7900-series Nova LFS - Updates

[BusHunter]

7 hours ago, sw4400 said:

Not much remaining with the 8100 block of Novas. 8187-8199(13 buses) total to go. I would imagine a training bus will soon be dispatched to whatever garage is getting 8200-8324 so there is a seamless transition of buses when those blocks begin to roll in(at the rate of delivery, I'd pinpoint the first of the 8200's to at the very least be on CTA property, if not in service, by mid to late April).

 it's close to the time a training bus should show up at the next garage

Well #7994 was on the #J14 the other day....

There's no way to really say when the #8200's will arrive, we'll probably be done with the #8100's by about 2-3 more weeks and Novabus always seems to take a month or two off in the delivery schedule between batches so it sounds like May. If it's really going to take them until spring 2017 to deliver 125 buses, (10-12 a month) it must be that they are going to trickle in, like they are now. Novabus must be doing some other main order and this is a side project. Maybe that's the MTA order, they have 400 plus bus order out.

 

[Busjack]

6 hours ago, BusHunter said:

so it sounds like May.

That's what the Press Release said.

[sw4400]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

That's what the Press Release said.

Well this quote here.....

The new buses will replace the oldest vehicles in the fleet – the Nova 6400-series buses, which were purchased between 2000-2002.

This has to be the clue to where the Novas are going to in May.... it has to be FG. Unless they are going to shift New Flyers to FG, put the 6400's at another garage to finish their revenue life out(which wouldn't make since given the condition of many of them.... added shifting mileage to another garage will shorten their already limited lifespan). So, they would have to give 8200-8324 to FG..... it would make this simple sentence from the Press Release make sense.

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, sw4400 said:

Well this quote here.....

The new buses will replace the oldest vehicles in the fleet – the Nova 6400-series buses, which were purchased between 2000-2002.

This has to be the clue to where the Novas are going to in May.... it has to be FG. Unless they are going to shift New Flyers to FG, put the 6400's at another garage to finish their revenue life out(which wouldn't make since given the condition of many of them.... added shifting mileage to another garage will shorten their already limited lifespan). So, they would have to give 8200-8324 to FG..... it would make this simple sentence from the Press Release make sense.

Something similar was said about the replacement of the blue line #2200's, but here we are still riding cars from the 1980's.

[sw4400]

15 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Well #7994 was on the #J14 the other day....

There's no way to really say when the #8200's will arrive, we'll probably be done with the #8100's by about 2-3 more weeks and Novabus always seems to take a month or two off in the delivery schedule between batches so it sounds like May. If it's really going to take them until spring 2017 to deliver 125 buses, (10-12 a month) it must be that they are going to trickle in, like they are now. Novabus must be doing some other main order and this is a side project. Maybe that's the MTA order, they have 400 plus bus order out.

 

 

8 hours ago, Busjack said:

That's what the Press Release said.

I actually am on par with the May appearance of the 8200's @BusHunter @Busjack, from a certain point of view. I highlighted my quote and will explain it more below....

22 hours ago, sw4400 said:

"...at the rate of delivery, I'd pinpoint the first of the 8200's to at the very least be on CTA property, if not in service, by mid to late April..."

Now, if the first 3-5 Novas of the 8200-block(in whatever order they come to CTA in) appear at South Shops in mid to late April, they should be hitting the streets for revenue service at some point in May, 2016. They don't come to CTA 100% road-ready. They have to be outfitted with the gps device for BusTracker, get their Clever Device units installed as well as the Ventra reader and fareboxes. And then, Prevost technicians will be on site to do whatever it is they do in the preparation of the new arrivals to be road-ready. All this takes a few weeks, then they go to their assigned garage(maybe FG) for their 1st assignment.

If memory serves, we started getting 8178 onward in early to mid January, but they didn't actually go to Chicago until February, even though they were sitting at South Shops for a few weeks. This is where the theory of arrival in advance of assignment comes into play. If they start showing up in April, the first ones can be pushed out in May.

[BusHunter]

A shot of #8183 from yesterday.

[garmon757]

Busy driving this late evening and gladly to inform y'all that #8188 #8191 #8193 and #8195 have arrived. 

Update: Just spotted #7951 being towed after operating #2.

[geneking7320]

I thought I saw an 8100 on #12 Roosevelt this week.  Have any of this series been assigned to Kedzie?

I was on the other side of the street so I couldn't see the run number.

[dann]

1 hour ago, geneking7320 said:

I thought I saw an 8100 on #12 Roosevelt this week.  Have any of this series been assigned to Kedzie?

I was on the other side of the street so I couldn't see the run number.

Probably a loaner from C although as previously mentioned C does do some morning runs on 12.

[garmon757]

5 hours ago, dann said:

Probably a loaner from C although as previously mentioned C does do some morning runs on 12.

 

6 hours ago, geneking7320 said:

I thought I saw an 8100 on #12 Roosevelt this week.  Have any of this series been assigned to Kedzie?

I was on the other side of the street so I couldn't see the run number.

Chicago operates #12 for the school runs. 

[BusHunter]

Here's a shot of #8181. It has the same cats eyes on the rear destination like I believe #7951 had. It's in the pictures somewhere in the #7900's, because I remember an #8 like that. I wonder if it ever got fixed? Can you say warranty?

[Busjack]

7 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Here's a shot of #8181. It has the same cats eyes on the rear destination like I believe #7951 had. It's in the pictures somewhere in the #7900's, because I remember an #8 like that. I wonder if it ever got fixed? Can you say warranty?

Probably some programming error. If you blow up the picture, the "cats eyes" are 2s. But I see they already uglified the bus with the Ugly Houses sign.

[BusHunter]

5 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Probably some programming error. If you blow up the picture, the "cats eyes" are 2s. But I see they already uglified the bus with the Ugly Houses sign.

I believe the other bus I mentioned ran with those 2's all the time.

[sw4400]

Anyone kinda familiar with the Novas? I was on #8008 a little while ago, and on the speedometer there's an illuminated box that I thought would hold info like mileage of the bus, etc...., but the illuminated box was blinking on and off consistently. Is this a "Check ____________" warning light, or some other warning light? I couldn't read what was displayed in the box, if it was text or a picture display of a engine component that needed attention.

[garmon757]

8 minutes ago, sw4400 said:

Anyone kinda familiar with the Novas? I was on #8008 a little while ago, and on the speedometer there's an illuminated box that I thought would hold info like mileage of the bus, etc...., but the illuminated box was blinking on and off consistently. Is this a "Check ____________" warning light, or some other warning light? I couldn't read what was displayed in the box, if it was text or a picture display of a engine component that needed attention.

Oh you were in the BOOB bus eh? Maybe the box was saying that! J/K  

 

 

[BusHunter]

7 hours ago, sw4400 said:

Anyone kinda familiar with the Novas? I was on #8008 a little while ago, and on the speedometer there's an illuminated box that I thought would hold info like mileage of the bus, etc...., but the illuminated box was blinking on and off consistently. Is this a "Check ____________" warning light, or some other warning light? I couldn't read what was displayed in the box, if it was text or a picture display of a engine component that needed attention.

The mileage is digital on the new buses, it should be under the white speedometer gauge. I wonder if maybe I took shots of the instrument cluster at the bus rodeo? (Yeah I did and I looked it up for you. ) Here's a link for that post:

http://chitransit.org/topic/3434-7900-series-nova-lfs-deliveries-assignments/?do=findComment&comment=64148

Now that we have a dash reference, are you saying the digital mileage box is lighting up. I think I have seen those light up with a flashing red border, but most of the idiot lights, like Check Engine, Trans etc. should be above there where you see the raised blackish gray looking area. The flashing red may be a stop requested light on the dash? The older ones I believe light up with idiot lights, I think their yellow.

BTW, while were on the subject of behind the wheel, (driving) did you know when the new clever devices gets those 3 beeps that we sometimes hear while riding, every time that happens a driver is getting a text over the clever devices screen. Now this could only happen if there was an internet interface or connection somewhere on the bus. Which leads me to question, why don't they put wifi on the buses? It sounds like they have the infrastructure they just don't want to do it. Is public wifi on a bus too expensive or unusual?

[Busjack]

13 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

The mileage is digital on the new buses, it should be under the white speedometer gauge.

Jason Knowles will be after them, except I bet there is still a hubometer.

13 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Now this could only happen if there was an internet interface or connection somewhere on the bus. Which leads me to question, why don't they put wifi on the buses? It sounds like they have the infrastructure they just don't want to do it. Is public wifi on a bus too expensive or unusual?

It was said during the BusTracker rollout that one of the necessities was a cell phone link to the Clever Device. So, while the connection is there, how much bandwidth could be left given the difficulties the Ventra readers have? However, I think there was a discussion with regard to Pace that there was a meaningless legislative mandate for wifi.

[sw4400]

29 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

The mileage is digital on the new buses, it should be under the white speedometer gauge. I wonder if maybe I took shots of the instrument cluster at the bus rodeo? (Yeah I did and I looked it up for you. ) Here's a link for that post:

http://chitransit.org/topic/3434-7900-series-nova-lfs-deliveries-assignments/?do=findComment&comment=64148

Now that we have a dash reference, are you saying the digital mileage box is lighting up. I think I have seen those light up with a flashing red border, but most of the idiot lights, like Check Engine, Trans etc. should be above there where you see the raised blackish gray looking area. The flashing red may be a stop requested light on the dash? The older ones I believe light up with idiot lights, I think their yellow.

BTW, while were on the subject of behind the wheel, (driving) did you know when the new clever devices gets those 3 beeps that we sometimes hear while riding, every time that happens a driver is getting a text over the clever devices screen. Now this could only happen if there was an internet interface or connection somewhere on the bus. Which leads me to question, why don't they put wifi on the buses? It sounds like they have the infrastructure they just don't want to do it. Is public wifi on a bus too expensive or unusual?

The box next to the blue arrow I have added to your pic was lighting up and going dark, like a turn signal would on a vehicle... on/off/on/off....

[andrethebusman]

That is indeed the odometer. Sounds like it has a short in the display...

[ajm522]

10 hours ago, sw4400 said:

The box next to the blue arrow I have added to your pic was lighting up and going dark, like a turn signal would on a vehicle... on/off/on/off....

 

1 hour ago, andrethebusman said:

That is indeed the odometer. Sounds like it has a short in the display...

 

All of the 7900's that I have been on have had the flashing odomoters. I was on a 7900 yesterday (7920)  and an alarm went off that said low coolant check engine. The bus then broke down and they had to jump buses. 

[Busjack]

Looks like there is already one wreck. On the agenda for COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, AUDIT AND BUDGET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016 is:

C15OP101755775
Complete Restoration/Collision Damage Repair for One Nova Series 7900 Bus, Model LFS (Bus #8090), Build Number L848-41 as Required, FOB Destination.
$107, 571.68

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Looks like there is already one wreck. On the agenda for COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, AUDIT AND BUDGET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016 is:

C15OP101755775
Complete Restoration/Collision Damage Repair for One Nova Series 7900 Bus, Model LFS (Bus #8090), Build Number L848-41 as Required, FOB Destination.
$107, 571.68

Maybe Garmon can get us shots if it's at the shops!!

[jajuan]

On 3/4/2016 at 1:02 AM, sw4400 said:

The box next to the blue arrow I have added to your pic was lighting up and going dark, like a turn signal would on a vehicle... on/off/on/off....

Your shot shows the bus has a fuel gauge, something that was said transit buses don't have.

[sw4400]

15 minutes ago, jajuan said:

Your shot shows the bus has a fuel gauge, something that was said transit buses don't have.

Older Novas were said to have no fuel gauge, but they have a small gauge in about the same spot. I think buses need to have a fuel gauge somewhere on them, even in the engine compartment.... otherwise you'll need a dipstick to check after you burn up the starter cranking the crap out of a "dead" bus that doesn't turn over after dying suddenly.

TA's can't be guessing if their vehicles are out of fuel, and if Jake fueled the bus up at 4:00a, forgot to log it in the computer or on paper(people do make mistakes, that's why erasers are on pencils), and the bus he fueled dies on a route at 3:25p, how will they know it's fuel-related without some sort of gauge in this instance?

I remember reading a story about a TMC that broke down on Lincoln just north of Irving Park once. The driver tried again and again to restart the bus, but the bus wouldn't start again. The driver went to call the garage to inform them and when he came back(author's word's), he looked at the gas gauge.... it was on "E".

[garmon757]

3 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Maybe Garmon can get us shots if it's at the shops!!

I won't be able too because it's a possibly that it'll be in Plattsburgh for certain repairs. 

By the way, #8194 have arrived.