Minneapolis "t" Buses....

[MVTArider]

Plymouth Metrolink will replace their Blue Birds with Gilligs, possibly BRT's... Get your cameras ready .

http://councilmeetings.metc.state.mn.us/Tr...11_2008_215.pdf

Looking forward to it I should go to Minneapolis next week for some bus hunting while some of these older buses are still in action. Really I bet a year from now 2300's, 300's, and Bluebirds will be extinct.

What would really be cool is if they picked up some suburban Phantoms. I was in Seattle a couple weeks ago and Sound Transit (the regional agency there) runs some really nice Phantoms into and out of Seattle from various suburbs.

That would be nice. I rode on an MVTA MCI for the first time today and it was great For smaller loads though some Phants would be cool. (Or if New Flyer wanted to get back in on the HF again... )

[Tcmetro]

Hopefully the Northstar train is extended to Saint Cloud soon after opening in 2009.

[MVTArider]

Hopefully the Northstar train is extended to Saint Cloud soon after opening in 2009.

That would be nice if they get it up there I bet it would be used well.

BTW as far as pictures next I will try to focus on some of the other buses around here like Maple Grove, Plymouth Metrolink, Campus Connector, Southwest, Lorenz and of course MVTA. I will get back to the 94/Snelling lot as well.

[exitzero]

Couple questions for you:

- In the pictures, is that SW Transit Gillig BRT with frameless windows also without a back door?

- Did the 2300s and the 300s get the current livery (that's being phased out for the new yellow/blue livery) ?

[Tcmetro]

Yes the 2300's and 300's got the Blue/Red/Green scheme. It was done in the late 90's. MCTO changed its name to Metro Transit on July 1, 1997. The SW Transit Gillig BRT (as well as their D40LFR's) do not have back doors. The only SW buses that have back doors are the Optima Trolley's.

Didn't have time to say this earlier, but nice pics!

[MVTArider]

Couple questions for you:

- In the pictures, is that SW Transit Gillig BRT with frameless windows also without a back door?

- Did the 2300s and the 300s get the current livery (that's being phased out for the new yellow/blue livery) ?

Actually here is a shot of 341 in blue stripe I took yesterday. I didn't include it originally since it didn't seem too good. I wanted a better photo of the BRT but it was going by quick.

Yes the 2300's and 300's got the Blue/Red/Green scheme. It was done in the late 90's. MCTO changed its name to Metro Transit on July 1, 1997. The SW Transit Gillig BRT (as well as their D40LFR's) do not have back doors. The only SW buses that have back doors are the Optima Trolley's.

Didn't have time to say this earlier, but nice pics!

Thanks BTW didn't a couple SW Phants have rear doors? I thought I might have seen one at the fair last year. There were definitely others that didn't though.

[Guest]

Actually here is a shot of 341 in blue stripe I took yesterday. I didn't include it originally since it didn't seem too good. I wanted a better photo of the BRT but it was going by quick.

Thanks BTW didn't a couple SW Phants have rear doors? I thought I might have seen one at the fair last year. There were definitely others that didn't though.

I have to say I definitely like the new MTC scheme, but I do miss the old paint scheme as well.

[MVTArider]

I have to say I definitely like the new MTC scheme, but I do miss the old paint scheme as well.

I was getting a little bored with the blue stripe myself, it just didn't seem too unique. I think the new yellow/blue scheme is an improvement and I like it better than the blue stripe. I just wish they could add a little more yellow/blue, maybe another swoopy blue thing down the back end of the side or a stripe under the windows too. I do like how the Phants looked with the black top half and red stripe though.

BTW I saw they are doing something with the "T" sign on 494 at South Garage. I assume they are replacing it since it was pretty old. Wonder what the new one will look like? Also, the guy I was talking with at the St. Cloud Transit Center said a friend of his who drives for Metro Transit said they were hiring about 100 drivers a while ago for the RNC but apparently because of turnover they were still about 30 short last they heard. I'm guessing there are definitely some shuttle/increased service plans in the works.

[Tcmetro]

http://mvta.com/Rosemount_Service_to_Downt...rts_Sept_8.html

The new express route serves the Rosemount Community Center and the 157th Street Station and goes direct to Minneapolis.

http://mvta.com/sites/d82719c7-9b33-46b8-a...s/fall_2008.pdf

New Fall MVTA Newsletter.

[MVTArider]

Nice, I'll have to get some pictures of the 479 buses whatever they are. Another thing the newsletter brings up is the fact there will be 300 buses from around the country as well, even though they will be charter coaches that will be cool to see. I'm hoping they have the new schedule design Sept. 6th too.

EDIT: MVTA RNC detours

[Guest]

Nice, I'll have to get some pictures of the 479 buses whatever they are. Another thing the newsletter brings up is the fact there will be 300 buses from around the country as well, even though they will be charter coaches that will be cool to see. I'm hoping they have the new schedule design Sept. 6th too.

EDIT: MVTA RNC detours

Sometime I wish I had the opportunity to be hired by MT as a temporary bus operator, maybe for the summer, just to get a taste of being a MT operator.

[Tcmetro]

Metro Transit has information on Google Transit now:

http://www.metrotransit.org/news/releases/...ase08_14_08.asp

[Tcmetro]

Adding 827 and 835 to the list:

MT buses seen in the new paint scheme so far.

• 707-709,712,713,716,737,738,752
  
• 825-828,831-833,835,840,847,852,853,854,857,858
  

[MVTArider]

^ Be interesting to see how Google does with MT. I wonder if they'll ever have the bus #'s on a map? That would be cool

The thing I'm noticing with the bus numbers is it really is spotty. there are definitely still 700's and 800's in the blue stripe. I'm guessing they are being repainted when they are brought in for minor work maybe.

In other news I will get more bus photos this week since the Fair is starting Also when I go back to Inver Hills in about a week for my last two semesters I can probably get some bus photos while they are laying over at the end of 68F and/or 71E/F.

[exitzero]

Here are a few pics of MT buses that I took from the summer of 2001:

MVTARider, here are some of the 7000-series MT-owned Phantoms I was talking about before. They were an experimental fleet, they joined in 1992 and I'm assuming recently went out of service within the last couple years. I believe they were a methanol-ethanol fleet of some kind...I just know they had some MEAN-sounding 6v92s in them...almost unmuffled sounding. You could even hear it on the inside when riding them.

Enjoy!

[MVTArider]

^ Those are some awesome pictures man! Thanks for posting them I will look for those 7000's at 94/Snelling. It is listed as a State Fair P&R this year so I will see if I can get in too. It looked like that one Southwest Phantom was 1980 since it had the original back end, unless it was another brand. I also like the picture of the artic in MVT stripes. MVTA used to have a couple pics of those under route bus photos until they replaced them with MCI coaches.

[Tcmetro]

Cool photos, you have some of the old Met Council phantoms too! I only remember Met. Council Phantom #1991 too bad they're all gone.

EDIT: That SW bus appears to be a Thomas CL-Series, or a Thomas Chartour:

http://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Strat..._County_Transit

EDIT 2: The pic with the SW Coach is on Route 692 on bus #351, with MT Gillig #351 on Rt. 676 behind it .

[MVTArider]

EDIT: That SW bus appears to be a Thomas CL-Series, or a Thomas Chartour:

http://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Strat..._County_Transit

EDIT 2: The pic with the SW Coach is on Route 692 on bus #351, with MT Gillig #351 on Rt. 676 behind it .

Learn something new all the time I just assumed it was an original back end of a Phant. Als oI didn't notice the two 351's the first time :D

[Tcmetro]

Here is a list of bus routes in February 1998:

http://web.archive.org/web/19980221035516/...bus/rtindex.asp

Here is the MVTA Routes:

31FN - Apple Valley-Burnsville-Edina (Current 465, Former 424/425/431)

35M - Minneapolis-Burnsville-CR 42/Irving (Current 460/426)

35NR - Minneapolis-Burnsville-Savage-Prior Lake (Current 460/422/464)

37W - Minneapolis-Burnsville-River Hills Dr (Current 460/444, Fmr. 427)

42BN - MOA-Burnsville (Current 444)

42ES - Savage-CR 42-Burnsville-Apple Valley-Rosemount (Current 420/421)

48ABE - St. Paul-Eagan-Apple Valley-Burnsville (Current 480/484)

72 - ??? Reverse Commute? (???)

72S - Snelling-Eagan Reverse Commute (Former 439, Current 436/446)

77A - Minneapolis - Apple Valley (Current 477)

77B - Minneapolis - Blackhawk P&R (Current 472)

77C - Minneapolis - Eagan - Rosemount (Current 472/476/479)

77D - Minneapolis - Yankee Doodle P&R (Current 470)

77E - Minneapolis - Yankee Doodle P&R (Current 470, Fmr. 470E)

77G - MOA - Eagan (Current 445)

77J - MOA - Blackhawk (Current 440 Northern, Fmr. 428/429)

77W - Minneapolis - Cedarvale P&R (Current 472W)

77Z - MOA - Apple Valley - Burnsville (Current 440 Southern/442)

[MVTArider]

^ Thats neat to see what some of the old MVTA routes were. According to one driver who worked for Laidlaw 445 was sort of a spinoff of one of the 77's. I'm glad they broke up some of the lettering though.

Here are some more pictures from when I was out today.

Here are a bunch of bus rears from 94/Snelling.

I did not see any MT 7000's there but they moved a few buses around for State Fair parking. That is pretty much most of the #'s Exitzero so enjoy I will try to get in when the fair is in session though. The one gate was open but it was the fair crew painting lines so I figured I would wait.

[Tcmetro]

I haven't been to 46th St. Station in a while i'll have to check out that car in the dumpster :D

[Tcmetro]

Metro Transit has a RFP out for 26 45-foot coach buses, with an option of 86.

http://www.metrocouncil.org/doing_business...acting/7830.pdf

I wonder what routes these will run on. I would assume routes like 250, 270, 355, 365, 375, 452, 671, 674, 677, 850, 851, etc. This would free up a lot of artics, along with the Northstar train opening.

Metro Transit used to have some coach buses, MCI D4500's built in 1999, numbers 0050 and 0051, they ran on Routes 671, 672(?), 674(?), and 677(?). They were sold, or transfered to the Met Council in 2005 or 2006.

I noticed that Route 288 (Minneapolis-Forest Lake) is using Lorenz-owned Van Hool coaches. I beileve that Rt. 786 (Elk River-Maple Grove) is doing the same.

Rt. 856 (Minneapolis-Ramsey) uses Van Hool's but I saw it on the freeway and it may have been a different company's bus, it didn't have a destination sign.

[MVTArider]

More highway coaches will be good. I wonder if it will be MCI or someone else? I like the MVTA MCI I rode on. If getting coaches frees up some artics then hopefully they can be used for the 16, 64, and other routes that can use them and some other routes rush hour runs as well, perhaps 5,18,84?, as well as others.

I forgot to mention yesterday I saw D60LFR's working the 16 and 3, also add 749 to the repaints.

[Tcmetro]

Hopefully MCI. Van Hool has a new commuter coach, and Prevost doesn't make commuter coaches, but NYC MTA is/was testing a Prevost.

Metro Transit and the Met Council want to add appx. 40 new express routes by 2030.

http://www.metrocouncil.org/planning/trans...8/TMSReport.pdf

[MVTArider]

^ I wish there was a way they could put those future planned routes on a Google map so you could look at where they would go specifically. Still it looks pretty good.