Man Americana CTA Bus

[Busjack]

I'm pretty sure the bus belongs to these folk: http://www.communityconnect.org/

It's a mobile computer lab, used for education in low income areas.

The buses get pretty extensive modifications to serve that purpose, so I doubt the roof equipment is original.

In that they list Fifth Third Bank as a renter, probably the case. However, they would have to get the bus from California to Oak Park, and also have been in the business a long time, since I noted that Fifth Third had a MAN bus maybe 10 years ago.

[Guest]

What city and TA was this bus in service for during its service life? That is if it was an American city.

certainly this is not Seattle. Their MAN buses has rear windows. Possibly NORTA???

[exitzero]

certainly this is not Seattle. Their MAN buses has rear windows. Possibly NORTA???

I'm thinking it's an ex-Seattle unit with the window filled back in and roof airs added.

Seattle's MANs were the only ones that had transom windows. Minneapolis (sliding), Charlotte (sliding), Chicago (transom with sliding bottom) and New Orleans (sliding) had no such coaches.

It's possible that it's an Minneapolis MAN, but their MANs didn't have exhaust stacks out of the top either.

There doesn't seem to be any photo evidence of Houston's MANs on the internet anywhere.

[Busjack]

...

There doesn't seem to be any photo evidence of Houston's MANs on the internet anywhere.

I had cited that the World Trans one was ex-Houston.

But, for that matter, does anyone have a picture of the rear of the 5/3 bus?

[sw4400]

It's possible that it's an Minneapolis MAN, but their MANs didn't have exhaust stacks out of the top either.

This might end up being an unsolvable mystery. I don't know of any M.A.N Americanas that had an exhaust pipe coming out the top like a New Flyer does. Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis... they were the only three Transit Agencies that had Americanas that I know of. Houston is mentioned in some posts, although I've never seen a image of theirs anywhere, but I think all the Americanas would be the same exhaust-wise across the board. All the Americanas I know of have their exhaust pipe coming out the back near the bumper or on the side in the case of the Articulateds.

The only way this mystery might be solved is if there is more pictures of this 5th/3rd bus somewhere on the internet, or if this bus is still around somewhere.

[exitzero]

This might end up being an unsolvable mystery. I don't know of any M.A.N Americanas that had an exhaust pipe coming out the top like a New Flyer does.

Seattle's did:

MEHVA (ex-KCM) 3152

Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis... they were the only three Transit Agencies that had Americanas that I know of. Houston is mentioned in some posts, although I've never seen a image of theirs anywhere, but I think all the Americanas would be the same exhaust-wise across the board. All the Americanas I know of have their exhaust pipe coming out the back near the bumper or on the side in the case of the Articulateds.

Nope. See above picture. Charlotte and New Orleans also had sizable numbers of Americanas. They didn't have exhaust stacks coming out of theirs. I'm willing to bet money that this is an ex-KCM unit.

@Busjack: I saw the World Transportation one on NABX...that pretty much seals it for me.

[jajuan]

certainly this is not Seattle. Their MAN buses has rear windows. Possibly NORTA???

He never said for sure there wasn't a rear window. He said he didn't recall seeing one. That's two different things my friend. At any rate, exitzero and I are in agreement that the exhaust pipe leans toward this being ex-Seattle. As for rear windows, if it were filled in like the side ones it would give the impression there were none. I recall the 5/3 bus and I do recall a rear window but it was filled in by wrap. When it comes to unique features it seems from photo evidence that CTA's version of the Americana was unique in being one with narrow rear doors. It was also unique among the ones that had no rear window in the back panel where a window would be had no grill slits due to CTA's having no AC units.

In previous discussions on which cities besides Chicago had the Americana, it was reported that yes Houston had Americanas too. The closest anyone has gotten in photo evidence is pics of the World Trans one on various websites with the citation that it was ex-Houston.

[Guest]

Those were one of my favorite buses to drive was the MAN Americana. I drove them out of K, NP and FG. I love them because they were different than other buses CTA had in the fleet at the time. The european feel to it. The sound of the MAN diesel engine. I did take some video on board driving the MAN bus but its on 8MM. Id liove to convert it to dvd. I have a video on VHS of me on the soon to be gone, #17 Westchester driving a MAN #4000. So some memory still exists. :)

[qwantae]

Those were one of my favorite buses to drive was the MAN Americana. I drove them out of K, NP and FG. I love them because they were different than other buses CTA had in the fleet at the time. The european feel to it. The sound of the MAN diesel engine. I did take some video on board driving the MAN bus but its on 8MM. Id liove to convert it to dvd. I have a video on VHS of me on the soon to be gone, #17 Westchester driving a MAN #4000. So some memory still exists.

I remember last time I saw an MAN Americana working #17 on Madison on 5th Ave at Maywood on February 2002. Those were my favorite 80s order by CTA, I have to agree that I love that Diesel whistle/ chime sound of that engine. Last one I rode before their complete retirement was MAN 4146 working #145 Michigan/ Wilson Exp. in Summer 2004, that bus was flying fast on LSD.

R.I.P Old 4000s :(

[jajuan]

It's kind of interesting looking at clips of buses in German cities and other cities where MAN still has its presence because you get a feel for what the Americana would have evolved into in the 21st century had Americanas still been around in the United States beyond the retirement of those 1980s built buses.

[cta5658]

I remember last time I saw an MAN Americana working #17 on Madison on 5th Ave at Maywood on February 2002. Those were my favorite 80s order by CTA, I have to agree that I love that Diesel whistle/ chime sound of that engine. Last one I rode before their complete retirement was MAN 4146 working #145 Michigan/ Wilson Exp. in Summer 2004, that bus was flying fast on LSD.

R.I.P Old 4000s

I Remember Riding them on the #108, The Old #111 (routing between 1988 and 2012) and #119.

[RIPTA42]

This might end up being an unsolvable mystery.

It's certainly not unsolvable; just grab a VIN if you see one.

The only way this mystery might be solved is if there is more pictures of this 5th/3rd bus somewhere on the internet, or if this bus is still around somewhere.

There are lots of pictures, and there are apparently 12 of them traversing the country. Just Google community connect ebus. And here's an interview with the program's founder with more photos (but no details on the buses' origins): http://video.myhero.com/filmfestival/mov/ebus.mov

[artthouwill]

That 5/3 bus is back. It does have a rear window, but it has no rear doors. Hopefully I can get pics Friday during the daytime.

[jajuan]

If you Google MAN Americana bus you guys will find a link on the list to a picture of a MAN Americana 9901, MTA's experimental Americana unit. So New York City had at least one.

[Busjack]

Interesting, when I was looking up what is part of the Volkswagen Group, MAN is.

Of course, so are Bugatti and Skoda.

[Guest]

I remember last time I saw an MAN Americana working #17 on Madison on 5th Ave at Maywood on February 2002. Those were my favorite 80s order by CTA, I have to agree that I love that Diesel whistle/ chime sound of that engine. Last one I rode before their complete retirement was MAN 4146 working #145 Michigan/ Wilson Exp. in Summer 2004, that bus was flying fast on LSD.

R.I.P Old 4000s

I drove them everytime on the old #17 Westchester route when I worked at Kedzie. I do have video of it! I would take my camera with me at times! I have video at Forest Park with some video of the Pace Ikarus buses and some footage taken at the western end of the line. I loved driving those buses! Sure do miss them!

[rvwnsd]

If you Google MAN Americana bus you guys will find a link on the list to a picture of a MAN Americana 9901, MTA's experimental Americana unit. So New York City had at least one.

Here is a pic from TransiTALK.

http://www.ttmg.org/pages/man/nymta-manb.html

It was a demo unit that was tested in Queens for local bus service.

[jajuan]

Here is a pic from TransiTALK.

http://www.ttmg.org/pages/man/nymta-manb.html

It was a demo unit that was tested in Queens for local bus service.

The interesting thing is that the route the bus is shown operating on in the pic is one of MTA's limited stop routes, which if among CTA's routes would be considered express under CTA's system due to the limited stop operations as well as operating on local expressway.

[Busjack]

The interesting thing is that the route the bus is shown operating on in the pic is one of MTA's limited stop routes, which if among CTA's routes would be considered express under CTA's system due to the limited stop operations as well as operating on local expressway.

Looking at the timetable, the express portion is basically over Long Island Sound from Queens to Bronx. The analogy here would be if 21 Cermak went to Brookfield Zoo, but the Des Plaines River were about 3 miles wide.

From what I can gather from the schedule, most service is limited stop in Queens (between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.), but I can't find what the limited stops are. Q20A/B seems to be the equivalent local route. Also, while this sign shows Q44A, the schedule no longer reflects Q44A/B variants.

The other thing illustrated is that the old style flip dot signs were not adequate for NY's needs, compared to the LED ones.

[rvwnsd]

...Also, while this sign shows Q44A, the schedule no longer reflects Q44A/B variants...

To expand upon your statement, we don't know how the Q44 or Q44A route looked in the early 1980's when the photo was taken. It might have been a local at the point.

[MRChiCity]

Another video of that sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqtQJf0rGw4&list=UUZd6ACmTwqEGlYkzdGJ1GlQ reminds me of the 36 Broadway when i was little. I even tried to imitate the sound when I was little. After moving to Wilmette in the summer of 1996... we would still visit the city and I saw them on the Evanston routes. How come Evanston routes had those buses? I also think they had TMC's later on if i'm not mistaken. The last MAN I rode on was in 2000 when my family visited the city and we parked for a short trip downtown. I wish they were still around, it's wired seeing the 36 Broadway now without those buses and that sound.

[garmon757]

Another video of that sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqtQJf0rGw4&list=UUZd6ACmTwqEGlYkzdGJ1GlQ reminds me of the 36 Broadway when i was little. I even tried to imitate the sound when I was little. After moving to Wilmette in the summer of 1996... we would still visit the city and I saw them on the Evanston routes. How come Evanston routes had those buses? I also think they had TMC's later on if i'm not mistaken. The last MAN I rode on was in 2000 when my family visited the city and we parked for a short trip downtown. I wish they were still around, it's wired seeing the 36 Broadway now without those buses and that sound.

I love those sounds of the Australian MANs.

[jajuan]

To expand upon your statement, we don't know how the Q44 or Q44A route looked in the early 1980's when the photo was taken. It might have been a local at the point.

True on that point since an analogy would be 146 having been both local and express and now it's express all hours and days of operation.

[jajuan]

Another video of that sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqtQJf0rGw4&list=UUZd6ACmTwqEGlYkzdGJ1GlQ reminds me of the 36 Broadway when i was little. I even tried to imitate the sound when I was little. After moving to Wilmette in the summer of 1996... we would still visit the city and I saw them on the Evanston routes. How come Evanston routes had those buses? I also think they had TMC's later on if i'm not mistaken. The last MAN I rode on was in 2000 when my family visited the city and we parked for a short trip downtown. I wish they were still around, it's wired seeing the 36 Broadway now without those buses and that sound.

The Evanston routes that had the MAN 4000s were the former 202 Main/Emerson and 204 Dodge routes. And even though the sound clip is a CNG model of one of the American MAN buses' cousins, this is the sound I remember. This was the standard on most in CTA's fleet. There have been variations to that based on how the maintenance crews adjusted sequence of gear shifts the engines went through during acceleration. After 10 years I still miss that distinctive growl on Chicago's streets.

[Guest]

1. Here is another good example of the MAN buses. Really takes me back when I drove them. Being that the video is at night, it reminds me of when I had this on the #80 Irving Park when I worked PM. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Y_H06TFfw