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6000-series Flxible - Retirements


BusHunter

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I know this is beating this to death, but I had to pass it on. 6154 was on a lift along with various Novas and New Flyers at South Shops back on 8/24. Like some of you, I'd like to see one in-service, but I know better.

For what it's worth, whichever former 74th Flxible bus that is the current WB-1 work bus is still around in CTA possession. Saw it NB on Lincoln Thursday morning near Ashland and Belmont. It's front sign is long gone but it still has its side sign which to this day still flashes '75 74th/75th' flip '75 to DAMEN'.

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  • 3 weeks later...

While i was getting a ride home from school we rode by 79th and you wont believe what i saw 1 flxible being used as a spare.Well im not sure but it was just sitting there with the new flyers and optimas. the flxible was sitting right there in the front yard on 79th and vinncinnes. I might sound crazy and might just be me seeing things but im pretty sure that is a spare bus being used.

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While i was getting a ride home from school we rode by 79th and you wont believe what i saw 1 flxible being used as a spare.Well im not sure but it was just sitting there with the new flyers and optimas. the flxible was sitting right there in the front yard on 79th and vinncinnes. I might sound crazy and might just be me seeing things but im pretty sure that is a spare bus being used.

If I am not mistaken that is where they park buses waiting for major repairs at South Shops. Those buses aren't going back in service anytime soon. Perhaps the Flxble is being prepped for sale or donation (Fresh Moves) or for scrap (though I would think it would be closer to 78th/Perry for that).

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If I am not mistaken that is where they park buses waiting for major repairs at South Shops. Those buses aren't going back in service anytime soon. Perhaps the Flxble is being prepped for sale or donation (Fresh Moves) or for scrap (though I would think it would be closer to 78th/Perry for that).

you sure it looked in good in mint condition. oh well hopefully your right because i cant bare to see another flxible to get hauled off again.:(

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

maybe. But this was almost 3 to 4 months ago so it might have been retired.

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Ive seen in the past CTA storing active buses back there. I dont think that Optima is retired. Sometimes it seems S.S. dosent have the capacity to store buses so it seems they use whatever space they can find. The boneyard along Perry av. is usually used to store active buses waiting for repairs.

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  • 1 month later...

To the extent that the fate of the Archer garage was related to this topic, the other bit of news is that it has been sold. Press Release.

What initially threw me off was that the agenda item was to authorize the disposition of surplus property, not a sales contract, but it apparently meant the same thing.

So, for those who think Archer is coming back, it isn't.

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To the extent that the fate of the Archer garage was related to this topic, the other bit of news is that it has been sold. Press Release.

What initially threw me off was that the agenda item was to authorize the disposition of surplus property, not a sales contract, but it apparently meant the same thing.

So, for those who think Archer is coming back, it isn't.

That means any remaining Flxibles there will be towed or driven to the scrapyard or perhaps have their paint and decals removed and be sold in City Auctions.

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IMO the statement, made in the news release:

The properties were sold because neither is critical to CTA operations

was made by someone who really doesn't know operations. Although the system

still functions, the loss of Archer reduced efficiency in bus operations.

That may be a relative statement. You got some more deadheads, but it gets down to the question that if the garages generally need upgrades to do their maintenance duties efficiently, a 105 years old trolley barn certainly does.

Like I remember, Krambles said in 1992 that Archer was due for replacement, then about 1997 they put up a sign saying that it had served the neighborhood for 9 decades (with pictures of a streetcar and trolley bus) and then in 2010 they closed it.

I would argue (in a futile manner) that the garages built since 1980 were not built in the right places, but that doesn't mean that Archer is necessary.

And, of course, critical means the same as in "critically ill," and two years shows that at least CTA doesn't believe that it is essential to its operations, sort of similar to them having said in the late 1980s that they had to replace Limits, but then decided not to. At least, despite what John Kass said, CTA got considerably more for that land. This deal even sounds less lucrative than for 69th, although apparently the winner has to demolish the building and remediate the mess.

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All of then have been scrap for a year now.

Thanks for clarifying. I thought there still migh've been a few remaining parked in the Archer Garage still awaiting scrapping or auctioning, more "Fresh Moves" buses or workbuses for the Iron Workers, whatever the CTA was going to do with them.

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That is those not converted to work buses, Fresh Moves buses, or a CFD bus. I did see one that was used as work bus at the Lincoln, Ashland, & Belmont intersection a few months ago.

As they say, that's de minimis. The point is that for all of those who pined for the 6000s and Archer to go back into passenger service, it ain't gonna happen.

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Oh that wasn't going to happen even when Archer was still overflowing in 6000s.

There was the hope, at least expressed in the CTA Tattler, that the service cuts would be reversed if Congress only passed the $2 billion bailout IN 2010. That didn't happen, and I'm sure that the clearing out of equipment from storage at Archer started soon thereafter. There would be no point in tracing back for similar statements in this thread, as, if it even wasn't obvious then that it would happen, it sure is now.

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