6400-series Nova LFS - Updates & Retirements

[jajuan]

16 hours ago, wordguy said:

Has anyone noticed that the entire block of 6440s hasn't shown up on the trackers for the past couple of weeks?

 

Well it's only about five left in the 6440s block if that many, so it's easier to sideline them for long stretches. 

[ChiTown]

Did the 6400 series Novas started at 77th garage back around late 2000-early 2001 about 15 years ago? And about 15 years later in late 2015-early 2016 6400s could retired soon at Forest Glen garage as the retirement home? 6400 series buses debuted at 77th garage 15 years ago, and over 15 years later it could all end at Forest Glen garage

[Busjack]

12 hours ago, ChiTown said:

Did the 6400 series Novas started at 77th garage back around late 2000-early 2001 about 15 years ago? And about 15 years later in late 2015-early 2016 6400s could retired soon at Forest Glen garage as the retirement home? 6400 series buses debuted at 77th garage 15 years ago, and over 15 years later it could all end at Forest Glen garage

Yes. In fact they did not come in order, so 77th had scattered buses up to 6549 for a while until it stabilized at about 6400-6518.There were some 6530s on Archer while the 6540s were still at 77th.

[ChiTown]

27 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Yes. In fact they did not come in order, so 77th had scattered buses up to 6549 for a while until it stabilized at about 6400-6518.There were some 6530s on Archer while the 6540s were still at 77th.

I pretty sure Forest Glen got all of 77th, 74th/Archer, and Chicago Ave former 6400s buses and their own buses they had before that's still in service

[BusHunter]

As far as full retirement check back in 4 years.

[Dawnlight]

So do these buses have the slowest retirement in CTA history, or does that honor go to another series of buses?

[Busjack]

2 minutes ago, Dawnlight said:

So do these buses have the slowest retirement in CTA history, or does that honor go to another series of buses?

No where close. Usually it was about 20 years, such as 1950s Big Greens in 1973, 1973-6 New Looks on 1995, some stragglers of the mid 1980s MAN Americanas by NABI artics in 2004-5.

Also, basically 69th didn't get anything new after the MAN Americanas until it closed in 1995.

[sw4400]

13 minutes ago, Dawnlight said:

So do these buses have the slowest retirement in CTA history, or does that honor go to another series of buses?

My list is close to Busjack's, but only buses I remember, including some more recent retirements that put them close to the list:

• GM Fishbowls retirement in 1996(20-23 years old)(#1)
• Flyer D901A retirement in 2002(19 years old)(#2-Tie)
• M.A.N Americana retirement in 2004(19 years old)(#2-Tie)
• Flxible Metro(5300's) retirement in 2009(18-19 years old)(#3)
• TMC RTS retirement in 2008(17-19 years old)(#4)

[jajuan]

You guys missed one. The Flxible 3700s that lasted into 1991 serving mainly #16 Lake before the TMC 4900s knocked them off. If I remember correctly those old Flxibles were from 1969.

[andrethebusman]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 9:00 AM, Dawnlight said:

So do these buses have the slowest retirement in CTA history, or does that honor go to another series of buses?

By no means - 5000-5499 series Twin Coaches started dying off in 1961, but it took until 1972 for all of them to go. In the early 60's CTA retired 5000-5060 as a group, but most came back and were replaced in the dead lines by higher numbers. Another series that took forever to die was the old 1101-1144 Motor Coach buses. Some went away soon after CMC was taken over in 1952 (they were already 13 years old) but some lasted until 1961 (23 years). Until 1990's "retirement age" was considered around 20 years unless there was a problem of some sort (like stick-shift ACF's and Whites from 1945-46 that were gone by 1959).

[garmon757]

Alright folks if these buses aren't already mentioned then take notes. #6401 #6428 #6447 #6500 and #6753 are officially retired. 

[garmon757]

#6407 #6423 #6435 #6437 #6442 #6459 #6490 #6504 #6508 #6516 #6519 #6528 #6529 #6544 #6548 #6551 #6555 #6639 #6656 #6680 #6708 #6717 #6735 #6785 #6786 #6823 #6845 #6879 (shocking) are officially retired. However, there are well over 100 Novas in the yard and I may have to use my binoculars to record some more buses that are retired. Stay tuned. 

[BusHunter]

3 hours ago, garmon757 said:

#6407 #6423 #6435 #6437 #6442 #6459 #6490 #6504 #6508 #6516 #6519 #6528 #6529 #6544 #6548 #6551 #6555 #6639 #6656 #6680 #6708 #6717 #6735 #6785 #6786 #6823 #6845 #6879 (shocking) are officially retired. However, there are well over 100 Novas in the yard and I may have to use my binoculars to record some more buses that are retired. Stay tuned. 

Hopefully when FG gets around to 65 buses (cta said 102 in the electric bus document) they won't be keeping any base order Nova's. (#6400 - #6708) This retiring of the option buses is somewhat perplexing. But if they go ahead with the last 25 #8325's, that should take FG to around 30 buses.left and they should still have plenty to achieve that.

I think what you're seeing is the entire fleet of #6400's that's retired, but there might be a few new ones in there. Question is what ever happened to the scrap #6400 contract and why are the buses still there. But if you add up what you saw (100) and add FG (261) about 100 or so are off the property. That's if they are not somewhere else that you're not looking. 

I have some on the roster that may be going bye bye #6495, #6594, #6613, #6643, #6842, #6863, #6878. The #6440's I should just remove as they are done and #6823 is on that list too. So that must be one of the new ones at the shops.

Just checked math22's tracker and #6733 starting showing up on Saturday 2/20/16 and has been seen consecutively since then.

[andrethebusman]

6400, 6405, 6409-6414, 6415, 6417, 6419-6421, 6429, 6434, 6450, 6463, 6469, 6475, 6476, 6485-6487, 6491, 6492, 9494, 6498, 6499, 6507, 6509, 6518, 6531, 6560, 6560, 6570, 6593, 6597, 6601, 6604, 6610, 6611, 6624, 6625, 6628, 6640, 6647, 6649, 6652, 6653, 6670, 6693, 6709, 6726, 6732, 6738, 6739, 6795, 6809, 6851 to Sims in 2015 between August and December.

Interestingly, 6518 was at West Shops before being scrapped, completely stripped apparently to be a work bus, but this obviously did not happen.

 

[sw4400]

6 hours ago, garmon757 said:

#6407 #6423 #6435 #6437 #6442 #6459 #6490 #6504 #6508 #6516 #6519 #6528 #6529 #6544 #6548 #6551 #6555 #6639 #6656 #6680 #6708 #6717 #6735 #6785 #6786 #6823 #6845 #6879 (shocking) are officially retired. However, there are well over 100 Novas in the yard and I may have to use my binoculars to record some more buses that are retired. Stay tuned. 

That's what we need, garmon.... a field reporter who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and get us the scoop, even going so far as to get caught by CTA and interrogated under the big white light by the Garage Manager!!!  No, don't do that!!!! But, we do appreciate your findings, but be careful in your quest to get us the bus numbers!!!

 

 

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, andrethebusman said:

6400, 6405, 6409-6414, 6415, 6417, 6419-6421, 6429, 6434, 6450, 6463, 6469, 6475, 6476, 6485-6487, 6491, 6492, 9494, 6498, 6499, 6507, 6509, 6518, 6531, 6560, 6560, 6570, 6593, 6597, 6601, 6604, 6610, 6611, 6624, 6625, 6628, 6640, 6647, 6649, 6652, 6653, 6670, 6693, 6709, 6726, 6732, 6738, 6739, 6795, 6809, 6851 to Sims in 2015 between August and December.

Interestingly, 6518 was at West Shops before being scrapped, completely stripped apparently to be a work bus, but this obviously did not happen.

 

Someone said #6632 is the new work bus and that it was replacing wb-1 or wb-2. I see you have 59 buses on your list.

[Busjack]

6 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

That's what we need, garmon.... a field reporter who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and get us the scoop, even going so far as to get caught by CTA and interrogated under the big white light by the Garage Manager!!!

My only reaction is that FINALLY something is on the way to the crusher.

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

My only reaction is that FINALLY something is on the way to the crusher.

But not to FG!!!

[garmon757]

1 hour ago, BusHunter said:

Someone said #6632 is the new work bus and that it was replacing wb-1 or wb-2. I see you have 59 buses on your list.

I mentioned that. 

[garmon757]

2 hours ago, sw4400 said:

That's what we need, garmon.... a field reporter who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and get us the scoop, even going so far as to get caught by CTA and interrogated under the big white light by the Garage Manager!!!  No, don't do that!!!! But, we do appreciate your findings, but be careful in your quest to get us the bus numbers!!!

 

 

Thanks man! 

[Dawnlight]

Well if FG's fleet drops to less than 200 buses, then it's pretty much a give away that they are due for the 8200's.

[garmon757]

Does anybody have a current retired roster? That would definitely come in handy. 

[BusHunter]

8 hours ago, garmon757 said:

Does anybody have a current retired roster? That would definitely come in handy. 

Let your fingers do the walking....

http://chitransit.org/topic/2466-6400s-lifetime-assignment-list-in-service-dates-and-retirements-so-far/

If you're looking for something official, then I can't help you as rosters show who printed them. (but what i have on here is pretty close, it's at least 95 to 98 percent correct)

But people like Andre can probably narrate you an official roster. I once picked up a roster for 77th garage right off a bus. It must have been a garage roster cause it had locations of where all the buses were loaned out too. You had to know the garage codes though. They were 3 numbers like 252, 257. (might not be exactly right as I haven't seen it lately, but I might be able to find it if I look for it) I saved it, it was from the #9800's era.

[andrethebusman]

Live list 2/24/16:

 

6451~6456

6458

6460~6462

6464~6468

6470~6474

6477

6479-6480

6482

6484

6488

6510

6515

6523~6524

6533~6534

6536~6537

6541

6543

6545~6547

6549~6550

6552~6554

6558~6559

6562

6564-6565

6567

6569

6571~6581

6585

6587-6588

6591

6600

6603

6605~6606

6622~6623

6627

6629-6630

6633-6634

6636

6638

6641

6646

6657

6659

6662~6666

6668~6669

6671~6672

6674~6679

6681~6684

6686~6689

6691~6692

6694~6702

6704~6706

6710~6716

6718

6722

6724~6725

6727~6730

6733~6734

6736~6737

6740

6743~6748

6750~6752

6754~6755

6757~6764

6766~6773

6775~6776

6778

6780~6784

6787~6788

6790~6794

6796~6799

6801~6808

6810~6812

6814~6822

6824~6829

6831

6833~6838

6840~6844

6846~6850

6852~6877

6881~6883

[BusHunter]

So #6495, #6594, #6613, #6643 and #6878 are gone huh. Looks like there may be a few more than that. I count 259 there so maybe some came back from the shops. Interesting #6617 is gone on your list and math22's tracker has the bus in service lately unless that's a fresh retirement. I guess it's time to cross reference all my sources, but the 5 I mentioned at the top there I can remove at least while I investigate the others. 

The quick things that come up cross referencing my roster and this list is #6536, #6537, #6539, #6620, #6742 are gone. #6646 and #6782 came back, so now I know what to look for. But #6742 has been in service for the last 3 days so that I believe is still in service. (unless I'm wrong)

Cross referencing further with math22's app reveals #6617 was in service this morning along with #6742 on the #205 and #206, so those are debunked. #6646 and #6782 were also in service this morning, so I'll add those back in. You might have something with #6539 and #6620 being gone. They haven't been in service in the last 3 days. I guess I'll put those on the side, this way the roster can be as correct as I can get it.