(06 Nov 2017, 10:04 pm)Ambassador The Streetlite is the Ford Fiesta of buses really. Plentiful, affordable, poor ride, little bit rattly but extremely cheap to run and even cheaper to repair.

(06 Nov 2017, 10:04 pm)Ambassador The Streetlite is the Ford Fiesta of buses really. Plentiful, affordable, poor ride, little bit rattly but extremely cheap to run and even cheaper to repair.

(07 Nov 2017, 11:53 am)James101 Is that not the same as the Dennis Dart pre Transbus, Enviro etc?

(08 Nov 2017, 5:07 pm)omnicity4659 Doubt Jesmond would take any Temsas, keep them at Redcar for standardisation.

(08 Nov 2017, 3:34 pm)Andreos1 The Dart fell in to the midi-bus category and was never meant to last as long as these full sized Streetlite Max's.

Suppose that goes back to what I was saying the other day.
If a Streetlite is supposed to have a lifespan of a midi-bus, how can its slightly longer cousin which is built with the same components (complete with the same rattles, shakes and squeaks), last a few years longer?

(09 Nov 2017, 12:54 am)James101 I thought an SPD was up to 43 seated, and Streetlite Max 45 - surely both ‘full size’? Yet the built quality etc of an SPD wasn’t all too different to a SLF or MPD?

Quote:The Arriva output from Peterlee wasn't all super-powered Deltas, Scanias and Olympians. They had some Metrobuses and ex-london Leyland Olympians which could have rolled back down Crimdon Dene given half a chance.

(09 Nov 2017, 8:06 am)Andreos1 The majority of that batch and others like it, ended up scrapped. A few were traded on.
Not many gave the 15 years service a full sized single decker is designed for. Unlike the R Reg Renowns, which came before and were still hanging around after.

If we compare the V reg SPD intake to GNE's similar sized/capacity/aged Solar's, again there is only one winner in terms of life-span and durability.

edit:
Ironically 8163 is/was on the rally scene!

(05 Nov 2017, 1:25 pm)tcts24 OK took a Pennine 7 (EBR850S) IN 1978, having checked the fleet history it was the only Seddon they ever had. Darlington on the other hand developed a habbit of buying naff buses eg. Daimler Roadliner, Seddon Penine RU, single deck Dennis Dominator and of course the infamous Ward Dalesman! It would be interesting to see if theres anyone on here old enough to remember some of these buses and can compare them to Solos and Streetlites of today. My native Hartlepool had RU demonstrator HBU451J on loan in 1972. We also had the single deck Dominators but had the good sense to get rid of them in favour of REs a decade older. I'm 35 and I barely remember our Dominators so I can't really pass judgement. I do however remember the rather dire Wadham Stringer bodied Dennis Falcons Hartlepool had. At the time, they were among the younger buses we had available in the town (including much of the Tees fleet) so didn't seem all that bad as a customer. In hind sight though, I'd take a Streetlite any day!

(12 Nov 2017, 2:12 pm)upt50k  I drove the Seddon when it was new it was noted as very economical. There were some issues with the throttle and it had a manual gearbox and you were not able to jump across the gate to select gears and needed to follow the gate I also drove the X1 streetlites from new and found the steering heavy similar to the Leyland Tigers of the 1980's this was very tiresome as the route had tight turns at Roddymoor, Stanley and Tow Law.When they first came we thought the 2 with merc engines superior but soon the cummins engined  examples settled in and proved to be better The gear change was often jerky and raised comments from customers.Voith reset parameters on several occasions and the drvers developed a style to help but this was an extra burden on the driver while trying to keep time on a busy service  I now drive Volvo engined coaches and these are so much smoother and a pleasure to drive

(04 Jan 2019, 7:19 pm)GNE6312 Blyth's fleet is the oldest in Arriva northumbria with it's newest buses being the 5 12 reg pulsars which will be turning 7 years old in the next few months since the hybrids have gone. Here is my suggestion to modernise the fleet at Blyth:

9x volvo b5tl wright gemini 3s for the X7/8 + another 2 spare (fleet numbered 7638-46) this displaces 7601-8 to jesmond for the 52/3/4 to displace streetlites 1581-8 to stockton for to replace the cadets with 1574-8 staying at jesmond for to be used alongside 7601-8 and pulsars 1493/1501/3 will go to Ashington to be used on the 57/A to upgrade them to MAX

4× volvo B8RLE wright eclipse 3s for the X9 + another 2 spares (fleet numbered 1615-20) which allows 1502/4/5 to join the other pulsars at Ashington for the 57/A which withdraws 1800/1 and displaces the solos to other depots which needs medibuses (1 to redcar which withdraws 1753 which is the oldest dart non to Blyth as they get new medibuses more on thatlater on in the post) 

3 more volvo B8RLE wright eclipse 3s (fleet numbered1621-3) to replace 1401-3

10x volvo B5LH wright gemini 3s for the 308 (the new 7801-10) displcing 7628-34 to whitby/redcar for to be spares for the X93 (7630-4)which allows the ALX 400s usualy used on the summer X93 to go where required when required all year round aswell as 2 to be used on the whitby park and ride (7628/9) displacing 7609/10 to jesmond for to be used alongside sisters 7601-8 on the 52/3/4 (all 10 to be repainted to the new livery 4 at a time with 7416/24/5/6 to go to jesmond and 7635 to go to Belmont full time to replace 7416 with 7416 joining 7424-6 as travelling spares with 7636/7 going to whitby as spares for the whitby park and ride) 

Finaly 5x wright streetairs (like the lothian ones) for the 2 with 2 spares (1624-30) displacing the solos to the 1 to replace the darts

This will give blyth good investment and more importantly the best fleet in Arriva north east 

What does every one think?