More Bus Moves

[BusHunter]

4141 is on #66 this afternoon.

Wow!! so it sounds like Chicago's #4300's are all gone, I had the roster up to #4138 at Chicago with 3 #4300 buses left but if #4141 is at Chicago then those last three #4300's #4379-77 must be at NP now. Np must be really starting to look like a sea of #4300's now.

[BusHunter]

Anyone interested in seeing a GM Articulated bus? This was designed in 1982 to test and demonstrate articulated buses for Hamilton Street Railway, Mississauga Transit, OC Transit and TTC(Toronto Transit Commission)

Bus is a Frankenbus of sorts made of the first 30' of a 35' GM New Look and the back half the last 25' of a 40' GM New Look. Bus had a redesigned front end that would eventually become the GM Classic front end.

53 total made

Engine: Detroit Diesel 8V71N

Transmission: Allison V735

Info page

Yeah that sure is crazy looking!! I'd like to see some interior shots to see how the seating layout was. I'm pretty sure there is a standard GM fishbowl artic on the net. Not something you see everyday.

[sw4400]

I personally haven't seen them except for last year on the #152(and I'm right near Addison). All I've seen thus far have been 4000's. They must be using them on #146 and #147, maybe #22 when they are used. I'm thinking eventually, NP will have 4333-4399. I don't see them taking 4300-4332 as well...

Still wondering about the Nova LFS Smart Buses... is Chicago the first stop for them, or is 7900 just there for testing on #65 Grand(which is the only route it has been on just in the early morning). Reports are a second LFS Smart Bus is at South Shops(I don't know if anyone here can get confirmation directly or through sources). I would speculate that bus is 7901 if true...

[TripleTransit1]

I personally haven't seen them except for last year on the #152(and I'm right near Addison). All I've seen thus far have been 4000's. They must be using them on #146 and #147, maybe #22 when they are used. I'm thinking eventually, NP will have 4333-4399. I don't see them taking 4300-4332 as well...

Still wondering about the Nova LFS Smart Buses... is Chicago the first stop for them, or is 7900 just there for testing on #65 Grand(which is the only route it has been on just in the early morning). Reports are a second LFS Smart Bus is at South Shops(I don't know if anyone here can get confirmation directly or through sources). I would speculate that bus is 7901 if true...

NP only has non-hybrid 4300s, as the Hybrids will remain at Kedzie and 103rd. NP uses the non-hybrids on the #146 and #147 for regular service, while the #22, #134, #135, and #136 use them for rush periods only.

[Busjack]

True, but if the motive is to use 4300s for shuttle service why give up ANY 4300s at all?...

I would question either the Blue or Orange shuttles being justification for any shifts, since the train lines are closed only on the weekends, when one would assume that there would otherwise be a surplus of buses. Thus, there must be something else going on.

[Busjack]

Yeah that sure is crazy looking!! I'd like to see some interior shots to see how the seating layout was. I'm pretty sure there is a standard GM fishbowl artic on the net. Not something you see everyday.

It appeared so. Also there were some GM bodied trolley buses, with ABB equipment (You Tube).

[artthouwill]

Anyone interested in seeing a GM Articulated bus? This was designed in 1982 to test and demonstrate articulated buses for Hamilton Street Railway, Mississauga Transit, OC Transit and TTC(Toronto Transit Commission)

Bus is a Frankenbus of sorts made of the first 30' of a 35' GM New Look and the back half the last 25' of a 40' GM New Look. Bus had a uluredesigned front end that would eventually become the GM Classic front end.

53 total made

Engine: Detroit Diesel 8V71N

Transmission: Allison V735

Info page

One would think the GMC RTS would've made for a better artic model, but at least the front end of this model was maintained and turned into the Classic.

[chgofan78]

I just rode a Red Line train that despite having postings that Harrison is closed this weekend and the platform having tons of equipment on it decided to stop and let passengers off anyways. To top that off, the operator had to be told twice to let the people back on the train so they could get off at Roosevelt.

[BusHunter]

I personally haven't seen them except for last year on the #152(and I'm right near Addison). All I've seen thus far have been 4000's. They must be using them on #146 and #147, maybe #22 when they are used. I'm thinking eventually, NP will have 4333-4399. I don't see them taking 4300-4332 as well...

Still wondering about the Nova LFS Smart Buses... is Chicago the first stop for them, or is 7900 just there for testing on #65 Grand(which is the only route it has been on just in the early morning). Reports are a second LFS Smart Bus is at South Shops(I don't know if anyone here can get confirmation directly or through sources). I would speculate that bus is 7901 if true...

well #7900 is officially assigned to chicago on the roster. There are getting to be quite a few #4300's at np but one weird thing all the cubs extras on the #152 have been 40 foot buses this week. Btw spotted #4379 on the #22 so I guess #4300's are gone from chicago garage. Also #1381 and #1897 are back at np.

[Busjack]

One would think the GMC RTS would've made for a better artic model, but at least the front end of this model was maintained and turned into the Classic.

Since it was mostly (or pretty much all) Canadian TAs interested it this, there was also the issue that the RTS wasn't approved for use in Canada until Nova bought the manufacturing rights. The Classic was basically a GM Canada invention. See cptdb.

Toronto went for the Orion III, which turned out to be a rust bucket Ikarus. See cptdb.

Finally, cptdb has a discussion about the GM New Look artic., apparently pushed, like most things, by the government of Ontario.

[garmon757]

The problem there is inherent on any route that doesn't go straight. From the perspective of someone at 69th, they want to go eastbound to South Shore, not southbound to the 95th Red Line station, or they would have stayed on the train.

Probably the bigger mess is that the 423 bus is marked as southbound, including the stretch on Sheridan from Linden to Winnetka, which is northbound, but the theory must have been that the Harlem segment (former 228) prevailed.

I have argued for the theory that destination signs on such a route should change en route (i.e. N5 not display 95-Red Line until 67th-Jeffery), but apparently it doesn't work that way. "Circulators" are the worst, such as the former 127, which one way said downtown and the other medical center, but never changed. There is something similar on Pace 354, which essentially says only Clockwise and Cntrclockwise, instead of Oak Forest via 147.

But the twisted part about N5 directions on the app that when I select westbound it would state the route going to 95th/Redline and Eastbound to 69th/Red Line in which that makes absolutely no sense. Indeed I don't like circulator routes myself especially route 505 going clockwise and counter clockwise to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet. I seriously don't understand how Pace created that route for 423. Now I could've accept it if it was going eastbound to Linden and Westbound to Harlem Blue Line or splitting it to two routes by keeping 228 between Glenview and Harlem Blue Line and 423 between Glenview and Wilmette (Linden).

[jajuan]

Since it was mostly (or pretty much all) Canadian TAs interested it this, there was also the issue that the RTS wasn't approved for use in Canada until Nova bought the manufacturing rights. The Classic was basically a GM Canada invention. See cptdb.

Toronto went for the Orion III, which turned out to be a rust bucket Ikarus. See cptdb.

Finally, cptdb has a discussion about the GM New Look artic., apparently pushed, like most things, by the government of Ontario.

Yeah cptdb pretty much says the Classic came they say as an updated version of the Fishbowl because the Canadian TAs really didn't like the RTS, which GM had decided to replace the Fishbowl models with in the United States during the late 70s/early 80s timeframe.

[Guest]

I just want to know why the unnecessary tagging???

I worked Fresh Moves for a brief period. It was an ok job. But I felt the program wasant going to last. For a while the buses sat at Bus/Truck at 33rd/Pulaski. That's probably where they were tagged since that lot is easy to access.

[jajuan]

But the twisted part about N5 directions on the app that when I select westbound it would state the route going to 95th/Redline and Eastbound to 69th/Red Line in which that makes absolutely no sense. Indeed I don't like circulator routes myself especially route 505 going clockwise and counter clockwise to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet. I seriously don't understand how Pace created that route for 423. Now I could've accept it if it was going eastbound to Linden and Westbound to Harlem Blue Line or splitting it to two routes by keeping 228 between Glenview and Harlem Blue Line and 423 between Glenview and Wilmette (Linden).

Well CTA had to replace the busier parts of the old 27 South Deering route, the 67 and 95E (Bill V incorrectly has 95W) with something after it cut owl service on those three routes back on February 2, 1992. At the time that CTA made those cuts to owl service, the segments covered by the N5 had a significant enough ridership, community political pull or both for CTA to leave the affected areas something as an alternative for owl service. Granted you don't like the solution they came up with, but those south side riders involved likely are glad to still have a bus that gets them to and from the Dan Ryan rail service (still at that time part of the Lake-Dan Ryan rail service) in the overnight hours. I'm sure it's the same for riders on the Pace side when it comes to the current version of the 423. They're simply glad to still have a bus serving North Harlem after Pace restructured service in the northwest burbs and after CTA left north Harlem completely to Pace by cutting 90N seven years after the Pace restructuring, both of those moves meant in part to be for Pace and CTA to get their operating costs in tune with their funding and farebox revenues. The way your app labels eastbound or westbound service on the N5 probably comes from how CTA labeled it in the past as the more recent versions of the system map labels it much along the lines you were thinking are less confusing, NB for buses to 69th/Red Line and SB for buses to 95th/Red Line.

[jajuan]

NP only has non-hybrid 4300s, as the Hybrids will remain at Kedzie and 103rd. NP uses the non-hybrids on the #146 and #147 for regular service, while the #22, #134, #135, and #136 use them for rush periods only.

Slight correction. 22 uses them weekday AM rush and early to late evenings and all day weekends. And they also show up on the 151 during the times NP operates artics on that route, which for that route can get to be an irregular deployment pattern as there are times the only artics on the route are from the Kedzie assigned trips and the next day just about all the buses are artics.

I would question either the Blue or Orange shuttles being justification for any shifts, since the train lines are closed only on the weekends, when one would assume that there would otherwise be a surplus of buses. Thus, there must be something else going on.

Agreed. The wanting to put the NP hybrids at the inside artic garages didn't completely explain it either given NP's artic count has hovered at about 120 since the start of the much maligned "De-Crowd Plan" pushed on riders by Claypool with Emmanuel's blessing, and the clean diesels would only cover 67 and still leave 53 hybrids at NP. Hence my statement to you that the outlets wouldn't exactly go unused. Though you are right that the grant you mentioned will have paid for 27 that will go unused with this recent shift in artics.

[BusHunter]

I just rode a Red Line train that despite having postings that Harrison is closed this weekend and the platform having tons of equipment on it decided to stop and let passengers off anyways. To top that off, the operator had to be told twice to let the people back on the train so they could get off at Roosevelt.

LOL!! I wish I was there, I would've been taking pictures of the work at the station!!

[garmon757]

LOL!! I wish I was there, I would've been taking pictures of the work at the station!!

I tried to take some shots last night while I was on the train but it was so damn bright that it would've been difficult to take some through a window.

[garmon757]

I worked Fresh Moves for a brief period. It was an ok job. But I felt the program wasant going to last. For a while the buses sat at Bus/Truck at 33rd/Pulaski. That's probably where they were tagged since that lot is easy to access.

Great volunteering work! That can be a factor but it wouldn't be evidential because of the simple fact that there's no cameras around the busses.

[garmon757]

Well CTA had to replace the busier parts of the old 27 South Deering route, the 67 and 95E (Bill V incorrectly has 95W) with something after it cut owl service on those three routes back on February 2, 1992. At the time that CTA made those cuts to owl service, the segments covered by the N5 had a significant enough ridership, community political pull or both for CTA to leave the affected areas something as an alternative for owl service. Granted you don't like the solution they came up with, but those south side riders involved likely are glad to still have a bus that gets them to and from the Dan Ryan rail service (still at that time part of the Lake-Dan Ryan rail service) in the overnight hours. I'm sure it's the same for riders on the Pace side when it comes to the current version of the 423. They're simply glad to still have a bus serving North Harlem after Pace restructured service in the northwest burbs and after CTA left north Harlem completely to Pace by cutting 90N seven years after the Pace restructuring, both of those moves meant in part to be for Pace and CTA to get their operating costs in tune with their funding and farebox revenues. The way your app labels eastbound or westbound service on the N5 probably comes from how CTA labeled it in the past as the more recent versions of the system map labels it much along the lines you were thinking are less confusing, NB for buses to 69th/Red Line and SB for buses to 95th/Red Line.

So do you think that having eastbound and westbound directions makes sense or not? Me and Busjack were discussing about 423 in another thread "Suburban bus trivia question" if you like to join the discussion.

[garmon757]

#4363 is part of the Orange Line shuttle as of right now.

[Sam92]

#4363 is part of the Orange Line shuttle as of right now.

Yeah I think 77th is running the shuttles cause I saw a bunch of artics with "Orange Line" signs pulling out plus 79th is running 1000's like last time the orange line closed

[garmon757]

Yeah I think 77th is running the shuttles cause I saw a bunch of artics with "Orange Line" signs pulling out plus 79th is running 1000's like last time the orange line closed

It's pretty much Kedzie's artics are dominating the shuttles for the Orange Line. I'll check back into that when I get back to Roosevelt this evening.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

I just rode a Red Line train that despite having postings that Harrison is closed this weekend and the platform having tons of equipment on it decided to stop and let passengers off anyways. To top that off, the operator had to be told twice to let the people back on the train so they could get off at Roosevelt.

Oops! I wonder if the operator accidentally stopped at Washington too.

[garmon757]

So here they are guys with the reconstruction @ Harrison. These weren't my best shots but hell, I can only do the best I can while my train was in motion. Around 11:15pm last night.

[BusHunter]

CTAweb has some pictures on Flickr of the Harrison reconstruction.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ctaweb/