The Breakdown Thread

[sw4400]

I wonder if the CTA is cutting back maintainance in some ways.  I was on bus #5830 a week or two back and occasionally(especially after using the kneel function), you could hear and feel a loud "Thump" come from the left front wheelwell area in addition to the usual squeal these New Flyers seem to always have.  A few passengers were talking amongst themselves about that and I heard them say it sounded like the wheel was very loose or whatever holds the wheel to the bus was broken or breaking.  I hope they were wrong about that statement and if they weren't, I hope the CTA fixes this problem and is not cutting back maintainance on it's bus and rail fleet.

[Buslover88]

The CTA is cutting back Maintaince!? How Dare them!? Someone should Report them to the RTA and/or FTA!!! The CTA should Stop with the Cheap Labor!!! I would Sue if something went Wrong and I got Hurt.

[Busjack]

I would Sue if something went Wrong and I got Hurt.  

I thought you had, and I had given you instructions on notice of claim.

The CTA should Stop with the Cheap Labor!!!

I thought that the CTA's problem was that their labor was expensive. The real problem appears to be that while the CTA is applying its capital funds for bus rehabs (5830 was rehabbed), apparently this isn't being done wisely, or the funds are not available for normal day-to-day maintenance.

You were just being sarcastic?

[Buslover88]

No, I was not Scarcastic, and I am Sueing the CTA

[sw4400]

Last night, I boarded bus #6124 on the Eastbound 80 Irving Park run.  In order for the driver to get the bus going after activating the rear doors to let people out, he would have to place the gear in "N", then switch back to "D", otherwise the bus would not move.

[sw4400]

I was waiting to cross Damen this afternoon, and heading south is a CTA wrecker hauling bus# 5564 southbound from the rear.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't have thought too much of it, but the left rear tire on this bus was completely gone! Only the brake rotor was there.  I'm guessing 5564 is going to South Shops to either A) Get a new tire & wheel or Get scrapped or become a parts bus for the 5300 Series Flxibles that are still in good condition.

[MetroShadow]

This may be misposted, but I'd mention this for (1) the fact that the destination signs were messed up, (2) I'm going to seriously miss the 5300's, (3) bringing back the old days.

I was standing at Cicero/Montrose, waiting for the X54 (or local), and I saw 5492 stroll by. Its destination signs were frozen, but I was amazed they still had it.

It read: 41/KIMBALL BLUE LINE. That's right, the destination sign from way long ago on the elston route. it brought a tear to my eye for a quick second.

[cta6085]

Friday Night,I Saw A Truck Tow 5662 To The 103rd Garage

[sw4400]

Bus #6803 was Broke Down near the KFC/Taco Bell on the EB side of Irving Park Road yesterday.

[sw4400]

Bus #4577 was on the #11 a couple of days back.  The front doors would make the usual hissing sound when the driver pushes the door lever, but in order to exit or enter the bus, you have to either push or pull the doors open respectively.

[Busjack]

A driver at North Park said on a Yahoo forum that the 4400s are slow as hell, and rmadisonwi has said here a couple of times that North Park can't keep its 7500s running. I guess one can write off riding any NP routes (unless one gets the occasional 5800, maybe), and it looks like old or new, the taxpayers who funded the capital program (either the rebuilding of the old or the purchase of the new) are taking it in the teeth.

[sw4400]

Yesterday on the West side of Irving Park at Western was 6820.  The bus was involved in some sort of accident, however it wasn't major.  Mostly broken glass on the street and maybe a little front end damage.  Whatever caused it, however was nowhere around when my bus passed it.

[busfan4022]

When was this?

[sw4400]

Around 2p-2:30p Nov 12,2006

[busfan4022]

Yesterday on the West side of Irving Park at Western was 6820.  The bus was involved in some sort of accident, however it wasn't major.  Mostly broken glass on the street and maybe a little front end damage.  Whatever caused it, however was nowhere around when my bus passed it.

Oh I just saw bus 6767 broke down at Irving,and Campbell/Western

[busfan4022]

Around 2p-2:30p Nov 12,2006

A hour before I arrived at the scene.

[sw4400]

I was walking north on Lincoln Fri. night, when I saw a New Flyer sitting about a quarter-block from the eastbound Irving Park bus stop near Damen.  The bus destination sign said "50 Damen".  It kinda suprised me to see this bus on Irving Park Rd. when it seemed like the driver must've been having some mechanical problem with the bus.  I saw all the lights shut off except for the hazard flashers, then despite all the traffic, I thought I heard a restart and all the lights came back on.  Before I could go across to ask the driver what was wrong, the bus left and turned south on Damen.

Bus #-1132

[sw4400]

I was walking south on Lincoln Wed. night and sitting at the SB Lincoln/Irving Park stop was a NOVABus. It suprised me when I saw it there(North Park doesn't have any of them). I was figuring it was a broken down bus in some sense, despite that the engine was running. The LED displays said "Forest Glen Garage". I saw the driver come out of the Lincoln resturant nearby and get back into the bus, then he proceeded to take the bus west onto Irving Park Rd.

If there are any CTA bus drivers on this forum, I pose this question to you. Can an operator park a bus off route for a food/bathroom break?

Bus #-6803

[trainman8119]

I can assure that as an old Pace driver with ties to CTA and for that matter Metra too, no operator is allowed to go off route without permission of a road supervisor and/or central control. If a facility was available on route, there are allowances for bathroom emergencies, but unless something is on detour or temporary reroute, I am sure this driver was in violation of something.

[Busjack]

Aren't bus drivers entitled to lunch breaks? I remember you saying that a 270 bus sitting for 50 minutes at Golf Mill, per schedule (because the interline with 208 was broken), may have been because the driver was on lunch break. I've also seen people in Pace uniforms eating at fast food places around there.

[busfan4022]

there are allowances for bathroom emergencies

On the 87th route, I see bus drivers doing that all the time. They go into the Taco Bell at 87th and Cicero.

On route #97 Skokie, there was a bus driver who left his bus running with the doors open as left onto another bus. The replacing driver did not appear until 10 minutes later. The point is, anything thing could have happened to that bus, and no one was watching over it at all.

[cta_44499_FG]

I was walking south on Lincoln Wed. night and sitting at the SB Lincoln/Irving Park stop was a NOVABus. It suprised me when I saw it there(North Park doesn't have any of them). I was figuring it was a broken down bus in some sense, despite that the engine was running. The LED displays said "Forest Glen Garage". I saw the driver come out of the Lincoln resturant nearby and get back into the bus, then he proceeded to take the bus west onto Irving Park Rd.

If there are any CTA bus drivers on this forum, I pose this question to you. Can an operator park a bus off route for a food/bathroom break?

Bus #-6803

so long as he received permission to do so he was not in violation. he could of very well been getting in place (although that seems to be a strance place to get in place), but who knows. CTA operators are permitted to take a personal if its an emergency so long as the bus is secured and they take their personal belongings. we must call control both when taking and when clear so they can assess any kind of delay and report it to supervision for their attention.

[trainman8119]

Aren't bus drivers entitled to lunch breaks? I remember you saying that a 270 bus sitting for 50 minutes at Golf Mill, per schedule (because the interline with 208 was broken), may have been because the driver was on lunch break. I've also seen people in Pace uniforms eating at fast food places around there.

The key phrase in the original question was taking the bus off route to make the stop. Lunch breaks are figured into all runs, be it CTA or Pace. Sometimes it will mean securing the bus and having at it, somtimes it is getting off one bus and onto another. In any event, if you are making an emergency bathroom break, you are calling into dispatch for the okay.

[RIPTA42]

But how far off-route is "off-route"? Irving Park is a Forest Glen route; I wouldn't think that a Forest Glen bus parked at the corner of Irving Park & Lincoln would be that strange, regardless of what direction it was pointing.

[sw4400]

I wouldn't think that a Forest Glen bus parked at the corner of Irving Park & Lincoln would be that strange, regardless of what direction it was pointing.

If it was on Irving Park Rd., no. But the bus was on Lincoln Ave. That's why I think it's a little strange. :huh: