jajuan Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 The problem with that video though is that it does not show what the CTA bus's moves were BEFORE its position in front of the gates. So we don't know for sure that the operator didn't indeed stop at the gate before approaching the tracks. And while you are indeed correct Busjack that they are supposed to open their doors and look for trains before moving across the crossing, opening the doors wouldn't have made a difference in this case given the direction the train approached. But if is this is one of those far south side grade crossings, I've seen from experience how tricky those particular crossings can be. Residents out that way have commented quite a bit about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 The problem with that video though is that it does not show what the CTA bus's moves were BEFORE its position in front of the gates. So we don't know for sure that the operator didn't indeed stop at the gate before approaching the tracks. And while you are indeed correct Busjack that they are supposed to open their doors and look for trains before moving across the crossing, opening the doors wouldn't have made a difference in this case given the direction the train approached. But if is this is one of those far south side grade crossings, I've seen from experience how tricky those particular crossings can be. Residents out that way have commented quite a bit about them. Even if the bus ended up beyond the tracks when the gates/lights started up(presuming the bus did follow IL state protocol for railroad crossings here), wouldn't the driver be obligated to do anything possible to move the bus off the crossings that is possible? The only cast of doubt that really makes it uncertain is was there room for the driver to drive around the other side of the street and get off the tracks? While the headlight glare makes it difficult to discern if the operator could've done this, I don't think the train was literately right there when this bus was on the tracks.... usually gates activate about 15-30 seconds before a train even arrives at the crossing to give ample time for the motorists to clear the crossing area(and in some areas, the lights are timed in arrival with the train(s) to clear traffic-I tried to find an example on YouTube I saw before, but I can't locate it now). I just think the CTA Bus Operator froze when he/she got stuck there during the light/gate activation, backed up and angled the bus to the left to avoid the tracks... thankfully he/she wasn't hanging over the tracks a little bit still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 .... Any ideas on the bus I was on here? Whatever bus it was took me north on Harlem to where the 307 begins and the 307 bus took me to the Lake St. Green Line station where I caught the 90. And that bus is the bus I caught in Brookfield, IL. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8310024,-87.8029396,3a,75y,19.49h,82.26t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTOqekaB1s5CJGKB5IvzaIg!2e0 It you transferred at that point (Harlem and Burlington/Stanley) it would have been 302. 304 goes to Brookfield Zoo, but intersects Harlem way north of there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaylorTank1229 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I was just on the #65 Grand bus heading to Navy Pier, & I saw it had a Forest Glen run number. Is Forest Glen running buses on this route for New Years service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungBusLover Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I was just on the #65 Grand bus heading to Navy Pier, & I saw it had a Forest Glen run number. Is Forest Glen running buses on this route for New Years service? Well CTA Rides are free from 10 P.M - 4 A.M so that's why you see extra service on multiple routes this evening, and possibly the Glen is lending a helping hand which is weird since Chicago has a bundle of artics to use tonight for such massive crowds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm522 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Well CTA Rides are free from 10 P.M - 4 A.M so that's why you see extra service on multiple routes this evening, and possibly the Glen is lending a helping hand which is weird since Chicago has a bundle of artics to use tonight for such massive crowds. Yes in years past 77th and 74th helped 103rd. FG helped Chicago. NP/K may help out, depends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Happy New Year everyone! Did anyone get a free ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 While we're on the subject of trains and close calls.... I wanted to share these videos with you of someone who has a what he describes as a K5LA Train Horn installed on his Ford F-150 doing random Train Horn pranks at railroad crossings to get motorists reactions.... I'm waiting to see a road rage on tape incident from this... http://youtu.be/UCHtn1XFyUg http://youtu.be/cWtM8Hvv2GA http://youtu.be/05MTb6cKg2w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 While we're on the subject of trains and close calls.... I wanted to share these videos with you of someone who has a what he describes as a K5LA Train Horn installed on his Ford F-150 doing random Train Horn pranks at railroad crossings to get motorists reactions.... I'm waiting to see a road rage on tape incident from this... http://youtu.be/UCHtn1XFyUg http://youtu.be/cWtM8Hvv2GA http://youtu.be/05MTb6cKg2w That guy is going to get beaten up one of these days. Or someone will just ram his car. That said, I'd love to be able to get a horn that sounded like that for my bicycle. I once saw a bike horn that could record a sound to use, but it was sold out & I've never seen it available again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 It you transferred at that point (Harlem and Burlington/Stanley) it would have been 302. 304 goes to Brookfield Zoo, but intersects Harlem way north of there. Yeah it does sound like he was on a #302. That bus goes to Brookfield and intersects the #307 at it's short turn terminal at Ogden. By what his story indicates that seems to make the most sense. The Harlem bus #307, crosses the bnsf at a 3 track crossing at Stanley about a mile north of Ogden. That is a very busy track, that's why that is referred to as the racetrack. There's a pretty good size freight yard in Cicero that helps add to the freight traffic there so that's pretty busy just like the Milw-w/ Wisconsin Central crossing up at Harlem/Grand. That's another busy crossing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 I wish I can be more clearer on my anecdote here, but all I can remember is vague locations and bus info.... I was coming back from Brookfield, IL on a South Harlem PACE Bus(I picked one up from my starting point in Brookfield, and another that took us to the Lake St. Green Line station, where we transferred to the #90 Harlem Bus. Whichever bus I'm referring to that we started with is the bus I'm starting to paint the picture with). As we continue north, we hit a set of 3 tracks. The driver approaches the crossing and is right next to the gate, stops the bus, sets the parking brake and puts the bus in "N" and opens the door for I would estimate 5-10 seconds. Then closes the door, releases the parking brake and puts the bus in "D" to go across the tracks. Just when the driver gets ready to, the lights and bells start and the driver waits as the gates lower in front of the bus. a Metra train heads EB on the tracks and stops at the station just adjacent to us. The lights and gates remain active and I figure when the train departs, the lights and gates will deactivate. Not less than 10-15 seconds later, a EB Freight train comes through on the center track, continuing to hold traffic for about 5 minutes. When it clears, the lights and gates deactivate and we continue north. There was a second set of tracks a bit further north we were stopped by briefly(we weren't as close, but I did see the active lights and saw a Metra train passing through). Ultimately here, aside from wanting to ask the forum to help me paint the picture of what PACE Bus I was on at crossing #1(where the Metra went passed followed by the Freight), is to clarify that this is what you are supposed to do in a railroad crossing situation. Did this CTA Bus Driver do so? I don't believe he/she did... I believe the operator may have stopped before the crossing, but driving 101 pretty much indicates that if you are on tracks and those lights/gates activate, I believe you do pretty much anything you can to get off them. But putting your vehicle diagonally with the tracks is not waiting safely. There wasn't much space for that bus to avoid collision with the train, and if a car on the train was a few inches wider than normal, it might've clipped the bus. Also take into account, what if the train suddenly derailed as it passed through the crossing? That bus might've been eating freight cars being dragged by the slowing down of the train continuing on moving for a few moments, or by force of nature if those cars were sliding along the railbed heading toward the bus that shouldn't have been there in the first place. There were no signs of quad gates here.... the bus might've been able to drive around the downed gates on the other side, keeping safely away from the tracks then. Even the engineer was no doubt looking for new boxers after this encounter.... did you hear the way he was laying on the horn as he approached? It sounds like your trip began on Route 302 Ogden/Stanley. When this bus turned from EB Ogden to NB Harlem, you got off and waited for a 307. AT Burlington, which is south of the tracks is probably where the bus was before the gates come down. Just to the east of Harlem is the Harlem station on the BNSF and there are three tracks there. Just north of the tracks is a street called Stanley, which is where the 302 turns of Harlem and runs eastward besides the tracks. Between 31st and 26th, there is another set of RR tracks, but these are not Metra tracks, but they are the last set of tracks you would encounter before getting to the Green Line station on Harlem. Continuing north on Harlem, just north of Fullerton there are 3 RR Tracks again. These tracks carry the Metra MD-W line. There is a station about 1/4 mile to the east of Harlem and another station approximately 1/2 west of Harlem *which is the Elmwood Park station). Generally speaking all buses have to stop at all RR crossings. However some municipalities and the transit agencies that run in those areas have what is called "home rule" which the TA is exempt from having to stop at a RR crossing as long as the gates are up and there are no lights flashing. Huskie Line used to have this home rule exemption, and based on Busjack's observation. apparently CTA has gotten that exemption in Skokie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 ... Generally speaking all buses have to stop at all RR crossings. However some municipalities and the transit agencies that run in those areas have what is called "home rule" which the TA is exempt from having to stop at a RR crossing as long as the gates are up and there are no lights flashing. Huskie Line used to have this home rule exemption, and based on Busjack's observation. apparently CTA has gotten that exemption in Skokie. I know of no exemption from the state Vehicle Code. Maybe if Skokie wants to clean up, it should put red light cameras there. Then we'll see whether Claypool is as willing to pay tickets in Skokie as he is to pay them to Emanuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Well, I'll be damned! The old fashioned stop request signal on #6754 and it still works!!! Remind me of my childhood days! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Well, I'll be damned! The old fashioned stop request signal on #6754 and it still works!!! Remind me of my childhood days! A small sticker for an even smaller button... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 A small sticker for an even smaller button... Unfortunately, our people who speaks Spanish got it really bad with that small font on the sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Unfortunately, our people who speaks Spanish got it really bad with that small font on the sign. I believe it's the same with the "Do not lean on doors." window stickers. They seem really small. Maybe some of the general audio announcements can be repeated in Spanish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter.pyterek Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I believe it's the same with the "Do not lean on doors." window stickers. They seem really small. Maybe some of the general audio announcements can be repeated in Spanish.It actually says "Stand clear of door." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I believe it's the same with the "Do not lean on doors." window stickers. They seem really small. Maybe some of the general audio announcements can be repeated in Spanish. Indeed they should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Unfortunately, our people who speaks Spanish got it really bad with that small font on the sign. La puerta 'Easy Out' hasn't changed in 40 years, except I don't think it used to be on a separate sign, but just a black panel on the English version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 La puerta 'Easy Out' hasn't changed in 40 years, except I don't think it used to be on a separate sign, but just a black panel on the English version. True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyerMCI Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Why did 77th lose its artics, since the only one in the yard is 4052 (probably running #79) as of Wednesday?And where did they go? I'm pretty sure the only reason 77th had artics is for the #79 and maybe #3 and #4. Also, spotted a full time run (1223) on #29 on 4172, which i do remember being at 77th, so did 103rd get their artics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm522 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Why did 77th lose its artics, since the only one in the yard is 4052 (probably running #79) as of Wednesday?And where did they go? I'm pretty sure the only reason 77th had artics is for the #79 and maybe #3 and #4. Also, spotted a full time run (1223) on #29 on 4172, which i do remember being at 77th, so did 103rd get their artics 77th lost their artics at the start of Fall pick (previous pick).. Some went to Kedzie and some went to 103rd... 77th got 1472-1481,1483-1489 from 103rd and some 1540's from 74th.. Reason for them leaving was supposedly due to construction on 79th and that the artics could not handle the tight turns for detour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyerMCI Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 The construction was finished, so will the artics return? And while the #79 used them the most, the #4 and arguably the #3 used/needed them as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm522 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 The construction was finished, so will the artics return? And while the #79 used them the most, the #4 and arguably the #3 used/needed them as well I don't know wether they will or not. Beginning of pick was last Sunday so far no artics have been transferred. The artics that you see are probably getting service or are temp OOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 The construction was finished, so will the artics return? And while the #79 used them the most, the #4 and arguably the #3 used/needed them as well If they were going to get artics back they probably would have started by now which why ajm522 said the construction was supposedlythe reason. And like mentioned 4052 is down there likely because of needed maintenance. Don't forget the South Shops facility, CTA's main heavy bus maintenance facility, sits on the same property as 77th Garage. So not all buses you see parked outside down there is necessarily a bus officially assigned to the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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