7900-series Nova LFS - Updates

[Sam92]

6 hours ago, jajuan said:

Well the new Novas didn't have total control of Ashland this morning. There was a small mix of of NFs in place, mainly through the #X9 runs from what I was able to observe. All the Ashland locals still looked to be nothing but Novas.

Guess they figure if theyre short on novas for that corridor the locals would need tsp more than express but its not in the Garage memo so I'll leave that to @Mr.cta85 to voice his take on it

[jajuan]

41 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

Guess they figure if theyre short on novas for that corridor the locals would need tsp more than express but its not in the Garage memo so I'll leave that to @Mr.cta85 to voice his take on it

Yeah the garage memo pretty much gave the impression that it didn't matter if it were a local bus or express. From how the memo is worded, they wanted operators on Ashland to pull out in a Nova for both express and local until such time they had NFs equipped for TSP as well as the Novas. Two of those NFs that were out this morning are still out on Ashland this afternoon by the way. One as a local (apparently from the interline between local and express through use of the 95th terminal) and one as an express again. A third NF that wasn't out there this morning is out there with them as the second PM NF on the express. This PM rush is thus seeing about half the number of NFs that were out on Ashland in the AM rush. But your point is indeed a logical one, especially when you add in the fact that most express buses on Ashland pull into the garage at the end of service with a small few that arrive at 95th at the tailend of rush service staying in service and becoming locals to join what other locals that are staying in service during the offpeak. So to add to your thought, they probably also figure if short Novas, it's better to place NFs on express runs that will only be out a couple hours or so and pull back into the garage. I suppose it's analogous to those random days we see 40 foot NFs out on some rush period runs of the J14 for example, because there aren't enough artics ready at 103rd at the time to go out on those runs.

[Guest]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2016 at 0:31 PM, Busjack said:

Then why are the two buses there?

Two new Novas sitting in the back lot at FG proves nothing!  Ive spotted #5000 series rail cars running on the Blue line, That didn't mean they were getting them!  As for the two Novas,  I haven't seen them operating on any streets served by FG. When I see an 8200 Nova displaying an "F" decal on the front windshield then Ill believe it!  Until then I stand by my views! Even if FG gets the new Novas  Knowing CTA pigheaded management, they will do another stupid move and probably transfer them to another garage like they did with the New Flyers a few years back, sticking FG with an entire 6400 Novas fleet. 

[garmon757]

Well, I'll be damned! Get ready for a new chapter because #8200, #8201, #8202, and #8203 have arrived!!!!

[dann]

On May 10, 2016 at 9:18 PM, CTA5750 said:

Two new Novas sitting in the back lot at FG proves nothing!  Ive spotted #5000 series rail cars running on the Blue line, That didn't mean they were getting them!  As for the two Novas,  I haven't seen them operating on any streets served by FG. When I see an 8200 Nova displaying an "F" decal on the front windshield then Ill believe it!  Until then I stand by my views! Even if FG gets the new Novas  Knowing CTA pigheaded management, they will do another stupid move and probably transfer them to another garage like they did with the New Flyers a few years back, sticking FG with an entire 6400 Novas fleet. 

As far as FG getting stuck with all 6400s, that day has passed. As Garmon just said, some more 8200s just arrived, so let's all be patient and see what transpires. For all its worth, I'm sure the 8200s will be running on FG routes before long.

[Mr.cta85]

1 hour ago, garmon757 said:

Well, I'll be damned! Get ready for a new chapter because #8200, #8201, #8202, and #8203 have arrived!!!!

Awesome news this should be quite interesting to say the least ??

[BusHunter]

3 hours ago, garmon757 said:

Weinl, I'll be damned! Get ready for a new chapter because #8200, #8201, #8202, and #8203 have arrived!!!!

Yeah hopefully they can get these trainers (#8197, 99 trainers) out of the yard this week. They could feasably have these In service by the end of the month.

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, garmon757 said:

Well, I'll be damned! Get ready for a new chapter because #8200, #8201, #8202, and #8203 have arrived!!!!

The press release said May, and this happens to be....May.

[garmon757]

2 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Yeah hopefully they can get these trainers (#8197, 99 trainers) out of the yard this week. They could feasably have these In service by the end of the month.

That's why I need you to keep an eye on them silly! 

[garmon757]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

The press release said May, and this happens to be....May.

I'm not understanding your point unless you're trying to say that some people didn't believe the projected month of the 8200s arrivals. 

[Busjack]

24 minutes ago, garmon757 said:

I'm not understanding your point unless you're trying to say that some people didn't believe the projected month of the 8200s arrivals. 

If you want to make the final inference, fine, or just that at least this time, CTA meant what it said.

[sw4400]

29 minutes ago, garmon757 said:

That's why I need you to keep an eye on them silly! 

Which one?  

[garmon757]

2 minutes ago, Busjack said:

If you want to make the final inference, fine, or just that at least this time, CTA meant what it said.

In which that's fine but I never once said that I didn't believe them.

[garmon757]

Just now, sw4400 said:

Which one?  

You're fired mate!!! LOL

[Busjack]

24 minutes ago, garmon757 said:

In which that's fine but I never once said that I didn't believe them.

I never said you didn't.

[BusHunter]

59 minutes ago, garmon757 said:

That's why I need you to keep an eye on them silly! 

Yeah, well I need your south shops input as well. Unless I want to drive 2 hours roundtrip. Don't know what to say about the glen. Unless they are testing them in the 3rd yard, they don't appear to have moved in a week. At this rate #8200 and the gang are going to report to the 3rd yard!! Just remember they said they would go in service in May. So far that hasn't happened. They still have 20 days though.

[sw4400]

8 hours ago, garmon757 said:

Well, I'll be damned! Get ready for a new chapter because #8200, #8201, #8202, and #8203 have arrived!!!!

I would expect a target of early June to see them officially begin their run on FG. It seems to take about two weeks to prep the buses(Prevost personnel give them a looking over for any defects. CTA personnel start installing Clever Devices, fareboxes, installing route information software). I don't know why the whole process takes two weeks, but it is what it is.

[BusHunter]

#8200 supposedly though has already been here 2 weeks. It will probably wait until training is over to get released. According to the management gossip on here, training is two weeks and this is the 2nd week. So I don't know what to say on that. Maybe that's at the garage and there will be two weeks training on the road because last time with #6712 I swear that was around 2 weeks on the road training.  So possibly something may happen the last week of May. At least #8197 is moving around in the 3rd yard today so they are doing something with it. 

[Mr.cta85]

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

I never said you didn't.

So what's your point of responding to him like that in the 1st place?? 

[garmon757]

3 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Yeah, well I need your south shops input as well. Unless I want to drive 2 hours roundtrip. Don't know what to say about the glen. Unless they are testing them in the 3rd yard, they don't appear to have moved in a week. At this rate #8200 and the gang are going to report to the 3rd yard!! Just remember they said they would go in service in May. So far that hasn't happened. They still have 20 days though.

I'll give it about two weeks for them to be in service. I think Forest Glen have to wrap up by getting more NF's before having the 8200s begin service.

[garmon757]

2 hours ago, sw4400 said:

I would expect a target of early June to see them officially begin their run on FG. It seems to take about two weeks to prep the buses(Prevost personnel give them a looking over for any defects. CTA personnel start installing Clever Devices, fareboxes, installing route information software). I don't know why the whole process takes two weeks, but it is what it is.

Were you reading my mind fella????

[sw4400]

9 hours ago, garmon757 said:

Were you reading my mind fella????

In one word.....  

 

[BusHunter]

I learned something tonight about the #7900's. I was on the #54 on #8158 at Diversey and you know how they have that high curb there nb? Well the back door came out and got stuck on it while in an almost open position. Now being in that state mean't the pressure for the back door kept pushing it out. So since the operator asked for my assistance, I helped him troubleshoot the doors. I saw this pressure problem was the issue, so I decided to go up and talk to him. I asked him if there was a kill switch for the rear door to shut off the pressure. He said no. I was like really, WTH Nova bus. I looked for one myself. It doesn't have one that I can see. WTH!! So he tried a few things like shutting off the bus completely. No dice. So he came back and tried to push against the doors but they were fighting him so I went outside and shut the doors for him, while he turned off the doors. It worked, so I saved him a call to control. He waved to me when I got off the bus. I guess he liked the assist. What are Bushunters for anyway? Now CTA can send me my paycheck.

Now if this is really true with the back doors, then hopefully this will be a part of the training at FG because I didn't know that.

[Express Flyer]

Well I use to drive that route, & I use to do the exact same thing with those doors at diversey. A few times to bc im a slow learner, what can I tell ya. I'd troubleshoot as well, & found if I was to close the doors, use the butterfly to open the front & go out to close those back doors the problem would be fixed. It should definitely be gone over at fg. Though what their going to say is they shouldn't be stuck to begin with.

[BusHunter]

26 minutes ago, Express Flyer said:

Well I use to drive that route, & I use to do the exact same thing with those doors at diversey. A few times to bc im a slow learner, what can I tell ya. I'd troubleshoot as well, & found if I was to close the doors, use the butterfly to open the front & go out to close those back doors the problem would be fixed. It should definitely be gone over at fg. Though what their going to say is they shouldn't be stuck to begin with.

The operator did open his front doors to go out and close the doors, he even tried to play with the cherry. No dice. Could he have been wrong about there's no kill switch? I ride #54 quite a bit and this is the first time I've seen him. Maybe he was newly hired or something.

I just mention it in relation to the glen because there are a few spots where this can happen like in front of Gordon Tech, I think it's called DePaul Academy or something now. They have that guardrail there. And then the doors get stuck on snowbanks and such. That would really bite if you had to go and stand in mounds of snow to fix this. Hopefully this won't be an aggravation for you guys.