Whats is left for 1993 Orion 1s from Pace

[rotjohns]

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!

Hmmm, the most likely place it came from was NW since it is getting rid of them, slowly but surely. Now the only other active place that has 40-foot Orions is Naperville. You'll have to let us know what bus number it is to know where it came from. And judging by that, it does look like the Orions will be at North for a while as they must be preparing the school runs for the upcoming year. You probably won't see them gone until it's determined if the 22 40-footers from Eldo (or wherever if Pace doesn't like what it sees from 2010) come in to replace the 99 Nabis. Then North will likely see those.

[BusExpert32]

The Orion I's up at the"cage"in Deerfield as of 7-29-10 are 2278,2280,2281,2284 and 2350.

Eldorado's in the"cage" are 2650,2651,2652,2656,2659 and 2661.I personally saw 2315 on the 696 today@NWTC.

The 696 has had at least one Orion I every day its been run since February 8, 2010, when Northwest got the route. I've noticed that the eastbound trip from Harper College at 1:32 p.m. that comes from the garage to start its operating day there is always an Orion I. Today it was 2315. Of course other runs on the 696 have seen Orions I too, just not every single time like this one (which goes back west from Randhurst mall at 2:41 p.m.).

[Busjack]

The Orion I's up at the"cage"in Deerfield as of 7-29-10 are 2278,2280,2281,2284 and 2350.

Eldorado's in the"cage" are 2650,2651,2652,2656,2659 and 2661....

And in a week it will be entirely different.

[BusExpert32]

Hmmm, the most likely place it came from was NW since it is getting rid of them, slowly but surely. Now the only other active place that has 40-foot Orions is Naperville. You'll have to let us know what bus number it is to know where it came from. And judging by that, it does look like the Orions will be at North for a while as they must be preparing the school runs for the upcoming year. You probably won't see them gone until it's determined if the 22 40-footers from Eldo (or wherever if Pace doesn't like what it sees from 2010) come in to replace the 99 Nabis. Then North will likely see those.

North Shore has 40 ft. Orion Is also.

[Busjack]

North Shore has 40 ft. Orion Is also.

True. Or they could be redirected from South Holland or Ravinia.

Like I have always said, only the guy who sends the paperwork to 834 knows.

[rotjohns]

Here's a real oddity. 2349 is on the 213 today. On a Saturday? North Shore must be experiencing a shortage today because that's rare.

[qwantae]

Here's a real oddity. 2349 is on the 213 today. On a Saturday? North Shore must be experiencing a shortage today because that's rare.

Or maybe some driver probably a huge fan of Orion I, and enjoying the last minute of driving them before they're history. But I would like to know what's going on with North Shore's Nova Classics, I've not seeing any of them on webwatch over 2 months.

[Guest]

Yesterday was first time in a while that I got to operate a 40ft Orion in service. I had #2293 on the #606, it was a painfully slow bus! It drove just terrible! I couldnt wait to pull it back into the yard.

[rotjohns]

Or maybe some driver probably a huge fan of Orion I, and enjoying the last minute of driving them before they're history. But I would like to know what's going on with North Shore's Nova Classics, I've not seeing any of them on webwatch over 2 months.

Well there's nothing official as of yet and until it is, it's purely speculation. But we've been saying that the Nova Classics have only been showing up at SW and only 3 of them are showing as active there. At this point, I would have to think that unless there is a mind-boggling situation that a Nabi or something else goes down, the Nova Classics at NS are history.

[rotjohns]

Yesterday was first time in a while that I got to operate a 40ft Orion in service. I had #2293 on the #606, it was a painfully slow bus! It drove just terrible! I couldnt wait to pull it back into the yard.

Guess I won't try to ride that bus then...lol. 2290 probably isn't that much better.

[Guest]

Guess I won't try to ride that bus then...lol. 2290 probably isn't that much better.

Even with the a/c turned off it wouldnt move very fast. As for #2290, it looked like it ran good. It seemed like it had good acceleration when I saw it at Rosemont.

[BusExpert32]

Well there's nothing official as of yet and until it is, it's purely speculation. But we've been saying that the Nova Classics have only been showing up at SW and only 3 of them are showing as active there. At this point, I would have to think that unless there is a mind-boggling situation that a Nabi or something else goes down, the Nova Classics at NS are history.

If you want to see a Nova Classic at SW, they're always out when the White Sox are playing weekday home games in the summer. The next CWS home weekday games are on August 10, 11, and 13. The US Cellular Field express routes out of SW, 774 and 775, will be using a lot of Orion VIs.

[rotjohns]

Orion I's 2370&2378 are now @S.Holland in the Park&Ride lot.

Sad to see....I remember riding 2378 in Wood Dale once upon a time and it ran so well.

[rotjohns]

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

2293 is not out on Webwatch today. They might have listened to CTA5750 and canned it. But who knows. The number of Orions are shrinking, there's even less of them out today on Webwatch. Pace834 might be busy the next couple of weeks processing all the Orions that will be arriving.

[BusHunter]

#2321 is showing up today on the #230. I haven't heard of that bus in a long time. I wonder where it came from as it's not on anyone's roster.

[Guest]

2293 is not out on Webwatch today. They might have listened to CTA5750 and canned it. But who knows. The number of Orions are shrinking, there's even less of them out today on Webwatch. Pace834 might be busy the next couple of weeks processing all the Orions that will be arriving.

It is still operating, it was running mon. I will be out there this afternoon on the #606. UPDATE!!! #2293 was in the shop, thats why it didnt show up on WebWatch. I just saw it a few minutes ago at Academy.

[BusExpert32]

Orion I's 2370&2378 are now @S.Holland in the Park&Ride lot.

So Northwest's Orion I total is unfortunately decreased to 13--- 2315, 2321, 2324, 2351, 2352, 2354, 2358, 2360, 2363, 2365, 2366, 2368, and 2369. Although, I still don't know what happened to 2371.

[rotjohns]

So Northwest's Orion I total is unfortunately decreased to 13--- 2315, 2321, 2324, 2351, 2352, 2354, 2358, 2360, 2363, 2365, 2366, 2368, and 2369. Although, I still don't know what happened to 2371.

Given the Eldos are currently up to 2781 active at NW, that means to take out these remaining buses, they'd have to go to 2794. Then it could get interesting if NW gets all the El Dorados because now what do you do with the Orion VIs. SW anyone?

I continue to see 93 Orions running the 610 during morning rush hour, but no doubt that'll change to Orion VIs once the remaining Eldos take out the 93 Orions.

[Busjack]

Given the Eldos are currently up to 2781 active at NW, that means to take out these remaining buses, they'd have to go to 2794. Then it could get interesting if NW gets all the El Dorados because now what do you do with the Orion VIs. SW anyone?

I continue to see 93 Orions running the 610 during morning rush hour, but no doubt that'll change to Orion VIs once the remaining Eldos take out the 93 Orions.

As I indicated, North Shore probably will get about 15, since most of its 2278-2282, 2284, 2285 are still around, plus 4 or 5 in the 2339-2350 range.

Also, I don't have the paperwork, but I would guess that since a couple of NS's 6200s were on runs that usually had 2600s, a couple of the 6200s might go to Academy to take care of the two still there.

Then the question would be what takes care of the Orion Is in North, a couple left in Westmont, and the Classics at SW. We're sort of assuming that garages that don't have Orion VIs now won't get them, but that isn't assured. Maybe the biggest question is what goes to North.

[Guest]

Orion #2293 is still active at Academy. It was in the shop the last couple days, that why you didnt see it on WebWatch.

[BusHunter]

So Northwest's Orion I total is unfortunately decreased to 13--- 2315, 2321, 2324, 2351, 2352, 2354, 2358, 2360, 2363, 2365, 2366, 2368, and 2369. Although, I still don't know what happened to 2371.

What happened to #2357 and #2364? If the Eldos at NW go into the orion VI's (maybe a few) a couple will most likely head to SW to take care of the Nova Classics. I think that the orion VI's will go to a new place if enough of them get displaced at NW. They could send a few to North. Or if they really wanted to keep the same bus types around at the same garages, they could always send a few orion VI's to West. West has plenty of NABI's to spread around to places like North.

[rotjohns]

What happened to #2357 and #2364? If the Eldos at NW go into the orion VI's (maybe a few) a couple will most likely head to SW to take care of the Nova Classics. I think that the orion VI's will go to a new place if enough of them get displaced at NW. They could send a few to North. Or if they really wanted to keep the same bus types around at the same garages, they could always send a few orion VI's to West. West has plenty of NABI's to spread around to places like North.

Nah, I think Busjack is right. North Shore already has a few El Dorados. No reason to believe they won't get more. And they sure don't need all them 6200s up there. I think they will send a couple to Academy, maybe more if they wanna get rid of some of the 6600s there and send them to West or even south. Plus don't forget, the 326 doesn't show up on Webwatch. One would wonder what buses NW has running that route? Then there's the Orions at North 2332-2339?? Could some 6200s head there also?

[BusHunter]

the 326 doesn't show up on Webwatch. One would wonder what buses NW has running that route? Then there's the Orions at North 2332-2339?? Could some 6200s head there also?

The #326 runs Eldos now about half the time. As far as NW and the eldos, it all depends on whether they want to run those same routes all eldo or half eldo. They could probably finish off the 1993 orions and still have extra 40 foot buses for the smaller ridership routes. At NS the #213 definitely needs the 40 foot NABI's. It all depends if there are more routes that could use a smaller bus there.

[Busjack]

At NS the #213 definitely needs the 40 foot NABI's. It all depends if there are more routes that could use a smaller bus there.

As far as routes that could use a larger bus, it is basically 213, maybe 215, 626, and maybe 2 of 631-635.

The only other question is school runs.

Other routes (most Shuttle Bugs, 210, 421-423) at least usually have some ElDorados on the North Shore runs, and, except for the school runs, it would seem that would be adequate.

[rotjohns]

Although I'm not in the loop, it looks like the 1993 Orions are no longer at 1st student in Westmont. The only 3 that were left were 2276, 2283, and 2291. But I went over to the Westmont Metra station today and the 662, which was run by 2276, is now ran by Nabi 6610, a former Academy bus. That route only has one bus so that's it. Then I went to Clarendon Hills Metra Station to see about 2283 and 2291. 6611 now runs the 663 (it took 2283's spot) and 6649 runs the 664, which has been there for a long while. No other Orions showed up. To be sure, I stopped over to 1st student to see all the buses come in. No Orions showed up at all and there were none in the garage. Where 2276, 2283, and 2291 have gone is still TBD.