rotjohns Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 Would anyone care to share their absolute favorite Pace Bus from back in the day? Either to drive or to ride? I'll give you one of mine right now. I will NEVER forget Orion 2059. Used to be at Heritage. I rode on that bus one day on the 834 and that bus rode like a rocket. Then it moved to Lisle and ran the 825 for a while. Rode that bus every day for 2 weeks when my car broke down and had to take the train downtown. What a great bus that was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 As far as aesthetics, 8000-8155 in original RTA paint. An Orion I is an Orion I as far as I am concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 Well, I like the GMC Pumpkin fishbowl 8000-155 series in the burnt orange/pumpkin paint scheme. As far as route... there's one I remember in my younger years. The 572 in 1980. Back then, Gurnee/Lindenhurst was open farm field. My mom and I were leaving Six Flags for Libertyville and the bus pushed 50+ down Washington... Hitting the unheard of 3rd gear. We were flyin'. That was more of a ride than Six Flags. Later in the 90's... I liked 8032... repainted in Pace white on the 606, again haulin' a.. down I-90. Something about the classics really moving got the blood pumping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 Well, I like the GMC Pumpkin fishbowl 8000-155 series in the burnt orange/pumpkin paint scheme. As far as route... there's one I remember in my younger years. The 572 in 1980. Back then, Gurnee/Lindenhurst was open farm field. My mom and I were leaving Six Flags for Libertyville and the bus pushed 50+ down Washington... Hitting the unheard of 3rd gear. We were flyin'. That was more of a ride than Six Flags. Later in the 90's... I liked 8032... repainted in Pace white on the 606, again haulin' a.. down I-90. Something about the classics really moving got the blood pumping. I second that on the GMCs. Best bus in the Pace fleet. Second was ther RTA Grummans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjohns Posted August 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 I second that on the GMCs. Best bus in the Pace fleet. Second was ther RTA Grummans Anybody got pics of these GMC fishbowls? I'm a big fan of fishbowls too, but I guess by the time I moved to Chicago in 2000, they were long gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 Anybody got pics of these GMC fishbowls? I'm a big fan of fishbowls too, but I guess by the time I moved to Chicago in 2000, they were long gone. I'm sure it's a link used a hundred times here but here it is again... http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z30/melbernero/Illinois/Regional%20Transportation%20Authority/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 I'm sure it's a link used a hundred times here but here it is again... http://s195.photobuc...on%20Authority/ One should note that our references are to the 8000 series. I p.m.ed Mel about the other strange stuff there (800s, Highway Products Twin Coaches), but.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted August 7, 2010 Report Share Posted August 7, 2010 I've never seen an 8200 or an 8600 in person. But as for now, the 2390's are/were my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjohns Posted August 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2010 I've never seen an 8200 or an 8600 in person. But as for now, the 2390's are/were my favorites. When I first moved to Chicago, the very 1st Pace bus I got on was a 2300 on what was then either the 696 or 699, I can't remember which route that was. I know I got off on Golf Road right by the Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg border line. Anyway, I got on that same bus to take back to Woodfield Mall. It too was a great bus as I am used to Orions when I went to I.U. and the city of Bloomington Indiana (not IU buses) had 4 Orions. I don't believe the 8200s were around by the time I got here in 2000, I'm not sure about the 8600s. Can't remember if they were the same as the 8700-8906 that dominated the West and probably the NW garages at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 7, 2010 Report Share Posted August 7, 2010 ...I don't believe the 8200s were around by the time I got here in 2000, I'm not sure about the 8600s. Can't remember if they were the same as the 8700-8906 that dominated the West and probably the NW garages at the time. 8200s were gone when the last of the Orion Is arrived, so would be about 1992 or 1993. Probably the same for the last of the 8000s. 8600s were 35 foot Gillig Phantoms, only in Waukegan, totaling 20. They were replaced by the 2423-2447 NABIs, so, gone in 1999 (although a few were in Ravinia service after that). A picture is here. Interestingly, the 8600s had wheelchair lifts, while 8700s-8923 didn't. BTW, basically the 8700 series ran through 8872. 8873-8923 weren't accessible, but looked more like the 2000 series, with regard to the size of the fleet numbers and the cover over the air conditioner (most under 8872 had a louvered cover, while 8873+ had the type of cover that was on the Orions until the end, where you could see into the air conditioner compartment). As far as the nonaccessible Orion Is, they were in all the large divisions, NW, W, S, SW, and NS, at least in the late 90s. The highest number 8900s up to 8923 were at North Shore. The breakdown of 8700-8872 was basically in this order: South West Whoever was operating 600-606-616 (probably then Keeshin) Southwest Northwest The 8873-8923 series was scattered at all of the five divisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjohns Posted August 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2010 I remember the 8900s, always wondered why the backs were different than the others. 8906 reminded me of that when i saw it recently at South Holland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2010 Report Share Posted August 8, 2010 I thought the #8600 Gilligs were cool because they were exclusive to Pace North/Waukegan and the far North Shore communities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted August 10, 2010 Report Share Posted August 10, 2010 Mines were the GM Fishbowls with the electronic signs that some of them were transferred to CTA with Blue/Red CTA scheme). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 10, 2010 Report Share Posted August 10, 2010 Mines were the GM Fishbowls with the electronic signs that some of them were transferred to CTA with Blue/Red CTA scheme). Technically, those were South Suburban Mass Transit District buses, and I think we discussed that that was their third paint scheme (South Suburban Safeway, RTA, and Pace). Since they still had the blue stripes at the roof line, undoubtedly only the belts were repainted. Also, the electronic signs must have been a sporadic and late development. The ones I saw at the Midway station near the end (in 1995) had torn roll signs, IIRC They must have been refurbished, because the couple I rode on 355 in (I guess) the early 80's already looked shabby on the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Does anyone have any video of the old 8000-155 GMC T6A-4523a 'Pumpkin' Busses. Viewing them again would make my year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Does anyone have any video of the old 8000-155 GMC T6A-4523a 'Pumpkin' Busses. Viewing them again would make my year. Found an oldie but goodie from '92 Even though the destination sign says Cumberland CTA it's really ant River Road CTA... They never updated the signs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Found an oldie but goodie from '92 Even though the destination sign says Cumberland CTA it's really ant River Road CTA... They never updated the signs. Wow! nice pic! Sure is a blast from the past. Today its a NABI that handles this route now. Thanks for sharing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I like the GMC TDH 40footers Nortran used to operate. IIRC the livery was like the CTA GMCs from the 1970s. Of course a royal(?)blue was substituted for the dark green and a powder blue replaced the light green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Found an oldie but goodie from '92 Even though the destination sign says Cumberland CTA it's really ant River Road CTA... They never updated the signs. Until how recent did the GMCs operate the 606 route? Were they still with Keeshin at the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Until how recent did the GMCs operate the 606 route? Were they still with Keeshin at the time? As far as I remember it was operated by CW transportation for a while, later to be replace by Keeshin. The buses were around to the very end in '93. In a pinch they would use MC5C which at the time was the designated model on the 616. Then Orions were put on the job. Is it me or is that route last to get new replacements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Until how recent did the GMCs operate the 606 route? Were they still with Keeshin at the time? Technically, it was CW Transportation. CW had the south side to airports contract. Through the "minority" set a side city program, CW and Keeshin got the remote parking lot contract under the CW name. CW got paychecks, Keeshin got a foothold in the O'Hare/NW suburban market. Keeshin also put the Pace ops under the CW name. All other operations, employee lot, International to Terminal 4 widebody bus operations, and international crew transportation contracts went solely to Keeshin, using the new Keeshin facility on Old Higgins and Mount Prospect road, near Guard Post 1. CW, did lose the Pace contract to Mayflower Transportation, but got it back under Keeshin because Mayflower couldn't handle it. When CW lost the airport contract to O'hareexpress (American Sightseeing)the CW name completely disappeared. When the remote parking contract came up again, Keeshin got it through a joint agreement with Robinson Coach (another "minority" company with school buses all over the city and a coach operation in Evanston)with the company named O'Hare Shuttle Partners. Eventually, in the 2000s, Coach USA "sold" the O'Hare Pace contract to Colonial, and another company gained the employee lot contract. The remote parking lot contract was lost at the next bid before Coach USA sold and closed teh O'hare operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Heres a couple more cool pics of PACE GMCs on the 606 Route. I wish I was working there back then. Does anyone know what bus numbers operated these routes? Did any Nortran or Safeway 40ft buses ever operate these contract routes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Heres a couple more cool pics of PACE GMCs on the 606 Route. I wish I was working there back then. Does anyone know what bus numbers operated these routes? Did any Nortran or Safeway 40ft buses ever operate these contract routes? I used to take this route bi-weekly to a relatives house - back in my big bus fan era. I can remember 8012... of course 8023, 8035, 8038, 8065 and I 8148... which I hae audio of somewhere in my house. These are just a few off memory, including your pics. I think they later adopted a couple safeway buses... i.e 157 etc which previously operated by Nortran. I gotta search the 'crypt' cause I've got more 606 stuff somewhere. Also Robinson had contracts in the Schaumburg area with the creation of 416 (later merged with 699) 696 (now dead) and 699. All routes using the mighty T6H-4523A's. CW had 326, 606, 616. P.S. GREAT PICS 5750...,MUCH APPRECIATED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Is it me or is that route last to get new replacements. It is you. Seriously, though, the trend has been that buses on the 606 contract were taken from the divisions, but before they were replaced system-wide. Thus, after the TDH4523s, they got the 8700s, which were concurrently in use elsewhere, then were replaced by Orion Is when those were displaced by 6000s at SW and NW, and now have NABIs displaced from the collar cities. Of course, now, technically speaking, they aren't the last, as Orion Is are still at North Shore and North. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 It is you. Seriously, though, the trend has been that buses on the 606 contract were taken from the divisions, but before they were replaced system-wide. Thus, after the TDH4523s, they got the 8700s, which were concurrently in use elsewhere, then were replaced by Orion Is when those were displaced by 6000s at SW and NW, and now have NABIs displaced from the collar cities. Of course, now, technically speaking, they aren't the last, as Orion Is are still at North Shore and North. Were the 8000's TDH or T6H ? I remember the registration plate by the steps using '6', and as indicated on Bill V's Pace bus roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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