26/07/03

Sunderland Airshow took place today and continues tomorrow. Noted on the various park and ride and shuttle services today were the following:

Stagecoach Busways14182/667/73/5 and 22486/735 on the 510 shuttle from Sunderland City Centre, and 14184/614 on the Park and Ride.

Go Wear Buses3836/42/5/52, 3900-2 on service 161 (including extras and shorts).

Classic, Annfield PlainGSU348, 527LPF, TVE804 (all Metrobuses) on the Park and Ride.

KingsleysMetrobuses 225/8 (A742WVP, B800AOP) on the Park and Ride.

Expect more of the same tomorrow.

Arriva Northumbira's ex Scotland West Volvo B10BLEs are entering service at Hexham. 4526/8 (V532/4GDS) were noted on the 602 today along with at least one other. The Tridents are being displaced to Blyth.

A further Stagecoach East Midland vehicle visiting Stagecoach in Sunderland's Wheatsheaf depot for repair is Leyland Olympian 14356 (K356DWJ).

25/07/03

The latest edition of the notices and proceedings for the north east traffic area show that Arriva Durham County have won a large amount of schools and miscellaneous contracts in the South Shields and Sunderland areas. This co-incides with alterations to Peterlee depot routes, so it would seem likely that Peterlee will be the depot to work these. It will be interesting to see what Peterlee get to work these services.

To operate new service 83 Cockfield - Woodland "The Cockfield Connection" it is reported on the Go North East webiste that Go Northern are using Durham County Council Owned Optare Alero 9180 (YN03UXW). Optare Solos 461/2 are also at Bishop Auckland, Neil Wise reporting the former in use on the Crook town service.

Continental Coaches now have an additional VR. VDV117S is in use in full Western National livery, and Johnathan Hare has sighted it woking the Hartlepool "Badger Bus" alongside an Olympian. Elliot Stuffins reports that JTY406X has passed to Voel Coaches of Rhyl.

Richard Smiles kindly advises that Stagecoach in Newcastle MAN 18.220s 22021/2 (NK03XJM/N)have arrived. These MANs are displacing B10Ms, which are being refurbished, apparently for use in Hartlepool as Lynx replacements. Given that Hartlepool's Lynxes are in superior condition to Stockton's this seems like an odd move, bus Stagecoach have done many stranger things!

20/07/03

A new delivery for Winns, Brompton is Bova Futura YE03VSV. This wears an all-over silver livery.

A number of Durham County Council tender changes have taken place today. Highlights are that Arriva Durham County lose the Crook Town Service 84 to Go Northern, but gain the 246 (Wingate - Peterlee) ex Jayline, with the result that MPD 1710 (V710DNL) has moved from Bishop Auckland to Peterlee. (Thanks to Stuart Gray for identifying the vehicle!). Jayline gain evening journeys on the 230 Hartlepool - Sunderland from Arriva, but evening and Sunday work on the 33 (Hartlepool - Sedgefield) goes the opposite way. Scarlet Band service 269 Billingham - Ferryhill drops back to two-hourly - the campain to Tony Blair having failed! Go Northern have also made other gains, including certain journeys on service 22 Durham - Hartelpool (which also has it's Sunday frequency cut to two-hourly Arriva) infrequent Durham city based routes and evening and Sunday service 239 Sedgefield - Easington.

19/07/03

Further new MAN 18.220s for Stagecoach in Newcastle are entering service. The batch thus far consists of 22011-20 (NK03XJA-H/J/L), though one or two of these have yet to be noted in service.

In a suprising move Stagecoach on Teesside have fitted CCTV to one of their older buses, namely Leyland Olympian / Alexander 14615 (C615LFT).

On a similar theme Arriva Teesside DAF SB120s 1901-3 and SB220s 4031-3/7 also have CCTV.

08/07/03

The new MAN 18.220s for Stagecoach in Newcastle are beginning to enter service. 22013 (NK03XJC) was noted on the 62/63 today, so the one noted previously will be 22016 (NK03XJF), correcting my earlier sighting from the Metro!

07/07/03

Interesting additions to the fleet of Jacks Coaches, Middlesbrough are Leyland Tiger / Duple Lazer OIW2641 and rare Leyland Royal Tiger / Plaxton PIW4128.

Added to the stock of Continental Coaches, Stockton is Dennis Dart / Plaxton K856LGN, beleived to be ex Bradford Bus Company. This works service 750 Easington - Brotton and wears an overall advert for a curry house.

Added to the fleet of Generation Travel, Great Ayton is Volvo B10M / Plaxton K387DWN.

Arriva Tees & District Optare Vecta 1512 (K512BHN) has returned to service, while Arriva Northumbria now also have Volvo B10BLE / Wright 4527 (V533GDS) ex Arriva Scotland West as confirmed by Mark Gibbon. Phil Logie informs me that Optare Delta 4090 (G251SRG) has now passed into preservation!!!

05/07/03

Further Volvo B10Ms to trabsfer to Stagecoach in South Shields are 20123/273 (P123XCN, M713KRH), the latter introducing the Northern Counties Paladin body variant at SS. Lynx 29101 (F101HVK) is understood to have gone to Darlington in exchange. No more new MANs were evident in Walkergate depot today (or indeed at Slatyford), however a Leyland Titan was present, understood to be 10827 (A827SUL) which has not seen service at Stockton since it's involvement in a fatality many months ago, but is now to be used on contracts.

04/07/03

The delivery of new MAN 18.220HOCL-NL / Alexander (Transbus??) for Stagecoach in Newcastle has commenced today. Noted in Walkergate depot was NL03EJF - subject to confirmation this was read from quite a distance! Two Stagecoach East Midlands Leyland Olympian / Alexander have popped up at Sunderland Wheatsheaf depot, presumed under repair after Mansfield's trouble. These are G342KKW and J350XET.

Arriva Northumbria Leyland Olympian / Alexander 7201/3 (F248/1YTJ) have left storage at Ashington, now sold.

In stock with 1-2 Travel, Tyneside is former ASP (Birtley) Neoplan Skyliner RIB4313.

DCC tendered service 269, currently operated by Scarlet Band is apparenly to be reduced to two hourly upon retender. A campaign has been started to write letters to the Sedgefield MP (one Rt. Hon. Tony Blair!) in an effort to prevent this.