Tyneside - May/Jun 2018

Friday 1 June 2018 (1709) – Go North East 5279 (NK07 KPO), a Mercedes-Benz O 530N Citaro new in June 2007, seen in Percy Street heading to Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead and carries the ‘Blaydon Racer’ livery for service 12 from the city centre via Scotswood Road to Blaydon and Winlaton. A line from the lyrics from the 19th century musical hall style folk song ‘Blaydon Races’ adorns the cant rail panels. ‘Ganning along the Scotswood Road…’ [... to see the Blaydon Races]. Ganning in North East dialect meaning ‘to go’. The races at Blaydon ceased to be circa 1916.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1709) – Go North East 5279 (NK07 KPO), a Mercedes-Benz O 530N Citaro new in June 2007, seen in Percy Street heading to Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead and carries the ‘Blaydon Racer’ livery for service 12 from the city centre via Scotswood Road to Blaydon and Winlaton. A line from the lyrics from the 19th century musical hall style folk song ‘Blaydon Races’ adorns the cant rail panels. ‘Ganning along the Scotswood Road…’ [... to see the Blaydon Races]. Ganning in North East dialect meaning ‘to go’. The races at Blaydon ceased to be circa 1916.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1745) – Go North East 4949 (NK51 OLP), a Wright Solar bodied Scania L94UB new in October 2001, seen in Percy Street heading to Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead it carries an allover advert for the British Legion.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0845) – Go North East 6057 (NK62 CCV), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B5LH new in September 2012, seen crossing the Tyne Bridge heading to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is branded for ‘Coaster’ service 1 and allocated to Percy Main garage near North Shields.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0930) – Go North East 6060 (NK62 CFN), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B5LH new in September 2012, seen in Grainger Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne branded for ‘Coaster’ service 1.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1018) – Go North East 6070 (NK62 CZL) seen in Wallsend. Wallsend is named as the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman name for the settlement was Segedunum which is shown on the brown direction sign on the right. The bus is a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B5LH new in October 2012 branded for ‘Coaster’ service 1 and allocated to Percy Main garage close to North Shields.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1129) – Go North East ‘Cobalt Clipper’ branded Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TLs passing on The Links in Whitley Bay. 6113 (NL63 XBX) was heading to Newcastle-upon-Tyne (not Blyth as shown on the destination display) and 6101 (NL63 YJE) was heading to Blyth. Both were new in new in January 2014 and are allocated to Percy Main garage near North Shields.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1135) – Go North East 6113 (NL63 XBX), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL new in January 2014, seen in Whitley Road, Whitley Bay when working the 1106 ‘Cobalt Clipper’ branded service 309 from Blyth to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. (not to Blyth as shown on the destination display). I had travelled on this bus from The Links on the seafront just outside the town centre. Behind is Arriva 7632 (YJ61 OBE) working a competing service, the 1114 service 308 from Blyth also to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is Wright Gemini 2, a semi integral model using VDL chassis units, that was new in February 2012 to Arriva Yorkshire.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1136) – Go North East 6113 (NL63 XBX), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL new in January 2014, seen in Whitley Road, Whitley Bay when working the 1106 ‘Cobalt Clipper’ branded service 309 from Blyth to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. (not to Blyth as shown on the destination display showed). I had travelled on this bus from The Links on the seafront just outside the town centre.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1614) – Go North East 6069 (NK62 CZA), a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B5LH new in October 2010 seen arriving at the Metro Interchange in Gateshead. Allocated to Percy Main garage near North Shields garage carrying a livery to promote family days out by bus.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5311 (NK08 MXZ), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in August 2008, seen in South Shields. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from Newcastle to South Shields via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against unemployment and poverty. Around 200 unemployed men walked close on 300 miles from the Tyneside town to London carrying a petition to the British Government.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5314 (NK07 MYC), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in August 2008, seen in Market Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from Newcastle to South Shields via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against unemployment and poverty. Around 200 unemployed men walked close on 300 miles from the Tyneside town to London carrying a petition to the British Government.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5320 (NK58 DVW), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in September 2008, crossing the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from South Shields to Newcastle via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against unemployment and poverty. Around 200 unemployed men walked close on 300 miles from the Tyneside town to London carrying a petition to the British Government.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5311 (NK08 MXZ), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in August 2008, seen in South Shields. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from Newcastle to South Shields via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5314 (NK07 MYC), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in August 2008, seen in Market Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from Newcastle to South Shields via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against unemployment and poverty. Around 200 unemployed men walked close on 300 miles from the Tyneside town to London carrying a petition to the British Government.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0848) – Go North East 5320 (NK58 DVW), a Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro new in September 2008, crossing the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Allocated to Riverside garage in Gateshead for operation on ‘The Crusader’ branded service 26 and 27 from South Shields to Newcastle via Jarrow. The branding takes its name from the ‘Jarrow Crusade’ of October 1936, an organised protest march against unemployment and poverty. Around 200 unemployed men walked close on 300 miles from the Tyneside town to London carrying a petition to the British Government.

Thursday 31 May 2018 (1623) – Go North East 8324 (NK11 FXG) coming through a gap in traffic in Front Street, Chester-le-Street. It is an Optare Versa that was new in July 2011 which wears the ‘See it do it Sunderland’ livery for service 36. The photograph was taken from the upper deck of Go North East Wrightbus Streetdeck 6333 (NK67 GOC) which was working the 1603 ‘Angel’ service 21 due in Eldon Square, Newcastle-upon-Tyne at 1716. The bus directly in front is 6301 (NK16 BXA), a Wrightbus Streetdeck new in March 2016 which carries the livery for the Newcastle to Bishop Auckland ‘Castles Express’ service X21 and was working the 1524 trip from Bishop Auckland that departed Durham at 1601 being due at Newcastle (Eldon Square) at 1655. The two buses followed the same route more or less between Durham and Chester-le-Street keeping pace with each other.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1657) – Go North East 8321 (NK11 FXD), an Optare Versa new in July 2011, seen in Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was operating the first of two X1A peak hour variants of the regular X1 service which operate to Washington and then diverge to continue to Picktree Village. The ‘See it do it Sunderland’ livery for the Chester-le-Street-Sunderland service 36 is not relevant to the X1/X1A. The bus is allocated to Chester-le-Street garage.