Guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I just saw the news, they just showed CTA NABI #7629 burned up on the Outer Drive tonight. The entire rear of the bus caught fire and was destroyed, #7629 will be out of service for some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I just saw the news, they just showed CTA NABI #7629 burned up on the Outer Drive tonight. The entire rear of the bus caught fire and was destroyed, #7629 will be out of service for some time. Did the engine catch fire on its own, or was the bus in an accident with another vehicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Did the engine catch fire on its own, or was the bus in an accident with another vehicle? The engine caught fire on its own, no other vehicles were involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buslover88 Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I just saw the news, they just showed CTA NABI #7629 burned up on the Outer Drive tonight. The entire rear of the bus caught fire and was destroyed, #7629 will be out of service for some time. Ouch. Did anybody get hurt (I feel sorry for anybody who did)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 The engine caught fire on its own, no other vehicles were involved. That part is good to know. Hopefully no one was injured too badly if there were any injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobuadantoq Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Only one suffered minor smoke inhalation. The bus was operating #147 at that time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 The Tribune article said 140 passengers were evacuated. Someone on the Topix forum observed that the capacity is 90 (61 seats and the rest standees), so the riders must have been packed like sardines. Given that, one wonders how the rush hour express buses don't make money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I just saw the news, they just showed CTA NABI #7629 burned up on the Outer Drive tonight. The entire rear of the bus caught fire and was destroyed, #7629 will be out of service for some time. First off, I hope all on board were ok. Secondly, considering that this bus was a NABI(Noteable to Always Break Instantly), #7629 will probably become a parts bus for the other junkers and the remaining shell after she is picked clean will be taken to 77th and Perry to be scrapped, along with the Flxible 5300's and TMC's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 The Tribune article said 140 passengers were evacuated. Someone on the Topix forum observed that the capacity is 90 (61 seats and the rest standees), so the riders must have been packed like sardines. Given that, one wonders how the rush hour express buses don't make money. I read over the Tribune article that's linked to this site, and what also stuck out to me that's disturbing besides the number of people packed into this bus is that people were saying it took the driver a minute or more to finally pull the bus over after passengers first started trying to alert him that something was wrong. They say he just kept saying 'Calm down. Calm down' and they say they were responding 'How can we calm down when your bus is on fire?' The article says even cab drivers were trying to flag him down from their cabs to try to bring his attention to the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Only one suffered minor smoke inhalation. The bus was operating #147 at that time I was on that bus early that morning like at 10am coming from my church at Evanston to Downtown to shop at N. Michigan. THANK GOD I WAS SAVED!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buslover88 Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 people were saying it took the driver a minute or more to finally pull the bus over after passengers first started trying to alert him that something was wrong. They say he just kept saying 'Calm down. Calm down' and they say they were responding 'How can we calm down when your bus is on fire?' The article says even cab drivers were trying to flag him down from their cabs to try to bring his attention to the problem. Oh my goodness, that sounds really scary. However, if this was on Outer Drive and so much traffic, how could the bus pull over? I know it was a very dangerous and possibly life threatening situation (and quite frankly I don't know what I would have done), but the driver has to get the bus pulled over and stop first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Oh my goodness, that sounds really scary. However, if this was on Outer Drive and so much traffic, how could the bus pull over? I know it was a very dangerous and possibly life threatening situation (and quite frankly I don't know what I would have done), but the driver has to get the bus pulled over and stop first. This happened Sunday evening just after 8:30. Traffic is light on the Drive on Sundays compared to weekdays so he could have easily pulled over to the shoulder. If it had been a weeknight then the delay in pulling over would have been understandable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I was on that bus early that morning like at 10am coming from my church at Evanston to Downtown to shop at N. Michigan. THANK GOD I WAS SAVED!!!! Glad to hear you're okay Quantae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaboy Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I just saw the news, they just showed CTA NABI #7629 burned up on the Outer Drive tonight. The entire rear of the bus caught fire and was destroyed, #7629 will be out of service for some time. that was my favorite bus,and it caught on fire,man that's very sad,it also has a very jazzy engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I read over the Tribune article that's linked to this site, and what also stuck out to me that's disturbing besides the number of people packed into this bus is that people were saying it took the driver a minute or more to finally pull the bus over after passengers first started trying to alert him that something was wrong. They say he just kept saying 'Calm down. Calm down' and they say they were responding 'How can we calm down when your bus is on fire?' The article says even cab drivers were trying to flag him down from their cabs to try to bring his attention to the problem. The first thing no one wants is a panic. The driver and passengers were caught in a very bad situation, his reaction was certainly understandable, trying to avoid a potential catastrophe. He did what he could to keep the passengers calm because lets remember that the bus was on a major north/south freeway with lots of traffic, to have an emergency evacuation of 140 or so passengers from a bus in the middle of LSD in a panic would have caused an even more deadly situation for everyone on board. The driver had no choice but to find a safe location to pullover so that he can safely evacuate all the passengers. Although one smoke inhalation, overall a good outcome! Everyone went home that day! Our motto at CFD is "Everyone goes home!" I had a situation once where my bus began smoking because of a diesel fuel leak in the engine. I was driving Flxible #6157 on the 156 LaSalle back in 1998, I had a cab driver alert me that my rear compartment was smoking and sure enough I looked on my rear view mirror and there was smoke pouring from the engine compartment, I quickly pulled over evacuated my passengers and notified CTA control to send CFD. The bus did not burn up I shut the bus down before the situation could get worse. The bus was obviously towed to South Shops for repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I had a situation once where my bus beagn smoking because of a diesel fuel leak in the engine. I was driving Flxible #6157 on the 156 LaSalle back in 1998, I had a cab driver alert me that my rear compartment was smoking and sure enough I looked on my rear view mirror and there was smoke pouring from the engione compartment,... The question is, with the prior discussion of the red fire buttons on the 5800s, wouldn't newer buses such as the 7500s have a fire detection and extinguishment system? This is at least the second 7500 to go up in flames. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 My intent wasn't really to suggest that the driver did anything wrong because as CTA5750 pointed out, this is a major highway where this was happening Sunday evening. Sorry about that confusion guys. My concern was more so with all those people on the bus, the driver is probably so focused with trying to see the road from all angles and keep people from blocking the view of his mirrors, that he probably just couldn't react as quickly as he may have if there were less people on the bus. There really needs to be some way found to keep people from packing into these buses like this, even if it means having them wait for the next bus. This engine fire shows one of the red flags that comes with packing a bus beyond its capacity. We all know that people packing into an already woefully crowded bus is nothing new or a one time thing on the 147 in particular. It seems to be the norm. I'd just like to point out that doing this every day puts more wear on the bus with the engine having to work even harder to move that extra weight of all those folks beyond the normal combined seated and standee capacity. If the operator made a mistake it was one that others across the system do, which is squeeze even more people into a bus that can barely handle those that are already on the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 The question is, with the prior discussion of the red fire buttons on the 5800s, wouldn't newer buses such as the 7500s have a fire detection and extinguishment system? This is at least the second 7500 to go up in flames. When and where did it happened with the first 7500 went up in flames? What unit#? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 When and where did it happened with the first 7500 went up in flames? What unit#? See the Bus Fire topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 First off, I hope all on board were ok. Secondly, considering that this bus was a NABI(Noteable to Always Break Instantly), #7629 will probably become a parts bus for the other junkers and the remaining shell after she is picked clean will be taken to 77th and Perry to be scrapped, along with the Flxible 5300's and TMC's.The ABC7 picture, via the link on the home page, looked like the rear was burned through, more than in the usual bus fire. Unless the rears are fiberglass (I don't know if that's the case), the cannibalization is likely, although the hulk probably stays at 77th and Perry for mucho anos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 My intent wasn't really to suggest that the driver did anything wrong because as CTA5750 pointed out, this is a major highway where this was happening Sunday evening. Sorry about that confusion guys. My concern was more so with all those people on the bus, the driver is probably so focused with trying to see the road from all angles and keep people from blocking the view of his mirrors, that he probably just couldn't react as quickly as he may have if there were less people on the bus. There really needs to be some way found to keep people from packing into these buses like this, even if it means having them wait for the next bus. This engine fire shows one of the red flags that comes with packing a bus beyond its capacity. We all know that people packing into an already woefully crowded bus is nothing new or a one time thing on the 147 in particular. It seems to be the norm. I'd just like to point out that doing this every day puts more wear on the bus with the engine having to work even harder to move that extra weight of all those folks beyond the normal combined seated and standee capacity. If the operator made a mistake it was one that others across the system do, which is squeeze even more people into a bus that can barely handle those that are already on the bus. Yeah, I was wondering if something electrical starting a fire could be linked to overloading. The first time I was in Chicago for the Auto Show back in '05 I was on an overfilled Nova. About halfway along the route it just shut down at a stoplight for no reason. The driver was able to start it up again but it did seem like it was straining a bit to move us to the show :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cta5658 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 was that similar to the time #7545 Caught Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Yeah, I was wondering if something electrical starting a fire could be linked to overloading. The first time I was in Chicago for the Auto Show back in '05 I was on an overfilled Nova. About halfway along the route it just shut down at a stoplight for no reason. The driver was able to start it up again but it did seem like it was straining a bit to move us to the show I did see something strange a few months ago on either this same bus or #7626. There was an electric blue light inside the upper part of the engine compartment where the exhaust vents come out. It looked like something arching off. I thought to myself that looks dangerous, but nobody seems concerned so I chucked it off as either seeing things or things that were unimportant. Wow these NABI's really have alot of problems. If this keeps up I have to start a retirement list. Let me see #7555 is off the roster. #7545 is back after recovering from a fire. Both #7520 and #7675 I haven't seen in two years. ( I don't know if they burned up or what) and now we have #7629 gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 was that similar to the time #7545 Caught Fire The pictures of 7545 looked more like a brake fire, as indicated in the Bus Fire thread cited above.Both #7520 and #7675 I haven't seen in two years. 7520 was sitting at 78th & Perry with a crushed front platform (at least some time during that period). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 How many so far retired, just those 2 burned up ones? Are they planning retire some NABIs when BRTs come? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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