(10 Mar 2016, 10:10 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I doubt I'll be there especially, though the giant IPAD(sic) intrigues me.

Tickets up for grabs that we might actually be able to use, though - unlesss it's local ones! And, of course, it'd cost me £7.70 to get there and back, so that sort of cancels out the benefits of free tickets.

I'll probably make an appearance at the Darlington event, unsure if I'll head over to the Barney event or not, may do as I haven't really been on them Omnicitys since they moved to Darlington, will also depend when the other two are branded. Tickets will probably only be redeemable by jumping on the X75/X76.

(10 Mar 2016, 9:09 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I think he meant he hates it because it stops kickdown in Pulsars. Which I admit annoys me too.
Don't know how much it saves fuel wise though, Its supposed to make gear changes based on traffic conditions apparently.

It doesn't stop the use of kickdown, the kickdown can still be used.

You just need to know how tp use it properly, which the vast majority of Darlo's drivers now have got the hang of

Why are ArrivaNE adveristing "new" buses for the X75/6 lanch ? The only difference is a bit of a respray, some vinyls and a couple of other trick bits. All they are are Pulsars in disguise.

7517 broke down on the A1, north of Alnwick, earlier, while operating what I assume to be an X15.

(11 Mar 2016, 6:00 pm)mb134 wrote 7517 broke down on the A1, north of Alnwick earlier, while operating what I assume to be an X15.

Hahahaha

yep. It was an x15.

(11 Mar 2016, 6:51 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Hahahaha

yep. It was an x15.

Do you know which one it was? I passed 7511 at around 5:30 near Haggerston heading from Berwick, after passing 7517 around 5PM, with passengers still on the lower deck?

Had they been sitting there for about an hour and a half? Did anything replace 7517 further down the route?

Just passed 1320 on a 48 at Nevilles Cross heading to New Brancepeth for anybody who wants it. I think it looks much better without the cowhorn - not too sure how it will look with the revised Frequenta one, though.

The seat back USB sockets on 4652 work a treat.

Unlike the sockets on 7537, which we caught earlier.

(11 Mar 2016, 3:54 pm)scania driver wrote Why are ArrivaNE adveristing "new" buses for the X75/6 lanch ? The only difference is a bit of a respray, some vinyls and a couple of other trick bits. All they are are Pulsars in disguise.

Sshhhhh!

(12 Mar 2016, 12:13 pm)BusLoverMum wrote The seat back USB sockets on 4652 work a treat.

Unlike the sockets on 7537, which we caught earlier.

7538's don't work either!

Thortons have published a few photographs 55 reg max ALX400. What are route/depot are they for?

(12 Mar 2016, 2:55 pm)Steven112 wrote Thortons have published a few photographs 55 reg max ALX400. What are route/depot are they for?

They'll be our MAX upgrade for the 46 Durham - Crook - Tow Law

(12 Mar 2016, 6:27 pm)tyresmoke wrote They'll be our MAX upgrade for the 46 Durham - Crook - Tow Law

Ooh!

Big'un wants to know what's happening with the 48 (if that's not been asked already)

(12 Mar 2016, 7:31 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Ooh!

Big'un wants to know what's happening with the 48 (if that's not been asked already)

It interworks with the 46 so it'll use those too.

Comments regularly crop up on this forum and others regarding the quality and presentation of Go North East's fleet, but I would certainly suggest that some people seem to be wearing those rose tinted glasses, based on my five-minute experience of Arriva Durham's fleet yesterday.

I managed to spot "Sapphire" ADL Enviro400 7538 with an odd coloured panel and missing branding on the front of the bus, two "Sapphire" VDL Pulsars with odd coloured panels (one was 1524, with a rear offside corner panel a darker blue compared to the rest of the bus), Lowlander 7444 which was looking incredibly tatty, and Solo 2823 which was looking tatty and missing sections of paint on the front of the bus.

Not forgetting the fact that some of the "Sapphire" Wright Streetlites on service 22* still only display a route number on the rear destination display, despite being fitted with a full-size rear display. Arriva have gone to the expense of purchasing a large LED display, so it's pretty poor that the company's electricians haven't bothered to change the switch setting to allow the correct information to be shown. It's a two minute job!

* I didn't catch any fleet numbers, but I'm sure Big'un and BLM will know!

(13 Mar 2016, 8:15 am)Dan wrote Comments regularly crop up on this forum and others regarding the quality and presentation of Go North East's fleet, but I would certainly suggest that some people seem to be wearing those rose tinted glasses, based on my five-minute experience of Arriva Durham's fleet yesterday.

I managed to spot "Sapphire" ADL Enviro400 7538 with an odd coloured panel and missing branding on the front of the bus, two "Sapphire" VDL Pulsars with odd coloured panels (one was 1524, with a rear offside corner panel a darker blue compared to the rest of the bus), Lowlander 7444 which was looking incredibly tatty, and Solo 2823 which was looking tatty and missing sections of paint on the front of the bus.

Not forgetting the fact that some of the "Sapphire" Wright Streetlites on service 22* still only display a route number on the rear destination display, despite being fitted with a full-size rear display. Arriva have gone to the expense of purchasing a large LED display, so it's pretty poor that the company's electricians haven't bothered to change the switch setting to allow the correct information to be shown. It's a two minute job!

* I didn't catch any fleet numbers, but I'm sure Big'un and BLM will know!

About half of the 22 rear displays are working properly. Big'un will know exactly which! It's a miracle if any of the sockets work and I've given up trying with the WiFi. 1595 doesn't have any NSAs even though at least one of the other sapphire spares does. The NSAs are full of bad spelling and worse pronunciation and don't even work on a section of the route that crosses over itself.

So yes, there isn't a lot of sparkle!

Unlike some of the ashington sapphire fleet, the streetlites are reliable, cope well with the trickier bits of the route and keep time, though. That is a massive improvement on what we've had.

7444 looks as you'd expect for anold bus that's not been painted but some of those y reg lowlanders are caked in filth inside, including on the seats. The 08 reg solos look pretty shocking and have done for a couple of years. They're really nippy vehicles, so I don't know why they've been allowed to become such a mess when they have a good few years in them, yet.

---

(13 Mar 2016, 8:15 am)Dan wrote Comments regularly crop up on this forum and others regarding the quality and presentation of Go North East's fleet, but I would certainly suggest that some people seem to be wearing those rose tinted glasses, based on my five-minute experience of Arriva Durham's fleet yesterday.

I managed to spot "Sapphire" ADL Enviro400 7538 with an odd coloured panel and missing branding on the front of the bus, two "Sapphire" VDL Pulsars with odd coloured panels (one was 1524, with a rear offside corner panel a darker blue compared to the rest of the bus), Lowlander 7444 which was looking incredibly tatty, and Solo 2823 which was looking tatty and missing sections of paint on the front of the bus.

Not forgetting the fact that some of the "Sapphire" Wright Streetlites on service 22* still only display a route number on the rear destination display, despite being fitted with a full-size rear display. Arriva have gone to the expense of purchasing a large LED display, so it's pretty poor that the company's electricians haven't bothered to change the switch setting to allow the correct information to be shown. It's a two minute job!

* I didn't catch any fleet numbers, but I'm sure Big'un and BLM will know!

About half of the 22 rear displays are working properly. Big'un will know exactly which! It's a miracle if any of the sockets work and I've given up trying with the WiFi. 1595 doesn't have any NSAs even though at least one of the other sapphire spares does. The NSAs are full of bad spelling and worse pronunciation and don't even work on a section of the route that crosses over itself.

So yes, there isn't a lot of sparkle!

Unlike some of the ashington sapphire fleet, the streetlites are reliable, cope well with the trickier bits of the route and keep time, though. That is a massive improvement on what we've had.

7444 looks as you'd expect for anold bus that's not been painted but some of those y reg lowlanders are caked in filth inside, including on the seats. The 08 reg solos look pretty shocking and have done for a couple of years. They're really nippy vehicles, so I don't know why they've been allowed to become such a mess when they have a good few years in them, yet.

Bravo to the driver on the X12 who's just missed Millburngate out!

(13 Mar 2016, 2:34 pm)Jimmi wrote Bravo to the driver on the X12 who's just missed Millburngate out!

Aye, they know what they are doing 

Does the X12 even stop at Millburngate? Every time i have seen it, it has turned up North Road and round to the bridge that way. Sundays may be different though.

(13 Mar 2016, 2:42 pm)S813 FVK wrote Does the X12 even stop at Millburngate? Every time i have seen it, it has turned up North Road and round to the bridge that way. Sundays may be different though.

I saw one there yesterday and thought it odd, but it occurred to me that I've never actually caught it from Durham, southbound.

(13 Mar 2016, 2:42 pm)S813 FVK wrote Does the X12 even stop at Millburngate? Every time i have seen it, it has turned up North Road and round to the bridge that way. Sundays may be different though.

Yes. Since the changes at the start of October 2015, all Middlesbrough bound X12s should be serving Millburngate. I can't say I've witnessed an issue of the X12 not serving the stop either.

(13 Mar 2016, 2:42 pm)S813 FVK wrote Does the X12 even stop at Millburngate? Every time i have seen it, it has turned up North Road and round to the bridge that way. Sundays may be different though.

Yes, it does stop at Millburngate on Middlesbrough bound journeys, has done since the timetable was last changed some months ago, can't remember exactly when.

(13 Mar 2016, 2:42 pm)S813 FVK wrote Does the X12 even stop at Millburngate? Every time i have seen it, it has turned up North Road and round to the bridge that way. Sundays may be different though.

It has done since October.

(13 Mar 2016, 2:53 pm)Adrian wrote Yes. Since the changes at the start of October 2015, all Middlesbrough bound X12s should be serving Millburngate. I can't say I've witnessed an issue of the X12 not serving the stop either.

It must be one of those stops that some drivers stop at, and others don't. I've certainly seen some of the X12s turning left up North Road then across the Milburngate Bridge that way, as opposed to actually serving the stands at Millburngate.

Obviously the same applies to Gateshead Interchange. Just last week I noticed another X12 towards Middlesbrough omitting it - and it was actually a Stockton one, as opposed to a Durham one... Not that I am suggesting there is any difference in the quality of operation between Stockton and Durham... 

(13 Mar 2016, 3:02 pm)Dan wrote It must be one of those stops that some drivers stop at, and others don't. I've certainly seen some of the X12s turning left up North Road then across the Milburngate Bridge that way, as opposed to actually serving the stands at Millburngate.

Obviously the same applies to Gateshead Interchange. Just last week I noticed another X12 towards Middlesbrough omitting it - and it was actually a Stockton one, as opposed to a Durham one... Not that I am suggesting there is any difference in the quality of operation between Stockton and Durham... 

It could be down to the fact that the X12's on a Sunday aren't the regular drivers as its spread across all rotas. It's been notified though since October that the X12 stops there on return to Middlesbrough so there's no excuse for turning left out of the bus station.

When are the VDL Commanders which are branded for the Quorum going to be Repainted, as these Vehicles are still regularly used on the X7/X8. Would personally convert them to MAX as last resort spares to the Pulsars.

(13 Mar 2016, 4:31 pm)Malarkey wrote When are the VDL Commanders which are branded for the Quorum going to be Repainted, as these Vehicles are still regularly used on the X7/X8. Would personally convert them to MAX as last resort spares to the Pulsars.

*Ahem*

..and X9/X10/X11.

Arriva North East: 1402 / NK53HHY by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

Very anti-Arriva recently Dan..... Arriva Durham County does have filthy buses but you don't need to be picking in Northumbria

(13 Mar 2016, 5:33 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Very anti-Arriva recently Dan..... Arriva Durham County does have filthy buses but you don't need to be picking in Northumbria

Try my best to balance the scales a bit, Tommy! Think my work here is done! 

(13 Mar 2016, 5:31 pm)Dan wrote *Ahem*

..and X9/X10/X11.

Arriva North East: 1402 / NK53HHY by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

Blyth put it on whatever they feel like!
Nice shot, though.