Frankenbus 3091

[ryanbytes]

Does anyone have information about this bus? It was westbound on Foster at Pulaski when I saw it around 8:30 this morning. It's a strange bus to say the least. I know it was part of an in-house building program. What is it used for now?

[jajuan]

Does anyone have information about this bus? It was westbound on Foster at Pulaski when I saw it around 8:30 this morning. It's a strange bus to say the least. I know it was part of an in-house building program. What is it used for now?

As I remember, that inhouse building program was part of a competition from one of the last few bus rodeos. I don't quite remember which. I remember seeing photos that were posted online from the rodeo. One distinctive detail I remember is that it was its front end is from an old 7100 and the rear from an old Flx New Look. I also think I remember the sides looking similar to those from a Flyer D901.

[trainman8119]

Does this look familiar ????

Many things have been discussed regarding this bus. It is a 1968 New Look with a MAN front end and Flyer windows. I do believe there were other things involved in what exactly this bus was about. It is one of the CTA preserved buses. There are a number of other pics for this bus at this link...

http://gallery.bustalk.info/thumbnails.php?album=83

There are also quite a few pics here of buses in the scrap line (TMC's and Flxibles).

[jajuan]

Does this look familiar ????

Many things have been discussed regarding this bus. It is a 1968 New Look with a MAN front end and Flyer windows. I do believe there were other things involved in what exactly this bus was about. It is one of the CTA preserved buses. There are a number of other pics for this bus at this link...

http://gallery.bustalk.info/thumbnails.php?album=83

There are also quite a few pics here of buses in the scrap line (TMC's and Flxibles).

Yes! That's it. That's what I remember from the the Rodeo photos.

[RIPTA42]

It is a 1968 New Look with a MAN front ed and Flyer windows...

AFAIK, it's a 1965 Flxible. It is used to transport supplies to the bus roadeo; I don't think it was rebuilt as part of a roadeo competition.

[jajuan]

AFAIK, it's a 1965 Flxible. It is used to transport supplies to the bus roadeo; I don't think it was rebuilt as part of a roadeo competition.

According to captions to photos I've seen, the bus was rebuilt as part of an inhouse rebuilding competition from the 2004 Bus Roadeo.

[RIPTA42]

I wrote those captions. The rebuilding did not occur at that Roadeo. Sorry if they were misleading.

[jajuan]

I wrote those captions. The rebuilding did not occur at that Roadeo. Sorry if they were misleading.

Well thanks for clearing that up. If it wasn't for the Roadeo, what was the rebuilding for?

[RIPTA42]

From what I understand, it was a test for a general overhaul program for the entire Flx New Look fleet.

[Busjack]

From what I understand, it was a test for a general overhaul program for the entire Flx New Look fleet.

I sort of doubt that, in that the vintage of the parts indicate that the Flx fleet was gone by then (except for the 3700s).

[Guest]

From what I understand, it was a test for a general overhaul program for the entire Flx New Look fleet.

The best looking Flxible New Look was no doubt the ones operated at one time by the Orange County Transit District, now Authority (OCTA) in So. California. The buses were rebuilt from the ground up. A new rebuilt body similar to CTA #3091, Alcoa wheels, rectangle headlamps, tinted windows, a/c, electronic dest. signs and wheelchair lifts installed. You could probably Google it and find pics of these buses or like I did, friend a busfan or collector in the L.A. area on FB. These probably look better than CTA #3091.

[Wolfman]

From what I understand, it was a test for a general overhaul program for the entire Flx New Look fleet.

Nope.

It was a "one off". A one-of-a-kind.

Back in the mid-to-late 80's, the guys that do major rebuilds at South Shops played around with spare parts and put this together. It started its new life as a community information bus. The bus was laid out as a mobile office/storehouse, and customer service reps staffed it and made appearances around the community. The instruction department had dibs on it for use at the roadeo finals...

Oddly, the idea was to build a number of these "Frankenbuses" as work buses, and to test a new automotive paint. CTA got too involved at the time rehabbing Fishbowls and repainting green buses into the white with the blue and red stripes to devote time to build work buses, so 3091 was the only one to come off the drawing board and onto the street (so to speak). 3091 is a 1965 Flxible originally assigned to Archer, but lived most of its life at 77th.

[twyztdmynd]

Were there any other Freakenbus models? In a dream or fuzzy memory I see a Fishbow(Head) /TMC RTS (Tail)

[Busjack]

Were there any other Freakenbus models? In a dream or fuzzy memory I see a Fishbow(Head) /TMC RTS (Tail)

Depends on which is the body. A Fishbowl head on an RTS would make no sense.

On the other hand, a decent number of Classics had rears similar to those on RTSs. See these Google results (1 and 2). The rears on the Pace ones seem like a more recent development, maybe after Nova took over the design.

[twyztdmynd]

Depends on which is the body. A Fishbowl head on an RTS would make no sense.

On the other hand, a decent number of Classics had rears similar to those on RTSs. See these Google results (1 and 2). The rears on the Pace ones seem like a more recent development, maybe after Nova took over the design.

No...

It was like 2 of cta's models spliced.

[jajuan]

No...

It was like 2 of cta's models spliced.

I believe I remember what you're talking about and from my memory the bus wasn't a work bus but a one of a kind that was actually in revenue service during the early part of the 1990s. From the front the bus looked like a Fishbowl, but from the rear it looked like a CTA TMC before those buses got air-conditioners installed and had a silver exhaust pipe on the top rear of the bus similar to CTA's D40LF buses. I have a memory of first seeing it on the 21 Cermak once when that route was assigned to the old Lawndale Garage. Most of my other memories are seeing it on various Forest Glen routes. The first two digits of the vehicle number were 95 if I'm not mistaken.

[twyztdmynd]

I believe I remember what you're talking about and from my memory the bus wasn't a work bus but a one of a kind that was actually in revenue service during the early part of the 1990s. From the front the bus looked like a Fishbowl, but from the rear it looked like a CTA TMC before those buses got air-conditioners installed and had a silver exhaust pipe on the top rear of the bus similar to CTA's D40LF buses. I have a memory of first seeing it on the 21 Cermak once when that route was assigned to the old Lawndale Garage. Most of my other memories are seeing it on various Forest Glen routes. The first two digits of the vehicle number were 95 if I'm not mistaken.

I saw it at Union Station perhaps Route 151/156

[mikeymc77]

wasnt there a bus numbered in the 9500s back in the day that was different than the rest

[wordguy]

wasnt there a bus numbered in the 9500s back in the day that was different than the rest

The bus in question was #9532. It was rebuilt sometime in the late 1980s with RTS sheet metal in the rear, and was also repainted in the red-white-and-blue livery and retrofitted with electronic signs. I'm not sure how (or if) it was altered mechanically.

[Guest]

The bus in question was #9532. It was rebuilt sometime in the late 1980s with RTS sheet metal in the rear, and was also repainted in the red-white-and-blue livery and retrofitted with electronic signs. I'm not sure how (or if) it was altered mechanically.

Im trying to see if anyone has a picture of bus #9532. It was a cool looking vehicle, no one seems to have any pics of it. Ive had no luck finding pics. Although I do recall seeing the bus once in a background shot in an episode of "ER" and also the rear of the bus appears in the distance in the movie "Backdraft" during the graduation party celebration at "Emmitts" on Grand/Milwaukee in the opening scenes of the movie.

[Wolfman]

Im trying to see if anyone has a picture of bus #9532.

Looked through my collection. No gots.

9532 was a collision rebuild. It was originally a Forest Glen "albino" repainted "Geissenheimer Green".

It was repowered with a 6V92TA, had a digital passenger counter, and not only the same electronic signs as the M.A.N. Americanas, but an electronic message board in the teardrop window on the right side (it never worked). It briefly ran out of Limits, then Lawndale, then New Kedzie. It finished it's life out at 69th Street. Electrical problems plagued this bus, and I think that's what put it to pasture. Many times the lights and signs never worked right, and the turbo had problems.

As unique as it was, it was never requested for any fan trips, so few have pics of it.

By the time 9532 came out of the shops, there were more than a few specailty green buses in the fleet, and the digital flip dot signs really didn't excite many fans. Keep looking though, someone might have shots of that bus.

[BusHunter]

Looked through my collection. No gots.

9532 was a collision rebuild. It was originally a Forest Glen "albino" repainted "Geissenheimer Green".

It was repowered with a 6V92TA, had a digital passenger counter, and not only the same electronic signs as the M.A.N. Americanas, but an electronic message board in the teardrop window on the right side (it never worked). It briefly ran out of Limits, then Lawndale, then New Kedzie. It finished it's life out at 69th Street. Electrical problems plagued this bus, and I think that's what put it to pasture. Many times the lights and signs never worked right, and the turbo had problems.

As unique as it was, it was never requested for any fan trips, so few have pics of it.

By the time 9532 came out of the shops, there were more than a few specailty green buses in the fleet, and the digital flip dot signs really didn't excite many fans. Keep looking though, someone might have shots of that bus.

Interesting history. I remember #9532 at Fg and Lawndale myself. I remember after Lawndale the bus got sent to the new Chicago garage in 1994 where it was around until 1995-96. The rear destination got stuck on #90N (that mostly where they Fg ran it and #301) and it ran it's whole post Fg life with that sign. There were other fishbowls with flip dot signs (#9240 comes to mind done while at Limits)but not many.

[jajuan]

Looked through my collection. No gots.

9532 was a collision rebuild. It was originally a Forest Glen "albino" repainted "Geissenheimer Green".

It was repowered with a 6V92TA, had a digital passenger counter, and not only the same electronic signs as the M.A.N. Americanas, but an electronic message board in the teardrop window on the right side (it never worked). It briefly ran out of Limits, then Lawndale, then New Kedzie. It finished it's life out at 69th Street. Electrical problems plagued this bus, and I think that's what put it to pasture. Many times the lights and signs never worked right, and the turbo had problems.

As unique as it was, it was never requested for any fan trips, so few have pics of it.

By the time 9532 came out of the shops, there were more than a few specailty green buses in the fleet, and the digital flip dot signs really didn't excite many fans. Keep looking though, someone might have shots of that bus.

Yes! 9532 was the bus I remember. Thanks wordguy and Wolfman. I see from the history I was remembering things in reverse but I knew I saw that bus on the 21 in the Lawndale days and at FG. I remember now that it used to get assigned to the 85 Central a lot. Sometimes it seemed like it was daily that I would see it on that route. Then as FG started getting 1991 Flxible Metros and 85 became accessible, it was the 91 Austin where I was seeing it pop up a lot. After FG, I didn't really see it again until the couple of times I saw it on the 21 apparently during the brief time it was at Lawndale. After those brief sightings on the 21, that route too became accessible and I never really saw the bus after that. It appears its plague of electrical problems in combination with finishing out its life at 69th explains not seeing it again after Lawndale.

[Guest]

Yes! 9532 was the bus I remember. Thanks wordguy and Wolfman. I see from the history I was remembering things in reverse but I knew I saw that bus on the 21 in the Lawndale days and at FG. I remember now that it used to get assigned to the 85 Central a lot. Sometimes it seemed like it was daily that I would see it on that route. Then as FG started getting 1991 Flxible Metros and 85 became accessible, it was the 91 Austin where I was seeing it pop up a lot. After FG, I didn't really see it again until the couple of times I saw it on the 21 apparently during the brief time it was at Lawndale. After those brief sightings on the 21, that route too became accessible and I never really saw the bus after that. It apperars its plague of electrical problems in combination with finishing out its life at 69th explains not seeing it again after Lawndale.

The one and only time I spotted the bus was on the 64 Foster/Canfield while riding the Blue Line. I never got a close up look it. Thats why Id like to find out if anyone has a photo or series of photographs of that interesting looking bus. If anyone knows of how to obtain pics of (rebuilt #9532), please contact me!

[trainman8119]

I had the chance to ride 9532 on the 90N once from the Harlem Station. I had seen it a few times on the streets of FG and wondered what it was all about. Then once, headed to a friends' house, I go the op to see it up close inside and out. It was kind of weird at that time. It was a fishbowl, but didn't feel like it. It had the different engine, the flip dot sign (that was next to impossible to read !), different windows and it had the illusion that it was narrower inside. It was definitely a unique experience.