BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I was riding a blue line today when I caught an MTA Xcelsior stuck in traffic around Montrose and the Kennedy, so I rode down to Irving Pk and snapped these pictures. I got a video I might put up on youtube of the entire pass but it's a little shaky. (I didn't have my digital camera with me so I used my smartphone) Now I'm trying to figure out what Xcelsiors these are. They have several different ones at MTA. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Interesting.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 They are XD40's. They have a bunch of videos on youtube. The lowest one I see is #7193. This bus was #7267. I uploaded my video to Youtube and am having it stabilized by them. We'll see how it looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Here's the Youtube video. Looks pretty stabile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON__Kl8-hSc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I was riding a blue line today when I caught an MTA Xcelsior stuck in traffic around Montrose and the Kennedy, so I rode down to Irving Pk and snapped these pictures. I got a video I might put up on youtube of the entire pass but it's a little shaky. (I didn't have my digital camera with me so I used my smartphone) Now I'm trying to figure out what Xcelsiors these are. They have several different ones at MTA. mta xcelsior front approaching.PNG mta xcelsior front in chicago.PNG mta 7267 being delivered to NY in chicago 2-28-15.PNG mta 7267 rear visits chicago 2-28-15.PNG When I was on my way to Mendota Ill on I-39 SB I passed up a NF 40 footer going to Atlanta MARTA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Here's the Youtube video. Looks pretty stabile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON__Kl8-hSc If only cta could get about a 1,030 of these sigh......lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Looks like regular XD40s from the photos but the big question is where did they come from and are they being delivered to a shipping point or actually being driven to NYC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvwnsd Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I was riding a blue line today when I caught an MTA Xcelsior stuck in traffic around Montrose and the Kennedy, so I rode down to Irving Pk and snapped these pictures. I got a video I might put up on youtube of the entire pass but it's a little shaky. (I didn't have my digital camera with me so I used my smartphone) Now I'm trying to figure out what Xcelsiors these are. They have several different ones at MTA. mta xcelsior front approaching.PNG mta xcelsior front in chicago.PNG mta 7267 being delivered to NY in chicago 2-28-15.PNG mta 7267 rear visits chicago 2-28-15.PNG A few weeks ago I was driving north on I-15 in San Diego and saw an unusual looking Excelsior artic driving south. It was in Honolulu's "The Bus" livery, probably being driven to the Port of San Diego for shipment to Hawaii. Had I not been driving I would have snapped a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Looks like regular XD40s from the photos but the big question is where did they come from and are they being delivered to a shipping point or actually being driven to NYC Probably being driven to NY. I forgot saturdays are prime NF bus viewing times. I've seen buses come through before in the afternoon. Once a SEPTA bus, a couple of airport buses and I believe something headed to South Carolina. They must pull out of NF in St Cloud bright and early like 6-7 in the morning cause I think they have to be where they are going by Sunday night. I know the drive time for St Cloud to Chicago is about 9-10 hours. It's no different than the Plattsburg Novas, maybe somewhere on I-90 they will pass each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 My question is, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT TO SEE A MTA BUS IN CHICAGO??? :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 My question is, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT TO SEE A MTA BUS IN CHICAGO??? That was the newest bus I've seen on the NW side in like 13 years, even if it was only for a few minutes!! It would've been cool if he pulled off for a break or something. The CTA riders would be like wth if they saw that on the Chicago streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 That was the newest bus I've seen on the NW side in like 13 years, even if it was only for a few minutes!! It would've been cool if he pulled off for a break or something. The CTA riders would be like wth if they saw that on the Chicago streets. Hell, tell me about it but it's also bittersweet at the same time because of the fact that it was on the northwest side. It's like saying that MTA just made CTA look like s--t.... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyerMCI Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 If only cta could get about a 1,030 of these sigh......lol Brings me back to my point that CTA made a horrible decision when purchasing the nova's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Brings me back to my point that CTA made a horrible decision when purchasing the nova's How is that? New Flyer apparently bid, so you tell us why they weren't successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Think about it, the CTA has New Flyer's newest technology offering the electric bus something that's not offered anywhere in the country at the moment and is the 1st to have it in revenue service across the country. You can't beat that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Think about it, the CTA has New Flyer's newest technology offering the electric bus something that's not offered anywhere in the country at the moment and is the 1st to have it in revenue service across the country. You can't beat that! But the question raised before is if this "one year test" is similar to the test of the fuel cell buses, or if these buses actually have prolonged revenue service. We shall see. Quebec has a project with Nova Bus and others on an electric bus, and would seem to have the advantage, as it has ample hydropower, as opposed to electric rates having recently jumped here (video) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 If only cta could get about a 1,030 of these sigh......lol They probably will get some in a few years. Novabus just doesn't have the assembly line facility to build 1,030 buses. If they got an order like that it would probably take them five years to execute it. The best Novabus could hope for is that they split an order with NF, 500 each, but NF has proven they can deliver the big orders in three years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyerMCI Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 How is that? New Flyer apparently bid, so you tell us why they weren't successful. I was referring to our previous discussion in which I mistakingly stated that the Nova's seated more than the D40LF's and how I turned out to be wrong. You then replied with the fact that CTA has shown time and time again that they don't care about the amount of passengers that they can seat (seeing as how an XD40 can seat more then every bus in the fleet that isn't an artic) and that the stimulus artics were proof of that. I wish I could explain why NF didn't get the order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 From what the agency has stated the XE40s are permanent additions to the fleet and the testing should last about a year (with testing anticipated to be completed November 2015) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 From what the agency has stated the XE40s are permanent additions to the fleet and the testing should last about a year (with testing anticipated to be completed November 2015) After testing could they feasibly run on any Kedzie route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 That's a good question but my statement above is based on what the agency has stated through press release's. When the vehicles were purchased in 2010; the agency stated that when the vehicles arrive that they would undergo a year long testing period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Last month I was driving to Mitsuwa Marketplace with some friends and I saw an MTA bus on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). Pretty cool, though my friend commented that the bus seemed a little lost. A week or two later I spotted two MBTA (Boston) buses heading east on I-90 around the Fox River. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 The MTA sent their DE40LF's through Higgins and Algonquin roads (likely parking at a local hotel in Elk Grove) a couple of years back. And also: Seattle has Excelsior Trolleybuses, which is unique in their case (and I would be shocked if SFMTA wouldn't follow suit once their ETI's and NF's are retired*) *it helps to do some research and nerd out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Brings me back to my point that CTA made a horrible decision when purchasing the nova's I was referring to our previous discussion in which I mistakingly stated that the Nova's seated more than the D40LF's and how I turned out to be wrong. You then replied with the fact that CTA has shown time and time again that they don't care about the amount of passengers that they can seat (seeing as how an XD40 can seat more then every bus in the fleet that isn't an artic) and that the stimulus artics were proof of that. I wish I could explain why NF didn't get the order. Doesn't add up to "horrible decision." Something like the NABIs turned out to be a horrible decision, but apparently you have nothing like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 The MTA sent their DE40LF's through Higgins and Algonquin roads (likely parking at a local hotel in Elk Grove) a couple of years back. And also: Seattle has Excelsior Trolleybuses, which is unique in their case (and I would be shocked if SFMTA wouldn't follow suit once their ETI's and NF's are retired*) *it helps to do some research and nerd out a bit. Actually, the report says that they have already piggybacked on the Seattle contract (it being a joint procurement). The two interesting things in the report is that they are trying to "Spread procurements more evenly to ensure major maintenance investments are not needed all at the same time," something CTA claimed to do about 1999, but didn't, as evidenced by BusHunter's comment above, and "Inform long-term storage and maintenance facility’s needs," something CTA keeps talking about in various budgets, but essentially has not done for 25 years. I guess it is surprising that Muni only has 477 conventional buses, and even if you add in the 230 trolley buses, gets you to approximately 700. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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