Another Day, North East (Re)Brand
A bit of culture from fbb! In Act 2 Scene 2, Hamlet is having one of his many moody turns and the aged Polonius hasn't got a clue as to what he is talking about. Neither have we! But method in madness can often be attributed to bus companies.
This fairly illegible tweet gives a clue as to the method in the flood of rebrandings from Go Ahead North East.
It explains the "method". There will be a core colour for each area of operation.
Yellow - Consett
Orange - Hexham
Blue - North Tyneside
Green - Gateshead
Purple - Peterlee
Red - Sunderland/South Tyne
Pink - Washington (illustrated)
X-lines and other special services stand on their own.
So Connections 4 between Heworth, Washington (PINK) ...
... and Houghton-le-Spring changes from a distinguished deep blue ...
... to pink and blue. note also the frequency; every 12 minutes at 04, 16, 28, 40, 52 but with the journey at xx28 missing from the repeat pattern. Maybe something else should slot in there, or was it an easy (but inconvenient) way to reduce the service for the duration?
Presumably Washington local services will be "Little Pinks", replacing IndiGo ...
... not coloured indigo! Indigo is a very variable colour, but basically it is made from a rich blue dye ...
...which contains just a touch of red.
It looks as if "Little Pinks" will be both little and pink!
Another Day, South West (Re)Brand
Once branded "The Mint Route", service 56 runs "the back way" to Fishponds ...
... then does a spectacular wiggle via Bromley Heath before terminating at Downend.
Currently, for what it is worth, it runs every 30 minutes Monday to Friday and hourly Saturday and Sunday.
fbb thinks that the mint vanished into its own hole in the middle sometime ago, but the service is rebranded in First Bristol's rather boring single colour style.
It is now "Citylines 5" but still in its minty green.
Like the other one-colour brands, it has a mixed up chum+nk of destinations in various odd orientations above the doors. The yellow lettering is about the only colour variation from the monotone and monotonous green.
Disappointing.
Another Day, Heathrow Livery
Arriva's Green Line 724 is currently cut to once an hour. It offers the bus enthusiast with method in his/her madness a three hour and ten minute ride from Harlow to the central bus station at the airport. It has used various versions of a Green |Line branding over the years ...
... including the occasional "foreign" motor, allocated so that passengers will stand back from the stop and let the bus sail past!
Clever plan!
But one enthusiast with computer-based artistic skills reckons a rebrand it sorely needed, so has come up with this:-
Smart, Eh? Keen bus spotters will immediately recognise that it is very similar to the Reading buses Green Line livery.
Most regular passengers (few though they be) will not notice or care!
Edinburgh Orange to Kernow Blue?
We already know that some Atlantic Coasters are being re-branded Lands End Coasters to emphasise that they serve Lands End, the purveyors of grot at the end of our green and pleasant land.
Best thing is to close your eyes to the visitor centre ...
... are making their way to Camborne via a repaint ...
... for service on the growing range of open top routes. New for 2021 is an all-year-round Dartmoor route with two journeys daily from each of Exeter and Plymouth.
... and feast them on the scenery.
The Twittertati are already alive with the news that a couple of orange monsters from First's competitive Edinburgh tour ...
Presumed route is via Yelverton, Princetown and Moretonhampstead.
You may wonder what First Bus is doing at Exeter and Plymouth but recent contract wins for college services have given them bases in both cities. An enhanced service is planned for peak summer when the colleges are closed.
More details as they are released.
A Lost Logo For A Lovely Livery
Some young whippersnapper from Scotrail posted this on "social media" asking, "does anyone know what this is?"
Well, fbb is old enough to recognise it straight away.
The trains were introduced in November 1960 and promptly started breaking down in service. Yikes! That is over 60 years ago! Double yikes!
They were quickly withdrawn and replaced by reinstated steam traction until a modification was made to cure the problem. Red faces all round, but soon the "Blue Trains" became hugely successful in attracting passengers back to rail transport.
Another "delight" was that many stations were not upgraded straight away, so you had the anachronism of slick new electric trains calling at gas-lit platforms!
But the bestest bit about the class 303s as originally delivered is that you could sit behind the driver and view the track ahead.
The logo appeared at some stations ...
... and this depot sign proudly sported the Scottish version of the double arrow some years before BR started going two ways at once!
Timetable books were also so adorned.
For a bit of personal nostalgia, you can buy a "Blue Train" logo keyring even today ...
... nice!
Tomorrow we go to a town in Germany - or is it a town in Belgium?
Next Halle blog : Wednesday 3rd February
Green Line 724 has a long history back to the mid-1960's, when it was the forerunner of an intended number of similar routes (but only one or two of which appeared); re-routings; cutbacks; extensions; diversions . . . but it has ALWAYS been hourly!!
ReplyDeleteThe interesting point is that the current stock of Citaros are 06-plates, which cover huge mileages each day . . . about 5 years ago these buses were being refurbished, and alternative buses could often be seen, but always with a big 724 on the front, so incidences of passengers missing the bus would've been incredibly rare!!
They were in full Green Line livery until the recent refurb, when they were treated to normal Arriva livery but with some branding.
A re-stock is under way, as the Citaros are non-ULEZ compliant, so new(er) buses will be appearing soon . . . but I doubt with a special livery!!
15 years, though . . . not bad for the Citaros on a demanding route.
The Citaro seems to be a love it or hate it vehicle - some fleet managers and engineers don't seem to get on with them or rate them, whereas others seem to get excellent long service lives from them (albeit I understand they're a little thirsty).
DeleteThe ex Edinburgh tour Tridents are heading to First South West but apparently not to Kernow. Perhaps a new open top route in Somerset or Devon to enjoy... It looks like FSW are heavily targeting contract and leisure/tourist routes for their post-covid recovery strategy.
ReplyDeleteAs fbb states, Ben, they are for a service between Plymouth and Exeter via the road across Dartmoor. This route ran summers only for many years until it petered out a few years ago when First pulled out of the Plymouth area. In its heyday it used deckers (for the views), but not open-toppers because of overhanging trees, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteYes, the return of the erstwhile Transmoor Link is a welcome and exciting development. Good to see FSW looking for new opportunities, not just trying to compete on existing routs. Four closed top Geminis have been painted for the Dartmoor service - to be known as the Dartmoor Explorer. Based on discussions with FSW management my understanding is these open toppers aren't for that service, but for something new (not long distance), but of course plans change. Great to see an operator willing to try something different.
DeleteAh, so the ex-Edinburgh part-open-toppers are presumably for Cornwall after all. That certainly makes more sense.
ReplyDeletePlans change, especially in these strange times, but as I understand things they're for something new and not in Cornwall. The Edinburgh open toppers are being towed to Winkleigh.
ReplyDeleteHow about an open top service Plymouth to Looe/Polperro?
DeleteMuch of that route (if via Saltash & Trerulefoot) is not especially scenic, and would be in competition with GoAhead's 72, but something along the coast road vis Freathy might be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking via Torpoint ferry etc Much nicer route for open topper. Interesting to see what else First have planned fir Plymouth?
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