(16 Sep 2024, 12:45 pm)Kuyoyo wrote First's Streetlites are 41 seaters - in comparison, Arriva's are 44 seaters and GNE's are 45. So they have a row less than the GNE ones.

Thanks! I'd say it makes a significant difference in terms of comfort. It also allows some space to place a bag at your feet.

Any sign of Swindon's Streetlites arriving?

Seems to of gone quiet

(29 Sep 2024, 6:08 pm)Michael wrote Any sign of Swindon's Streetlites arriving?

Seems to of gone quiet

Four of the seven are no longer in service at Swindon, but there's no indication of where they've gone.

(29 Sep 2024, 8:07 pm)Ianthegoon wrote Four of the seven are no longer in service at Swindon, but there's no indication of where they've gone.

Cheers, hopefully off for a refurbishment

Had an ex First London B9TL on the 309 yesterday. Mechanically, was fine for a 15 year old vehicle, but leg room was terrible!

Apologies for reopening an old chat but seemed most appropriate fit

With the massive GAG Wrightbus order no doubt replacing/displacing stuff from other parts of GAG do we think GNE will get any cascades  next year? (not saying want any as up here we have often been sent the real rubbish but you never know)

Intrigued what peoples thoughts are if think we will get anything- and what that may be?- eg older Streetdecks/Streetlites eg from Oxford (or more likely more London rubbish)

We have quite a lot of 2nd hand rubbish which was starting to show age BEFORE headed North but now is just about clinging on..so youd imagine option may be to replace old 2nd hand rubbish..with slightly "newer" 2nd hand stuff

All depends on franchasing really... a few GNE buses went to GNW before the bee livery

I was waiting for a 34 service from ouston last week.there was a streetlite at the stop flashing hazards and the driver mentioned he had a smashed wing mirror and was awaiting a replacement.  We got talking about the state of the older ex London deckers and he mentioned there was more to come.no idea when though. Surely they are finished taking more from the other regions

(Yesterday, 8:19 am)ouston man wrote I was waiting for a 34 service from ouston last week.there was a streetlite at the stop flashing hazards and the driver mentioned he had a smashed wing mirror and was awaiting a replacement.  We got talking about the state of the older ex London deckers and he mentioned there was more to come.no idea when though. Surely they are finished taking more from the other regions

GNE, the second-hand company, no sense of quality now, say im waiting for a 307, and a 62** Gemini turns up instead of a 61**, sure they look the same outside, but inside is noticably different, tatty and nasty

Decker wise is there much from London which can actually come up now?

Everything 2013 onwards were hybrids I'm sure and I doubt they'll want to send them up here unless they spend a fortune converting them. Other than that it's just upto 61 Plate B9TL's and E400's. Be barely any different that what's here assuming the new buses displace the oldest stuff out.

Not more London garbage..as others have said this would be "more of the same" of what already got. We already have about fifth of all GAG London B9s

London did have some (albeit hyrbid) 18 plate Streetdecks but Thames Travel seem to be getting those..wouldve thought maybe something from Oxford or depending on contracts maybe something from Manchester.

In terms of single decks (surely they will need something to replace Versas/Citaros in time- if not going down "new" route- depending on ZEBRA funding)- more Streetlites perhaps..

(Yesterday, 12:46 pm)AJC1991 wrote Not more London garbage..as others have said this would be "more of the same" of what already got. We already have about fifth of all GAG London B9s

London did have some (albeit hyrbid) 18 plate Streetdecks but Thames Travel seem to be getting those..wouldve thought maybe something from Oxford or depending on contracts maybe something from Manchester.

In terms of single decks (surely they will need something to replace Versas/Citaros in time- if not going down "new" route- depending on ZEBRA funding)- more Streetlites perhaps..

Aye my thoughts aswell, or possibly some of the E200MMC's from London which are getting on a bit now.

Knowing GoAhead, they'll probably send some E200's though because there isn't any and why not. Feels like GoNorthEast has had every other type of bus that's been on the market, quite literally - might aswell tick one of the few off they haven't had.

Be interesting if there's another operator which has had such a diverse fleet of vehicles in the past 15 year or so. Stagecoach ironically being the complete polar opposite.

(Yesterday, 12:56 pm)Storx wrote Aye my thoughts aswell, or possibly some of the E200MMC's from London which are getting on a bit now.

Knowing GoAhead, they'll probably send some E200's though because there isn't any and why not. Feels like GoNorthEast has had every other type of bus that's been on the market, quite literally - might aswell tick one of the few off they haven't had.

Be interesting if there's another operator which has had such a diverse fleet of vehicles in the past 15 year or so. Stagecoach ironically being the complete polar opposite.

Yeah i forgot those..yeah E200MMCs would also potentially make some sense (depending how battered they are). Haha i agree there- nothing would surprise me!.

Thats maybe a discussion for another new thread- that would be an intriguing discussion. You may well be right- tbf i cant think of any major operators with such diverse range- from the good, bad and downright awful- London Darts with Marshall Captial bodywork and Caetano Compass bodywork. Obv we have the Yuting diesels 5499/5500- only ones in UK (i actually prefer them to the E10s)

Technically GNE did have that oddity E200 mini at some stage few years back- had England paintjob if remember rightly.

it makes it an interesting from enthusiast perspective suppose..as say wish theyd lock down what they want to go with long term!

(Yesterday, 1:09 pm)AJC1991 wrote Yeah i forgot those..yeah E200MMCs would also potentially make some sense (depending how battered they are). Haha i agree there- nothing would surprise me!.

Thats maybe a discussion for another new thread- that would be an intriguing discussion. You may well be right- tbf i cant think of any major operators with such diverse range- from the good, bad and downright awful- London Darts with Marshall Captial bodywork and Caetano Compass bodywork. Obv we have the Yuting diesels 5499/5500- only ones in UK (i actually prefer them to the E10s)

Technically GNE did have that oddity E200 mini at some stage few years back- had England paintjob if remember rightly.

it makes it an interesting from enthusiast perspective suppose..as say wish theyd lock down what they want to go with long term!

Yeah, that ultra rare B6BLE Plaxton Concept 2000 aswell and the Wright Solar Fusion's for the X66, believe only 2 of the first and 11 of the second were ever developed.

To be fair some of the common GoNorthEast vehicles are/were rare outside the North East really; the Volvo Merit aka Cadet, Versa's and the Wright Solar's in particular.

(Yesterday, 1:36 pm)Storx wrote Yeah, that ultra rare B6BLE Plaxton Concept 2000 aswell and the Wright Solar Fusion's for the X66, believe only 2 of the first and 11 of the second were ever developed.

To be fair some of the common GoNorthEast vehicles are/were rare outside the North East really; the Volvo Merit aka Cadet, Versa's and the Wright Solar's in particular.

That ended up with GNE when under Peter Huntley they bought Northumbria Coaches of Ashington.

(Yesterday, 8:19 am)ouston man wrote I was waiting for a 34 service from ouston last week.there was a streetlite at the stop flashing hazards and the driver mentioned he had a smashed wing mirror and was awaiting a replacement.  We got talking about the state of the older ex London deckers and he mentioned there was more to come.no idea when though. Surely they are finished taking more from the other regions

The large majority of the WSD series (WSD2-WSD23) Wright StreetDeck HEV's that were allocated to Service 44 (Victoria-Tooting Station) have been withdrawn recently with only WSD13/15/17/18/20 still in service with the 44 now being allocated EH series ADL Enviro400H MMC's.

Some of the WSD series have made there way to Metrobus Crawley "On Loan" whilst the Wright Hydroliners and temporarily stood down after one caught fire just before Christmas.

I wouldn't be surprised if these are the next Ex-London stock due to come to the North East.

(Yesterday, 6:33 pm)citaro5284 wrote That ended up with GNE when under Peter Huntley they bought Northumbria Coaches of Ashington.

Aye, surprised they kept it in service considering it's unique nature and being different from everything else in the fleet. 

Know the other one was kept with Henry Cooper and is preservation now if I'm correct. Believe they had both at one point before selling the other.

The Henry Cooper one has since left preservation and is operating for Lawson of Corby, though I do believe the operator does acknowledge the heritage of the vehicle.

One vehicle you forgot to mention about the Northumbria Coaches takeover is the one off Bluebird LMB with Plaxton Pointer 2 body (https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...8773240540). Nortoriously unreliable and difficult to get parts for. Was sold to Huddersfield Bus Station who ended up scrapping it after it had an accident.

Other oddball vehicles owned (so not including loan vehicles like the E200 Dart) by Go North East include.....
7157, a Volvo B9R / Plaxton Elite - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1478654902
4993, a Volvo B10BLE / Alexander ALX300 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5051606543
4994, a Leyland Tiger / ELC EL2000 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...7558363845
4768, a Dennis Lance / Alexander PS - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...8817608492
4774, a Dennis Lance / Plaxton Verde - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6240110080
4977, a Transbus Enviro 300 (truth be told a seed vehicle) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6112394491
475, a Mercedes Benz O814D / Plaxton Beaver 2 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...5712741307
483, a Marshall Minibus - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...8773243950
470, a Mercedes Benz 411CDi Sprinter - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...8773241000
8288, a Dennis Dart SLF / Caetano Nimbus (they did have some on loan but this was a permament member of the fleet) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...0059737588
9054, a Scania N94UB Omnicity - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1131631396
9055, a Scania N94UB / ELC Esteem - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1169924897

There was some variations in standard vehicles too, for example, Leyland Olympian / ECW number 3674 was fitted with a Gardner 5LXCT engine whilst MCW Metrobus Mk2 number 3787 (C787OCN) was re-engined with a Volvo THD100E engine, and Leyland National Mk2 number 4675 (UPT675V) had been re-engined with a Cummins 6BT (same as a Dart) engine. Plus there's a few oddities amongst the Optare Solo SR in terms of dimensions.