(02/02/2014 20:55)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]It is saying something that quite a few buses on order will be to Sapphire spec. I may prefer an alternative route to route 7 for Pulsars. In a way, route 5 felt "semi-Sapphire" last Spring while it still had the leather-seated OmniCities!
The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
(02/02/2014 21:03)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
This means that these OmniCities will follow in the footsteps of Olympuses with Arriva in Yorkshire that had its leather seats replaced with standard moquette. Admittedly, early days of leather seating were in a sense experimental.
As an aside, with route 4 and X4 going Sapphire, I wonder whether the Temsa Avenues face early withdrawal? My rides on these buses last May were these routes (or maybe similar 4a and X3).
(02/02/2014 21:10)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:03)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
This means that these OmniCities will follow in the footsteps of Olympuses with Arriva in Yorkshire that had its leather seats replaced with standard moquette. Admittedly, early days of leather seating were in a sense experimental.
As an aside, with route 4 and X4 going Sapphire, I wonder whether the Temsa Avenues face early withdrawal? My rides on these buses last May were these routes (or maybe similar 4a and X3).
Yes, 4660-2/4 are to be refurbished along with 4643-59/63 later in the year with new floors and retrimmed seats.
No, Redcar are to retain 6 Temsas (4715-20) while the other 12 (4701-6 and 4707/9-13) are to be cascaded to other depots. The 4/X4 is the new Middlesbrough-Loftus-Whitby route, the X3 replacing the current 4 to Lingdale (see the posts a few pages back on the changes). The 24 'Sapphire' Pulsars due in the summer are to be slightly different to 1513-23 as they are reportedly to have the normal 2+2 seating throughout (so 44 seaters rather than 40).
11 Volvo B7TL/Wright Gemini Eclipse are said to be due here out of the 27 currently being refurbished by Thorntons and Bus and Coach World. These would replace the remaining 3 High Floor Deckers (Olympian 7367 and Spectras 7482/3) plus DAF DB250s 7459-64 (T306-11 FGN) and the two due to join from the Classic fleet very shortly (T320 FGN and T421 GGO).
Not mentioned previously, but during March, the service operations of Classic will join the main Arriva operation. This includes their Nexus contracts and their NHS Shuttle between the two main Newcastle Hospitals. As such, in addition to the 2 mentioned DB250s, 5 Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus will also move to join the main fleet for the work.
(02/02/2014 21:10)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:03)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
This means that these OmniCities will follow in the footsteps of Olympuses with Arriva in Yorkshire that had its leather seats replaced with standard moquette. Admittedly, early days of leather seating were in a sense experimental.
As an aside, with route 4 and X4 going Sapphire, I wonder whether the Temsa Avenues face early withdrawal? My rides on these buses last May were these routes (or maybe similar 4a and X3).
Interesting that these OmniCities are having the leather seats replaced. On the 685 Newcastle <> Carlisle the OmniCities have become known as the 'slippery seat' buses. So how many OmniCities and for which depots and routes are the seats being changed?
The Hexham Courant Friday 14 Feb had a large article 'Bus bosses pledge to improve 685 fleet' and quotes 'we will be replacing those vehicles with leather seats with fabric seating. we're looking at the options in terms of handrails and whether we can fit seatbelts in any of the forward or side facing seats.'
The alternative vehicles to the usual 07 Omnicities are an 05 OmniCity leather seats and 61 plate Wright fabric seated VDLs.
Note that in the same article Stagecoach 'planned to put new buses in the route within this calendar year with coach style seating, seatbelts and wifi' thus replacing the 61 plate ADLs which have been reported elsewhere as a short term measure.
So a local councillor asked 'why Stagecoach was providing brand new buses and Arriva was not?'
The Hexham Courant article does not appear to be available online at the moment.
(17/02/2014 21:00)bramptontrev Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:10)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:03)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
This means that these OmniCities will follow in the footsteps of Olympuses with Arriva in Yorkshire that had its leather seats replaced with standard moquette. Admittedly, early days of leather seating were in a sense experimental.
As an aside, with route 4 and X4 going Sapphire, I wonder whether the Temsa Avenues face early withdrawal? My rides on these buses last May were these routes (or maybe similar 4a and X3).
Interesting that these OmniCities are having the leather seats replaced. On the 685 Newcastle <> Carlisle the OmniCities have become known as the 'slippery seat' buses. So how many OmniCities and for which depots and routes are the seats being changed?
All of the OmniCities are down to be refurnished as the oldest will be 9 years old this year and their interiors (not to mention exteriors) are looking well worn.
The Teesside service changes mean the following allocation changes (although not all have happened yet):
Stockton: Prestige 4045 moves onto reserve following the drop of Stockton's PVR by 1
Redcar: with a PVR drop of 3, MPD 1739 has entered reserve while recently transferred Dart SLF 1309 and MPD 1737 are transferred to Darlington
Darlington: in addition to the mentioned Darts, MPD 1724 is reinstated as cover for accident-damaged EcoCity 4809. The transferred Darts allow Solos 2827 and 2828 (although some sources quote the 2 as 2828 and 2829) to the paint shop for repaint into Whitby Park & Ride base livery (as yet unknown)
Ashington: Lowlander 7437 returns here from Jesmond in exchange for DAF ALX400 7467
(17/02/2014 21:00)bramptontrev Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:10)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ] (02/02/2014 21:03)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]The 5/5a and X4/4 won't be converted to Sapphire until August. As for the leather-seated OmniCities, they won't be leather seated come the end of the year.
This means that these OmniCities will follow in the footsteps of Olympuses with Arriva in Yorkshire that had its leather seats replaced with standard moquette. Admittedly, early days of leather seating were in a sense experimental.
As an aside, with route 4 and X4 going Sapphire, I wonder whether the Temsa Avenues face early withdrawal? My rides on these buses last May were these routes (or maybe similar 4a and X3).
Interesting that these OmniCities are having the leather seats replaced. On the 685 Newcastle <> Carlisle the OmniCities have become known as the 'slippery seat' buses. So how many OmniCities and for which depots and routes are the seats being changed?
The Hexham Courant Friday 14 Feb had a large article 'Bus bosses pledge to improve 685 fleet' and quotes 'we will be replacing those vehicles with leather seats with fabric seating. we're looking at the options in terms of handrails and whether we can fit seatbelts in any of the forward or side facing seats.'
The alternative vehicles to the usual 07 Omnicities are an 05 OmniCity leather seats and 61 plate Wright fabric seated VDLs.
Note that in the same article Stagecoach 'planned to put new buses in the route within this calendar year with coach style seating, seatbelts and wifi' thus replacing the 61 plate ADLs which have been reported elsewhere as a short term measure.
So a local councillor asked 'why Stagecoach was providing brand new buses and Arriva was not?'
The Hexham Courant article does not appear to be available online at the moment.
Hexham Courant article now available online -
http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/2.29...-1.1117652
(02/02/2014 17:50)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]As they have been posted elsewhere (credit to tyresmoke), this is the order list for this year:
10 VDL Pulsar - Stockton -Service 5/5A (Sapphire spec)
14 VDL Pulsar - Redcar/Whitby - Service X3/X4/4 (Sapphire spec)
8 VDL Pulsar - Jesmond - Service 306
5 VDL Pulsar - Darlington - Service 1/5 (these may be diverted to Durham for the 23)
6 ADL Enviro 400 - Ashington - Service X21/X22 (Sapphire spec)
6 unknown double deck -Ashington/Alnwick -Service X18
In addition, older Enviro400s (assumed to be 7514-21) will be refurbished to Sapphire specification for the X21/X22.
Few changes to the new vehicle list, as shown below
8 VDL Pulsar - Jesmond - Service 306
10 Wright Streetlite Max - Stockton -Service 5/5A (Sapphire spec)
14 Wright Streetlite Max - Redcar/Whitby - Service X3/X4/4 (Sapphire spec)
5 Wright Streetlite Max - Durham - Service 23
6 ADL Enviro 400 - Ashington - Service X21/X22 (Sapphire spec)
6 Volvo/Wright combination - Ashington/Alnwick - Service X18
I rode several of the above routes in 2012/13! The Sapphire-spec Enviro400s are apt for route X21, as I rode an Olympian (P-reg, poss 7421) on that route. I rode a Pulsar on route 23, possibly 61-reg.
I wonder whether the Volvos on route X18 could be B5TLs?
I may be back in the area this summer. I wish to ride the Sunday Dalesbus from Richmond to Lancaster via Hawes, so may have to pass through Darlington to reach Richmond. I may otherwise weep at seeing Sapphire Pulsars on route 7 without having time to ride one!
(01/03/2014 23:33)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]I rode several of the above routes in 2012/13! The Sapphire-spec Enviro400s are apt for route X21, as I rode an Olympian (P-reg, poss 7421) on that route. I rode a Pulsar on route 23, possibly 61-reg.
I wonder whether the Volvos on route X18 could be B5TLs?
I may be back in the area this summer. I wish to ride the Sunday Dalesbus from Richmond to Lancaster via Hawes, so may have to pass through Darlington to reach Richmond. I may otherwise weep at seeing Sapphire Pulsars on route 7 without having time to ride one!
Your mention of Dalesbus has just reminded me - this year, the Arriva North East-worked Dalesbus (826/830/831) between Darlington and Hawes, will this year start in Middlesbrough as the 866 as an attempt to provide an alternative to the long-gone Moorsbus, which although there are plans for some routes this year, there will be no direct Teesside-North Yorkshire Moors service (the Community Interest Group have approached Arriva about operating a service but Arriva have turned it down due to the plan for it to terminate at Flamingo Lane, which could mean varying levels of resources as Arriva have operated a similar service in the past and required a large number of vehicles to run dupelicates one week due to high demand then only need the 1 vehicle a week later).