(15 Feb 2015, 6:01 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Service 3 stopped serving Thornholme Road in May 2005, coinciding with simplification of the Sunderland network.  This saw the withdrawal of Service 2, with all journeys operating as Service 3 along a new more direct route via New Durham Road, Plains Farm and Atlantis Road - omitting Thornholme Road (replaced by Services 22/23/24) and Gilley Law (replaced by Service 13).

Cheers, i thought it might of being when the Sunderland network was simplified. 

Was deffo may 2005 Sunderland changes and yes it was 3 before thorney close services. Now what served thorn hill prior to that in old Sunderland busways days

(16 Feb 2015, 10:34 am)Acky81 wrote Was deffo may 2005 Sunderland changes and yes it was 3 before thorney close services. Now what served thorn hill prior to that in old Sunderland busways days

The 3 served Thromholme Road throughout the period of Sunderland Busways, and earlier (albeit some of the time in the guise of the 103).

Parked up along the fence in Stockton depot are:
22471
22486
22489
22493
22668
22669

Presumably awaiting collection for their fate

22471?! Just been repainted!

MAN 18.220LF/Alexander ALX300 22666 has returned to the Driving School at Sunderland, following use at Newcastle. Perhaps why 22215 is seeing use there now?

No it's back at South shields depot. Regards Robin

HI are the rest of old man alx 300 buses at Stockton going to get repainted then want left.

(21 Feb 2015, 10:15 pm)glen1234 wrote HI are the rest of old man alx 300 buses at Stockton going to get repainted then want left.

Probably not.

They're not DDA-compliant, so they should be getting carted off to a scrap yard when their replacements arrive. It would be a waste of money to repaint a bus which was going straight to the scrap yard, unless there was a reason for repainting it. There must have been a reason for 22471 being repainted then being withdrawn soon after.

(21 Feb 2015, 10:17 pm)Dan wrote Probably not.

They're not DDA-compliant, so they should be getting carted off to a scrap yard when their replacements arrive. It would be a waste of money to repaint a bus which was going straight to the scrap yard, unless there was a reason for repainting it. There must have been a reason for 22471 being repainted then being withdrawn soon after.

22471 was last repainted in November 2012 - it just still looks fresh from then.

Thank you for that Dan

22471 was repainted end of last year about same time as 22469.

(22 Feb 2015, 10:03 am)Cock Robin wrote 22471 was repainted end of last year about same time as 22469.

22469 was given just a front-end touch up (you can still see where the 'In Newcastle' names were over the door and the cab window). 22471 just looks fresh.

Quick note to say that, following the news update earlier today, the fleet lists have been updated... I hadn't updated them in a while, so had quite a bit to catch up on.

• All of the latest transfers have been noted, as per all of the fleet news recorded this month, minus the ALX300s for disposal which Kuyoyo noted the other day (I'll do these when the movements from the fleet cards are posted on this thread).
  
• All of the ALX300s new in 2003 onwards have had their bodywork amended to read "Transbus ALX300", opposed to "Alexander ALX300". I've been meaning to do this for quite some time now. If nothing else, it allows users to quickly differentiate between the DDA-compliant examples and the ones which aren't!
  
• Spotted a couple of errors with regards to the ALX300 registrations - these have all now been corrected.

(22 Feb 2015, 1:12 pm)Dan wrote Quick note to say that, following the news update earlier today, the fleet lists have been updated... I hadn't updated them in a while, so had quite a bit to catch up on.

• All of the latest transfers have been noted, as per all of the fleet news recorded this month, minus the ALX300s for disposal which Kuyoyo noted the other day (I'll do these when the movements from the fleet cards are posted on this thread).
  
• All of the ALX300s new in 2003 onwards have had their bodywork amended to read "Transbus ALX300", opposed to "Alexander ALX300". I've been meaning to do this for quite some time now. If nothing else, it allows users to quickly differentiate between the DDA-compliant examples and the ones which aren't!
  
• Spotted a couple of errors with regards to the ALX300 registrations - these have all now been corrected.
  

BIB: 22341-8 and 22408-13 should be 'Alexander Dennis ALX300' as Transbus collapsed in late 2004 (after 22061-82 had been completed) and Alexander Dennis came into existence in 2005.

(22 Feb 2015, 1:27 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: 22341-8 and 22408-13 should be 'Alexander Dennis ALX300' as Transbus collapsed in late 2004 (after 22061-82 had been completed) and Alexander Dennis came into existence in 2005.

Ta - sorted.  

19670 has been repainted:
Stagecoach Newcastle: 19670 / NK60 DNJ by mdw9121, on Flickr

Passed an E400 heading South on Tyne Bridge this morning with no windows etc, presumably off for repaint?

StagecoachNE on Twitter:
Ncl Ops Update Ponteland Rd. closed in both directions buses diverting Stamfordham Rd. and Springfield Rd. sorry for any delay

(23 Feb 2015, 6:02 pm)AIG20 wrote They should trial an open-top South Shields to Sunderland coastal service.

I would certainly try that out every now and again!

Even better if they used the famous 16833!

(23 Feb 2015, 5:56 pm)AIG20 wrote Main article of todays Shields Gazette:

Taxpayers fork out £480 a day for South Shields tour bus – but only THREE people are on board = Shields Gazette

'handouts'?

It could be suggested more a case of 'local authority whimsy'?

Especially when we consider it merely duplicated the route of the established - and commercially operated - E1.

Can anyone confirm this question is a Gas Bus an odd working for X1 to Doxford Park to Sunderland only I saw one today

(24 Feb 2015, 12:10 am)Racer_Experience wrote Can anyone confirm this question is a Gas Bus an odd working for X1 to Doxford Park to Sunderland only I saw one today

Some runs are operated by gas buses, interworking with service 13.

Others interwork with service 4, so if a gas bus appears on one of the runs attached to the 4 service, it would have been an odd working.

Anyone else notice that drivers on the e2 and e6 never drive at 20 speed limit along Lizard Lane?

(24 Feb 2015, 10:05 pm)AIG20 wrote They tend to drive at the 40 mph - the old speed limit. This is because Lizard Lane is a bit messed up to be honest. 30mph from the Marsden Inn roundabout to the southern Grotto Road junction, 40mph on the bank, 20mph from the top of the bank to the southern end of the golf course (where the speed bumps are), 40 mph from the Hillhead Tearoom junction to the first house on Lizard Lane Whitburn, and then back to 30mph.

The speed bumps and those sticky-out signs/bollards have not worked as a horse was knocked over and killed last year by a van - the rider escaped with minor injuries. So those "safety measures" have not made any difference in my opinion.

Apparently many years ago the speed limit on Lizard Lane and the Coast Road used to be 60mph!

Had many a fun time riding Olympians down the Lizard Lane bank... Oh those were the days!

(24 Feb 2015, 10:11 pm)AIG20 wrote The buses using Lizard Lane tend to kickdown quite a lot - especially on the banks after the Caravan Park (Southbound) and after the Kitchener Road junction (Northbound). They also tend to thrash quite a lot due to the potholes - which is why the road is regularly resurfaced.

I had 22734 on the E6 coming from South Shields the other day. It had to stop half way on the bank as there was another bus coming from the Sunderland direction, and it just didn't have the power there that the Olympians used to have.

Don't tend to use the E services to/from South Shields these days as the 35 is a little quicker, but the ride the other day got me feeling a bit nostalgic! 

(24 Feb 2015, 7:21 am)Dan wrote Some runs are operated by gas buses, interworking with service 13.

Others interwork with service 4, so if a gas bus appears on one of the runs attached to the 4 service, it would have been an odd working.

Only two have any inter-working with service 4, one is a guaranteed ADL Enviro 200 and the other is one that usually end's up being the gas bus on the 4.

All X1 inter-working is as follows.

X1 0629 John Street - Doxford International 0655

3 0702 Farringdon - Hylton Castle 0740

X1 0649 John Street - Doxford International 0715
3 0722 Farringdon - Hylton Castle 0800

X1 0709 John Street - Doxford International 0735
3 0746 Farringdon - Hylton Castle 0830

X1 0729 John Street - Doxford International 0755
13 0802 Hall Farm - Town End Farm 0854

X1 0749 John Street - Doxford International 0820
5 0831 Moorside - Docks 0918

X1 0809 John Street -  Doxford International 0840
4 0850 Mill Hill - Town End Farm 0939

4 0734 Town End Farm John Street 0822
X1 0824 John Street Doxford International 0855
5A 0901 Moorside - Docks 0948

13 1526 Town End Farm - Hall Farm 1616
X1 1630 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1647
13 1652  Fawcett Street - Town End Farm 1714
13 1726 Town End Farm - Hall Farm 1806
X1 1810 Doxford Int- Fawcett Street 1827


13 1606 Town End Farm - Hall Farm 1656
X1 1710 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1727
13 1732 Fawcett Street - Town End Farm 1754

13 1626 Town End Farm - Hall Farm 1716
X1 1730 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1747

5A 1548 Docks - Doxford Park Shops 1638
X1 1650 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1707
5 1713 Fawcett Street - Docks 1718

5A 1648 Docks - Doxford Park Shops 1743
X1 1750 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1807
5 1818 Fawcett Street - Docks 1823

13 1726 Town End Farm - Hall Farm  1816
X1 1830 Doxford Int - Fawcett Street 1847

(24 Feb 2015, 10:13 pm)Dan wrote I had 22734 on the E6 coming from South Shields the other day. It had to stop half way on the bank as there was another bus coming from the Sunderland direction, and it just didn't have the power there that the Olympians used to have.

Don't tend to use the E services to/from South Shields these days as the 35 is a little quicker, but the ride the other day got me feeling a bit nostalgic! 

A month later...  

(24 Feb 2015, 10:37 pm)Robert wrote A month later...  

To my memory, I haven't yet used the 20 to go to South Shields!