Whats is left for 1993 Orion 1s from Pace

[BusExpert32]

To make it more clear where these Orions are:

Northwest (18 buses): 2303, 2315, 2321, 2324, 2351, 2352, 2354, 2355, 2358, 2360, 2363, 2365, 2366, 2367, 2368, 2369, 2370, 2378

North Shore (14 buses): 2278, 2279, 2280, 2281, 2282, 2284, 2285, 2339, 2341, 2344, 2345, 2347, 2349, 2350

Academy (2 buses): 2290, 2293

[Guest]

To make it more clear where these Orions are:

Northwest (18 buses): 2303, 2315, 2321, 2324, 2351, 2352, 2354, 2355, 2358, 2360, 2363, 2365, 2366, 2367, 2368, 2369, 2370, 2378

North Shore (10 buses): 2278, 2279, 2280, 2281, 2284, 2285, 2339, 2344, 2347, 2350

Academy (2 buses): 2290, 2293

I cant believe most of these buses are almost twenty years old! Which buses did Westmont have?

[Busjack]

You are short at least a couple.2282, 2341 2345, and 2349 are still at North Shore (or at least physically seen by me in the last few days).

Westmont had 2273-2277, 2283, 2286, 2287, 2291 at one time or another. Don't know which ones rotjohns said were recently exchanged for NABIs.

[Railwaymodeler]

...This doesn't include the contractor routes in Lisle/Naperville or the ones that may still be in Waukegan running the school routes. They will be out of order:...

Theoretically the North Orions will be parked for the summer, but on Monday I saw an Orion on the 573 route. At least I assume it was the 573. I was at the light at Belvidere Road and Green Bay Road, and heading on Green Bay was an Orion. I was too far away to see a unit number though...

[rotjohns]

You are short at least a couple.2282, 2341 2345, and 2349 are still at North Shore (or at least physically seen by me in the last few days).

Westmont had 2273-2277, 2283, 2286, 2287, 2291 at one time or another. Don't know which ones rotjohns said were recently exchanged for NABIs.

I figured I would miss a few, like I said I was going by Webwatch and I didn't think all of them would show. Westmont only has 4 Orions left (2277, 2276, 2283, and 2291). 2274 was moved to Naperville, 2275 is retired, not sure what happened to 2276 or 2286-2287 but I'm guessing all of them are now retired. Naperville did still have 2295, 2305, 2316, 2317, & 2318, but the only bus I've seen in recent days out there is 2305 so I don't know if all of them are still there or not. Most of the Orions run the express Naperville Park-N-Ride routes, you won't see them at the Naperville Metra Station. Gotta go to Route 59 Station to see them.

[rotjohns]

Theoretically the North Orions will be parked for the summer, but on Monday I saw an Orion on the 573 route. At least I assume it was the 573. I was at the light at Belvidere Road and Green Bay Road, and heading on Green Bay was an Orion. I was too far away to see a unit number though...

They could be parked for good with the new Eldos starting to come out. I'd wonder if you might see some 40-foot Nabis from South Division get pulled to North to replace them and then send some Eldos south to replace them and put them in lower routes.

[Railwaymodeler]

An ElDorado is no good for replacing the Orions on school trippers. A 40' NABI is usually packed to the gills with kids as it is. a 30' bus will be a joke! I would think you might be right - South will likely send us more 40' NABIs (Which we could put to good use up here)

I talked with the North Division general manager a couple weeks ago, about intelligent restructuring of the runs, so that there would be runs that would do well with a 30' (The 562, which stays 562 all day long, is one such good candidate as it is, but some route, like the 572, might be packed on one trip out of the whole day, where the 572 leaves downtown, comes back three hours later, does a 564 then comes back downtown again as 568 to repeat cycle again. A run like that might be restructured to make better use of the equipment, but there are other factors in figuring a run that might be more important.

As it is, North only has two 40' NABIS, and could probably do with three or four more. Especially during school season.

[qwantae]

I spotted Orion 2378 (35 foot bus) pulling into Rosemont Blue Line Station working Route 610 Friday Afternoon rush hour. Is that bus an 1992 or only 1993 model of 35 foot bus?

[Busjack]

I spotted Orion 2378 (35 foot bus) pulling into Rosemont Blue Line Station working Route 610 Friday Afternoon rush hour. Is that bus an 1992 or only 1993 model of 35 foot bus?

One can't really tell, and I guess you would have to check the various people who have bus rosters for that. The Pace budget usually says 21 1992 35 foot Orions, but that isn't the paragon of accuracy, either (it has fluctuated on the numbers between the 2000 and 2001 Orion VIs, for instance).

[Guest]

I spotted Orion 2378 (35 foot bus) pulling into Rosemont Blue Line Station working Route 610 Friday Afternoon rush hour. Is that bus an 1992 or only 1993 model of 35 foot bus?

Im surprised #2378 never ended up at Academy, being the only 35ft Orion at NW.

[rotjohns]

Im surprised #2378 never ended up at Academy, being the only 35ft Orion at NW.

I kinda am too, because that bus was frequently used on an old route 601 that ran from the Wood Dale Metra stations to various companies throughout Wood Dale. It came from NW instead. Now that I see that and given Academy runs 616, which comes out of Itasca Metra (the very next station after Wood Dale), it would've made total sense. Same could've been said about 637, going from Wood Dale to Rosemont.

[Busjack]

WebWatch at least confirming two that I had mentioned:

Also, I'm seeing 2704 on what I believe are North Shore routes (421 Friday, 422 today), but they appear to be on short trippers,* and hence I can't be sure if it is actually NW runs, a transfer, or a loaner.

__________

*Checking an hour later, it was still out, so presumably has moved from NW to NS.

+++++++++++++++

Update: Another off the list, on 422, on a NW run:

[rotjohns]

Lately I've been seeing Orion Is running the 610 Prairie Stone Express, every single one during morning rush hour. Today is no exception. Any reason behind this?

[Busjack]

Lately I've been seeing Orion Is running the 610 Prairie Stone Express, every single one during morning rush hour. Today is no exception. Any reason behind this?

I'm sure that someone from Pace Northwest will tell you (just as other garage mechanics on this board have said) that the next one on the line goes out unless there is a special situation, like a 30 footer.* I bet that Orion Is go out until a couple of weeks before the last one is put on the for sale list. For instance, I mentioned that they weren't in storage at Lake Cook over the weekend, but they were all out on other NS routes on Tuesday. I expect the next question will be why they were on 213, and 6200s were on 423.

________________________

*pace2322 had said that there was a notice at South not to take a 35 footer out on 352 and similar routes, not that it was followed.

[rotjohns]

I was going to suggest Ravinia, and jesi didn't give his usual breakdown.

I tooled around there, and while I didn't see 2372, I did see 2277, 2297, and 2330, as well as a couple of 8900s. However, it was a classical music night, and that doesn't have the crowds.

2277 was in Lisle as recently as last week. The Nabis 6608-6611 must have replaced that and at least 1 other Orion. There are only 3 Orions left that I saw at 1st student in Westmont and none of them run the Lisle routes now. 2276 runs route 662, 2283 and 2291 both come out of the Clarendon Hills Metra Station.

[Busjack]

Northwest should still have #2371, #2318, #2319 and possibly #2328. I don't know if #2342 is still at North Shore. Then there should still be a few at North I know #2297 is there and i think I have seen #2332 and #2333 lately on Webwatch. #2336- #2338 could also still be around at North. Then if we follow the list Pace 834 has provided, Lisle could still possibly have #2316, #2317, #2274, #2276, #2277, #2283 and #2305.

I mentioned that some, including 2277 and 2297, were at Ravinia.

2342 was sold a couple of years ago.

The guy from North said that some Orions were there, but not coming out for the summer. We'll have to see what's there when school opens.

NOTE: After hitting reply in the other thread, I deleted there and moved this here. Rotjohns is correct that those having to do with remaining Orions go here, and the Academy thread should be limited to Academy.

[rotjohns]

I mentioned that some, including 2277 and 2297, were at Ravinia.

2342 was sold a couple of years ago.

The guy from North said that some Orions were there, but not coming out for the summer. We'll have to see what's there when school opens.

NOTE: After hitting reply in the other thread, I deleted there and moved this here. Rotjohns is correct that those having to do with remaining Orions go here, and the Academy thread should be limited to Academy.

Hmmm, the real question will be will they come out at all once school starts? Can't see an Eldo taking their place so we'll have to see what happens.

[rotjohns]

Lisle no longer has any Orions on their routes, nothing but 6600s now. 1st Student in Westmont is down to 3 Orions, 2276, 2283, and 2291 as of last week. 2 of them run routes out of the Clarendon Hills Metra Station, the other from Westmont Metra. If some 6600s get pulled from West in favor of Eldos (which is possible), then those 3 will be gone too.

[Railwaymodeler]

I mentioned that some, including 2277 and 2297, were at Ravinia.

2342 was sold a couple of years ago.

The guy from North said that some Orions were there, but not coming out for the summer. We'll have to see what's there when school opens.

NOTE: After hitting reply in the other thread, I deleted there and moved this here. Rotjohns is correct that those having to do with remaining Orions go here, and the Academy thread should be limited to Academy.

I think the guy you talked to from North (I think I know who he is too), is not entirely correct about North Orions coming out for the summer. Saw 2334 on the road doing the 561 last week, and 2332 on the 562 (I think it was), the same day.

So far as I was told, they were training a new driver, and that had something to do with it. Usually they get trained on Orions and NABIs both, I believe.

When I saw 2332, it had a driver I know on it, so it was not being used as a training bus at that time. Both 2332 and 2334 looked unusually clean, too, as did some of the NABIs.

[rotjohns]

Saw 2360 today in Schaumburg. Boy did that bus look bad.

[twyztdmynd]

2354 been on 240 pm rush lately. Can hear it leaving Golf Mill from Maine East !

[BusExpert32]

Saw 2360 today in Schaumburg. Boy did that bus look bad.

What do you mean by bad? I saw 2360 in Desplaines leaving the garage last Friday and nothing looked critical.

[rotjohns]

What do you mean by bad? I saw 2360 in Desplaines leaving the garage last Friday and nothing looked critical.

It looked rusted out in the front and back side. I suppose all the Orions look like that at this point though.

[rotjohns]

Are Orions 2318, 2328, and 2371 still at Northwest?

2318 was last seen by me in Naperville operating the Naperville or Route 59 Metra feeders. That was a couple of months ago, don't know if it's still there or not. 2316, 2317, 2299, and 2305 were also there too then.

[Busjack]

Also, 2328 was never in NW, but in North.