7000-series - Delivery & Updates

[artthouwill]

8 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

I get what you're saying trust me. And for all we know Rosemont can be putting out all of the 7000s it has but again theyre still a relatively small percentage (30%) of the fleet so if you've only been able to check on the Congress branch (which has 50% of the service) you're gonna have maybe a 15-30% chance of seeing a 7000 compared to a 30-50% chance of seeing one at Jackson or anywhere north of the short turn cause majority of whatever they're running is going to stay east of Halsted 

I get that I'm only going to see a small portion of what could be on the lune since the Forest Park branch is the shorter and less frequent of the two branches.  I was able to observe a little more since I was downtown and some of the short turns were 2600s/3200s.    I would probably bet that if I went to O'Hare,  I would see more 7000s in Rosemont yard than I would see in service.   There has to be a reason for that. 

[Busjack]

5 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I would probably bet that if I went to O'Hare,  I would see more 7000s in Rosemont yard than I would see in service.   There has to be a reason for that. 

 

There "has to be a reason" for your "probably bet," as by saying that you have no factual basis. How about taking the trip to O'Hare instead of making suppositions (which you have done an awful lot lately)?

[scotthilly]

On 9/22/2024 at 9:25 AM, artthouwill said:   I would probably bet that if I went to O'Hare,  I would see more 7000s in Rosemont yard than I would see in service.   There has to be a reason for that. 

Yeah, to be honest I agree with this. I take blue from Wicker to O’Hare about once a week, and have at least 10 times since the summer.

 

I’m 0-10 (minimum) on 7000’s. There’s nearly always anywhere from 3-6 consists parked up there. I probably have awful odds but I’d be shocked if more than 25% of runs are 7000’s and bet it’s closed to 15-20.

 

in fact, right now I’m back from O’Hare. All 3 trains at ORD with 32/26’s, and we’ve passed 3 trains that are 32/26’s.

[wayfaringrob]

7133 - 7134 are in service today.

[garmon757]

Spotted 7159-60 sitting outside Skokie Shops facing Oakton Street.

[wayfaringrob]

7143 - 7144 are in service on run 127 today.

[wayfaringrob]

7145 7146 & 7153 7154 all together in service today.

[scotthilly]

When, if ever, are they going to switch the destination signs on these trains to not be a weird, hazy, washed out color?

when 5000’s came in they pretty quickly reverted the orange signs to full color LED’s. Surprised they haven’t fixed the 7000 series ones as they’re quite hard to read.

[Busjack]

10 hours ago, scotthilly said:

When, if ever, are they going to switch the destination signs on these trains to not be a weird, hazy, washed out color?

when 5000’s came in they pretty quickly reverted the orange signs to full color LED’s. Surprised they haven’t fixed the 7000 series ones as they’re quite hard to read.

1. We aren't clairvoyant.
2. Since you bring up the 5000s, the Chief Engineer makes that decision. If you care, why not contact that office?

[wayfaringrob]

13 hours ago, scotthilly said:

when 5000’s came in they pretty quickly reverted the orange signs to full color LED’s

No. They were physically replaced with color units. The originals did not support color other than amber. Not sure about the issue with haziness you're describing. It's just a slightly lighter blue that matches the official Blue Line color (Pantone 299C) more closely.

[scotthilly]

12 hours ago, Busjack said:

1. We aren't clairvoyant.
2. Since you bring up the 5000s, the Chief Engineer makes that decision. If you care, why not contact that office?

Someone doesn’t understand how a forum website works. Thanks for the advice anyways!

[scotthilly]

9 hours ago, wayfaringrob said:

No. They were physically replaced with color units. The originals did not support color other than amber. Not sure about the issue with haziness you're describing. It's just a slightly lighter blue that matches the official Blue Line color (Pantone 299C) more closely.

Right, but regardless, they switched them out. And the 7000 signs are much less bright and have, like I said, a weird neutral look for every line. It’s much harder to distinguish color. Here’s a good example. There’s tons more on YouTube, Chicago-l, etc.

by the way, you can tell it’s objectively a different screen setup because it doesn’t come across in videos or photos. 

 

[wayfaringrob]

11 minutes ago, scotthilly said:

And the 7000 signs are much less bright and have, like I said, a weird neutral look for every line. It’s much harder to distinguish color.

Cannot see your photos. Regardless, LEDs do not photograph well, if that is the issue you are alluding to. I have not observed the problems you're describing in person. If anything, they may have a higher dot resolution, which would require a different rendering for the text, and might also make photographs appear worse than on the 5000s/3200s. They also seem to have improved color accuracy. Perhaps that makes them look less vibrant to you, but they are more accurate to CTA brand colors. Color LEDs were pretty new technology when the 5000s got them -- if you compare, it's really the 5000s that have distorted colors. We're just used to seeing those.

[Bus1883]

On 1/28/2025 at 10:57 PM, scotthilly said:

When, if ever, are they going to switch the destination signs on these trains to not be a weird, hazy, washed out color?

when 5000’s came in they pretty quickly reverted the orange signs to full color LED’s. Surprised they haven’t fixed the 7000 series ones as they’re quite hard to read.

Well I stand by your point. I don’t like the LEDs on the 7000s myself as well they should of have retrofitted them with the same ones the 3200s and 5000s have, as the LEDs in videos remind me of old skool TVs back then that shows the grey screening that was caused by HDMI malfunctioning cables

[scotthilly]

11 hours ago, wayfaringrob said:

Cannot see your photos. Regardless, LEDs do not photograph well, if that is the issue you are alluding to.

This isn't entirely accurate. Go on youtube or the internet and search BART, MUNI, MTA, DC metro... they all have LED signs and all video and photograph perfectly. The run numbers on the 7000's are also LED and yet they photograph, and video, perfectly. All 3200 / 5000's photograph, and videotape, very well if not perfectly on both run numbers and destinations.

This is a 7000 destination sign specific issue and I believe backs up my statement that in person they're washed out, less visible, and hazy.

Not only that, but the verbiage on the sign itself is smaller and not as bolded. It's evident from the above photos. 

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, scotthilly said:

This isn't entirely accurate. Go on youtube or the internet and search BART, MUNI, MTA, DC metro... they all have LED signs and all video and photograph perfectly.

That's doubtful. There are plenty of YouTube videos where the signs seem to roll because the refresh rates of the sign and camera phones are different.

Nonetheless, if you think there is something actually wrong with the signs, I said above to whom you should address your concerns. I'll take bets on 100% odds that nobody here has any authority to do anything about it, nor any knowledge of what brand of signs it is. Again, odds are it is one or another subsidiary of Luminator.

But if you don't want something done, but just want to vent, I don't care.

[wayfaringrob]

I spotted 7161-7162 and 7163-7164 in service today. The suspension/platform lowering was not functioning at least on 7161-7162.

[wayfaringrob]

Rode 7172 today. 7171 was lead car.

[artthouwill]

9 hours ago, wayfaringrob said:

Rode 7172 today. 7171 was lead car.

Progress.  Slow, but progress nonetheless. 

[Bus1883]

Been riding the blue constantly within the past two or so weeks. The 2600-series sighting on the Blue line is becoming more and more rare over time as the extinction of them on the line is near. The only chance you’ll get to see them is when there are mostly only 2 2600s in a consist while the rest of the cars in the same train are 3200s. Every other train that flies by are just 3200s and 7000s and half of the time sometimes the 5000s around the rush hour.

[ItzLoganTRANSIT]

On 1/26/2013 at 8:51 AM, Busjack said:

 

 

Really doesn't make any difference between the two terms. Most of these are IFPs.

 

I was going to start with the usual WT? but you did have the link, and apparently downloaded the specs. The permanent link is here.

 

The only thing one can say at this time was that there were entries in the 2013 Budget in the capital plan about rehabbing 100 2600s (which is also in the procurement page) and ordering more new cars. Maybe once the dispute over CTA Sales Tax Revenue Fund Bonds was resolved, they figure they can get the money for the additional cars.

 

I also find it strange that the public web site doesn't say how many. I would guess 290 to meet the current requirement of about 1250 (after "decrowding") most which which would be needed on the Blue Line. Then it raises the question whether CTA will need any for any New Starts.

 

But unless something radically changes at CTA management, I don't expect any changes from the 5000s. Heck, the 5000s were delayed because CTA sent out an obsolete spec based on the 3200s. Also, it is way too early to say they will be 7000s; they could be 5800s if, by then, enough room has been cleared out from 6000s now used for buses, just like the 2600s went up to 3200.

Same for the 2400s, 2400-2600.

Or I think 2401-2600.

[Bus1883]

4 hours ago, ItzLoganTRANSIT said:

Same for the 2400s, 2400-2600.

Or I think 2401-2600.

2400s were #2401-2600. Every series starts with XX01

[strictures]

10 hours ago, ItzLoganTRANSIT said:

Same for the 2400s, 2400-2600.

Or I think 2401-2600.

No the 5000s were delayed because the castings for the trucks on them were made by a Chinese company that did a crap job, typical for China, they cracked & they then had to get a new company in Germany to make them.

[garmon757]

So I got very lucky to be at Skokie Shops as part of my Switching Training yesterday and spotted 7165-66, 7179-80, and 7181-82 inside the shops while 7017-18 are currently out of service also inside the shops. 7177-78 are outside of the West Yard Lead Track. 7157-58 are currently mismates outside the East Yard while 7183 through 7198 are also outside the East Yard. 

[Busjack]

On 3/19/2025 at 1:15 AM, garmon757 said:

So I got very lucky to be at Skokie Shops as part of my Switching Training yesterday and spotted 7165-66, 7179-80, and 7181-82 inside the shops while 7017-18 are currently out of service also inside the shops. 7177-78 are outside of the West Yard Lead Track. 7157-58 are currently mismates outside the East Yard while 7183 through 7198 are also outside the East Yard. 

So, in short, we're about half way there on the base order. Probably complete in late 2026, and then it's confusion.

BTW, does anyone know how many cars it would take to equip the Blue Line without unnecessary storage of junk? It used to be about 330 cars, but I haven't seen a recent estimate.