RTS book now available on Amazon

[RIPTA42]

The forthcoming book Rapid Transit Series Buses: General Motors and Beyond by Evan McCausland (who has posted here as "RTS Book") is now available for preorder on Amazon.com. Knowing Evan's expertise and the painstaking research that went into this book, I'm sure it will be a must-have for any enthusiast of modern transit buses.

[Guest]

The forthcoming book Rapid Transit Series Buses: General Motors and Beyond by Evan McCausland (who has posted here as "RTS Book") is now available for preorder on Amazon.com. Knowing Evan's expertise and the painstaking research that went into this book, I'm sure it will be a must-have for any enthusiast of modern transit buses.

I just picked up a copy today of the RTS book by Evan McCausland. Its very good, it shows the CTA TMCs at the Roswell plant during construction. I was hoping the CFD RTS wouldve made it into the book. Evan did a wonderful job covering the RTS bus, nice book to remember a bus that CTA will soon be retiring, I bought my copy at Grayland Station hobbies.

[RTS Book]

I was hoping the CFD RTS wouldve made it into the book

I tried hard to get access to that bus, but things between my contact and the CFD just didn't seem to go anywhere.

Glad you guys like it. I'm thinking about MegaBus'ing my way into Chicago (I now live in Ann Arbor, MI) sometime this summer to catch whatever RTS' are left.

[TMC-RTS-08]

I tried hard to get access to that bus, but things between my contact and the CFD just didn't seem to go anywhere.

Glad you guys like it. I'm thinking about MegaBus'ing my way into Chicago (I now live in Ann Arbor, MI) sometime this summer to catch whatever RTS' are left.

I placed an order for two RTS books at the Borders near my home. One copy is for me and the other is for a friend.

Evan, I am wondering which other transit operator used the RTS-08 similar to the CTA. I remember seeing pictures of El Paso's Sun Metro's RTS and they were similar. Any other operators of this design?

[Guest]

I placed an order for two RTS books at the Borders near my home. One copy is for me and the other is for a friend.

Evan, I am wondering which other transit operator used the RTS-08 similar to the CTA. I remember seeing pictures of El Paso's Sun Metro's RTS and they were similar. Any other operators of this design?

I lived on the west coast for a couple of years and I remember riding them for Long Beach Transit, 9200 series. Muncie Ind and SMART from Detroit, Michigan also operated the 08. There werent too many takers of the RTS 08. I still remember when I first heard of CTA ordering the RTS bus back in 1989, I got so excited because I was then and still am a huge fan of the RTS. I knew the RTS was the most widely used transit bus around the country and I wondered why didnt Chicago have them? I thought ours would be the traditional RTS like New York or Los Angeles. But when I first spotted #4404, I have to admit I wasant too happy when they arrived, I didnt like the CTA tailgate, the rear window, and especially the front end, I was expecting the more familiar model. But eventually they grew on me. When I started working for CTA back in 1997, I began at Kedzie garage. When we got the RTSs there around 1998, I was very excited about taking the wheel for the first time of one. One afternoon I was assigned the old 37 Sedgewick/Ogden route, my first RTS bus was #4485, It felt so weird and so high. But I really enjoyed them, they were good buses. I then drove them almost everyday at No Park and then Forest Glen. I hated the day the RTSs were removed from FG, I would never take the wheel of one ever again. I do have some video I shot with my dad at Irving Pk and Cumberland of #4703 and I have some video I shot one sunday at 31st/Lawndale at the end of the 82 Kimball of #4495. We do also have one of the 96in ex4900s at the CFD Academy. An awesome bus and they will be missed!

[jajuan]

I lived on the west coast for a couple of years and I remember riding them for Long Beach Transit, 9200 series. Muncie Ind and SMART from Detroit, Michigan also operated the 08. There werent too many takers of the RTS 08. I still remember when I first heard of CTA ordering the RTS bus back in 1989, I got so excited because I was then and still am a huge fan of the RTS. I knew the RTS was the most widely used transit bus around the country and I wondered why didnt Chicago have them? I thought ours would be the traditional RTS like New York or Los Angeles. But when I first spotted #4404, I have to admit I wasant too happy when they arrived, I didnt like the CTA tailgate, the rear window, and especially the front end, I was expecting the more familiar model. But eventually they grew on me. When I started working for CTA back in 1997, I began at Kedzie garage. When we got the RTSs there around 1998, I was very excited about taking the wheel for the first time of one. One afternoon I was assigned the old 37 Sedgewick/Ogden route, my first RTS bus was #4485, It felt so weird and so high. But I really enjoyed them, they were good buses. I then drove them almost everyday at No Park and then Forest Glen. I hated the day the RTSs were removed from FG, I would never take the wheel of one ever again. I do have some video I shot with my dad at Irving Pk and Cumberland of #4703 and I have some video I shot one sunday at 31st/Lawndale at the end of the 82 Kimball of #4495. We do also have one of the 96in ex4900s at the CFD Academy. An awesome bus and they will be missed!

One thing to note, the time that Kedzie got RTSs while you were there was actually the second time that this model was assigned there. Kedzie had them for the first time starting back in 1991 and 1992 when they first starting arriving in Chicago. They replaced Kedzie's complement of Fishbowls which got scattered among Archer, North Park, and I think the old 69th garage. Kedzie's original complement ot RTSs got split between Chicago, which got the lower number buses, and Archer which got the rest when Kedzie got its first 6000s. Kedzie would get the lower number RTSs from 74th basically 4480s up to 4502 in 1998 as more shuffling occurred with the final BoozAllen cuts progressing that year and a few more routes at Kedzie being designated accessible. Basically they replaced Flyer D901s that were slowly being transferred out from Kedzie back up to FG.

[Guest]

One thing to note, the time that Kedzie got RTSs while you were there was actually the second time that this model was assigned there. Kedzie had them for the first time starting back in 1991 and 1992 when they first starting arriving in Chicago. They replaced Kedzie's complement of Fishbowls which got scattered among Archer, North Park, and I think the old 69th garage. Kedzie's original complement ot RTSs got split between Chicago, which got the lower number buses, and Archer which got the rest when Kedzie got its first 6000s. Kedzie would get the lower number RTSs from 74th basically 4480s up to 4502 in 1998 as more shuffling occurred with the final BoozAllen cuts progressing that year and a few more routes at Kedzie being designated accessible. Basically they replaced Flyer D901s that were slowly being transferred out from Kedzie back up to FG.

I do remember a new fleet going to Kedzie because at the time my family lived at California and Diversey and I recall seeing them brand new on the 52 Kedzie Cal. I recall 77th got the first ones then No. Pk and then Kedzie. I was upset when FG didnt get any at the time. FG ended up getting the 5400, 5500, and some 5600 Flxibles. I got a pic of my dad back around 1993 standing next to #5487 at Belmont/Cumberland. FG later got some of Kedzie RTSs.

[trainman8119]

I recall 77th got the first ones then No. Pk and then Kedzie. I was upset when FG didnt get any at the time. FG ended up getting the 5400, 5500, and some 5600 Flxibles. I got a pic of my dad back around 1993 standing next to #5487 at Belmont/Cumberland. FG later got some of Kedzie RTSs.

Almost correct. We spoke of this awhile back, someplace. To recap, what actually happened was all the TMC's came in through 77th. As newer buses arrived, they were moved to other garages. 4400 and 4500''s went to North Park. 4600's went to Chicago, 4700's went to Kedzie and 4800's stayed at 77th. Of course, the 4900's started at Chicago for Lake Street, and eventually moved to 103 to cover the U of C routes. Just before 69th street closed, North Park got the 5800's and shipped 4500's to 69. After 74th opened, more 4500's were sent there. When the Orange Line opened and the Green Line shut down, Archer swapped MAN artics for some 4600 series buses with Chicago ave. After that, it was open season on moving the TMC's around. There was a time when North Park had 4400, 4600, 4700 and 4800's at one time (probably when there were going through their mid life crisis).

[Guest]

Almost correct. We spoke of this awhile back, someplace. To recap, what actually happened was all the TMC's came in through 77th. As newer buses arrived, they were moved to other garages. 4400 and 4500''s went to North Park. 4600's went to Chicago, 4700's went to Kedzie and 4800's stayed at 77th. Of course, the 4900's started at Chicago for Lake Street, and eventually moved to 103 to cover the U of C routes. Just before 69th street closed, North Park got the 5800's and shipped 4500's to 69. After 74th opened, more 4500's were sent there. When the Orange Line opened and the Green Line shut down, Archer swapped MAN artics for some 4600 series buses with Chicago ave. After that, it was open season on moving the TMC's around. There was a time when North Park had 4400, 4600, 4700 and 4800's at one time (probably when there were going through their mid life crisis).

I remember when FG had 4700 and 4800s it was for a short while though. High 4700s then later low 4700s. That was about the time the TMCs were getting their a/c installed.

[jajuan]

Almost correct. We spoke of this awhile back, someplace. To recap, what actually happened was all the TMC's came in through 77th. As newer buses arrived, they were moved to other garages. 4400 and 4500''s went to North Park. 4600's went to Chicago, 4700's went to Kedzie and 4800's stayed at 77th. Of course, the 4900's started at Chicago for Lake Street, and eventually moved to 103 to cover the U of C routes. Just before 69th street closed, North Park got the 5800's and shipped 4500's to 69. After 74th opened, more 4500's were sent there. When the Orange Line opened and the Green Line shut down, Archer swapped MAN artics for some 4600 series buses with Chicago ave. After that, it was open season on moving the TMC's around. There was a time when North Park had 4400, 4600, 4700 and 4800's at one time (probably when there were going through their mid life crisis).

Chicago was not in this mix until 1995 when it first opened. In the earliest days before 1995, the TMCs were only at three garages: North Park, Kedzie and 77th. As the buses moved through 77th, North Park did get 4400s and 4500s; Kedzie had some higher number 4500s, 4600s, and about the first 30 4700s; and 77th kept remaining 4700s and the 4800s. Also the 4900s began service at Kedzie not Chicago. Before 1995, the Lake Street route was at Kedzie. What you said is correct as far as what happened in and after 1995. Only difference is as I recall, after it did open, Chicago had 4560s through 4620s. It did initially have MAN artics from Archer for the 23 Green Line replacement route after that route transferred from Kedzie to Chicago at Chicago's opening. EDIT: Most of the 103rd TMCs were former Kedzie buses that were originally transferred out to Archer as Kedzie got 6000s. I forgot that Kedzie's TMCs numbered 4630s and up had gone to Archer first before going to 103rd in 2001 with Archer's Novas arriving. That open field swapping of TMCs really began in 1995 when Chicago and 74th opened and 5800s and 6000s started arriving.

[Busjack]

I concur in jajuan here. Basically, the impetus was the receipt of 5800s and 6000s in 1995. After that, every garage (except Kedzie, for a short time), had 4400s.

Bill V. reported, that because of gripes on the South Side about the lack of air conditioning on the RTSs, there was a partial swap between 77 and FG before that, and after 77th got 6000s, FG apparently kept the 4700s and got its Flxs back.

Chicago apparently started with Lawndale's buses, the new ones of which were all 5400s. Apparently Kedzie's RTSs were split between 103, Archer, and Chicago in 1995.

After Chicago got the 2001 Novas (6634-6708), it appeared on the street to be about 1/3 each of RTS, Flx, and Nova on its routes. I'm sure the actual numbers did not amount to that.

Also, when Archer first got its Novas, some of the higher number 4600s went to FG.

Then we have to figure in the swap between FG and K so that FG got all buses with preheaters, and the start of rehabbing of the RTSs, resulting in them being scattered numberwise, NP getting the first rehabbed ones with preheaters, but the RTSs were removed from garages that had Novas, except for 77th.

Now that I have recalled that, even I am confused.

[Orion VIII]

I received my copy in the mail today! Looks very good.

[trainman8119]

I concur in jajuan here. Basically, the impetus was the receipt of 5800s and 6000s in 1995. After that, every garage (except Kedzie, for a short time), had 4400s.

Now that I have recalled that, even I am confused.

I myself was confused and will stand corrected. My though process arose from riding the 66 bus in those days and being upset that I could never catch a 4600 with a readable destination sign and was constantly catching Americanas, namely 4000 series. What I forgot was that at the time, Chicago was a route run out of Kedzie, from the time North Ave closed until Chicago Ave opened. Unfortunatley, I keep trying to make Chicago Garage an older place that it is and forget that Lawndale was around quite awhile before they got the new garage done.

[RTS Book]

I placed an order for two RTS books at the Borders near my home. One copy is for me and the other is for a friend.

Evan, I am wondering which other transit operator used the RTS-08 similar to the CTA. I remember seeing pictures of El Paso's Sun Metro's RTS and they were similar. Any other operators of this design?

There were two 08 front module designs. If you're talking about the module (1st Gen) that CTA had, then these were included:

-Muncie, IN

-SMART (Detroit, MI)

-Long Beach, CA

-El Paso, TX

All the other 08s used the square front module that would ultimately be modified for use on Nova WFD models.