Given that Arriva have an abundance of these at the moment, I thought I'd create a dedicated thread for discussion on them.

Jay Tee has uploaded a photo of 2851 to the busesnortheast Facebook group, showing its current state having been withdrawn from service. It's intended to be sold for scrap, having been cannibalised for spare parts.

7423 has similarly been withdrawn, and is also being cannibalised for spare parts.

Photo taken by Robson Green and uploaded to the busesnortheast Facebook group:

Believe that 4653/4664 were taken from Ashington yesterday, assume to Alpha.

Is there any confirmation that Solo 2815 has been withdrawn at Durham? Hasn't been out since November according to BusTimes

(27 Feb 2022, 9:37 am)Dan wrote Given that Arriva have an abundance of these at the moment, I thought I'd create a dedicated thread for discussion on them.

Jay Tee has uploaded a photo of 2851 to the busesnortheast Facebook group, showing its current state having been withdrawn from service. It's intended to be sold for scrap, having been cannibalised for spare parts.

Really horrible buses to drive, thankfully I think I did less than 100 hours on them in total. Only the DAF Icarus's that were at Blyth for a couple of years were worse.

(27 Feb 2022, 10:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote Really horrible buses to drive, thankfully I think I did less than 100 hours on them in total. Only the DAF Icarus's that were at Blyth for a couple of years were worse.

They were grim from a passenger perspective too. I remember wedging in bits of paper in the window hoppers in an attempt to keep them shut.

(27 Feb 2022, 10:14 pm)solsburian wrote They were grim from a passenger perspective too. I remember wedging in bits of paper in the window hoppers in an attempt to keep them shut.

I think they were barely 10 years old when scrapped, which goes to show how bad they were. They could shift but you were scared to go to fast in them as the brakes were terrible!

The Ikarus Low Floor DAFs were between 12 and 15 years old when scrapped.

Some of the high floor examples managed about 15-20 years.

(27 Feb 2022, 10:18 pm)Driver9*** wrote I think they were barely 10 years old when scrapped, which goes to show how bad they were. They could shift but you were scared to go to fast in them as the brakes were terrible!

I think they were T reg so yes, not good at all, I recall they were sent up here as replacements for the ex Northumbria single deckers that had the nice high backed seats that were sent down to Middlesbrough for the X12.

Come to think of it I do seem to remember so rather sharp break applications when riding those on the 363 and X36. I can only imagine what it was like to have to drive them every day.

(27 Feb 2022, 10:38 pm)solsburian wrote I think they were T reg so yes, not good at all, I recall they were sent up here as replacements for the ex Northumbria single deckers that had the nice high backed seats that were sent down to Middlesbrough for the X12.

Come to think of it I do seem to remember so rather sharp break applications when riding those on the 363 and X36. I can only imagine what it was like to have to drive them every day.

Did any of the Polaris's make it up here. I got a bit confused when someone said Ikarus DAF with the manufacturer Ikarus.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/28011506@N04/8582589011

(27 Feb 2022, 11:20 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Did any of the Polaris's make it up here. I got a bit confused when someone said Ikarus DAF with the manufacturer Ikarus.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/28011506@N04/8582589011

I don't think we ever had those, the ones we had based in Blyth where the likes of this, they had a registration of Txx AUA:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/3276489203 9 (not my photo)

(27 Feb 2022, 11:26 pm)solsburian wrote I don't think we ever had those, the ones we had based in Blyth where the likes of this, they had a registration of Txx AUA:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/3276489203 9 (not my photo)

Ah, got it. Though one might have been loaned or something.

(27 Feb 2022, 11:20 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Did any of the Polaris's make it up here. I got a bit confused when someone said Ikarus DAF with the manufacturer Ikarus.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/28011506@N04/8582589011

Ikarus Citybus (LF) were the ones up here. Started life at Loftus I believe then eventually found their way upto Blyth and were crap as others said. There's basic interior then there's those. One of them was the first bus in the North East to get the Arriva interior though I believe, possibly even further afield (the rest of the batch had something else).

(27 Feb 2022, 11:44 pm)Storx wrote Ikarus Citybus (LF) were the ones up here. Started life at Loftus I believe then eventually found their way upto Blyth and were crap as others said. There's basic interior then there's those. One of them was the first bus in the North East to get the Arriva interior though I believe, possibly even further afield (the rest of the batch had something else).

Polaris looks a lot nicer, any other differences between them?
Did anyone get to ride either of them?

(27 Feb 2022, 11:44 pm)Storx wrote Ikarus Citybus (LF) were the ones up here. Started life at Loftus I believe then eventually found their way upto Blyth and were crap as others said. There's basic interior then there's those. One of them was the first bus in the North East to get the Arriva interior though I believe, possibly even further afield (the rest of the batch had something else).

IIRC it was 4079 T83AUA that had the Arrvia interior (and possibly tinted windows). The others had what seemed to me, a generic dealer stock interior (and didn't have the British Bus Smarties seat covers from new). An extra factoid would be that 4079 did the final 17:15 X36 journey from Newcastle.

(27 Feb 2022, 11:56 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Polaris looks a lot nicer, any other differences between them?
Did anyone get to ride either of them?

The seats (IMAG?) on the Ikarus Citybus we had were OK IMHO, fine for up to 30 minutes anyway and far better than the dreadful Urban 90s. The gear changes always sounded good, but otherwise they were absolute heaps, and dare I say, had a bit of a utilitarian communist vibe to them, possibly due their Hungarian origin. I have never been on a Polaris for comparison.

(28 Feb 2022, 12:06 am)solsburian wrote IIRC it was 4079 T83AUA that had the Arrvia interior (and possibly tinted windows). The others had what seemed to me, a generic dealer stock interior (and didn't have the British Bus Smarties seat covers from new). An extra factoid would be that 4079 did the final 17:15 X36 journey from Newcastle.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...LmY-ShcBJE - That was the interior like.

Isn't it the same as the GNE interior at the time, I could be wrong though. It's odd though because the rest of the bus is in Arriva livery excluding the tinted windows with the turquoise used at the front. Odd though, wonder if it was planned to be the interior and they swapped them half way through.

On the Polaris, not a clue it's just a new design I believe. They were rare as hens teeth though, Arriva got 2 through their acquisition of a local bus company in Guisley.

(28 Feb 2022, 12:25 am)Storx wrote https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...LmY-ShcBJE - That was the interior like.

Isn't it the same as the GNE interior at the time, I could be wrong though. It's odd though because the rest of the bus is in Arriva livery excluding the tinted windows with the turquoise used at the front. Odd though, wonder if it was planned to be the interior and they swapped them half way through.

On the Polaris, not a clue it's just a new design I believe. They were rare as hens teeth though, Arriva got 2 through their acquisition of a local bus company in Guisley.

I think GNEs seat covers were less busy and features the rainbow lines/pattern down the middle, with grey fleck for the rest of the seat. GNEs later seat cover style was far more busy as well, before thy used the blue covers.

I'm not sure how true it is, but allegedly the Ikarus Citybus LF order was a last minute purchase for Arriva NE with the first examples being dealer stock.

(27 Feb 2022, 11:56 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Polaris looks a lot nicer, any other differences between them?
Did anyone get to ride either of them?

I did although only managed 4079 once on an X66 to Darlington and MK52XNN with Brylaine Travel, I don't really remember the latter much but did record a video on my short ride of it: https://youtu.be/1SDhI7aZlkk

4079 seemed alright although the seats were rather unpleasant (quite worn towards the end of their life). I do vaguely remember the step entrance examples although more for their interior than anything.

Supposedly Town & District Transport Trust have secured said Polaris along with MK52XNN (also from Brylaine) recently

(28 Feb 2022, 12:34 am)solsburian wrote I think GNEs seat covers were less busy and features the rainbow lines/pattern down the middle, with grey fleck for the rest of the seat.

You mean this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/26730673755

(28 Feb 2022, 11:33 am)F114TML wrote You mean this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/26730673755

Yes that's the covers I had in mind.

Has 7445 been withdrawn?

(20 Apr 2022, 9:12 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Has 7445 been withdrawn?

Yes it has.

(21 Apr 2022, 5:52 pm)Cobalt271 wrote Yes it has.

That's a shame, although in recent times it seemed to miss a lot of days and was usually just allocated to the 35's. 7446 seems to be the best of those 2 as that is in use daily and sometimes on the express routes.

Do you know any more information about the remaining Volvo buses at Ashington? I'm guessing none of them really have a future and will be withdrawn soon with the new buses coming?

Ironically 7446 is a decent motor for its age.

---

(21 Apr 2022, 5:52 pm)Cobalt271 wrote Yes it has.

(21 Apr 2022, 8:02 pm)Arriva7446 wrote That's a shame, although in recent times it seemed to miss a lot of days and was usually just allocated to the 35's. 7446 seems to be the best of those 2 as that is in use daily and sometimes on the express routes.

Do you know any more information about the remaining Volvo buses at Ashington? I'm guessing none of them really have a future and will be withdrawn soon with the new buses coming?

7411 and 7486 are still in daily use but 7484 seems to have been withdrawn.

(21 Apr 2022, 8:02 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Do you know any more information about the remaining Volvo buses at Ashington? I'm guessing none of them really have a future and will be withdrawn soon with the new buses coming?

The Volvos are all on borrowed time, Ashington's will be gone by August when they're displaced by new vehicles. 7445 has sustained defects deemed uneconomical to repair I believe and so has been replaced by Centro 1923.

Looks like 7446 has gone now too.

(19 May 2022, 6:28 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Looks like 7446 has gone now too.

Yes however 7484 has come back from the dead to replace it.

(20 May 2022, 12:43 am)Driver9*** wrote Yes however 7484 has come back from the dead to replace it.

7484 was back before 7446 failed I believe (or was at least planned to be coming back) and was just waiting on parts hence it's lengthy spell VOR - so the plan was likely to keep all of them going bar 7445.

(28 Feb 2022, 12:06 am)solsburian wrote IIRC it was 4079 T83AUA that had the Arrvia interior (and possibly tinted windows). The others had what seemed to me, a generic dealer stock interior (and didn't have the British Bus Smarties seat covers from new). An extra factoid would be that 4079 did the final 17:15 X36 journey from Newcastle.