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7900-series Nova LFS - Updates


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on CTa's facebook page they have some pictures of the interior and exterior views.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.601227119966915.1073741887.134339103322388&type=1

WGN in the next few hours should update their site with the video coverage of that news story. I'll see if I can post a link if it comes up.

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on CTa's facebook page they have some pictures of the interior and exterior views.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.601227119966915.1073741887.134339103322388&type=1

WGN in the next few hours should update their site with the video coverage of that news story. I'll see if I can post a link if it comes up.

I'd like to hear them in operation via a video clip now(I know it'll happen in due time), and hear that Cummins ISL9 mated with whatever trans(Allison or ZF) selected purr along.

They are supposed to be tested for I guess the next few weeks or month before the fleet begins to arrive in May. Does that mean it'll be a non-revenue test only, or will it be assigned to one or all garages for a test period?

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on CTa's facebook page they have some pictures of the interior and exterior views.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.601227119966915.1073741887.134339103322388&type=1

WGN in the next few hours should update their site with the video coverage of that news story. I'll see if I can post a link if it comes up.

The WGN report had large legends stenciled on the flip up seats for the handicapped positions, while picture 2 in this gallery (which I assume is the same as the one added to the Tribune story) doesn't reflect that, but picture 3 does (if one ignores da Mare).

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Unless I'm crazy, the WGN report had large legends stenciled on the flip up seats for the handicapped positions, while the picture in this gallery (which I assume is the same as the one added to the Tribune story) doesn't reflect that.

Looks like those were added later. CTA's interior pictures were taken a few weeks ago.
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Unless I'm crazy, the WGN report had large legends stenciled on the flip up seats for the handicapped positions, while picture 2 in this gallery (which I assume is the same as the one added to the Tribune story) doesn't reflect that, but picture 3 does (if one ignores da Mare).

I don't know, I saw the WGN report myself, but it went by so fast I can't understand exactly what you mean. I'll be capturing the broadcasts later, so maybe I can catch it if WGN rebroadcasts that at 5 or 9. I'll probably put all the footage together and post it on youtube eventually. Note the gray floor.

What caught my eye was the rear doors which look wider. I need to see the door assemblies. It almost looks like the rear door opens like an optima. I guess we'll know later.

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I don't know, I saw the WGN report myself, but it went by so fast I can't understand exactly what you mean....

If you go back to the Facebook gallery, #3 of 8, there are large priority seating signs on the inserts of the flipped up longitudinal seats on the left side of the bus behind George Cavelle. If you look at #2 of 8, they aren't on the transverse flip up seats (or even the longitudinal ones), but were on WGN. As Kevin pointed out, they must have been added in the meantime, as we assume the big wigs were at 74th today.

BTW, #4 indicates that there is one longitudinal seat between the driver's compartment and the left wheel well, as compared to 2 transverse seats on the 6400s.

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OK I see now what you mean't. Note those stencils are gold not white. As far as the front seat, that is the standard on all nova buses of that type. CTA would have to tell them they don't want it that way. Perhaps the Freedman seats were clashing with something. They do have high backs. Gotta love those driver compartment doors!!

I'm surprised no one is saying anything about the press conference being at 74th.

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I've updated the fleet information and added photos to the gallery with detailed captions. I think I've noted all the changes, but let me know if you see any details that I missed. (Yes, I know the pulls cords are now yellow but decided not to mention that in the caption.)

Not yet evident from the pictures is whether Nova installed Bus Tracker flat screens or the like.

Evident from the pictures and Nova literature, and certainly not a feature as far as passengers are concerned is that there seems to be a lot of equipment hidden by the drop ceilings in the advertising card area.

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on CTa's facebook page they have some pictures of the interior and exterior views.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.601227119966915.1073741887.134339103322388&type=1

WGN in the next few hours should update their site with the video coverage of that news story. I'll see if I can post a link if it comes up.

I just want to smack some people that are making stupid comments on Facebook about this....

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I just want to smack some people that are making stupid comments on Facebook about this....

From reading Facebook comments in the newspapers, isn't that the purpose? :o There doesn't appear to be any attempt to enforce community guidelines there.

But with regard to "Kareem Allen If you want a smooth ride, then fix the potholes and the roads" I mentioned that most of the news conference was about potholes, and Emanuel said something to the effect that the new shock absorbers in the bus won't last if we don't fix the potholes.

I assume that your remarks were directed to the "south side" ones, but I assume that 2 of the garages that are going to get them are on the south side (74 and 77).

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Not yet evident from the pictures is whether Nova installed Bus Tracker flat screens or the like.

Evident from the pictures and Nova literature, and certainly not a feature as far as passengers are concerned is that there seems to be a lot of equipment hidden by the drop ceilings in the advertising card area.

The photo looking towards the front of the bus shows a traditional single-line LED with no sign of any LCD displays that were mentioned in the RFP. I also noted the equipment suspended above that front seat, which apparently necessitated use of the warning sticker of a guy banging the top of his head.

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The photo looking towards the front of the bus shows a traditional single-line LED with no sign of any LCD displays that were mentioned in the RFP. I also noted the equipment suspended above that front seat, which apparently necessitated use of the warning sticker of a guy banging the top of his head.

That thing looks too narrow for even the Clever Devices text display, but we'll find out what it is.

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From reading Facebook comments in the newspapers, isn't that the purpose? :o There doesn't appear to be any attempt to enforce community guidelines there.

But with regard to "Kareem Allen If you want a smooth ride, then fix the potholes and the roads" I mentioned that most of the news conference was about potholes, and Emanuel said something to the effect that the new shock absorbers in the bus won't last if we don't fix the potholes.

I assume that your remarks were directed to the "south side" ones, but I assume that 2 of the garages that are going to get them are on the south side (74 and 77).

You're correct about the south side remarks. Maybe it is the purpose but there's nothing I can do about it except to let people be with their stupidity. Most of these pot holes that are plaguing the streets are happening thanks to the salt if I'm not mistaking. NBC5 stated that there were about 165,000 potholes that were fixed since New Years Day and that the city is hiring more worker to patch about 1,500 a day.

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The photo looking towards the front of the bus shows a traditional single-line LED with no sign of any LCD displays that were mentioned in the RFP. I also noted the equipment suspended above that front seat, which apparently necessitated use of the warning sticker of a guy banging the top of his head.

I wonder if they're going to have them bus numbers on the top by the driver's side or in the middle like the other buses?

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I wonder if they're going to have them bus numbers on the top by the driver's side or in the middle like the other buses?

You picked up a very obvious omission, which gets back to my point a couple of weeks ago that if this really is a prototype, whether this is a 7900 series, or whether this really is the eventual 7900. The installation of a fare box looks convincing, but.....

On your salt point, asphalt streets are destroyed all over the region, and my car has enough salt on it that it looks like America's Test Kitchen brined it first. I have never seen it this bad.

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As I said before great looking bus I love how they still resemble the 6400's cause once they're officially gone they won't be missed as much. I saw the clip from wgn and in her report she said that cta has an option to purchase 250 more buses instead of 150. I'm sure that was a mistake on her part cause towards the end of the clip she also quoted cta by saying a cta bus drives about 60million miles a yr lol I'm sure that's incorrect.

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One other detail I picked up just now besides the inward facing front seat behind the driver compartment, is that this bus has amber turn signals in the rear. I think these might be the first buses originally owned by CTA to have these. Yes the former Fishbowl 700s from the 1990s and the 4915s had them, but those were originally owned by Pace and therefore carried these features over from their time in Pace service.

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One of the things I've noticed about the new buses is that they have LED "cross-aisle-lights" running across the bus interior ceiling in addition to the lights running along the sides. Kevin has noticed too, since they are mentioned on an interior photo. I personally think they have a cool modern look.

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As I said before great looking bus I love how they still resemble the 6400's cause once they're officially gone they won't be missed as much. I saw the clip from wgn and in her report she said that cta has an option to purchase 250 more buses instead of 150. I'm sure that was a mistake on her part cause towards the end of the clip she also quoted cta by saying a cta bus drives about 60million miles a yr lol I'm sure that's incorrect.

That's the very thing I hate. They resemble the 6400s too much. Of course I noticed the floors are gray and not blue.

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As I said before great looking bus I love how they still resemble the 6400's cause once they're officially gone they won't be missed as much. I saw the clip from wgn and in her report she said that cta has an option to purchase 250 more buses instead of 150. I'm sure that was a mistake on her part cause towards the end of the clip she also quoted cta by saying a cta bus drives about 60million miles a yr lol I'm sure that's incorrect.

So far the only news video I can find on the Novas is Fox Chicago's coverage here:

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/24829250/300-new-cta-buses-to-help-provide-a-smoother-ride

CBS2 Chicago reports that Claypool says the plan is to buy 550 buses, so there may something there. We all know the contract cap is 450 buses so...

There are 100 buses from another as yet unnamed source. Maybe the rumor mill is correct. They do intend on purchasing 100 artics maybe from Novabus, I don't know.

CBS Story: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/02/26/cta-to-get-300-new-buses/

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As I said before great looking bus I love how they still resemble the 6400's cause once they're officially gone they won't be missed as much. I saw the clip from wgn and in her report she said that cta has an option to purchase 250 more buses instead of 150. I'm sure that was a mistake on her part cause towards the end of the clip she also quoted cta by saying a cta bus drives about 60million miles a yr lol I'm sure that's incorrect.

That's wrong according to the addendum to the solicitation. This part of the contract is for 300 buses with options for an additional 150. If the articulated bus part of the contract is ever awarded, that's for 50 with options for another 100. That still is a change from the original solicitation of a sliding scale adding up to 450 (way up the thread).

On the other point, you can do the math that the average bus outwears its welcome at about 500,000 to 600,000 miles and 12 years. Using that math, I get 90 million,so 60 million is probably correct. But someone could check the hubometers. :unsure:

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So far the only news video I can find on the Novas is Fox Chicago's coverage here:

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/24829250/300-new-cta-buses-to-help-provide-a-smoother-ride

The Fox one at least gives a better view of the priority seats and what is in the ceiling. It also gives a better view of the license plate, M192030, so we have that reference in case another bus with the same number comes up with a different plate.

It has the same excerpt from Emanuel's statement as was on WGN.

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That's wrong according to the addendum to the solicitation. This part of the contract is for 300 buses with options for an additional 150. If the articulated bus part of the contract is ever awarded, that's for 50 with options for another 100. That still is a change from the original solicitation of a sliding scale adding up to 450 (way up the thread).

On the other point, you can do the math that the average bus outwears its welcome at about 500,000 to 600,000 miles and 12 years. Using that math, I get 90 million,so 60 million is probably correct. But someone could check the hubometers. :unsure:

One could check it CTA buses still had them. But they don't. CTA removed the hubometers off all its buses about 4 to 5 years ago back when it was still unknown that the 6000s were in their last months of official revenue service.

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