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7900-series Nova LFS - Updates


South Shop 7

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Interesting how it's on the same route twice and only early a.m. I bet it's now just sitting at Chicago Garage for the remainder of today and will be used in a few days again. This has to be a test of the 7900's in revenue service, but if so will it be moved to other potential garages that will get the buses before the fleet starts to show up in May(in this case, 74th and Forest Glen)?

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Took some more photos/videos of #7900, this time from the exterior. I noticed something new this time the back windows specifically the hopper part of that window does not open and is sealed. Seats seem to be a little wider too than the CTA standard. I notice too the headlights are always on on this bus. Could it have daytime running lights?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzpKAoLRPSc&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pSpojUsvQ&feature=youtu.be

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Took some more photos/videos of #7900, this time from the exterior. I noticed something new this time the back windows specifically the hopper part of that window does not open and is sealed. Seats seem to be a little wider too than the CTA standard. I notice too the headlights are always on on this bus. Could it have daytime running lights?

attachicon.gifnova navy pier 2.png

attachicon.gifnovagrandnordica.png

attachicon.gifnovagrandnordica2.png

attachicon.gifnovaleftside.png

attachicon.gifnovanavy pier4.png

attachicon.gifnovagrand nordica3.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzpKAoLRPSc&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pSpojUsvQ&feature=youtu.be

I notice that all the time with all CTA buses, new and old. It could be bright and sunny and they still run their buses with headlights on. It's a waste of equipment, IMO. It burns out light bulbs prematurely being the top reason. I mean, how long does it take a Bus Operator to flick a switch/turn a knob to turn on the headlights? Do you really need headlights on a bright, sunny day? Even on a cloudy day like today, do you really need them? Lots of motorists just drive around without them.

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I notice that all the time with all CTA buses, new and old. It could be bright and sunny and they still run their buses with headlights on. It's a waste of equipment, IMO. It burns out light bulbs prematurely being the top reason...

They are LEDs, which shouldn't burn out. Incandescent headlights were obsolete in the late 1980s, although halogens might burn out.

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I notice that all the time with all CTA buses, new and old. It could be bright and sunny and they still run their buses with headlights on. It's a waste of equipment, IMO. It burns out light bulbs prematurely being the top reason. I mean, how long does it take a Bus Operator to flick a switch/turn a knob to turn on the headlights? Do you really need headlights on a bright, sunny day? Even on a cloudy day like today, do you really need them? Lots of motorists just drive around without them.

CTA buses are wired so that headlights are on whenever the engine is running, regardless of whether the run switch is on day or night run.
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We'll then these photos would tend to disagree with you. :P

attachicon.gifnova lights off.jpg

attachicon.giffishbowl lights off.jpg

attachicon.gifcta bus lights off.jpg

Now I can't seem to find a NF #1000 or anything newer like this. Maybe the operators are told to run the lights but on the newer stuff it does it automatically.

Look closer at those shots and you'll see that the headlights are on, and they are all what? Day time shots. So the only way I'm proven wrong is if the operators of those buses were told to always have their headlights on. So sorry you haven't proven that older buses weren't wired to have the headlights on at all times that the bus is powered up. If anything the only thing you've proven is that it's likely my memory is correct that from at least since the 70s when I was a small kid to today, CTA buses with the headlights on in daytime is nothing new nor restricted to just the newer equipment. Try again my friend. :):lol:;)

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We'll then these photos would tend to disagree with you. :P

attachicon.gif nova lights off.jpg

attachicon.gif fishbowl lights off.jpg

attachicon.gif cta bus lights off.jpg

Now I can't seem to find a NF #1000 or anything newer like this. Maybe the operators are told to run the lights but on the newer stuff it does it automatically.

I've seen a few 6400 series without the headlights in the day time but every time I see that the marker lights are normally off too. So it looks like to me the master switch on the inside may be on day run instead of night which is suppose to have the headlights as well as the marker lights on. Now the new flyers don't do that at all the headlights are always on with the bus is running unless it's a headlight out lol.

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I've seen a few 6400 series without the headlights in the day time but every time I see that the marker lights are normally off too. So it looks like to me the master switch on the inside may be on day run instead of night which is suppose to have the headlights as well as the marker lights on. Now the new flyers don't do that at all the headlights are always on with the bus is running unless it's a headlight out lol.

Thanks for the insight Mr.cta85. I knew I wasn't imagining this. :rolleyes:

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Thanks for the insight Mr.cta85. I knew I wasn't imagining this. :rolleyes:

But your photos don't show the headlights off on either bus. They're on. So in the case of those buses at least, you were imagining it. The sun shining makes it hard to tell, but I did blow the pictures up to verify that the light reflecting off the inner surfaces were in part from the headlights themselves and not completely from sunlight. That's off course, unless CTA was using different materials for maintaining the inner surfaces of the inner headlights than it was the outer ones in the case of GMCs and 1990s Flxibles. Notice how they're different colors in those shots even without blowing them up, meaning the headlights had to be on to get that effect. So like I said and left room for ready to concede, you might have proven it's not automatic in older buses, But you haven't proven that headlights powered on during the daytime in and of itself is anything new to see on CTA buses. :)

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Here's a little comparison from CTA's Nova LFS 2000-2002 to 2014-2015

2000-2002 Nova LFS Press Coverage

2014-2015 Nova LFS Press Coverage

Videos from BusHunter's YouTube archive.

Interesting facts:

The 6400-Series Novas cost $250,000/bus in 2000-2002

The 7900-Series Novas cost $500,000/bus in 2014-2015

The 6400-Series debuted on #3 King Drive during trial(bus was out of 77th for debut)

The 7900-Series debuted on #65 Grand during trial(bus is out of Chicago for debut)

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Here's a little comparison from CTA's Nova LFS 2000-2002 to 2014-2015

Interesting facts:

The 6400-Series Novas cost $250,000/bus in 2000-2002

The 7900-Series Novas cost $500,000/bus in 2014-2015

...

There has always been horrendous inflation in prices for transit equipment, but this seems more than most, and, as previously noted, about $80,000 a bus more than what Pace is paying about at the same time for a 40-foot bus.

NF Hybrid artics have gone up from $800,000 to about $925,000 between the CTA orders (4000s compared to 4300s), although Huberman claimed he was getting a deal on the leased 4000s from supposedly $880,000.

On the other hand, the justification for exercising all the options on the 5000 series rail cars is that otherwise the price would go up from $1.4 million to $2.4 million, but the reported bids on the 7000s were $1.4 million.

But if you want a comparison, a 1970s era New Look bus was about $75,000. Krambles's book has historic comparisons of L cars.

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Took some more photos/videos of #7900, this time from the exterior. I noticed something new this time the back windows specifically the hopper part of that window does not open and is sealed. Seats seem to be a little wider too than the CTA standard. I notice too the headlights are always on on this bus. Could it have daytime running lights?

attachicon.gifnova navy pier 2.png

attachicon.gifnovagrandnordica.png

attachicon.gifnovagrandnordica2.png

attachicon.gifnovaleftside.png

attachicon.gifnovanavy pier4.png

attachicon.gifnovagrand nordica3.png

attachicon.gifnovanavy pier3.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzpKAoLRPSc&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pSpojUsvQ&feature=youtu.be

They look good! I like them better than the 6400s!

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We're getting closer to May 1st, and May is the expected month when the Nova LFS Smart Buses will start to see regular service. I would look for 7901-7904 to start to roll in soon, if they aren't already at South Shops in preparation for next month already, as CTA is supposed to inspect each bus before giving it the stamp of approval.

By the end of May, we should at least have #7900-7910 on CTA property, if not more...

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They look good! I like them better than the 6400s!

They really just look like a modified 6400-Series Nova LFS. The only difference is the curve on the front on the roof, the "fin" in the back and the new engine placement.

Listening to BusHunter's audio clips on his ride inside the bus, it sounds very much like the Nova(granted, it was a Smartphone video, which isn't the best for videos), but audibly, the Cummins ISL9 didn't sound much different than the Cummins ISC, just slightly quieter.

My immediate dislike at the moment is the bus number placement on the sides... why at the very rear instead of more at the front of the last window?

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....

By the end of May, we should at least have #7900-7910 on CTA property, if not more...

Database doesn't show any further payments, so it doesn't look like anything else is at drivable condition at the plant, at least more than 30 days ago.

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