(29 Jan 2016, 9:39 pm)James101 wrote Hello! First time contributor, though Ive long thought this is a great platform for discussion with some interesting debate.

Apologies if this has been previously discussed; does anybody know why 4973's branding for the X35 was changed at some point from 'every 30 minutes' to 'every 60 minutes'. I'm certain this route has been essentially the same since 2006!

See links to photos:

March 2014: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60671109@N08/13110067123/

Dec 2015: https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/23552489070/

Evening James, welcome to the forum. At a guess, I'd suggest it's to do with the X36's reduction in frequency from every 30 minutes to hourly, even though the branding only applies to the X35 on 4973, as the locations listed are only served by the X35 and not the X36. Bizarre nevertheless. I'd put it down to some confusion from the vinyl appliers when the bus was being rebranded or some vinyls were being replaced.

Has 3941 tranferred to percy main for some reason??

(29 Jan 2016, 9:49 pm)R852 PRG wrote Evening James, welcome to the forum. At a guess, I'd suggest it's to do with the X36's reduction in frequency from every 30 minutes to hourly, even though the branding only applies to the X35 on 4973, as the locations listed are only served by the X35 and not the X36. Bizarre nevertheless. I'd put it down to some confusion from the vinyl appliers when the bus was being rebranded or some vinyls were being replaced.

That seems a likely explanation - thank you. 

Whilst we're with the X35, would it be correct to say this is the only branded route that has never have a refresh in either style or vehicle type since the 2006 'big bang' of route branding. It seems a bit unloved!

(29 Jan 2016, 10:04 pm)James101 wrote That seems a likely explanation - thank you. 

Whilst we're with the X35, would it be correct to say this is the only branded route that has never have a refresh in either style or vehicle type since the 2006 'big bang' of route branding. It seems a bit unloved!

Wouldn't personally surprise me if the Fast Cats receives some investment in the next couple of years, as the Solars are ageing and could do with being replaced in my opinion, to then spend their final years in the spare vehicle fleet. I'd make an educated guess and assume Streetlites would be on the agenda, if so.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:04 pm)James101 wrote That seems a likely explanation - thank you. 

Whilst we're with the X35, would it be correct to say this is the only branded route that has never have a refresh in either style or vehicle type since the 2006 'big bang' of route branding. It seems a bit unloved!

Welcome to the forum

I think you're right about it not getting a refresh for a while, hopefully it should be getting a refresh soon.

I really like the brand, hopefully when they get a refresh, the brand won't change.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:01 pm)dannygee wrote Has 3941 tranferred to percy main for some reason??

Its more likely the DFDS service might of required more vehicles today but arnt they worked by Riverside anyways?
If not then it will just be in Percy Main till tomorrow when it will go back to Riverside.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:15 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Its more likely the DFDS service might of required more vehicles today but arnt they worked by Riverside anyways?
If not then it will just be in Percy Main till tomorrow when it will go back to Riverside.

How do you know it might not be on loan for a few more days, if it is?

(29 Jan 2016, 10:11 pm)R852 PRG wrote Wouldn't personally surprise me if the Fast Cats receives some investment in the next couple of years, as the Solars are ageing and could do with being replaced in my opinion, to then spend their final years in the spare vehicle fleet. I'd make an educated guess and assume Streetlites would be on the agenda, if so.

Hopefully they do, i agree on Streetlites for the X35 if it got new buses.

Would you include the X36 for new buses to?

(29 Jan 2016, 10:20 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully they do, i agree on Streetlites for the X35 if it got new buses.

Would you include the X36 for new buses to?

It falls under the same brand name, so I'd have thought so. They interwork at Sunderland, don't they? Like asking if they should have only bought Streetlites for the 78 and not the 8.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:22 pm)R852  PRG wrote It falls under the same brand name, so I'd have thought so. They interwork at Sunderland, don't they? Like asking if they should have only bought Streetlites for the 78 and not the 8.

Not anymore. It was stopped when one of the X36s was curtailed to terminate at Downhill.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:13 pm)Michael wrote Welcome to the forum

I think you're right about it not getting a refresh for a while, hopefully it should be getting a refresh soon.

I really like the brand, hopefully when they get a refresh, the brand won't change.

Personally I think the 'Fast Cats' brand doesn't have the polish and style of others, the font particularly looks a bit clumsy I think. That and presumably the name is a pun on a fast route to Sunderland compared the the shared parts of route 35/36; it doesn't really relate to the folks of Hartlepool and the Durham coast who'd be in for an long run if they chose the X35 over Arriva's 23!

(29 Jan 2016, 10:24 pm)S813 FVK wrote Not anymore. It wa stopped when one of the X36s was curtailed to terminate at Downhill.

Interesting, I was of the understanding that they still interworked. With this being the case, I still think new buses should be purchased for the X36 as well if it were to happen, unless they were to change the brand name and have the two services completely separated.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:24 pm)S813 FVK wrote Not anymore. It was stopped when one of the X36s was curtailed to terminate at Downhill.

Would this be an opportunity to put the services into separate brands? They're about associated to each other as the angel 21 and the tynedale links!

(29 Jan 2016, 10:24 pm)James101 wrote Personally I think the 'Fast Cats' brand doesn't have the polish and style of others, the font particularly looks a bit clumsy I think. That and presumably the name is a pun on a fast route to Sunderland compared the the shared parts of route 35/36; it doesn't really relate to the folks of Hartlepool and the Durham coast who'd be in for an long run if they chose the X35 over Arriva's 23!

Ye, the cats are quite plain but its still catchy, i hope if we see a brand refresh we'll see the brand improved on the cat front.

I don't think Fast Cats relates to anything on the route, however i'm sure someone can confirm that.


Edit:

Wonder if 5 of the 54 reg scania's from the Prince Bishops will replace the 5 older Scanias currently in the Fast Cats brand?

That means all the Fast Cats scania's will be 54 reg.


This will be done while repainting takes place for when the streetlites are due for the 20/20A.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:27 pm)Michael wrote Ye, the cats are quite plain but its still catchy, i hope if we see a brand refresh we'll see the brand improved on the cat front.

I don't think Fast Cats relates to anything on the route, however i'm sure someone can confirm that.

I think the reasoning behind the brand name is that the service is supposedly a ''fast'' way of getting into Sunderland, which is synonymous with the ''Black Cats'' Sunderland AFC, hence the ''cats'' and black livery.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:27 pm)Michael wrote Ye, the cats are quite plain but its still catchy, i hope if we see a brand refresh we'll see the brand improved on the cat front.

I don't think Fast Cats relates to anything on the route, however i'm sure someone can confirm that.

I don't think the brand has any route relations, but i do think they are killing two birds with one stone as the phrase goes.

I think we could all agree that 'Fast' denotes the express nature of the routes (although this could be disputed in some sections) with the 'Cats' referencing that the services go to Sunderland (paired with the black base livery).

(29 Jan 2016, 10:20 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully they do, i agree on Streetlites for the X35 if it got new buses.

Would you include the X36 for new buses to?

I'm not sure the X36 could justify brand new buses, it wouldn't surprise me if at some point in the not too distant future the X36 becomes an unbranded route.

New buses on the X35 would be nice, or even some cascades from another route. The X35 could possibly do with a new brand I think, I don't know why but I've always thought that the Fast Cats branded Solar's have always looked a mess and a bit tatty.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:31 pm)S813 FVK wrote I don't think the brand has any route relations, but i do think they are killing two birds with one stone as the phrase goes.

I think we could all agree that 'Fast' denotes the express nature of the routes (although this could be disputed in some sections) with the 'Cats' referencing that the services go to Sunderland (paired with the black base livery).

Have to say for express routes, the X35 isn't one....takes way to long, yes its limited stops etc.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:29 pm)R852 PRG wrote I think the reasoning behind the brand name is that the service is supposedly a ''fast'' way of getting into Sunderland, which is synonymous with the ''Black Cats'' Sunderland AFC, hence the ''cats'' and black livery.

I'd say that was a bit speculative. I can't recall any links to Sunderland AFC when the brand was promoted, so it could mean absolutely anything. There's certainly nothing fast about Sunderland AFC, and nor did it provide any links when first launched.

Cue someone digging out timetable literature from 2009...  :s

The X35 is more an express service than First South Yorkshire's X78 - the only express service to serve every stop on its route. At least the X35 does have some limited stop sections.

(29 Jan 2016, 10:34 pm)Adrian wrote I'd say that was a bit speculative. I can't recall any links to Sunderland AFC when the brand was promoted, so it could mean absolutely anything. There's certainly nothing fast about Sunderland AFC, and nor did it provide any links when first launched.

Cue someone digging out timetable literature from 2009...  :s

I'd have thought the reference to Sunderland AFC through the black livery and ''cats'' in the name would have seemed pretty self-explanatory to users of the route, never been a big user of the service myself and that's the link I'd almost subconsciously make.

BIB: 

I would speculate that if GNE are keeping the X35 long term, high-spec vehicles may be preferred as they're competing directly with Arriva sapphire 23 between Hartlepool and Peterlee, and Sunderland to a lessor extent

(29 Jan 2016, 10:18 pm)R852 PRG wrote How do you know it might not be on loan for a few more days, if it is?

I don't know but heavily doubt its on loan, Percy Main have a good enough amount of vehicles on the road at the minuete.

It was seen on 434 today

Well according to 'that' facebook group, 3941 has transferred to Percy Main to replace 3859 on the 434.

(29 Jan 2016, 11:44 pm)S813 FVK wrote Well according to 'that' facebook group, 3941 has transferred to Percy Main to replace 3859 on the 434.

Not too sure how much of a 'permanent' solution this is, but that is correct, in a bid to provide a younger vehicle and improve reliability on the 434/448 services (also why the two red Volvo B9s, 6116 and 6117, have been regularly allocated on weekdays since the contract started).

3859 has transferred to Riverside in exchange - likely to be used on scholars only, so I'm guessing a few more dual-door Volvo B7s will crop up on the TEN.

6100's ticket machine isn't working.

(30 Jan 2016, 8:42 am)Davie wrote 6100's ticket machine isn't working.

Its a nightmare when the driver is on Emergency Tickets

Try being on emergency tickets in a betting shop

(30 Jan 2016, 11:04 am)GMitchelhill wrote Try being on emergency tickets in a betting shop

I can well imagine...not a pretty sight!