6400-series Nova LFS - Updates & Retirements

[andrethebusman]

This is what bus maintenance says. It would appear that reality is not 100% the same. Only ones you can say for sure are dead are the ones that are listed as going to Sims. Any others, especially the "dead" ones at FG, are always possible resurrections.

[BusHunter]

12 minutes ago, andrethebusman said:

This is what bus maintenance says. It would appear that reality is not 100% the same. Only ones you can say for sure are dead are the ones that are listed as going to Sims. Any others, especially the "dead" ones at FG, are always possible resurrections.

True and I do appreciate you putting up these lists, so don't get me wrong. What you state above is true with retirements. I'm sort of surprised so many are going away now with nothing to replace them, at least 10 buses. Maybe they figure the time is almost here for new ones so they don't need them. I guess as long as they don't fall below 257, they are OK.

[Guest]

On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 11:43 AM, BusHunter said:

True and I do appreciate you putting up these lists, so don't get me wrong. What you state above is true with retirements. I'm sort of surprised so many are going away now with nothing to replace them, at least 10 buses. Maybe they figure the time is almost here for new ones so they don't need them. I guess as long as they don't fall below 257, they are OK.

I wont the be surprised if FG ends up with the oldest #1000s as replacements. Reason I say this is due to the fact that if FG were to get 8200s  Why haven't we seen and vehicle familiarization training which is usually done many weeks if not months, ahead of the scheduled new vehicles when they arrive so that drivers are familiar with the new equipment. I live blocks away from FG  I for one have never seen once a new Nova at FG or on any of the streets that operate out of that garage. So Im very skeptical that FG will get any new buses and be stuck with more hand me downs.

[garmon757]

19 minutes ago, CTA5750 said:

I wont the be surprised if FG ends up with the oldest #1000s as replacements. Reason I say this is due to the fact that if FG were to get 8200s  Why haven't we seen and vehicle familiarization training which is usually done many weeks if not months, ahead of the scheduled new vehicles when they arrive so that drivers are familiar with the new equipment. I live blocks away from FG  I for one have never seen once a new Nova at FG or on any of the streets that operate out of that garage. So Im very skeptical that FG will get any new buses and be stuck with more hand me downs.

I wouldn't get ahead of myself if I were you because it's rumored that there will be substantial consequences on behalf of management at Forest Glen if they failed to receive any new Novas in the future. I had two operators telling me that they should've had NF's since the summer pick of last year because of the old Novas retirements. 

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, garmon757 said:

I wouldn't get ahead of myself if I were you because it's rumored that there will be substantial consequences on behalf of management at Forest Glen if they failed to receive any new Novas in the future. I had two operators telling me that they should've had NF's since the summer pick of last year because of the old Novas retirements. 

It's probably out of the managers hands. This is an operational decision from the big guys, like chief of all operations. I think maybe it might be temporary, it could be lots of things, the buses at FG are dying right and left. Now last night #6771 had no destination at all!! The OLED buses, (base order ones), need to say bye bye cause there destinations are just terrible. Some say other routes, half are working, but lately they don't work at all!! I swear it's like half the fleet. I swear I need to compile a destinations not working list!!

I guess though these transfers are sticking because why is 103rd receiving buses? It's really a toss up if it's 103rd or FG for the #8200's, but I think CTA is just messing with us. That's what happens when all the buses are old at a garage. When there is no where else to go with buses, it rapidly gets newer. It's just a shame this didn't happen sooner. I mean lord, we don't need to see these old buses out 24/7. And they wonder why they are failing?

[garmon757]

6 hours ago, BusHunter said:

It's probably out of the managers hands. This is an operational decision from the big guys, like chief of all operations. I think maybe it might be temporary, it could be lots of things, the buses at FG are dying right and left. Now last night #6771 had no destination at all!! The OLED buses, (base order ones), need to say bye bye cause there destinations are just terrible. Some say other routes, half are working, but lately they don't work at all!! I swear it's like half the fleet. I swear I need to compile a destinations not working list!!

I guess though these transfers are sticking because why is 103rd receiving buses? It's really a toss up if it's 103rd or FG for the #8200's, but I think CTA is just messing with us. That's what happens when all the buses are old at a garage. When there is no where else to go with buses, it rapidly gets newer. It's just a shame this didn't happen sooner. I mean lord, we don't need to see these old buses out 24/7. And they wonder why they are failing?

Well, Chicago is somewhat over the limit with buses, in which that enables them to have spares (Forest Glen better say thank you ). What's surprising that no operators at Forest Glen didn't go on a strike but some might wanted a transfer to another garage. What I'm trying to say is it's utterly disappointing how one garage is pretty much hitting rock bottom with so much adversities with the remaining Novas. If it is upper management then that's f'ed up but I still blame Forest Glen management for showing no sense of urgency in trying to have a better establishment by restructuring its fleet. 

[BusHunter]

Damn like since when does 103rd use "3" stickers on the windshield? Don't they use the 103 with the 03 lowercase and the 1 uppercase? If you want to check it out #1003 has this sticker. Nice riding a #1000 on Addison, thank you whomever made this possible finally!! Drives alot faster too. Weird though half the nf's were not out. Don't tell me the operators are scared of this bus!!  See what happens when something becomes foreign to someone!!

[Busjack]

20 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Don't they use the 103 with the 03 lowercase and the 1 uppercase?

Usual one was just 03. 1 was in the run box. But maybe things have changed.

[ajm522]

31 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Damn like since when does 103rd use "3" stickers on the windshield? Don't they use the 103 with the 03 lowercase and the 1 uppercase? If you want to check it out #1003 has this sticker. Nice riding a #1000 on Addison, thank you whomever made this possible finally!! Drives alot faster too. Weird though half the nf's were not out. Don't tell me the operators are scared of this bus!!  See what happens when something becomes foreign to someone!!

The weird thing is there are some with the "3" and some with "03" maybe they ran out of 0 stickers lol

[Mr.cta85]

8 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Damn like since when does 103rd use "3" stickers on the windshield? Don't they use the 103 with the 03 lowercase and the 1 uppercase? If you want to check it out #1003 has this sticker. Nice riding a #1000 on Addison, thank you whomever made this possible finally!! Drives alot faster too. Weird though half the nf's were not out. Don't tell me the operators are scared of this bus!!  See what happens when something becomes foreign to someone!!

Yea they started taking the old 03 stickers out and replacing them with the new 3 stickers instead. I guess to be like the rest of the garages lol. 

[Guest]

Driving east on Foster ave  just now. NF #1014 WB on the 92 just passed me up!  915a   Hmmmm!!!

[jajuan]

Well I say with 8200 and up not yet here or even scheduled to be in service until about May, it's good that FG finally does at least have something other than beat up 6400s that are on their last legs. It just needs to be more than 15, and it's long overdue that another series made it to FG again. Two years being the garage stocked with nothing but the oldest series, a series which is in the process of being retired, is absolutely ridiculous. 

[sw4400]

25 minutes ago, jajuan said:

Well I say with 8200 and up not yet here or even scheduled to be in service until about May, it's good that FG finally does at least have something other than beat up 6400s that are on their last legs. It just needs to be more than 15, and it's long overdue that another series made it to FG again. Two years being the garage stocked with nothing but the oldest series, a series which is in the process of being retired, is absolutely ridiculous. 

My speculation is the Novas aren't cooperating anymore with CTA Maintenance staff. Out of the 260 assigned to FG, only 160-175 are probably operational enough to be used on routes. Problem now is the number of operable Novas probably dropped below 160-175, which would render shortages on FG routes that would be noticed more than now.

My original speculated plan was that the 6400's run FG until May, then the 8200's start to filter in and retire the Novas that need to be put out to pasture. The remainder will be retired by New Flyers at a date TBD. But, since the Novas are dying faster than May can get here, and CTA can't put a rush on 8200-8324, the CTA has to do an emergency transfer of New Flyers now rather than later on to keep service up at FG.

That's at least my thought of what CTA had in mind if the Novas would've cooperated and remained operable enough to be used with just minor annoyances at best(kneeler nonfunctional, leaky roof, etc...).

[Sam92]

18 hours ago, garmon757 said:

 If it is upper management then that's f'ed up but I still blame Forest Glen management for showing no sense of urgency in trying to have a better establishment by restructuring its fleet. 

I kinda want to say garage personnel and drivers do have a say so in what gets assigned going off my conversation with a few 77th drivers about artics I mentioned to you. And just to bring everyone up to speed on that note,  according to a few 77th drivers, part of the reason artics are gone are because artics were difficult to handle in bad weather (driver mentioned the back end swinging about and fishtailing) and preferred not to driver them (which in that case they need to just deal with it as other garages haven't tried to push artics out for difficulty in driving.). There are one or two of them that mentioned the detour on 79th as the reason but I still debunk that with the fact that 169 artics cleared the same detour with no problem but that could also be an argument that 77th needs to better train their drivers on artics so that they can be more comfortable with them instead of ditching them at the expense of rider capacity. BUT back to the point at hand if 77th can pull strings to purge artics for those reasons then all garages have some type of say so in equipment assignments possibly. Could it be possible that enough FG drivers aren't speaking up about the Nova issue compared to 77th about artic issues?

[Busjack]

2 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

according to a few 77th drivers, part of the reason artics are gone are because artics were difficult to handle in bad weather (driver mentioned the back end swinging about and fishtailing) and preferred not to driver them (which in that case they need to just deal with it as other garages haven't tried to push artics out for difficulty in driving.)

But that basically gets down to if staff at 77th has influence, why should it always be at the expense of the other 6 garages? It isn't like when the Optimas were sent downstate. CTA is one system.

I don't know how the passenger crowding now is on routes 3, 4, and  77, but if it is bad, it certainly shouldn't be at the cost of passenger comfort.

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

But that basically gets down to if staff at 77th has influence, why should it always be at the expense of the other 6 garages? It isn't like when the Optimas were sent downstate. CTA is one system.

I don't know how the passenger crowding now is on routes 3, 4, and  77, but if it is bad, it certainly shouldn't be at the cost of passenger comfort.

As far as 3, 4 and 79 go:

Now: crowded to the point where 2-3 buses have to pass before being able to board

Oct20, 2013 with 60 artics: buses were still crowded but never had to let one pass for overcrowding.

But what if it all boils down to 77th drivers being more vocal than other garages and not so much influence. Cause whenever I talk to drivers, compared to other  garages 77th's guys always talk like that garage is so stressful compared to others.

[Busjack]

7 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

Cause whenever I talk to drivers, compared to other  garages 77th's guys always talk like that garage is so stressful compared to others.

Then maybe they should pick something else in the system pick.

[BusHunter]

2 hours ago, sw4400 said:

My speculation is the Novas aren't cooperating anymore with CTA Maintenance staff. Out of the 260 assigned to FG, only 160-175 are probably operational enough to be used on routes. Problem now is the number of operable Novas probably dropped below 160-175, which would render shortages on FG routes that would be noticed more than now.

My original speculated plan was that the 6400's run FG until May, then the 8200's start to filter in and retire the Novas that need to be put out to pasture. The remainder will be retired by New Flyers at a date TBD. But, since the Novas are dying faster than May can get here, and CTA can't put a rush on 8200-8324, the CTA has to do an emergency transfer of New Flyers now rather than later on to keep service up at FG.

That's at least my thought of what CTA had in mind if the Novas would've cooperated and remained operable enough to be used with just minor annoyances at best(kneeler nonfunctional, leaky roof, etc...).

The signs are particularly bad. #6461 was another one I saw on the #77 with completely dead signs. People kept asking him if this was a #77 at Belmont/Blue because they had the shuttle there and who knows what bus he had!!

I heard this crazy sound on #6856 the other day, it sounded like a datsun or something twittering. It was by the back door. I have no idea what that was.

If FG has got 15 buses and the CTA are only up to #8186 on new buses on the street, I think it's safe to say they will get up to #1030, when the others hit the street. Then it will depend on where the #8200's will go. That should be FG but you never know!! This should start shrinking the fleet to 230 or maybe even 200-210. I think with the NF's here, it's showing me that the #6400's may be gone and they will not keep them. That really depends on the #8325's though. If they don't get them maybe not. The wildcard in this is will the NF's shrink the fleet. If they are rehabbed and dependable, that may not be a wrong conclusion to come to. Then that may retire the #6400's without the #8325's. 

[Busjack]

17 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Then that may retire the #6400's without the #8325's. 

They at least aren't without the electric buses.

[BusHunter]

17 minutes ago, Busjack said:

They at least aren't without the electric buses.

What's weird about the NF's is after #1030 what will they get, unless CTA acknowledges bloat and sends them buses regardless of what they'll receive. The #8200's are going to be on the slow track all year and probably the #6400's don't have that long to wait. All #6400's except for 30 may be a tall order to make it through 2016.

The only way I see that happening is if they do like 10 from 74th, 77th, 103rd, chicago, kedzie, NP. The question is can those garages spare it? They might have to if Fg don't have buses to pull out.

[Busjack]

24 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

The only way I see that happening is if they do like 10 from 74th, 77th, 103rd, chicago, kedzie, NP. The question is can those garages spare it?

Chicago should certainly be able to spare it, as its Novas were gone before the last 22 new ones showed up.

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Chicago should certainly be able to spare it, as its Novas were gone before the last 22 new ones showed up.

103rd maybe stretched at the moment , they'be been borrowing from 77th quite a bit it seems (pattern for those two around this time of year). If they do but don't receive 40fts to replace what goes to FG then I can picture 103rd functioning like kedzie where extra artics start filling in the gap that the 40fts left. 28's many in rush hour been seeing more 4300 and 4150 as of late do to them having so many

[BusHunter]

Another bus with no destination at all, #6554 on the #77. If this keeps up I might have to start my own series "This Old CTA Bus" First episode is on destination signs!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd4DCiKZFDI

[Guest]

15 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Another bus with no destination at all, #6554 on the #77. If this keeps up I might have to start my own series "This Old CTA Bus" First episode is on destination signs!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd4DCiKZFDI

Two NF #1000s on FG routes so far! .... What did I tell you!!!'

[Busjack]

15 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Another bus with no destination at all, #6554 on the #77. If this keeps up I might have to start my own series "This Old CTA Bus" First episode is on destination signs!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd4DCiKZFDI

I'm not watching unless they bring back a MAN* Queen Anne, and cut back on the pledge breaks.

BTW, they have a new theme, at least in the hour when they visit the wheel lathe.

________

*First series known for the paper sign.