geneking7320 Posted September 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 I rather like MAX's version of Gillig's low floor. You get a curved front like the Novabus LFS without the engine being mounted in the left rear of the bus (hopefully). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkybus Posted September 22, 2005 Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 LACMTA bought several 45C-LFWs and 40CLFWs for their fleet, as well as 40-LFWs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted September 22, 2005 Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 I rather like MAX's version of Gillig's low floor. You get a curved front like the Novabus LFS without the engine being mounted in the left rear of the bus (hopefully). Left rear? don't all of the 05's look the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted September 23, 2005 Report Share Posted September 23, 2005 Left rear? don't all of the 05's look the same? What are you talking about? Gene was referring to the fact that the Novas (and Orion VIs, for that matter), because they were supposedly "true low floors" had the engine in a closet on the left side of the bus, instead of under the rear seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 oh, sorry, I thought that he was thinking that the gilligs would have a rear window or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montell305 Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 From Venom_20: 1993-94 flxible metro(last ones made in usa) From sw4400: Those weren't the last ones made in the usa. the 6000-6329 series CTA Flxibles were(1995). I hope that I don't come across like a bus snob but actually neither of you are correct. Trying to pin down the last Flxible bus is actually a pretty confusing task. The last Flxible buses officially delivered (all Metro models of course) were part of an order for 25 buses for Baltimore, MD however the factory closed in 1995 before they all could be built. Only 19 of the buses ever made it to Baltimore, they are serial #'s 106487 - 106505. I believe that these buses are still in operation today as Baltimore MTA's 9521-9539. I had read on an enthusiasts web site one time that it was rumored that 3 or 4 more buses of this order were partially completed in the Flxible factory but were never finished. I do not know for sure the final disposition of those buses or if they ever actually existed in the first place. In spite of the Baltimore order, the last buses to actually leave the factory were 8 units for Monterey, CA serial #'s 106158 - 106165. As if this wasn't confusing enough the highest actual serial number for an Flxible bus is 106591 that is the last bus in an order for COTA in Columbus, Ohio. So, depending on what criteria you use, the last bus could be any one of these buses.:cool: Information sourced from: "Flxible: A History of the Bus and the Company" by Robert R. Ebert Ph.D. & "The Baltimore Transit Archives" http://www.btco.net/index2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 I just found out that Novabus finished Pat's order of Flx's. In other words, they built the rest of Pat's Flxibles #2450-2595 with gaps in the numbering. I don't know the serial#'s, but These were apparently built after the plant had closed by Novabus. So could we actually have the last ones made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 in post 17: 1993-94 flxible metro(last ones made in usa) immediately above: I just found out that Novabus finished Pat's order of Flx's. In other words, they built the rest of Pat's Flxibles #2450-2595 with gaps in the numbering. I don't know the serial#'s, but These were apparently built after the plant had closed by Novabus. So could we actually have the last ones made? If so, you would have to change your chronology, since CTA's were delivered in 1995 (see the roster page), also I remember the deliveries occuring at 74th (buses showing up at Midway) in about September 1995. I remember at the time that Nova assumed a Cleveland contract from Flxible, but that was to supply RTSs, in their 9700 series. Flxible's assets were liquidated, not assumed by Nova (see Bus Explorer). Also, I had previously provided a link to a presentation the president of Flxible made to the FTA in September 1995, so it wasn't out of business in 1994. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 I'm not very sure yet. I'm trying to get more info from the marker plates of these buses. There are so many gilligs and neoplan lf's running around here that it's hard to catch one. I'm going to try to find out more info as soon as i can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Okay, Busjack, you're right, but also wrong. Nova only did the final assembly on our flx's. Only the seating, wiring, and painting were done by nova. But being that Baltimore has the highest serial #'s, I agree with Montell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Possible, but why would Flxible contract that part out, and then build about 400 subsequent buses? I am not wrong that Flxible was liquidated, and did not sell out to Nova. In any event, that would have happened in 1995 or 1996, not 1994. (If you want to pursue it more, try Googling "General Automotive Corporation" + bankruptcy the results of which are consistent with what I remember). In any event, there is the undeniable fact that there are 330 1995 Flxibles operating in Chicago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 I totaly agree with you. I don't know why Novabus finished them. I'm guessing it was because of Chicago and Baltimore's orders. Pgh wanted more Flxibles, but with the plant closing ended up going to Novabus the very next year for 95/96 order. The last 140 flx's we have have the same seating arrangement, wiring, placement of the destination sign control panel, and driver's control as the Nova classics that we have. I think that we have about 290 Flx's #'s 2300-2595 with Novabus finishing #'s 2450-2595. 2300-2449 Are Metro D's, And 2450-2595 are Metro E's I'll post some pics with the differences between the E's/D's and the comparison to the Nova classics and the E series if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 If so, you would have to change your chronology... According to Wikipedia's Port Authority of Allegheny County article (if it is accurate), maybe the problem is your chronology. I don't know what Pittsburgh's fascination with having the last is; their Nova Classics are contemporaneous with those of Pace, Buffalo, and Rochester. Some roster sites say that Pace has the last or among the last Orion Is and VIs, but I don't see any one excited about that. Anyway, according to Wikipedia's Flxible article, it doesn't appear that the reason Flxible went bankrupt was lack of orders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom_20 Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm not infactuated with us having the last ones anymore. That's been proven that we don't. But, you are right about the chronology. The last flx's built for pgh were in 95. The Novas came in 96. Here's a link to the all time bus roster for Pat. Pittsburgh's bus roster Some of Wikipedia's roster is not accurate. The Neoplan Low-floor transliners are 99's, not year 2000. The Gillig advantages #5501-5592 aren't even here yet. Also, these buses will have CAT C-9 engines in them since the dd50 has been discontinued. The 5200's, 5300's, and 5400's have dd50's in them. His roster says The 2005 Neoplan 60ft artics are #3101-3123, I just got off of #3125 on the 71d route. And of course, we don't have the last Flx's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Don of All Buses Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I don't think we have Nova LFS in KCMO, but I kno we use the Gillig BRT(a sweet bus might I add)and there's some kind of plan for a light rail system in KCMO too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 5 Report Share Posted February 5 On 8/23/2016 at 4:37 PM, andrethebusman said: Gilligs exist in more cities than any other make of bus. New Flyer tends to have the bigger orders, but Gillig has more customers. ... Since the question came up what volume of business ENC had compared to NF, I came across this article that in 2017, "Gillig is the last bus company wholly owned and made in America, and produces 1,800 buses a year. " A more recent Livermore puff piece says "...Gillig, the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the U.S. ..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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