8350-series Nova LFS - Updates

[andrethebusman99]

On 10/27/2023 at 1:30 PM, Bus1883 said:

Supposedly #8949

More accurate question, how far does the CURRENT order go? Have options past 8650 been picked up yet?

[Tcmetro]

3 minutes ago, andrethebusman99 said:

More accurate question, how far does the CURRENT order go? Have options past 8650 been picked up yet?

Orders haven't been put to the board beyond 8650. Hopefully soon as CTA indicated 200 buses in 2024 and 100 in 2025 in the capital budget.

[artthouwill]

11 minutes ago, andrethebusman99 said:

More accurate question, how far does the CURRENT order go? Have options past 8650 been picked up yet?

 

6 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

Orders haven't been put to the board beyond 8650. Hopefully soon as CTA indicated 200 buses in 2024 and 100 in 2025 in the capital budget.

Correct me if I am wrong,  but my understanding was that CTA exercised the first three options

  When added to the base order,  that should take it up to 8749.  The base order ended at 8449, option 1 ended at 8549, option 2 at 8649.  Option 3 would take it to 8749, but those probably won't be delivered until sometime in 2024.  There are still two more options to be exercised but with Nova saying they will  pull out of the U.S. market and close their Plattsburgh facility at the end of Q1 2025, CTA may want to make sure they exercise the last two options before that happens. 

[Tcmetro]

IIRC, the last order was for Option 2 at the Sept 2022 board meeting:

http://www.transitchicago.com/file.aspx?DocumentId=9160

 

EDIT: Actually if I am reading this correctly, it looks like Options 3, 4, and 5 were all at the board in July 2023:

http://www.transitchicago.com/file.aspx?DocumentId=9411

[Busjack]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:54 PM, artthouwill said:

 

... There are still two more options to be exercised but with Nova saying they will  pull out of the U.S. market and close their Plattsburgh facility at the end of Q1 2025, CTA may want to make sure they exercise the last two options before that happens. 

 

On 10/31/2023 at 2:37 PM, Tcmetro said:

...EDIT: Actually if I am reading this correctly, it looks like Options 3, 4, and 5 were all at the board in July 2023:

http://www.transitchicago.com/file.aspx?DocumentId=9411

Somehow, I missed the import of this, but that appears correct. I reviewed the transcript and noted there were not any questions about the agenda item.  I have to make the inference from the language of the ordinance that that they were changing the language of Option 5 that Option 5 was moved up. This would be consistent with language in the 2024 Budget:

Quote

Description: Funding provides for the procurement of up to 500 buses to replace the 1000-Series buses that have been in service since 2006-2007.* The contract consists of a base order for 100 buses and option(s) to acquire an additional 500 buses. The base order is complete, and all buses are in service, up to 200 of the
option buses will be delivered through 2023, another 200 option buses in 2024, and remaining 100 buses is scheduled for delivery in 2025.**

*Base order said to replace 6400s.

**emphasis added

[YoungBusLover]

We're up to #8646 at SS. Haven't seen to many lower #8600s arrive as of yet though. I did see #8597 though and unrelated to the #8350s but #8327 is back along the SS fence looking like it's been worked on yet again. 

[alphabetlore1044]

3 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

3 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

We're up to #8646 at SS. Haven't seen to many lower #8600s arrive as of yet though. I did see #8597 though and unrelated to the #8350s but #8327 is back along the SS fence looking like it's been worked on yet again. 

Here's an Option of the 8350s

Option 1 : 8350-8449 (Built 2021-2022) 

Option 2 : 8450-8549 (Built in 2022-2023) 

Option 3 : 8550-8649 (Built in 2023-2024) 

Option 4 : 8650-8749  ( Maybe Built In 2023-2024 or 2024-2025) 

 

 

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, alphabetlore1044 said:

 

I don't know what, if anything, you posted, but it seems like you treated the base order as an option. What I quoted from the 2024 Budget is the case.

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

2 hours ago, alphabetlore1044 said:

 

8350-8449 as a option? hmmmmm that’s the base order?

[andrethebusman99]

So when are 8650 and up supposed to start coming in? Any ideas yet?

 

[Tcmetro]

Supposedly all throughout 2024 and into 2025.

There should be an update next month as part of the RTA Project Oversight Report.

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, andrethebusman99 said:

So when are 8650 and up supposed to start coming in? Any ideas yet?

 

Only official indication is in the 2024 Budget, which I quoted above.

[YoungBusLover]

3 hours ago, andrethebusman99 said:

So when are 8650 and up supposed to start coming in? Any ideas yet?

 

2024 Q1 or Q2 we should see something pop up at SS, I'll definitely be on the lookout for them. #8647 is also at SS. I'm still waiting on the arrival of #8600 - #8625. I haven't seen anything lower delivered outside of #8626.

[YoungBusLover]

#8629 and #8633 have entered service this morning and I expect the remaining batch of #8600s to follow suit in the coming weeks. 

[busfan2847]

3 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

#8629 and #8633 have entered service this morning and I expect the remaining batch of #8600s to follow suit in the coming weeks. 

Looks like 8628 has as well. All at K

[YoungBusLover]

#8451 is at SS with it license plate installed among other components. #8627 has entered serivce now at Kedzie.

[jajuan]

1 hour ago, YoungBusLover said:

#8451 is at SS with it license plate installed among other components. #8627 has entered serivce now at Kedzie.

I actually spotted 8627 on the 125.

[jajuan]

Based on tracking history from Maths22's tracker, 8641 is on its first day of service out of Kedzie today. It's currently on the 21 this morning.

[jajuan]

Also making their debut out of Kedzie this morning are 8630 on the 60, 8632 on the 82, and 8637 on the 7.

[YoungBusLover]

1 hour ago, jajuan said:

Also making their debut out of Kedzie this morning are 8630 on the 60, 8632 on the 82, and 8637 on the 7.

My assumption was right when I saw those buses sitting by the exit near 78th street last night when I got done with my run around 11. I was wondering if they would get shipped out overnight and sure enough they did.

[RJL6000]

Oh, boy, those higher-numbered 1000s have been kwapping out like there’s no tomorrow…

And K, C and NP had been high on those buses. No wonder K is getting the bulk of the 8600s. The next option, when it is exercised, will likely see some buses going to NP.

This means that 74th will be the very last garage to receive any significant number of new buses (although 8362, 8440 and 8446 ran briefly on 74th’s routes before they were transferred elsewhere) as the South Side garages currently do not have any buses numbered 1630 and up (however, many of those lower-numbered 1000s have literally been run into the ground down there).

[artthouwill]

46 minutes ago, RJL6000 said:

Oh, boy, those higher-numbered 1000s have been kwapping out like there’s no tomorrow…

And K, C and NP had been high on those buses. No wonder K is getting the bulk of the 8600s. The next option, when it is exercised, will likely see some buses going to NP.

This means that 74th will be the very last garage to receive any significant number of new buses (although 8362, 8440 and 8446 ran briefly on 74th’s routes before they were transferred elsewhere) as the South Side garages currently do not have any buses numbered 1630 and up (however, many of those lower-numbered 1000s have literally been run into the ground down there).

I guess anything  can happen,  but I still think that NP might not get any new Novas but if necessary,  another garage will send their older New Flyers to NP.  TO me, that makes 77th and 74th the most likely candidates for new Novas.  They can send their older New Flyers to NP and C ( which also has some higher numbered New Flyers.  I think NP will get whatever comes of the 208 replacement buses. 

[Bus1883]

4 hours ago, RJL6000 said:

Oh, boy, those higher-numbered 1000s have been kwapping out like there’s no tomorrow…

And K, C and NP had been high on those buses. No wonder K is getting the bulk of the 8600s. The next option, when it is exercised, will likely see some buses going to NP.

This means that 74th will be the very last garage to receive any significant number of new buses (although 8362, 8440 and 8446 ran briefly on 74th’s routes before they were transferred elsewhere) as the South Side garages currently do not have any buses numbered 1630 and up (however, many of those lower-numbered 1000s have literally been run into the ground down there).

Yes especially the 1630-2029 range, they’ve met their 12-year warranty as far as the carbon frames rusting sending many of them on their way out possibly as they can’t be fixed. These lower #1000s between #1000-1629 have been beaten to the ground over the years but they hold up better than their younger relatives.

[alphabetlore1044]

Here's a Picture of 8629 on the 52 and 8633 on the 12, I hope other of 8500s and 8600s will hit service early or late and 8650-8749 will join to SS in 2023 or 2024. 

8629

8633

[jajuan]

13 hours ago, RJL6000 said:

Oh, boy, those higher-numbered 1000s have been kwapping out like there’s no tomorrow…

And K, C and NP had been high on those buses. No wonder K is getting the bulk of the 8600s. The next option, when it is exercised, will likely see some buses going to NP.

This means that 74th will be the very last garage to receive any significant number of new buses (although 8362, 8440 and 8446 ran briefly on 74th’s routes before they were transferred elsewhere) as the South Side garages currently do not have any buses numbered 1630 and up (however, many of those lower-numbered 1000s have literally been run into the ground down there).

 

12 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I guess anything  can happen,  but I still think that NP might not get any new Novas but if necessary,  another garage will send their older New Flyers to NP.  TO me, that makes 77th and 74th the most likely candidates for new Novas.  They can send their older New Flyers to NP and C ( which also has some higher numbered New Flyers.  I think NP will get whatever comes of the 208 replacement buses. 

I have to agree with Art that 74th or 77th sound more likely than NP for now. CTA's solution for the 1630-2029 issue was an increase of 7900s with a chunk of K's 1630+ buses going to FG, C getting 8350s before the ones it recently has been getting and NP getting NFs from 103rd that were displaced by 8350s. Now C got a chunk of additional 8350s and K is seeing its first hitting service. So far things still seem shaped up for NP to keep getting NFs of the 1000-1629 range from other garages as they get 8350s first.