The Breakdown Thread

[Busjack]

This bus I don't know about... it's only 1-2 years old now and hasn't depreciated much right now... it depends on what the CTA wants to do once they get a dollar figure for repairs and compare it to the value of the bus.

Even if they do that, they would have to pay back the feds, since that was a Durbin grant. Easier to order a replacement.

[Kimball401]

Even if they do that, they would have to pay back the feds, since that was a Durbin grant. Easier to order a replacement.

thats very true

[jajuan]

Was riding NF 1877 on the 22 and its engine died just as the bus got past Berwyn. The bus is still sitting there in the middle of the street, so if anyone checks BusTracker and see 1877 marked as "DELAYED" going northbound that's the reason why. It's sitting in the middle of the street with a dead engine. Good thing I was close enough to home to walk the rest of the way.

[andrethebusman]

Here is an odd one - Monday saw wrecker 230 towing an artic (4049 I think - bit far to tell) going north on Harlem and turning west on Lawrence. Any ideas where it might have been going?

[sw4400]

I saw a CTA wrecker towing a Nova LFS NB on Lincoln a on 4/15/14 after 7p. Destination unknown, since NP isn't a Nova garage and Forest Glen is a ways west of Lincoln Ave.

[Busjack]

I saw a CTA wrecker towing a Nova LFS NB on Lincoln a on 4/15/14 after 7p. Destination unknown, since NP isn't a Nova garage and Forest Glen is a ways west of Lincoln Ave.

You didn't say where on Lincoln. Lincoln is congested, but to get to Foster, it probably doesn't make much difference if it had gone, say, Belmont and Elston instead of Lincoln and Foster.

[sw4400]

You didn't say where on Lincoln. Lincoln is congested, but to get to Foster, it probably doesn't make much difference if it had gone, say, Belmont and Elston instead of Lincoln and Foster.

Just before Montrose heading north on Lincoln.

[andrethebusman]

There have now been two sightings of a 4000 artic being towed by CTA north on Harlem and turning west on Lawrence. Where are they going? Does this have anything to do with the dozen or so 4000's (including several Bluebirds) sitting in the dead lines at South Shops among the derelict NABI artics. Is there a modification and/or recall of some sort involved?

[jajuan]

There have now been two sightings of a 4000 artic being towed by CTA north on Harlem and turning west on Lawrence. Where are they going? Does this have anything to do with the dozen or so 4000's (including several Bluebirds) sitting in the dead lines at South Shops among the derelict NABI artics. Is there a modification and/or recall of some sort involved?

I'm not seeing how with so many 4000 series artics still in service.

[andrethebusman]

I'm not seeing how with so many 4000 series artics still in service.

Of late an artic is a rarity on #6, and many 4300's are used on #14, even 1000's on a daily basis. Go by South Shops and take a look - a bunch sitting all lined up among the corpses. Most do seem to be 103rd's though, from what I could ID.

[Busjack]

Of late an artic is a rarity on #6, and many 4300's are used on #14, even 1000's on a daily basis. Go by South Shops and take a look - a bunch sitting all lined up among the corpses. Most do seem to be 103rd's though, from what I could ID.

There seem to be a question whether CTA is meeting the requirement of the grant that the Jump buses be "branded," which I assume was the purpose of the wraps. Are the 4300s wrapped?

Aside from that, as pointed out yesterday, 4000-4149 are on leases (fromerly Traxis, now PNC). CTA does not own them, and I assume has to maintain the collateral.

[jajuan]

Of late an artic is a rarity on #6, and many 4300's are used on #14, even 1000's on a daily basis. Go by South Shops and take a look - a bunch sitting all lined up among the corpses. Most do seem to be 103rd's though, from what I could ID.

Maybe something is going on with artics at 103rd, but 4000s at Kedzie, North Park, Chicago and now 77th, with the recent trades, are still holding up well. Plus if you're talking about 1000s being on the 6 on weekdays, that's been going on for months pretty much since the reopening of the Dan Ryan Red Line opened up a chance to put artics at Chicago. That route actually still sees mostly artics especially on weekends.So again too many 4000s overall are still in service overall to say anything else is going on besides a possibility that 103rd has artic issues.

[BusHunter]

Maybe something is going on with artics at 103rd, but 4000s at Kedzie, North Park, Chicago and now 77th, with the recent trades, are still holding up well. Plus if you're talking about 1000s being on the 6 on weekdays, that's been going on for months pretty much since the reopening of the Dan Ryan Red Line opened up a chance to put artics at Chicago. That route actually still sees mostly artics especially on weekends.So again too many 4000s overall are still in service overall to say anything else is going on besides a possibility that 103rd has artic issues.

Could be the issue is with the hybrid version of the #4300's model. 103rd just has hybrids and it would be more quickly recognized that there would be a problem when the #4000's are running the Jump service. I'll have to take notice if the few Kedzie #4300 hybrids are out there. If so at least they only have 33 buses to worry about.

[jajuan]

Could be the issue is with the hybrid version of the #4300's model. 103rd just has hybrids and it would be more quickly recognized that there would be a problem when the #4000's are running the Jump service. I'll have to take notice if the few Kedzie #4300 hybrids are out there. If so at least they only have 33 buses to worry about.

I think you got it backward buddy. I was responding to Andre's supposition that there's something going on with the 4000s at 103rd based on his observations of weekday use of 40 foot NFs on the 6 and 4300s at times making their way on to the J14. I was making the point that if there were a problem with 4000s, it's restricted to 103rd given 4000s at the other garages that have them are running fine. But to be honest, I think 40 foot buses on the 6 outside of weekends has more to do with 103rd having only about 45 total artics compared to the number of artics at the other garages that run artics on LSD routes, Kedzie still tending to hover at or close to 60 and North Park's number hovering about the 120 mark.

[andrethebusman]

There seem to be a question whether CTA is meeting the requirement of the grant that the Jump buses be "branded," which I assume was the purpose of the wraps. Are the 4300s wrapped?

Aside from that, as pointed out yesterday, 4000-4149 are on leases (fromerly Traxis, now PNC). CTA does not own them, and I assume has to maintain the collateral.

4080-4097,4099-4105 are branded (aka "bluebirds"), 4098 was apparently supposed to be wrapped, but does not seem to ever have been, though the "clean air bus" and "transitchicago.com" decals were removed. It is now at Chicago Av. No 4300's are wrapped.

[Busjack]

4080-4097,4099-4105 are branded (aka "bluebirds"), 4098 was apparently supposed to be wrapped, but does not seem to ever have been, though the "clean air bus" and "transitchicago.com" decals were removed. It is now at Chicago Av. No 4300's are wrapped.

Anyway, that looks like 15, while the schedule indicates that about 30 are needed for rush hour, so about 50% compliance.

[jajuan]

Anyway, that looks like 15, while the schedule indicates that about 30 are needed for rush hour, so about 50% compliance.

Well look at how the artics are divided up. 103rd only has 46 artics total, and half those get used on the 6. Plus you miscounted. 4080-4097 is 18 buses, and 4099-4105 is 7 more. That's 25 aritcs wrapped for Jeffery Jump, which about 83% compliance actually.

[Busjack]

Well look at how the artics are divided up. 103rd only has 46 artics total, and half those get used on the 6. Plus you miscounted. 4080-4097 is 18 buses, and 4099-4105 is 7 more. That's 25 aritcs wrapped for Jeffery Jump, which about 83% compliance actually.

I guess I did.

[BusHunter]

So I was on #6854 on the #77 and I smell this electrical smell like something is burning around the rear door. Next thing I know the bus was disabled at Broadway. I wonder what happened.

[Buslover88]

Strange that that happened BusHunter. I rode 6854 this morning on #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland around 7:30am and it seemed fine at that time. Must've started having issues throughout the day.

[pudgym29]

So I was on #6854 on the #77 and I smell this electrical smell like something is burning around the rear door. Next thing I know the bus was disabled at Broadway. I wonder what happened.

Did this occur on Saturday, the 21st? I managed to get only partially wet riding on #77 Belmont Saturday because the flash rainstorm hit the avenue while I was on the bus between Cicero & Halsted.

But, along the route, there were some railroad underpasses which got clogged. Perhaps operators drove too fast through some deep water, leading to an electrical failure.

[jajuan]

Well barely a week after getting transferred to NP, I spotted 4321 broke down and parked across the street from Water Tower Place this morning a bit north of the Michigan/Pearson bus stop.

[garmon757]

#6557 broken down @ Kimball/Lawrence. What's interesting about it was that I didn't know cta had Volvo tow truck(s).

[pudgym29]

Bus 2016 was crunched in its rear left panel northbound on route #54 Cicero @ School St. [Run C414]

It appeared operable, but there was both a police unit, and a CTA supervisor assisting its operator with the paperwork.

[sw4400]

Bus #1151 out of service @ Ashland and Irving Park southbound. Car hit rear quarter and got pretty badly smashed up(car). Bus had minor dent. Passerby alerted driver as she nor passengers on board heard the impact.