(24 Oct 2015, 10:43 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I remember the 301 - I'm guessing that's what got combined with the 1, which used to just do Newcastle to Kibblesworth.

Sure the 1 was the Low Fell Cross Tyne service initially.
After the takeover, I think they used it instead of the 24 or 28 (one of the Allerdene or Kibby routes).

Eventually, like you say - merging the southern section with the northern one.

Lost track after that, due to the constant changes since.

The 301 and 302 were just North Tyneside - Newcastle/Gateshead services from memory, although I think it was the 301 that extended to the Metrocentre for a period. Saturdays and summer holiday's only I think.

(25 Oct 2015, 11:29 am)citaro5284 wrote Even I cannot remember that 

It was in the late 1980s, I remember the parking area at Gateshead Interchange being cramed with enthusiasts taking photos.

Charles

(25 Oct 2015, 11:39 am)Charles41 wrote It was in the late 1980s, I remember the parking area at Gateshead Interchange being cramed with enthusiasts taking photos.

Charles

That must have been around the time of the Tyne Rider services?
Certainly there or there abouts.

(25 Oct 2015, 11:32 am)Andreos1 wrote The 301 and 302 were just North Tyneside - Newcastle/Gateshead services from memory, although I think it was the 301 that extended to the Metrocentre for a period. Saturdays and summer holiday's only I think.

Found this from July 1986:

(25 Oct 2015, 4:48 pm)MVK 500R wrote Found this from July 1986:

Blimey, my memory must be going.
Can't remember the 301 doing that at all.

Gonna have to check over the timetables in the 'bygone era'.

As far as I could remember, the only PTE buses along Durham Road, were the following:
24 - Gateshead to Allerdene
25 - Gateshead to Wrekenton
26 - Gateshead to Barley Mow
27 - Gateshead to Heworth
28 - Gateshead to Kibblesworth.

Obviously they terminated at Gateshead, as they fed into the Metro system prior to de-reg.

I didn't realise the 301 crossed the river at that point nor extended to Kibby.

(25 Oct 2015, 8:49 pm)Andreos1 wrote Blimey, my memory must be going.
Can't remember the 301 doing that at all.

Gonna have to check over the timetables in the 'bygone era'.

As far as I could remember, the only PTE buses along Durham Road, were the following:
24 - Gateshead to Allerdene
25 - Gateshead to Wrekenton
26 - Gateshead to Barley Mow
27 - Gateshead to Heworth
28 - Gateshead to Kibblesworth.

Obviously they terminated at Gateshead, as they fed into the Metro system prior to de-reg.

I didn't realise the 301 crossed the river at that point nor extended to Kibby.

This extension to Kibblesworth didn't go along Durham Road, it went via Bensham Road and Saltwell Road. If I remember correctly it was a combination of the 301 and the old 29 - which was pretty similar to the current 29 (except for operation by double deckers!). The extension didn't last long due to reliability problems (so nothing new there) plus several Percy Main drivers reportedly got lost on the way to Kibblesworth.............. I'll have a look upstairs tomorrow to see if I have any dates for this one. My guess would be early 1980's (possibly starting November 1981 when the cross-river Metro line opened and the cross-river bus services were mostly curtailed at Gateshead Interchange. 301 going to the Metro Centre came much later (post-deregulation) and my memory is that it was Saturdays (and Sundays?) only.

@chrisnorthern

Had a look in the 'bye-gone era' and it had started travelling to the Metrocentre by the late 80's.
It looks like there is a gap of a few years missing from there.
Whilst the Metrocentre opened in 86, I have no idea if the 301 was going there from day 1 or not.

I am starting to wonder if the 301 route via Saltwell Road, was replaced by the 733 - which until the 28a, may have been the only service that travelled the length of Saltwell Road.

There was discussion around Saltwell Road services somewhere on the forum after Marcus shared a photo of a VR in a silver livery - painted for a festival in Chester le Street in 83.

In the services guide from 1979, the 301 went from Lobley Hill to Whitley Bay, and took the same route as now roughly.

When I worked at Metro Taxis/coastline, I used to drive the 333 open top from Whitley bay caravan park to North Shields ferry landing, the 301 we went from Whitley bay caravan park to Metrocentre every day, until around 1996/1997 when it was curtailed at Gateshead Metro, only doing Metrocentre on Saturdays and Sunday's, I joined Gateshead Depot in 1996 after Metro taxis was shut down

(25 Oct 2015, 8:49 pm)Andreos1 wrote Blimey, my memory must be going.
Can't remember the 301 doing that at all.

Gonna have to check over the timetables in the 'bygone era'.

As far as I could remember, the only PTE buses along Durham Road, were the following:
24 - Gateshead to Allerdene
25 - Gateshead to Wrekenton
26 - Gateshead to Barley Mow
27 - Gateshead to Heworth
28 - Gateshead to Kibblesworth.

Obviously they terminated at Gateshead, as they fed into the Metro system prior to de-reg.

I didn't realise the 301 crossed the river at that point nor extended to Kibby.

Checked some old enthusiast news sheets and found the following:
301 operated Whitley Bay to Lobley Hill (Malvern Gardens) from the 1950's till November 1981 (when the cross-river Metro opened).
November 1981 till October 8th 1983, it operated Whitley Bay to Gateshead Interchange only.
October 8th 1983 till October 26th 1986, operated Whitley Bay to Kibblesworth, replacing service 29 between Gateshead and Kibblesworth.
After October 1986 it went back to Whitley Bay to Gateshead only. I haven't yet had time to find when it was extended to the Metro Centre - that will have to wait till another day...............

I started at Metro Taxis out of Wallsend depot in Jan 1991, and the 301 used to go to the metro centre then

(26 Oct 2015, 9:30 pm)chrisnorthern wrote Checked some old enthusiast news sheets and found the following:
301 operated Whitley Bay to Lobley Hill (Malvern Gardens) from the 1950's till November 1981 (when the cross-river Metro opened).
November 1981 till October 8th 1983, it operated Whitley Bay to Gateshead Interchange only.
October 8th 1983 till October 26th 1986, operated Whitley Bay to Kibblesworth, replacing service 29 between Gateshead and Kibblesworth.
After October 1986 it went back to Whitley Bay to Gateshead only. I haven't yet had time to find when it was extended to the Metro Centre - that will have to wait till another day...............

More dates for the 301, taken from old enthusiast news sheets. I don't have any timetable leaflets to support these dates so I'm open to correction:
At deregulation, 26/10/86, 301 was Whitley Bay Bandstand to Gateshead Interchange.
5//9/87 extended Gateshead to Metro Centre daily except Sundays
29/7/90 extended Whitley Bay Bandstand to caravan Park
23/10/94 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays (start of Sunday trading at MC)
29/7/95 withdrawn between Gateshead and Metro Centre
30/9/95 extended to Metro Centre again during shopping hours (supported by Tyne & Wear PTE)
8/1/96 Metro Centre extension withdrawn again except on Saturdays.
September 2002 designated a Tyne & Wear Superoute
30/8/03 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays
3/9/05 all Metro Centre journeys withdrawn.

I haven't checked the dates when it became the Coaster route 1 or when it was extended to Wrekenton/Kibblesworth (again) as they weren't relevant to this thread.

Now what was next - oh yes, routes along the full length of Saltwell Road. Back to the old news sheets...................

(03 Nov 2015, 4:58 pm)chrisnorthern wrote More dates for the 301, taken from old enthusiast news sheets. I don't have any timetable leaflets to support these dates so I'm open to correction:
At deregulation, 26/10/86, 301 was Whitley Bay Bandstand to Gateshead Interchange.
5//9/87 extended Gateshead to Metro Centre daily except Sundays
29/7/90 extended Whitley Bay Bandstand to caravan Park
23/10/94 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays (start of Sunday trading at MC)
29/7/95 withdrawn between Gateshead and Metro Centre
30/9/95 extended to Metro Centre again during shopping hours (supported by Tyne & Wear PTE)
8/1/96 Metro Centre extension withdrawn again except on Saturdays.
September 2002 designated a Tyne & Wear Superoute
30/8/03 extended to Metro Centre on Sundays
3/9/05 all Metro Centre journeys withdrawn.

I haven't checked the dates when it became the Coaster route 1 or when it was extended to Wrekenton/Kibblesworth (again) as they weren't relevant to this thread.

Now what was next - oh yes, routes along the full length of Saltwell Road. Back to the old news sheets...................

25/03/2007:

1= Whitley Bay to Gateshead.
2 = Whitley Bay to Eldon Square. No longer served Marden like the 302.

30/03/2008:

1= Whitley Bay to Kibblesworth
2 = North Shields to Wrekenton (from Whitley Bay evenings and Sundays)

What a wonderful thread. From my childhood growing up in Birtley I recall a few buses.

23 - operated predominantly by metro riders it went from Malone Gardens through to Vigo Bridge (part replaced by TB14 and the current 23 now)

724, when OK had it. I used to love this bus. It terminated on Percy St as opposed to worswick or eldon and was handily placed for the old coop foodhall. It also had a conductor well into the 90s.

I miss Worswick St itself and even old Gateshead Interchange. The old bus route down High St and across the High Level. No fancy bus lanes back then

The 724 terminated at Newgate Street opposite the old co-op... and yeah had conductors upto about 1997.

It then changed to the old Eldon Square bus station , underneath Eldon Square and in the dark. Was operated with mainly 3806-10 ... then 3801-4 ... then 3892 -5

(31 Jan 2016, 1:20 am)Ambassador wrote What a wonderful thread. From my childhood growing up in Birtley I recall a few buses.

23 - operated predominantly by metro riders it went from Malone Gardens through to Vigo Bridge (part replaced by TB14 and the current 23 now)

724, when OK had it. I used to love this bus. It terminated on Percy St as opposed to worswick or eldon and was handily placed for the old coop foodhall. It also had a conductor well into the 90s.

I miss Worswick St itself and even old Gateshead Interchange. The old bus route down High St and across the High Level. No fancy bus lanes back then

Mind the old roundabout at the top of Jackson St/High St was a pain.

I was always a 26 kinda guy from Birtley. Only ever used the 724 regularly from 2001/2002 ish, although I did use that and the 'OK' (not sure it had a number) pre-86.
The 721 used Newgate St too.

Route x3 and 141 hougton to ryhope
X3 used olympians and prestages
141 used solo or dart

(01 Feb 2016, 9:22 pm)IAndreos1 wrote Mind the old roundabout at the top of Jackson St/High St was a pain.

I was always a 26 kinda guy from Birtley. Only ever used the 724 regularly from 2001/2002 ish, although I did use that and the 'OK' (not sure it had a number) pre-86.
The 721 used Newgate St too.

Haha, indeed.

I was always a Classic 21 guy (mainly because they were always running!) such fantastic kit on them and I'm sure they were pretty cheap too.

I recall in its last days the 721 (and 777) was moved to Newbridge St (opposite side to where 56 stops now) The 21 was using Pilgrim St whilst the 723/4 used Eldon alongside the 709/28 and the dearly departed 733.

For some reason I'm sure in the early 00s, the 709/28 was the last bus out of town through Durham Rd. Knees squashed up on a delta or handy bus.