Whats is left for 1993 Orion 1s from Pace

[Guest]

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

Seems like theyre mostly rusting out in the rear corners and engine area from what Ive noticed.

[Busjack]

Seems like theyre mostly rusting out in the rear corners and engine area from what Ive noticed.

The 2000s weren't much different. At least these lasted 17-18 years, as opposed to the 13 for most of the 2000s.

[Guest]

I found a nice 8X10 picture on Ebay of an 8700 Pace Orion. If you look it up, youll see it for sale.

[Busjack]

I found a nice 8X10 picture on Ebay of an 8700 Pace Orion. If you look it up, youll see it for sale.

That looks like a candidate for a Leno "sold or not sold." Not even a model, and one could right click and download it if one wanted.

[twyztdmynd]

3:04 p.m. on 240

[Busjack]

Well, they are still around.

I guess I implied elsewhere that I tooled around South Holland yesterday. With regard to the ones Pace 834 mentioned were there, the most recent ones are outside the fence in the 888 Park and Ride lot. I thought that 888 wasn't stopping there anymore, based on the South Cook restructuring, but that timepoint is still on the posted schedule.

Anyway, Pace is going to have to figure how to get the ElDorados out and the Orions in (or vice versa).

[rotjohns]

Well, they are still around.

I guess I implied elsewhere that I tooled around South Holland yesterday. With regard to the ones Pace 834 mentioned were there, the most recent ones are outside the fence in the 888 Park and Ride lot. I thought that 888 wasn't stopping there anymore, based on the South Cook restructuring, but that timepoint is still on the posted schedule.

Anyway, Pace is going to have to figure how to get the ElDorados out and the Orions in (or vice versa).

South Holland's Park and Ride is still active although the last time I was there on a weekday, there were very few cars parked there so it doesn't surprise me that some of the Orions were parked outside the fence. There's still quite a few Orions around, the majority of the time during rush hour. Occasionally, you'll find one on the 223 late evenings like I did the other day.

[BusExpert32]

Well, they are still around.

............

Anyway, Pace is going to have to figure how to get the ElDorados out and the Orions in (or vice versa).

Of course they're still around. If the total of in service Orion Is/Nova Classics was around 50-60* buses last week, there's no way they wouldn't be around this week with Pace's methodical bus acceptance and replacement. And being a high floor bus fan, I obviously like it.

*30 more Orions than that if you count the Ravinia Park music festival shuttles

[Busjack]

Of course they're still around. If the total of in service Orion Is/Nova Classics was around 50-60* buses last week, there's no way they wouldn't be around this week with Pace's methodical bus acceptance and replacement.

Considering that there are about 50 Eldorados to go out, then it about works. So much for my saying that they might have over ordered.

[BusExpert32]

Considering that there are about 50 Eldorados to go out, then it about works. So much for my saying that they might have over ordered.

But it's going to be many months before they're all in revenue service, so posts about how the Orion Is are still around will continue for a long time. A few Orions or Nova Classics will probably still be in revenue service for a while after all the Eldorados are in service until those new 40 footers arrive at South Holland.

[Busjack]

A few Orions or Nova Classics will probably still be in revenue service for a while after all the Eldorados are in service until those new 40 footers arrive at South Holland.

Given that the 2000s were (especially given that it was a couple of years later than we thought when the 2120s finally left 626 for Ravinia) that's possible. However, with the shrinkage at Academy resulting in First Student Westmont having some of their Orions taken back, I personally don't see Orion Is sticking around, especially that, for the first time in recent Pace history, we are talking about 17-18 year old buses, not 12 year ones, and Pace is real adamant that it has to get the uneconomical old buses off the road and replace them with more fuel efficient smaller ones. Also, we don't know what it means that NS Nova Classics have been off the road, but SW ones haven't. Nonetheless, and we both note, Pace South Holland is sure slow getting the new ones out.

Of course, if you define revenue service, as Pace does, as including Ravinia, that could be for another 3 years (probably until the 6000s start retiring). Heck, they still have 8900s, which now would be 20 years old (as they predate the ADA). Enjoy a concert tonight!:lol:

[Guest]

Given that the 2000s were (especially given that it was a couple of years later than we thought when the 2120s finally left 626 for Ravinia) that's possible. However, with the shrinkage at Academy resulting in First Student Westmont having some of their Orions taken back, I personally don't see Orion Is sticking around, especially that, for the first time in recent Pace history, we are talking about 17-18 year old buses, not 12 year ones, and Pace is real adamant that it has to get the uneconomical old buses off the road and replace them with more fuel efficient smaller ones. Also, we don't know what it means that NS Nova Classics have been off the road, but SW ones haven't. Nonetheless, and we both note, Pace South Holland is sure slow getting the new ones out.

Of course, if you define revenue service, as Pace does, as including Ravinia, that could be for another 3 years (probably until the 6000s start retiring). Heck, they still have 8900s, which now would be 20 years old (as they predate the ADA). Enjoy a concert tonight!

We should be getting rid of our last two Orions soon. We'll see!

[rotjohns]

Checking Webwatch during rush hour this morning, there's not a lot of Orions out like normal and the Eldos are now up to 2775. It won't be too much longer before they are all gone. I'm giving it by the end of the summer.

On a side note, I was talking to one of the Lisle Pace drivers the other day while waiting for a friend coming in from downtown (nice man too!). He used to drive Orion 2277, but it's A/C busted while he was on the route and it was 90+ degrees that day. So they had to pull it from service and ultimately they decided to send it packing. He now drives 6607, one of the Nabis formerly from Academy. He also said the rest of the Orions, which there are only 3 now, will be pulled by the end of August if not sooner once they get replacements for them.

[BusExpert32]

Checking Webwatch during rush hour this morning, there's not a lot of Orions out like normal and the Eldos are now up to 2775. It won't be too much longer before they are all gone. I'm giving it by the end of the summer.

On a side note, I was talking to one of the Lisle Pace drivers the other day while waiting for a friend coming in from downtown (nice man too!). He used to drive Orion 2277, but it's A/C busted while he was on the route and it was 90+ degrees that day. So they had to pull it from service and ultimately they decided to send it packing. He now drives 6607, one of the Nabis formerly from Academy. He also said the rest of the Orions, which there are only 3 now, will be pulled by the end of August if not sooner once they get replacements for them.

The Cubs don't have any home games this week, so the absence of the 282 results in a lot less buses needed on the road at one time from Northwest.

Also, Busjack reported that 2277 was at Ravinia.

[Busjack]

The Cubs don't have any home games this week, so the absence of the 282 results in a lot less buses needed on the road at one time from Northwest.

Also, Busjack reported that 2277 was at Ravinia.

His statement only was directed toward animosity toward a certain north side team on the south side. The sign had nothing to do with the 282 shuttle, but just is a PR sign put up. Friction could have been avoided by displaying GO BEARS!!! BTW, I haven't seen a GO HAWKS!!! sign on a Pace bus, not to prove that one didn't exist.

As far as 2277 was at Ravinia, rotjohn's post explains why it was there and not in Westmont. I guess the concert goers had to sweat on the bus, but it is an outdoor concert, anyway.

[BusExpert32]

His statement only was directed toward animosity toward a certain north side team on the south side. The sign had nothing to do with the 282 shuttle, but just is a PR sign put up. Friction could have been avoided by displaying GO BEARS!!! BTW, I haven't seen a GO HAWKS!!! sign on a Pace bus, not to prove that one didn't exist.

As far as 2277 was at Ravinia, rotjohn's post explains why it was there and not in Westmont. I guess the concert goers had to sweat on the bus, but it is an outdoor concert, anyway.

That was in the Pace 2010 thread. My post in this topic had nothing to do with that topic. Rotjohns mentioned less Orion Is out today, so I gave my two cents about the 282 not being in servce this week, which means all those Orion VIs they use on that route are free for use on other Northwest routes. That decreased the chances of seeing a few Northwest Orion Is.

[BusExpert32]

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.

2337 has been on the 272 today.

[BusExpert32]

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.

Where is the 1st student Westmont bus lot? 1st student Naperville lot as well?

[Busjack]

Where is the 1st student Westmont bus lot? 1st student Naperville lot as well?

Phone book usually indicates this.

Westmont one is on 63rd Street west of Cass Ave.

Google says that the Naperville one is on Ramm Drive, which looks like Normantown Road north of 91st. However, the phone number doesn't seem to match the one on the schedule.

[rotjohns]

Phone book usually indicates this.

Westmont one is on 63rd Street west of Cass Ave.

Google says that the Naperville one is on Ramm Drive, which looks like Normantown Road north of 91st. However, the phone number doesn't seem to match the one on the schedule.

To answer Busjack's thought, yes I have seen GO HAWKS on the Pace buses in the western suburbs, but you didn't really see it until they got to the Stanley Cup Finals. Usually other than that, I hadn't seen it either. The Naperville 1st Student is on Route 59 just south of 95th Street I believe (google maps doesn't give a clear directions and the website doesn't even state the address).

[Railwaymodeler]

Pace North #2338 was out and about today. I asked the driver why he got an Orion, and he said all the other buses available were 6600s, and he really did not want one of those.

Apparently there have been some issues with the 2400 series NABIs, from what I am gathering...

[Busjack]

The Naperville 1st Student is on Route 59 just south of 95th Street I believe (google maps doesn't give a clear directions and the website doesn't even state the address).

Thanks for the correction. The Google Map location is here.

I knew from the phone number that it had to be on the Will County side of Naperville, but the only one indicated by a Google Search turned out to be the wrong one.

[rotjohns]

Thanks for the correction. The Google Map location is here.

I knew from the phone number that it had to be on the Will County side of Naperville, but the only one indicated by a Google Search turned out to be the wrong one.

Yeah it definitely is the Will County side because Plainfield is literally less than a mile away from there.

Looking at the google map, the top of the page looks like Eldos. It's normally where they are parked. But I don't see bus numbers at the top. But look at the left of the building on that Google map. Could those 2 buses sitting there be 2 Orions? They look pretty long to be a school bus. Also at the bottom of the map towards the center, it looks like 2 more Orions. If that's the case, remember a few weeks ago I reported that 2316, 2317, 2318, and 2305 were still running around in Naperville (along with 2274 which I can't tell from the map). They might all still be there. There's also what looks like an Orion at the bottom left.

[Busjack]

Yeah it definitely is the Will County side because Plainfield is literally less than a mile away from there.

Looking at the google map, the top of the page looks like Eldos. It's normally where they are parked. But I don't see bus numbers at the top. But look at the left of the building on that Google map. Could those 2 buses sitting there be 2 Orions? They look pretty long to be a school bus. Also at the bottom of the map towards the center, it looks like 2 more Orions. If that's the case, remember a few weeks ago I reported that 2316, 2317, 2318, and 2305 were still running around in Naperville (along with 2274 which I can't tell from the map). They might all still be there. There's also what looks like an Orion at the bottom left.

Of course, one can't tell when the picture was taken. They certainly aren't live. However, I did note that roof numbers weren't visible. Even paratransits have big roof numbers, but you couldn't tell it here.

I sort of got the impression you did, with regard to what was parked where.

The picture of the Westmont lot also doesn't show roof numbers, except maybe blurry blue things at top magnification. Streetview does show a NABI.

[Railwaymodeler]

One of the drivers at Pace North told me that another 40' bus was requested for up here, and an Orion was sent to us. He doesn't know the unit number, except for that it is a 2300.

Looks like North will be having Orions for a while, if they sent one here from another division!