More Bus Moves

[jajuan]

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.

Well the northbound and southbound directions that CTA uses on the system maps for the N5 make more sense actually. Interestingly enough for some odd reason though, when it comes to BusTracker CTA decided to go with the eastbound westbound directions but in the reverse of your transit app eastbound to 95th/Red Line and westbound to 69th/Red Line.

[andrethebusman]

There were at least three experimental RTS artics built. One complete one was at APTA, and GM production records how two more. There was no offical model, and the one at APTA was called a "T70204+T80204". Series were in the EXP series that GM used for one-off experiments.

[Guest]

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.

Well I wouldn't say it was volunteering work since I was paid to drive their bus. It was fun but brief! At least I had the opportunity to reunite with an old Forest Glen bus, #6127! And now with my recent move to the CFD academy, Im now reunited with other buses I formerly operated. NF #5826 and Flx #6163!

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Lately when I've been passing the Forest Park yard on the Blue Line, there have been some 2600s with Green Line signs. I know the Blue and Green Line share the same roll sign, but I'm not sure why the cars would be set to say "Harlem" when the Green Line doesn't need to borrow the 2600s anymore.

Edit: Looking at Garmon757's successful iPhone photos has influenced me to get an iPhone 5S soon. If the cars are still around Forest Park, I'll try to get pictures of them.

[garmon757]

Well I wouldn't say it was volunteering work since I was paid to drive their bus. It was fun but brief! At least I had the opportunity to reunite with an old Forest Glen bus, #6127! And now with my recent move to the CFD academy, Im now reunited with other buses I formerly operated. NF #5826 and Flx #6163!

Now that's just very awesome to hear!

[BusHunter]

#6558 just passed me on the #77. I think that explains the #1418 sighting at Chicago. So much for the nf extras at fg. Wow someone must really not like nf's at FG!!

[garmon757]

Well this is very interesting to see. The secret compartment of the signage controls thanks to the driver opening it to change the sign to Not In Service while I was on #22 this morning.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Today I was on Taylor Street when a 157 bus came by, and I noticed it had both sets of headlights on (it was a D40LF). Previously I had seen this once on a #8 or #60 bus that was on Halsted (reroute). Does anyone know what the brighter light set is for/why it was on? I was in a car that's somewhat low to the ground, so the lights were almost in my face.

[sw4400]

Today I was on Taylor Street when a 157 bus came by, and I noticed it had both sets of headlights on (it was a D40LF). Previously I had seen this once on a #8 or #60 bus that was on Halsted (reroute). Does anyone know what the brighter light set is for/why it was on? I was in a car that's somewhat low to the ground, so the lights were almost in my face.

Like a car, the second set of lights are what they call "brights" which are typically used for dense fog(pea-soup thickness). Whoever got the bus set up(the Operator or Garage employee), must've put the brights on.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Like a car, the second set of lights are what they call "brights" which are typically used for dense fog(pea-soup thickness). Whoever got the bus set up(the Operator or Garage employee), must've put the brights on.

Oh OK, thanks. That makes sense.

On another note, I noticed another bus trying to turn onto Taylor later on, and at least two cars were trying to cut the bus off. That, the recent axe attack on a bus driver screen, and the pressure about the Ventra cards for the bus drivers has me feeling bad for them.

[andrethebusman]

4188-4192 P to 7 for 4356-4360

4134-4141 P to C for 4377-4384

6558-6560 C to F

1417-1419 P to C

6522 ret from C

[strictures]

Like a car, the second set of lights are what they call "brights" which are typically used for dense fog(pea-soup thickness). Whoever got the bus set up(the Operator or Garage employee), must've put the brights on.

No, never use the brights in fog, just the low beams. The brights will just reflect off the water droplets in the fog back to you.

[BusHunter]

Here's a weird one. While going down the Brown line this #3200 train starts pinging and won't stop. Then it stops pinging for about 30 seconds at Montrose and starts to run normally only to start the whole process over. I uploaded a video so you can hear it. Anyone know what this is? Sounds like a submarine!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunNFfS5Cgk&feature=youtu.be

[jajuan]

Oh OK, thanks. That makes sense.

On another note, I noticed another bus trying to turn onto Taylor later on, and at least two cars were trying to cut the bus off. That, the recent axe attack on a bus driver screen, and the pressure about the Ventra cards for the bus drivers has me feeling bad for them.

I just read about that axe attack from one of the links on the homepage. Thank God this driver had a D40LF and had the shield closed. Any members still want to say they don't see the shields being of much value now? If not for that shield that poor operator could have been decapitated. Even though it shattered, it saved the operator's life. I'd hate to think what might have happened if this crazy psycho had boarded a route that still has the 6400s in abundance. Speaking of shields, I boarded 1752 earlier this week on the #9, and that bus was missing the larger shield door. I was surprised to see that because all the 1630s are supposed to be retrofitted with the larger shields as 1000-1629 have.

[Busjack]

I just read about that axe attack from one of the links on the homepage. Thank God this driver had a D40LF and had the shield closed. ....

That came up a couple of days ago, and since most of the reports were that the "shield shattered," it isn't clear that the shield, rather than the lumberjack's lack of intent to complete the battery, saved the driver.

[BusHunter]

and the pressure about the Ventra cards for the bus drivers has me feeling bad for them.

That is ridiculous, it should be three swipes, then they can start asking for a cash fare. My card still does the three swipes bug. The Ventra is working but still has a few bugs. It's not the flawless system everyone believes it is. All that rule is going to do is start arguments. I don't see what the problem is in letting people swipe as much as they want. As in the Tattler comments, putting extra money on your pass so it works is ludicrous. That's when you start up your engines (as in car) because it now costs the same and is way more convenient.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Here's a weird one. While going down the Brown line this #3200 train starts pinging and won't stop. Then it stops pinging for about 30 seconds at Montrose and starts to run normally only to start the whole process over. I uploaded a video so you can hear it. Anyone know what this is? Sounds like a submarine!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunNFfS5Cgk&feature=youtu.be

I'm not sure, but I don't like that car-to-car door at the other end of the car...

[TripleTransit1]

I saw a #65 on Cicero at North Ave. and a #82 at Chicago Ave. and Kedzie. I started to think that they were rerouted, but then I looked on CTA's website and saw nothing in their bus alerts list.

[TripleTransit1]

Here's a weird one. While going down the Brown line this #3200 train starts pinging and won't stop. Then it stops pinging for about 30 seconds at Montrose and starts to run normally only to start the whole process over. I uploaded a video so you can hear it. Anyone know what this is? Sounds like a submarine!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunNFfS5Cgk&feature=youtu.be

Well it obviously can't be an alarm to notify the operator that that door is wide open.

[BusHunter]

Nope as it was shut at montrose and I rode to diversey. It was coming from the motercab. No one would sit by it. I think we were all concerned what it was. I asked someone who knows all about CTA railcars and they said the sound couldn't be identified.

[jajuan]

That came up a couple of days ago, and since most of the reports were that the "shield shattered," it isn't clear that the shield, rather than the lumberjack's lack of intent to complete the battery, saved the driver.

True the attacker's not pressing the attack played some part, but my point is the fact that the shield was there in combination with the guy not pressing the attack saved the operator's life.

That is ridiculous, it should be three swipes, then they can start asking for a cash fare. My card still does the three swipes bug. The Ventra is working but still has a few bugs. It's not the flawless system everyone believes it is. All that rule is going to do is start arguments. I don't see what the problem is in letting people swipe as much as they want. As in the Tattler comments, putting extra money on your pass so it works is ludicrous. That's when you start up your engines (as in car) because it now costs the same and is way more convenient.

Not saying that you (and Cheryl from the CTA Tattler) haven't been running into remaining bugs and I'm in no means letting CTA of the hook of any responsibility in this, but at the same time it's sounding like there is some confusion from some of whether the bad read has the "Insufficient Fare" message or the "Card unreadable" message or something to that effect. Plus I'm also seeing a lot of people gravitating to their respective views of what they perceive to be going on and closing their minds off for any room to consider if there are other elements occurring simultaneously when the truth probably is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of all the opposing views. In other words, I think there actually is a combination of bugs still in the system, some folks not paying attention to the warning that online loads and reloads can take up to 20 to 30 minutes to reflect on a transit account (a point I noticed Busjack raised on the Tattler), and some deadbeats out there trying to use past and present bugs to scam the system all happening simultaneously. CTA's not adequately policing Cubic's side of the contract from the start contributed to all this confusion, and the operators and those riders who want to do the right thing are caught in the middle of this mess. And CTA management being heavy handed against the operators just because the bugs aren't occurring to the high degree that they were after the initial rollout sure as heck isn't helping matters.

[BusHunter]

Whoa, I read about the axe attack. That's some scary $ hit. Now if that was a nova that would be really scary. Maybe they need these #7900 tank sneeze guards after all!!

[jajuan]

Whoa, I read about the axe attack. That's some scary $ hit. Now if that was a nova that would be really scary. Maybe they need these #7900 tank sneeze guards after all!!

Told ya. And the fact that it happened on the 49B further validates Garmon's point that all the garages unfortunately have potential for operators running into crazies with no side of town having a monopoly on psycho passengers and that pushing the 6400s that were previously assigned to 77th on to other garages wasn't necessarily a bright idea since all it did was increase the ratio of buses with no shields at those affected garages, in FG's case the ratio being 100% buses with no operator shield.

[sw4400]

I thought this was a CTA incident because it was uploaded to People Of The CTA, but it actually occurred in Brooklyn, NY on May 5th... all I can say is wow.... here we are in 2014, and there are ignorant people like this antagonist who want to throw the 1950's back into everyone's faces. Absolutely unbelievable behavior from this senior citizen, and I use that term loosely because of his attitude. I would lose all respect for this guy after this...

Video

[BusHunter]

Told ya. And the fact that it happened on the 49B further validates Garmon's point that all the garages unfortunately have to potential for operators running into crazies with no side of town having a monopoly on psycho passengers and that pushing the 6400s that were previously assigned to 77th on to other garages wasn't necessarily a bright idea since all it did was increase the ratio of buses with no shields at those affected garages, in FG's case the ratio being 100% buses with no operator shield.

Yeah but I don't get running novas 24/7. You know Chicago garage seems to doing pretty good at that keeping the novas in on the weekends. I would just split up the novas and run those on the trippers. I doubt some psycho is riding in the rush and if they were the passengers would most likely intervene. It's these night/evening runs that I'd be concerned about because you are just increasing the chance for something bad to happen. No way should routes like the #77 be running night car Novas. I remember back in the day when Fg got what was left of the first part of the #5300's flxible order. (#5477-#5544) With just those 70 buses what they did was run those exclusively on the #81, #77 and #56 which I believe ran all night back then. Doing that could keep alot of novas off the street at night when they don't need to be out there. When they had 128 nova buses back in 2002, they could keep all the older buses off the street on the weekends. Just something like that will help to keep your operators safe. I know there's alot of crazy drunks on the #152 after these ball games and St. Patrick's day is really bad. They could eliminate alot of chance just removing the older buses in the non rush.