My ride on CTA/Pace

[MVTArider]

Here is a review of what I saw and rode on while in Chicago on Friday.

Pace Orion I # 2301 on 606. This bus was awful for riding but I liked hearing the engine sound, Detroit Diesel right?

Car # 2347 on Blue Line. A bit noisy but really cool. I liked the door setup too.

CTA Flxible # 5460 on X54. First Flxible I have ever rode on! Now I wish Metro Transit could have gotten some of them. It seemed to run well but the A.C. was making quite a racket. Sadly I think that this was 5460's last time in revenue service. About halfway down the route a person in a wheelchair needed to board. The lift slid out and would not work after that so we all had to get off and board the bus behind us.

CTA New Flyer # 1335 on X54. Good ride except for the passenger giving the poor driver a loud lecture on where he should have stopped.

CTA Flxible # 6292 on 63. Ran well I thought. I couldn't really tell what kind of engine it had since the A.C. was running and the guys drinking beer next to me were having a conversation.

Car # 2689 on Red Line.

Car # 2586 on Purple Line.

Car # 3458 on Yellow Line. Really nice ride.

Pace Orion VI # 6007 on 250. That was a really nice bus ride and I like those Orion VI's.

Pace Orion I # 2315 on 208. That was also a very nice ride and I liked that bus too. The difference between 2301 and 2315 was shocking.

Bottom line it was a nice trip and I finally got to ride on some buses besides the usual Gilligs, Blue Birds and new Flyers I ride up here. It is sad that the Flxibles are going away :(

[Guest]

Here is a review of what I saw and rode on while in Chicago on Friday.

Pace Orion I # 2301 on 606. This bus was awful for riding but I liked hearing the engine sound, Detroit Diesel right?

Car # 2347 on Blue Line. A bit noisy but really cool. I liked the door setup too.

CTA Flxible # 5460 on X54. First Flxible I have ever rode on! Now I wish Metro Transit could have gotten some of them. It seemed to run well but the A.C. was making quite a racket. Sadly I think that this was 5460's last time in revenue service. About halfway down the route a person in a wheelchair needed to board. The lift slid out and would not work after that so we all had to get off and board the bus behind us.

CTA New Flyer # 1335 on X54. Good ride except for the passenger giving the poor driver a loud lecture on where he should have stopped.

CTA Flxible # 6292 on 63. Ran well I thought. I couldn't really tell what kind of engine it had since the A.C. was running and the guys drinking beer next to me were having a conversation.

Car # 2689 on Red Line.

Car # 2586 on Purple Line.

Car # 3458 on Yellow Line. Really nice ride.

Pace Orion VI # 6007 on 250. That was a really nice bus ride and I like those Orion VI's.

Pace Orion I # 2315 on 208. That was also a very nice ride and I liked that bus too. The difference between 2301 and 2315 was shocking.

Bottom line it was a nice trip and I finally got to ride on some buses besides the usual Gilligs, Blue Birds and new Flyers I ride up here. It is sad that the Flxibles are going away

That was great that you had the chance to sample our system, I hope you enjoyed it. One of the most fun things when youre a transit buff is getting to sample other systems and compare to your hometown system. I love riding other transit systems around the country if not the world. I drove #2301 just last week and youre right it runs and rides terrible. It will be off of Academys roster very soon. Actually our only good running Orions are #2289-2290 35 footers because they were rebuilt a little over a year ago. Every Orion we lose we gain a NABI 35ft. Next time youre in town look me up and we'll set up a time and Ill give you a tour of the Colonial/Academy yard were our Pace equipment is stored.

[jajuan]

Here is a review of what I saw and rode on while in Chicago on Friday.

Pace Orion I # 2301 on 606. This bus was awful for riding but I liked hearing the engine sound, Detroit Diesel right?

Car # 2347 on Blue Line. A bit noisy but really cool. I liked the door setup too.

CTA Flxible # 5460 on X54. First Flxible I have ever rode on! Now I wish Metro Transit could have gotten some of them. It seemed to run well but the A.C. was making quite a racket. Sadly I think that this was 5460's last time in revenue service. About halfway down the route a person in a wheelchair needed to board. The lift slid out and would not work after that so we all had to get off and board the bus behind us.

CTA New Flyer # 1335 on X54. Good ride except for the passenger giving the poor driver a loud lecture on where he should have stopped.

CTA Flxible # 6292 on 63. Ran well I thought. I couldn't really tell what kind of engine it had since the A.C. was running and the guys drinking beer next to me were having a conversation.

Car # 2689 on Red Line.

Car # 2586 on Purple Line.

Car # 3458 on Yellow Line. Really nice ride.

Pace Orion VI # 6007 on 250. That was a really nice bus ride and I like those Orion VI's.

Pace Orion I # 2315 on 208. That was also a very nice ride and I liked that bus too. The difference between 2301 and 2315 was shocking.

Bottom line it was a nice trip and I finally got to ride on some buses besides the usual Gilligs, Blue Birds and new Flyers I ride up here. It is sad that the Flxibles are going away

5460's faulty lift and cranky A.C. is indication of why the Flxible 5300s series is being pressed out of service this year. The loud mouth on the second X54 you rode is nothing new. That route has been in service for 2 years this month and yet you have inconsiderate riders who will not pay attention to what bus they get on and expect the express to stop at a point where only the local makes stops. You caught on to the one thing I didn't about the 6000 series Flxibles. During the summer time and other warm weather times when the A.C. is running, you can't distinguish between the sound of those with the Cummins engine and the majority which have the standard engine.

[Busjack]

Here is a review of what I saw and rode on while in Chicago on Friday.

Pace Orion I # 2301 on 606. This bus was awful for riding but I liked hearing the engine sound, Detroit Diesel right?

...

Pace Orion I # 2315 on 208. That was also a very nice ride and I liked that bus too. The difference between 2301 and 2315 was shocking.

I wonder...

Since 2301 and 2315 are the same age, and both started at South, does this reflect on the type of maintenance that Academy (or a predecessor) provides (compared to a Pace Division) or that Pace gave the contractors the worse bus? I tend to discount the former, as both left South Division in 1999; buses of the 2301 type went to Southwest then, but then to Academy about 2001).

[Guest]

I wonder...

Since 2301 and 2315 are the same age, and both started at South, does this reflect on the type of maintenance that Academy (or a predecessor) provides (compared to a Pace Division) or that Pace gave the contractors the worse bus? I tend to discount the former, as both left South Division in 1999; buses of the 2301 type went to Southwest then, but then to Academy about 2001).

Pace Orion #2301 came to Academy only a year ago, it hasant seen any hard service while at Academy so its possible the bus arrived in the condition that it runs now.

[MVTArider]

That was great that you had the chance to sample our system, I hope you enjoyed it. One of the most fun things when youre a transit buff is getting to sample other systems and compare to your hometown system. I love riding other transit systems around the country if not the world. I drove #2301 just last week and youre right it runs and rides terrible. It will be off of Academys roster very soon. Actually our only good running Orions are #2289-2290 35 footers because they were rebuilt a little over a year ago. Every Orion we lose we gain a NABI 35ft. Next time youre in town look me up and we'll set up a time and Ill give you a tour of the Colonial/Academy yard were our Pace equipment is stored.

Thanks CTA5750, I will let you know next time I'm coming. I did enjoy riding the CTA/Pace system a lot. By the way, all the bus operators were very nice and helpful with information on where to wait and go. I like riding on other systems. So far I have not been able to ride on too many but I'm working on it Some places I want to get to eventually are Seattle, Winnipeg, Toronto, Cleveland, Dayton, and Honolulu. I also think it would be cool to ride one of those 100 ft double artic Van Hools overseas in the future as well. locally I still have to check out St. Cloud Metro Bus, Fargo/Moorhead MatBus, and Duluth DTA. I'm also looking forward to the opening of the MVTA BRT line in 2010.

[Guest]

Thanks CTA5750, I will let you know next time I'm coming. I did enjoy riding the CTA/Pace system a lot. By the way, all the bus operators were very nice and helpful with information on where to wait and go. I like riding on other systems. So far I have not been able to ride on too many but I'm working on it Some places I want to get to eventually are Seattle, Winnipeg, Toronto, Cleveland, Dayton, and Honolulu. I also think it would be cool to ride one of those 100 ft double artic Van Hools overseas in the future as well. locally I still have to check out St. Cloud Metro Bus, Fargo/Moorhead MatBus, and Duluth DTA. I'm also looking forward to the opening of the MVTA BRT line in 2010.

Anytime, I always watch out for my fellow busfans. Recently I had the opportunity to visit Switzerland and you can bet I took advantage of checking out their system and to top it a ride on the TGV bullet train between Geneva and Paris, my first time! I had an awesome time and captured lots of video of the Geneva system. Their system consists of motor and trolley buses, light rail and high speed rail, I was very impressed. I even had a conversation at a layover point with a diesel bus operator. I introduced myself to him and why I was there, I let him know I was an american transit fan, he was very kind and asked me what types of buses are in service in the United States. I told him New Flyer is the bus of choice currently. He tells me there its MAN and Mercedes. I told him we had cities that ran MAN buses including Chicago and how impressed I was with the MAN bus models that were available to us. I made a visit to Los Angeles and checked out their system, took a ride of the Red Line rail system and now my current plans are to return to Southern California, this time San Diego. I lived in San Diego many years ago so I had lot of experience riding their system as well as the trolley, its changed quite a bit from what Ive read, they currently have plans to purchase new NABI BRT buses to replace their New Flyer D60s, these buses arrived just after I left SD to return to Chicago in 1993. The bus system is now known as the Metropolitan Transit System or MTS, it used to be San Diego Transit. So Im very interested to see what has changed since I left, I returned to SD a couple of years ago but I was there only a few hours so I didnt get to see the system much, just one of their Ikarus 416s, a New Flyer D40, and some of their Gillig Phantoms. Probably in august Ill be making the trip.

[qwantae]

5460's faulty lift and cranky A.C. is indication of why the Flxible 5300s series is being pressed out of service this year. The loud mouth on the second X54 you rode is nothing new. That route has been in service for 2 years this month and yet you have inconsiderate riders who will not pay attention to what bus they get on and expect the express to stop at a point where only the local makes stops. You caught on to the one thing I didn't about the 6000 series Flxibles. During the summer time and other warm weather times when the A.C. is running, you can't distinguish between the sound of those with the Cummins engine and the majority which have the standard engine.

Last Tuesday, You are right about X54, It is nothing new, but my favorite crosstown North/South route. But anyways, I rode from Midway to Jefferson Park, by between Roosevelt and North, I heard many passengers requested a stop at a local bus stop sign, they yelled at the bus driver to stop but wasnt suppose to stop there, the driver didnt say nothin but kept goin, I'll do the same thing too, but I did told most of them that "this is the Express" and they like "I didnt know" but I think that they knew it, they are just too "lazy" to wait for a local one, X49 gets it alot too. Plus I was kinda thought that 74th could transfer some of their 6000s to Chicago Ave to replace 5300s, when they get the Flyers.

[jajuan]

Last Tuesday, You are right about X54, It is nothing new, but my favorite crosstown North/South route. But anyways, I rode from Midway to Jefferson Park, by between Roosevelt and North, I heard many passengers requested a stop at a local bus stop sign, they yelled at the bus driver to stop but wasnt suppose to stop there, the driver didnt say nothin but kept goin, I'll do the same thing too, but I did told most of them that "this is the Express" and they like "I didnt know" but I think that they knew it, they are just too "lazy" to wait for a local one, X49 gets it alot too. Plus I was kinda thought that 74th could transfer some of their 6000s to Chicago Ave for 5300s, when they get the Flyers.

If you mean transfer 6000s to Chicago to replace 5300s, maybe. Otherwise, why transfer 5300s around again when they're destined for the scrap heap? Also 74th wouldn't have room if they're to get NFs.

[MVTArider]

Well I was in town briefly again with my Dad during a long layover between flights en route to Cleveland.

BTW CTA5750 I haven't forgotten your offer for a tour, there just wasn't time this visit. I didn't even have time to ride any Pace buses Next time I will make sure to set something up though. I did see the 5800 New Flyer parked in the CFD Academy garage though when we were wandering around looking for Manny's

I rode a good sample of New Flyers and two Nova LFSes. (I like the Nova LFS.) I didn't get to ride a Flx or a 4000 so I want to do that next time as well.

Now here's some pics, also no one said anything to me about taking pictures even though as you can see I wasn't shy about getting up close

The front pic of the hybrid bus is of 804, the Nova LFS on 54B is 6633, those bike rack ads are annoying alright

[Busjack]

I see you got "photographic proof" of a recent transfer--2023 on a Chicago garage route with an 03 sticker.

I also get a kick out of still pictures of Twinvision signs in the middle of a sweep. Of course, on other signs, it would just be a stuck sign.

[geneking7320]

Since you mentioned a flight to Cleveland and that you like Novas a question arises:

Did you ride any Novabus LFS there?

What other buses did you see in Cleveland?

Cleveland was where I first saw the LFS (back in 1999). :)

[Bus Driver Dude]

Well I was in town briefly again with my Dad during a long layover between flights en route to Cleveland.

BTW CTA5750 I haven't forgotten your offer for a tour, there just wasn't time this visit. I didn't even have time to ride any Pace buses Next time I will make sure to set something up though. I did see the 5800 New Flyer parked in the CFD Academy garage though when we were wandering around looking for Manny's

I rode a good sample of New Flyers and two Nova LFSes. (I like the Nova LFS.) I didn't get to ride a Flx or a 4000 so I want to do that next time as well.

Now here's some pics, also no one said anything to me about taking pictures even though as you can see I wasn't shy about getting up close

Nice Pictures. Thanks for sharing. I would love to go to Chicago and take pictures. I was not into taking pictures of buses when I lived in Waukesha, Wi (Which is by Milwaukee) Did you get any video?

[cta_44499_FG]

Last Tuesday, You are right about X54, It is nothing new, but my favorite crosstown North/South route. But anyways, I rode from Midway to Jefferson Park, by between Roosevelt and North, I heard many passengers requested a stop at a local bus stop sign, they yelled at the bus driver to stop but wasnt suppose to stop there, the driver didnt say nothin but kept goin, I'll do the same thing too, but I did told most of them that "this is the Express" and they like "I didnt know" but I think that they knew it, they are just too "lazy" to wait for a local one, X49 gets it alot too. Plus I was kinda thought that 74th could transfer some of their 6000s to Chicago Ave to replace 5300s, when they get the Flyers.

That's the only way you teach them a lesson. You try to be as polite as you can, but sometimes you have to teach them hard. I've had this happen to me many times on the X80 at the Glen. One lady called me a "f*c*i*g a$#hole" for not stopping at Central Park after I told her it was an X. She didn't understand much English nor did she seem to care, I simply told her "I'd rather have her think I was one then the other 35 people on the bus whom knew what they were boarding being mad at me for delaying service at a location I'm not supposed to stop".

My all time favorite here at North Park are the 147s to Devon and 151 to Foster or N151 to Berwyn Red Line. Never fails, someone is always not paying attention. Mind you the 147 at Wintrop will announce "This is the last stop for this bus!" on such said trips. Of course, its always the operators fault. On Mondays, I ride back from Foster and Broadway to the garage for a second pullout. An bus signed for 36 to Foster made the left on Foster from Broadway, and lo, 15 people had to get off that bus....and of course it was that drivers fault too. He politely told them, "the signs say it and the annoucement is telling you 36 Broadway to Foster."

Anways....

[MVTArider]

Thanks for the comments guys, I would have replied sooner but my internet provider dropped our service for a few hours right after I posted the pics.

I see you got "photographic proof" of a recent transfer--2023 on a Chicago garage route with an 03 sticker.

That bus was making a weird sound too, when the driver would brake and hold for traffic it let out a long note like a train horn. Maybe a leak in one of the lines?

Since you mentioned a flight to Cleveland and that you like Novas a question arises:

Did you ride any Novabus LFS there?

What other buses did you see in Cleveland?

Cleveland was where I first saw the LFS (back in 1999).

Yes sir, I rode a Nova LFS there and got a couple pics of them as well. I will be starting a new thread this evening and posting some pics of what I saw there.

Nice Pictures. Thanks for sharing. I would love to go to Chicago and take pictures. I was not into taking pictures of buses when I lived in Waukesha, Wi (Which is by Milwaukee) Did you get any video?

Your welcome. I got lots of video of both CTA and RTA and will begin uploading on or after June 1st.

[Guest]

Well I was in town briefly again with my Dad during a long layover between flights en route to Cleveland.

BTW CTA5750 I haven't forgotten your offer for a tour, there just wasn't time this visit. I didn't even have time to ride any Pace buses Next time I will make sure to set something up though. I did see the 5800 New Flyer parked in the CFD Academy garage though when we were wandering around looking for Manny's

I rode a good sample of New Flyers and two Nova LFSes. (I like the Nova LFS.) I didn't get to ride a Flx or a 4000 so I want to do that next time as well.

Now here's some pics, also no one said anything to me about taking pictures even though as you can see I wasn't shy about getting up close

The front pic of the hybrid bus is of 804, the Nova LFS on 54B is 6633, those bike rack ads are annoying alright

Wow, I see you were at Jefferson Park, I live only three minutes away from there.

[MVTArider]

Wow, I see you were at Jefferson Park, I live only three minutes away from there.

I didn't know you were so close, I thought you were out in the burbs or something. From what i've seen Jefferson Park seems like a nice area. Do you like living there?

[Guest]

I didn't know you were so close, I thought you were out in the burbs or something. From what i've seen Jefferson Park seems like a nice area. Do you like living there?

Wow, too bad we couldnt hook up. Remember, you still have an open invitiation for next time. I know it can get tough because there is so much to see, especially in Chicago. One thing you missed while you were at Jeff Pk. was the CTA Forest Glen bus garage (my old bus garage!) which is only five minutes away from the bus terminal. In fact all CTA buses with the exception of the X54, that serve Jeff. Pk operate out of that garage. Its a very safe neighborhood, I love living in this area, it is a middle class area, crime is not a problem, in fact Im out almost every night running. Lots of city employees, police and firefighters live in this area, no one bothers you here. Because Im a Chicago Firefighter, Im required to live within the City of Chicago. Transit is fun to watch in this area because there is so much to see, we have CTA bus/rail, Pace suburban bus as well as two Metra commuter rail routes in the area. The CTA routes #56A and Pace #270 pass my house.

[MVTArider]

Wow, too bad we couldnt hook up. Remember, you still have an open invitiation for next time. I know it can get tough because there is so much to see, especially in Chicago.

Thanks CTA5750 Yeah, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do, and there are still routes I want to ride and buses as well. Hopefully i'll be back soon for a longer time.

Here is all the video I got of the CTA, 1219 on the 124, 1496 on the 29, 2508 on the Green Line, 804 on the 52, 2023 on the X54, (you can hear the bellowing brakes on this one) and 6633 on the 54B. Next time I want a Flxible!

[Busjack]

I took a quick look at a couple of these.

My father (as a teenager) lived around Ogden and Kedzie. I haven't been around there, but (say, unlike around Pulaski and the Pink Line) there doesn't seem to be much of anything around there. Not even the storefronts the Tribune said were being used for churches.

I supposed that someone with perfect pitch could figure out the note emitted by 2023.

Now, for the more serious question: Could you figure out any difference in the engine sound between, say, 804 and 2023? Is there any auditory indication that hybrid drive is assisting on takeoff?

[jajuan]

I took a quick look at a couple of these.

My father (as a teenager) lived around Ogden and Kedzie. I haven't been around there, but (say, unlike around Pulaski and the Pink Line) there doesn't seem to be much of anything around there. Not even the storefronts the Tribune said were being used for churches.

I supposed that someone with perfect pitch could figure out the note emitted by 2023.

Now, for the more serious question: Could you figure out any difference in the engine sound between, say, 804 and 2023? Is there any auditory indication that hybrid drive is assisting on takeoff?

This is a bit south of where I live. The churches spoken of are concentrated past the shopping center at Kedzie and Roosevelt along Roosevelt Road going west and a few on Kedzie going northward. The redevelopment within the area along the 52 route is currently happening on Kedzie Avenue between Harrison and Roosevelt Road. There is a church at Kedzie/Ogden but on the opposite side of the street that's shown in the video clip. What small businesses that are on Kedzie between Roosevelt and Ogden are mostly on the opposite side of the street as well. This small piece near Ogden and Kedzie that can be seen is not representative of the whole area. Yes that stretch on Kedzie near Ogden is admittedly drab, one of a few empty pockets mixed in between the residential spots on the side streets and those areas that have been redone, but more improvements are being made and slowly but surely making their way southward to the area in the clip. The emptiness seen is more indicative of the dreariness along Ogden after passing Douglas park in that area than on Kedzie. And don't misunderstand, I wasn't offended by the post. I'm just pointing out there's more than meets the eye of what can be seen in the video clip.

As for the difference between 804 and 2023, at the first listen I admit to not hearing much difference between the two, but after listening a bit more closely I could hear a difference between them.

[jacksone44]

That was great that you had the chance to sample our system, I hope you enjoyed it. One of the most fun things when youre a transit buff is getting to sample other systems and compare to your hometown system. I love riding other transit systems around the country if not the world. I drove #2301 just last week and youre right it runs and rides terrible. It will be off of Academys roster very soon. Actually our only good running Orions are #2289-2290 35 footers because they were rebuilt a little over a year ago. Every Orion we lose we gain a NABI 35ft. Next time youre in town look me up and we'll set up a time and Ill give you a tour of the Colonial/Academy yard were our Pace equipment is stored.

I would agree...I was just in San Diego last week and I had a chance to ride the MTS. Ill post pictures soon...

[jacksone44]

This is a bit south of where I live. The churches spoken of are concentrated past the shopping center at Kedzie and Roosevelt along Roosevelt Road going west and a few on Kedzie going northward. The redevelopment within the area along the 52 route is currently happening on Kedzie Avenue between Harrison and Roosevelt Road. There is a church at Kedzie/Ogden but on the opposite side of the street that's shown in the video clip. What small businesses that are on Kedzie between Roosevelt and Ogden are mostly on the opposite side of the street as well. This small piece near Ogden and Kedzie that can be seen is not representative of the whole area. Yes that stretch on Kedzie near Ogden is admittedly drab, one of a few empty pockets mixed in between the residential spots on the side streets and those areas that have been redone, but more improvements are being made and slowly but surely making their way southward to the area in the clip. The emptiness seen is more indicative of the dreariness along Ogden after passing Douglas park in that area than on Kedzie. And don't misunderstand, I wasn't offended by the post. I'm just pointing out there's more than meets the eye of what can be seen in the video clip.

As for the difference between 804 and 2023, at the first listen I admit to not hearing much difference between the two, but after listening a bit more closely I could hear a difference between them.

Do the 800 and 900's have Detroit Diesels or Cummins engines?

[MVTArider]

Now, for the more serious question: Could you figure out any difference in the engine sound between, say, 804 and 2023? Is there any auditory indication that hybrid drive is assisting on takeoff?

I didn't really hear too much of a difference except that on 804 it made the same subtle whirring sound when starting from a stop that the Gillig Hybrids with the same Allison EP-40 system here make. I don't remember any revving though when it would stop, which I do remember on the Gilligs. The revving sound on ours could also be that ours have the ISB instead of the ISL.

Do the 800 and 900's have Detroit Diesels or Cummins engines?

Cummins for the 800 series. The 800s have the GM/Allison EP-40 hybrid-drive with ISL and the 900s have the ISE-Siemens ThunderVolt hybrid system, I'm not sure if they use ISL or ISB though. I don't know of any hybrid buses with Series 50 in them actually but there's always a first The Cleveland RTA New Flyers have the other engine type that has been used in a hybrid drive system, CAT C-9 with the Allison EP-40 (unless its EP-50). I should be uploading a video of one tomorrow.

[qwantae]

I would agree...I was just in San Diego last week and I had a chance to ride the MTS. Ill post pictures soon...

San Diego is so far a "New Flyer" town. Did you see those 1995 New Flyer D40HFs and D60HFs? I remembered rode them and their Ikarus 416s 2 years ago, I loved them.