(17 Jan 2015, 3:20 pm)mb134 wrote Just a suggestion, if you want to, get an X14/18 into Morpeth from Newcastle, get some pictures there, before getting the X15 to Berwick?

Just, whatever you do, don't get the X18 all the way up there (amazing for views but it'll be an 8 hour round trip, from Newcastle and I'm unsure on your prior journey time, unless you want that?)  

I was thinking about getting the 08:33 X15 from Newcastle to Berwick, I suppose I could get on the 0813 X14 to Morpeth and have 25 Minutes in Morpeth before getting on the X15 at 09:11 to Berwick.

(17 Jan 2015, 3:22 pm)Andreos1 wrote Could you squeeze in a trip to Great Ayton or Stokesley when you are down there?

(17 Jan 2015, 3:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Some cracking spots for photos in Stokesley and Great Ayton as I went through these places on the Arriva 29A/81 the other day and I will return to these places in the summer when the weather is nice as Great Ayton especially would make for some brilliant shots.

Photo of Arriva 7493 making an appearance on the 81 at Stokesley High Street on Tuesday.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127079988@...087006317/

As I am not familiar with the Area I think ill give it a miss unless Jimmi or someone else fancied joining me, going to North Ormsley/Guisborough I would be relying on the Next Stop Annoucements working on the Streetlites and looking out for a Market, Alternatively I could merge Explorer Day Trip 1 and 2 Together as I would think if I got on 0813 X10 from Heworth to Middlesbrough then I would have quite a lot of time to fit everything in probably minus Bishop Auckland depending on Timings which have yet to be worked out.

(17 Jan 2015, 4:47 pm)Malarkey wrote I was thinking about getting the 08:33 X15 from Newcastle to Berwick, I suppose I could get on the 0813 X14 to Morpeth and have 25 Minutes in Morpeth before getting on the X15 at 09:11 to Berwick.

As I am not familiar with the Area I think ill give it a miss unless Jimmi or someone else fancied joining me, going to North Ormsley/Guisborough I would be relying on the Next Stop Annoucements working on the Streetlites and looking out for a Market, Alternatively I could merge Explorer Day Trip 1 and 2 Together as I would think if I got on 0813 X10 from Heworth to Middlesbrough then I would have quite a lot of time to fit everything in probably minus Bishop Auckland depending on Timings which have yet to be worked out.

You couldn't get lost to be honest.

Great Ayton is the first place you come to after the countryside. Stokesley the second.
You couldn't go too far in either. Have a look on streetmaps - they're both pretty much one road in/one road out type places.

(17 Jan 2015, 4:47 pm)Malarkey wrote I was thinking about getting the 08:33 X15 from Newcastle to Berwick, I suppose I could get on the 0813 X14 to Morpeth and have 25 Minutes in Morpeth before getting on the X15 at 09:11 to Berwick.



As I am not familiar with the Area I think ill give it a miss unless Jimmi or someone else fancied joining me, going to North Ormsley/Guisborough I would be relying on the Next Stop Annoucements working on the Streetlites and looking out for a Market, Alternatively I could merge Explorer Day Trip 1 and 2 Together as I would think if I got on 0813 X10 from Heworth to Middlesbrough then I would have quite a lot of time to fit everything in probably minus Bishop Auckland depending on Timings which have yet to be worked out.

The announcements do normally work on the 5/5A and North Ormesby Market Place is not too hard to find as there is three bus stops on each side of the road and are quite close together so that shouldn't be too hard and its only about 10 minutes away from Middlesbrough Bus Station (although don't get confused with the bit of Middlesbrough where the mima gallery is on journeys from Boro Bus Station)

Guisborough Market Place is not as easy but should be not too hard as the main Market Place stop is where most get off although there is another stop just before that. There is shops in the market place too.

Another tip is to type in the locations into Flickr and look at other peoples photos to get an idea of what the places look like and where the buses stop. Also look on Google street view.

@Adam

Those trips sound great.
Northumberland is great for independent companies, especially Berwick. Has a nice mix of Perrymans, Travelsure and Glen Valley Tours. My aim for this summer is to ride all of those independent companies, and Spirit Buses. You could even stop of at Alnwick and get a shot of the Spirit Buses service, and ride the scenic X18 from Alnwick to Berwick.

Think I'll go Olympian hunting next weekend, but I may take the plunge and get an Explorer the Saturday after. Drawn up a rough plan below...

#36 - Home to Houghton
(09:50 --- 10:08)
#20 - Houghton to Sunderland
(10:22 --- 10:45)
T&W Metro - Park Lane to Monument
(10:57 --- 11:29)
#40 - Newcastle to Wallsend
(11:42 --- 12:05)
#40 - Wallsend to Newcastle
(12:22 --- 12:55)
#X21 - Newcastle to Regent Centre
(13:14 --- 13:34)
T&W Metro - Regent Centre to Heworth
(13:41 --- 14:00)
#4 - Heworth to Concord
(14:06 --- 14:20)
#85 - Concord to Washington
(14:23 --- 14:40)
#8 - Washington to Chester
(14:52 --- 15:15)
#21 - Chester to Home
(15:30 --- 15:34)

If it goes ahead, I'll be taking my camera out.

(18 Jan 2015, 2:53 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Think I'll go Olympian hunting next weekend, but I may take the plunge and get an Explorer the Saturday after. Drawn up a rough plan below...

#36 - Home to Houghton
(09:50 --- 10:08)
#20 - Houghton to Sunderland
(10:22 --- 10:45)
T&W Metro - Park Lane to Monument
(10:57 --- 11:29)
#40 - Newcastle to Wallsend
(11:42 --- 12:05)
#40 - Wallsend to Newcastle
(12:22 --- 12:55)
#X21 - Newcastle to Regent Centre
(13:14 --- 13:34)
T&W Metro - Regent Centre to Heworth
(13:41 --- 14:00)
#4 - Heworth to Concord
(14:06 --- 14:20)
#85 - Concord to Washington
(14:23 --- 14:40)
#8 - Washington to Chester
(14:52 --- 15:15)
#21 - Chester to Home
(15:30 --- 15:34)

If it goes ahead, I'll be taking my camera out.

You'll have a hard job getting the 36 next Saturday - or is this Sunday?

(18 Jan 2015, 3:00 pm)Tom wrote You'll have a hard job getting the 36 next Saturday - or is this Sunday?

No, the Saturday after. 31st January.

@Marcus

I know - I tried to delete it, but it didn't show up as the forum is crap
And wasn't reading it properly.

You could even fit in Ashington and Morpeth?

(18 Jan 2015, 3:02 pm)Tom wrote @Marcus

I know - I tried to delete it, but it didn't show up as the forum is crap
And wasn't reading it properly.

You could even fit in Ashington and Morpeth?

Ah right.

It's brilliant now! Just about everything is working fine for me.

Hmm, not sure if that's the best option, it would mean going out a bit earlier...and I'm not up for that. I woke up at 12:00 today.

Ah okay!

I suppose you could do that another time.

The 34 is quite a decent route, runs alongside a railway line for quite a bit of the route, not sure if any trains operate along it though. Often has any allocation, Omnicity, B10BLE, DAF etc.
The Coast & Castle routes are amazing, but that would probably have to wait until the summer, as they are quite long.
Might be worth trying to ride the 1/2 if you do go, as I don't think the older MPDs have long left at all. A Commander can pop up on there too.
You could also ride the 35 which would have a Streetlite, or the 100 to the Airport, and get a Metro from there if you do it in the holidays.

MarcTheA4 & Tom - the railway line that the 34/134 follows is in use, usually has 66-operated coal trains (FLHH, DBS and GBRf). The StreetLites have chunky gear changes because most of the drivers haven't been trained yet. Most of what runs on the 34/134 is vehicles that have been ordered by the depot to stay nearby, usually Omni's, E400s and ALX's. Also there is an East Lancs Greenway parked up at Cambois/North Blyth in Northumbria livery.

Think I will wait for nicer days to get out again properly...Got some ideas for a few days out in the summer...

Whitby, Berwick, Morpeth/Alnwick, Carlisle and maybe even Workington/Whitehaven

I'm not sure wether to go Whitby / Scarborough tomorrow, most of the forecasts seem to be fine for Whitby but I'm am still a little worried the service will run late and will cause difficulties getting home.

What does everyone think I should do.

@Jimmi - I'd stick with Whitby in this unpredictable weather. Scarborough is a long shot, and tbh you might not see much down there in general with it not being 'the season'.

If I was you, just go to Whitby.

Go for it Jimbo...get the train back if need be from whitby

@Fozz - hang on, let me just go and get Google Translate.

(20 Jan 2015, 8:24 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote @Fozz - hang on, let me just go and get Google Translate.

Lol..

Translated back into English for you Marcy Boy

Thinking about planning a day down North Yorkshire when the weather is nicer(late april/early may)...Whitby, Scarborough and York...Could anyone advise when the best time to go would be and if anyone has ideas for good days out and would like to tag along get back to me

(20 Jan 2015, 8:23 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote @Jimmi - I'd stick with Whitby in this unpredictable weather. Scarborough is a long shot, and tbh you might not see much down there in general with it not being 'the season'.

If I was you, just go to Whitby.

Well for Scarborough there would still be the local services and hopefully the Filey Flyer 555 Shoreline Suncruisers will have the recently acquired ALX400, I'd be only only in Scarborough for just over an hour. The weather on the Scarborough - Whitby section can be bad.

@MrFozz

Annoyingly I think the train only runs about every 2 hours and would cost more.

Hopefully all should be fine.

(20 Jan 2015, 8:35 pm)Jimmi wrote Well for Scarborough there would still be the local services and hopefully the Filey Flyer 555 Shoreline Suncruisers will have the recently acquired ALX400, I'd be only only in Scarborough for just over an hour. The weather on the Scarborough - Whitby section can be bad.

@MrFozz

Annoyingly I think the train only runs about every 2 hours and would cost more.

Hopefully all should be fine.

Well whereever you get to, hope u have a very non-annoying day

@Jimmi - if you go for it, I look forward to seeing some EYMS stuff on your Flickr.

Think I'll just do Whitby tomorrow.

Will do Scarborough and possibly Bridlington and Filey in the summer.

Sorry to ask but, does anyone know how the X93, 4/X4 are running and is there much snow on the route.

Can't look on the live map on my phone because Arriva don't have the app on the Windows Phone so I have to use the browser and it's pretty much unusable but from what I could see they are running on-time. My parents don't want me to go as there has been a TINY bit of snow here.

Might get an Explorer tomorrow.

Will get the 71 (last day!) from my house to Houghton then go from there.

Quick question - I've never used an Explorer on the Metro before, can someone explain to me how I use it?

Isn't there like ticket barriers or something, how do I use it is what I'm asking.

(23 Jan 2015, 4:37 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Might get an Explorer tomorrow.

Will get the 71 (last day!) from my house to Houghton then go from there.

Quick question - I've never used an Explorer on the Metro before, can someone explain to me how I use it?

Isn't there like ticket barriers or something, how do I use it is what I'm asking.

Show the ticket to the metro person at the gates. 

(23 Jan 2015, 4:38 pm)Tom wrote Show the ticket to the metro person at the gates. 

Thanks Tom.

(23 Jan 2015, 4:38 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Thanks Tom.

To be fair, why don't you just get a Tyne and Wear Day Rover, and pay 90p on the 71?

(23 Jan 2015, 4:39 pm)Tom wrote To be fair, why don't you just get a Tyne and Wear Day Rover, and pay 90p on the 71?

Might fancy a trip up to Stanley and Consett afterwards for some Olympians.

I will definitely be taking my camera, and hopefully will take some photos too.

Remember Marcus, photography is not permitted on Metro and you have to fill in a form.

Think I may head over to Sunderland today. Possibly.