MetroLINK9013 Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Ex CTA 7800 has found new life in paradise! Now numbered 999 for the bus in Honolulu Hawaii. Story attached: What's red, white, blue and environmentally green? That would be the new bus the city unveiled today as part of a month-long demonstration project. The Compo bus is 45 feet long. It's shorter than an articulated bus, but longer than a regular bus, so it can carry more passengers. The bus is made of a composite material, making it lighter and more fuel-efficient, and it can be installed with either a hybrid propulsion system or clean diesel technology. The bus will be put into service next week, initially on TheBeachBus route. It will also be tested on a variety of routes, such as Route 1, Route 40 and Route 52 around the island. Though you would like to know. James Roach busfreak99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Link to another article with picture (scroll down), thats cool, thanks for the info Now I really want to go to Hawaii in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 You should have supplied the link. Update: I see MVTA supplied another one. But the picture indicates that that sure looks like it. You have to wonder where it was the past 4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Ex CTA 7800 has found new life in paradise! Now numbered 999 for the bus in Honolulu Hawaii. Story attached: What's red, white, blue and environmentally green? That would be the new bus the city unveiled today as part of a month-long demonstration project. The Compo bus is 45 feet long. It's shorter than an articulated bus, but longer than a regular bus, so it can carry more passengers. The bus is made of a composite material, making it lighter and more fuel-efficient, and it can be installed with either a hybrid propulsion system or clean diesel technology. The bus will be put into service next week, initially on TheBeachBus route. It will also be tested on a variety of routes, such as Route 1, Route 40 and Route 52 around the island. Though you would like to know. James Roach busfreak99 Here's a few links I found. A link to the story including pictures and This one for the video link from ABC news channel 4 There's more pictures if you click on more pictures on the story link. I'm shocked, it is the former CTA demonstrator. Watch the video to see the inside. The only question I have is how does it get to an island in the pacific. Plane or Boat? Kind of makes you want to take a trip to Hawaii!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 It has been sometime since I've read NABI's ads about the Compobus and I don't know how the body receives it's color. It like the red/white/blue on this bus is permanent.Maybe part of a molding process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 A Rep from west coast bus sales seems to be showing this bus according to the video in my link. Where's the NABI rep? It's almost like they no longer own it. But the video does say the bus would be built in Alabama which corresponds to NABI.The story to which you linked says "Bill Coryell, vice president of west region sales for the bus manufacturer," and Coryell has been synonymous with NABI USA from about the beginning. BTW, I was able to open the picture gallery, but no video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 The story to which you linked says "Bill Coryell, vice president of west region sales for the bus manufacturer," and Coryell has been synonymous with NABI USA from about the beginning. BTW, I was able to open the picture gallery, but no video. Try this for the video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Here's a few links I found. A link to the story including pictures and This one for the video link from ABC news channel 4 There's more pictures if you click on more pictures on the story link. I'm shocked, it is the former CTA demonstrator. Watch the video to see the inside. The only question I have is how does it get to an island in the pacific. Plane or Boat? Kind of makes you want to take a trip to Hawaii!! I'll bet that bus was shipped via a 747 cargo plane. Those jets are roomy enough to hold at least a dozen buses, and I read articles of vehicles shipped from Europe to the U.S. via plane, so shipping a vehicle by plane is not uncommon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Try this for the video Thanks. The move to the rear sticker at about :41 sure looks like a CTA one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ctafan630 Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Here's a few links I found. A link to the story including pictures and This one for the video link from ABC news channel 4 There's more pictures if you click on more pictures on the story link. I'm shocked, it is the former CTA demonstrator. Watch the video to see the inside. The only question I have is how does it get to an island in the pacific. Plane or Boat? Kind of makes you want to take a trip to Hawaii!! Where does the article or video say this was the former CTA demonstrator bus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroLINK9013 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Where does the article or video say this was the former CTA demonstrator bus? It doesnt, but my contact at the bus in honolulu says you can see where it said 7800 inside the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anonymous Guy Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Interesting - I had been reading about the end of the CompoBus production cycle due to low orders but I guess they're giving it another shot. Despite not being metal, I'm sure they're more durable than their 60 footers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Interesting - I had been reading about the end of the CompoBus production cycle due to low orders but I guess they're giving it another shot. It was previously discussed that LA ordered 260 of them, with options up to 1000. NABI then announced on its site that it was back, but renamed it the Metro 45C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Where does the article or video say this was the former CTA demonstrator bus? It doesn't, but the similarities to CTA are obvious. Blue floor, Seating from Freedman seating as shown under the #7800 pix on here, seat inserts the same color as CTA and an outside livery that is identical. Throw in the fact that the prototype bus never stayed in Chicago but physically exists. NABI would have to do something with it. Why not make it a demo for the 45C. A quick question. Didn't Compobus production cease. Isn't that the reason Chicago didn't receive there buses? Or was there so much unhappiness for NABI seeing the artics they sent, CTA pulled the plug on the order? There were door problems on the artics from the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Also, evidence exists in one of the interior shots that this bus spent time in Chicago. I believe the red use the rear exit door sticker is somewhat unique to Chicago. This bus does sport one of those stickers on the interior upper "vent" window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Didn't Compobus production cease. Isn't that the reason Chicago didn't receive there buses? Or was there so much unhappiness for NABI seeing the artics they sent, CTA pulled the plug on the order? There were door problems on the artics from the beginning.We never got a straight answer, but it seems like it was a combination of all of the above. The first thing was the fishy nature of CTA Press Releases and media reports, from a contract for "25" to "up to 25" to "1 and possibly 24 more." (On further review, the Press Releases were pretty consistent with "up to 25.") There were various comments at the time that NABI couldn't build them at a profit at the price indicated, and, soon after 7800 appeared, it announced that it was ceasing production. It wasn't real clear if that included the other 24 buses, but it did. Also, as you correctly note, at about that time, the s-- hit the fan about the articulateds, and that was also the time that NABI announced that it was the apparent low bidder on the 1050 buses, but then said that the RFP was pulled "because of lack of capital funds." I doubt that was the reason, although that was the same time that Pace kept extending its RFP for the 2600s for a year, and CTA also advertised for the 1050 buses again after a year. There was also the mystery that the only place 7800 was seen was on chicagobus.org until recently in Hawaii. The probable way this was legally handled was that it was mutually decided to reject the prototype and rescind whatever other obligation was under the contract. But, to reiterate, there never was a straight answer from an official source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 A little googling reveals NABI Compobus production started back around Jul 8, 2008 (According to the Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board with it's own link) when LA Metro ordered 260 with options up to 1000 buses. According to the article they expect buses from late 2008 through 2010. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 A couple of screen shots from the video, to back up what trainman and I were saying. Compare them to these in the gallery: The interior of 7800 Interior seats The red transom sticker is in both sets. Now, if only the big guy in camo was not blocking the back, we could see if the other CTA stickers were there. Note, also, that the gallery states that they are Freedman seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 There was also the mystery that the only place 7800 was seen was on chicagobus.org until recently in Hawaii. 7800 was Nabi serial 4A140296, order 45C.04. rest were to get serials 4A140297-320. Only 7800 was built, did see service in Chicago (have seen photo in service on 49-Western). HOWEVER, the serial was later cancelled, along with the other 24, and reassigned to LACMTA Compobus 8030. So it must have a new VIN now! Andre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Here's the newsletter going over the results of their testing: (PDF) Express! Summer 09 (page 13). Although we knew it was a CTA one already here's the official line confirming it: ...you will realize that many of the growing pains and problems encountered were a result of being unfamiliar with the Chicago Transit Agency bus specifications that this CompoBus was originally built to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daerah Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I MISS drivin' the 45Cs back while I was @ mta. I wish Cta would renew their relationship with Nabi and give em' a second--well fifth chance. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Here's the newsletter going over the results of their testing: (PDF) Express! Summer 09 (page 13). Although we knew it was a CTA one already here's the official line confirming it: Somewhat ominous (in addition to the different way of spelling judgment in Hawaii) was: There was also an exhaust problem that contributed to a significant amount of maintenance downtime while parts were shipped in. But don't let the black smoke cloud your judgement of this bus. Now, maybe sitting around for 4 years has an effect, such as old diesel fuel, but considering that it operated only a couple of days in Chicago, and the reports of particulate traps clogging on the 60LFWs, you have to wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Somewhat ominous (in addition to the different way of spelling judgment in Hawaii) was: Now, maybe sitting around for 4 years has an effect, such as old diesel fuel, but considering that it operated only a couple of days in Chicago, and the reports of particulate traps clogging on the 60LFWs, you have to wonder. Sounds like they're in for some big headaches by purchasing that bus. As noted the bus wasn't here that long, so you have to wonder if they're making a wise move considering how CTA got itself into a bind with the NABI artics, even though in some ways they were in a tough spot at the time because of the big need to get the antiquated MAN artics replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.