March 2012 Observations

[WMAveteran]

Ride On:  I paced #5717 operating S/B counterflow express service on Route 70 to Bethesda from Germantown (Milestone) on I-270 doing 65 mph between Route 28 and Montrose Road.  I didn't think the old girl still had that kind of speed in her (lol). 

[rideonrulez]

Saw 2812 on the G8 last night at Farragut Square. Also saw all the Bladensburg Red line shuttles lining up last at Twinbrook Station, all 8 of them being Xcelsiors.

[WES]

I guess we'll call this some "wacky" THE BUS observations.

62640 on the 27 I guess this is the outer loop route.
62638 about to start either a 16 or 15x
Confirmed 62648 on the 21, which I saw first on the 27
62649 on the 21X

Last but not least I saw 62625 on what look the 21 heading towards New Carrollton but it had the 21S in the rear route number sign so I thought someone messed up..............until I saw two Advantages on the 21 heading towards Largo.  62648 was on the 21 and following it was 62628 on the........21S.  So I guess THE BUS has a new route, of course noone would know about this new or altered 21 version because THE BUS hasn't updated their website since, early 2011. Eh.

Added 62651 on the 15X.

[WES]

More THE BUS sightings and another confirmation.

62629 on the 34 which confirms that I saw 62630 deadheading over a week ago.
62636 on the 32
62646 deadheading along Allentown Road
62647 about to begin a 14

And saw a Fairfax Connector Xcelsior deadheading along Martin Luther King Highway at the Beltway, apparently heading towards the Johnson Truck Center.

Forgot to add I saw an MDMTA MCI sitting at the College Park Station.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Ride On 5422 is orange crushed
2706 has been rehabbed, after months of an unresponsive GPS, I had to find out in person

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

6056 and 6057 have carpetless floors

so what is there so far? these are the ones I'm aware of, are there any others?
6026-27 (with different seats as well)
6056-57
6104-05
6142-43

[WES]

62645 on the 21X

[RideOn5905]

Here's a list of sightings I had today, in order of appearance:

I was riding 5824 on the 71, going to Shady Grove, and 5708 is front of us, on the 79. 5708 is slowing down and pulls onto the shoulder, and we do the same. Apparently, 5708 was having engine problems, and the driver volunteered to take in the passengers from 5708, since both buses were going to S.G. Just like that, 5824 went from half-full to standing room only.

At Bowie, I was surprised to see 3024 out and about, with a few people inside.

Later on, I'm on the F4, heading west to P.G. Plaza, and I guess we were in the middle of a detour; instead of crossing the MARC tracks like normal, we got around it using East-West Hwy. I don't get it.

6390 broken down on the C2 on University Blvd., fortunately, there was another C2 right behind it.

Lastly, I saw 4258 still running around at Wheaton; I think it was on the Q4.

Ride-On 5412 had it's dest. sign stuck on "34 ASPEN" in small letters.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Later on, I'm on the F4, heading west to P.G. Plaza, and I guess we were in the middle of a detour; instead of crossing the MARC tracks like normal, we got around it using East-West Hwy. I don't get it.

It's been like that ever since that train accident with 6040 and 9731, it's permanent now (even though the nextbus map shows the old route to this day)

that's like the accident on 7th and Penn NW back in 2007 when those women were hit and killed by a 54 bus making a turn, because of that, the buses turning left on Penn go around to 6th Street instead, and also because of that we have knight riders on some buses (I think that was the reason)

[C40LF_2464]

Later on, I'm on the F4, heading west to P.G. Plaza, and I guess we were in the middle of a detour; instead of crossing the MARC tracks like normal, we got around it using East-West Hwy. I don't get it.

It's been like that ever since that train accident with 6040 and 9731, it's permanent now (even though the nextbus map shows the old route to this day)

that's like the accident on 7th and Penn NW back in 2007 when those women were hit and killed by a 54 bus making a turn, because of that, the buses turning left on Penn go around to 6th Street instead, and also because of that we have knight riders on some buses (I think that was the reason)

Later on, I'm on the F4, heading west to P.G. Plaza, and I guess we were in the middle of a detour; instead of crossing the MARC tracks like normal, we got around it using East-West Hwy. I don't get it.

Yup, Its been like that since 09. The Bus route 14 still goes over it.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Rode 3757 on the 38B tripper from Washington & Quincy. Just really interesting to have a 37 footer on a line like that and during rush hour too.

[WayneNYC]

Ride On 5727 no longer has Alcoas.  I had been seeeing this bus rather often over the last week or two, knew something was different, but I couldn't put my finger on it until I saw it on Odendhal Sunday AM.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Knight Riders resulted from a variety of pedestrian crashes, I don't remember if the one at 7th and Penn was the straw that broke the camel's back, but I think it was a different one that did it. 

[C40LF_2464]

2464 Route G8

[WayneNYC]

Knight Riders resulted from a variety of pedestrian crashes, I don't remember if the one at 7th and Penn was the straw that broke the camel's back, but I think it was a different one that did it. 

Agreed.  I vaguely recall another incident (which I think was also a fatality) in Columbia Heights.  I think it was on Park Rd in which a pedestrian walked from between two parked cars, mid-block into the path of a bus.  Then WMATA was being pressured to "do something" which ultimately  resulted in the Knight Riders being installed on 100 buses based at DC divisions.