7900-series Nova LFS - Updates

[garmon757]

It's a gang of New novas about a good 15 or more Buses I saw not too long ago at 77th. I was taking to an operator as I was riding the 79 making my way home and she said 77th suppose to get the artics back at the beginning of the yr. She said the only reason why they took them off 79th street was because it was hard for operators to make those sharp right turns on 83 and damen that's due to the Construction that's going on 79th. They rerouted the buses to turn left on 79th & damen over to 83rd to Western back over to 79th then proceed over the regular route. But please don't shoot the messager I was just sharing with you guys what she said. After all she is a operator out that garage.

You know what, that makes pretty damn sense by all means!

[Busjack]

...She said the only reason why they took them off 79th street was because it was hard for operators to make those sharp right turns on 83 and damen that's due to the Construction that's going on 79th. They rerouted the buses to turn left on 79th & damen over to 83rd to Western back over to 79th then proceed over the regular route....

I wondered why that was on BusTracker, but I guess I should have looked at the alert and schedule brochure.

[BusHunter]

Your camera was acting bipolar yesterday!

Yeah my camera doesn't like cloudy days. But #7991 didn't turn out that bad, as it got darker though the headlights started messing with the shots but I figured I'd upload them anyway.

[Busjack]

Wanna bet? They could always put them on a ferry/boat.

If they do that, they still have to transship the bus.I don't think U.S. 1 goes south of Key West. If you are assuming that the driver can just drive up on a ferry, the only ferries seem to be within Puerto Rico or to the Dominican Republic.

By the same token, I don't think NABI drove 7800 from wherever it was (Alabama?) to Honolulu.

BTW, if one wants to be real speculative, is there any connection between 7800 and 7900?

[BusHunter]

If they do that, they still have to transship the bus.I don't think U.S. 1 goes south of Key West.

By the same token, I don't think NABI drove 7800 from wherever it was (Alabama?) to Honolulu.

Yeah they did most likely or at least as far as land will permit. There's a big shipping dock in LA that gets all the China imports and exports, everything from foreign cars to Wal-Mart clothes, electronics, toys are in those metal shipping containers from Maersk and all the other shipping companies. Although I hear it can take almost 6 months for Wal-Mart to receive their Chinese exports. This is probably on a different ship though due to it's size and destination Hawaii. In fact I looked it up before that there is actually a Hawaii import/exporter that will ship your car to the states and back, I think it's like $2,000. That's kind of high but there is only one shipper and they've probably made a monopoly off the exports. I hate to see what they charge for a bus!!

[Busjack]

Yeah they did most likely or at least as far as land will permit. There's a big shipping dock in LA that gets all the China imports and exports, everything from foreign cars to Wal-Mart clothes, electronics, toys are in those metal shipping containers from Maersk and all the other shipping companies. Although I hear it can take almost 6 months for Wal-Mart to receive their Chinese exports. This is probably on a different ship though due to it's size and destination Hawaii. In fact I looked it up before that there is actually a Hawaii import/exporter that will ship your car to the states and back, I think it's like $2,000. That's kind of high but there is only one shipper and they've probably made a monopoly off the exports. I hate to see what they charge for a bus!!

But that only reenforces the "transship" point.

Andre's point seemed to be that the manufacturers avoid rail because of the need to transfer the cargo at the various intermodal rail terminals. Still have to transfer to cargo to a ship, in any event.

[Guest]

Just got back from 77th/SS. Spent a couple of hours there. I saw Nova #7999! I saw GMC fishbowls still sitting there in the boneyard, the CTA historic bus fleet and some junked Flx 6000. I also made a trip to Kedzie earlier, got a tour of the New Flyer XE #701. And I found out some very interesting information from a very reliable source at Kedzie Gar. and it was confirmed by someone I spoke to at SS that 77th will be getting the entire 300 Nova bus delivery!!! No other garage will be getting them!!!

[Busjack]

Just got back from 77th/SS. Spent a couple of hours there. I saw Nova #7999! I saw GMC fishbowls still sitting there in the boneyard, the CTA historic bus fleet and some junked Flx 6000. I also made a trip to Kedzie earlier, got a tour of the New Flyer Xcelsior #701. And I found out some very interesting information from a very reliable source at Kedzie Gar. and it was confirmed by someone I spoke to at SS that 77th will be getting the entire 300 Nova bus delivery!!! No other garage will be getting them!!!

While this has been whispered before, what is 77th going to do with 300 buses, plus I guess the 30 or so artics Mr.CTA85 said earlier today 79th will get when the construction is over?

The link on the home page to Detailed Bus Garage Assignment Rosters already indicates 282 buses without moving many 1000s out of there; how would 330 be justified?

Of course, his Almighty, da Mare, would still have to explain the bait and switch at 74th.

[BusHunter]

Just got back from 77th/SS. Spent a couple of hours there. I saw Nova #7999! I saw GMC fishbowls still sitting there in the boneyard, the CTA historic bus fleet and some junked Flx 6000. I also made a trip to Kedzie earlier, got a tour of the New Flyer Xcelsior #701. And I found out some very interesting information from a very reliable source at Kedzie Gar. and it was confirmed by someone I spoke to at SS that 77th will be getting the entire 300 Nova bus delivery!!! No other garage will be getting them!!!

See what did I say before, this is 77th we're talking about!! But I still think fg might get the last 150 If they eexercise the option and they probably will.

Btw, #7971 has just entered service on the #2.

[Guest]

While this has been whispered before, what is 77th going to do with 300 buses, plus I guess the 30 or so artics Mr.CTA85 said earlier today 79th will get when the construction is over?

The link on the home page to Detailed Bus Garage Assignment Rosters already indicates 282 buses without moving many 1000s out of there; how would 330 be justified?

Of course, his Almighty, da Mare, would still have to explain the bait and switch at 74th.

I dont have anymore information other than what Im posting now, I was there on fire dept. business. But that's what I was told directly because believe me, I wanted to find out!!! As I stated before that some of these new buses would not go to FG but I didn't expect to hear that one garage would hog up a complete bus order. I asked about this and they told me in one sentence that these buses would stay at 77th. When I was at Kedzie, I overheard two CTA bosses, they said the same thing that the new Novas are all being assigned to 77th. On a lighter note, it was nice to walk through the maintenance facility. some the old equipment sitting in the boneyard. Some of whats still sitting there are a GMC 5307 (BT-12) RTS #4901,CTA GMC #1257 Flx #6221/(scrap), CTA #131 and the CTA historic collection.

[Guest]

See what did I say before, this is 77th we're talking about!! But I still think fg might get the last 150.

Btw, #7971 has just entered service on the #2.

CTA bosses say all 300 Nova buses are being assigned to 77th!

[BusHunter]

CTA bosses say all 300 Nova buses are being assigned to 77th!

I was thinking out of 450.

[Busjack]

CTA bosses say all 300 Nova buses are being assigned to 77th!

Do you want to name any?

I assume that it would have to be somebody of the rank of Manager, Transportation, Bus Operations, and those names are in the Salary Spreadsheet.

Otherwise, it is just garage gossip.

[garmon757]

Well I just text one of my friends from Forest Glen and he was informed by maintenance that they aren't getting any buses including NF's.

[Guest]

Do you want to name any?

I assume that it would have to be somebody of the rank of Manager, Transportation, Bus Operations, and those names are in the Salary Spreadsheet.

Otherwise, it is just garage gossip.

Nope! I assure you its not garage gossip! I wont name names because I think its irrelevant to the conversation. But one was in transportation the other was in maintenance.

[Guest]

Well I just text one of my friends from Forest Glen and he was informed by maintenance that they aren't getting any buses including NF's.

They shipped the New Flyers and replaced them with more old Novas! FG has mostly 64/65/6700 Novas!

[garmon757]

They shipped the New Flyers and replaced them with more old Novas! FG has mostly 64/65/6700 Novas!

And 6800s and it might just get worse than that. How about Forest Glen owning all Novas even when the retirements begins consistently.

[Guest]

And 6800s and it might just get worse than that. How about Forest Glen owning all Novas even when the retirements begins consistently.

That's what the pattern seems to be! FG getting mostly beat up "hand me downs". It couldn't get any worse! FG had New Flyers for a while and then CTA pulls them and replaces them with more old Novas from 77th and other garages so they can have all new equipment. The NW side has all old buses as well as old railcars! Ridiculous!!! I often speak my old colleagues at Jeff Pk. and they all say the same thing! "Why do they send all the old junk to our garage when other garages are getting new equipment???"

[BusHunter]

And 6800s and it might just get worse than that. How about Forest Glen owning all Novas even when the retirements begins consistently.

They are probably going to wait until they receive the 200 #7900's before fg even gets a chance at anything. But then they'll probably get the #1200's back. Fg and 77th could still go all #7900 if 77th got the artics back and they played with a few routes like sending the #3 or #4 to 103rd

[Guest]

And 6800s and it might just get worse than that. How about Forest Glen owning all Novas even when the retirements begins consistently.

Just as they did with the Flyers and MANs. I was at FG when they retired those buses. They shipped most if not all the remaining of those series to FG until the first gen. Novas arrived. That was the last time FG received any new equipment directly from the factory.

[garmon757]

They are probably going to wait until they receive the 200 #7900's before fg even gets a chance at anything. But then they'll probably get the #1200's back. Fg and 77th could still go all #7900 if 77th got the artics back and they played with a few routes like sending the #3 or #4 to 103rd

200??? Come on mate! That's just really odd. 150? Sure but I don't know about 200.

[garmon757]

Just as they did with the Flyers and MANs. I was at FG when they retired those buses. They shipped most if not all the remaining of those series to FG until the first gen. Novas arrived. That was the last time FG received any new equipment directly from the factory.

Yeah, I was living in Forest Glen territory back then in 2002 when they came. I thought half of the Americanas were retired at Forest Glen.

[Busjack]

Nope! I assure you its not garage gossip! I wont name names because I think its irrelevant to the conversation. But one was in transportation the other was in maintenance.

I then assume that if this has substance, the preachers in Englewood and Woodlawn should cry to high heaven about how the ones in Auburn Gresham and Bronzeville exerted undue influence. The FG people are crying, but those served by 74th are in worse shape, and consistently have been (at least since 1995). Like maybe 30 1000s originally? Novas only after Archer got rid of them?

I'm getting to the point that whoever is making these decisions needs psychiatric help, at least for 5 cents from Lucy Van Pelt.

Yeah, I was living in Forest Glen territory back then in 2002 when they came. I thought half of the Americanas were retired at Forest Glen.

At least they were replaced with 6400s. The ones at 74th sure weren't.

[artthouwill]

Just got back from 77th/SS. Spent a couple of hours there. I saw Nova #7999! I saw GMC fishbowls still sitting there in the boneyard, the CTA historic bus fleet and some junked Flx 6000. I also made a trip to Kedzie earlier, got a tour of the New Flyer XE #701. And I found out some very interesting information from a very reliable source at Kedzie Gar. and it was confirmed by someone I spoke to at SS that 77th will be getting the entire 300 Nova bus delivery!!! No other garage will be getting them!!!

While I suppose anything Is possible, I won't buy the idea that 77th will get all 300 new Novas.

1. Election season: Rahm wants to be mayor, There would be a lot of people crying all over the south side, west side, and NW side about one garage getting all new equipment. Rehabbed buses are still old. If the mayor wants his job for 4 more years, this won't happen.

2. History. All of the garages that have been assigned one series of buses usually have gotten OLD equipment. The only garage I can recall getting ALL of one order of NEW buses would be NP when it got the 5800s. There were only 65 of those. Yes Kedzie got all of the 800s and 900s and 700s, but there were only 10.10. and 2 buses respectively. You are talking about 300 buses here.

What I believe is more likely is that once 77th reaches X amount of Novas, the first ones shipped in will be given to other garages while 77th keeps getting the newest ones. Obviously in that scenario, all of the buses were assigned to 77thm but not all of them would have stayed at 77th..

What happens if/when CTA decides to exercise an option for an additional 150 Novas? meanwhile I still believe a 4 garage split of 75 buses or a 3 garage split of 100 buses are the most likely outcomes, even if CTA brass is considering a one fleet assignment for 77th.

[BusHunter]

Man these #7900 headlights are something else. #7926's is blinking on the right side, #7991 is blinking on the left and #7940's aren't working at all. Well when he hit a bump they turned on for a split second.