubwell Row. My main reason for including Darlington in the outing; was so that I could get a few photos of the ''Frequenta'' branded Solos, as they've been so far absent in my collection. Over the course of the thirty minutes I spent in Darlington; I managed six photos of ''Frequenta'' Solos, two ''Sapphire'' Pulsars, a ''MAX'' OmniCity, four ''Eco-Green'' Caetanos, and an oddity of a ''Frequenta'' Solo on the X66...

#7 – Darlington, Tubwell Row to Durham Bus Station – (12:50 --- 14:03) – Arriva North East 7534 – Dennis Trident 2/Alexander Enviro400 – ''Sapphire''
The ''Frequenta'' brand looks quite smart in my view; but my only gripe is the bodywork of some of the Solos. Some have the grills on the front panel, between the lights, which I like, but some don't, which just looks out of place to me. Next time I'm down in Darlington, I think I'll do a round trip on one of the ''Frequenta'' routes, as they all appear to go in a circle anyway. Maybe the 13A/13B to Firth Moor, that was one of the routes that I saw quite a lot of. Having had a successful half an hour in Darlington, I decided to catch the next ''Sapphire'' 7 service back to Durham. When the 7 first became ''Sapphire'' standard; I can remember having a ride down to Darlington on one of the Pulsars, but being treated to a DAF SB200GS/Plaxton Prestige on the return journey. I know Prestiges are unpopular with a lot of enthusiasts, but they were perfect in my opinion. Fair enough, they rattled like a box of nails and could give you a white finger; but the throaty roar of the DAF engine collaborated with the ZF gearbox was simply wonderful. I miss them sorely, some of the most melodious buses I can think of in my experience as an enthusiast. Anyway, this was to be my second ''Sapphire'' experience on the 7. Was overjoyed to see one of the new Enviro400s appear, as this would be my first ride on one of them, and I'd now have experienced both the Pulsars and the Enviro400s on the Durham-Darlington route. Was quite an enjoyable journey back to Durham, even though it felt like it had covered half of the north east by the time it reached Ferryhill Market Place. I was half expected Blyth Bus Station to come up next on the Next Stop Announcement system. That aside, I was fortunate enough to grab the offside front seats upstairs; with the generous amount of legroom and rather comfortable ''Sapphire'' seating, I could relax and recharge my camera and phone whilst browsing social media, using the free WiFi on offer. Excellent journey.

#X24 – Durham Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Black Horse – (15:08 --- 15:27) – Arriva North East 7443 – DAF DB250RS/East Lancs Lowlander 7443 – ''Original Arriva''
After being dropped off in the bottom stands in the bus station at Durham; I headed up to my usual spot for photos at Durham, behind the stone wall at the entrance to the bus station. It offers some nice photos in the correct lighting conditions. After about fifteen minutes, it dawned on me that I had not yet eaten anything today, so I headed towards the Greggs at the bottom of North Road. Opted for a Margherita Pizza Slice, taking a photograph of surviving Mini Dart 1766 on the 62 while I passed it. As I walked back through the bus station; I walked past Jack and Sid, the former of whom appeared to turn around to me as I walked past and said something. I couldn't hear what it was though, I heard the word ''Green'' and that was it. As the time crept up to 14:45, I decided I was going to catch the 14:51 X12 service back to Chester-le-Street. When that didn't show, I proceeded to get more photos. A Scania OmniDekka which I still required a photograph of, 6126, was operating the 15, and two ''Durham Diamond'' branded Citaros, 5284 and 5285, operating the ''Diamond'' routes on their last day. Pleased I got photos of them. Something then appeared that caught my eye; one of the Lowlanders, 7443, came in with the X24 service. The driver parked it in Stand A before going elsewhere. About five minutes passed before the relief driver came along; and as I have limited experience of Lowlanders, I decided I'd catch this back to Chester-le-Street instead of the X12. I noticed it had Urban90 seating; I initially sat at one of the side-facing seats, before noticing that the very back seats were cushioned, so moved to them. 7443 struggled to get off the stand at first, but managed to eventually. Throughout the entire journey, I could hear not one single kickdown. There was also a droning noise whenever slowing down, which sounded like the chassis was just scraping along the road. However, somehow, I quite enjoyed the experience. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable day out. I amassed a decent number of photographs for my Flickr account, which can be viewed on the link in my signature. My next outing will be the NEBPT trip down to Lincoln for the Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Show, using Scarlet Band's R712 KGK (that is what Dan has told me, he seems reliable enough)... Thanks for reading.  

R852 PRG

Glad you had a good outing yesterday.

Darlington Pulsars 1425-1428, 1498 and 1506-1511 have next stop announcements for services 1/5/5A and I think the reason for these having them was the council pushing for them. 1498 was my 5A to Darlington yesterday morning and is probably my most travelled on Pulsar in recent times.

Most of the Frequenta routes do operate as circular services, the 13A/13B use the Solos off the Durham Park and Ride. I think the reason why these have the black grill instead of being painted was probably because they were repainted not long before Frequenta was introduced while the others were repainted specially for Frequenta and the ex P&R Solos probably just had the swirls painted over. I agree not the best.

Glad you enjoyed the E400 on the 7, wish the 7 I aimed for yesterday afternoon was a E400 but annoyingly it was Belmont 1522 and was pretty busy so I waited for 1508 on the 5 to head home instead.

(25 Oct 2015, 1:42 pm)Jimmi wrote Glad you had a good outing yesterday.

Darlington Pulsars 1425-1428, 1498 and 1506-1511 have next stop announcements for services 1/5/5A and I think the reason for these having them was the council pushing for them. 1498 was my 5A to Darlington yesterday morning and is probably my most travelled on Pulsar in recent times.

Most of the Frequenta routes do operate as circular services, the 13A/13B use the Solos off the Durham Park and Ride. I think the reason why these have the black grill instead of being painted was probably because they were repainted not long before Frequenta was introduced while the others were repainted specially for Frequenta and the ex P&R Solos probably just had the swirls painted over. I agree not the best.

Glad you enjoyed the E400 on the 7, wish the 7 I aimed for yesterday afternoon was a E400 but annoyingly it was Belmont 1522 and was pretty busy so I waited for 1508 on the 5 to head home instead.

Thanks for your explanation, Jimmi. Interesting that 1498 has the Next Stop Announcements as well; I didn't hear them at all. Although I do think I saw a screen near the front of the bus, I'm guessing they just weren't working. I think I might have a ride out on one of the ''Frequenta'' routes next time I'm down in Darlington, I think it's a nice place for photos with a high frequency on a number of the services there. I also need to try and locate Taylor's Bakery there, I've been told they do very nice stuff.

(25 Oct 2015, 1:56 pm)R852 PRG wrote Thanks for your explanation, Jimmi. Interesting that 1498 has the Next Stop Announcements as well; I didn't hear them at all. Although I do think I saw a screen near the front of the bus, I'm guessing they just weren't working. I think I might have a ride out on one of the ''Frequenta'' routes next time I'm down in Darlington, I think it's a nice place for photos with a high frequency on a number of the services there. I also need to try and locate Taylor's Bakery there, I've been told they do very nice stuff.

1498 as it was part of a batch of 11 we had at Darlington at the time when they were fitted, since then we have gained more which don't have NSA's. Had 1498 yesterday morning but can't remember if the announcements were working or not (don't think they were), 1427s wasn't working the other day either. Another frequent problem with the NSA's on these routes is the volume is often turned right down. Also I wish they'd update the 5/5A announcements since they diverted them via Long Tens Way (where Hitachi is).

I'm certainly no stranger to Taylor's, they also have shops at Ferryhill Market Place, Richmond Market Place and on Framwellgate Moor Front Street which used to be my lunch most days when I was at college.

Feel free to give me a shout if you are in the area again.

I very enjoyable review.

I remember seeing DP1 in the Science Museum at London when I was little. I thought it was amazing. Its been over 10 years since I last seen a Deltic in action.

Charles

(26 Oct 2015, 2:25 pm)Charles41 wrote I very enjoyable review.

I remember seeing DP1 in the Science Museum at London when I was little. I thought it was amazing. Its been over 10 years since I last seen a Deltic in action.

Charles

I was lucky enough to get one last year (55022), prefer Class 37s though

Sunday 1st November 2015 – Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Show

My review of the Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Show yesterday;

R712 KGK – Central Station, Newcastle to Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Society Museum – (08:03 --- 12:05) – Scarlet Band R712 KGK – Dennis Javelin/Berkhof – ''All White''
A few weeks prior, Dan had asked me if I was interested in going on this trip, and so I decided to think about it. I would return from my holiday in New York on the Saturday morning, and decided this gave me adequate time to recover from any jet lag, meaning the outing on the Sunday was possible. Given that as another bonus, I was not at school on the Monday (today), as it was a teacher training day, I decided I would attend. Dan reserved three seats for trip, one for himself, me, and also Adrian. I woke up at 06:30, and my dad and I left in the car at 07:15. We arrived at Central Station for 07:40; observing several people still drunk from the previous evening, crawling their way across the Tyne Bridge (believe I saw Adam amongst them). The litter around Newcastle was surprising, with bus shelters covered in pizza boxes and smashed bottles of alcohol. After being dropped off, my dad headed home and I awaited the arrival of Adrian and Dan. The former was the first to appear, emerging from the Sainbury's Local with what I later found out were his ''emergency rations''. We stood and talked for about five minutes, before Dan came into view and joined us. ''Quaylink'' branded 8317 was laying over in one of the bus stops, so we crossed over the road to get some photos of it. Shortly after the 08:00 pick-up time, we sighted a white coach, with some red lettering on the front, and it came to a stop in the ''Quaylink'' stand. A small number of older enthusiasts were waiting with us. The coach was Scarlet Band's R712 KGK; a Berkhof-bodied Dennis Javelin dating from the late 1990s. Driver greeted us as we all boarded, and we observed the number of other passengers. Keith Lee was sat near the front, and other than that, I couldn't really name anybody else. Adrian led us to the back seats, as they were available, and took the left hand side seats. Dan went for the right hand side which meant I was left to contend with the central seat, and a view down the aisle of the road ahead. At least I got plenty of legroom. Over the course of the journey down to Lincolnshire; we discussed various topics. A 30-minute service stop at Wetherby took place, before we re-boarded the coach and continued on the journey. Arrival on the Industrial Estate that the museum is located at was just before 12:00; it appeared the rally had been divided into two sites, with a shuttle service operating between the two. We ended up parking on the other site, which seemed to contain a small number more buses than the other one, although the other one seemed to be the base for shuttle services. The coach itself provided a very enjoyable ride; it was very fast of the mark and produced a nice sound. I rarely travel on coaches, so it was a pleasant change. Scarlet Band have done a good job with this bus; it makes a change to one of their battered Optare Solos that I usually see operating the Chester-le-Street local services. 

A line-up of old coaches, mixed with a selection of buses, including a Plaxton-bodied Leyland Leopard, was our first port of call. After photographing them all, we moved across to Stagecoach's offering for the event; their ''Poppy Bus'', 27637. Similar to Go North East's 4949, I preferred 27637's livery as it retained the corporate fleet identity, unlike 4949. We had a walk up to the top of this site; Lee Garrett's Bristol RE; 6080, was present, along with a number of other Bristol products. A nice line-up of three vintage green double deckers were parked opposite a pleasant pairing of an East Yorkshire Bristol VR and an East Yorkshire Leyland National (LAG 188V – the one that appeared at the Seaburn Rally at the end of August). We wandered back down towards the entrance to this site, and crossed the road for a bus to the other site. After letting a bus go, which I think a few members of the coach party boarded, we hadn't been waiting more than two minutes before the next bus came along. This was in the form of Northampton Corporation's NCT 129; VV 8934, a Daimler CWD6 with a Duple body. We sat downstairs, this bus was of another age and consequently had stairs at the rear, and a conductor present on the rear platform. It was only a few minutes until our destination, so I can't really comment on this journey.

Shuttle – Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Museum to Railway Station, Lincoln – (13:13 --- 13:35) – Delaine Buses 159 – Volvo B5TL/Wright Gemini 3 – ''Delaine Buses''
We photographed all of the buses present, including the most modern vehicle at the event; Delaine Buses' 159 (AD65 DBL). Dan and I jumped on board to get some interior photographs; the two men who had been charged with the vehicle welcomed us as we made our way upstairs. When we came back down, one of them asked Dan if he had seen his new book, and flicked through a publication that showed various photos of Delaine Buses' vehicles. He appeared to be the figure of authority of the two, while the other man told us how he used to like OK Motor Services; ''up our way''. They had an Atlantean that was similar to one Delaine had, according to him, and was one of only a few built on that body or something. We were informed that 159 was next to go out on a shuttle, towards Lincoln city centre, so we got Adrian's attention (he was still stood outside), and headed upstairs; they allowed us to stay on board while we ferried across to the shuttle pick-up point. The interior was very nice; the seat moquette was similar to that of the National Bus Company. The ''new bus smell'' still lingered. This Volvo B5TL didn't get up to any great speeds, given the traffic, but was my second ride of the type; the first being the former-Lothian Buses demonstrator that Go North East trialled on the ''Pronto'' X21 and ''Toon Link'' 47 last year. When we crossed the bridge across the river, we saw the Stagecoach depot. We debated whether or not to pay a visit, and decided against it eventually. Got some photos of 159 while it was picking up it's next load; and then made our way across to the bus station exit for photos of the buses leaving. The sun was in a fantastic position which meant the photos came out very well; and as it was getting close to 14:00 now, we decided to head to a Wetherspoons for lunch.

The first Wetherspoons that we located; ''The Forum'', was pretty full, with glasses and dishes dumped on tables by staff. Adrian advised us that this meant we would be waiting ages to be served, and then we checked for another one nearby. One that was down on the river-front, ''The Square Sail'', was our next stop. Locating a table was easy, but we were confronted with the news that we were going to be waiting for an hour at the least for our food, so decided to just have a drink. Adrian and Dan were insistent on a trip to McDonalds, which we found was just a short walk away from where we jumped off the shuttle. I personally detest a massive corporate giant such as McDonalds, and use it only as a last resort; whilst Dan and Adrian are both frequent visitors... After stomaching the McDonalds, we headed back to catch the next shuttle. An AEC Routemaster was waiting to depart with a shuttle, which we were about to catch, but then we saw something green coming across the bridge... An NBC Green Bristol VR, with Lincolnshire lettering.

Shuttle – Railway Station, Lincoln to Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Museum – (15:44 --- 16:09) – Preserved Lincoln PFE 542V – Bristol VRT/ECW – ''National Bus Company Green''
We made our way upstairs, one woman was sat at the front. Dan and I shared the front seats in front of the staircase, while Adrian sat at one of the single seats to the side of the stairwell. About five minutes of idling passed before we set off. My limited experience of these buses is mixed; I really enjoyed the ride on an ex-Cumberland one at the ''Built in Workington'' event back in July, with Dan and citaro5284, but was not impressed by the ex-Cleveland Transit VR owned by the 500 Group, which didn't move an inch before breaking down, and then the open-top Alder Valley VR; which didn't get any higher than 25mph, the latter experiences were both at Seaburn. However, my opinion was changed by this VR, it was absolutely fantastic. It flew along the route, reaching 50mph easily, and the incredible noise of it's Bristol engine was excellent. Adrian commented on how these would be a suitable replacement for the ''Tyne Tees Express'' B9TLs. I need to get a ride on one of those soon, haven't been on neither the X9 or X10 in a long time. I'd certainly do the route if a Bristol VR was allocated. The fog became very thick, but also beautiful at the same time; with the setting sun shining through the thickness of the fog producing a very nice image to the eyes. I'd have stayed on for another trip, had we not been pressed for time; with the coach leaving the other site at 17:00.  

R712 KGK – Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Museum to Central Station, Newcastle – (17:06 --- 21:23) – Scarlet Band R712 KGK – Dennis Javelin/Berkhof – ''All White''
We photographed the vehicles that we had not yet photographed, due to them being either out on shuttles or due to the poor position of the sun. Amongst them was a rather nice looking Leyland National Mk2, in Nottingham City Transport livery. What amused me was that the destination was set for the 724 (being the fleet number of the bus), and then the blind read ''City Link''. After walking back to where our coach was parked, we sat waiting for about fifteen minutes before departing, in the meantime, Dan went into some bushes to urinate... Yes, that's the Site Administrator... What faith I have in this forum. The fog was still densely thick, which I imagine made driving conditions hard. Arrival back at Newcastle was scheduled for about 21:00, including the stop in Wetherby on the return for some Fish & Chips from the famous ''The Wetherby Whaler''. Got there at 18:45, and everybody was back on the coach for 19:30. A quick toilet stop took place shortly after, and we were back on the A1(M) for 20:00. Dan and Adrian remembered that the Metro station at Central was closed, and contemplated getting off at Heworth. However; at the Angel of the North, it became apparent that they were going through to Newcastle first. They ended up jumping off at Jackson Street in Gateshead, while I carried on to Central Station. I alighted here and located my dad in the car park; we were home for 22:00. I really liked the coach that was used on this trip; it was my first Dennis Javelin and I was very impressed by it. Certainly had plenty of power, and despite making a few strange noises from time to time, it was in excellent condition both mechanically and cosmetically. 

I plan to do this trip again next year, as it was a fantastic day out and something different for me. Was only £15 in total, rather than the £20 advertised fare; which I think was a very good price for such an outing. That also included admission into the event I understand, as we did not have to pay for anything otherwise. A look on their website shows that admission was £6 – which again, is quite good for such a well organised rally. One thing I've noticed with a lot of rallies outside of the north east is that you don't have every single rally marshal trying to be in charge, and overall, it makes for a much better experience. Looking forward to Manchester on the 14th November, then that's me done for the year for trips outside of the north east. Thanks for reading.

R852 PRG

That was a very good review, Marcus! I can't bear a 17 hour day, so you must have been rather tired on return!

Great review as ever Marcus.

I thought about going along yesterday but there was no way in hell I'd be able to get to Newcastle anywhere even close to 8am, earliest I can get into Newcastle is after 10am even then there is the difficulty in getting to Darlington and anyone who could have given a lift to Newcastle (not that anyone would want to) got absolutely plastered the night before, so wasn't possible at all, yet again [emoji35]

Would also liked to have gone along to the thing you and Dan are heading along to in Manchester where for once I can get there but unfortunately I can't attend as I'm heading to a gig in Newcastle that night. Mind I'd probably just spend the whole day hiding from Dan after not speaking to him in Stockton on Saturday - sorry about that.

Shame on Dan!

(02 Nov 2015, 2:35 pm)GX03 SVC wrote That was a very good review, Marcus! I can't bear a 17 hour day, so you must have been rather tired on return!

Thanks, Tommy. To be honest, it's only just dawned on me that I was out for 15 hours. I wasn't really that tired when I got home, but I didn't have the energy to do anything. 

(02 Nov 2015, 2:43 pm)Jimmi wrote Great review as ever Marcus.

I thought about going along yesterday but there was no way in hell I'd be able to get to Newcastle anywhere even close to 8am, earliest I can get into Newcastle is after 10am even then there is the difficulty in getting to Darlington and anyone who could have given a lift to Newcastle (not that anyone would want to) got absolutely plastered the night before, so wasn't possible at all, yet again [emoji35]

Would also liked to have gone along to the thing you and Dan are heading along to in Manchester where for once I can get there but unfortunately I can't attend as I'm heading to a gig in Newcastle that night. Mind I'd probably just spend the whole day hiding from Dan after not speaking to him in Stockton on Saturday - sorry about that.

Shame on Dan!

Thanks, Jimmi. A few people were picked up along the A1(M) actually, at places like Belmont Park & Ride as an example. Shame you can't make it to Manchester for the B10M event, it's something I'm really looking forward to. I've never rode on an Alexander PS-bodied B10M before, and it's an event dedicated to their retirement, so I'm hoping to get some rides. My only worry is that, according to the Facebook Event page, almost 200 people are going. Then again, a lot of people seem to drop out of these things, so hopefully it won't be a crowded event.

(02 Nov 2015, 2:58 pm)R852 PRG wrote Thanks, Jimmi. A few people were picked up along the A1(M) actually, at places like Belmont Park & Ride as an example. Shame you can't make it to Manchester for the B10M event, it's something I'm really looking forward to. I've never rode on an Alexander PS-bodied B10M before, and it's an event dedicated to their retirement, so I'm hoping to get some rides. My only worry is that, according to the Facebook Event page, almost 200 people are going. Then again, a lot of people seem to drop out of these things, so hopefully it won't be a crowded event.

Think there was a pick up point in Ferryhill before Newcastle (may be wrong on that) but again, no bus, car owners still drunk, so not possible.

Yeah the Manchester thing, I saw you post about it and thought I like the sound of that am I do anything on the 14th... DAMMIT! Which I loudly said when I was on the X18 in Haymarket the other week, only ever been on one and it was with Catch22Bus in Blackpool on the Seafront 12 and unfortunately because it was the promenade service it didn't get up to any speed whatsoever and was only a short journey. I will be in Manchester in January to see The Libertines and then again in April to see Muse which I am incredibly looking forward to and I may take along my camera to get a few photos although I'd like to do some proper bus bashing there, should be having a week in Blackpool in July so I may get the train to Manchester one day especially as off peak singles are fairly cheap. May also go to Preston and Lancaster if I have a weeks holiday in Blackpool.

Marcus is telling you lot that the £15 fare on the bus included entry fee when it didn't - we didn't have to pay for this as we didn't go into the museum...

How can anything he says be trusted? Ha ha!

(02 Nov 2015, 3:41 pm)Dan wrote Marcus is telling you lot that the £15 fare on the bus included entry fee when it didn't - we didn't have to pay for this as we didn't go into the museum...

How can anything he says be trusted? Ha ha!

I suppose he'll tell us that you went into the bushes and urinated too, eh..! 

(02 Nov 2015, 3:59 pm)GX03 SVC wrote I suppose he'll tell us that you went into the bushes and urinated too, eh..! 

Such scandalous and malicious rumours!

(02 Nov 2015, 2:35 pm)GX03 SVC wrote That was a very good review, Marcus! I can't bear a 17 hour day, so you must have been rather tired on return!

It wasn't that bad to be honest. It was a comfortable coach, and a nice relaxing journey there and back. I did manage a power nap on the way back mind. Which is some achievement, given that Marcus could talk for England!

(02 Nov 2015, 4:42 pm)Adrian wrote It wasn't that bad to be honest. It was a comfortable coach, and a nice relaxing journey there and back. I did manage a power nap on the way back mind. Which is some achievement, given that Marcus could talk for England!

Disappointed that you weren't snapped for the sleeping commuters thread. [emoji1]

Saturday 14th November 2015 – Farewell to the B10M

Yesterday, once again, I found myself escaping the region to visit a new city, but for a good cause. In partnership with Stagecoach in Manchester; the 896 Bus Group had organised a running day dedicated to remembering the Volvo B10M/Alexander PS vehicles that have roamed the streets of Manchester for 20 years, ahead of their withdrawal. I invited Dan to tag along with me, similar to the Stagecoach Open Day at their Lillyhall facility in Cumbria.

After picking him up in Chester-le-Street at 07:30 (having caught an 06:30ish 8A from Sunderland), we drove down in my dad's car, stopping briefly at Wetherby Services to take on fuel (took the opportunity to photograph an Eddie Stobart truck), we arrived in Manchester at 10:00. My dad drove off to visit the Trafford Centre while we walked up towards Piccadilly Gardens. Dan had been rambling on about a Wetherspoons breakfast... After taking some photos at Shudehill Interchange, and then failing to find a seat in the closest Wetherspoons (''Wetherspoons Piccadilly'' it was rather appropriately named), he then insisted we walked down to another Wetherspoons; ''The Paramount''. Surprisingly; it was very quiet, and we easily located a table. I enjoyed a Traditional Breakfast (can't remember what he had), before we walked back up to Piccadilly Gardens, photographing various buses in the open bus station. Having failed to locate the stop for the 192 (which the B10Ms were operating, from Manchester to Hazel Grove, departing each location on the hour); we eventually found it elsewhere, and waited for a B10M to show.

#192 – Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport Mersey Square – (11:54 --- 12:25) – Stagecoach in Cumbria 20711 – Volvo B10M/Alexander PS – ''Schoolrunner''
It had been made perfectly clear by the 896 Bus Group that only 20982 and 20983 were scheduled to appear on the services; being the only two surviving B10Ms operating in Manchester; but, we were shocked when two B10Ms turned the corner and onto Piccadilly. Dan noticed the registration plate of the leading example was K-DAO; informing me that it was a Cumbrian example, and that we should go with that. It was 20711, registered as K711 DAO; a ''Schoolrunner'' branded B10M dedicated to operating Carlisle school services. Behind was 20983; one of the Manchester natives, with the registration R983 XVM. As we were some of the first to board 20711, we had the choice of seats. After gaining my Manchester DayRider from the driver, at the price of £4.10 (complete with a message at the bottom, saying ''Farewell to the B10M''), we sat at the back seats. One of the last passengers to board was the famous Graeme Palmer; complete with his dog... Prior to him locating a seat, we were worried that he was going to tell us to move seats because he wanted to sit there... As we pulled away, it initially felt like I was on a Volvo B10BLE, except the ZF gearbox was very prominent in this vehicle, and some of Go North East's B10BLEs do have weak gearboxes. We enjoyed a spirited run to Stockport, where we decided to alight and get some photos, however, as 20983 was only just behind us, we decided to catch that B10M down to Hazel Grove Park & Ride.

#192 – Stockport Mersey Square to Hazel Grove Park & Ride – (12:29 --- 12:45) – Stagecoach in Manchester 20983 – Volvo B10M/Alexander PS – ''Stagecoach''
We only had a few minutes to wait before 20983 came along; in that time I think Dan managed a couple of photos. A rather large loading jumped off here, meaning the bus was quite quiet when we got on. There was no difficulty in locating a seat, and again, we sat at the back. Over Facebook Messenger; Sean seemed confused as to why we were sat at the back of a mid-engined bus, but Dan used the excuse that it was for extra legroom. The padding in the seating in 20983 was excellent; and unlike on 20711, where the seating arrangement was three on one side and two on the other (to fit as many children as possible on for school duties, also sacrificing the room in the gangway) – the seating arrangement on 20983 was like on any other standard service vehicle. Another bonus was that nobody had opened the windows on 20983; on 20711, somebody had opened numerous, meaning the bus was freezing. However; 20983 had a very weak gearbox, and sounded pathetic in comparison to 20711. The fact that I knew 20983 had spent it's working life trotting around Greater Manchester, while 20711 had explored some of the most beautiful parts of Cumbria, also had an effect on my judgement. Overall; I preferred 20711 to 20983, simply because it sounded better.

#192 – Hazel Grove Park & Ride to Stockport Mersey Square – (12:57 --- 13:20) – Stagecoach in Manchester 12190 – Alexander Dennis E40D/Alexander Dennis Enviro400 – ''Hybrid''
As we arrived at Hazel Grove; I noticed the line-up of Volvo B10Ms in the car park. In the middle was the famous 896, now preserved, along with a few Stagecoach B10Ms from around the Cumbria (one from Merseyside and South Lancashire, and another one from Cumbria), as well as a John Fishwick and Sons Leyland National Mk1. Both 20711 and 20983 were still waiting at Hazel Grove when we were finished taking photos; so we walked through the Park & Ride centre, picking up some leaflets as went through, which celebrated the event and the backstory of the B10M buses. For the sake variety; Dan suggested we boarded the Hybrid Enviro400 that was waiting. I caught the fleet number as 12190 as I boarded; showing my DayRider to the driver, and then making my way upstairs to join Dan; who had commandeered the nearside front seats. A man was sat opposite us, with a pen and notepad, jotting down fleet numbers as we went along the route. Two young enthusiasts were sat towards the back; talking endlessly about their ''winners'' and ''haulages''. It was a short journey back to Stockport; despite some of the traffic, and by now, it was raining badly. 

#192 – Stockport Mersey Square to Manchester Piccadilly – (14:10 --- 14:55) – Stagecoach in Manchester 12192 – Alexander Dennis E40D/Alexander Dennis Enviro400 – ''Hybrid''
We walked down into Stockport Bus Station; staying under shelter for about ten minutes and photographing stuff entering and leaving. After this, we had a wander down to Stockport depot, handily adjacent to the bus station. A few ALX300s and Enviro300s were present in what appeared to be a separate compound to the main garage; which had a wide front entrance. An ALX300 was preparing to leave, and I think Dan managed to get a photograph of it leaving beneath the Stagecoach sign. After our business in Stockport was done; we tried to work out the best bus we could get back to Manchester for 15:00, when we had arranged to meet my dad again. We decided the 192 was the best option, and headed back up to Mersey Square to catch one. 12192 rolled to a halt, and after a driver changeover, we departed at 14:10. This journey felt like it took forever; stopping at pretty much every single stop along the busy and traffic-filled road into Manchester. Nevertheless, we arrived back at Piccadilly for just before 15:00. I've never been particularly keen on the Hybrid Enviro400s that Stagecoach have; I prefer the standard diesel engined examples that hold a key place in Stagecoach fleet. As we were walking back; Dan noticed SN04 EGF; the Enviro300 that used to be owned by Go North East as 4977, now with Stagecoach as 27598.

After getting back to the place that my dad dropped us off at, we left Manchester, and dropped Dan back off in Chester-le-Street at 18:05. He then caught the 18:14 ''Coast & Country'' 8 back to Sunderland. It was a great day out, and I can now say I have visited Manchester for buses. I think the day would have been much better had the weather been on our side, but you can't have everything. I may consider returning to Manchester at some point in 2016; preferably to try out some of the ''Magic Bus'' ALX400s (sounded amazing) and some of the still-relatively new Enviro400MMCs that roam the streets. Was a great outing for some Volvo B10Ms though, and I have to congratulate the 896 Bus Group on organising such a brilliant event. They raised £900 for charity, which again, is commendable. My photos from yesterday are viewable in the following album; https://www.flickr.com/photos/127739730@...1179194042. Thanks for reading.

Marcus

Always love a spoons breakfast . Don't often use the one in Bristol, but when I am in Gateshead next week, I'll be having one at The Tilley Stone .

(15 Nov 2015, 1:59 pm)R852 PRG wrote Dan had been rambling on about a Wetherspoons breakfast... After taking some photos at Shudehill Interchange, and then failing to find a seat in the closest Wetherspoons (''Wetherspoons Piccadilly'' it was rather appropriately named), he then insisted we walked down to another Wetherspoons; ''The Paramount''. Surprisingly; it was very quiet, and we easily located a table. I enjoyed a Traditional Breakfast (can't remember what he had), before we walked back up to Piccadilly Gardens, photographing various buses in the open bus station.

Marcus missed his favourite line... "Courtesy of x's wallet"!

Suppose it was courtesy of my debit card instead, like..!

(15 Nov 2015, 2:22 pm)Simmy wrote Always love a spoons breakfast . Don't often use the one in Bristol, but when I am in Gateshead next week, I'll be having one at The Tilley Stone .

...and it has to be large, rather than traditional!

I've discovered over the last month that a large breakfast goes down nicely with a strawberry and lime kopparberg too.