TripleTransit1 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Explain what are your two favorite CTA buses. One has to be retired and one has to be a current model (or in the 7900-series case, a future model). For me, it's the 6000-series Flxibles and the Non-Hybrid 4300s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesi2282 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired: 5300-series Current: 6400-series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired: The 4400 TMC's. I liked the single seats on the right side & when carrying packages, the seat just in front of the rear door had an extra space next to the outer wall. Current: The 4300 artics, because they have forward facing seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired ETBs: 9600 Marmon Herringtons Retired Propanes: 5000 Twin Coaches Retired Diesels: 6000 Flxibles Current 40ft: 1000 New Flyers Current 60ft: 4300 New Flyer [Non Hybrids] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 One current and one past, huh? Well the past is easy. It would be the 9600 series GMC Fishbowls. I suppose if I had to choose one from the current CTA models, I'd go with the New Flyers in the 1631 - 1928 range. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete6125 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired: 5000 Fagaol Twin Coaches. Current:4300 Artics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 All CTA buses up to the Low Floor models. The GMC Fishbowls being the most recognized bus in the history of the CTA bus fleet alongside the Flxible propanes of the 1950s and 60s. CTA Flyer D901 #9844. This bus was equipped with a Cummins Diesel engine. Sounded awesome! CTA Flxible #5750 My one and only opportunity I ever got to drive one of these Cummins powered buses. Drove this bus on the #56 Milwaukee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicagoNova Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired: 7500 Series NABI 60-LFW Current: 4300 Series (4333 and up) New Flyer D60LFR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymc77 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Current would be the Novas. Retired would be 8500 Flxibles even though I never rode one. I liked the windows and the rear light configuration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Retired: 9800-Series Flyer D901A Current: It's a tie... 6400-Series Nova LFS & 1000-Series Flyer D40LF Reasons are simple enough... for the Flyers, it's the one I remember riding the most when I was growing up in the '80's. The Novas and New Flyers are so close IMO, that I can't honestly pick one or the other over another. It wouldn't be fair to judge the 7900-Series Nova LFS Smart Bus until I have a chance to ride it(which I hope to have a chance to if it is assigned to Forest Glen in the next couple of months, as I do ride #80, #152 and #78 a lot). I do hope they are as good as the 6400-Series Nova LFS buses, if not better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 CTA Flyer D901 #9844. This bus was equipped with a Cummins Diesel engine. Sounded awesome! CTA Flxible #5750 My one and only opportunity I ever got to drive one of these Cummins powered buses. Had this bus for five hours on #56 Milwaukee. As frequently as I rode the Flyers growing up, I can't remember this one, just the ones equipped with the 6V71 (this was our second order here, I kid you not... the one that ultimately went to Winnipeg Transit. These shells were built for CTA). I really wish you had audio of the Cummins-powered #9844(or at least a YouTube link of a similar sounding bus... I'd like to hear what #9844 sounded like pre-Detroit Diesel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 As frequently as I rode the Flyers growing up, I can't remember this one, just the ones equipped with the 6V71 (this was our second order here, I kid you not... the one that ultimately went to Winnipeg Transit. These shells were built for CTA). I really wish you had audio of the Cummins-powered #9844(or at least a YouTube link of a similar sounding bus... I'd like to hear what #9844 sounded like pre-Detroit Diesel). As a matter of fact I do have an audio of bus #9844, when it was passing my house wayyyy back around 1986/87 operating on the #76 Diversey route! At the time the #76 route operated from FG following its transfer from the closed North ave Garage. Around that same time Bus #9844 was transferred from Beverly Garage to FGlen. The "B" decal was still present in the front windshield along with the new "F" designation. One day I heard the bus pass my house on Diversey where I lived at that time. I waited for that bus to pass on its return trip form the lake. I had my little ancient tape recorder ready and I captured the audio. It was a really cool deep engine sound the bus had. It was obviously way different than its other buses in the Flyer fleet. I have not seen the tape in quite some time but I know it exists in my house somewhere! A really missed opportunity I regret to this day! .... was the day my dad was driving Diversey on a Saturday. I waited for him to pass by so I could ride with him. As luck would have it, he rolls up past my house driving bus #9844! He picked me up, I rode with him for the whole afternoon. I didn't think about taking my tape recorder along of the fear it could get stolen! But it was cool watching my dad drivng that bus and listening to that Cummins engine for two full trips!! Years later I had the opportunity to drive #9844 when I began working for the CTA in 1997 at Kedzie Garage. By then it was equipped with the standard Detroit 6V71 and sounded just like its Flyer counterparts. It was later severely damaged in an unplanned meeting with a construction truck and never saw service again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hmmm does it really have to be restricted to two? Because my favorite retired models are the GM Fishbowl later models from among the 9000 and 9600 series and the MAN Americana 4000 series (both the models of my childhood), and among the current models New Flyer 800 series, 1000 series earlier options among 1000-1429 and the diesels among the 4300s. But if I had to narrow it down to one of each, I'd have to say the MAN 4000s for single favorite retired model because besides their being one of the bus models of my childhood, the growl of that German engine was something I found so cool in a transit bus. It was the first transit bus that had a powerful engine growl that put me in the mind of a powerful heavy duty truck engine. And for current model, I choose the New Flyer 800s (because the battery packs remind me of Americana 4041). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Retired: 5000 Fagaol Twin Coaches. Current:4300 Artics.I'll go along with the 5000's. Rode them hundreds of times all over the northwest side. I remember them on 19-Devon/NW Express, going down the Kennedy, which wasn't quite as jammed as now, doing about 45 and backfiring when the driver let up on the gas. They also in their last days had problems with windows falling down when you hit a bump, a bit of a problem in winter. But they still held down all-day runs as the 1000 GM's were coming in, 22 years old!Current? I vote for the 6400's. These are about the best buses that I have had to drive. Even though they are quite long in the tooth, they are very soft riding, very smooth transmissions, and excellent turning radius. Especially when you get one every day at Forest Glen, you get to really appreciate them at 14 years of age without rebuildings, compared to the six year old D40LF rattletraps. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I'll go along with the 5000's. Rode them hundreds of times all over the northwest side. I remember them on 19-Devon/NW Express, going down the Kennedy, which wasn't quite as jammed as now, doing about 45 and backfiring when the driver let up on the gas. They also in their last days had problems with windows falling down when you hit a bump, a bit of a problem in winter. But they still held down all-day runs as the 1000 GM's were coming in, 22 years old! Current? I vote for the 6400's. These are about the best buses that I have had to drive. Even though they are quite long in the tooth, they are very soft riding, very smooth transmissions, and excellent turning radius. Especially when you get one every day at Forest Glen, you get to really appreciate them at 14 years of age without rebuildings, compared to the six year old D40LF rattletraps. I'd take one of those D40LF "rattletraps" over one of those sluggish 6400s any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Retired: Any Flxible Metro series (they would always go by my house as a kid, along with the RTS ones, but I wasn't a fan of those). They looked pretty cool. Running: New Flyer DE60LFR. I have yet to ride this stylish bus in Chicago, but I have done so in Seattle, and they are moderately comfy there. Jajuan has a good point: limiting it to one for each category is pretty hard. I had a four way tie between the 900 Series DE40LFs, the DE60LFs, the 6400 Series Novas, and the DE60LFRs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Since we have to pick one past and present I'll keep it simple and say for the past it is the 4000 series MAN bus I loved riding those buses as a kid from the look of the bus to the sound of it I'll never forget the way that engine sound it was like music to me. For the present it's the New Flyer 1000 series simply because they remind me of the man buses as far as the exterior design of course for the exception of the stairs and smaller front door lol. But whenever I drive one because I'm a big kid and a bus fan I pretend the New Flyer is an old MAN bus and the way I set my steering wheel up is how I used to see the operators do it as a kid. So that's how I pay homage to the operators before me by having my steering wheel the old fashion way which is straight up and high lol. But I also loved the fishbowls as well as the old 9800& 1600 flyer buses and the 6000 series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneking7320 Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 I'll go along with the 5000's. Rode them hundreds of times all over the northwest side. I remember them on 19-Devon/NW Express, going down the Kennedy, which wasn't quite as jammed as now, doing about 45 and backfiring when the driver let up on the gas. They also in their last days had problems with windows falling down when you hit a bump, a bit of a problem in winter. But they still held down all-day runs as the 1000 GM's were coming in, 22 years old! Current? I vote for the 6400's. These are about the best buses that I have had to drive. Even though they are quite long in the tooth, they are very soft riding, very smooth transmissions, and excellent turning radius. Especially when you get one every day at Forest Glen, you get to really appreciate them at 14 years of age without rebuildings, compared to the six year old D40LF rattletraps. I imagine the shorter wheelbase gives the excellent turning radius. As a driver what do you think of the larger [iMHO] front overhang? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 My favorite past bus is of course the #300's with the #3000's running a close second. That bus seemed so loud from what i remember riding it as a kid and what's not to like about vinyl seats. Those were probably one of the more soft and comfortable seats CTA ever had. Favorite Past bus I wish I rode: I never have rode the #8700's, but with their propane propulsion, they do sound interesting. Maybe IRM can get the #8700 running again someday. I also wish i could've saw the #8500 parallelogram windows. They also sound interesting. Current bus: I'd say #909. It's simply the best currently in the whole fleet. LED lighting, LED headlights and the rare ISE Thundervolt, which will probably end up as a relic. The #900 series buses are the coolest. Future bus: Got to be the New Flyer Xcelsior Electric buses that are on the way. With no emissions these may be the perfect bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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