(31 Aug 2016, 11:35 am)busmanT wrote This is the first order of the new financial year - first buses now at Saltmeadows Road.

How many have arrived?, i take it, its the Solo Sr's?

(31 Aug 2016, 11:35 am)busmanT wrote This is the first order of the new financial year - first buses now at Saltmeadows Road.

The tents and sleeping bags will start appearing there soon then

(31 Aug 2016, 11:47 am)S813 FVK wrote The tents and sleeping bags will start appearing there soon then

Already were camping at SM when the pics of them in the factory were put on here haha

(31 Aug 2016, 11:47 am)S813 FVK wrote The tents and sleeping bags will start appearing there soon then

passenger numbers on the Loop will shoot up!

(31 Aug 2016, 11:53 am)busmanT wrote passenger numbers on the Loop will shoot up!

Two pink un's and a red one have just split on to the A194 from the A1 at Washington Services.

(31 Aug 2016, 4:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote Two pink un's and a red one have just split on to the A194 from the A1 at Washington Services.

Sorry but the excitement of these new solos is killing me...

(31 Aug 2016, 4:13 pm)Charles41 wrote Sorry but the excitement of these new solos is killing me...

I'm sensing irony in your post - but the waiting paparazzi at Saltmeadows need some prior warning before they internally combust on seeing them.

(31 Aug 2016, 4:21 pm)Andreos1 wrote I'm sensing irony in your post - but the waiting paparazzi at Saltmeadows need some prior warning before they internally combust on seeing them.

Yes...I've heard they've installed a mock up of the corner especially for them. It has a shelf of books on alien abduction for them to read whilst waiting for the next solo to be branded.

(31 Aug 2016, 4:27 pm)Charles41 wrote Yes...I've heard they've installed a mock up of the corner especially for them. It has a shelf of books on alien abduction for them to read whilst waiting for the next solo to be branded.

Nee special treatment when I went this afternoon like, annoyingly they were parked in a way where it was not possible for me to get photographs from the outside (especially with a DSLR) and just to rub it in, I got to see the staff at Saltmeadow's getting their photos [emoji14]

2016/17 Order Predictions Final

Phase 1 - 2016/2017
- NEW 16x or 17x +2x spare Wright StreetDeck for Cobalt Clipper services 309/310/X39
- 6101(T) - 6102 to Riverside / Hexham for TEN services 10/10A/10B/10X
- 6103 - 6116 + 6117 as spare to Stanley for Red Kite services 45/46/47
- 6118 - 6119 + 6120 - 6121 as spare to Chester Le Street for Angel service 21 (and extra X21 workings for the spares if available for use)
- 3941/42/62/63/64/65 (2x transferred from Chester Le Street) remain at Riverside as spare vehicles
- 5409 - 5418 + 5419 as spare to Riverside for Green Arrow services 97/97A
- Ex Green Arrow Solars begin to replace remaining B10BLEs in the fleet resulting in withdrawals

Phase 2 - 2017
- NEW 15x + 2x spare double deck vehicles for Red Arrows services X1/X1A/921
- 6050 - 6055 and 6001 - 6004 to Stanley for Northern services 6/X70/X71/X72
- 6005 - 6007 to Stanley as spares for all B9TL operated services out of Stanley (covering total PVR of 30 vehicles alongside 6117 with further additions below)
- 6049(T) transfers to Riverside / Hexham as a dedicated spare alongside 6084(T) for TEN services 10/10A/10B/10X
- NEW 6x + 1x spare double deck vehicles for Tyne Tees Xpress services X9/X10
- 6043 - 6048 to Stanley for Toon Link services X30/X31/X32 (fitted with tip up seats for pushchair bay)
- 5239/40/41/42/50/53 to Percy Main for service 19 (4x) and service 9 (2x joined by 5248 and 5249)
- 5254 to Percy Main and joined alongside 5273-74, act as spares covering a total PVR of 22
- Omnicitys + displaced Eclipses (4978-4982) above allow to further replace remaining B10BLEs in the fleet resulting in withdrawals
- Displaced Omnidekkas / Wright Eclipse Geminis (3941/42/43/62/63/64/65) begin to replace Presidents (B7TL / Trident) and Vykings (B7TL) in the fleet resulting in withdrawals

My ideas for predictions.
17x wright street deck service 21.
3962,65 transfer to Washington replacing 6011,27 these will mainly be used on service X88 and scholars and peak x1A
6056,57 transfer to percy main this will allow 5251,52 to join 5248,49 on service 9.
This deal will allow 4912,15 to be withdrawn.
6058-60 transfer to Riverside replacing 5328,29,30 on service 27.
5328,29,30 will transfer to Chester le street and will be allocated to service 13,14,x22.
4926,7,8 will be withdrawn.
6061-65 will be the new DFDS buses allowing 3887,88,89,90,91 to be withdrawn.
3866,67 will likely be gone before that and 2 tridents were said to transfer.
6065 will be spare replacing 3888 on 434s.
6066,67,68 will replace 5325,6,7 on see it do its allowing 4929,30,31 to be withdrawn from service.
6069,70 to riverside releasing 3941,42 to percy main replacing 6008,10.
5x new buses for x84,85
5229,30,31 replace 4932,33,35 at riverside.
5232 replaces 4934 at Chester le street
5233 replaces 4936 at Deptford.

Seen this on Facebook, it was on the video of GNE showing the upgrade on the 82/82A/83

Someone asked about new buses on the 28/28A...

Reply:

Yes they are they are getting Brandnew Streetlights ( like the Pricebishop) fitted with wifi and leather seats and possibly next stop announcements

Just speculation, nothing confirmed, would be nice to see new buses on those services though.

(04 Sep 2016, 4:05 pm)Michael wrote Seen this on Facebook, it was on the video of GNE showing the upgrade on the 82/82A/83

Someone asked about new buses on the 28/28A...

Reply:

Yes they are they are getting Brandnew Streetlights ( like the Pricebishop) fitted with wifi and leather seats and possibly next stop announcements

Just speculation, nothing confirmed, would be nice to see new buses on those services though.

I'd take that with a pinch of salt unless it came from GNE or of course the bods on here.

(04 Sep 2016, 4:10 pm)L469 YVK wrote I'd take that with a pinch of salt unless it came from GNE or of course the bods on here.

Ye, thought i would share anyway.

Would be good to have all the Beamish buses as Streetlites though.

(04 Sep 2016, 4:10 pm)L469 YVK wrote I'd take that with a pinch of salt unless it came from GNE or of course the bods on here.

Aye, a canny big pinch at that.....

(06 Sep 2016, 8:20 am)Michael wrote With confirmation from Dan and BusmanT, 15 more Solo's are due to arrive by end of January. (can be found here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/sh...p?tid=1864&page=14)

--------------

1. 3 are already confirmed they'll be heading to Sunderland for services 237/238

2. Hopefully 1 will go on the 38, making Deptford MPD free.

3. 4 for Washington for the 85/85 - joins Indigo

4. 2 solo's head to Crook for the 18

4. 1 left out of the batch, not sure if spare or for a service which has a 1 PVR

168 at Peterlee.
The 54 plate darts 603-606 can replace the darts at riverside

With confirmation from Dan and BusmanT, 15 more Solo's (691-705) are due to arrive by end of January. (can be found here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/sh...p?tid=1864&page=14)

--------------
This is what i think the allocations will be:

1. 3 are already confirmed they'll be heading to Sunderland for services 237/238

2. 2 to Deptford for the 38? (is it 2?)

3. 4 for Washington for the 85/85 - joins Indigo

4. 2 solo's head to Crook for the 18

5. 4 to Riverside.

(06 Sep 2016, 8:23 am)Michael wrote With confirmation from Dan and BusmanT, 15 more Solo's (691-705) are due to arrive by end of January. (can be found here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/sh...p?tid=1864&page=14)

--------------
This is what i think the allocations will be:

1. 3 are already confirmed they'll be heading to Sunderland for services 237/238

2. 2 to Deptford for the 38? (is it 2?)

3. 4 for Washington for the 85/85 - joins Indigo

4. 2 solo's head to Crook for the 18

5. 4 to Riverside.

The 38 only has a PVR of 2 on a Saturday morning

(06 Sep 2016, 8:23 am)Michael wrote With confirmation from Dan and BusmanT, 15 more Solo's (691-705) are due to arrive by end of January. (can be found here: http://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/sh...p?tid=1864&page=14)

--------------
This is what i think the allocations will be:

1. 3 are already confirmed they'll be heading to Sunderland for services 237/238

2. 2 to Deptford for the 38? (is it 2?)

3. 4 for Washington for the 85/85 - joins Indigo

4. 2 solo's head to Crook for the 18

5. 4 to Riverside.

4 to Percy Main, releasing 625/627/631/632 to Washington for 85/86.

(06 Sep 2016, 5:48 pm)park5354 wrote 4 to Percy Main, releasing 625/627/631/632 to Washington for 85/86.

Ye, that sounds better, all they'll need to change is the things what link the route with different area's.

Is that confirmed or speculation?

(06 Sep 2016, 5:57 pm)Michael wrote Ye, that sounds better, all they'll need to change is the things what link the route with different area's.

Is that confirmed or speculation?

Hopefully that will happen as the 42 is a lot longer route than the 85/86 and warrants the advertised features. Wouldn't be so bad if they were kept on the 40/41.

Also any update on the NSAs for the 40/41/42 and the Q3? I know the 40/41 isn't on but not sure about the other 2.

(06 Sep 2016, 5:57 pm)Michael wrote Ye, that sounds better, all they'll need to change is the things what link the route with different area's.

Is that confirmed or speculation?

Speculation.

(06 Sep 2016, 6:21 pm)Tom wrote Hopefully that will happen as the 42 is a lot longer route than the 85/86 and warrants the advertised features. Wouldn't be so bad if they were kept on the 40/41.

Also any update on the NSAs for the 40/41/42 and the Q3? I know the 40/41 isn't on but not sure about the other 2.

No - still not on, as there's lots of things going on at the moment.

The announcements for the indiGo North Tyne services were tested on 22nd August. Services 40/41 require a lot of work as a result of the new route around Holy Cross, but service 42 was more or less spot on and only needs a few things changing. Once I've managed to sort Holy Cross out on the 40/41 and test it around the route, the whole network will have announcements again.

Angel was tested on 25th August. Although there's not a great deal to change, the 'line plan' format means that just one stop being wrong knocks everything out and there's a lot of work involved in correcting this.

The announcements for services 33, 38C and 135/136 were tested today. They were all more or less spot on - there's a number of things which require tweaking, but the new buses can be launched on Thursday with the announcements working, and amendments can follow early next week.

I've barely had chance to look at the Quaylink yet, but that fits in quite nicely with developments around Great Park. The Q3 now operates a one-way circular around Great Park, but the new stops haven't been allocated yet, so there's only some temporary stops in place. When all of the announcements for the above services have been sorted, I'm hoping the permanent stops will have been allocated, and that will allow me to crack on there.

I've already fully built Citylink 58, and that's just waiting to be tested at the same time as the new Quaylink. The revised TEN media will be rolled out at the same time as Citylink/Quaylink.

Haven't had chance to look at the Cobalt Clipper services yet, but that's another one that's just waiting to be built and tested.

indiGo Washington will be launched without Next Stop Announcements for the time being, but I've got a plan in the back of my head for timescales on that one, which could work quite nicely with other things happening!

Any plans to re-do the Coast & Country NSAs? Me and my dad got on the 78 on Sunday and were quite baffled when we heard 'St Stephens Church West'. We knew where we were, it was just the 'West' bit that made us both go 'eh?'.

(06 Sep 2016, 7:07 pm)Dan wrote Speculation.


No - still not on, as there's lots of things going on at the moment.

The announcements for the indiGo North Tyne services were tested on 22nd August. Services 40/41 require a lot of work as a result of the new route around Holy Cross, but service 42 was more or less spot on and only needs a few things changing. Once I've managed to sort Holy Cross out on the 40/41 and test it around the route, the whole network will have announcements again.

Angel was tested on 25th August. Although there's not a great deal to change, the 'line plan' format means that just one stop being wrong knocks everything out and there's a lot of work involved in correcting this.

The announcements for services 33, 38C and 135/136 were tested today. They were all more or less spot on - there's a number of things which require tweaking, but the new buses can be launched on Thursday with the announcements working, and amendments can follow early next week.

I've barely had chance to look at the Quaylink yet, but that fits in quite nicely with developments around Great Park. The Q3 now operates a one-way circular around Great Park, but the new stops haven't been allocated yet, so there's only some temporary stops in place. When all of the announcements for the above services have been sorted, I'm hoping the permanent stops will have been allocated, and that will allow me to crack on there.

I've already fully built Citylink 58, and that's just waiting to be tested at the same time as the new Quaylink. The revised TEN media will be rolled out at the same time as Citylink/Quaylink.

Haven't had chance to look at the Cobalt Clipper services yet, but that's another one that's just waiting to be built and tested.

indiGo Washington will be launched without Next Stop Announcements for the time being, but I've got a plan in the back of my head for timescales on that one, which could work quite nicely with other things happening!

Great thanks
Just wondering as I haven't been on the services for a while. It is a lot to get through though!

(06 Sep 2016, 7:07 pm)Dan wrote Speculation.


No - still not on, as there's lots of things going on at the moment.

The announcements for the indiGo North Tyne services were tested on 22nd August. Services 40/41 require a lot of work as a result of the new route around Holy Cross, but service 42 was more or less spot on and only needs a few things changing. Once I've managed to sort Holy Cross out on the 40/41 and test it around the route, the whole network will have announcements again.

Angel was tested on 25th August. Although there's not a great deal to change, the 'line plan' format means that just one stop being wrong knocks everything out and there's a lot of work involved in correcting this.

The announcements for services 33, 38C and 135/136 were tested today. They were all more or less spot on - there's a number of things which require tweaking, but the new buses can be launched on Thursday with the announcements working, and amendments can follow early next week.

I've barely had chance to look at the Quaylink yet, but that fits in quite nicely with developments around Great Park. The Q3 now operates a one-way circular around Great Park, but the new stops haven't been allocated yet, so there's only some temporary stops in place. When all of the announcements for the above services have been sorted, I'm hoping the permanent stops will have been allocated, and that will allow me to crack on there.

I've already fully built Citylink 58, and that's just waiting to be tested at the same time as the new Quaylink. The revised TEN media will be rolled out at the same time as Citylink/Quaylink.

Haven't had chance to look at the Cobalt Clipper services yet, but that's another one that's just waiting to be built and tested.

indiGo Washington will be launched without Next Stop Announcements for the time being, but I've got a plan in the back of my head for timescales on that one, which could work quite nicely with other things happening!

With the QuayLink ones will it say 'The Next Stop is Rosedon Way, the bus operates Hal and ride meaning that the bus will stop when safe to do so'?

Streetlites on 16?
Drivers at stanley have said more streetlites were on their way, drivers also stated that citaros were being pulled off soon because of their condition. Who knows..

(17 Sep 2016, 11:07 am)Jamie M wrote Streetlites on 16?
Drivers at stanley have said more streetlites were on their way, drivers also stated that citaros were being pulled off soon because of their condition. Who knows..

I wouldn't say that route just yet.
The x36 would be good with 5438,39 yet any solar goes on that and it's likely 4936 the eldest

(17 Sep 2016, 11:07 am)Jamie M wrote Streetlites on 16?
Drivers at stanley have said more streetlites were on their way, drivers also stated that citaros were being pulled off soon because of their condition. Who knows..

I've heard more Streetlite's are due for Riverside.

(17 Sep 2016, 3:40 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote I wouldn't say that route just yet.
The x36 would be good with 5438,39 yet any solar goes on that and it's likely 4936 the eldest

The optare taster vehicle was on the 16 back in june-july, it all kinda points to it.