7900-series Nova LFS - Updates

[garmon757]

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.

Lol, like the metaphor about your car. If it is confirmed that it is a prototype then I hope this set doesn't start at #7900. It's just tacky to me. Now if it started at #8000 then that's a different story.

[jajuan]

Lol, like the metaphor about your car. If it is confirmed that it is a prototype then I hope this set doesn't start at #7900. It's just tacky to me. Now if it started at #8000 then that's a different story.

It's not very likely that they'll change it. Once CTA gets to the viewing and testing a prototype stage, whichever vehicle number is placed on that prototype historically becomes the starting number for the series. So it looks like you'll be stuck holding on to the thought of 7900 being a tacky vehicle number to start of the series for this bus model.

[Kimball401]

Well getting back on the swing of things the rear end looks like a cramped up MAN series bus (no offense but it makes me laugh) and the interior is beatiful (goodbye to talking to the bus driver the way u used to lol )

[garmon757]

It's not very likely that they'll change it. Once CTA gets to the viewing and testing a prototype stage, whichever vehicle number is placed on that prototype historically becomes the starting number for the series. So it looks like you'll be stuck holding on to the thought of 7900 being a tacky vehicle number to start of the series for this bus model.

Anyway it goes, I'll accept the numberings of them. I said that it was tacky because there hasn't been a set of buses (101 or more) that started with X900 in CTA history.

[MVTArider]

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.

From how it looks to me, i think they're the same hinge out style as the D40LF. We have slide-glide rear doors on ours, and they have a slight curve to them as well as the hinge points towards the bottom:

MVTA 4253 by TheTransitCamera, on Flickr

I'm not seeing that on the 7900 prototype though, at least from the photos I've seen. Another question is, with the CLASS rear door system will these have the increasingly popular audio announcement "Please touch yellow tape to open doors." playing each time the doors are unlocked?

[garmon757]

Well guys, sitting here watching NBC 5 news and they just showed #7900 fully equipped with the Ventra System and the white priority seating signs on the front seats.

[garmon757]

From how it looks to me, i think they're the same hinge out style as the D40LF. We have slide-glide rear doors on ours, and they have a slight curve to them as well as the hinge points towards the bottom:

MVTA 4253 by TheTransitCamera, on Flickr

I'm not seeing that on the 7900 prototype though, at least from the photos I've seen. Another question is, with the CLASS rear door system will these have the increasingly popular audio announcement "Please touch yellow tape to open doors." playing each time the doors are unlocked?

That's because your Nova is a LFX and ours is LFS. It's undetermined if ours are going to have an audio system for the rear doors. The only rear door audio system we have is the Pace Eldorado Axess buses audio system "Please step away from the doors".

[BusHunter]

From how it looks to me, i think they're the same hinge out style as the D40LF. We have slide-glide rear doors on ours, and they have a slight curve to them as well as the hinge points towards the bottom:

MVTA 4253 by TheTransitCamera, on Flickr

I'm not seeing that on the 7900 prototype though, at least from the photos I've seen. Another question is, with the CLASS rear door system will these have the increasingly popular audio announcement "Please touch yellow tape to open doors." playing each time the doors are unlocked?

On one of the news clips, they show the operation of the rear door. They do swing out, but something about them reminds me of the Pace Orion VI's rear doors, like they are powered, but that wouldn't be the CTA spec as CTA's doors have mostly been manually controlled by the person versus the operator. They might run both manually and automatic. The doors look really light weight.

[Busjack]

Well getting back on the swing of things the rear end looks like a cramped up MAN series bus (no offense but it makes me laugh) and the interior is beatiful (goodbye to talking to the bus driver the way u used to lol )

The issue there is whether it is a pop out window, but in any case, the consistent use of rounded rectangle windows would have a similar effect. Of course, the difference is that MAN articulateds had a flat back, while new Novas have the high vent at the top.

On one of the news clips, they show the operation of the rear door. They do swing out, but something about them reminds me of the Pace Orion VI's rear doors, like they are powered, but that wouldn't be the CTA spec as CTA's doors have mostly been manually controlled by the person versus the operator. They might run both manually and automatic. The doors look really light weight.

They certainly look like the Pace Orion VI doors given their width. I'm not sure what you mean by the last as all CTA doors starting in 1975 have had some sort of motorized assist for the passenger, and obviously the CLASS ones do. Do you mean that the driver can open them, as opposed to just unlock them?

[jajuan]

The issue there is whether it is a pop out window, but in any case, the consistent use of rounded rectangle windows would have a similar effect. Of course, the difference is that MAN articulateds had a flat back, while new Novas have the high vent at the top.

They certainly look like the Pace Orion VI doors given their width. I'm not sure what you mean by the last as all CTA doors starting in 1995 have had some sort of motorized assist for the passenger, and obviously the CLASS ones do. Do you mean that the driver can open them, as opposed to just unlock them?

From the sound of his post, I think he is talking about whether the driver can open the rear doors or just unlock it so that the passenger does opens the doors themselves. This is always how you spot out of town tourists and suburban riders whose experience with transit buses is mostly Pace. They tend to stand there and expect the driver to open the rear door until someone else mentions to them they have to touch the yellow strip or handle, depending on the bus model. But to be fair though, some of the operators on the artic routes have demonstrated there is some control over opening the rear doors on the driver's end of things on board the artics since there have been a number of cases I stepped off an artic on the 12 Roosevelt and seen the rear doors open without my touching the yellow strip on the doors.

[Busjack]

That's because your Nova is a LFX and ours is LFS.....

Usually, it depends on what kind of Vapor door the TA selects (specification sheet). For instance, it has been noted that while most front doors here are of the slide glide type, the ones on the Pace express buses (both MCI and Axess) are of the single panel parallelogram plug type. It looks as though both CTA and Pace use swing out rear doors.

It also looks like CTA (like Pace) is now using the Citiview front door instead of the usual classic with 4 windows.

Also, I guess Rahm isn't mentioning jobs in Buffalo Grove this time.

[geneking7320]

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.

Kenosha Transit has the one seat behind the driver on their Novas.

[garmon757]

Usually, it depends on what kind of Vapor door the TA selects (specification sheet). For instance, it has been noted that while most front doors here are of the slide glide type, the ones on the Pace express buses (both MCI and Axess) are of the single panel parallelogram plug type. It looks as though both CTA and Pace use swing out rear doors.

It also looks like CTA (like Pace) is now using the Citiview front door instead of the usual classic with 4 windows.

Also, I guess Rahm isn't mentioning jobs in Buffalo Grove this time.

The MCI's yes and Axess (6323-6376) no about the parallelogram plug type. Now the Orion VI's doors were very interesting because of the fact that their front doors were slide glides but the back doors were two different types: swing outs (6000-6129?) and slide glides (6130?-6161). Before the Novas and New Flyers came out, yes the CTA was very dominant of old buses having swing out doors. You're right about the Citiview doors. About Rahm, I guess he wants to take up all the credit.

[Busjack]

The MCI's yes and Axess (6323-6376) no about the parallelogram plug type. Now the Orion VI's doors were very interesting because of the fact that their front doors were slide glides but the back doors were two different types: swing outs (6000-6129?) and slide glides (6130?-6161). Before the Novas and New Flyers came out, yes the CTA was very dominant of old buses having swing out doors. You're right about the Citiview doors. About Rahm, I guess he wants to take up all the credit.

You'll note that I qualified it by "express." However, I wasn't aware that the higher Orion VIs had different doors.

The original contract ended at 6144, so I don't know if that was the break. But on 7900, it appears to be swing out, as there isn't any mechanism inside of the the advertising rack, as best as I can tell, and there is some sort of cable at the top between the side and the door.

[Mr.cta85]

From the sound of his post, I think he is talking about whether the driver can open the rear doors or just unlock it so that the passenger does opens the doors themselves. This is always how you spot out of town tourists and suburban riders whose experience with transit buses is mostly Pace. They tend to stand there and expect the driver to open the rear door until someone else mentions to them they have to touch the yellow strip or handle, depending on the bus model. But to be fair though, some of the operators on the artic routes have demonstrated there is some control over opening the rear doors on the driver's end of things on board the artics since there have been a number of cases I stepped off an artic on the 12 Roosevelt and seen the rear doors open without my touching the yellow strip on the doors.

That's true with the artics we the operators can actually open the back doors for the passengers especially if the bus is crowded or if the passengers don't touch the strip I personally do it to make it easier for the passenger. But with the new Novas I'm sure they'll operate like the 1000 series though.

[garmon757]

You'll note that I qualified it by "express." However, I wasn't aware that the higher Orion VIs had different doors.

The original contract ended at 6144, so I don't know if that was the break. But on 7900, it appears to be swing out, as there isn't any mechanism inside of the the advertising rack, as best as I can tell, and there is some sort of cable at the top between the side and the door.

I didn't think about it at first until you mentioned express. Yeah the higher Orion VI's back doors reminds me about the NABI's back doors.

[sw4400]

I wonder if this prototype test of #7900 will strictly be Non-Revenue(I'm sure it'll be put on that shaker like the TMC prototype was on when it came here), or will this bus log a few miles on routes/at a few garages before returning to Plattsburgh for any adjustments/changes the CTA asks for before #7900 returns along with some other buses.

[Busjack]

I wonder if this prototype test of #7900 will strictly be Non-Revenue(I'm sure it'll be put on that shaker like the TMC prototype was on when it came here), or will this bus log a few miles on routes/at a few garages before returning to Plattsburgh for any adjustments/changes the CTA asks for before #7900 returns along with some other buses.

The question is whether the farebox and Ventra reader mean anything other than that they fit.

[BusHunter]

BTW, I put up all the news broadcasts I recorded for the unveiling of #7900 on Youtube. If you want to see it here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD7bZdqnWkg

[Busjack]

As I somewhat predicted, the second stage 30% payment on one bus has been made on 07-Mar (database). No companion payment for the second invoice, though.

[geneking7320]

I've heard references to larger windows on the 7900s.

What larger windows?

[Busjack]

I've heard references to larger windows on the 7900s.

What larger windows?

Probably have to take out the tape measure, but interior pictures imply that they go lower. May be an illusion.

Also. compared to the 6400s, it doesn't have the slot window on the right side at the rear.

[sw4400]

I honestly don't see a difference in window size... maybe the difference is centimeters? Barely noticeable to me either way...

[jajuan]

The reference is most likely to the rear windows guys, especially those on the left side of the bus.. Remember the engine alignment on Nova buses that are manufactured currently are in the more traditional alignment of other buses rather than the original vertical alignment that caused the odd seating arrangement of the 6400s and the need of that tiny rear window on the left side.

[Mr.cta85]

The reference is most likely to the rear windows guys, especially those on the left side of the bus.. Remember the engine alignment on Nova buses that are manufactured currently are in the more traditional alignment of other buses rather than the original vertical alignment that caused the odd seating arrangement of the 6400s and the need of that tiny rear window on the left side.

Exactly what Jajuan said lol