There are some things in life, that are a constant wonder or puzzlement - such as why Chinese takeaways have the little slidey hatch between the counter and kitchen, why 99 ice creams are called 99's and what makes women tick.

Does anyone else have any little mysteries they want to share with the world?

Following regular references to bus engines, Euro ratings, hybrid technology and a mention of it by G-Cptn, thought it worthwhile setting up a dedicated thread.

On the forum, there are regular comments about buses being underpowered and unsuitable for the routes allocated, whether it is specific to the E400's, B7's cascaded from London, newer B5's, gas buses and the oft forgotten Designlines.

The big three operators have all embraced new technology in their fleet, purchasing a hotch potch of vehicles - using different pots of taxpayer money, to supplement their outlay.

What are peoples thoughts on these vehicles? Are they going to last the length of time, the initial outlay would indicate they should?
Who will purchase the vehicles at the end of their frontline life in the North East?

Depot is here: HERRINGTON STORAGE LTD, NEW HERRINGTON IND ESTATE, FREEZEMOOR ROAD HOUGHTON LE SPRING DH4 7BH

Now in stock is Volvo B10M Premiere V84LYS, formerly with Caris Exec until impounded... Also operated are B10M's G512NHH, M665WCK and Merc N790NYS plus Volvo B12R Astrobel BIG8788

Very little at Heysham this morning -
Claribels YJ14CCE - http://smu.gs/1ocmI3b
First South Yorkshire 63128 - http://smu.gs/1c6Sk7S
Metrobus [ur] – http://smu.gs/1iS2SXr

So it was off for a bit of a ride around other parts of Lancashire
Carnforth
Shaws – one of the six new Jonckheere coaches - http://smu.gs/1iS48tJ

Bus & Coach World, Blackburn
Bus Vannin 7 - http://smu.gs/1nuPb7d
First Cymru 63083 - http://smu.gs/1iS5Gnr
First Cymru 63087 - http://smu.gs/1nuP5N8
First Cymru 63088 - http://smu.gs/1nuPgYK
First Cymru 63089 - http://smu.gs/1gqnnqR
First Cymru 63091 - http://smu.gs/PFFKDt
First Cymru 63094 - http://smu.gs/PFFR1B
First Cymru 63095 - http://smu.gs/1gqnAu6
Rossendale 245 - http://smu.gs/1gqnBOH
Unknown operator of an ex Lothian Trident - http://smu.gs/PFFWT8

Also present were
Bus Vannin 10
East Yorkshire 307
First Cymru 63090, 63092, 63093

A new arrival for Hodgsons is Plaxton Elite HC14BUS which appears to be replacement for Panther HC10BUS which has gone to Plaxton's in part exchange. Another new arrival for the front line tour fleet... after the 63 plate Panther (in Newmarket livery) a few months ago!

We have decided to combine a number of threads into one for Procters Group - mainly due to the number of changes expected to happen in the next few months to all companies within the group. I would expect to see a number of vehicles transferred around too!

Procters Group consists of a number of companies all owned by Mr Procter. These include
Procters Coaches - based at Leeming Bar
Dales & District - based at Leeming Bar too, operating the public services
Compass Royston - based at Stockton
Leven Valley - now based at Stockton too, as part of CR fleet/depot
Esk Valley - based at Whitby
There are other brand names too including Coach2.com and the Procters Bus & Coach Sales arm of the business, plus Swift Signs and the Procters Motorsport team.

Links to the old threads can be found here
Compass Royston - http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=9
Leven Valley - http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=303
Procters - http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=552
Dales & District - http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=331

Me and a mate visited Compass Royston earlier to get some photos in the depot and while there was nothing new (yet!), it was interesting to see the Leven Valley fleet there, definitely stands out amongst the Compass fleet with the yellow! We also had a look at the Procters' depots, and although there was no-one there we did manage to note down all of the coaches at the "farm" (the one you can see from the A1) - as with Compass a lot of the higher end fleet was away, although the very smart Astromega was in, along with one of the Tourliners and the Bova Magiq. Notable omissions were the entire Lochs & Glens liveried fleet of Jonckheeres, which must have been away.

A lot of us will know it is the 30th anniversary of the 1984-85 Miners Strike, the longest dispute in history and shaped the area we see today.

I was wondering if anybody knows which bus companies were used to carry strike breakers, were Northern, United and then Busways used for miners* transport to work or was it just small independents contracted to do it, did many buses get wrecked in rioting and what damage was done to companies reputations for carrying working miners*

I was only 22 months old when it started, so have never had any recollection of it, do many others here remember the strike???

How old were you when it happened, was your father/uncle/granddad or brother miners, if so, did they tough the year out or go back to work before the end.

What was life like, from what I have been told and learnt is that brought a lot of poverty, nobody had a pot to piss in, and most are still seeing the effects financially to this day.

What was your families support for Scargill like and did they hate Mrs T as much

my great-nana once said to me 'I dont condone terrorism, but I wish the IRA had blew her up in Brighton in '84, bloody mickey mouse terrorists'

So over to you guys with your memories

#minersstrike30
#minersstrikememories

*I refuse to use the 'S' word to describe people who went back to work, it is a horrible word and although some probably deserve to be called it, to me it is just as bad as branding someone a rapist or paedophile...Am absolute horrible word that should not be messed with or thrown about

if they have it is anyone going (i know it's over a year away)

Stagecoach have today announced a £102million order for the 2014/2015 financial year, which follows below

UK REGIONAL OPERATIONS
· 69 ADL Enviro 400 Scania double-deckers
· 86 ADL Enviro 300 single-deckers
· 28 ADL Enviro 300 Scania single-deckers
· 23 ADL Enviro 300 Scania GAS single-deckers
· 26 Astromega Euro 6 double deck coaches (for Oxford Tube)
· 3 Astromega Euro 5 double-deck coaches
· 6 Van Hool Altano TDX 21 left-hand drive coaches
· 199 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 midibuses
· 2 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 Euro 6 midibuses
· 29 ADL Enviro400 Euro 6 double-deckers
· 13 Optare Solo Cummins minibuses
· 8 Plaxton Elite i Volvo B11R Euro 6 coaches
· 3 Van Hool Astromega double-deck sleepercoach vehicles

LONDON
· 32 Wrightbus Gemini Volvo B5LH Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
· 40 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
· 1 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Conventional Euro 6

It is the largest set of orders ever placed by Stagecoach and the biggest placed by any operator in Britain. It takes Stagecoach Group’s total orders of new buses and coaches for its regional bus operations in the UK to around £545m in last seven years.

More details below
http://www.stagecoachgroup.co.uk/media/n...03-03.aspx

Jesmond's 1411 was on Blyth's X4 earlier today