More Bus Moves

[RJL6000]

Forest Glen Nova 6792 was on the #151 this morning. Probably a loaner, filling in for a NP or Kedzie Garage driver that didn't show up for his assigned run.

[ChicagoNova]

Looking at the Bus Tracker Map, I see Nova 6640 (74th's Nova) on 151 Sheridan, and Kedzie's artic 4031 on 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express.

[jajuan]

Looking at the Bus Tracker Map, I see Nova 6640 (74th's Nova) on 151 Sheridan, and Kedzie's artic 4031 on 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express.

That brings up a question or whether a Nova is on loan to Kedzie because I physically spotted one operating very early Monday morning, maybe a little after 5am if I remember correctly, on the 12 Roosevelt. I didn't get to see a vehicle number because I viewed it from a parking lot and Chicago's street lamps aren't bright enough to clearly reveal a vehicle number from the distance I spotted it.

[jajuan]

Apparently someone didn't make it to work this morning as 6792 is showing up on the 148 this morning.

[Busjack]

Apparently someone didn't make it to work this morning as 6792 is showing up on the 148 this morning.

From the traffic reports, a lot of people didn't.

Maybe on scope for another topic, but the WGNTV story on the boy who texted his father to call 911 because he and mommy were locked in the storeroom by a robber showed an articulated bus going by the scene at Clark just south of the Ravenswood junction.

[jajuan]

From the traffic reports, a lot of people didn't.

Maybe on scope for another topic, but the WGNTV story on the boy who texted his father to call 911 because he and mommy were locked in the storeroom by a robber showed an articulated bus going by the scene at Clark just south of the Ravenswood junction.

Yes those expressway travel times were all monsters except for the Drive, the Ryan and maybe one tollway. If you weren't out already 2 hrs before that latest report, you were not going to be making wherever it was you needed to go this morning.

[chgofan78]

Interesting site this morning to see four car trains operating on the Yellow Line. Only two cars are being used for passengers though. It's probably being done just for today as a precaution for safe operations on the rails for this upcoming ice storm.

[Busjack]

Interesting site this morning to see four car trains operating on the Yellow Line. Only two cars are being used for passengers though. It's probably being done just for today as a precaution for safe operations on the rails for this upcoming ice storm.

Probably. The old CTA books had references to running those 5000s off peak because they had extra wheels to knock the ice off the tracks.

[Amtrak41]

Can a 4 car train fit in the tail track past Dempster station ?

I am surprised they simply didn't rebuild that station with just one track and platform, with a bumper block before the pedestrian crossing.

[See Tea Eh]

While I can't remember the exact details off the top of my head, I seem to recall the tail track at Dempster being able to (just barely) handle five cars.

[dontfollowmeimlost]

Hi from a lurker type,

I stop by time to time to learn stuff. Driven some for CTA now

but I only wish I knew a tenthed of some of the posters here.

To that end ...

Do any of you guys know what CTA's plans are for those little buses - the 500 series?

I've noticed CTA has started affixing those credit card reader touchpads next to the farebox

on full size buses but not on the 500s yet.

Same thing those new 'inhibitor key' things too.

Would it be because the shortster 500s are going to get phased out before the

new fare pay doo-hickeys go online?

Thanks any skinny provided like I say only wish I was clued in about CTA stuff

as you guys - no sarc neither.

[sw4400]

Hi from a lurker type,

I stop by time to time to learn stuff. Driven some for CTA now

but I only wish I knew a tenthed of some of the posters here.

To that end ...

Do any of you guys know what CTA's plans are for those little buses - the 500 series?

The 500-Series will be retired in the next 1-2 years. IMO, that is a waste of money though, as the buses are only six years old and should have a 12-year service life. Size shouldn't matter about service life

I've noticed CTA has started affixing those credit card reader touchpads next to the farebox

on full size buses but not on the 500s yet.

Same thing those new 'inhibitor key' things too.

Would it be because the shortster 500s are going to get phased out before the

new fare pay doo-hickeys go online?

See above...

[Kevin]

The 500-Series will be retired in the next 1-2 years.

If they're not getting Ventra, probably much sooner.

[jajuan]

The 500-Series will be retired in the next 1-2 years. IMO, that is a waste of money though, as the buses are only six years old and should have a 12-year service life. Size shouldn't matter about service life

See above...

CTA didn't give a time table that says it would take quite that long to phase those out. And I think the 12 year service life only applies if federal money were used which I think it was established they didn't do in this case. So CTA pretty much doesn't care what you think about them not being around long enough. But go ahead and get your rides in on those sardine cans and let's see if you have that same complaint. Too bad the state taxpayers bit one though for CTA to see that this was not a good bus. It's too many examples of their other bus suppliers making shorter length buses of better quality for them to have chosen this one.

[Busjack]

... It's too many examples of their other bus suppliers making shorter length buses of better quality for them to have chosen this one.

As I mentioned before, the width was the defining factor, although 3" didn't make much difference CTA didn't have any problems running 40 foot 96" buses on the 170s, but nobody makes or made a 96" low floor, so the closest they got was 99".

At least CTA didn't exercise the options up to 125, although 45 didn't seem to make much sense in ~2004 (when the contract was let), either. Not that a big bus made much sense northwest of Jefferson Park, either, but that turns out what was usually run.

[jajuan]

As I mentioned before, the width was the defining factor, although 3" didn't make much difference CTA didn't have any problems running 40 foot 96" buses on the 170s, but nobody makes or made a 96" low floor, so the closest they got was 99".

At least CTA didn't exercise the options up to 125, although 45 didn't seem to make much sense in ~2004 (when the contract was let), either. Not that a big bus made much sense northwest of Jefferson Park, either, but that turns out what was usually run.

And given that they're running 1000s on the 170s now for the time that the 170s still exist, I still say there are too many examples of shorter length buses from CTA's other bus suppliers to have gone with this one. They should have shucked trying to stick close to the 96 inch spec altogether and just gone with a different bus.

[Busjack]

And given that they're running 1000s on the 170s now for the time that the 170s still exist, I still say there are too many examples of shorter length buses from CTA's other bus suppliers to have gone with this one. They should have shucked trying to stick close to the 96 inch spec altogether and just gone with a different bus.

To which the logical conclusion would have been [since the initial justification was the 170s], just not get any special bus at all. Considering that the current version of the EZ Rider II Max only came available at the same time and is 102" wide,* there probably wasn't a point to getting a special bus.

At least, in this case, I'll give CTA the benefit of this is a matter of hindsight, while management knew by 2004 that the NABIs were defective, and certainly did not do well in Altoona testing.

_________

*Until then, Pace was using Transmarks only for feeder work, and they pretty much rusted out right about at their 10 year life, and, in a few cases were replaced by paratransits until the EZ Riders arrived.

[jajuan]

To which the logical conclusion would have been [since the initial justification was the 170s], just not get any special bus at all. Considering that the current version of the EZ Rider II Max only came available at the same time and is 102" wide,* there probably wasn't a point to getting a special bus.

At least, in this case, I'll give CTA the benefit of this is a matter of hindsight, while management knew by 2004 that the NABIs were defective, and certainly did not do well in Altoona testing.

_________

*Until then, Pace was using Transmarks only for feeder work, and they pretty much rusted out right about at their 10 year life, and, in a few cases were replaced by paratransits until the EZ Riders arrived.

An even better conclusion, but as you point out in this one case this is all hindsight to give CTA the benefit of the doubt. Now they do a special bus probably doesn't make all that much sense for their purposes given their current service structure and given the amount of interlining. Heck 500s pop up on the 84 during rush hour, which makes me absolutely crazy especially if I get stuck riding one to get my commute started to work because even a 40 footer is already filled up or soon will be as it passes Western and out of my neighborhood.

[Busjack]

An even better conclusion, but as you point out in this one case this is all hindsight to give CTA the benefit of the doubt. Now they do a special bus probably doesn't make all that much sense for their purposes given their current service structure and given the amount of interlining. Heck 500s pop up on the 84 during rush hour, which makes me absolutely crazy especially if I get stuck riding one to get my commute started to work because even a 40 footer is already filled up or soon will be as it passes Western and out of my neighborhood.

That certainly makes sense. Apparently CTA doesn't have the sense of Pace saying don't take a 6600 out on 352 (according to pace2322 a long time ago). As I indicated, if CTA was going to use the 500s at all, they should have been limited to northwest of Jefferson Park. Since 84 ends by itself at Central and Caldwell, I wonder what it could have been interlined with? A short 85A?

[pete6125]

I just saw bus 901 on 36 Broadway and bus 906 is on route 22 Clark on bus tracker.

[ChicagoNova]

I just saw bus 901 on 36 Broadway and bus 906 is on route 22 Clark on bus tracker.

Last I checked, those buses belonged to Kedzie.

[jajuan]

That certainly makes sense. Apparently CTA doesn't have the sense of Pace saying don't take a 6600 out on 352 (according to pace2322 a long time ago). As I indicated, if CTA was going to use the 500s at all, they should have been limited to northwest of Jefferson Park. Since 84 ends by itself at Central and Caldwell, I wonder what it could have been interlined with? A short 85A?

I know in the evening hours on weekdays up to the end of its service time, it's interlined with the 85 main route route on Central as odd as that may sound since as you correctly point out it ends alone at Central and Caldwell. But I can't point to anything that it interlines with in the daytime hours. Daytime it's regular hit the terminal then flip around to the opposite direction type service.

[jajuan]

I just saw bus 901 on 36 Broadway and bus 906 is on route 22 Clark on bus tracker.

For now I'm leaning toward possible loans. A quick scan through BusTracker shows no other Kedzie buses, especially no other standard length hybrids, moved. 903 in fact is showing on the 7, 905 on the 60 and 909 on the 82.

[chicagopcclcar]

While I can't remember the exact details off the top of my head, I seem to recall the tail track at Dempster being able to (just barely) handle five cars.

There have been four car charters operated into Dempster/Skokie and the tail track in the past years with no trouble. Operating four cars in revenue service would probably require the doors to be cut out in two of the cars and that would have to be the two cars on the south end. If the front two cars were used, the rear cars would block the pedestrian crossing while loading at the southbound platform. In the old days, the cars could be "zoned" to select which doors would be opened.

DH

[artthouwill]

530 is on 90 Harlem this morning.