Historic Buses

[YoungBusLover]

21 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

CPD bus is done and already planned for scrap,

Well for 5678 to still be sitting along the fence with the 6400 prototype and not in the bone yard is quite interesting to say the least after about 6 months.

[jesi2282]

 

2 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Well for 5678 to still be sitting along the fence with the 6400 prototype and not in the bone yard is yquite interesting to say the least after about 6 months.

Here is a photo of 131 in its current state (photos says January 2020), there's also a pic of a 5307 GM parked next to it. I wonder if they pulled parts off of these for 301 and 3706.

[Guest]

19 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Well for 5678 to still be sitting along the fence with the 6400 prototype and not in the bone yard is yquite interesting to say the least after about 6 months.

Chicago ave mechanic told me the status of #5678. They should restore it!  Theres still plenty of parts at SS to do so. 

[YoungBusLover]

3 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

Chicago ave mechanic told me the status of #5678. They should restore it!  Theres still plenty of parts at SS to do so. 

That is true, anything is possible though, if SS can restore #1482 along with #8499 then they can definitely restore #5678.

[Piesciuk]

On 4/9/2020 at 1:38 PM, jesi2282 said:

Someone had posted a while back that one of the GMC 5307 training buses (BT-??) was considered but had some kind of mechanical issue and the restoration was called off. I would rather see them restore the CPD 5300 Flxible (which last I heard was sitting along the fence at 77th) or the CFD 6000. When CFD no longer needs 6163 it should go to CTA, not IRM, IRM tends to neglect their diesel powered buses and give more attention to their trolley buses. The last thing I would want to see is 6163 parked and slowly sink in to the ground.

IRM does not "neglect" our diesel buses.  We simply do not have the qualified people to work on them.  When CHBM merged with IRM, we inherited several folks capable of doing maintenance and restoration.  They succeeded in getting the 605 and 412 running again and were very close to chasing down a nagging issue with the 8006.  Then we lost one to Florida and another to age/health.  We tried bringing in several others, but they could not commit.  Our lone remaining mechanic lives over 2 hours away and can't make that trip very often.  Trolley buses are much simpler vehicles and easier to work on then diesel buses, that's why it seems like they get more attention.  If you know of anyone who would like to work on diesel buses, PLEASE let us know.  We would like nothing more that to get more of the diesel fleet operational.  We have also been fundraising to get a third building erected.  We had hoped that construction would start this spring, but everything is on hold right now.  Once complete, all our buses will be inside and protected from the weather - and not "slowly sinking into the ground".

[r-schauer]

9 hours ago, Piesciuk said:

IRM does not "neglect" our diesel buses.  We simply do not have the qualified people to work on them.  When CHBM merged with IRM, we inherited several folks capable of doing maintenance and restoration.  They succeeded in getting the 605 and 412 running again and were very close to chasing down a nagging issue with the 8006.  Then we lost one to Florida and another to age/health.  We tried bringing in several others, but they could not commit.  Our lone remaining mechanic lives over 2 hours away and can't make that trip very often.  Trolley buses are much simpler vehicles and easier to work on then diesel buses, that's why it seems like they get more attention.  If you know of anyone who would like to work on diesel buses, PLEASE let us know.  We would like nothing more that to get more of the diesel fleet operational.  We have also been fundraising to get a third building erected.  We had hoped that construction would start this spring, but everything is on hold right now.  Once complete, all our buses will be inside and protected from the weather - and not "slowly sinking into the ground".

Well put, thank you.  I've had it mentioned to me at IRM several times, that the people who work on the motor buses, look like the people who work on the trolley buses, look like the people who work on the 'L cars, look like the people who work on the overhead wire, etc.  Yeah, there's a reason for that.  We're the same group of people.  IRM needs volunteers, quite simply.  I know it's not always easy to feel like you've accomplished something, when a bus is a long-term project.  But for anyone who has a sincere interest- and I don't just mean mechanics; there's all sorts of things to be done, at every skill level- please contact us.  I know that lots of people are willing to come out and drive a bus.  That's the easy part!  If there's no one to work on all the other aspects of keeping them running, from cleaning and painting to upholstery and mechanical stuff, there's no need for drivers.

I'll give everyone a little heads-up as to work that had been going on in the Motor Bus Department over the winter, until the virus stopped everything.  Our 1941 North Shore Line (Waukegan-North Chicago Transit) bus 11 is getting a cosmetic restoration.  If you saw it in the garage, you'd know that while it was stored at the fairgrounds before IRM got it, almost all of the windows were broken out.  Most of those windows received glass this winter.  Paint work comes next, whenever there is volunteer time and money to get it done.

As far as buses sitting outside- no one is waiting for the new garage more impatiently than us volunteers that have to maintain the equipment!  But enough money is raised to start construction, whenever the world starts turning again.

Richard Schauer

Curator, IRM Trolley Bus and Motor Bus Departments

 

[jesi2282]

15 hours ago, Piesciuk said:

IRM does not "neglect" our diesel buses.  We simply do not have the qualified people to work on them.  When CHBM merged with IRM, we inherited several folks capable of doing maintenance and restoration.  They succeeded in getting the 605 and 412 running again and were very close to chasing down a nagging issue with the 8006.  Then we lost one to Florida and another to age/health.  We tried bringing in several others, but they could not commit.  Our lone remaining mechanic lives over 2 hours away and can't make that trip very often.  Trolley buses are much simpler vehicles and easier to work on then diesel buses, that's why it seems like they get more attention.  If you know of anyone who would like to work on diesel buses, PLEASE let us know.  We would like nothing more that to get more of the diesel fleet operational.  We have also been fundraising to get a third building erected.  We had hoped that construction would start this spring, but everything is on hold right now.  Once complete, all our buses will be inside and protected from the weather - and not "slowly sinking into the ground".

 

5 hours ago, r-schauer said:

Well put, thank you.  I've had it mentioned to me at IRM several times, that the people who work on the motor buses, look like the people who work on the trolley buses, look like the people who work on the 'L cars, look like the people who work on the overhead wire, etc.  Yeah, there's a reason for that.  We're the same group of people.  IRM needs volunteers, quite simply.  I know it's not always easy to feel like you've accomplished something, when a bus is a long-term project.  But for anyone who has a sincere interest- and I don't just mean mechanics; there's all sorts of things to be done, at every skill level- please contact us.  I know that lots of people are willing to come out and drive a bus.  That's the easy part!  If there's no one to work on all the other aspects of keeping them running, from cleaning and painting to upholstery and mechanical stuff, there's no need for drivers.

I'll give everyone a little heads-up as to work that had been going on in the Motor Bus Department over the winter, until the virus stopped everything.  Our 1941 North Shore Line (Waukegan-North Chicago Transit) bus 11 is getting a cosmetic restoration.  If you saw it in the garage, you'd know that while it was stored at the fairgrounds before IRM got it, almost all of the windows were broken out.  Most of those windows received glass this winter.  Paint work comes next, whenever there is volunteer time and money to get it done.

As far as buses sitting outside- no one is waiting for the new garage more impatiently than us volunteers that have to maintain the equipment!  But enough money is raised to start construction, whenever the world starts turning again.

Richard Schauer

Curator, IRM Trolley Bus and Motor Bus Departments

 

Hope my post didn’t offend anyone, just my observation. I know you guys are hard workers when it comes to restoring and running the trains and trolley buses, but when its comes to diesel buses you can’t deny there have been some questionable moves in the past like the scrapping of MCTS 1925, a perfectly fine GM Fishbowl. Then theres 3177 (which I believe was given a fresh paint job some years back, then parked inside a barn) now its parked outside deteriorating.

[r-schauer]

39 minutes ago, jesi2282 said:

 

Hope my post didn’t offend anyone, just my observation. I know you guys are hard workers when it comes to restoring and running the trains and trolley buses, but when its comes to diesel buses you can’t deny there have been some questionable moves in the past like the scrapping of MCTS 1925, a perfectly fine GM Fishbowl. Then theres 3177 (which I believe was given a fresh paint job some years back, then parked inside a barn) now its parked outside deteriorating.

I didn't agree with 1925 being scrapped then, and I wouldn't do it now that I'm the Curator if it still existed, even with the transmission problems it had.  But the deal with that bus was thoroughly complicated and, to some extent, relied on things we were promised by people inside and outside IRM that didn't turn out to be true.  Hindsight's 20/20, they say.

3177 got what I would call a "quick and dirty" paint job because someone was interested in it at the time.  That paint still looks pretty good.  The bus ran last summer, although not for public rides.  It sits outside because it is more able to withstand being outside than other buses we have; it's watertight, for one thing.  The garages are both full, and putting 3177 inside would mean kicking something else out.  Thus, our several-years-long fundraising campaign for a new garage- which like I said, has raised enough to build the shell.

I won't take offense to what you said; it's just tough managing a collection of 35 buses with too few volunteers.  What you said about 6163 does rile me up some, because we think we could give it a good home, and CTA5750 did tell us we'd get it.  But in the past couple of years, we've asked politely about its status a few times, without reply.  

Richard

 

 

[Guest]

16 hours ago, r-schauer said:

I didn't agree with 1925 being scrapped then, and I wouldn't do it now that I'm the Curator if it still existed, even with the transmission problems it had.  But the deal with that bus was thoroughly complicated and, to some extent, relied on things we were promised by people inside and outside IRM that didn't turn out to be true.  Hindsight's 20/20, they say.

3177 got what I would call a "quick and dirty" paint job because someone was interested in it at the time.  That paint still looks pretty good.  The bus ran last summer, although not for public rides.  It sits outside because it is more able to withstand being outside than other buses we have; it's watertight, for one thing.  The garages are both full, and putting 3177 inside would mean kicking something else out.  Thus, our several-years-long fundraising campaign for a new garage- which like I said, has raised enough to build the shell.

I won't take offense to what you said; it's just tough managing a collection of 35 buses with too few volunteers.  What you said about 6163 does rile me up some, because we think we could give it a good home, and CTA5750 did tell us we'd get it.  But in the past couple of years, we've asked politely about its status a few times, without reply.  

Richard

 

 

My apologies on not keeping up with updates on Flxible 6163. At one point we were notified that we were recieving a 6400 Nova to replace the Flxible  But recent heavy work was done to the bus to keep it running. Were still utilizing the bus. In fact its seen quite a bit of service to our fire academy in the last couple of years. Im still currently only one of three drivers on the fire dept. who are qualified to operate it. Im still committed to having that bus given over to IRM once were done with it.  As I stated, we were suppose to be looking into aquiriing a 6400 Nove to replace it. But that has not been successful as of late. But I will certainly try to keep everyone up to date.  I wasant aware the 1925 was scrapped!  Wow! What a loss !!  She was a beauty!!!

[r-schauer]

10 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

My apologies on not keeping up with updates on Flxible 6163. At one point we were notified that we were recieving a 6400 Nova to replace the Flxible  But recent heavy work was done to the bus to keep it running. Were still utilizing the bus. In fact its seen quite a bit of service to our fire academy in the last couple of years. Im still currently only one of three drivers on the fire dept. who are qualified to operate it. Im still committed to having that bus given over to IRM once were done with it.  As I stated, we were suppose to be looking into aquiriing a 6400 Nove to replace it. But that has not been successful as of late. But I will certainly try to keep everyone up to date.  I wasant aware the 1925 was scrapped!  Wow! What a loss !!  She was a beauty!!!

Excellent!  Glad to hear from you.  Our Board of Directors asks the curators periodically about items on the "acquisition approved" list, and now I can update them. 

1925 has been gone since 2011, sorry to say.  

Richard

 

[Guest]

13 hours ago, r-schauer said:

Excellent!  Glad to hear from you.  Our Board of Directors asks the curators periodically about items on the "acquisition approved" list, and now I can update them. 

1925 has been gone since 2011, sorry to say.  

Richard

 

If and when Im notified the bus will finally be retired, You will certainly be hearing from me.   I want to see this bus go to IRM  

[Railfan]

Anybody know what happened to CTA bus 3707.

[Guest]

CTA Commercial 1978

Wow! I very much remember this commercial!!! LOL! I loved that GMC making that turn at the end! LOL! I loved the 1970s-80s CTA!  Classic!!!