Pace New Flyer buses

[BusHunter]

11 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

Shut off as in they lock the back door for the duration of the trip?

No just cut the rear doors out with the cutout switch by the front door. But the bus is kept in service which means there is only one exit door.

[RJL6000]

At the February 19 board meeting, the Pace board approved a change order to the New Flyer order. 10 additional buses will be purchased, bringing the numbering to 20400-20485 (85 buses).

[WCR]

1 hour ago, RJL6000 said:

At the February 19 board meeting, the Pace board approved a change order to the New Flyer order. 10 additional buses will be purchased, bringing the numbering to 20400-20485 (85 buses).

I think it would be 20401-20486 as the prototype delivered last month is 20401.

[artthouwill]

3 hours ago, WCR said:

I think it would be 20401-20486 as the prototype delivered last month is 20401.

I think it will include the prototype.   Also remember that someone at Pace is superstitious enough that there probably won't be a 20413.

To me this probably means that Pace West will get 75 of those buses and the other 10 will go to another garage.  I think Pace West should have all 85.  

[WCR]

4 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I think it will include the prototype.   Also remember that someone at Pace is superstitious enough that there probably won't be a 20413.

 

Correct, 20401-20412 and 20414-20486 is 85 buses.

[chicagocubs6323]

15 hours ago, artthouwill said:

 Also remember that someone at Pace is superstitious enough that there probably won't be a 20413.

 

Yeah they don't like the number 13 but they do have run #666 on the #322 on Saturdays 

[NewFlyerMCI]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:09 AM, chicagocubs6323 said:

Yeah they don't like the number 13 but they do have run #666 on the #322 on Saturdays 

I mean, the number 13 thing is more pervasive with stuff like this than "666". I'm curious to know if its really 1 person making this decision or if it was a collective effort.

[artthouwill]

14 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I mean, the number 13 thing is more pervasive with stuff like this than "666". I'm curious to know if its really 1 person making this decision or if it was a collective effort.

Good question.   I suppose someone could look at the tosters of the former suburban agencies to see if any of them had buses ending in 13.  Next  someone could look at the RTA 8000s and 8200s to see if there was an 8013, 8113. 8213. etc.   Pace's first new buses were the 8700 series Orion Is, but I can't remember if there was an 8713, or any Orions or Ikirus buses that ended in 13.  I think I first started noticing the missing 13s with the 6000 series Orions.

This madness hasn't permeated CTA or Metra, but has survived a few Pace directors and seemingly is poised to continue in this new order. 

[Pace831]

19 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

Good question.   I suppose someone could look at the tosters of the former suburban agencies to see if any of them had buses ending in 13.  Next  someone could look at the RTA 8000s and 8200s to see if there was an 8013, 8113. 8213. etc.   Pace's first new buses were the 8700 series Orion Is, but I can't remember if there was an 8713, or any Orions or Ikirus buses that ended in 13.  I think I first started noticing the missing 13s with the 6000 series Orions.

This madness hasn't permeated CTA or Metra, but has survived a few Pace directors and seemingly is poised to continue in this new order. 

Bill V says 8713 was the last Pace bus ending in 13. This bus was wrecked, possibly leading to the superstition. Since then, there have been no bus numbers ending in 13, starting with the 8800s.

[jesi2282]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I mean, the number 13 thing is more pervasive with stuff like this than "666". I'm curious to know if its really 1 person making this decision or if it was a collective effort.

 

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

This madness hasn't permeated CTA or Metra, but has survived a few Pace directors and seemingly is poised to continue in this new order. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if that superstitious person was Melinda Metzger. She has been at Pace since day one, and even before that, outlasting many Executive Directors. I believe she came from Nortran, along with other management heads at the time. One could say Nortran never died, Nortran management just took over the failing bus companies and renamed itself Pace. Nortran was not in a financial mess, unlike the other companies. I think this is why Pace HQ has always remained in the NW Suburbs...

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, Pace831 said:

Bill V says 8713 was the last Pace bus ending in 13. This bus was wrecked, possibly leading to the superstition. Since then, there have been no bus numbers ending in 13, starting with the 8800s.

Wasn't there a Pace bus wreck on interstate 80/94 involving a NABI 617×?  Certainly Pace isn't going to (nor did it) stop using numbers because of a bus being involved in a wreck.   However I wonder was the 8713 wreck a fatal accident?  If so, possibly the first fatal accident under the Pace name? Considering the newness of the bus, they quickly decided to stop the 13s before 8813 had a chance to be delivered. 

Considering that the other RTA  service boards don't do this and neither do Pace's ADA contractors. isn't it time for Pace to end this silly practice?  Hopefully we will see a 20413.

[cta5658]

My guess is that West is gonna get these.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, cta5658 said:

My guess is that West is gonna get these.

Yes they'll get them,  the question is how many?  Initially the order was for 75, now it's 85.  My guess is West will get 75 and another garage  (Evanston or River?) will get 10.  Honestly I think West should get them all to retire the BABIs.  But if I remember the one board meeting I saw online, a board member seemed pretty interested in another garage besides West getting some new buses.

[BusHunter]

On 2/23/2020 at 7:17 PM, artthouwill said:

Yes they'll get them,  the question is how many?  Initially the order was for 75, now it's 85.  My guess is West will get 75 and another garage  (Evanston or River?) will get 10.  Honestly I think West should get them all to retire the BABIs.  But if I remember the one board meeting I saw online, a board member seemed pretty interested in another garage besides West getting some new buses.

I was wondering if Dempster Pulse might have something to do with the 10 buses. They should put them at a few key locations. Let the mechanics and operators get used to them. 

[artthouwill]

4 hours ago, BusHunter said:

I was wondering if Dempster Pulse might have something to do with the 10 buses. They should put them at a few key locations. Let the mechanics and operators get used to them. 

There's nothing really special about Pulse that Pace can't just wrap 10 more buses.  Assuming that the New Flyers have flush mount windows, certainly 10 could go there.

[WCR]

23 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

There's nothing really special about Pulse that Pace can't just wrap 10 more buses.  Assuming that the New Flyers have flush mount windows, certainly 10 could go there.

Could be that only 20401 has those windows and the rest will have conventional styling. That's what happened with the Eldo Axess prototype. If that's the case I'd guess the extra ten might have flush windows for Pulse specs.

[chicagocubs6323]

21 minutes ago, WCR said:

Could be that only 20401 has those windows and the rest will have conventional styling. That's what happened with the Eldo Axess prototype. If that's the case I'd guess the extra ten might have flush windows for Pulse specs.

Eventually Cermak is getting Pulse service.  It's best all buses get the specs you see on 20401.

[artthouwill]

2 hours ago, WCR said:

Could be that only 20401 has those windows and the rest will have conventional styling. That's what happened with the Eldo Axess prototype. If that's the case I'd guess the extra ten might have flush windows for Pulse specs.

 

2 hours ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

Eventually Cermak is getting Pulse service.  It's best all buses get the specs you see on 20401.

If I remember correctly,  Pace asked for flush mount windows on the New Flyersso as to make the fleet more modern looking.  Unfortunately,  those windows in the Eldorado Axxess buses were limited to the suburbans and the Pulse Milwaukees.

[Guest]

On 10/21/2019 at 2:01 PM, artthouwill said:

Those 9800 series and 1600 series Flyer buses were absolutely horrible.   I hated them.  They were so bad, Flyer had to be renamed New Flyer.  The New Flyer buses have greatly improved.   I look forward to seeing them in Pace livery and in Pace service.

I drove the D901s  Theywerent bad  just that they didnt have a/c  Otherwise the buses drove really nice. I even got to drive my favorite Flyer as a kid, #9844 once on Kimball. By then the Cummins engine which sounded so cool, was replaced by the DD 6V92 

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, CTA5750 said:

I drove the D901s  Theywerent bad  just that they didnt have a/c  Otherwise the buses drove really nice. I even got to drive my favorite Flyer as a kid, #9844 once on Kimball. By then the Cummins engine which sounded so cool, was replaced by the DD 6V92 

The M.A.N. Americanas and the RTS buses didnt come with a/c either.  The Americanas were pretty good buses.  Though I thought RTS was a great model,  I was disappointed in the CTA model.  I didn't care for the engine, the interior layout.   That said, I still preferred them over the D901s.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

The M.A.N. Americanas and the RTS buses didnt come with a/c either.  The Americanas were pretty good buses.  Though I thought RTS was a great model,  I was disappointed in the CTA model.  I didn't care for the engine, the interior layout.   That said, I still preferred them over the D901s.

To this day ill never comprehend how incompetent CTA management would be buying buses without a/c and then a few years later having to do a complete retrofit. Ill never forget those hot days melting on a CTA bus! I drove the RTS before and after a/c additions. No doubt there was a difference in performance. But it was nice to drive and ride comfortable for a change. I loved the Americanas! They were a joy to drive. While they didnt have a/c  In the winter the heat was not doubt great!  I sure do miss those days!    

[artthouwill]

23 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

To this day ill never comprehend how incompetent CTA management would be buying buses without a/c and then a few years later having to do a complete retrofit. Ill never forget those hot days melting on a CTA bus! I drove the RTS before and after a/c additions. No doubt there was a difference in performance. But it was nice to drive and ride comfortable for a change. I loved the Americanas! They were a joy to drive. While they didnt have a/c  In the winter the heat was not doubt great!  I sure do miss those days!    

I suppose the move was to save money, not only in up front costs for a/c, but future maintenance costs as well.   Remember CTA had a bunch of 1000, 7400, 9000, and 9600 series GMCs with a/c that was failing at a very high rate.  Only the M.A.N artics had consistently working air.  

I'm glad Pace didn't follow CTAin that regard, though their GMCs didn't have the greatest of a/c.  I think the Irion I had the coldest a/c of any model, though the NABIs had great /c in their early years.   Hopefully we'll see the new Pace New Flyers soon.  I think delivery is supposed to start this month.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

I suppose the move was to save money, not only in up front costs for a/c, but future maintenance costs as well.   Remember CTA had a bunch of 1000, 7400, 9000, and 9600 series GMCs with a/c that was failing at a very high rate.  Only the M.A.N artics had consistently working air.  

I'm glad Pace didn't follow CTAin that regard, though their GMCs didn't have the greatest of a/c.  I think the Irion I had the coldest a/c of any model, though the NABIs had great /c in their early years.   Hopefully we'll see the new Pace New Flyers soon.  I think delivery is supposed to start this month.

Im excited to see the Pace NF .  

[MetroShadow]

If you follow the Chicago Transit Facebook page, 20401 was seen at Forest Park (Blue)...

[BusHunter]

yay!!! But looks like they are just training. But I thought they did say they would be on the streets by March. Well I guess the NABIs will not be around to much longer.