T8H5307A Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I think I can safely speak for cta5555, I know I am happy that we got to drive them for one last time and that the fact that we had them after the fact that they were "supposed to be retired" makes it even more special. I know we were the only two that would ask to drive them. All the rest of the operators avoided them like the plague. If they inherited one when they made a relief, they would trade them up with another run that pulled in so they could get a New Flyer! I admit, having a 5300 on some routes was more work, considering they had slower takeoff compared to a Flyer especially in the summer with the a/c on, and having to deal with passengers spending more time griping about going up the steps when they could just go up the steps and be on in the time and effort they spent griping about it, but even with the more work, they were still fun to drive. I could be 20 mins late and not have a care in the world if I had a Flxible. They just had a calming effect with me! At least we still have some 6000's. Now I will have to enjoy them.. at least its something different to drive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I think I can safely speak for cta5555, I know I am happy that we got to drive them for one last time and that the fact that we had them after the fact that they were "supposed to be retired" makes it even more special. I know we were the only two that would ask to drive them. All the rest of the operators avoided them like the plague. If they inherited one when they made a relief, they would trade them up with another run that pulled in so they could get a New Flyer! I admit, having a 5300 on some routes was more work, considering they had slower takeoff compared to a Flyer especially in the summer with the a/c on, and having to deal with passengers spending more time griping about going up the steps when they could just go up the steps and be on in the time and effort they spent griping about it, but even with the more work, they were still fun to drive. I could be 20 mins late and not have a care in the world if I had a Flxible. They just had a calming effect with me! At least we still have some 6000's. Now I will have to enjoy them.. at least its something different to drive! Either way it was fun while it lasted! Those of us on this site that are or former CTA bus operators, thankfully we had the chance to drive them when they were around. Im sure we all have our memories, we have our pics, our videos and plenty of stories to tell. Most of us got to drive or ride our "favorite bus", Flxible #5750 for me of course!. It was fun while it lasted and now lets enjoy the last high floor buses left in the fleet, The 6000s! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Your image shows one of my all-time favorite buses(no, 2!!!). Unfortunately, I never got to ride them before retirement in 2002... I wish somebody had videos of our Flyer D901A's and a youtube account to post them to. I love to hear the engine whine of a D901A from our fleet again(almost sounds like a 1991 Flxible Metro-B in some ways)!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zol87 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 R.I.P 5300's This was another bus that came out when I was a toddler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cta5658 Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 the last two buses i ever rode were #5629 and #5632 on the #14 Jeffery Express on my eighteenth birthday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cta_44499_FG Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 the last two buses i ever rode were #5629 and #5632 on the #14 Jeffery Express on my eighteenth birthday I love the 6000s since they were pretty much the only ones I drove (with the exception of any kind of training at the Chicago ave. garage), however I loved riding the 5000s as well. It was nice to compare and contrast the two...from the sounds, the engines...everything. A similar bus...but different! And now being at North Park, the fact that two popped up (6027 being one and that I drove it)...it was a nice feeling to have. Namely, I remember bus 5555...because I always got that bus for some reason on the 77 back in the 5300s FG days. One time some friends and I went out Flxible hunting and on the 50 Damen what did we find....oh it was 5746! The last Cummins bus! That was cool in itself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPTA42 Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 The 5300s were "officially" retired on Tuesday by management. The buses weren't supposed to go out on Wednesday but apparently someone didn't get the memo. I wouldn't expect to see them in service again at this point, but I guess anything is possible. Like T8H reinstalling a farebox himself... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8H5307A Posted January 27, 2009 Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 Like T8H reinstalling a farebox himself... Not I! Never! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8H5307A Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I was digging through some of my older photos and decided to share these... Misc Flxible photos taken by me a long time ago. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I was digging through some of my older photos and decided to share these... Misc Flxible photos taken by me a long time ago. Enjoy Oh the midday 50c shuttle Route 15 and Routes 27 and 99 give a little idea of how far back some of these are. Plus it's hard to believe how much State Street has changed in about a decade's time since dimantling the Mall configuration and allowing car ttraffic again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymc77 Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 What I like best about these pix, no stupid bike rack, therefore no stupid ads. Although 2 of them are rolling ads. I believe the transit chicago bus was #5764. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I didn't know that the express buses ran the flxible's back in the day. I saw a 164 local one saturday morning, but that's as far as it got. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I didn't know that the express buses ran the flxible's back in the day. I saw a 164 local one saturday morning, but that's as far as it got. lol Yes after Archer lost its 7100s to Chicago for route 23 when that route went from K to C, fishbowls and the Flx's got used more for 99 and 164. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Yes after Archer lost its 7100s to Chicago for route 23 when that route went from K to C, fishbowls and the Flx's got used more for 99 and 164. If I recall correctly I think I may have saw one on the #99M a few times. They would run cummins #5300's alot of times on the stevenson express routes. This was when there was alot of window etching going on. These routes proved a safer place to stick them. I remember two that almost always ran there in the first few years #5750 and #5751. I took a ride on one and discovered a very clean bus treated with armor all even on the bus. Someone was really taking care of those. They were the pride of the #5300's back then. After about 6 months after the opening of the orange line these routes were gone. This was around mid 1994. Then I believe the #7100's were shifted to the #23, for the 1994 -96 green line reconstruction with exception of #7130 - #7134 which went to NP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 If I recall correctly I think I may have saw one on the #99M a few times. They would run cummins #5300's alot of times on the stevenson express routes. This was when there was alot of window etching going on. These routes proved a safer place to stick them. I remember two that almost always ran there in the first few years #5750 and #5751. I took a ride on one and discovered a very clean bus treated with armor all even on the bus. Someone was really taking care of those. They were the pride of the #5300's back then. After about 6 months after the opening of the orange line these routes were gone. This was around mid 1994. Then I believe the #7100's were shifted to the #23, for the 1994 -96 green line reconstruction with exception of #7130 - #7134 which went to NP. Yes Flx's were also on the 99M a few times. You're right about Cummins Flx's being used a lot on the Stevenson Express routes when a Flx was assigned. They also popped up on occasion on the 61 and 62 Archer Express routes. 7100s did got shifted for the 23 but only after 23 was reassigned to Chicago when Chicago opened. That first year and a half of Green Line reconstruction 23 was operated by Kedzie mostly with Americanas and an occasional TMC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.