Academy/Pace operations.....

[Guest]

Yesterday, I've rode #2293 on 606 to Woodfield, While on Golf road, I've spotted #2321 operating 208 eastbound. That 2293 is one of the slower accelerating bus I've ever been on compared to CTA 5300s/4400s and Ikarus 2200s, probably because of the A/C. I agree on the 2289, I thought that bus was one of the fastest. I did rode 2289 3 weeks ago on the weekend.

Update: Well low and behold, when I pulled in to Academy this afternoon, I couldnt believe my eyes. #2289 was back in the yard! I havent found out the reason for ite return but I will find out. I was told earlier last month by supervision that #2289 was gone, off the roster. I guess not!. These are the few Orions left at Academy as of 10/08, #2289,2290,2293,2301,2302,2326,2374,2375.

[Guest]

Well Orion #2374 is out of action!. The bus was involved in a collision a few days ago exiting the toll plaza EB at Rosemont. From what I was told the bus struck the gate leading out to the service road. The bus has a good size hole punched through the skin on the drivers side headlights. The entire headlight is gone and some metal sheared. Ill get some pics and post them tomorrow. Dont know if it will be returned to service.

[Busjack]

Looks like from WebWatch you got 2354 and 2358 from NW.

[Guest]

Looks like from WebWatch you got 2354 and 2358 from NW.

Actually we didnt, what youre seeing are a couple of 600/606 runs that were reassigned to Pace NW to operate.

[Busjack]

Actually we didnt, what youre seeing are a couple of 600/606 runs that were reassigned to Pace NW to operate.

Interesting. Any reason for splitting the contract?

[Guest]

Interesting. Any reason for splitting the contract?

[/quote

A couple of morning runs were lost to NW because some runs at Academy couldnt be filled. But it seems that NW cant get their runs on time. I remember a couple of mornings a Route 600 run would not depart on time at NWTC. These were runs now operated by Pace NW.

[Guest]

Heres a pic of Orion #2374 shows the damage that was done to it. The white Orion in the background is ex-Pace #8730.

[Busjack]

Heres a pic of Orion #2374 shows the damage that was done to it. The white Orion in the background is ex-Pace #8730.

Thanks.

It looks closer to the "fender bender" category, unless Pace is looking for a reason to scrap the bus (which I doubt). Not like having the whole front end pushed in, such as 6173, unless there is something not immediately visible underneath.

[Guest]

Thanks.

It looks closer to the "fender bender" category, unless Pace is looking for a reason to scrap the bus (which I doubt). Not like having the whole front end pushed in, such as 6173, unless there is something not immediately visible underneath.

The ex-CTA fishbowl that had operated for the Chicago Fire Dept. experienced similar damage in an accident a few years ago, it suffered minor damage that was easily repairable, but instead the bus was scrapped. Im wondering what the fate of #2374 will be.

[Guest]

Heres some news from Academy Coach Lines. Pace Orion #2374 has been repaired and returned to service. It was in the yard today ready for its afternoon run. Academy did recover some runs that were recently reassigned to Pace NW Div.

Here is the current Pace/Academy roster as of 01/09

Academy/Orions (9)

2293 2326

2301 2374

2302 2289 (35ft)

2307 2290 (35ft)

2372

Academy/Nabi fleet (19)

6604-6612

6631 6632

6634 6635

6641 6642

6645 6646

6664 6681

28 Pace buses assigned to Academy Coach Lines

[Busjack]

We lost Nabi buses #6681 and #6664. Im not sure where they went, possibly back to Elgin or West Div. who knows!.

I haven't been out to Lisle lately, but did see that 2272 and 2288 formerly on that contract were sitting in the South Holland yard. So, that's a possibility, as well as 6649.

6681 came from Joliet, but with the restructuring there, it looks like they need about 3 fewer buses.

I guess you give us something to look for, but with routes dropping off the Webwatch map (again with the Joliet restructuring, and most of the feeders not there), it will be tough to get an instant reading, unless, as you say, they turn up at West.

[MVTArider]

Here is the current Pace/Academy roster as of 12/08

Academy/Orions (9)

2293 2326

2301 2374

...

2301 is still in service?! :o

[Guest]

2301 is still in service?!

Yes, #2301 it is still running! if you can believe it. I worked alongside it yesterday on Pace Route #606, I had Orion bus #2326. Ill get some pics for you soon.

[MVTArider]

Yes, #2301 it is still running! if you can believe it. I worked alongside it yesterday on Pace Route #606, I had Orion bus #2326. Ill get some pics for you soon.

Wow, it sure was running bad when I was on it in June, did it get a tune up or are they just pushing it until pushing it is the only way to move it? If you could get a couple pics that would be cool, thanks

BTW taking going OT to the extreme here, I think you or someone once mentioned seeing a fire engine from an unknown manufacturer going to another city, I noticed in the local paper Mendota Heights is getting a new fire engine from Custom Fire Apparatus in Osceola, WI. I bet thats where it was coming from.

[Guest]

Wow, it sure was running bad when I was on it in June, did it get a tune up or are they just pushing it until pushing it is the only way to move it? If you could get a couple pics that would be cool, thanks

BTW taking going OT to the extreme here, I think you or someone once mentioned seeing a fire engine from an unknown manufacturer going to another city, I noticed in the local paper Mendota Heights is getting a new fire engine from Custom Fire Apparatus in Osceola, WI. I bet thats where it was coming from.

Theyre going to run that bus (2301)until it coughs up the engine! It is still being kept in service, Why? I dont know but I would prefer they retire all of our Orions and take the remaining and much better kept Orions including their only remaining 35ft Orion, #2378 from the Pace NW garage which is not too far from Colonial yard. On the subject of the fire engine I think that conversation was with someone else. I will post pics of the #2301 my next day at work which is monday. Wed. I had the opportunity to drive one of the OTR hwy coaches which I very rarely get to do. I work as an extra board driver for Academy/Pace, no work was assigned to me wed morning but my supervisor managed to find something for me to do, she knows I want to drive so bad!. So she asked me to take one of the coaches and do a trip to the South Side of Chicago which meant having to travel from Colonials yard located on the NW end of OHare Airport to downtown during the morning rush hour just to take some important paperwork to another driver at his layover point. I was given an MCI highway coach which was formerly a Dallas DART commuter bus because the bus still has " 2 Dwntwn Dallas" frozen on the front and side signs plus the bus has a rear route marker sign. Theres also a safety sticker inside which has the DART logo on it. It was fun to get the chance to drive an OTR coach bus. On my way back to the yard later that morning I passed my firehouse and stayed for lunch and I couldnt resist showing off the bus to my fireman buddies there, the bus was bigger than my firetruck! :)

[Busjack]

It is still being kept in service, Why? I dont know but I would prefer they retire all of our Orions and take the remaining and much better kept Orions including their only remaining 35ft Orion, #2378 from the Pace NW garage which is not too far from Colonial yard.

Real simple answer if you look at the Pace budget. It says that if resources were unconstrained, they would immediately order 90 buses, but they only have the money for 37 30 foot ones.

Which probably means that the ones in the yard are in worse shape.

[Guest]

I haven't been out to Lisle lately, but did see that 2272 and 2288 formerly on that contract were sitting in the South Holland yard. So, that's a possibility, as well as 6649.

6681 came from Joliet, but with the restructuring there, it looks like they need about 3 fewer buses.

I guess you give us something to look for, but with routes dropping off the Webwatch map (again with the Joliet restructuring, and most of the feeders not there), it will be tough to get an instant reading, unless, as you say, they turn up at West.

Well I returned to Academy today since the holidays and to my surprise I find Nabi #6681 and 6664.

[andrethebusman]

Heres a pic of Orion #2374 shows the damage that was done to it. The white Orion in the background is ex-Pace #8730.

2374 was repaired and back in service, then blew tranny. Dead several weeks now awaiting decision (probably towing to S Holland)

Andre

[andrethebusman]

Anybody have specifics on the new paratransit vans? I imagine they start with 5127 and go up into 5250's? Roughly 140 or so?

Andre

[Guest]

2374 was repaired and back in service, then blew tranny. Dead several weeks now awaiting decision (probably towing to S Holland)

Andre

Its possible #2374 wont be returned to service.

[twyztdmynd]

Question 1... Do ya think it's a matter of time before 600-06 goes full operation to Pace Northwest. I mean 50% is there already !

Question 2... With hearings being held to ice the 326, 696-9, 616,... in your opinion, will they be dropped? Is there a secret Schaumburg Restructuring under-way.

Question 3... "Academy" (Said aloud using finger quotes gesture") is still somewhat union. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box but don't these drivers have a contract such as a hour per week minimum? I know this happened before when Cook County School Bus accepted these routes for a while. COLONIAL tried to keep drivers happy with what work they had. Then Cook returned the service AS Academy. But, the preverbial nail-in-the-coffin once again looks close?

[New Flyer]

Acadamy is going in the toliet where they belong,they cant keep employees because they constantly and purposely bounce payroll checks while the union stands by and does nothing there is a high turn over, they refuse to pay overtime and have been investigated by OSHA twice in the last 2 months.

[Busjack]

Only have an opinion on:

Question 2... With hearings being held to ice the 326, 696-9, 616,... in your opinion, will they be dropped? Is there a secret Schaumburg Restructuring under-way.

No so much a secret restructuring (after all, it can't be secret if a public notice was posted), but the real question is that since there isn't going to be a legislative bailout in time this time, whether Pace has sufficiently established that these are low ridership routes that it can no longer afford to run. The 714 hearing indicates that with a sufficient turnout, Pace will rethink the matter (and a Passenger Notice has not yet been posted on 714 or the 580s), but if the money isn't there, it seems like those routes, and in fact most routes Pace has posted, are low productivity ones that are typically on the block. For instance, most of the routes are the same ones that were posted as phase one of the three stage doomsday scenario, where certain routes were to be eliminated before doomsday in any event, but only 835 was. Routes like 208 Sunday, 422/423 Saturday, 210 most of the time, and 654-657 come within that category. Apparently the "in any event" was canceled when the 2008 RTA Act passed, but certain suspect routes keep reappearing.

As I previously noted, about $1.8 M of the $3.8 M comes out of Colonial's hide (as well as the report that it did not retain the 855 contract).

[Guest]

I wont concern myself with all the talk that goes on that Colonial/Academy may lose some Pace routes until it happens reason being weve been through this before. Granted we lost the #855, that dosent concern me one bit because Ive only worked that twice in almost three years Ive worked at Academy. We'll just wait and see. Ill believe it when it happens.

[artthouwill]

Only have an opinion on:

No so much a secret restructuring (after all, it can't be secret if a public notice was posted), but the real question is that since there isn't going to be a legislative bailout in time this time, whether Pace has sufficiently established that these are low ridership routes that it can no longer afford to run. The 714 hearing indicates that with a sufficient turnout, Pace will rethink the matter (and a Passenger Notice has not yet been posted on 714 or the 580s), but if the money isn't there, it seems like those routes, and in fact most routes Pace has posted, are low productivity ones that are typically on the block. For instance, most of the routes are the same ones that were posted as phase one of the three stage doomsday scenario, where certain routes were to be eliminated before doomsday in any event, but only 835 was. Routes like 208 Sunday, 422/423 Saturday, 210 most of the time, and 654-657 come within that category. Apparently the "in any event" was canceled when the 2008 RTA Act passed, but certain suspect routes keep reappearing.

As I previously noted, about $1.8 M of the $3.8 M comes out of Colonial's hide (as well as the report that it did not retain the 855 contract).

So if Colonial lost the 855, who won it?