Jump to content

The Breakdown Thread


sw4400

Recommended Posts

They got some whopper bus bunching tonight. I saw 6 #77's in a pack and 5 #76's. Someone was complaining of no service to nature museum for 30 minutes. Right now I'm on this #152 that has no bus behind it for 52 minutes. Saw the 3 bus pack going east while I waited the 25 minutes for my bus. I wonder why the control center doesn't turn some of these bus. All three of these routes need reloads.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

This is becoming an all too familiar scene on the nw side because we are having to ride all the aged equipment while other garages have new or rehabbed buses! I personally have been seeing this all too often with FG buses! That's why CTA needs to be equal when it comes to new or rehabbed equipment distribution! They don't seem to understand when you run an area with most if not all older equipment the probability of breakdowns is bigger and passengers have to wait longer when a bus breaks down! New buses have reached every garage in the system with the exception of Forest Glen. They have run the same model buses for the last 12 years! And they continue to receive "hand me downs" while other garages receive new or semi new equipment. Im told 74th is the next garage to recieve new buses and then Chicago ave. I cant understand why CTA management is being pig headed about this!!! With 300 new buses coming online, theres more than enough in this order to cover all areas of the city not just one area! In the meantime, the nw side will continue to deal with incidents like in this picture!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is becoming an all too familiar scene on the nw side because we are having to ride all the aged equipment while other garages have new or rehabbed buses! I personally have been seeing this all too often with FG buses! That's why CTA needs to be equal when it comes to new equipment distribution! They don't seem to understand when you run an area with most if not all older equipment the probability of breakdowns is bigger and passengers have to wait longer when a bus breaks down! I cant understand why CTA management cant see this! With 300 new buses coming online, theres more than enough in this batch to cover all areas of the city not just one area! In the meantime, the nw side will continue to deal with incidents like in this picture!

But they can get better tow trucks though!!! That's backwards as hell but yeah man, it's getting really atrocious with the aging fleet. The question is, is management at Forest Glen playing a factor in why the garage is not up to par with better variety of buses??? I know a guy that works there and he told me that maintenance stated that they weren't getting any other buses.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But they can get better tow trucks though!!! That's backwards as hell but yeah man, it's getting really atrocious with the aging fleet. The question is, is management at Forest Glen playing a factor in why the garage is not up to par with better variety of buses??? I know a guy that works there and he told me that maintenance stated that they weren't getting any other buses.

Its just insane that with all the new bus and rail equipment, most of the city has access to it while one part of the city does not! Its clear CTA management has an issue with Forest Glen garage and the riders it serves in this part of the city!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its just insane that with all the new bus and rail equipment, most of the city has access to it while one part of the city does not! Its clear CTA management has an issue with Forest Glen garage and the riders it serves in this part of the city!

Maybe things will be better when Spring pick comes, which as someone informed me was the 29th of March. Until then, all we can do is hope that no more buses break down and CTA takes pity on FG.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know #6593 was a cold bus last week sunday. Didn't see it this week. The operator was driving it with a blanket or something over his legs. I haven't seen that since the early #1000's at Archer garage which the AC wouldn't turn off. Besides that I haven't really seen anything. They were also having a few issues with front doors. One bus wouldn't close and the operator was driving with the door open and one wouldn't open. But that was soon going to be a pullin and it was not on a high ridership route. If he was on the #77 he would've had to call that bus in because he would've been screwed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe things will be better when Spring pick comes, which as someone informed me was the 29th of March. Until then, all we can do is hope that no more buses break down and CTA takes pity on FG.

That's just it! CTA management shouldn't have to wait for buses to start breaking down at a particular facility before something is done about it! The ones who will be affected by this will be the riders! I doubt it has anything to do with pity! FG has always been the garage that has been given the least priority when it comes to revitalizing its equipment! Pig headed CTA management needs to understand that people ride buses ands trains in this part of the city too!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... FG has always been the garage that has been given the least priority when it comes to revitalizing its equipment! ...

As I noted before, certainly not between 2001 and 2007, when Kedzie was running former FG garbage. If anyone had any brains, K would have received the first 1000s, but that garage had to wait until A got its 110. That still gets to the issue whether supervision at 77th has inordinate internal clout compared to other garages.

FG also has the "equipment for outdoor storage problem" although I don't think that is the issue it was in 2001.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I noted before, certainly not between 2001 and 2007, when Kedzie was running former FG garbage. If anyone had any brains, K would have received the first 1000s, but that garage had to wait until A got its 110. That still gets to the issue whether supervision at 77th has inordinate internal clout compared to other garages.

FG also has the "equipment for outdoor storage problem" although I don't think that is the issue it was in 2001.

I dont doubt for one bit that 77th has all the clout! It would make more sense for CTA management to ship newer rehabbed NF to FG instead of equipping the garage with entirely the oldest buses in the fleet. Keeping beat up, 12 year old buses stored outdoors in the brutal Chicago weather only creates more issue of breakdowns and freeze ups. And who be affected??? the riders!!! Another outdoor storage facitlity, NP has seem to work out ok!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.... Another outdoor storage facitlity, NP has seem to work out ok!

But to a certain extent, its protection from the winter elements are the 80 outlets to plug in the hybrid buses to keep them charged to start in the morning. But I guess that doesn't explain the 164 1000s.

I still think there has to be an issue of disproportionate clout if 77th was able to dump all of its Novas before getting any new ones, with the result being that FG is all Nova at this time (and, as others have pointed out, dumping its artics, even though it had routes that could have used them).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

As crappy as this picture is, there's a purpose to it....

I was waiting for a cab or bus after work tonight and saw this bus operating #9 SB going to 95th, not an N9 going to 95th/Red Line. The only bus operating SB with that signage is #1759, so this would have to be the bus in the picture(I zoomed it all the way in to get the shot, but as you can see, it came out awful, but it is a cameraphone). The reason I took it was notice the right side lights on this bus? The bus had it's hazards flashing, the brake lights on due to pressure applied to the brake pedal, but the interesting thing is the bus is in "D", but the right reverse light is on! This bus has a wiring fault of some sort in order for that to be occurring.

post-10-0-10225000-1421999622_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As crappy as this picture is, there's a purpose to it....

I was waiting for a cab or bus after work tonight and saw this bus operating #9 SB going to 95th, not an N9 going to 95th/Red Line. The only bus operating SB with that signage is #1759, so this would have to be the bus in the picture(I zoomed it all the way in to get the shot, but as you can see, it came out awful, but it is a cameraphone). The reason I took it was notice the right side lights on this bus? The bus had it's hazards flashing, the brake lights on due to pressure applied to the brake pedal, but the interesting thing is the bus is in "D", but the right reverse light is on! This bus has a wiring fault of some sort in order for that to be occurring.

And I thought my mother had the same problem with her Impala! :lol: That is weird though but are you trying to get my dizzy looking at your shot??? :P:lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

I was waiting for a cab or bus after work tonight ....

Rahm wants you to take Uber.

So many things wrong on the bus it is hard to tell what went, but it may be the wiring harness, some computer fault, or maybe some mechanical system actually malfunctioning. Any mechanics on this forum?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I thought my mother had the same problem with her Impala! :lol: That is weird though but are you trying to get my dizzy looking at your shot??? :P:lol:

I guess smartphone zoom functions are not very good. I thought I might've been able to get the number in the zoom, but all I got was a headache and you getting nauseous offscreen. Next time, I'll leave the picture without zoom so I can at least get a somewhat clear picture of the bus, even though it'll appear tiny.

If you can read lines 9-11 on this, I didn't do any permanent damage anyways..... :blink:

post-10-0-41490400-1422041747_thumb.jpg

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

This winter must be hitting the fleet hard!

I got out of work about 7p last night to take the #9 home, and the wait was over 30 minutes for a NB bus(in below zero wind chills nonetheless having to stand on the street because the stop was snowed in still)! When the bus finally showed up(#1733), it wasn't super packed, but it had a fair amount of people on it. A lady waiting 45 minutes for the bus inquired to the bus driver about what was going on(I saw 4 SB back-to-back), he said the buses ahead of him(plural now, buses, not bus) all broke down. With 74th having rehabbed New Flyers and starting to get the newer series Novas, as well as the better condition Novas from FG, what is going on here.... this kind of scenario I can imagine on a FG route with the oldest in the fleet servicing it, not a 74th route.

I didn't inquire to him what buses as that would be like asking a manager at the store what operating system is running our cash registers.... most don't know the answer, even if you were to ask them more detailed questions(like in this case "Did the bus numbers that were broke down begin with a "1", "6" or "8" "? Or "Were they the new Novas?"

Maybe forum watchers/street watchers here might know.... anyone seen several buses NB on Ashland south of Chicago Ave. broke down(how far south, I don't know.... I'll say between 74th St. and Chicago Ave.)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As crappy as this picture is, there's a purpose to it....

I was waiting for a cab or bus after work tonight and saw this bus operating #9 SB going to 95th, not an N9 going to 95th/Red Line. The only bus operating SB with that signage is #1759, so this would have to be the bus in the picture(I zoomed it all the way in to get the shot, but as you can see, it came out awful, but it is a cameraphone). The reason I took it was notice the right side lights on this bus? The bus had it's hazards flashing, the brake lights on due to pressure applied to the brake pedal, but the interesting thing is the bus is in "D", but the right reverse light is on! This bus has a wiring fault of some sort in order for that to be occurring.

I thought I fired you!! :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Not sure this belongs here but yesterday about 11AM i observed artic 4191 being pulled by a CTA truck westbound on North ave in Glendale Heights.

Any Ideas where it was headed?

 

 

​This the the correct topic.

As Andre pointed out, some buses go for repairs to Inland Detroit Diesel in Carol Stream.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Busjack and Andre This makes sense if Inland Detroit Diesel is located South of North Ave as the driver changed from the middle lane to the outer lane as it approached  Carol Stream.

​BTW, looking at their home page, they have a CTA hybrid in the slide show/rolling images/whatever you call it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...