New Artics Have Arrived!

[BusHunter]

4160 and 4162 arrived at North Park today.

Sounds like they may be getting rid of #4063 - #4093 odd to Kedzie or 103rd. That would put NP at least up to the #4170's if that happens. NP is starting to become the land of the longitudinal seat with these and their #1900's.

[Nabi60SFW9620]

I read CTAs DE60LFs have 54 seats. Baltimore MTAs they say have 56 seats. And both TAs have the American seating insight on the 09 New Flyer DE60s. BTW. Which company made the Automated voice announcement systems for CTA?

[rmadisonwi]

I read CTAs DE60LFs have 54 seats. Baltimore MTAs they say have 56 seats. And both TAs have the American seating insight on the 09 New Flyer DE60s. BTW. Which company made the Automated voice announcement systems for CTA?

The first batch of artics had 58 seats. The newest batch has 50 seats.

Clever Devices makes CTA's announcement system.

[MT0851]

4150 is on the 151 Belmont/Halsted Branch, along with 4000 which I haven't seen in ages.

[nflyer22]

Sounds like they may be getting rid of #4063 - #4093 odd to Kedzie or 103rd. That would put NP at least up to the #4170's if that happens. NP is starting to become the land of the longitudinal seat with these and their #1900's.

4150 is on the 151 Belmont/Halsted Branch, along with 4000 which I haven't seen in ages.

So is #4063, as stated above by BusHunter, not to mention #4071 is also currently on the 145.

[jajuan]

So much for the new hybrids bringing increased artic use on the 144, but 145/148 has of course been using more artics. Today on the 145/148 interline there's only 5 40-footers, 3 6000s and 2 1000s. The rest are 4000s. And we know since shortly before the Taste, Kedzie has been running all 4000s on 145 on the weekend along with big numbers of them on the 151 Belmont/Halsted trips on weekends. 144 is still all 1000s so far. 143 surprisingly enough is seeing an uptick in artics though as well. Two 4000s and one 1000 so far on route with one each of those models waiting to start. From the looks of it NP artic use on 135 and 136 is still about constant of where it's been.

UPDATE: Two more 1000s on the 148 since originally posted.

[jacksone44]

So much for the new hybrids bringing increased artic use on the 144, but 145/148 has of course been using more artics. Today on the 145/148 interline there's only 5 40-footers, 3 6000s and 2 1000s. The rest are 4000s. And we know since shortly before the Taste, Kedzie has been running all 4000s on 145 on the weekend along with big numbers of them on the 151 Belmont/Halsted trips on weekends. 144 is still all 1000s so far. 143 surprisingly enough is seeing an uptick in artics though as well. Two 4000s and one 1000 so far on route with one each of those models waiting to start. From the looks of it NP artic use on 135 and 136 is still about constant of where it's been.

UPDATE: Two more 1000s on the 148 since originally posted.

I dont think the 144 needs artics since everytime I see these buses, they are close to empty. The 136 could use a few but not a whole lot. I take this bus to and from work everyday and morning runs seem to be more packed than evening runs, but there are more artics on evening runs.

[jajuan]

I dont think the 144 needs artics since everytime I see these buses, they are close to empty. The 136 could use a few but not a whole lot. I take this bus to and from work everyday and morning runs seem to be more packed than evening runs, but there are more artics on evening runs.

That's the same conclusion I came to when it was first speculated that 144 might see a lot more artic use. Yes I see more artics on 136 evening runs than mornings too, which seemed to be the pattern even when NABI arctics were still around, but it doesn't look as if any possible artic increase is yet noticeable but I could be wrong.

[MT0851]

http://newflyer.com/index/2009_07_30_production_decrease

I can't say for sure, but this looks like these are CTA DE60LFs that are being mentioned in this article. However, I say this because I believe the 1st option order of the 900 unit order was for 140 vehicles. Although it doesn't say that they are articulated hybrids, it does say that the order is worth 280 EUs and a DE60LF is worth 2 EUs.

[Busjack]

http://newflyer.com/index/2009_07_30_production_decrease

I can't say for sure, but this looks like these are CTA DE60LFs that are being mentioned in this article. However, I say this because I believe the 1st option order of the 900 unit order was for 140 vehicles. Although it doesn't say that they are articulated hybrids, it does say that the order is worth 280 EUs and a DE60LF is worth 2 EUs.

That sure does sound like the CTA, especially with references to not having yet received state funding, and the word a couple of months ago that Gov. Quinn had held up signing off on the transit bonds portion authorized by the mini capital bill.

Technically, the 140 is the base order.

I had noted earlier that it was suspicious that NF disclosed a contract when CTA didn't, and apparently NF did count its eggs a bit too early. I do think that with this and the 58 bus order, they must have known that there were undisclosed contingencies, that, in turn, kept CTA from disclosing the orders themselves (in the 58 bus case, until, magically, stimulus money coincided with CTA having a preexisting option).

[jacksone44]

4160 and 4162 arrived at North Park today.

Just got off of bus 4163 on the 146. Starting with 4158 (correction), the LED lights are florecent colored (but still an LED light) similar to the 1000-1629 D40LF's.

[Anonymous Guy]

Just got off of bus 4163 on the 146. Starting with this bus, the LED lights are florecent colored (but still an LED light) similar to the 1000-1629 D40LF's.

So green LEDs are being used now? Interesting...

I know green LEDs were used before in the older flip LED dot signs. They seem to have lower visibility than yellow dots.

[jacksone44]

So green LEDs are being used now? Interesting...

I know green LEDs were used before in the older flip LED dot signs. They seem to have lower visibility than yellow dots.

I am speaking of the interior LED lights not the destination sign LED lights.

[ArcherRider]

Saw NF Artic #4169 this afternoon on #136.

[BusHunter]

Saw NF Artic #4169 this afternoon on #136.

#4167 was on the #146 yesterday with #4165 on the #147. As of last week numbers as high as the mid #4170's were delivered, so we should be seeing those soon. I guess that does it for the last 6 #4000's out of sequence for NP (#4083 - #4093 odds)

[jacksone44]

#4167 was on the #146 yesterday with #4165 on the #147. As of last week numbers as high as the mid #4170's were delivered, so we should be seeing those soon. I guess that does it for the last 6 #4000's out of sequence for NP (#4083 - #4093 odds)

4173 was on the 147 this evening.

[cta5658]

Do you think 77th is gonna be next to get the new artics

[jacksone44]

Do you think 77th is gonna be next to get the new artics

Do "I" think 77th will be the next to get NEW artics? No.... Almost certain they are likely to get "hand me downs" from another garage IF they get any.

I wouldn't be to surprised if all of the newer ones end up at NP and NP just handed over lower numbered ones. I'd like to see 103rd get a slight increase in artics.

[chgofan78]

Do "I" think 77th will be the next to get NEW artics? No.... Almost certain they are likely to get "hand me downs" from another garage IF they get any.

I wouldn't be to surprised if all of the newer ones end up at NP and NP just handed over lower numbered ones. I'd like to see 103rd get a slight increase in artics.

That's exactly how I see the delivery happening. It seems like what gonna happen is North Park will send the last of its odd numbers to Kedzie by next week or so. Then, I see a swap with 77th sending their buses to Kedzie in exchange for other "hand me downs" so Kedzie's buses are sequential. Then, North Park will send more buses south to 77th or 103rd and keep the newer models. I can see Kedzie with 4000-4059, 103rd with 4060-4099, 77th with 4100-4124, and North Park with 4125-4207.

[jacksone44]

4173 was on the 147 this evening.

And 4176 is also on the 147.

[jacksone44]

That's exactly how I see the delivery happening. It seems like what gonna happen is North Park will send the last of its odd numbers to Kedzie by next week or so. Then, I see a swap with 77th sending their buses to Kedzie in exchange for other "hand me downs" so Kedzie's buses are sequential. Then, North Park will send more buses south to 77th or 103rd and keep the newer models. I can see Kedzie with 4000-4059, 103rd with 4060-4099, 77th with 4100-4124, and North Park with 4125-4207.

I like it, but it seems to close to the right thing to do given CTA Management.

[jajuan]

Plus I'm guessing you meant as part of the swap to make K's numbers more sequential that artics be included since Kedzie now has odds that were at NP up to 4081 at last mention. So they'd have to work around that detail.

[jacksone44]

And 4176 is also on the 147.

4178 is on the 146.

[Busjack]

With NP getting all of the newbies (I saw 4166 on the 146) and K getting the lower numbered 4000s, I guess 77th and 103rd are out of the mix in getting any more 4000s. I actually feel bad for the riders who get crushed on the #6. Maybe they will switch to Metra Electric for more breathing room.

Taking the suggestion to move this to a better topic.

Taking the assumption that the 208 4000s about make up for the missing NABIs, after BusHunter reported that about 30 were off the roster anyway, you were looking at about 150 or 160 artics at K and P before that. Considering that we are near 180 now, but that some have gone to 1 and 7, I think we are about done with K and P getting them for the moment, and the last 30 or so probably will go to 1 or 7.

However, CTA management has fooled us many times before.

Clearly if the next 140 get off the ground, they are going to go elsewhere than K or P, unless they implement something like converting Halsted to artics. However, I don't see that happening at least until artics. are restored to where they were in about 2006. But, to repeat the prior paragraph....

[BusHunter]

Taking the suggestion to move this to a better topic.

Taking the assumption that the 208 4000s about make up for the missing NABIs, after BusHunter reported that about 30 were off the roster anyway, you were looking at about 150 or 160 artics at K and P before that. Considering that we are near 180 now, but that some have gone to 1 and 7, I think we are about done with K and P getting them for the moment, and the last 30 or so probably will go to 1 or 7.

However, CTA management has fooled us many times before.

Clearly if the next 140 get off the ground, they are going to go elsewhere than K or P, unless they implement something like converting Halsted to artics. However, I don't see that happening at least until artics. are restored to where they were in about 2006. But, to repeat the prior paragraph....

You are probably right. Kedzie and NP are practically the same now as before the NABI fiasco. No need to send more artics there, unless you want to convert the #151 to artics. Practically all the #125's are artic now and half the #157's are too in the rush hour. A few show up on the #122 now. Artic's are even showing up on the #10. Probably the rest will be headed SB, whether as transfers or new buses we'll have to see. About the 140 additional, if you figured what each garage would have for artics based on a percentage of what they had before the NABI crisis you would end up with 126 for NP (150 40 footers), 104 for Kedzie (196 40 footers) with #6000's being retired there totally, 40 for 77th and 78 for 103rd with about 100 40 footers.