More Bus Moves

[Busjack]

Well I think it's just that those south siders are more skeptical riders than the north siders. If they ever get the Red line extension going what will they do when 1/4 of the bus service will probably go away? But you never know CTA might keep the service as is until noone notices and just slowly eliminate the double service. That might be a political hot potato but then again if CTA bows to pressure from the south side, the north side might not have much service when they do decide to cut service. Common sense what do you cut the #55A or the middle of the #11? CTA knows....

The last depends on what alderman has more clout. However, I'm sure the article was more about that service on 111 stinks (for instance). At least there, they made it direct instead of whatever dim idea it was to have a terminal at 112th-Corliss.

[BusHunter]

Hmm #6861 is on the #152 and it has an updated clever device

[sw4400]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

[peter.pyterek]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

4, 5

[jajuan]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

2-6. I was either too young or not yet born to have really observed #1 in use.

[Busjack]

1 to 5. 2 was the one Andre was asking about. The picture is not clear enough, but it looks like a FG transfer (or maybe C).

I also remember:

• Pre-1974 ones with route lines on the map.
• 1974 one that said "Bus," but otherwise like 1
• Rapid transit transfer printed by the turnstile.
• Transit cards with advertisements, the best being for Altoids referring to "mints in a can for people who ride in a can."

On the tokens, there were several series that alternated when the fare went up. One was bigger than the other. There was also a discount (similar to the Metra 10 ride ticket) if you bought a roll of 10 at a currency exchange.

[BusHunter]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

number 1 was used up to the mid 80's (I want to say 1987) when CTA started the 3 rides in two hrs transfer. Before that I believe it was all you could ride in an hour. I remember all of these. I have some different transfers of number 2, if that what Andre was looking for.

[jajuan]

The last depends on what alderman has more clout. However, I'm sure the article was more about that service on 111 stinks (for instance). At least there, they made it direct instead of whatever dim idea it was to have a terminal at 112th-Corliss.

Of course that kooky thing with 111 having the terminal at 112th/Corliss came about because of CTA having shaved down a lot of the service and service hours on what used to be the 104 down to the point of being rush hour only in its final form. Their solution oddly enough was to fold the portion of 104 north of its Bishop Ford Freeway (at that time Calumet Expressway) into 111, which before that for the sake of our younger members was a bidirectional loop along 111th and 115th streets between Vincennes and Cottage Grove if I'm remembering that right. The current realignment that makes it a more direct route and split 115 off as a separate route, came about mainly because of the Marshfield Shopping Center now being in place among far south side businesses, something that was not true 20 some odd years ago, probably closer to 30 at this point, when CTA made the odd move to fold much of the former 104 into 111.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

4, 5, and 6. I think #3 is still sold as memorabilia.

I also owned a Chicago Card Plus for like half a year before Ventra.

[BusHunter]

The #205 was on an express run today complete with artics!!

[Busjack]

number 1 was used up to the mid 80's (I want to say 1987) when CTA started the 3 rides in two hrs transfer. Before that I believe it was all you could ride in an hour. I remember all of these. I have some different transfers of number 2, if that what Andre was looking for.

The first ones of that type (around 1974, which said bus) were good for two hours (IIRC), or if it took longer than that to go cross town, 30 minutes per square.

The ones before that with the route lines (apparently predating CTA) were in a single direction and 10 minutes per (smaller) square, but didn't limit the number of transfers.

[Busjack]

The #205 was on an express run today complete with artics!!

cta 205 on an express run today.PNG

That don't look like Evanston.

Also, April Fools Day has been over for about 20 hours.

Must have been a hell of a programming mess up, as the run number doesn't match.

[Busjack]

Of course that kooky thing with 111 having the terminal at 112th/Corliss came about because of CTA having shaved down a lot of the service and service hours on what used to be the 104 down to the point of being rush hour only in its final form. Their solution oddly enough was to fold the portion of 104 north of its Bishop Ford Freeway (at that time Calumet Expressway) into 111, which before that for the sake of our younger members was a bidirectional loop along 111th and 115th streets between Vincennes and Cottage Grove if I'm remembering that right. The current realignment that makes it a more direct route and split 115 off as a separate route, came about mainly because of the Marshfield Shopping Center now being in place among far south side businesses, something that was not true 20 some odd years ago, probably closer to 30 at this point, when CTA made the odd move to fold much of the former 104 into 111.

I was aware of doing away with 104 (formerly 4A), and it seemed to make sense to give 115th direct access to 95th, but it is still beyond me why they gave only indirect service to 111th, instead of just running the bus north from 111th and Cottage, and having both clockwise and counterclockwise loops on 111th, Vincennes,and 115th. Marshfield Plaza provided a place to interline the current 111 and 115, but someone still must have figured out that instead of running one route to 112th and Corliss, both 111 and 115 should go to 95th, and in an inversion from the Crowd Reduction Plan, CTA would assume some Pace service (on King Dr.).

BTW, nobody still has figured out how to connect 111A with either 111 or 115, and I still bet that CTA is driving up the cost so it can get out of the contract.

[BusHunter]

That don't look like Evanston.

Also, April Fools Day has been over for about 20 hours.

Must have been a hell of a programming mess up, as the run number doesn't match.

That picture is real. Really!! This was at State/Washington. There was a #152 bus across the street on another artic. (I'm happy to see there still serving the loop) but when are you going to see a #205 sign on an artic. This is the first time for me and too tempting to not photograph.

BTW, anyone notice the traffic on Madison lately in the loop? They were completely stacked. It took #1819 3 light cycles to just make it from State to Dearborn. Isn't two lanes going to be the final brt setup? Wow, this has me wondering about this project. Is there anywhere they can put BRT without controversy? I suppose one could argue the buses are using those lanes too but there wasn't but like 2 buses from State to Clark when I was looking.

[geneking7320]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

I remember 1,2, and 3 [used monthly passes so not much use of 4 - 6]. Before the exact fare policy was implemented CTA did not use identical fareboxes on all its buses. Buses from 69th and Ashland used different fareboxes from those at 77th and Vincennes. The 69/Ashland buses' fareboxes seemed to favor tokens more than those at 77/Vincennes.

[Busjack]

I remember 1,2, and 3 [used monthly passes so not much use of 4 - 6]. Before the exact fare policy was implemented CTA did not use identical fareboxes on all its buses. Buses from 69th and Ashland used different fareboxes from those at 77th and Vincennes. The 69/Ashland buses' fareboxes seemed to favor tokens more than those at 77/Vincennes.

Before exact fare, certain buses had fare boxes and others didn't (you just put the fare on a wooden tray and the driver had to register it somehow and put it into the coin changer).

77th buses had what I think were Johnson Fare Boxes (something like this, but I thought they had a larger clear dome), one of the grinder kinds that registered the coins automatically, but the driver still had to put them in the coin changer. Around 1969 they were converted to have a vault on the bottom, but since they had the grinders, there was a slot in the vault for inserting dollar bills. That wasn't much of an issue when the fare was about 25 cents, but became one.

When exact fare became universal, the type of farebox illustrated in the video of 9799 became standard, and replaced the Johnson ones. Since I lived near 55th, those were the first ones on those buses. Originally they were green, and while I thought CTA got new beige ones, once the paint started peeling it became obvious that they were the green ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9c4I-d-Bmyo

[artthouwill]

#tbt. How many of these do you remember?

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoRTA/photos/a.446228514090.225436.356845049090/10152846317724091/?type=1&fref=nf

definitely #1 though I surely remember them all, especially #3

[BusHunter]

Whoa, #6877 is on the #77 and #6826 is on the #85. #6861 is still out there today, all with updated clever devices. I think someone must be running a fever or something at 74th.

[Busjack]

Whoa, #6877 is on the #77 and #6826 is on the #85. #6861 is still out there today, all with updated clever devices. I think someone must be running a fever or something at 74th.

Well, how many 8000s does it now have?

The real question was whether there was any point sending them to 74th in the first place.

[BusHunter]

Well, how many 8000s does it now have?

The real question was whether there was any point sending them to 74th in the first place.

70 or 71 #8000's. They should have around 60 #6400's. #6696 is still out there, the only non amber bus they run. #6473, #6485, #6486, #6690 have totally fell off the radar now for about 2-3 weeks. So you could technically say they are using maybe 50 #6400's but there are a few more that I haven't seen in service I should just probably put under the repair or south shops roster. They are going to need 20 #1000's from Chicago or they are not going to make it with 100 #8000's. We probably won't see #8100 for a few months. Probably the same time duration as #7900's to #8000's.

[strictures]

In regard to how many of those cards do we remember, I found my old & expired Disabled Card & used it to unlock the door at my bank's ATM.

[BusHunter]

A couple more novas for FG. #6497 on the #77, #6493 on the #85, #6492 on the #77 and #6521 is back on the #76, #6534, #6523 and #6496 on the #56, #6535 on the #81

[Mr.cta85]

Just saw 6798 on the 20 few more switches it looks like since 74th are getting more 8000's.

[BusHunter]

Forgot #6536 on the #90. Chicago looks like they got rid of the #6490's and #6530's and possibly #6520's. Some missing like #6494 are on my south shops repair/scrap list. I think on Monday we're going to see lots of #6800's at Chicago, I didn't see any earlier at Chicago. MrCTA85 did see #6798 though already.

[garmon757]

ESPN Baseball Tonght at your local bus stop!!! :D