(12 Jan 2015, 8:25 pm)Dan wrote Let the guesses for what will replace the artics for the time being tumble in..?  

Streetlites! 

(12 Jan 2015, 8:25 pm)Dan wrote Let the guesses for what will replace the artics for the time being tumble in..?  

5320 to 5324

(12 Jan 2015, 8:31 pm)Dan wrote Scott - we're in the Go North East section of the forum, not the Arriva North East section!  

I miss our Olympians! Not one step entrance vehicle left operational now... Unlike the yellows 
As good a suggestion as any so far I reckon! Something has to move to people and it has to be spare lol

(12 Jan 2015, 8:34 pm)Malarkey wrote 5320 to 5324

Maybe as a temp replacement when changes commences... then replaced when new buses are ready for service.

(12 Jan 2015, 8:35 pm)tyresmoke wrote I miss our Olympians! Not one step entrance vehicle left operational now... Unlike the yellows 
As good a suggestion as any so far I reckon! Something has to move to people and it has to be spare lol

Aye, they generate some canny revenue on the scholars services they operate! Just a shame Stanley tends to utilise them on weekends for other purposes, too...

The amount of active Olympians in the fleet will only reduce in number from now on - certainly won't find any withdrawn examples brought back into service.

(12 Jan 2015, 8:37 pm)Michael wrote Maybe as a temp replacement when changes commences... then replaced when new buses are ready for service.

How do you know there are going to be new buses for the X66?

Citaros for X66 would mean no retraining for drivers I suppose.

(12 Jan 2015, 8:35 pm)tyresmoke wrote I miss our Olympians! Not one step entrance vehicle left operational now... Unlike the yellows 
As good a suggestion as any so far I reckon! Something has to move to people and it has to be spare lol

Would love them to go along Centrelink...Open Topper here we come!

(12 Jan 2015, 8:38 pm)Tom wrote How do you know there are going to be new buses for the X66?

Well its being hinted for ages and it seems likely GNE will want to see it have new buses on the route, same as the Lime.

Streetlites for the X66 and citaros for the limes including the 5 spares from deptford.

(12 Jan 2015, 8:39 pm)citaro5284 wrote Would love them to go along Centrelink...Open Topper here we come!

Hey now thats an idea! SightseeingMetroCentre...

(12 Jan 2015, 8:44 pm)tyresmoke wrote Hey now thats an idea! SightseeingMetroCentre...

Who doesn't love an open topper!

We'll just people to duck heading under the Centrelink.

Just to indulge Citaro5284 even more...

Anyone think it could be some vehicles on hire, similar to the Quaylink shortage in 2010?

(12 Jan 2015, 8:44 pm)tyresmoke wrote Hey now thats an idea! SightseeingMetroCentre...

Might as well do it with the 71 too...SightseeingFencehouses...

'Here, as we progress through Avenue Vivian, we have an old aged pensioner being brutally assaulted by two teenage males over his Daily Mail. Good luck to them.'

'As we head through Front Street, a young boy can be seen holding a gun with two bullets and taking over the city of Manchester. Drugged out of his skull, this person is an example of some of the people we have to offer here in Fencehouses.'

(12 Jan 2015, 8:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote Just to indulge Citaro5284 even more...

Anyone think it could be some vehicles on hire, similar to the Quaylink shortage in 2010?

Doubt it.

If this did happen hopefully they would not get what they got last time as they were a mission to keep them on the road when GNE and Scarlet Band had them if I remember correctly.

@Marcus
Daily Mail in Fencehouses? You having a laugh

@Jimmi
No idea on reliability, but whenever I was on them, they stunk of disinfectant.

(12 Jan 2015, 9:05 pm)Andreos1 wrote @Marcus
Daily Mail in Fencehouses? You having a laugh

@Jimmi
No idea on reliability, but whenever I was on them, they stunk of disinfectant.

More like the Daily Drunk lol

Half of them just wander up and down No Man's Land wondering where the next drink is gonna come from!

@Marcus

To quote the oft quoted and missed (maybe?) eezpeazy.

Another generalised, sweeping statement

Or something along those lines...

eezypeazy: If you are reading this, come back. I miss the crack and banter.
QCS and Passenger Focus just isn't the same without you.
Sampling took on a whole new meaning that night.

(12 Jan 2015, 9:05 pm)Andreos1 wrote @Marcus
Daily Mail in Fencehouses? You having a laugh

@Jimmi
No idea on reliability, but whenever I was on them, they stunk of disinfectant.

Apparently when Scarlet Band had them on loan for their Darlington services until they lost the Durham park and ride they had difficulty keeping them in service.

(12 Jan 2015, 9:10 pm)Andreos1 wrote @Marcus

To quote the oft quoted and missed (maybe?) eezpeazy.




Or something along those lines...

eezypeazy: If you are reading this, come back. I miss the crack and banter.
QCS and Passenger Focus just isn't the same without you.
Sampling took on a whole new meaning that night.

Oh, eezypeazy! I remember that guy. Lost in the record books now....I remember I used to always flick through the Quality Contracts thread and see you two throw little remarks back at each other like 5 year olds!

#bringbackthepeaz
#peazyiseezy

One thing i will miss when the lime gets upgraded is the Volvo B10s. 4854 is quick, 4908 although slow off the mark, its lovely to drive and nice and warm unlike the vast majority of the scanias. Sadly i dont see them staying at chester once their replacements start to arrive.

(12 Jan 2015, 9:14 pm)nk55 wrote One thing i will miss when the lime gets upgraded is the Volvo B10s. 4854 is quick, 4908 although slow off the mark, its lovely to drive and nice and warm unlike the vast majority of the scanias. Sadly i dont see them staying at chester once their replacements start to arrive.

4852 is sorely missed.

Well he used to throw the remarks (got quite personal at times) and I chucked the same ones back at him.

I look back at those days with fondness.

(12 Jan 2015, 9:14 pm)nk55 wrote One thing i will miss when the lime gets upgraded is the Volvo B10s. 4854 is quick, 4908 although slow off the mark, its lovely to drive and nice and warm unlike the vast majority of the scanias. Sadly i dont see them staying at chester once their replacements start to arrive.

Me too, don't mind them now and again on the Lime, shame they'll be withdrawn

Could anyone tell me what GNE are using on the 706/707, I haven't been able to get to Stanley. Also are they well used?

(13 Jan 2015, 7:38 am)leestransportphotos wrote Could anyone tell me what GNE are using on the 706/707, I haven't been able to get to Stanley. Also are they well used?

A "Venture" branded Solo SR - interworking with current "Venture" services in Stanley. See this post for the interworking cycle.

(05 Jan 2015, 11:32 am)GuyParkRoyal wrote The GNE 706/707 started this morning and allocations from Stanley Bus Station were..
641 on #706 @ 09:14
641 on #707 @ 09:44
641 returns from #707 @ 10:12 and goes out on a #V8.
650 arrives in Stanley on a #V8.
650 on #706 @ 10:14
650 on #707 @ 10:44.

I can't see the 706/707 lasting if there is no improvement on this mornings loadings. About five people got off at Annfield Plain Tesco at 09:51 and that is the maximum load that I noticed.

The services have been operating for years (Hunters starting it as 806/807 then obviously Stanley Travel) and the loadings havent been that big - its mainly for the OAPs and i cant see the services being withdrawn just because GNE operate them...

(13 Jan 2015, 4:10 pm)Robert wrote The services have been operating for years (Hunters starting it as 806/807 then obviously Stanley Travel) and the loadings havent been that big - its mainly for the OAPs and i cant see the services being withdrawn just because GNE operate them...

It's a commercially-operated service. If it is running at a loss, it will be withdrawn in its present form and Durham County Council will step in to fund the operation.

(13 Jan 2015, 4:12 pm)Dan wrote It's a commercially-operated service. If it is running at a loss, it will be withdrawn in its present form and Durham County Council will step in to fund the operation.

I could understand it if Stanley Travel or Hunters needed to do this with those not earning anything near as much as a big operator such as Go North East, Arriva or Stagecoach. However, as Go North East have such a large income from other services, that would be more than enough to pay for the service and keep it going. If independents can manage, why cant a large company which is technically better off? 

(13 Jan 2015, 4:22 pm)Robert wrote I could understand it if Stanley Travel or Hunters needed to do this with those not earning anything near as much as a big operator such as Go North East, Arriva or Stagecoach. However, as Go North East have such a large income from other services, that would be more than enough to pay for the service and keep it going. If independents can manage, why cant a large company which is technically better off? 

There's a reason why Go North East is operating the services now... Because the independents couldn't manage!