7900-series Nova LFS - Updates

[Sam92]

24 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

No more #8100's showed up at south shops?

Not that I can see. The Nova that came in with 8182 is still in it's same spot. Ill check later if I go out today

[garmon757]

6 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Not that I can see. The Nova that came in with 8182 is still in it's same spot. Ill check later if I go out today

#8179 is in that same spot. Prevost indeed came out there around 5am yesterday. 

[BusHunter]

9 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Not that I can see. The Nova that came in with 8182 is still in it's same spot. Ill check later if I go out today

Maybe they didn't do delivery this week because of the snow storm out east. But you would think going via Canada would be ok unless there was lots of lake effect snow around Buffalo. They get really hit hard with lake effect snow there.

I wonder why it's so cold here and there's no snow cover, where in NYC they have two feet of snow and it's 47 degrees at night. We'd never have a temp that high here. You know how on Skilling, they say the snow is an insulator to the cold. Well then what would be the real temp in NYC if there was no snow. 60 degrees?

[jajuan]

On 1/21/2016 at 2:27 PM, Busjack said:

Obviously you didn't read the documentation on that application (discussed here and confirmed here) The quoted part of the budget said that there was $22 million to buy 50 electric or diesel buses. The CMAQ paperwork indicates that there was $8 million of money already approved to convert diesel artics to hybrid that would be repurposed to pay the additional cost of buying 27 electric buses. So, the money (or at least most of it) is there. I then stated that maybe the budget, in light of the CMAQ repurposing, may mean 27 electric buses and 23 diesel ones (which would be most of the remaining Nova contract). That isn't that hard to figure out.

If 103rd gets 4 electric buses, that's 4 1000s that can go to FG. If K gets 6 more electric buses, that's 6 1000s that can go to FG. And, so forth.

And even with accounting for the 15 or so buses that went from C to 74th in part for the X9/X49 restoration, couldn't it be argued that the overall bus fleet is still bloated by about 30 buses at least in the here and now before they even purchase the additional electric buses? So that would be about 230 first gen Novas that actually need replacing down from the approximate 260 still active at FG would it not? So that's a little under 150 7900 series buses left still to deliver + approximately 30 electric buses out of 230 buses needing replacements, which leaves about 50 NF 1000s at the six other garages to juggle around to get FG updated. Less than that really when accounting for a smaller spare ratio given the 7900s' low age and the 1000s' recently completed rehabbing. So it shouldn't be too hard for CTA to juggle 1000s around at the other garages to get FG taken care of as the rest of the 7900s are delivered. Since they said there would still be some 6400s around for a while in the budget and other documentation, I'll submit that the above circumstances should make that number relatively miniscule much like the MAN 4000s count became at NP during that series' final years. 

[garmon757]

#8178 and #8183 have arrived. 

[sw4400]

8 hours ago, garmon757 said:

#8178 and #8183 have arrived. 

So with 8178, 8179, 8182 and 8183 now at South Shops, we should be seeing about 2-4 more come in and see a few of these new arrivals begin service between Feb. 15th and 22nd.

[garmon757]

7 hours ago, sw4400 said:

So with 8178, 8179, 8182 and 8183 now at South Shops, we should be seeing about 2-4 more come in and see a few of these new arrivals begin service between Feb. 15th and 22nd.

Seeing that only those 4 have arrived, it's out of our reach to figure out the timetable of the rest of the deliveries and then beginning service. 

[garmon757]

#8180 has arrived. 

[BusHunter]

Why is delivery so slow. Are they delivering as they build?

[sw4400]

19 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Why is delivery so slow. Are they delivering as they build?

They are doing other TA's as well, and probably only have so many drivers on payroll to deliver the buses and return back to Nova Bus to get another assignment. I figure the average runner takes a bus to a TA, spends the night(on Nova Bus) and returns via plane(fastest mode of travel, also on Nova Bus) back to Plattsburgh for another assignment.

That's my 0.02 cents....

[Busjack]

37 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Why is delivery so slow. Are they delivering as they build?

 

15 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

They are doing other TA's as well, and probably only have so many drivers on payroll to deliver the buses ...

That's my 0.02 cents....

I think that it has amply been demonstrated here that nobody here has access to the Nova Bus production control system, where the answer resides.

[garmon757]

Guys, you'll have to take other productions for other transit agencies and incliment weather into consideration. The fiasco of the production for SEPTA really smacked some agencies, including CTA, in the face. Keep in mind, there is no guarantee for early and/or late deliveries.  

[sw4400]

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

I think that it has amply been demonstrated here that nobody here has access to the Nova Bus production control system, where the answer resides.

Not stating I do, Busjack. But it's common knowledge that to deliver a bus on the road takes several hours, depending on distance from Plattsburgh to TA and varying traffic conditions along the way. After the driver gets it there and gets the delivery signed for, he/she must then get transported to a local airport to get a flight from there back to New York LaGuardia Airport(I don't know if Plattsburgh has a closer airport for 737/747 planes-airplane ride would be the fastest mode of transportation back) and transportation from Queens to Plattsburgh for their next assignment. In-between all that, I'm sure they are given funding to spend a day at their drop-off destination(money for food, Motel/Hotel). There's only 24 hours in a day, and just like OTR truckers, they need to be rested to be driving. Also, Nova Bus only has so many of these drivers on payroll(which would be sensible, as their principle job is deliver the new equipment... maybe on slow delivery periods they do cleaning duties on new buses and/or around the plant), and doing multiple TA's at once has probably thinned out their driving staff.

[artthouwill]

On 7/26/2015 at 8:40 PM, BusHunter said:

On 7/29/2015 at 2:22 AM, klabstep said:

Hopefully it is part of the plan to close the garage when the service cuts come from Rauner.

where w

It started emptying while I was on it, but it was still hot. By comparison I rode #6451 on the #152 and that bus was like the ice special. Fantastically cold AC. People were even going ooh and ahh when they got on. Really!! Looks like they rebuilt the back doors on it. It has so much air pressure when the rear door trips the door opens itself. But Fg has some nice cold buses for having the oldest buses. #6728 was impressive too. Really they should send them a bus or two of these new buses maybe they can figure out why they are so warm.

1 hour ago, sw4400 said:

Not stating I do, Busjack. But it's common knowledge that to deliver a bus on the road takes several hours, depending on distance from Plattsburgh to TA and varying traffic conditions along the way. After the driver gets it there and gets the delivery signed for, he/she must then get transported to a local airport to get a flight from there back to New York LaGuardia Airport(I don't know if Plattsburgh has a closer airport for 737/747 planes-airplane ride would be the fastest mode of transportation back) and transportation from Queens to Plattsburgh for their next assignment. In-between all that, I'm sure they are given funding to spend a day at their drop-off destination(money for food, Motel/Hotel). There's only 24 hours in a day, and just like OTR truckers, they need to be rested to be driving. Also, Nova Bus only has so many of these drivers on payroll(which would be sensible, as their principle job is deliver the new equipment... maybe on slow delivery periods they do cleaning duties on new buses and/or around the plant), and doing multiple TA's at once has probably thinned out their driving staff.

First,  Plattsburgh is closer to Albany than To NYC.  Second,  depending on the location of the TA, Greyhound could be a better option seeing as one way plane tickets are very expensive.   Even a one way car rental with three or four drivers would be cheaper than plane tickets.   BTW, the drivers are referred to as hikers. 

In the case of Pace Eldorado buses, their hikers probably do fly.

[sw4400]

@artthouwill well, regardless of the title of the people who drive the Novas to the TA's, whether they take a plane(faster) or Greyhound/Rental Car(longer) back to Plattsburgh(or Albany if flying), it'll still require the hikers to at least probably spend a night in their destinations' city before returning. And since Nova is delivering currently to CTA and other TA's at the same time, the hiker staff is thinned out. If they were doing one TA at a time, CTA could probably get 2-4 buses/day in, right now it's probably 1-2 buses/every few days or week.

[BusHunter]

Yeah, I was going to say the hikers are probably not taking a plane, unless they got a real cheap ticket. Most likely they are coming back by bus, but train is probably more comfortable. Megabus claims tickets are averaging $20. (Really, I thought bus tickets were more like $50) and then they have the elusive $1 seat.

http://www.saveoutsidethebox.com/the-secret-to-scoring-one-dollar-seats-on-megabus/

But it's probably not that there's no work, it's just that they are slow on delivery. Maybe because it's only 22 buses, there's no pressure to fill it quickly. The pressure is more on the #8200's come May. Maybe the pace will pick up, in the next few weeks.

I was thinking since #8179, #8182 arrived it's been 3 weeks starting next Monday, so CTA should have had enough time to have the bus on the streets by then unless they are holding it in, but I don't know why, they have newer buses to toy with.

[sw4400]

Usually, when about 5 Novas are on property, CTA puts out one or two onto the assigned garage to start assignments up again. Speculation here(probably wrong, but possibility however slight is there) is maybe 8100-8177 are all Chicago Garage will get, and 8178-8324 will be earmarked for another garage.... perhaps Forest Glen???? or wherever CTA Brass plan on putting down about 147 buses.

Just speculation based on fact we have at least 5 buses on site, but none have been assigned yet for service.

[BusHunter]

15 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

Usually, when about 5 Novas are on property, CTA puts out one or two onto the assigned garage to start assignments up again. Speculation here(probably wrong, but possibility however slight is there) is maybe 8100-8177 are all Chicago Garage will get, and 8178-8324 will be earmarked for another garage.... perhaps Forest Glen???? or wherever CTA Brass plan on putting down about 147 buses.

Just speculation based on fact we have at least 5 buses on site, but none have been assigned yet for service.

The removal of the #6440's from service is kind of suspicious in that what do they have to replace those. It seems the buses Fg does have working seem to be doing OK, I was noticing the seats look new on #6600 almost like the bus is getting a second life. So it could be they just can eliminate those or they are preparing to receive some buses whether that is from Chicago or south shops, I don't know. But if CTA brass has gone this long without giving Fg NF's, I wouldn't expect them to do it now. BTW, math22's tracker has pointed out to me #6737 and #6669 are back at Fg or at least they were on 1/29, so I added them to the roster. I took the #6440's off the roster because I don't think they'll be back. 

[Busjack]

29 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

The removal of the #6440's from service is kind of suspicious in that what do they have to replace those

There is bloat and these are the oldest still around, and new ones are  arriving--what's so suspicious about that?

[BusHunter]

That they are probably headed to c not fg. And c won't cough up any nf's to fg. I think it may be more that fg has a better handle on these older buses than they had when they were basically thrown in their lap.

[Dawnlight]

Isn't part of the reason FG has a reputation of having the best maintenance is because their routes may not be as long and complex as the other garages?

The only long FG routes I can think of are the 54A, 76, 77, 78, 80, 85, and the 91.

[sw4400]

3 hours ago, Dawnlight said:

Isn't part of the reason FG has a reputation of having the best maintenance is because their routes may not be as long and complex as the other garages?

The only long FG routes I can think of are the 54A, 76, 77, 78, 80, 85, and the 91.

You're forgetting 56(goes south to Washington/Michigan and north to Jefferson Park Blue Line), 86(goes south to Ridgeland Green Line and north to Devon/Nagle), 90(goes south to Harlem Green Line and north to Harlem Blue Line) and 152(goes west to Cumberland and east to Lake Shore).

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, Dawnlight said:

Isn't part of the reason FG has a reputation of having the best maintenance is because their routes may not be as long and complex as the other garages?

The only long FG routes I can think of are the 54A, 76, 77, 78, 80, 85, and the 91.

11 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

You're forgetting 56(goes south to Washington/Michigan and north to Jefferson Park Blue Line), 86(goes south to Ridgeland Green Line and north to Devon/Nagle), 90(goes south to Harlem Green Line and north to Harlem Blue Line) and 152(goes west to Cumberland and east to Lake Shore).

I would think that among the cited routes, FG has about as many heavy routes as most garages. Sure the routes northwest of Jefferson Park are light, but FG has assumed a lot to the south in the past 10 or so years. The buses might not get the wear as 77th's, but other than that....

Probably what really happened is that all the spare parts for Novas ended up at FG.

[sw4400]

3 minutes ago, Busjack said:

I would think that among the cited routes, FG has about as many heavy routes as most garages. Sure the routes northwest of Jefferson Park are light, but FG has assumed a lot to the south in the past 10 or so years. The buses might not get the wear as 77th's, but other than that....

Probably what really happened is that all the spare parts for Novas ended up at FG.

They've had parts since 2002 there. And I'm sure even Nova of today to send parts(the LFS really hasn't changed much other than body and engine design). A Cummins ISC engine could probably still get parts for it through Cummins N Power and the ZF Transmission through the manufacturer. Though costs of a rebuilt/new ZF transmission or a major Cummins engine component may render the bus in need a parts bus and eventual scrap bus.

[BusHunter]

59 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

They've had parts since 2002 there. And I'm sure even Nova of today to send parts(the LFS really hasn't changed much other than body and engine design). A Cummins ISC engine could probably still get parts for it through Cummins N Power and the ZF Transmission through the manufacturer. Though costs of a rebuilt/new ZF transmission or a major Cummins engine component may render the bus in need a parts bus and eventual scrap bus.

Nothing too big on the parts list is going to go the home garage. It's just there for maintenance not rebuilds. engines and trans are all at south shops. But i can imagine they must have got a massive amount of seat inserts. Most seat bottoms have been replaced so if each bus averages 35 seats and they got roughly 200 buses to replace seats, we are talking in the neighborhood of 7,000 seat replacements. I don't know who makes the seat inserts but they should have just sent the truck to FG!! 

I've been noticing on the #7900's, they finally got the ad signs that will fit those buses, I've seen some on the Chicago routes going back a few months. The left side ad rack is not done. Didn't Novabus say they could put advertising over there?