New Eldorados?

[MetroShadow]

On 2/19/2022 at 1:14 PM, andrethebusman said:

https://www.facebook.com/236367307286227/posts/902656000657351/

 

Full fleet changeover?

The 0500's, 0600's, and 0700's are still operational, so it would be a matter of time.

When I was there, they had Gillig's from Austin's fleet (the 1700's), the 5800's, 9800's, and whatever the heck 8024 was (those were around until I left grad school), plus the trans-VAC Orions. The Low Floors started to come in when I was a freshman in 04.

[artthouwill]

21 hours ago, MetroShadow said:

The 0500's, 0600's, and 0700's are still operational, so it would be a matter of time.

When I was there, they had Gillig's from Austin's fleet (the 1700's), the 5800's, 9800's, and whatever the heck 8024 was (those were around until I left grad school), plus the trans-VAC Orions. The Low Floors started to come in when I was a freshman in 04.

I drove GMC Fishbowls.   The 1862 thru 1865 series were 1968, 1827 was a 1969, 1279 was a 1972, 1466 '68, 1461, 1472, 1480, and 1481 were 1974s, and 1652 - 54 were 1976s.  1005 , 1006, and 1007 were 1980 GMC RTS but Huskie

The livery was yellow.  Line gave them up.  I believe at least one of those buses, if not all three, wound up running in Hammond Teansit.

[Busjack]

The RTAMS PMO site says:
 

Quote

 

Purchase 30' Diesel Buses

 

Description:

This project is a new contract awarded in September 2019 for a new five‐year
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for 30’ low floor diesel buses. The
minimum quantity to be purchased under this contract is 67 buses and the total
number of buses procured will not exceed the maximum amount of 164.

...

Budget Status

On Budget

Schedule Status

On Schedule

Start Date

Sep 2019

End Date

Sep 2024

^Total Project Budget is the project budget being tracked by the RTA PMO Group

Current Status

A total of 67 buses have been ordered to date. The first order consisted of 23 buses, all of which are in service. These were delayed due to the COVID‐19 crisis. The second order consists of 44 and has been executed with the vendor. The vendor is expected to begin production in December 2021 and have all buses delivered in June 2022. The buses are expected to service the areas currently serviced by Fox Valley and MV Batavia.

Last Updated 01.13.2022

 

 

Apparently 4 months later, it isn't on schedule. Also, I'm not sure about Fox Valley, although it is still running some 2600s. MV would refer to routes 711 and 715 (buses 2727-2735), although it is also running some 2800s on those routes. I was thinking River to replace the rest of what it has of 2702-2741, but with other stuff happening, such as 2651-2654 going from NS to R, I'm not sure.

[chgofan78]

I was riding the Rock Island Metra train near Chandler facility and noticed it's full of new 30ft El Dorados.  I was able to make out one vehicle number which was 22320.  There's probably a good 20 to 30 buses there.

[Busjack]

19 hours ago, chgofan78 said:

I was riding the Rock Island Metra train near Chandler facility and noticed it's full of new 30ft El Dorados.  I was able to make out one vehicle number which was 22320.  There's probably a good 20 to 30 buses there.

It's about time. ENC said the order is for 44. We'll have to see where they go.

[rotjohns]

On 8/13/2022 at 12:05 PM, Busjack said:

It's about time. ENC said the order is for 44. We'll have to see where they go.

No kidding, way overdue.  Wonder if they'll hit Plainfield now that the new facility will be open.  But based on the recent meeting, sounds like the Joliet buses are staying, but moving to Plainfield.  So maybe finish Fox Valley, then River?

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

This is new

[Policeman]

14 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

This is new

What buses are those?

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

35 minutes ago, Policeman said:

What buses are those?

Idk but 22300 is out too

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, Policeman said:

What buses are those?

Eldorado Axxess 30 ft buses.   These are the current year models..  in other words,  brand new buses.

[rotjohns]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

Eldorado Axxess 30 ft buses.   These are the current year models..  in other words,  brand new buses.

Yep.  So I was wrong, the new batch is going to Plainfield, which makes sense given the new garage.  So the 20-30 previously reported will likely all go there, which should retire 2742-2764.  If all 44 come in, then I'd think the rest would go to River unless they work on all of the ones that are spread out on the other garages (NW, Bridgeview, and Batavia for example).  

EDIT:  The remaining 22300s may also go to FV to get rid of the early 2600s they have remaining.  I doubt the 2700s and 2826-2829 move quickly, they're the last ones to get there after the purge at NS.  

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

Where is 20324 and up?

[BusHunter]

1 minute ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

Where is 20324 and up?

Probably chandler out on 191st. 

So the nw cngs are dead or not, cause that was gonna make alot of spare Axess'.

[busfan2847]

1 minute ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

Where is 20324 and up?

There are not any above 20323. Original order was for 23. The next are the 22300 series delivered this year.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, BusHunter said:

Probably chandler out on 191st. 

So the nw cngs are dead or not, cause that was gonna make alot of spare Axess'.

That has nothing to do with the NW CNGs which aren't coming until next year.

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

13 hours ago, artthouwill said:

That has nothing to do with the NW CNGs which aren't coming until next year.

do you know what NW’s CNG’s are going to look like?

[artthouwill]

14 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

do you know what NW’s CNG’s are going to look like?

Probably similar to the 20500s running at Pace South.  Think 17500s with 20400 windows.

[Busjack]

7 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Probably similar to the 20500s running at Pace South.  Think 17500s with 24400 windows.

That's correct.The spec. has generally been for flush windows (I assume you mean 20400s). The 20 Pulse buses are to have more purple and green in the interior, but maybe the 20500s already have that.

[NewFlyerMCI]

15 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

do you know what NW’s CNG’s are going to look like?

 

9 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Probably similar to the 20500s running at Pace South.  Think 17500s with 20400 windows.

 

 

Side note: That purple lighting is an awful design choice, and needs to be nixed.

[Busjack]

On 9/2/2022 at 8:56 AM, rotjohns said:

Yep.  So I was wrong, the new batch is going to Plainfield, which makes sense given the new garage.  So the 20-30 previously reported will likely all go there, which should retire 2742-2764.  If all 44 come in, then I'd think the rest would go to River unless they work on all of the ones that are spread out on the other garages (NW, Bridgeview, and Batavia for example).  

EDIT:  The remaining 22300s may also go to FV to get rid of the early 2600s they have remaining.  I doubt the 2700s and 2826-2829 move quickly, they're the last ones to get there after the purge at NS.  

I don't have the foggiest what's happening here. The Joliet buses are a year or two newer than the Elgin buses, so, unless they have excess mileage, I doubt that they will be retired.

Maybe what happens is that various buses will be cycled through Elgin until the garage is expanded and goes electric, but that may be 2029. Meanwhile, aside from the transfers from NS, there must still be a number of buses assigned to First Student in Naperville and Lisle that aren't being used.

[artthouwill]

19 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

 

 

 

Side note: That purple lighting is an awful design choice, and needs to be nixed.

I don't mind the purple light interior, but the hideous oversized Pulse wrap needs to be addressed.   You can't see outside through the windows  due to not only the wrap, but the big PULSE letters on the wrap, which also looks cheap and hideous on the outside.

When the first 47 CNGs arrive next year, will they go straight to Wheeling?  Perhaps Wheeling garage will operate the Pulse routes and some other routes and as more arrive, more routes will transisitio to Wheeling.   Desplaines doesn't appear to have any room to house temporarily CNG tanks.

[Hello]

11 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

 

 

 

Side note: That purple lighting is an awful design choice, and needs to be nixed.

The only reason why they have purple light is for pulse

[NewFlyerMCI]

On 9/4/2022 at 3:48 AM, Hello said:

The only reason why they have purple light is for pulse

I’m aware, they’re still bad

[Railguy]

The Pulse vehicles are the branding dont mind it.. I kind of like the purple lights too

[rotjohns]

On 9/3/2022 at 3:42 PM, Busjack said:

I don't have the foggiest what's happening here. The Joliet buses are a year or two newer than the Elgin buses, so, unless they have excess mileage, I doubt that they will be retired.

Maybe what happens is that various buses will be cycled through Elgin until the garage is expanded and goes electric, but that may be 2029. Meanwhile, aside from the transfers from NS, there must still be a number of buses assigned to First Student in Naperville and Lisle that aren't being used.

That's what I thought too, that's why I was thinking they'd go to Elgin.  I'm not up that way very often, but doesn't Elgin have shorter routes than Joliet (except for maybe 554)?  Maybe those buses aren't in such bad shape as the Joliet ones, but I don't know.  

The only other conclusion I can think of is that given Elgin just got 2650 and up, you may be right that Elgin will cycle buses including the First Student ones.  We already know those buses are good given 2670 was sent to Batavia for the 711-715.