26/08/03
The Arriva London Olympian
noted at Arriva Northumbria's Jesmond depot is D178FYM. A driver was
familiarising himself with the controls when it was photographed today,
suggesting that it may not necessarily be for Peterlee. Olympian 7210 (F246YTJ)
has ben replaced at Alnwick by 7377 (M377FTY). The current location of 7210 is
not known. Olympian 7375 (M375FTY) has joined sister 7376 at Ashington.
24/08/03
Graeme Scarlett kindly informs me that his The Eden operation is to take on the operation of evening service 7A Spennymoor - Shildon on a temporary basis from 31/08/03 from Go Northern. I also understand that operation of service 239 Sedgefield - Easington is to be shared between Go Northern and another operator from the same date - it looks as if Go NE's Bishop Auckland depot may be experiencing driver shortages.
News from KvTipple is that Perrymans are to introduce Sunday workings on the Berwick town services. This would seem to suggest that the rumours circulating on the internet recently about Perryman's imminent demise were incorrect.
Service changes are taking place next weekend (30-31/08/03) on Arriva Northumbria services in Ashington and Go Coastline services in North Tyneside. Both would appear to require changes to vehicle allocations - developments are awaited with interest!
23/08/03
Arriva Teesside are now using Iveco Daily 9985 as a crew ferry at Stockton, and it has been renumbered 9964 accordingly.
Arriva Northumbria now have six Volvo B10BLEs at Hexham 4524-9
(V530-5GDS) allowing 100% operation of the 602, with sister 4530 (V536GDS) now
repainted and noted today at Jesmond ready to go to Hexham. Also at Jesmond was
one of the ex Arriva London Olympians expected to go to Peterlee. It was still
in red, and I could not get an identity.
A second refurbished Volvo
B10M / Alexander to enter service with Stagecoach in Hartlepool is 20839
(P839GND).
Added to stock at Style Travel, Peterlee is Dennis Javelin / Caetano P774BJF.
Peter Nardone reports that Continental, Stockon have Bova Europa KIB7862 in stock.
22/08/03
Service changes to Arriva Durham County Peterlee area services take place from 31/08/03. The most noticable change is the extension of service 245 to Sunderland, giving the residents of Wingate and Deaf Hill a half hourly service to Sunderland. This together with minor timing changes to services 213/4/5/30 will give a useful ten minute frequency between Easington Village and Sunderland. This co-incides with the start of several miscellaneous contracts around South Tyneside and beyond. Reports on various newsgroups have noted some Arriva London Olympians heading north through the region - it would seem likely that these are for Peterlee for these additional services.
Neil Wise informs me that Arriva Tees & District Optare Vecta 1535 (L535FHN) has not received a Cummins engine as expected, and has instead had a replacement MAN engine. Stuart Grey reporths that Arriva Durham County sister 1541 (L541FHN) is away for a new engine, expected to be a Cummins unit.
17/08/03
I can now bring tou a photo
of refurbished Volvo B10M / Alexander 20696 (P316EFL) in service with Stagecoach
in Hartlepool. Lynx 29601 (F601UVN) has had it's destination blind removed,
while 29602/5 are parked up at the back corner of the depot. Alongside is a
plain white Dennis Dart / East Lancs N746OYR, which has heavily tinted windows
a non-PSV interior, and no rear window. Who own this or what it is for is
unkown.
16/08/03
Arriva Northumbria now have Volvo B10BLE / Wright 4529 (V535GDS) in service at Hexham, having been noted on the Whitby Park and Ride specials last weekend. Another of the batch (either 4525 or 4530) was noted rubbed down for repaint at Jesmond Today. Trident 7432 (W397RBB) is now at Blyth, displacing Olympian 7375 (M375FTY) to Ashington.
Arriva Tees &
District's Redcar depot are again
borrowing buses from other depots. Today they had Peterlee Dart 1640 (S640KHN)
and Stockton Vecta 1525 (L525FHN) on the 22/29/90 circuit, while Martin Brigham
tells me that they also have Stockton Metrorider 2636 (P636FHN)!
The withdrawn Stagecoach
on Teeside Lynxes are 29608/9 (F608/9UVN), while Johnathan Hare reports
that refurbished Volvo B10M 20696 (P316EFL) is now in use at Hartlepool.
Unusual workings abound, with the 36 being covered 50% by Volvo B10Ms, and the
low floor MANs working just about any service but those they are intended for!
Deliveries of MAN 18.220s
to Stagecoach in Newcastle continue. The latest is 22033 (NK03XKC),
joining 22027-32 (NK03XJW-Z,XKA/B) at Slatyford.
Northumbria Coaches, Ashington now have a couple of MAN 11.190 / Marshall in stock ex Dart, Paisley. Noted at the depot today was one in Dart's livery with number plates removed being rubbed down for repaint, and a second (number plat obscured) in Stagecoach livery (Dart worked routes under franchise to Stagecoach Glasgow prior to their demsie).
15/08/03
The full five Dennis Dart SLF arrivals at Stagecoach on Teeside are reported by Richard Smiles as 33101/2/825/6/7 (R101/2KRG, R825/6/7YUD). I may have been mistaken in my sighting of 33122 at Stockton - or it may have been visiting for repairs or similar. A pair of Lynxes are now parked up at Stockton with blinds removed - IDs to be confirmed, while 29620 (G620CEF is transferred to Darlington. A further pair of vehicles to arrive at Stockton are Mercedes 709 / Alexander 40094/40496 (K494FFS, N496RVK) reason unknown.
10/08/03
Further arrivals at Stagecoach on Teeside are Scania N113 / Alexander 28919 (F919JRG) from Newcastle (Slatyford) and Dennis Dart SLF / Alexander 33828 (R828YUD) from Newcastle (Walkergate).
Further identification on
coaches recently acquired by Continental Coaches, Stockton is that
TOS878X is a Volvo B58 / Plaxton, with clues to a previous life with Ediie
Brown of york, while 674SHY is a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard ex Western
Greyhound, who interestingly now have former Continental Olympians DWW930Y and
D824UTF.
09/08/03
Arrivals at Stagecoach on Teeside are former Newcastle (Slatyford) Scania L113CRL / NCME 28951/2 (M951/2DRG), and former Sunderland Dennis Dart SLF / Alexander 33122 (R122KRG). None of these have been noted in service yet.
Arriva Tees &
District have former Arriva Scotland
West Volvo B10BLE / Wright 4525/9 (V531/5GDS) in use at Whitby for the Regatta
park and ride service. These are expected to pass to Northumbria once this is
over. 4525 still wears Scotland fleetnames and fleetnumber 531, while 4529 has
had a full repaint.
A further Arriva Northumbria DAF coach to wear the revised National Express livery is 142.
08/08/03
It would appear that I was
a little hasty in suggesting that Stagecoach Leyland Lynxes 29602/3/5/6
(F602/3/5/6UVN) may be withdrawn, as Johnathon Hare has sighted several of them
in use since. News kindly confirmed by Richard Smiles is the transfer of five
Dennis Dart SLF/ Alexander to Stockton ex Walkergate, with five Stockton MANs
moving on to Sunderland. Volvo B10M / Alexander 20262 (M552VDC) is now at South
Shields with a Lynx expected at Darlington in exchange.
It is reported that Arriva Northumbria Leyland Olympian / Alexander 7209 (F242YTJ) has left Blyth on trade plates, presumed sold.
Peter Nardone reports that Continental Coaches, Stockton have been out buying. Acquired are Leyland Lynx FIL4528 ex McKindless, Wishaw, Bristol VRT / ECW FFR168S, Dennis Dart / Plaxton H538XGK, and coaches (of type unconfirmed, but I'm working on it!) L300BUH, XOD865, FYC106F, TOS878X. Leyland Olympian / ECW (Coach) D824UTF has been sold.
03/08/03
John Atkin brings news that Stagecoach in Hartlepool Leyland Lynxes 29602/3/5/6 (F602/3/5/6UVN) are parked up with parts missing, suggesting that they are now withdrawn. The delivery of new MANs at Walkergate (aka Byker/Newcastle) is freeing up B10Ms which are receiving a thorough refurbishment (as reported by Richard Smiles) and are expected to go to Hartlepool.
02/08/03
Further Volvo B10BLEs to
enter service with Arriva Northumbira at Hexham are 4524/7 (V530/3GDS).
Dennis Tridents 7431/4 (W396/9RBB) are now at Blyth. Sisters 7430/2/3
(W395/7/8RBB) were noted still in service from Hexham, which would sugest that
7435 (W501RBB) is the one observed by Neil Wise to be at Gardiners of
Spennymoor for work. Withdrawn Olympian 7304 (F304JTY) has been removed from
Ashington. Jesmond's DAF coaches are now gaining new National Express vinyls.
144/7/8 were so noted today.
Unusual workings by Arriva Durham County's Darlington Depot today have seen DAF DB250 / East Lancs 7443 (Y693EBR) work to Sunderland on the 213, and sister 7444 (Y694EBR) work to lingdale on the 98/48!! Elliot Stuffins has reported that Olympian 7202 (F250YTJ) has turned up with Avon, Prenton - which is quick going as I saw it in service from Darlington last Saturday!
New MAN 18.220HOCL-NL / Alexander continue to arive at Stagecoach in Newcastle. The latest one seen thus far is 22026 (NK03XJV).