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Pace New Flyer buses


Pace831

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3 hours ago, chitowndude84 said:

 

Yikes already one down ??  Was it hanging out with one of the CTA New flyers ?? lol ??  

 

 

 

Dave

On thursday I was coming down I-55 and there was a broke down MCI on the exit ramps WB at 1st avenue the wrecker was there working on it. Couldn't get the number as I was driving my bus. At first I was like damn the minuteman for IDOT are working on it but it was a yellow Pace wrecker. They look almost identical. I wonder why the wrecker is not blue. Unless its yellow so it shows up. Pace was painted in light blue on the door. Should've at least put the wrench symbol on it because that wrecker is Mr goodwrench!! Lol!!

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11 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

On thursday I was coming down I-55 and there was a broke down MCI on the exit ramps WB at 1st avenue the wrecker was there working on it. Couldn't get the number as I was driving my bus. At first I was like damn the minuteman for IDOT are working on it but it was a yellow Pace wrecker. They look almost identical. I wonder why the wrecker is not blue. Unless its yellow so it shows up. Pace was painted in light blue on the door. Should've at least put the wrench symbol on it because that wrecker is Mr goodwrench!! Lol!!

The wrecker could be pre 2003, which would mean the Yellow was from the previous livery color scheme.   It's not like those things rack up miles every day. 

I forgot the year of Pace's latest model of MCIs, but breakdowns happen. 

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On 5/20/2020 at 11:26 PM, chitowndude84 said:

WOW !! Very interesting that AC trans got double deckers !!. Are they Van Hools ??  I remember when living in SF bay area a story were there was some "chicago'ish activities" going on between Van Hool and top level characters at AC transit leading them to ONLY purchase Van Hool vehicles and no other manufactures ??  I think once the "Dirty Closest" door was opened of all those shenanigans.  It lead to GIllig and other companies >fairly< able to bid on Alameda county contracts ??

 

 

Dave

Vanhool and AC got into some shenanigans, correct, but they only offer the transit style buses. The older models I'm not a fan of, and the artics can barely go up the Berkeley Hills. Those 40' 1200's (2008 models) have better power.

As mentioned before, Alexander Dennis has the double decker buses, and only for blocks of express services (FS, J, L, and LA). They fare well especially since the MCIs are few and the artics are rarely used on express routes. 

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11 hours ago, MetroShadow said:

Vanhool and AC got into some shenanigans, correct, but they only offer the transit style buses. The older models I'm not a fan of, and the artics can barely go up the Berkeley Hills. Those 40' 1200's (2008 models) have better power.

As mentioned before, Alexander Dennis has the double decker buses, and only for blocks of express services (FS, J, L, and LA). They fare well especially since the MCIs are few and the artics are rarely used on express routes. 

Are these model letters for the buses?

 

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48 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

Are these model letters for the buses?

 

If you mean letters like FS, J, and L, LA, those are I believe  commuter lines for AC Transit.

VanHool models are A first Teansit, CX and TX for motorcoaches. The TDX is the double decker motorcoach. Alexander Dennis builds the double decker transit buses.   ABC Companies sells new VanHool abd Alexander Dennis products in the U.S.

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5 hours ago, artthouwill said:

If you mean letters like FS, J, and L, LA, those are I believe  commuter lines for AC Transit.

VanHool models are A first Teansit, CX and TX for motorcoaches. The TDX is the double decker motorcoach. Alexander Dennis builds the double decker transit buses.   ABC Companies sells new VanHool abd Alexander Dennis products in the U.S.

ABC sells Alexander Dennis buses as well? That's news to me

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I got a question that just has popped into my mind. As part of the VW settlement it says that Pace will get 6 CNG buses. An article that i'm linking says that will occur in 2019. Now my roster says the cngs at south are 2018 models. The only 2019 models out there are the NF's. So have these buses been counted already? I notice my roster has 94 cngs but the press release mentions 91 cngs. It also goes on to say cta will get 3 new electric buses, (on top of what they ordered???) and metra is getting 8 new engines. So what's up???

(Pace press release)

https://www.ngvamerica.org/2019/02/13/pace-named-chicago-area-clean-cities-clean-fuels-champion/

(Chicago press release)

https://news.wttw.com/2018/12/04/vw-settlement-illinois-awards-19m-cleaner-bus-and-train-engines

 

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8 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Why aren't these  new New Flyers not running today?  Eldorado Axxess buses 6323 and 6339 are sweat boxes.  I see NABI buses out but not the newbies?  CTAbuses have good a/c.  

What's the purpose of buying new buses if they are going to sit idle at the garage?

They're pulling a northwest. (Basically the same thing they did with the pulse buses before the inauguration of the Milwaukee line)

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22 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Why aren't these  new New Flyers not running today?  Eldorado Axxess buses 6323 and 6339 are sweat boxes.  I see NABI buses out but not the newbies?  CTAbuses have good a/c.  

What's the purpose of buying new buses if they are going to sit idle at the garage?

 

20 hours ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

I'm assuming they're in a 30 day testing phase?

Nope. They did not run yesterday because it was Memorial Day. And all Memorial Day service operates on a Sunday schedule. And the drivers that were out there on weekends and holidays generally are less experienced than those who drive only on weekdays.

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17 hours ago, BusHunter said:

I got a question that just has popped into my mind. As part of the VW settlement it says that Pace will get 6 CNG buses. An article that i'm linking says that will occur in 2019. Now my roster says the cngs at south are 2018 models. The only 2019 models out there are the NF's. So have these buses been counted already? I notice my roster has 94 cngs but the press release mentions 91 cngs. It also goes on to say cta will get 3 new electric buses, (on top of what they ordered???) and metra is getting 8 new engines. So what's up???

(Pace press release)

https://www.ngvamerica.org/2019/02/13/pace-named-chicago-area-clean-cities-clean-fuels-champion/

(Chicago press release)

https://news.wttw.com/2018/12/04/vw-settlement-illinois-awards-19m-cleaner-bus-and-train-engines

 

The beginning of the NGV America article mentions there were already 71 CNG buses. That is, 20 15500s plus 71 17500s. It also mentions “at least six new CNG buses” would arrive. As it turned out, there were 11 18500s. Your roster correctly shows 104 buses at South.

The 18500s had actually deployed by the time the article was written, but that discrepancy could easily have been an oversight by the author.

You’ll have to look back through Pace board minutes for further clarification.

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44 minutes ago, RJL6000 said:

 

Nope. They did not run yesterday because it was Memorial Day. And all Memorial Day service operates on a Sunday schedule. And the drivers that were out there on weekends and holidays generally are less experienced than those who drive only on weekdays.

Eventually the leas less experienced drivers will have to drive those buses.  The new buses don't stay new forever.   The Axxess buses were once new.  The NABIs were once new.   Again,  in a hor say, there's no excuse to have HOT buses on the streets while buses with good a/c sit in the garage only because they are new.

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8 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

The 390 I can see, the 379 makes little sense to me. Thanks

Might be a fleet and scheduling item. This may be interlined with a early west run IIRC. 

 

I.e. A 379 depending on what time, might be done at UPS, and then could do a 757 or an early morning West Run. 

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