More Bus Moves

[BusHunter]

#6551 and #6571 are on the #77. So looks like 22 buses came over at least.

[Guest]

Stimulus!!!! Give me a break! Unbelieveable how all the oldest CTA equipment is ending up at Forest Glen! CTA sending a handful of its beat up southside equipment to the northside??? Total B.S.!!!

[BusHunter]

Actually the Chicago #6500's run pretty well. Because they were a small fleet there, they were being maintained alot better. #6552 actually has the blue kneeling sticker on it and the seats have been put back in it. It runs better than some of the FG equipment!! It's the 77th #6400's that are really bad. I'd try to park those low #6500's from 77th. At least they had the sense to break those up three ways. If deliveries start soon Fg should get some new buses or rehabbed buses by about 8 months from now at the latest and if they don't get NF's they will have a new fleet. Like the Rolling Stones say "Time is on there side".

[jajuan]

Jajuan, if you do the math, Chicago has 82 novas now. If Chicago transferred 91 NF's to FG to mothball the first year novas at FG then Chicago would have 173 #7900 novas. They only have a fleet like Fg of around 255. Same for 74th, 137 buses plus 91 equals a possible 228 #7900 novas there or 3/4 of there fleet also. Or let Fg receive half the #7900 order or more logically ship 91 NF's back to Fg from 77th and get some battle shields for 77th if they are having safety issues. The last option is what I see happening, then then don't have to touch FG until the next Nova bus option and they could do a more even split of new buses.

That still does not answer the question of why loading a lot of 7900s at any one garage is necessary. With the NFs (40 footers), yeah you're going to have that kind of setup because there are 1050 of them minus the few 900s that couldn't be repaired for whatever reason there was getting parts and whatever few 1000s that were involved in wrecks. Either way, that's still a little over half the total bus fleet so of course you're going to have garages where just by the numbers NFs are the only 40 foot bus model on hand. Beyond that I see them staying with their historical move of having an even split if they add 77th back into the mix along with the other three, especially if they do the option which I too doubt they won't want to exercise. I see no need to do any transfers of NFs to FG until AFTER some replace of older model Novas for 7900s at FG is done. So under what I'm thinking, you knock out 6400s with 7900s at Chicago first for example. Then move on to 74th and do the same thing. After that you hit FG, which if they do in fact exercise that other option, there should be enough 7900s to knock out the bulk of them. Now if they want to add 77th back in then, they can tweak things by delivering an extra 20 to 30 7900s to what's needed to knock out older Novas at Chicago while transferring a like number of NFs back to 74th to keep the count of 7900s at each at approximately 112 give or take a one or two. They then also would need to transfer about 100 NFs from 77th back to FG while delivering 7900s at one and then the other to keep the counts even while expanding to those two. Either way I don't find it necessary to stack any one garage that gets 7900s and isn't FG at 3/4 or more of their 40 foot or total bus counts.

[ChicagoNova]

Oh yes! FG is now taking care of 76 Diversey!

[andrethebusman]

My sources tell me that the reason 6400's were evicted from 77th is that 6400's are substantially slower than 1000's and thus were contributing to 77th having a lot of big gaps in service and thus garage management wanted them gone. This is also why 77th artics are almost exclusively on 79th St - so they do not screw up other streets. No official word on where 7900's will go yet, but where 6400's currently are is NOT to be taken as an indication.

[BusHunter]

Wow!! That's really nice, I guess they don't even care about Belmont or the north side for that matter. So that does sound correct that 77th may get #7900's if they are not too slow. With that kind of thinking I'm surprised FG didn't end up with all the Optimas.

In a way i like the garage setup now, Fg totals are on average the same as other garages. Only Kedzie and NP are in 280 plus territory with 103rd having the least around 240. Diversey though is going to have a few problems until everyone gets used to it. One common mistake is operators when going wb to logan square blue line make the dropoff service stop on sacremento/milwaukee turn nw and go up milwaukee and never turn into the station. I bet I'll see that again now.

[sw4400]

I beg to differ. You have three garages with all the 6400's. I think 77th could've manned up for another month and dealt with slow Novas(they're not that slow, BTW... they're just used to the New Flyers there, but each has a different powertrain. Run a Nova on Irving Park between Oak Park and Harlem without a stop and it goes as fast as it did in the early 2000's). I think this was a command decision from CTA Corporate, as they are "setting the table" for the 7900's. This setup gives all sides of the city equal spread of 7900's... Forest Glen(North/Northwest Side & Evanston), Chicago and 74th(South Side routes, including #9 Ashland... the longest route in Chicago). 77th is getting rehabbed buses, faster buses. So now they want even faster buses? Now the New Flyers aren't good enough for them after pulling them from Forest Glen for a lame reason? Deal with what you got, 77th!

I still believe Forest Glen, 74th and Chicago will get the 7900's. Forest Glen should be first to get them because they have a fleet age of 12+ years, then it's just a question of whether 74th or Chicago gets the next batch after Forest Glen is done. If they split the 300 three ways, then 100/garage.

77th has 47 rehabbed New Flyers with more being done. They're in good shape there...

77th:
#1048 (11/28/13), #1051 (2/28/14), #1054 (3/12/14), #1056 (2/24/14), #1058 (2/11/14), #1061 (3/11/14), #1068 (12/20/13), #1069 (1/11/14), #1073 (3/3/14), #1083 (3/19/13), #1085 (1/30/14), #1087 (3/3/14), #1089 (3/9/14) mechanical rehab only, #1091 (12/13) mechanically rehabbed, #1092 (2/19/14), #1093 (2/17/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1094 (1/20/14), #1095 (1/8/14), #1096 (12/28/13), #1097 (12/16/13), #1098 (11/13), #1099 (3/15/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1102 (3/8/14), #1103 (1/22/14), #1112 (1/21/14), #1152 (3/7/14), #1156 (2/17/14), #1158 (1/29/14), #1161 (1/6/14), #1191 (3/11/14), #1196 (2/23/14), #1197 (12/28/13) mechanical rehab, just missing LED interior lights), #1221 (2/17/14), #1222 (3/16/14), #1226 (3/20/14, mechanical rehab only), #1227 (3/23/14), #1230 (3/22/14), #1232 (1/2?/14) mechanical rehab only, #1233 (1/24/14), #1234 (1/29/14), #1236 (3/5/14), #1239 (3/3/14), #1258 (3/17/14), #1259 (late 1/14), #1260 (12/13) mechanical rehab only, #1263 (3/5/14), #1275 (3/5/14), #1276 (3/22/14), #1284 (3/3/14), #1285 (3/7/14), #1286 (12/31/13), #1288 (3/7/14) mechanical rehab only, #1291 (2/27/14), #1292 (11/7/13) mechanical rehab only, #1294 (12/14/13), #1296 (3/12/14), #1298 (2/27/14), #1941 (3/17/14), #1955 (12/15/13 just has the upgraded LED interior lights), #1961 (just has the updated interior LEDs lights early 1/14)

From Kevin's Chicagobus article on the 1000's here:

Delivery of the new buses will begin in January 2006 and continue through the rest of next year. The buses will replace more than half of the 1991 Flxible Metro series buses currently in use.

The New Flyers first were assigned to Flxible(5300) assigned garages to retire them, then they were assigned to TMC(4400) assigned garages to retire them. That was the CTA's intention, that's where they went to.

From Kevin's Chicagobus article on the 7900's here:

This is the CTA’s second purchase of LFS models from manufacture Nova Bus. From 2000-2002, CTA received delivery of 484 Nova LFS models, dubbed the 6400-Series. Those buses will largely be retired upon delivery of the new models.

Like the New Flyers in 2006, look for these buses to be assigned wherever the 6400's lie. As was with the New Flyers, this too is the CTA's intention. If 77th really wants to get 7900's, bite the bullet and swap 6400's for 1000's from FG now!

[garmon757]

77th has 47 rehabbed New Flyers with more being done. They're in good shape there...

77th:

#1048 (11/28/13), #1051 (2/28/14), #1054 (3/12/14), #1056 (2/24/14), #1058 (2/11/14), #1061 (3/11/14), #1068 (12/20/13), #1069 (1/11/14), #1073 (3/3/14), #1083 (3/19/13), #1085 (1/30/14), #1087 (3/3/14), #1089 (3/9/14) mechanical rehab only, #1091 (12/13) mechanically rehabbed, #1092 (2/19/14), #1093 (2/17/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1094 (1/20/14), #1095 (1/8/14), #1096 (12/28/13), #1097 (12/16/13), #1098 (11/13), #1099 (3/15/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1102 (3/8/14), #1103 (1/22/14), #1112 (1/21/14), #1152 (3/7/14), #1156 (2/17/14), #1158 (1/29/14), #1161 (1/6/14), #1191 (3/11/14), #1196 (2/23/14), #1197 (12/28/13) mechanical rehab, just missing LED interior lights), #1221 (2/17/14), #1222 (3/16/14), #1226 (3/20/14, mechanical rehab only), #1227 (3/23/14), #1230 (3/22/14), #1232 (1/2?/14) mechanical rehab only, #1233 (1/24/14), #1234 (1/29/14), #1236 (3/5/14), #1239 (3/3/14), #1258 (3/17/14), #1259 (late 1/14), #1260 (12/13) mechanical rehab only, #1263 (3/5/14), #1275 (3/5/14), #1276 (3/22/14), #1284 (3/3/14), #1285 (3/7/14), #1286 (12/31/13), #1288 (3/7/14) mechanical rehab only, #1291 (2/27/14), #1292 (11/7/13) mechanical rehab only, #1294 (12/14/13), #1296 (3/12/14), #1298 (2/27/14), #1941 (3/17/14), #1955 (12/15/13 just has the upgraded LED interior lights), #1961 (just has the updated interior LEDs lights early 1/14)

Make it 48 and counting. Mechanical rehabbed #1154 with its license plates missing from the back.

[Sam92]

This is also why 77th artics are almost exclusively on 79th St - so they do not screw up other streets.

Thats not really a good enough reason to pull artics from Cottage, King Drive, Halsted, and 87th especially when the artics that ran those routes STILL ended up SRO at times. NP runs artics on plenty of narrow streets. Marine Dr, is a super narrow street with 3 artic heavy routes along with clark yet they still pull it off. The streets that the 3, 4, 8 and 87th run on have much more room than those streets and I've never had much of an issue with crowded streets when 77th was running them in larger numbers compared to up north where I'd have to wait for a bus ahead to make a turn or pull over to be able to drive around them. personally I believe they pulled that reason out there *** to justify keeping excessive amounts of artics at NP and K which have barely been using the extras for the purpose they were assigned. I barely see artics on Western anymore in the rush so might as well let them go back south where we actually put them to use :P

[jajuan]

I beg to differ. You have three garages with all the 6400's. I think 77th could've manned up for another month and dealt with slow Novas(they're not that slow, BTW... they're just used to the New Flyers there, but each has a different powertrain. Run a Nova on Irving Park between Oak Park and Harlem without a stop and it goes as fast as it did in the early 2000's). I think this was a command decision from CTA Corporate, as they are "setting the table" for the 7900's. This setup gives all sides of the city equal spread of 7900's... Forest Glen(North/Northwest Side & Evanston), Chicago and 74th(South Side routes, including #9 Ashland... the longest route in Chicago). 77th is getting rehabbed buses, faster buses. So now they want even faster buses? Now the New Flyers aren't good enough for them after pulling them from Forest Glen for a lame reason? Deal with what you got, 77th!

I still believe Forest Glen, 74th and Chicago will get the 7900's. Forest Glen should be first to get them because they have a fleet age of 12+ years, then it's just a question of whether 74th or Chicago gets the next batch after Forest Glen is done. If they split the 300 three ways, then 100/garage.

77th has 47 rehabbed New Flyers with more being done. They're in good shape there...

77th:

#1048 (11/28/13), #1051 (2/28/14), #1054 (3/12/14), #1056 (2/24/14), #1058 (2/11/14), #1061 (3/11/14), #1068 (12/20/13), #1069 (1/11/14), #1073 (3/3/14), #1083 (3/19/13), #1085 (1/30/14), #1087 (3/3/14), #1089 (3/9/14) mechanical rehab only, #1091 (12/13) mechanically rehabbed, #1092 (2/19/14), #1093 (2/17/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1094 (1/20/14), #1095 (1/8/14), #1096 (12/28/13), #1097 (12/16/13), #1098 (11/13), #1099 (3/15/14) mechanically rehabbed only, #1102 (3/8/14), #1103 (1/22/14), #1112 (1/21/14), #1152 (3/7/14), #1156 (2/17/14), #1158 (1/29/14), #1161 (1/6/14), #1191 (3/11/14), #1196 (2/23/14), #1197 (12/28/13) mechanical rehab, just missing LED interior lights), #1221 (2/17/14), #1222 (3/16/14), #1226 (3/20/14, mechanical rehab only), #1227 (3/23/14), #1230 (3/22/14), #1232 (1/2?/14) mechanical rehab only, #1233 (1/24/14), #1234 (1/29/14), #1236 (3/5/14), #1239 (3/3/14), #1258 (3/17/14), #1259 (late 1/14), #1260 (12/13) mechanical rehab only, #1263 (3/5/14), #1275 (3/5/14), #1276 (3/22/14), #1284 (3/3/14), #1285 (3/7/14), #1286 (12/31/13), #1288 (3/7/14) mechanical rehab only, #1291 (2/27/14), #1292 (11/7/13) mechanical rehab only, #1294 (12/14/13), #1296 (3/12/14), #1298 (2/27/14), #1941 (3/17/14), #1955 (12/15/13 just has the upgraded LED interior lights), #1961 (just has the updated interior LEDs lights early 1/14)

From Kevin's Chicagobus article on the 1000's here:

Delivery of the new buses will begin in January 2006 and continue through the rest of next year. The buses will replace more than half of the 1991 Flxible Metro series buses currently in use.

The New Flyers first were assigned to Flxible(5300) assigned garages to retire them, then they were assigned to TMC(4400) assigned garages to retire them. That was the CTA's intention, that's where they went to.

From Kevin's Chicagobus article on the 7900's here:

This is the CTA’s second purchase of LFS models from manufacture Nova Bus. From 2000-2002, CTA received delivery of 484 Nova LFS models, dubbed the 6400-Series. Those buses will largely be retired upon delivery of the new models.

Like the New Flyers in 2006, look for these buses to be assigned wherever the 6400's lie. As was with the New Flyers, this too is the CTA's intention. If 77th really wants to get 7900's, bite the bullet and swap 6400's for 1000's from FG now!

Though I agree with you that 7900s might be going where the 6400s are, I see you're still stuck on this idea that CTA pulled all those Novas from 77th as a move to get ready for the 7900s when the basic history of how bus models have been delivered to CTA points to the contrary. Whatever the real reason Novas got pulled from 77th, getting ready for the newer model just is not it in my opinion. As I've pointed out before, CTA has never done a huge shift of bus assignments BEFORE a new model went into service. It's always been afterward and often times when a current garage taking on new deliveries gained a significant number of that new model. So the just because the 7900s are coming starting in the next few weeks, I just don't see that as the reason for the previous big shift of buses let alone it being the sole reason.

[garmon757]

Just spotted #1422 on #65 as of right now!

[jajuan]

Thats not really a good enough reason to pull artics from Cottage, King Drive, Halsted, and 87th especially when the artics that ran those routes STILL ended up SRO at times. NP runs artics on plenty of narrow streets. Marine Dr, is a super narrow street with 3 artic heavy routes along with clark yet they still pull it off. The streets that the 3, 4, 8 and 87th run on have much more room than those streets and I've never had much of an issue with crowded streets when 77th was running them in larger numbers compared to up north where I'd have to wait for a bus ahead to make a turn or pull over to be able to drive around them. personally I believe they pulled that reason out there *** to justify keeping excessive amounts of artics at NP and K which have barely been using the extras for the purpose they were assigned. I barely see artics on Western anymore in the rush so might as well let them go back south where we actually put them to use

NP doesn't even put them all to use on the artic heavy routes up here to the point that they're completely artic covered except on weekends (that have a low snow impact of course), nor does Kedzie. 143 (K) and 148 (NP) are run with all 1000s in the morning rush and mostly (but not all) artics in the afternoon rush. 22 isn't all artic during the evenings as much as it used to be. There are still a good number of 40 footers on the route in the evening. Weekends on the route during low snow days aren't all artic either. A good number of the 147's rush hour short trips that start/end at Devon/Broadway have been done with 40 foot buses as of late. The same goes for the 146's rush hour short trips. Those have been becoming increasingly more often by a 40 foot bus. Depending on the weekday, 135 and 136 can see up to a 50% split between artics and 1000s. So yeah I agree there are times that I think NP especially has more artics than it knows what to do with. Kedzie has gotten better at making more efficient use of the artics it has on hand, but that's after its artic count dropped from a net total hovering around 70.

[jajuan]

Just spotted #1422 on #65 as of right now!

Which places you a few minutes southeast of the Division and Homan area and in the southern part of Humboldt Park based on where 1422 is now. Anyway not seeing anything else that was North Park operating on a Chicago garage route beyond that one so far.

[BusHunter]

#1428's on the #53. #1421 on the #72

[garmon757]

Which places you a few minutes southeast of the Division and Homan area and in the southern part of Humboldt Park based on where 1422 is now. Anyway not seeing anything else that was North Park operating on a Chicago garage route beyond that one so far.

I was on Grand/Milwaukee/Halsted when I saw it.

[garmon757]

#1428's on the #53. #1421 on the #72

I wonder if Chicago is going about it it's original 2007 format which is 1330-1429.

[BusHunter]

#1333 is on the #73.

[garmon757]

#1333 is on the #73.

I saw that myself by the Brown Line.

[Sam92]

I saw that myself by the Brown Line.

where arent you at dude? Lol im surprised we haven't bumped into each other yet :lol:

[garmon757]

where arent you at dude? Lol im surprised we haven't bumped into each other yet

LOL I'm nearly everywhere as possible I did bump to one of the members on here and came to find out that he is one of my coworkers!!! A small world I tell you!

[Sam92]

LOL I'm nearly everywhere as possible I did bump to one of the members on here and came to find out that he is one of my coworkers!!! A small world I tell you!

wooooow a co-worker? lol with 2 of these members being 103rd drivers I wonder if I bumped into them already and dont know it lmao

[garmon757]

wooooow a co-worker? lol with 2 of these members being 103rd drivers I wonder if I bumped into them already and dont know it lmao

You'll never know until you ask lol :p

[Sam92]

You'll never know until you ask lol

Lol start getting on every run outta 103rd and ask "are you a chicagobus member?" lmao maybe we should continue this in the inbox cause we just went waaaay off topic lol

[garmon757]

Lol start getting on every run outta 103rd and ask "are you a chicagobus member?" lmao maybe we should continue this in the inbox cause we just went waaaay off topic lol

Agreed