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50+ Years of Flxibles in Chicago


mikeymc77

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I recently read about Flxible buses not being in service after Feb 7, I was looking back at the old rosters and in 1991 the 3700s were retired and 5300s went into service. Was there a period when both were in service and would someone have a picture at a garage or terminal of the Flxibles from 1991

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The only way the first question could be answered is if someone has the roster with the dates of when the first 5300 was received compared to when the 4900s (which replaced the 3700s) were. If there was any overlap, it surely was short.

Technically, if you count Flxible as including Twin Coach, it becomes 83 years, as the first CSL bus was a Twin Coach in 1927, according to Lind.

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The only way the first question could be answered is if someone has the roster with the dates of when the first 5300 was received compared to when the 4900s (which replaced the 3700s) were. If there was any overlap, it surely was short.

Technically, if you count Flxible as including Twin Coach, it becomes 83 years, as the first CSL bus was a Twin Coach in 1927, according to Lind.

The #4900's were received after the complete delivery of #4400 - #4875. The first TMC was delivered 2/10/91. The first #5300 4/5/91. So unless the entire TMC fleet was delivered in 2 months which didn't happen both Flx buses coexisted.

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The #4900's were received after the complete delivery of #4400 - #4875. The first TMC was delivered 2/10/91. The first #5300 4/5/91. So unless the entire TMC fleet was delivered in 2 months which didn't happen both Flx buses coexisted.

There is photographic evidence of this being the case IIRC on the site (can't remember who's it was) that we were perusing and commenting on during the late summer/early fall. I remember the photo was taken at Lake/Austin and had a 5300 Flx with one of the old 3700 Flx's on the former 16 Lake.

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Nope. At least the original poster* wanted a 5300 with a 3700. We all know that there were about 12 years when the 5300s and 4900s coexisted.

All this picture proves is that statements that Lake couldn't take 102 inch wide buses were apparently not consistent with operational reality, although Krambles said that the 96 inches buses were assigned there for an extra margin of clearance, not that they were the only ones there.

___________

*Updated.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here are pics I took last week of CTA Flxible/Twin Coach #8281 and Flxible #8715, the last propane bus operated in Chicago.

post-158-12669046999761_thumb.jpgpost-158-1266904741351_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669047853901_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048162492_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048519324_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048812636_thumb.jpg

Those buses bring back memories of growing up on the South Side of Chicago.

Is that a Mack to the right [looking from the rear] of the "old look" Flxible/Twin Coach? I have a feeling that CTA must have been the largest customer of that old look

model Flx/Twin. I say that because it seems dificult to find pics that bus owned by

other agencies.

Gene King

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I have a feeling that CTA must have been the largest customer of that old look model Flx/Twin. I say that because it seems dificult to find pics that bus owned by other agencies.

Gene King

There is a delivery list at the Ohio Museum of Transportation site.

Update: 5000-5499 are in a separate Twin Coach list.

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Is this on CTA property,because I don't recognize the area.

No, this is not on CTA property. These buses are sitting in a large lot off of Rt53. in Joliet. You just have to talk to lot security to let you in.

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post-304-12671352251071_thumb.jpg

There was a picture in the Transportation Section Of the Chicago Tribune on 2/3/91 that does indeed show both Flx's. #5300 on the far left and #3715 on the far right with the rest of the fleet at that time in front of 103rd garage. #5300 was a prototype at that time, they didn't go into service yet for two months from Feb 1991. So there's photographic evidence of that.

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  • 10 months later...

Here are pics I took last week of CTA Flxible/Twin Coach #8281 and Flxible #8715, the last propane bus operated in Chicago.

post-158-12669046999761_thumb.jpgpost-158-1266904741351_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669047853901_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048162492_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048519324_thumb.jpgpost-158-12669048812636_thumb.jpg

I used to ride on those old propanes as a kid back then! Sometimes on the #55 Garfield route on my way to the Museum Of Science & Industry! They don't make them like they used to!

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