(29 Feb 2020, 8:44 pm)RobinHood wrote It's normally about this time of year that the B9TLs are brought in for MOT and service prep, to ensure that they aren't taken off for planned servicing over the summer timetable.

Same thing happened last year I recall, a few missing for a few weeks, but then all back out and ready for Easter.

Two of the B7s are still in Durham? Is 7609 still at Blyth?

7425 is back, 7424 is at Blyth.

Broken down Whitby solo on tow threw dunsdale tonight

2869 is now back at Darlington with presumably 1431 going back the opposite way

1607 broken down on the 10 as I left work this evening

(02 Mar 2020, 6:25 pm)Ryland wrote 1607 broken down on the 10 as I left work this evening

Speaking to a driver this morning there was about 7 Buses off the road this morning for run out

1416 broke down this afternoon
4651 also broke down
4814 was of the road at one point

7562 now debranded from it's 268 livery.

7602 been involved in a incident with police and fire service with the vehicle

The forthcoming round of service changes in the Redcar and Cleveland areas have hit the airwaves. It looks, on paper at least, the most comprehensive set of changes in those areas for some years. Most of them look pretty much workable but the, shall I say, removal of the fast links, X3/X4, is maybe a mistake? OK these are only diverting to run through Dormanstown but perhaps the retention of 1 or 2 journies an hour, if only at peak times, AKA the X5 and X17 could have been an idea?

The only other thing to watch out for will be the revised timetable for service 63. We've mentioned this before and there probably isn't a solution but hopefully it'll go some way to resolve the bunching situation.

I would have preferred it if the X3/X3A were sent via Dormanstown and service X4 carried on as normal. Time will tell if these revisions prove popular...

Also great to see 1550 - 1559 will move to Redcar as the X3/X3A seem to rarely have enough StreetLites to form the allocaton...

What then is going to happen at Stockton as 1550-9 are heading across to Dormanstown? And if that's the case what is Dormanstown losing ?

(06 Mar 2020, 2:59 am)Stephen James Peter Johns wrote I believe in line with the service changes Redcar are losing 1429-40 to Stockton with 1550-59 coming the other way. Also possibly Stockton Centros 1534-6 leaving to head to Blyth to replace 1401-3

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Understand the proposed fleet movements have been cancelled. 1534-6 weren’t moving anyway - Blyth were planned to get Centros, just not those Centros............

So if these fleet movements have been cancelled isn't that good and sensible news's? The logic behind swooping Stockton's Streetlites for Dormanstown's VDL Pulsars seemed kinda pointless. OK the Streetlites haven't been an altogether success at Stockton, coping with the demands of the services - 5/5a - on which they were intended to operate but then the Dormanstown operated X3/X4 routes have the same issues unless of course there was another reason for the move? Didn't someone suggest that service 63 was going to be upgraded and operated by Streetlites?

Looking at the changes of the X3 and X4 from April. Good that the X3A is extended to Brotton. Good that the X4 is running later in the evening. My only negative is that the turnaround in Whitby has been reduced from 13 minutes to 6 minutes. Not really a problem at this time of year but in the summer it will be a problem.

March 2020

1413 and the old livered pulsar at Belmont have had the beeps for when the doors are opened without the handbrake removed, is there a particular reason for this? I know it would sometimes get on my nerves.

If 1534 - 1536 aren't moving, is it likely to be 1923 & 1924?

Cutting the layover time on the X4 is yet another negative move for this service. Not only has it become an "all stops" journey we now find its going to be further compromised. Surely Arriva know that Whitby has its problems during the summer.

(05 Mar 2020, 11:05 pm)S830OFT wrote I would have preferred it if the X3/X3A were sent via Dormanstown and service X4 carried on as normal. Time will tell if these revisions prove popular...

Also great to see 1550 - 1559 will move to Redcar as the X3/X3A seem to rarely have enough StreetLites to form the allocaton...

Not great for Redcar. They have enough Streetlites to cover but there's usually several off road so sending more Streetlites there in exchange for the Pulsars will just make the problem worse.

---

(06 Mar 2020, 6:01 am)scanialover wrote So if these fleet movements have been cancelled isn't that good and sensible news's? The logic behind swooping Stockton's Streetlites for Dormanstown's VDL Pulsars seemed kinda pointless. OK the Streetlites haven't been an altogether success at Stockton, coping with the demands of the services - 5/5a - on which they were intended to operate but then the Dormanstown operated X3/X4 routes have the same issues unless of course there was another reason for the move? Didn't someone suggest that service 63 was going to be upgraded and operated by Streetlites?

X3 was supposed to interwork with 64/64A with Streetlites. 63 would be Temsas and the 5/5A de-Sapphired with Pulsars.

---

(06 Mar 2020, 8:06 am)Michael Euston wrote Looking at the changes of the X3 and X4 from April. Good that the X3A is extended to Brotton. Good that the X4 is running later in the evening. My only negative is that the turnaround in Whitby has been reduced from 13 minutes to 6 minutes. Not really a problem at this time of year but in the summer it will be a problem.

Certainly agree about the layover at Whitby but agree with the earlier comments that changing the route is definitely not an improvement.

New timetables for the X4 and the X93/X94 now online.

I too can see punctuality being an issue with the reduced layover time in Whitby, and dont personally like the diversion through Dormanstown. Ok, it only adds about 3 minutes to the journey but all these incremental extras all make a difference - when the X4 first started, it didnt even stop at all stops along the coast road.

Yes its good for people in Dormanstown, but again those people coming in from East Cleveland have to put up with a longer journey into Middlesbrough. Personally, I preferred the days when Dormanstown and Marske Estate were served by a town service. Longer distance journeys are then left to take the more direct route.

Just my opinion and you cant please everyone, but slower journeys dont attract people from their cars onto buses.

On a positive note the later evening journeys are a good thing.

(07 Mar 2020, 11:45 am)tvd wrote New timetables for the X4 and the X93/X94 now online.

I too can see punctuality being an issue with the reduced layover time in Whitby, and dont personally like the diversion through Dormanstown.  Ok, it only adds about 3 minutes to the journey but all these incremental extras all make a difference - when the X4 first started, it didnt even stop at all stops along the coast road.

Yes its good for people in Dormanstown, but again those people coming in from East Cleveland have to put up with a longer journey into Middlesbrough.  Personally, I preferred the days when Dormanstown and Marske Estate were served by a town service.  Longer distance journeys are then left to take the more direct route.

Just my opinion and you cant please everyone, but slower journeys dont attract people from their cars onto buses.

On a positive note the later evening journeys are a good thing.

Yes, agree. And the Expresses didn't used to stop on Coatham Road either except Coatham Roundabout til the then half hourly 81 was diverted via Lakes Estate. Ruined them by using them progressively to replace other services they have withdrawn. Can see problems for people who used to get the 62 trying to get on the X3/X4.

So are any new vehicles going to be ordered this year?

Short answer probably not. More practical answer, why not try and keep some of the fleet we have on the road! We read quite regularly through these pages of the problems being faced by the depots which, to me, seems indicative that not enough is been spent in terms of parts and maintainance.

On the theme of new vehicles, replacement of the Scania's, 46xx must be overdue/imminent? These have seen sterling and demanding service across the network; 63's out of Dormanstown, then on the X93's before ending up where they are now,; the X66/67 services could, for sure, use something better.

I would have thought something must be due to be purchased this year, most likely for Northumbria depots considering everything will have to be Euro 6 in Newcastle next year.

After it was mentioned the other day that GNE can't upgrade their Euro 5 StreetLite Micro-Hybrids without replacing the engine's, surely it will be the same issue with 1574-1589? Would imagine those could all end up somewhere within Durham County with either new stock or Pulsar's taking their place.

And then we, down here on Teesside end up with the cast offs as the fleets are re-arranged. Yes we have to accommodate whatever is happening with Euro 6 but why should we suffer?

(07 Mar 2020, 7:07 pm)scanialover wrote And then we, down here on Teesside end up with the cast offs as the fleets are re-arranged. Yes we have to accommodate whatever is happening with Euro 6 but why should we suffer?

Flip side, why should the operators have to fork out millions of pounds into new assets when they have assets within their company already that can be re-deployed?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(07 Mar 2020, 7:07 pm)scanialover wrote And then we, down here on Teesside end up with the cast offs as the fleets are re-arranged. Yes we have to accommodate whatever is happening with Euro 6 but why should we suffer?

Those "cast-offs" are likely perfectly serviceable vehicles, as mentioned above, with a good amount of years left in them. 

Maybe worth pointing out that, currently, the newest buses ANE have are operating out of Darlington depot. Ashington and Blyth in contrast are operating 18 year old B7TLs every day.

Regarding Scania replacements - they're still very capable vehicles and just coming up to their 15th birthday. Replacement over the next few years is likely, but depots south of the river especially seem to be having more issues with Streetlites than they do with the Scanias...

What I'd really like to see, in order to keep our serviceable vehicles - and yes there are plenty of them - is the various depots being given budgets, resources and the luxury of time, to keep them so and try and minimise the issues we read about on here. Yes it's difficult in this day and age but surely doesn't what I say make sense?

(07 Mar 2020, 7:33 pm)scanialover wrote What I'd really like to see, in order to keep our serviceable vehicles - and yes there are plenty of them - is the various depots being given budgets, resources and the luxury of time, to keep them so and try and minimise the issues we read about on here. Yes it's difficult in this day and age but surely doesn't what I say make sense?

Looking at bustimes, these are the vehicles currently 'long term' VOR throughout the Durham County operation. For the sake of this I've classed long term as 5+ days, though there may be non-mechanical reasons for spells off the road for that period of time. 

1416
1447
1463
1560
1563
1571
1592
1607
1612
2823
2830
2862
4650
4705
7421
7423
7425
7426
7456

19 buses out of a fleet of nearly 300 vehicles. That's 6% of vehicles - from memory I believe companies generally have a spare percentage of around 10%. 

Of note is that, out of those VOR, you have 6 Streetlites and only 1 Scania. 

Aware that this is a fairly crude and simplistic way of looking at it, but on the face of it there doesn't seem to be a problem with vehicle availability.

Where do I find this information?

(07 Mar 2020, 8:07 pm)scanialover wrote Where do I find this information?

https://bustimes.org/operators/arriva-du...y/vehicles

Generally quite reliable, though equipment switches between vehicles etc can throw it off.