More Bus Moves

[patman119]

On 6/27/2017 at 0:42 PM, BusHunter said:

Ouch, that could be up to a two year repair, if it's fixable. You also have to consider the bus' age but being it's a newer bus it will probably return.

Here is another view of that bus. I found this picture on Twitter. Credit goes to user capturednews.

[BusHunter]

That's painful to look at. Looks like the lift is damaged, door frame, and any other components in the right front corner. Being it hit bricks in the lower half probably the lower half has the most damage but the front end will need a total rebuild regardless.

[Busjack]

On 6/29/2017 at 5:19 AM, BusHunter said:

Well how did they ever train mechanics without one? Usually those buses get stripped down to the bare essentials as they mock fix all the parts. There's always a mechanics bus.

If there always was one, it looks like that in the cases Andre mentioned, CTA paid $480.000 and $880,000 (out of a federal hybrid grant) respectively for two. Maybe CTA figured that new series of buses didn't need immediate mechanical work (warranties and being new; remember, Garmon said he saw Prevost Parts trucks).

Somehow, Pace was able to keep 6323 and 15500 on the street, even though those 2 were also clearly prototypes.

Looks like the manufacturers are no longer giving out freebees.

[andrethebusman]

Manufacturers never gave out "freebees". CTA bought an extra old Nova (7200), and extra 4400, an extra 5300, and an extra 1000. I guess they were considered so different from anything before them that the investment was justified. Some properties do this, others like NYCTA never have.

[sw4400]

14 hours ago, andrethebusman said:

Manufacturers never gave out "freebees". CTA bought an extra old Nova (7200), and extra 4400, an extra 5300, and an extra 1000. I guess they were considered so different from anything before them that the investment was justified. Some properties do this, others like NYCTA never have.

Actually, there were four extra TMC's(two before 4400, two after according to this delivery list). I know one was a shaker test bus for testing the suspension and frame, probably the one delivered in 7/1989, I suppose. The other three, I have no idea about. One was delivered in 12/1990 and numbered 9001.

[Busjack]

8 hours ago, sw4400 said:

Actually, there were four extra TMC's(two before 4400, two after according to this delivery list). I know one was a shaker test bus for testing the suspension and frame, probably the one delivered in 7/1989,

I remembered something like this, and doubt that CTA would pay for a shaker test bus. On the other hand Pace 6395 was an Altoona test bus.

23 hours ago, andrethebusman said:

I guess they were considered so different from anything before them that the investment was justified.

Essentially, then your're saying that the supposedly capital funds starved CTA could afford to decommission an $880K (or was it $940K) about 1 year old bus (4300) paid by a federal grant and use it  as a training buck. Notwithstanding that it has a wreck (4323) it could use for that purpose. Maybe Elaine Chao should investigate, as I doubt that the feds gave the CTA that money for that purpose (as opposed to hauling passengers).

[BusHunter]

9 hours ago, Busjack said:

I remembered something like this, and doubt that CTA would pay for a shaker test bus. On the other hand Pace 6395 was an Altoona test bus.

Essentially, then your're saying that the supposedly capital funds starved CTA could afford to decommission an $880K (or was it $940K) about 1 year old bus (4300) paid by a federal grant and use it  as a training buck. Notwithstanding that it has a wreck (4323) it could use for that purpose. Maybe Elaine Chao should investigate, as I doubt that the feds gave the CTA that money for that purpose (as opposed to hauling passengers).

Well the training bus it had before the wreck but there is a question of why doesn't cta swap out the training bus for #4323. Possibly once a bus is deemed a training bus it cant be swapped. 

Maybe of more relevancy, I thought that training buses don't come with all the electronic goodies like clever devices and destination sign controls. They are bare bones and not meant for service. 

But then again how does pace have testing buses that then go into service?

[Busjack]

14 hours ago, BusHunter said:

I thought that training buses don't come with all the electronic goodies like clever devices and destination sign controls. They are bare bones and not meant for service. 

Although the Clever Device is installed by CTA, these two buses obviously had them and destination signs as they were in service.

14 hours ago, BusHunter said:

But then again how does pace have testing buses that then go into service?

Pace paid for them (minutes show an authorization for 15500) and they are obviously operational. I'm not sure why they accepted 6395, nor how they could accept anything before it, if that was the Altoona bus.

[BusHunter]

32 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Although the Clever Device is installed by CTA, these two buses obviously had them and destination signs as they were in service.

Pace paid for them (minutes show an authorization for 15500) and they are obviously operational. I'm not sure why they accepted 6395, nor how they could accept anything before it, if that was the Altoona bus.

Maybe on the two newer buses, #4300 and #7900, but i swear i did not see that on the older mechanics buses that were at the rodeo. I should have pictures somewhere on here.

[Busjack]

On the Clever Devices question, besides what I said above, it wouldn't have been relevant to any bus before 1000.

I'm going through the specs for the 7900s to see if there is anything relevant. SP 1.2 describes a "first article inspection." SP3 says: "Delivery of a 'pilot bus' ...  shall be completed ... 150 calendar days following "Notice to Proceed.'" TS5.6 requires a training program, including "mock ups." A mock up engine is required, but nothing is said that the pilot bus is only for training.

 

 

 

[chgofan78]

On 6/22/2017 at 8:12 PM, TaylorTank1229 said:

I saw this a couple of minutes ago on Sheridan and Foster, and I'm wondering when does the #147 ever terminate at Morse Red Line...? Thoughts?

Saw this same run earlier today on the 151 Sheridan with another weird sign that read 151 TO LOOP.  Checked bus tracker and the bus itself and both designated the run to Union Station.  I wonder if it's a glitch attached with that run. 

[Busjack]

12 minutes ago, chgofan78 said:

Saw this same run earlier today on the 151 Sheridan with another weird sign that read 151 TO LOOP.  Checked bus tracker and the bus itself and both designated the run to Union Station.  I wonder if it's a glitch attached with that run. 

Even if the Clever Device is misprogrammed for that run, those two readings must be in the Luminator controller, generally speaking.

[Sam92]

Since we're bringing up weird signs I've seen a 151 to North Ave.  It was am rush so idk if that was a run that goes to stage then become a run from Fullerton or not but it seemed odd cause I thought Water Tower was the end point for those runs

[Busjack]

17 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Since we're bringing up weird signs I've seen a 151 to North Ave.  It was am rush so idk if that was a run that goes to stage then become a run from Fullerton or not but it seemed odd cause I thought Water Tower was the end point for those runs

Nothing shown on the schedule, but the end point on Michigan Ave. would have been Walton. There were some 3s that started at North Ave., but that no longer seems to be the case.

[busfan2847]

According to maths22 tracker 1366-1369, 1371, 1372, 1374, 1375 moved from 77th to Chicago over the weekend. 1370 is still at 77th and 1373 has not been out.

[jajuan]

On 7/6/2017 at 8:46 AM, Busjack said:

Nothing shown on the schedule, but the end point on Michigan Ave. would have been Walton. There were some 3s that started at North Ave., but that no longer seems to be the case.

True that Walton is the endpoint for the runs that then stage on the North Ave entrance ramp to Lake Shore Drive, but the headsign readings for those runs always showed "151 TO WATER TOWER" as destination readings on those particular morning runs. 

[artthouwill]

7 hours ago, jajuan said:

True that Walton is the endpoint for the runs that then stage on the North Ave entrance ramp to Lake Shore Drive, but the headsign readings for those runs always showed "151 TO WATER TOWER" as destination readings on those particular morning runs. 

At one time  those were  3s or X3s that ended  at Michigan  and Walton  had asteriks on the timetable but to my knowledge  those signs  didn't  flip to 151 upon  arrival in  downtown.   Also the timetable  for southbound  3s noted which trips  began  at North and LaSalle. 

Once  upon a time,  the 2 Hyde Park  Express  had morning  trips  that ended at  Belmont and  Sheridan  and those buses  returned  as 151s to Michigan and  Congress. That was  when 52nd garage  operated  the 2.

 

[jajuan]

12 hours ago, artthouwill said:

At one time  those were  3s or X3s that ended  at Michigan  and Walton  had asteriks on the timetable but to my knowledge  those signs  didn't  flip to 151 upon  arrival in  downtown.   Also the timetable  for southbound  3s noted which trips  began  at North and LaSalle. 

Once  upon a time,  the 2 Hyde Park  Express  had morning  trips  that ended at  Belmont and  Sheridan  and those buses  returned  as 151s to Michigan and  Congress. That was  when 52nd garage  operated  the 2.

 

I think you misunderstood my post. I was referring strictly to the 151 weekday AM northbound trips out of K and NP that end at Walton and stage on the North Avenue NB entrance ramp to Lake Shore Drive before the NP buses become SB 151 short trips from Fullerton/Stockton and the K buses become SB trips on 134 or 143. 

[artthouwill]

13 hours ago, jajuan said:

I think you misunderstood my post. I was referring strictly to the 151 weekday AM northbound trips out of K and NP that end at Walton and stage on the North Avenue NB entrance ramp to Lake Shore Drive before the NP buses become SB 151 short trips from Fullerton/Stockton and the K buses become SB trips on 134 or 143. 

Not misunderstood.   I said  at one time, which was  a bit of history, but now, as you're  stating, those  are K and NP trips.  I even went further  back in time  when I mentioned  the 2.   I think when I mentioned the  sign flip, you thought I  misunderstood, but I was  referencing the  X3s back then and not the current  setup on 151.

[jajuan]

On 7/13/2017 at 8:03 AM, artthouwill said:

Not misunderstood.   I said  at one time, which was  a bit of history, but now, as you're  stating, those  are K and NP trips.  I even went further  back in time  when I mentioned  the 2.   I think when I mentioned the  sign flip, you thought I  misunderstood, but I was  referencing the  X3s back then and not the current  setup on 151.

Ok gotcha. Yeah your reference to the sign flips on the X3s and local King Drive buses that ended at Walton kind of through me off and made me think you thought I was also speaking about those trips along with the 151s. The 151s though are separate from what used to exist on the 3 and X3 in AM rush because I remember those 151 trips existed for quite some time and were in existence at the same time as the 3 and X3 trips to Walton. 

[andrethebusman]

#2 trips to Belmont (that came back as 153's, not 151's) dated back to CMC days. 3 trips to North Av (originally to Schiller) did too. 151 turnbacks are only from early 2000's. 

[Pace831]

Fare evasion reaches new heights.

[Busjack]

7 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Fare evasion reaches new heights.

That brings together several things: taking the beginning of Cooley High to new heights; finding a way to smoke on the bus, but not in the bus, and the old open double decker problem of hitting your head on the overpass. He slid under here, but not necessarily under the next railroad viaduct.

[BusHunter]

9 hours ago, Busjack said:

That brings together several things: taking the beginning of Cooley High to new heights; finding a way to smoke on the bus, but not in the bus, and the old open double decker problem of hitting your head on the overpass. He slid under here, but not necessarily under the next railroad viaduct.

Maybe the bus was standing room only and he just had to sit down.  I tell you some #77's are so crowded we are all looking for a little privacy somewhere, but tonight he would have had a wet @$$ and a few other wet things. Maybe he liked the old Rusty Jones commercials.

 

[Busjack]

15 hours ago, BusHunter said:

I tell you some #77's are so crowded we are all looking for a little privacy somewhere, but tonight he would have had a wet @$$ and a few other wet things

Also, on 77, you have the air conditioner on the roof, so there isn't that much room to sit. Maybe THAT is why there is the hump at the front of the roof.