Go North East

[Marcus Green]

RE: Go North East

(23/11/2014 21:13)Metroline1511 Wrote:  Ah well, with a few still in service it is a nice bit of forward planning for the final Olympian to be preserved now. I think the Palatine IIs looked more modern than the Lolynes that followed.

Just to expand on this, the current Olympians still within the fleet are;

3813 - S813 FVT - based at Stanley Depot
3814 - S814 FVT - based at Stanley Depot
3818 - S818 OFT - based at Riverside Depot
3819 - S819 OFT - based at Riverside Depot
3822 - S822 OFT - based at Stanley Depot
3823 - S823 OFT - based at Stanley Depot
3824 - S824 OFT - based at Riverside Depot
3825 - S825 OFT - based at Stanley Depot
3830 - S830 OFT - based at Stanley Depot
3831 - S831 OFT - based at Stanley Depot
3832 - S832 OFT - based at Stanley Depot

Only weeks ago, 3833 (S833 OFT) entered preservation with the County Durham Bus Preservation Group. It was the last step-entrance vehicle to be purchased by Go Northern for their fleet in 1998. 3828 (S828 OFT) and 3829 (S829 OFT) were recently withdrawn from Stanley Depot, too.

To expand on this - earlier in the year, 3821 (S821 OFT) was involved in an RTA whilst operating a scholars service at Stanley, and was withdrawn as a result. It's replacement was 3816 (S816 OFT). Only weeks later 3816 was involved in a serious RTA (don't know if it may have been on the news across the country - but it was that head-on collision involving two school buses, 3816 being the double decker involved) and was written off due to the extensive damage it received. 3819 (S819 OFT) was sent up to Stanley from Riverside, and during the summer holidays it returned to Riverside Depot after some of Stanley's scholars contracts were lost. As it stands, there are currently 11 Olympians.

If you are intending to ride one of these, I recommend trying at Stanley rather than Gateshead (Riverside). You will likely find these on Services X30, X31, X43 and 'Diamond' Services 43/44/44A. If you went a bit further, to Consett, you may catch one on Services X70, X71, 15/15A, and 'Red Kite' Services 45/46.