They're Here (30 ft ElDorado low floors THE 2600s)

[trainman8119]

Finally, 1936 was at the bus stop at Niles (the no change message is admittedly repetitive).

All of the buses I see in Niles daily (usually 3 or 4) are still Chance's. I have it in mind to go by the garage there to see if any 2600s are out in the lot or something, I just haven't got around

to it. If and when I get there, I'll advise.

[Busjack]

All of the buses I see in Niles daily (usually 3 or 4) are still Chance's. I have it in mind to go by the garage there to see if any 2600s are out in the lot or something, I just haven't got around

to it. If and when I get there, I'll advise.

They sure aren't visible from the outside (as of last weekend). Usually there are 2 Chances parked on the front apron along Touhy. Now, if you have a way of getting into the building or back lot...

[Busjack]

2700 seen in Hinsdale. That (and an observation of 806 and 808 in Crystal Lake being run with paratransit vehicles) would tend to put doubt into the two Moving into the Future articles saying that McHenry would get them (although it doesn't totally eliminate the possibility).

[busfan4022]

I rode 2662 for the first time on the 215 a couple of weeks ago, and there was also a 35ft NABI on the route. I <3 the 2600s so fast and comfortable.

:)

[BusExpert32]

I've rode on the 2600s a lot in the past few months, a few times on the Niles Free Bus Routes (411-413) and a few times on North Shore routes such as #s 422, 423, 213, and 215. They're really good buses and they're really good in Niles since those old chances were getting old and bad. The destinations didn't work on any of the remaining buses and the insides (such as wheelchair belts and other straps) were peeling apart. I stopped breathing for a moment when I saw a 2600 for the first time on the #411 at Golf Mill back in June. Just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

[pace2322]

Wll here we go 2703 and 2704 are now at south holland.

[Busjack]

Wll here we go 2703 and 2704 are now at south holland.

Apparently part of the second order. However, I can't figure out:

• Where Pace gets the money for them.
  
• Why they need more when they are threatening to cut feeder routes.
  
• Where 2701 and 2702 went.
  

Any ideas?

Speculation: They may be to fulfill the Wheaton contract, which says that the contractor will get 2600s, but currently the contractors are running school buses.

[jesi2282]

I saw 2702 on the #714, I Think 2701 and 2702 have been sent to Fox Valley.

[BusExpert32]

Wll here we go 2703 and 2704 are now at south holland.

Hold it. Hasn't the 2600 series delivery for Pace concluded months ago on bus #2702? Where did #2703 and #2704 suddenly come from? Is Pace recieving more 2600s?

[Busjack]

I saw 2702 on the #714, I Think 2701 and 2702 have been sent to Fox Valley.

Thanks. In possibly an unusual bus sighting, while trying again to confirm whether 2600s were on the McHenry routes (again, I only saw paratransits) I saw 2698 on U.S. 14 in Fox River Grove, an area that has no scheduled bus service. The headsign was blank.

[trainman8119]

Apparently part of the second order. However, I can't figure out:

• Where Pace gets the money for them.
  
• Why they need more when they are threatening to cut feeder routes.
  
• Where 2701 and 2702 went.
  

Any ideas?

Might it be that 2701 and 2702 were never delivered, and for some reason, were delivered as 2703 and 2704. That would explain how these buses showed up without new money to pay for them and how something would be ordered when the need is questionable (simply old order being completed).

[Busjack]

Might it be that 2701 and 2702 were never delivered, and for some reason, were delivered as 2703 and 2704. That would explain how these buses showed up without new money to pay for them and how something would be ordered when the need is questionable (simply old order being completed).

Except that pace2322 reported seeing 2701 and jesi reported seeing 2702.

[pace2322]

Now 2710 in at south holland.

[BusExpert32]

Now 2710 in at south holland.

Wow, I thought that the 2600 delivery for Pace had concluded on #2702 months ago in Spring 2007. But now, all of a sudden more keep coming.

[Busjack]

The Pace budget, which has never been a paragon of accuracy in this regard, indicates that there are 99 ElDorados (page 69 of the pdf), but we know that 102 were ordered. 3 scrapped already? (We know about 2635, and one in Aurora was mentioned in this forum as being in accidents.) The capital budget says that there is money for 33 more, like that has meant anything.

[jesi2282]

2703 was at the Wheaton Metra Station today on the #714.

[BusExpert32]

The Pace budget, which has never been a paragon of accuracy in this regard, indicates that there are 99 ElDorados (page 69 of the pdf), but we know that 102 were ordered. 3 scrapped already? (We know about 2635, and one in Aurora was mentioned in this forum as being in accidents.) The capital budget says that there is money for 33 more, like that has meant anything.

So where are numbers 2711-2735 going to go? And why does Pace not number any of their buses with 13 at the end, pretty stupid. So there is no #2613 or #2713. Supersticious reasons are really not what big transit agencies are suppose to be focusing on.

[Busjack]

So where are numbers 2711-2735 going to go?

You can't assume (we're using that word again) from the budget that the numbers go up to 2735. Pace budgeted for 18 in 2006 and 38 in 2007 (which, if I can add right is 56), but Pace received 102. Basically anything over 2656 was off budget. We can assume (that word again) that the increase in the order from 96 to 102 was CMAQ for 714. We can also infer, from a budget of $330K per bus and an actual cost of about $278K, that the budget covered 18 percent more buses. That would get you to 66. Therefore, Pace isn't telling us how it got the funds for at least the 29 Naperville buses mentioned in the 2008 budget presentation. I'm sure you don't have the answer.

If I count my numbers correctly, I think I am up to 101 buses (66 on budget, 6 CMAQ, and 29 unbudgeted). As to the one remaining, it may be because of the federal grant for 627 or a rounding error.

Also, if there are 33 buses, skipping 2713, that gets you to 2736, not 5 (not that the assumption counts for anything).

[pace2322]

2703 is at fox Valley.

[Busjack]

2697 also seen in McHenry. Thus, the only foggy ones in my mind are 2667 and 2696. One of them would be in Naperville. Any sightings?

[pace2322]

I think 2667 is at west.

[BusExpert32]

I've noticed that Niles has buses #2640-#2649 on their roster and they used to have 12 or 13 Chances. Wouldn't this cause a break in service if a bus were to break down or have any other ineffeciency and not be able to go in service? Those extra 2 to 3 buses could be a life saver when it comes to acceptable service. So what happened that Niles recieved less buses than they had?

[Busjack]

I've noticed that Niles has buses #2640-#2649 on their roster and they used to have 12 or 13 Chances. Wouldn't this cause a break in service if a bus were to break down or have any other ineffeciency and not be able to go in service? Those extra 2 to 3 buses could be a life saver when it comes to acceptable service. So what happened that Niles recieved less buses than they had?

I doubt that they had 12 or 13 Chances. Some were in Melrose Park and then got moved around to Elgin and other places. The only Chances that had Niles logos were 1927-1937.

The Niles schedule requires 8 buses, and they have 10: 411 6, 412 1, and 413 1.

[Busjack]

The Pace budget, which has never been a paragon of accuracy in this regard, indicates that there are 99 ElDorados (page 69 of the pdf), but we know that 102 were ordered.

On further review, I see that 3 are listed under paratransit. The 3 2007s under paratransit are listed as 30 foot buses. Probably explains 2697 and 2698 seen in McHenry but not on an 800 series route. I still wonder about 2696. My apologies.

To elaborate on the preceding post, 3 of the Chances were also in the Pace budget as paratransits. Thus, Niles at least recently did not have as many as "busexpert" claimed.

[trainman8119]

The new ElDorados have found their way to Northwest. I spotted 2707 at the Mt Prospect Metra station at 5:00 pm today running (parked) on the 694.