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2014 CTA Holiday Bus


Kevin

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Very nice gift for the customers. The Bus definitely needs to be seen at night because photos won't do it justice and as a added bonus and a little bit of a surprise Santa Emerges from the rear roof emergency exit to greet the customers and bystanders while the bus is in revenue service. Here's hoping that they get this special service as a permanent addition. Holiday Train, you finally have a worthy competitor

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Here it is on the map, 4336 on J14. I thought it was going to be candy cane shaped on the map. LOL.

That's what they seemed to have advertised initially, although I don't see that on their website now. It isn't going to do the average rider good to try to find the bus to say Hi to Santa if all that shows on BusTracker is 4336. How is the average rider going to know the vehicle number?

Reference here.

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Aww, me too. Maybe it's because the icons for buses are so tiny.

I don't think that's the reason. While the icons can be made bigger by using the zoom slide on the map, zooming it all the way doesn't show anything distinctive.

post-14-0-20964500-1417646993_thumb.jpg

It isn't like Pace occasionally putting a bicycle into the box for the vehicle.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83k3Sk7UVrg

From Today on the J14 Video is by Chicago Sun-Times, Photo is by Juniorz

Cool video. This is a cool treat for the city's kids along with the Holiday Train.

Yeah that's what they said, most likely it's a programming glitch. Top men are probably working on it. Top Men!! :lol:

So #4336 is the bus. I guess Kevin was right.

I think busfan mentioned it first. But either way I learned when either of those two reports something that they likely did the research to make what they report and share turn out to be true. :lol:

In this case, i think busfan figured it out by matching the bus's license plate number to that in available outside sources.

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I don't think that's the reason. While the icons can be made bigger by using the zoom slide on the map, zooming it all the way doesn't show anything distinctive.

attachicon.gif4336.jpg

It isn't like Pace occasionally putting a bicycle into the box for the vehicle.

True, they can be made bigger, but not by much since they appear to stop growing at a certain point. Either way, it's good that they're that size so you can actually see the map too.

Anyways, the bus is now sleeping and will be on the #62 tomorrow.

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I don't think that's the reason. While the icons can be made bigger by using the zoom slide on the map, zooming it all the way doesn't show anything distinctive.

attachicon.gif4336.jpg

It isn't like Pace occasionally putting a bicycle into the box for the vehicle.

Maybe somehow they think the average rider are like us bus fans and go hey this bus number is out of place for what we typically see on this route so that must be the Holiday Bus. :lol:

That might help on the 62 which doesn't typically see articulated buses on a regular basis and maybe even 49 where it's also rare though NP has artics available. But it doesn't necessarily on the J14 which does use artics regularly and does typically get a bus 43xx in service here and there, and it definitely wouldn't help average riders on the 22, which sees a boatload of 4300s quite regularly since it is assigned to what is 4336's home garage when 4336 is a regular bus not doing Holiday Bus service.

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Well damn I went to check out #1573 on the #62 and it's leader is the holiday bus. I'm riding it now sb on the #62 at western. I got pictures he says he going to midway which I don't understand but we'll see where he goes!! LOL!! Maybe Cicero he's running a #n62 sign.

The bus was only go to Midway and the bus operator drive the holiday bus is out of 74th Street. I did know this that CTA install a TV inside the holiday bus showing all the CTA buses garage like the management ,operator and other staff at the garage. and there is a emergency van following the holiday buses and the supervisor or instructor dress likes elves on the holiday bus.

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Well here is what I got. I noticed alot of details on this bus that were interesting. The red platform comes out to the stairs and covers the rear wheelwells. Here's a shot of that. Also shown is Santa standing up on his chair as he yells Ho!! Ho!! Ho!! (or whatever he does) and waves to everyone.

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They have this area roped off so no one can enter. The girl that's in there is part of Santa's helpers. They have some wood shingling over the stairs that I don't have a shot of. Alot of thought to detail here.

Here's a shot of Santa with one of his elves.

post-304-0-17382100-1417759376_thumb.png

Here is a distance shot of Santa sitting in his chair.

post-304-0-81032300-1417759598_thumb.png

Here's a couple of front interior shots. The TV shows the maintenance staff of all the garages and South shops. I don't know maybe they all had a part in constructing this.

post-304-0-40202900-1417760097_thumb.png post-304-0-54967600-1417760242_thumb.png

Then here are a few exterior shots at Pulaski/Orange line, by this time it was complete pandamonium, there were tons of riders getting on the bus here, the police were here, K9 unit and emergency truck following the bus and then you had me taking these photographs like the paparazzi. The mobile supervisors were all following the bus. It was somewhat of a circus. It was a surreal experience.

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This shot below shows the rear of the bus with Santa coming out of the roof.

post-304-0-51449300-1417760120_thumb.png

In all that excitement, I forgot to ask Santa if he will help FG get some newer buses!! But there's always another day!!

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You know one thing that was weird about yesterday was that the holiday bus was a ghost bus (not on the tracker) because if it would've been there I would've been drawn to it. (My ride was completely random) I wonder if the fact that it was signed as a #N62 disqualified it from appearing on the tracker. (It's in a language the computer doesn't understand so it kicks it out) Then this trip to Midway, while nice, sort of deviating from what was announced. If I was waiting at the west end for the #62 would I have ever seen it?

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... I wonder if the fact that it was signed as a #N62 disqualified it from appearing on the tracker. (It's in a language the computer doesn't understand so it kicks it out)...

Then, theoretically, BusTracker would be worthless between 1-4 a.m. Anyone want to stay up and check?

Maybe the question is whether the displayed run number was in the system, apparently compared to it on J14 being a normal run. At least the run number was not HOHO, as predicted.

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You know one thing that was weird about yesterday was that the holiday bus was a ghost bus (not on the tracker) because if it would've been there I would've been drawn to it. (My ride was completely random) I wonder if the fact that it was signed as a #N62 disqualified it from appearing on the tracker. (It's in a language the computer doesn't understand so it kicks it out) Then this trip to Midway, while nice, sort of deviating from what was announced. If I was waiting at the west end for the #62 would I have ever seen it?

This bus has been running in manual mode, which may be affecting its appearance in Bus Tracker.

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