Guest Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Just got back from Joliet. I found another collection of buses just off Route 53 at the EJ&E Railroad. There I got to see some of the buses kept there from CHBM. CTA Flyer 1606, Kenosha Transit GMC fishbowl, CTA Flxible propane 8715. There are a couple of the Flxible old look propanes including #8281 and the 35ft. 8439. CTA GMC old BW47 "Work Bus" a couple of old CTA Macks and an old CTA trolley coach. Some West Towns buses are there as well including GMC fishbowls and a GM old look. Washington Metrobus #1024, a GMC fishbowl is also here. I took some photgraphs that i will try to upload soon. I was really thrilled to see CTA Old Look Propane #8281 I have never seen an existing CTA Old Look Flx with the old front, aside from #8499 with the newer front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Just got back from Joliet. I found another collection of buses just off Route 53 at the EJ&E Railroad. There I got to see some of the buses kept there from CHBM. CTA Flyer 1606, Kenosha Transit GMC fishbowl, CTA Flxible propane 8715. There are a couple of the Flxible old look propanes including #8281 and the 35ft. 8439. CTA GMC old BW47 "Work Bus" a couple of old CTA Macks and an old CTA trolley coach. Some West Towns buses are there as well including GMC fishbowls and a GM old look. Washington Metrobus #1024, a GMC fishbowl is also here. I took some photgraphs that i will try to upload soon. I was really thrilled to see CTA Old Look Propane #8281 I have never seen an existing CTA Old Look Flx with the old front, aside from #8499 with the newer front. Heres a couple of pics I took thur. outside Joliet. CTA Work Bus GM Old Look and Flxible propane #8281. God, I wish we could restore these buses especially the Flxible! If would could rebuild the bus into a diesel. I have more pics!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Heres a couple of pics I took thur. outside Joliet. CTA Work Bus GM Old Look and Flxible propane #8281. God, I wish we could restore these buses especially the Flxible! If would could rebuild the bus into a diesel. I have more pics!. Nice shots! I grew up on the south side so I have ridden quite a few propane Flxs which ran out of 77th Garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ctafan630 Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 At Route 30 and Route 34 near the Oswego/Aurora border there is a Public Storage with old buses. There are a few old CTA buses there along with a Pace bus and a bus that looks like it was from Downers Grover transit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 At Route 30 and Route 34 near the Oswego/Aurora border there is a Public Storage with old buses. There are a few old CTA buses there along with a Pace bus and a bus that looks like it was from Downers Grover transit. Yes thats the collection from Chicagoland Historical Bus Museum. I drove CTA GMC #9799 out there that day back in April. You can see videos of the move on YouTube keyword "chicagoland historical bus museum" It was a fun day. We gathered at 7am sat. morning. Everyone chose their favorite bus and we had fun driving them out to Aurora. We got a lot of attention. This is is their temporary home, CHBM is currently trying to aquire a permanent home for the bus collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Nice shots! I grew up on the south side so I have ridden quite a few propane Flxs which ran out of 77th Garage. Heres a nice rear shot of #8281 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRCTA Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Man, those CTA Old Flxibles bring back some memories, don't they? Wish you'd find some "New Look" flxibles numbered 3000-3699 or 3700-3899 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chitowndude84 Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 There use to be a nice collection of old buses at forest glen garage a few years back,But they are gone now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 There use to be a nice collection of old buses at forest glen garage a few years back,But they are gone now. CTAs historical fleet Flxible New Look #3706, GMC New Look #301 and Flxible Hybrid body #8499 now reside at Chicago Ave. Garage. They were once kept at Kedzie, then later were moved to FG for a while before being moved to Chicago Ave. There are also a number of retired CTA buses such as a Flyer D901, GMC fishbowls, Flxible Metros RTSs and a few other vehicles at various garages throughout the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Man, those CTA Old Flxibles bring back some memories, don't they? Wish you'd find some "New Look" flxibles numbered 3000-3699 or 3700-3899 Have you looked at the Illinois Railroad(sp?) Museum website lately? I think they have a New Look in that number range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Have you looked at the Illinois Railroad(sp?) Museum website lately? I think they have a New Look in that number range. Their motor coach roster indicates only 3177 from the CTA era. I don't think that motor buses are really their thing. Has CHBM overcome its financial difficulties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRCTA Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Heres a nice rear shot of #8281 Holy Cow! If that isn't the oldest CTA Propane bus I've seen when I was a little boy, I don't know what is! Why, that's beautiful! Remember the CTA Mack Buses 7200-7299? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRCTA Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Heres a couple of pics I took thur. outside Joliet. CTA Work Bus GM Old Look and Flxible propane #8281. God, I wish we could restore these buses especially the Flxible! If would could rebuild the bus into a diesel. I have more pics!. Have you got some more pics of the CTA Flxible "New Look" propane bus #8715 plus the two aforementioned CTA Macks? Any more shots of CTA Twin Coach Flxible #8281? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Holy Cow! If that isn't the oldest CTA Propane bus I've seen when I was a little boy, I don't know what is! Why, that's beautiful! Remember the CTA Mack Buses 7200-7299? No I don't, I just remember the Twin Coaches. However, the north side had 5400s until the 1000s (1972, not 2006) came, and North Park and 69th had 5500s until the 7400s (1973) came. Reports are that the Macks were at 69th, but basically on Western, and they did not turn up on 55 or 59. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Have you got some more pics of the CTA Flxible "New Look" propane bus #8715 plus the two aforementioned CTA Macks? Any more shots of CTA Twin Coach Flxible #8281? Go to this link on Bus Talk. There are pics of Macks. There is also a good supply of old look Flxibles, Twins and GMC's. Hope this helps your appetite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymc77 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 was over by calumet yard. there still is a man americana #4240 still there. it looks like with a little work it can be saved. also saw 2 old flxibles #3000s, one was BW62 would anyone know the fleet number of this bus or the other one that is there. and my final question, i dont recall seeing those 2 flxibles the last time i was there so how do they move them ? it appears all of the glass is removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samana09 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 No I don't, I just remember the Twin Coaches. However, the north side had 5400s until the 1000s (1972, not 2006) came, and North Park and 69th had 5500s until the 7400s (1973) came. Reports are that the Macks were at 69th, but basically on Western, and they did not turn up on 55 or 59. I can fill you in on other places where the Macks were. They spent most of their career at 69th & 77th. In the summer of '68, I did see a Mack operating on #59 from the elevated, and one on the #44 when it still operated into the loop. In Dec '69-Jan '70 a large supply of Macks was moved to Forest Glen, where they held down most runs on the #81 Lawrence and #85 Central. Those two routes had just been converted from trackless trolleys, because they had to be re-routed into the new Jefferson Park terminal. But by Sept '70, I no longer saw any Macks on FG routes, they may have gone back to 69th or 77th, or may have been early retirements. Tom's Trolley Bus Pix has photos of Macks on #36 Broadway (undated) and on #3 King Drive (1970). Hope this helps. Samana09 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 was over by calumet yard. there still is a man americana #4240 still there. it looks like with a little work it can be saved. also saw 2 old flxibles #3000s, one was BW62 would anyone know the fleet number of this bus or the other one that is there. and my final question, i dont recall seeing those 2 flxibles the last time i was there so how do they move them ? it appears all of the glass is removed BW62 is bus #3549. The other flx you saw was unnumbered? Most buses with the glass removed are usually towed in to construction sites. This particular bus #3549 according to records became BW62 in 1982. It states at that time the bus ran under it's own power or to use there words was "self propelled". So somewhere between here and there that changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymc77 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Having moved to Tucson Arizona, I was wondering if 8281 and 8715 are still around. I had heard that the buses were moved from the location but never found out for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 No I don't, I just remember the Twin Coaches. However, the north side had 5400s until the 1000s (1972, not 2006) came, and North Park and 69th had 5500s until the 7400s (1973) came. Reports are that the Macks were at 69th, but basically on Western, and they did not turn up on 55 or 59.7200's were normally at 77th and 69th garages. At 77th they were used on #30, 28, 8, 42, 79 for the most part. Relatively rare on State, Cottage Grove, South Park, since they had no right side mirrors. 69th ran them on S Damen, Ashland, 59th/61st, Western mostly. During late 1969, a bunch went to Forest Glen mostly for Central and Lawrence, but they did run elsewhere, such as Milwaukee and even one report on O'Harexpress. However, by spring 1970 were sent to 77th in exchange for 5900's. Last known sighting by me was in 1972 on Wentworth, when there were only a couple left running. My memory of them was they were quite slow and the air ride "wheezed" a ;ot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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