LATEST NEWS OCTOBER 2002 DIGEST
30/10/02
Abbey Coaches
have ex Stagecoach in Sunderland Opatre Metrorider 1694 (H176WWT).
The Go North East Website confirms vehicle
orders as being for 11 DAF SB120 / Wright (4 for South Shields and 7 for
Sunderland as I understand it) and 26 Dennis / Plaxton Mini Pointer Dart. I
understand that 20 of these will take over from the Optare Solos in Washington,
and I suspect that one will replace 9183 at Bishop Auckland for the 70. The
solos are rumoured to be going in themain to Winlaton, though it has also been
suggested that a couple may end up at Percy Main. There are several other
re-allocations - I have updated my fleetlist to take
these into account.
28/10/02
Gary Mitchelhill
informs me that Arriva Northumbria have at last repainted Scania 7383
(N383OTY) ending Northumbria livery.
Mark gibbon reports
that Arriva Teesside are covering one of Peterlee's 234/5 diagrams (due
to temporary driver shortage), usually using DAF 4045. Optare Delta 4008 has
been moved south for this work, but requires attention.
27/10/02
Neil Broadley and Neil
Wise report that one of Arriva Durham County's Peterlee depot Darts
(1636 or 1637) has been involved in a fatal accident at Hawthorne. Extensive
repairs are thought necessary. Neil Wise also reports that Metrorider 2616
(P616PHN) is likely to move to Darlington/Richmond to replace 2604 when Arriva
operation of the 246/7/50 ends.
Steven Oliver has
reported that coaches from both Kingsleys and Classic have been
used on rail replacements between Berwick and Edinburgh - somewhat further
north than their usual area.
Former Arriva
Durham County Leyland Olympian WDC218Y has joined several of it's sisters
with UK North in Manchester. Also note that C612ANW has returned to Yorkshire.
23/10/02
Neil Broadley reports
that Stagecoach Transit MAN 673 and Titan 282 were involved in an accident
with each other in Stockton High Street this morning, both sustaing damage.
22/10/02
Withdrawn Stagecoach
Hartlepool Volvo B10M / Plaxton 34/51 (J456FSR, IIL1321) have gone to
Grimsby to cover for vehicles lost in the fire there.
21/10/02
Arriva Northumbria
are now taking delivery of four DAF SB4000 / Van Hool to replace the Bovas on
National Express diagrams. Dave Oliver kindly advises that they are 145-8
(NL52XZV-Y).
The new vehicles
orders, and transfers expected at Go North East are the subject of
certain amounts of disagreement!! (see goaheadbusfans!).
Bensway
of Hartlepool surrenderred their operators licence from 18th September.
Brian Robertson
advises that Bob Smith of Durham have acquired Mercedes 811D / Plaxton
L321BNX, ex Chambers of Bures.
20/10/02
KVTipple tells me that
Arriva Northumbria Volvo Olympian 7410 (P410CCU) suffered an accident in
central Newcastle, and sustained damage to it's front nearside. Operation in
Berwick finished on 12/10/02 with Optare Metroriders 856/7/86/99/900/8 in
operation - click
here for more. The full list of
transfers to Berwick for Perrymans is 859-62/4/5 (M859-62/4/5KCU) courtesy of
Neil Wise/KVTipple. Leyland Olympian 7308 (F308JTY) is currently engineless at
Ashington.
Gary Mitchelhill has
sighted Arriva North East loaned Olympian C612ANW still working with
Yorkshire number 612. Cummins re-engined Optare Vecta 1556 (UOI772) is in
service! To see and hear it click
"videos" on the menu bar to the left.
Stagecoach North East
Volvo B10M / Van Hool 36 (837XHW) is now with Priory of North Shields. Info
reproduced by the kind permission of Anth is that Titans 280/90 have already
been retired from Byker, that Lynxes 114/543 all remaining Metroriders and some
Mercedes minis have been sold, and that B10M 82 has gone to Glasgow. For the
full info on allocation changes see Anth's message on busesnortheast. Lynx
115 (F115HVK) is now working at Hartlepool. Sunderland Dart 1308 now has an
unusual rebuilt rear window.
New Go North East
Scania N94UB / Wright Solar seen thus far by me are 4956-60 (NL52WVM-R) working
on the 194/294 at Washington, replacing Volvo B10BLEs which are transferring
other depots. Reproduced by kind
permission of Dave Henderson, the following Scanias have been noted coming of
the ferry at Birkenhead in recent days: NL52 WVT/V, THN. The total number of Scanias on order is a
matter of much conjecture, reports varying from 11 to 13!!
An addition to Jayline
stock is Mercedes 811D / Alexander KCZ5771. I understand this operator has won
contracts for services 246/7/50.
Priory
of North Shields now have former Stagecoach Hartlepool Volvo B10M / Van Hool 36
(837XHW).