5800 running on route #82.

[jesi2282]

Just saw 5801 operating on #82 Kimball/Homan less than 5 mins ago, it was only going as far as Jackson, does this mean some 5800's could be going to Kedzie or was it just a North Park fill-in? I was not able to see the run number on time.

[jajuan]

Just saw 5801 operating on #82 Kimball/Homan less than 5 mins ago, it was only going as far as Jackson, does this mean some 5800's could be going to Kedzie or was it just a North Park fill-in? I was not able to see the run number on time.

It may have been a North Park fill in. There has been no indication that the 5800s were coming to Kedzie. With Kedzie getting Option 3 NFs, there's no room for the 5800s.

[MVTArider]

So how are the 5800's running? I would imagine that if CTA has been running them like Metro Transit has been running our 1995 Gillig Phantoms that they are pretty much toast by now.

[Kevin]

So how are the 5800's running? I would imagine that if CTA has been running them like Metro Transit has been running our 1995 Gillig Phantoms that they are pretty much toast by now.

They'll all be at the scrap yard by the end of the year. That should answer your question.

The fact that they spent their life at a garage with one of the worst maintenance shops in the system certainly hasn't helped with their lifespan.

[Busjack]

Nonetheless, they seem to be the predominant bus on routes such as 22 and 36 (of course to the extent of about 60 buses in an approx 200 40 foot bus fleet from that garage).

[MVTArider]

I guess regardless of the brand, maintenance can make or break a bus fleet. Kind of weird sending low floors to the scrap yard. Of course New Flyer has had low floors in service since 1989 with their first delivery to Port authority of New York and New Jersey. (See New Flyer's Timeline)

[Busjack]

I guess regardless of the brand, maintenance can make or break a bus fleet. Kind of weird sending low floors to the scrap yard. Of course New Flyer has had low floors in service since 1989 with their first delivery to Port authority of New York and New Jersey. (See New Flyer's Timeline)

What is weird here is that if the projections about scrapping hold up (and remember, there are still about 100 5300 Flxs around, even though the official CTA line is that they all would have been gone for about a year now) is that the 5800s were the only buses to get a complete rebuild, including a new EGR engine. If that couldn't hold up for 6 or 7 years, I wonder if the taxpayers' capital money was well spent, considering, again, the about 100 5300s still around, which got no rebuild, but lasted 17 years. Apparently, they were not the "worst of the worst."

On the other hand, there were 2 or 3 5800 series NFs that burned in their first couple of years of service.

[BusHunter]

They'll all be at the scrap yard by the end of the year. That should answer your question.

The fact that they spent their life at a garage with one of the worst maintenance shops in the system certainly hasn't helped with their lifespan.

At least they still look good on the outside I'll say this, they'll have the shiniest paint jobs at the scrapyard.

[cta_44499_FG]

Just saw 5801 operating on #82 Kimball/Homan less than 5 mins ago, it was only going as far as Jackson, does this mean some 5800's could be going to Kedzie or was it just a North Park fill-in? I was not able to see the run number on time.

It may have been a North Park fill in. There has been no indication that the 5800s were coming to Kedzie. With Kedzie getting Option 3 NFs, there's no room for the 5800s.

No and no to both of you. As the spring pick, North Park Garage has been operating certain school runs on the #50 Damen and the #82 Kimball/Homan route. Despite your observation of the sign indication of terminating at Jackson, the trips actually travel to the Congress Blue Line on both lines, and then hit the expressway to go elsewhere, usually a #135 #136, something of that nature.

There was also supposed to be North Park extras on the #49 Western, but that never seemed to have come about.

[jajuan]

No and no to both of you. As the spring pick, North Park Garage has been operating certain school runs on the #50 Damen and the #82 Kimball/Homan route. Despite your observation of the sign indication of terminating at Jackson, the trips actually travel to the Congress Blue Line on both lines, and then hit the expressway to go elsewhere, usually a #135 #136, something of that nature.

There was also supposed to be North Park extras on the #49 Western, but that never seemed to have come about.

Fine, that clears that up, but it doesn't change the answer that 5800s aren't coming to Kedzie that we know of. Given that the aim is now to get garages live on Bustracker, it wouldn't make since to bring 5800s to Kedzie after it rids itself of the TMCs which also aren't equipped for Bustracker.

[MVTArider]

What is weird here is that if the projections about scrapping hold up (and remember, there are still about 100 5300 Flxs around, even though the official CTA line is that they all would have been gone for about a year now) is that the 5800s were the only buses to get a complete rebuild, including a new EGR engine. If that couldn't hold up for 6 or 7 years, I wonder if the taxpayers' capital money was well spent, considering, again, the about 100 5300s still around, which got no rebuild, but lasted 17 years. Apparently, they were not the "worst of the worst."

On the other hand, there were 2 or 3 5800 series NFs that burned in their first couple of years of service.

To bad they couldn't have gone with all Flx's. By the way, I have no proof but I think they still make Flx's in China. I believe when Flx. went out of business here someone in China bought the design and started making them over there.

[Busjack]

To bad they couldn't have gone with all Flx's.

The 1995 procurement was for 330 Flxs and 65 NF. The NFs were expressly an experiment to see if low floor buses would work (sort of similar to the 20 hybrids acquired last year). Apparently, they worked well enough that all subsequent orders were for low floors, but NF didn't get any of the orders until Nov. 2004.

[RIPTA42]

By the way, I have no proof but I think they still make Flx's in China. I believe when Flx. went out of business here someone in China bought the design and started making them over there.

Flxible licensed the Metro design to Changzhou Changjiang as part of a joint venture in the early 1990s. The early Chinese Flxibles that resembled American Flxes are all retired, and I don't think Changjiang is marketing any buses as Flxibles any more.

[RIPTA42]

What is weird here is that if the projections about scrapping hold up (and remember, there are still about 100 5300 Flxs around, even though the official CTA line is that they all would have been gone for about a year now) is that the 5800s were the only buses to get a complete rebuild, including a new EGR engine. If that couldn't hold up for 6 or 7 years, I wonder if the taxpayers' capital money was well spent, considering, again, the about 100 5300s still around, which got no rebuild, but lasted 17 years. Apparently, they were not the "worst of the worst."

On the other hand, there were 2 or 3 5800 series NFs that burned in their first couple of years of service.

Approximate service life for a rebuilt bus is six years. I have to wonder even more about the initial expenditure on a bus that had to be rebuilt when it was less than ten years old.

As far as the 5300s lasting 17 years without a rebuilt, I'm sure some 5800s could soldier on until 2011 in that condition, too.

[Busjack]

As far as the 5300s lasting 17 years without a rebuilt, I'm sure some 5800s could soldier on until 2011 in that condition, too.

Hard to prove that, in that they were rebuilt, at least to the extent of getting a new powertrain.