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Maintenance Training RTS


T8H5307A

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Was this RTS ever assigned a fleet number?

Not that I am aware of. One of these exists for each series bus that CTA purchased. I've seen an unnumbered New Flyer, Nova, Nabi artic, '91 and '95 series Flxible

Here are a couple photos, 2 of the unnumbered 5300's series at Chicago Garage and one of the unnumbered Novabus in front of CTA headquarters. Sorry that photo isn't the best, I took it with my camera phone. I was down there for the hiring procedure and didn't have my full array of equipment (i.e. real camera)!

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Strange. Are you implying that bus assemblers provide freebies, or are these, like the old green buses, just buses taken out of regular service (as the 5300 type would indicate)? The frozen 49B sign on the RTS would indicate the latter. Maybe the "what's left of 6400s thread" needs another deduction.

I suppose that if we were like some of the Canadian transit sites, someone could trace the license number.

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Strange. Are you implying that bus assemblers provide freebies, or are these, like the old green buses, just buses taken out of regular service (as the 5300 type would indicate)? The frozen 49B sign on the RTS would indicate the latter. Maybe the "what's left of 6400s thread" needs another deduction.

I suppose that if we were like some of the Canadian transit sites, someone could trace the license number.

I will say this the #6400 has the older flip dot destination. As far as I know all of those fleet numbers should be on the street. The others are most likely retired buses.

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Strange. Are you implying that bus assemblers provide freebies, or are these, like the old green buses, just buses taken out of regular service (as the 5300 type would indicate)? The frozen 49B sign on the RTS would indicate the latter. Maybe the "what's left of 6400s thread" needs another deduction.

I suppose that if we were like some of the Canadian transit sites, someone could trace the license number.

Actually I put up the 49B sign for the photo! I'm not sure how that is worked out but I know there is one additional bus per series around and not many people realize that! They never appear on the rosters but as photographic proof shows they do exist!. That unnumbered 5300 I believe had no wheelchair lift and the first 5300 that showed up as a demo did not have a lift. So maybe the first bus that shows up for demo purposes then goes back to the factory after CTA checking it out and making its changes comes back as the freebie bus. Since the actual bus numbered 5300 had a lift as we all know. I guess I should start recording VIN numbers now to help figure this out!

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About that nova. It was in Chicago av new year eve in the shop. So no one was around so i went to go walk in it and it has 7200 inside of it. So it doesnt have a number outside, but it has a ada number plant of 7200. As for the rts when i was in it there was no number inside or out. I dont know about the nabi,nf, and the 91 and 95 flx i never been inside. Just like cpd 6999 me and tdh want to get the vin of of that. To see what number it was, It wasnt that demo because 6999 has a lift in it. Also we cant get the vin becasue its all lock up. Next time when the nf and nabi are at Chicago me or tdh will go inside and look and see whats up. Just like all the gmc 5307 at south shops no one knows about.

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Not that I am aware of. One of these exists for each series bus that CTA purchased. I've seen an unnumbered New Flyer, Nova, Nabi artic, '91 and '95 series Flxible

There are a number of sites out there that have delivery records for the manufacturers.

For the TMC buses there were potentially three un-numbered prototypes as well as 4400 and 4401 which were delivered before the main batch started

KR826382 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 07/89 -- mockup body

KR826454 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 08/89 -- shaker test bus

KR826511 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 8/89 -- 4400

KR826512 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 08/89 - pilot RTS08 model

KR826824 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 09/89 -- 4401

For the Flxible buses a prototype 5300 was delivered in 2/90 (LD101033) as a mechanical training bus but was not officially on the cta roster. There was a new 5300 delivered when batch deliveries started in 1991 (MD102075). There was also a Flxible test & development bus (LD101352) which was new in 4/90 - was that in Chicago? For the 6000 batch the first bus was delivered six months ahead of the main batch in 7/94 (RD105007). The next three chassis (RD105008-10) were customer satisfaction buses 2-4 - did one or more of these come to Chicago? (the middle one was a body only!)

For the Nova LFS there were two buses delivered to cta in 1999 the year before deliveries started (X3000190 & X3000191). 6400 (Y3000157) was delivered ahead of the rest in 2000, 6401 onwards starting at Y3000194.

For the NABI 60-LFW the first vehicle 7500 (2A140169) was delivered in 2002, the year before the next vehicles (7501 on - 3A140201 on). There was only one other 60-LFW built before 7500 which was tested at Altoona (2A140005) did that come to Chicago?

Alan

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There are a number of sites out there that have delivery records for the manufacturers.

For the TMC buses there were potentially three un-numbered prototypes as well as 4400 and 4401 which were delivered before the main batch started

KR826382 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 07/89 -- mockup body

KR826454 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 08/89 -- shaker test bus

KR826511 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 8/89 -- 4400

KR826512 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 08/89 - pilot RTS08 model

KR826824 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 09/89 -- 4401

For the Flxible buses a prototype 5300 was delivered in 2/90 (LD101033) as a mechanical training bus but was not officially on the cta roster. There was a new 5300 delivered when batch deliveries started in 1991 (MD102075). There was also a Flxible test & development bus (LD101352) which was new in 4/90 - was that in Chicago? For the 6000 batch the first bus was delivered six months ahead of the main batch in 7/94 (RD105007). The next three chassis (RD105008-10) were customer satisfaction buses 2-4 - did one or more of these come to Chicago? (the middle one was a body only!)

For the Nova LFS there were two buses delivered to cta in 1999 the year before deliveries started (X3000190 & X3000191). 6400 (Y3000157) was delivered ahead of the rest in 2000, 6401 onwards starting at Y3000194.

For the NABI 60-LFW the first vehicle 7500 (2A140169) was delivered in 2002, the year before the next vehicles (7501 on - 3A140201 on). There was only one other 60-LFW built before 7500 which was tested at Altoona (2A140005) did that come to Chicago?

Alan

Thanks for the reinforcement data Alan!

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For the NABI 60-LFW the first vehicle 7500 (2A140169) was delivered in 2002, the year before the next vehicles (7501 on - 3A140201 on). There was only one other 60-LFW built before 7500 which was tested at Altoona (2A140005) did that come to Chicago?

As noted in the post on the Altoona test, and the link to the report, two buses were submitted for testing: one with a paint job that corresponded to that on the NABI web page at that time, and another in CTA paint, with fleet number 7531, which was tested because some of its equipment differed. Maybe the question is whether "7531" is the real one.

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As noted in the post on the Altoona test, and the link to the report, two buses were submitted for testing: one with a paint job that corresponded to that on the NABI web page at that time, and another in CTA paint, with fleet number 7531, which was tested because some of its equipment differed. Maybe the question is whether "7531" is the real one.

I think it would have had to be the prototype and one of the cta buses as the only 60-LFW built was the cta order and the prototype which did have a different batch no.

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As noted in the post on the Altoona test, and the link to the report, two buses were submitted for testing: one with a paint job that corresponded to that on the NABI web page at that time, and another in CTA paint, with fleet number 7531, which was tested because some of its equipment differed. Maybe the question is whether "7531" is the real one.

In looking over the report, I couldn't help but notice all the problems plagueing the test bus after 10,000 miles. I wonder if perhaps the fleet bus was tested also because they noticed this as well. I wonder how many miles were put on #7531? The CTA was to buy a new product, and it sounds as if they got a used one instead at least with the one bus. Sounds as if NABI was unsure of it's own product. Does anyone know if the test bus still sports the NABI livery today or is it plain white? BTW, there's a picture on Flickr of a RTS prototype. Don't know which bus that is. One question I had on one of the T8h pictures, If an unnumbered Flxible was a test bus why would it sport a CTA livery or have any advertizements on it whatsoever? It seems as if the trend is buses painted in white.

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For the NABI 60-LFW the first vehicle 7500 (2A140169) was delivered in 2002, the year before the next vehicles (7501 on - 3A140201 on). There was only one other 60-LFW built before 7500 which was tested at Altoona (2A140005) did that come to Chicago?
Being bored, and looking at the report real closely, the VINs were:

1N960LFW02A140005 --NABI logo bus

1N90600263A140231 --7531

So the numbers agree with what was said.

The report said that the discrepancies were that the NABI logo bus had a remanufactured engine and a different final drive ratio than the production ones.

Also, there were pictures at the time of 7500 being hauled to a trade show.

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  • 1 month later...

KR826382 Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago IL) 07/89 -- mockup body

This is the one CTA got. Has an "asset number" of 92367.

For the Flxible buses a prototype 5300 was delivered in 2/90 (LD101033) as a mechanical training bus but was not officially on the cta roster.

Has "asset number" 107500. Unlike the RTS, which is basically a shell, this was a complete bus that did see some passenger service.

The next three chassis (RD105008-10) were customer satisfaction buses 2-4 - did one or more of these come to Chicago? (the middle one was a body only!)

These 3 buses were prototypes for a complete body redesign called "CSB2000". #1 was serial P104422. #2 and #3 were RD105008 and RD105009. Serials RD105010-514 were cancelled, and the program died with Flx.

For the Nova LFS there were two buses delivered to cta in 1999 the year before deliveries started (X3000190 & X3000191). 6400 (Y3000157) was delivered ahead of the rest in 2000, 6401 onwards starting at Y3000194.

Anybody ID the CTA "test bus" yet? Or for that matter the D40LF shell bus?

Andre

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