(26 Mar 2020, 7:15 pm)scanialover wrote Must a struck a chord there. Others are talking about the service changes and current situation but here we are worried that a broken down old Dart has gone missing. Has gone the same place has a lot of the fleet will if things continue!!

Was a simple question was wondering whether or not it was still in service

Same as mine. A genuine and serious attempt to look at the problems and issues being faced by our operators at present. It can't go on!!

I'm thinking that I've seen it somewhere that both 1759 and 4516, both ex Dormanstown have actually being permanently withdrawn from service and now probably scrapped. A shame really.

Nearly another idea? Service X93 currently operated by Whitby (Dormanstown). Doesn't need double deck vehicles presently and an hourly service, entire route will more than suffice. Take the Decker's into storage elsewhere, operate the service out of Stockton using VDL's. Only problem with it would be Whitby town services?

(26 Mar 2020, 8:17 pm)scanialover wrote I'm thinking that I've seen it somewhere that both 1759 and 4516, both ex Dormanstown have actually being permanently withdrawn from service and now probably scrapped. A shame really.

4516 is/was on loan with Yorkshire Tiger. Looks to have been given the spare ticket machine at Huddersfield so is possibly still in action there.

(26 Mar 2020, 5:52 pm)Ryland wrote Is 1759 still at redcar or has it been moved on every time I pass the depot i can't seem to see it

It was VOR against the fence last two times I've been down. Had only just been re-tested!

---

(26 Mar 2020, 7:15 pm)scanialover wrote Must a struck a chord there. Others are talking about the service changes and current situation but here we are worried that a broken down old Dart has gone missing. Has gone the same place has a lot of the fleet will if things continue!!

Get real, it's supposed to be an enthusiasts forum.

---

(26 Mar 2020, 7:18 pm)Ryland wrote Was a simple question was wondering whether or not it was still in service

Well said.

---

(26 Mar 2020, 8:17 pm)scanialover wrote I'm thinking that I've seen it somewhere that both 1759 and 4516, both ex Dormanstown have actually being permanently withdrawn from service and now probably scrapped. A shame really.

Neither of them have been scrapped. 4516 is on loan to Yorkshire Tiger.

---

(26 Mar 2020, 8:54 pm)scanialover wrote Nearly another idea? Service X93 currently operated by Whitby (Dormanstown). Doesn't need double deck vehicles presently and an hourly service, entire route will more than suffice. Take the Decker's into storage elsewhere, operate the service out of Stockton using VDL's. Only problem with it would be Whitby town services?

I doubt whether any service requires double deckers at the moment but no reason to swap the fleet round. The X93 is running less than hourly at the moment anyway.

(26 Mar 2020, 8:54 pm)scanialover wrote Nearly another idea? Service X93 currently operated by Whitby (Dormanstown). Doesn't need double deck vehicles presently and an hourly service, entire route will more than suffice. Take the Decker's into storage elsewhere, operate the service out of Stockton using VDL's. Only problem with it would be Whitby town services?

It's much more complicated than your making it out here. It's all good closing depots but you're going to have to still pay your staff which will be one of a bus operators biggest expense so you might aswell have them doing something useful when your paying them unless you do a Tim Martin and say I'm not paying you but you'll get your 80% in June go work for Tesco.

The last thing any bus company wants is:
'I'm a NHS nurse and I can't get to work' 
or
'Bus drivers asked to take unpaid leave during Coronavirus pandemic'

At the end of day I'm sure there will be some help from the government to help them out but it shouldn't be fed to them on a plate, at the end of the day these are large national companies and if they fail to have any form of disaster planning then that's their own problem. I hope it goes the same way as they've said they will for the airline industry, in that they'll purchase part of the company in return for money so it's not a loss to the tax payer as at the end of the day these are the same companies that have made millions from us over the years and haven't exactly done much to deserve it.

(26 Mar 2020, 10:15 pm)Cock Robin wrote It was VOR against the fence last two times I've been down. Had only just been re-tested!

---

Get real, it's supposed to be an enthusiasts forum.

---

Well said.

---

Neither of them have been scrapped. 4516 is on loan to Yorkshire Tiger.

---

I doubt whether any service requires double deckers at the moment but no reason to swap the fleet round. The X93 is running less than hourly at the moment anyway.

Arguably, a true enthusiast would be concerned about the viability of current operations rather than the demise of a barely serviceable vehicle.

Well, sure got us "talking" didn't I ? But I'd like to add a couple of comments please.

To Ryland - My apologies for being so abrasive. Our forum is not the place to bring our personal feelings. I get where you were coming from with your interest in 1759. In their day Darts were proper good vehicles and I've spent many a shift plying one round the various routes. And to those who commented, is 1759 still with us ?

To Cock Robin - OK so I was a bit pointed with my remark about people not needing to be there. We are an enthusiasts forum and it's not the place to air our personal gripes.

To Stork - Thank you. This was the sort of conversation I was hoping to encourage. Some of us have more knowledge of the bus industry than others and I feel, in these times, it's good and interesting to share this.

To Bus Lover Mum - Thanks for supporting me.

And to everyone else, including those across our other forums, a shout out as we face unprecedented and difficult times for the bus industry. Let's keep talking.

(26 Mar 2020, 10:29 pm)Storx wrote It's much more complicated than your making it out here. It's all good closing depots but you're going to have to still pay your staff which will be one of a bus operators biggest expense so you might aswell have them doing something useful when your paying them unless you do a Tim Martin and say I'm not paying you but you'll get your 80% in June go work for Tesco.

The last thing any bus company wants is:
'I'm a NHS nurse and I can't get to work' 
or
'Bus drivers asked to take unpaid leave during Coronavirus pandemic'

At the end of day I'm sure there will be some help from the government to help them out but it shouldn't be fed to them on a plate, at the end of the day these are large national companies and if they fail to have any form of disaster planning then that's their own problem. I hope it goes the same way as they've said they will for the airline industry, in that they'll purchase part of the company in return for money so it's not a loss to the tax payer as at the end of the day these are the same companies that have made millions from us over the years and haven't exactly done much to deserve it.

Agreed.

(26 Mar 2020, 2:47 am)Driver9*** wrote Arriva going fully Sunday service from next week with likely early run offs as well. Drivers asked to volunteer to stay at home for the government backed 80% pay guarantee. Hope I get selected for it lol...

So that would apply to Jesmond depot? and thus the 685 which Arriva would then only run Newcastle<>Hexham? and thus have a knock-on to Stagecoach Cumbria for the Hexham<>Carlisle section.  Now as Arriva and Stagecoach are not supposed to talk to each other, will the 'non-communication' now be all change?

Now don't these make sense. The latest timetables applicable from Monday 30th March are now available. Another step towards making sure those who don't have to travel don't. Could be a little tough on those that do.

(27 Mar 2020, 3:42 pm)scanialover wrote Now don't these make sense. The latest timetables applicable from Monday 30th March are now available. Another step towards making sure those who don't have to travel don't. Could be a little tough on those that do.

Almost as if they were planning for this over the past number of days. Timetables, running boards and associated bits of admin take time to create and organise - it isn't as simple as someone noting on here that they saw service x running empty and Arriva (or any other operator) suddenly cutting everything.

I agree. The backroom, admin staff are working wonders in these unprecedented times.

I dont think theres much to be critical about how Arriva are handling this situation so far. Sunday - based timetables were obviously going to have to be used, and they've done the right thing by adding extra journeys earlier/later than normal Sundays.

They asked on social media if any key workers have individual travel issues before issuing these timetables, hopefully any feedback they've had has been taken into consideration. All operators are accepting each others tickets, again thats going to be beneficial in people in some parts of the region.

The only thing I'd suggest should be done is extend the operating times of the TeesFlex, have them running on Sundays, and earlier/later each day, publicise this on all other local buses so at least anyone who 'falls through the net' so to speak who needs to travel to work and isnt served by Arriva or Stagecoach, has TeesFlex as an option (unless they need to travel over the boundary into North Yorkshire or Durham).

It was always going to be difficult to match services against demand. Now,,thanks to the hard work of everyone so involved we are settling down to what, for the immediate (?) future is to be the normal. Hopefully, see what the weekend brings, people will finally realise that the only way to beat this is to follow the rules.

(26 Mar 2020, 8:54 pm)scanialover wrote Nearly another idea? Service X93 currently operated by Whitby (Dormanstown). Doesn't need double deck vehicles presently and an hourly service, entire route will more than suffice. Take the Decker's into storage elsewhere, operate the service out of Stockton using VDL's. Only problem with it would be Whitby town services?

Well it may be an idea, but a terrible one IMO.

So you move double deckers away somewhere else where theyre also not needed. Leave the other vehicles in the yard at Whitby and mothball it, presumably needing some maintenance/security staff there or risk vandalism and other issues.

Then get Stockton to run the X93's, requiring route learning. Huge amounts of dead mileage between Stockton and Whitby each morning and evening. You've also got the headache of either interworking the new drivers with Whitby's X4 journeys (more route learning), or add to Redcar's workload and again increasing dead mileage.

And then you've still got the only problem you mentioned, the 95's. Unless we get Stockton drivers to come down and do those too, maybe get a busload of them at a time to show them the routes to Sleights and Lealholm?!

It was just a very basic idea a few days before the latest service revisions are to be brought into effect. Yes, I agree that I'd not through the implications and everything you talk about makes good sense. Thanks

Quite a few of the Redcar fleet have been delicensed. I presume its the same at all depots.

Could be interesting to look, now we appear to be heading towards a period of settled emergency timetables for our area, Middlesbrough/Stockton/East Cleveland, just what the depot PVR's are, what vehicles are to be retained and which delicsensed. Sadly I don't have enough knowledge.

(28 Mar 2020, 11:01 am)tvd wrote Well it may be an idea, but a terrible one IMO.

So you move double deckers away somewhere else where theyre also not needed.  Leave the other vehicles in the yard at Whitby and mothball it, presumably needing some maintenance/security staff there or risk vandalism and other issues.

Then get Stockton to run the X93's, requiring route learning.  Huge amounts of dead mileage between Stockton and Whitby each morning and evening.  You've also got the headache of either interworking the new drivers with Whitby's X4 journeys (more route learning), or add to Redcar's workload and again increasing dead mileage.

And then you've still got the only problem you mentioned, the 95's.  Unless we get Stockton drivers to come down and do those too, maybe get a busload of them at a time to show them the routes to Sleights and Lealholm?!

If anything, I would move the B9TLs temporarily to Northumbria and use them on the X14/X15/X18/X20 alongside 7529-33 & 7553-56.

(28 Mar 2020, 1:57 pm)L469 YVK wrote If anything, I would move the B9TLs temporarily to Northumbria and use them on the X14/X15/X18/X20 alongside 7529-33 & 7553-56.

Why...?

Indeed. The depots operating those routes have enough capacity to operate their reduced service levels and then if the BTL9's get moved away from the route they were intended for would they find their way back.

Just a quick heads up for a future trip after this pandemic. Do any of Belmonts Streetlites have working plug sockets by any chance I know 1596/1600 and 1601 don't have working chargers

(31 Mar 2020, 4:02 pm)Citaro5338 wrote Just a quick heads up for a future trip after this pandemic. Do any of Belmonts Streetlites have working plug sockets by any chance I know 1596/1600 and 1601 don't have working chargers

I'd be amazed if you found any Arriva North East bus with working plug sockets tbh, very rare I catch one that does when a phone charge is required

(31 Mar 2020, 4:02 pm)Citaro5338 wrote Just a quick heads up for a future trip after this pandemic. Do any of Belmonts Streetlites have working plug sockets by any chance I know 1596/1600 and 1601 don't have working chargers

Don't know if I tested all of them but never had a working one ever when I regularly used them on the 22.

The ones with USBs on the new Sapphire livery 100% work...

(31 Mar 2020, 4:34 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Don't know if I tested all of them but never had a working one ever when I regularly used them on the 22.

If Arriva's work the same as GNE (which I assume they would), drivers have to enable the sockets every time they start the engine. The dedicated USB ports on the back of the seats come on automatically, but the 240v sockets do not

(31 Mar 2020, 10:03 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If Arriva's work the same as GNE (which I assume they would), drivers have to enable the sockets every time they start the engine. The dedicated USB ports on the back of the seats come on automatically, but the 240v sockets do not

The only switch for the 240v switch on GNE streetlites happens to be the main switch for the interior lights, if they're on, the plugs should be on, most of the plugs seem to be broke though.

(31 Mar 2020, 10:13 pm)deanmachine wrote The only switch for the 240v switch on GNE streetlites happens to be the main switch for the interior lights, if they're on, the plugs should be on, most of the plugs seem to be broke though.

streetdeckfan is right - said 240v switch has to be turned on and off again each time the engine is turned on, otherwise the plugs won’t work. Not as simple as the interior lights being turned on makes the plugs work, unfortunately.

There was a fair bit of comms to driving staff at Chester-le-Street and Stanley back in 2015 about it (for the Red Kite and Coast & Country batch), but it’s something that we never managed to succeed in doing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk