geneking7320 Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 The NOVA's should be getting a mid-life overhaul somtime around there, they shouldn't be retired until about 2019(18th service year). The CTA has retired all of it's buses around the 18 year mark, the Americanas, D901's, and soon to be 5300's Metros and the TMC RTS's. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask - is it the present CTA policy to do a mid-life overhaul on all buses and retire them after 18 service years? An additional question is how well do you folks think the overhauled buses perform [from a driver, mechanic, or rider's POV]? Gene King Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 I'd like to take this opportunity to ask - is it the present CTA policy to do a mid-life overhaul on all buses and retire them after 18 service years? Last I was aware, buses are to be rehabbed when 6-7 years old. Rehabbed buses are to be retired when 14 years old. Obviously, CTA has yet to have the capital funds available to follow their own guidelines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 To get technical, the CTA distinguishes between "life extending rehabs" (such as were done on the 4400s after they were about 12 years old) and "mid-life overhauls" (such as were done on the 5800s, after 6 years, even those appear to have been more extensive, with the engine swaps). See, for instance, 2001 Budget Summary, page 5 (page 7 of the pdf). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buslover88 Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 How many New Flyers are here now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 I might as well voice my opinion on the rehabs/overhauls. Adding a/c to the 4400s was a good thing. It does seem that running said a/c has slowed some of those buses down. Also, the work on the 5800s seemed to improve the looks.Not so with the 4400s. Lastly, on the 4400s it would have been nice to retain the rear route number display. Gene King Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmadisonwi Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 To continue this thread of the next garage to receive the New Flyer deliveries, I'm told that North Park should start receiving new buses next month. No guarantees (since it's not my call), but I've been told that the order will be North Park, 74th, and 103rd. I can't wait for the junk that North Park is running to finally get thrown away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buslover88 Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 To continue this thread of the next garage to receive the New Flyer deliveries, I'm told that North Park should start receiving new buses next month. I can't wait for the junk that North Park is running to finally get thrown away. Will 77th get it's New Flyers it loaned to North Park back? And what junk? If you're talking about the TMCs, then i'll say that they are better than the New Flyers (1995) and the NOVAs. I'll miss them, but not as much as i'll miss the 5300s (those were the VERY first buses from CTA I boarded...in fact, I think the first bus I ever boarded was #5499 (I can't really remember because I boarded the bus back in '94 or '95). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cta5658 Posted July 1, 2007 Report Share Posted July 1, 2007 Even Though I really loved the TMC's when CTA first bought them in 1990-1991 around that time, I really hate them now. They are just junk now right after they added the Air Conditioning and the heating to get rid of the windows in the back. Now speaking of windows in the back, the TMC 4900s never had the lifts and the aisle were narrow and they had more seats. I really missed those. I will be very shocked that almost every garage will get these newer buses but I wouldn't want to cancel the final option for 400 more buses. I will be so happy when they get rid of all of the TMCs. Here's what CTA should do though when they get rid of all of the TMCs and the Flxible 5300s: All of the 6000 Flxibles should be at 74th Garage. Move the rest of the 6000s series buses from Forest Glen and move it south to 74th so the Glen can get all of the New Flyers as well. All of the rest of the 6000s should be at 103rd. North Park need at least the majority of them because they do carry the most TMCs in the system. All of the rest of the Garages can fully get the New Flyer buses. But more in likely All of the garages would end of getting those buses including 74th.How's About if 6300-6329 Get moved to 103rd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Will 77th get it's New Flyers it loaned to North Park back? Unlikely. I have seen some of those loaners on #11 recently(1235, 1231, 1230, 1225) and they all have the "P" sticker on the windshield now. I saw a late 1300(1394 possibly) on #53 recently. They have the new seats on this bus, as was mentioned that later deliveries will have them. Where is the break point between old seats with old seating(last bus with old, first bus with new. It's gotta be late 1200's or early 1300's somewhere). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Unlikely. I have seen some of those loaners on #11 recently(1235, 1231, 1230, 1225) and they all have the "P" sticker on the windshield now. I saw a late 1300(1394 possibly) on #53 recently. They have the new seats on this bus, as was mentioned that later deliveries will have them. Where is the break point between old seats with old seating(last bus with old, first bus with new. It's gotta be late 1200's or early 1300's somewhere). What is the highest NF number so far? Ive seen #1429 on 53 Pulaski yesterday. Are they close to 1500s yet? I am very curious to see where #1473 lands, that was my favorite GMC bus back then. I cant wait to see the "new" #1473. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmadisonwi Posted July 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 1) The buses weren't "loaned" from 77th to North Park, they were transferred. They may be transferred back at some point in the future (I don't know), but right now, they are assigned to North Park. 2) There isn't a clean break point on where the old seats ended and where the new seats began. I've seen a couple of buses with new seats in the high 1200s with lower numbers than a bus with the old seats. 3) As of last week, 1429 was the highest on the roster. It was delivered in early or mid May, but when I saw the bus at Chicago Garage two weeks ago (along with three other buses in the 1420s) the bus seriously looked like it hadn't seen a day in service. Those buses could have just come out of the wash rack, or maybe they really hadn't been in service at all (or maybe not more than a day or two). They looked very clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 As of last week, 1429 was the highest on the roster. It was delivered in early or mid MayThat would mean that Option 1 is complete. The question would be how quickly Option 2 kicks in on New Flyer's production schedule (there apparently being a gap). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 How many Flxibles are in service as of today at Chicago Garage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I am asking this because I have seen numerous 1991 Flxibles on the routes: 66 Chicago, 72 North, 74 Fullerton, 70 Division, and the X54 Cicero Express, operating out of Chicago Garage in the past few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmadisonwi Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I'm too tired to look up the exact number, but I think Chicago has around 60 or 70 Flxibles on the roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I'm too tired to look up the exact number, but I think Chicago has around 60 or 70 Flxibles on the roster. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Has anyone else noticed that the first 1000 series New Flyer was delivered to Chicago Garage in late December, and now, in early July, Chicago Garage is still running 60 to 70 Flxibles each day. The New Flyer delivery and the Flxible retirement at Chicago Garage has taken over six months and counting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Has anyone else noticed that the first 1000 series New Flyer was delivered to Chicago Garage in late December, and now, in early July, Chicago Garage is still running 60 to 70 Flxibles each day. The New Flyer delivery and the Flxible retirement at Chicago Garage has taken over six months and counting. The Flxibles(like all buses procured today) were purchased mostly with Illinois funds, but you can bet our tax $$ played a small role in the purchase of our buses. Anyhow, the CTA is squeezing all the worth out of these Flxibles until a. the year 2007 ends or b. all the Flxibles are officially unable to run because of too much cost for repairs on them(i.e axle like 5492, blown motor, etc...). In short.... the CTA is getting it's money's worth on these aging buses. They are one of three types of workhorses we have(the other two being the TMC's and the sister Flxibles-6000-Series). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Has anyone else noticed that the first 1000 series New Flyer was delivered to Chicago Garage in late December, and now, in early July, Chicago Garage is still running 60 to 70 Flxibles each day. The New Flyer delivery and the Flxible retirement at Chicago Garage has taken over six months and counting.Technically, all of the Flxibles should have been gone by now, but you have the build up of the bus fleet because of bus alternates to the 3 track construction as part of the "Brown Line project." While CTA said (as of 5/17) it now has 2212 buses, that is way above its fleet a year ago. The projection that all of the Flxibles should have been retired is based on CTA having received about 50 NABIs, 440 New Flyers, and 45 Optimas since the retirement of the 470 Flxibles started. However, the fleet has also increased over that period from about 2050 to 2212. The question may be where Chicago is storing its buses, if it has about 122 Novas, 100 New Flyers, and 60-70 Flxibles, and a capacity of 250, according to the garages page (unless some of the New Flyers under 1429 haven't been delivered). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cta5658 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Chicago Ave sent 5489 and 5480 to 103 around april Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 So, where is Chicago Garage storing all these extra buses? Or have they been transfered to another garage with more storage space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 To continue the topic about the New Flyers, how long is this delay in the New Flyer production going to last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 The projection that all of the Flxibles should have been retired is based on CTA having received about 50 NABIs, 440 New Flyers, and 45 Optimas since the retirement of the 470 Flxibles started. However, the fleet has also increased over that period from about 2050 to 2212. What do you mean when you said "the CTA having recieved about 50 NABIs since the retirement of the 470 Flxibles started"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 What do you mean when you said "the CTA having recieved about 50 NABIs since the retirement of the 470 Flxibles started"?There were 226 7500s. They replaced 116 MAN articulateds, about 65 MAN Americanas, and about 50 to 60 5300 series Flxibles. The last bunch went to 77th, which had no articulated buses (except a few junks sent from 103rd to 77th immediately before retirement), but then had about 100 5300s. While some 5300s were scrapped during this period, all I am saying is that notwithstanding having received 535 buses after the scrapping started, which would be enough to replace 470 5300s (and the 13? 4915s), there appear to be about 120 left between Chicago and 103rd, due to growth in the fleet. I don't have the official roster, though. Actually, the fleet growth started with the 6400s. 484 were received, which should have been enough to retire the then remaining about 113 Flyers and 330 MAN Americanas, but, as noted above, about 65 of the MANs remained until the 7500s were received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabi 7702 Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Once again how long is this delay in the New Flyer production going to last? And when is North Park Garage going to start recieving New Flyers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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