Apparently the seller has a Fredericksburg address, meaning the bus has changed hands once before this. How are they getting rid of these already if they are still running the RTS fleet, which is four years older and probably more tricky to find parts for?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-ORION-V-42-PASSENGER-BUS-W-WHEELCHAIR-LIFT-NICE-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3cb729889bQQitemZ260770990235QQptZBuses
They are not only getting rid of those '98 units, they have gotten rid of a few of the '00 units also. There are a few of them running in NYC for a private company. It could be also that since they repainted/rehabbed those RTSes, it wouldn't make sense in paying that money to repaint them only to get rid of them a few years later.
Now saying that a few of the already rid of Orion Vs have been repainted so I guess maybe those Orion Vs aren't as reliable as the RTSes.
Quote from: WES on April 22, 2011, 08:49:43 AM
It wouldn't make sense in paying that money to repaint them only to get rid of them a few years later.
Now saying that a few of the already rid of Orion Vs have been repainted so I guess maybe those Orion Vs aren't as reliable as the RTSes.
Not always true, Wes. Baltimore MTA had apparently scrapped at least one Flx just days after it left the paint shop in a fresh coat of SFS. Reason? Usually a blown engine or transmission. :( Also, our (Valley Metro) Grumman 870s were retired in 1994, despite the fact they had all been repainted in our then-new paint scheme by 1991.
I just got an Orion V model in stock (two more are on the way as of this writing), and your post has inspired me to paint one of them in the new FFX colors. I may also chop one and do a 3900, so stay tuned.... ;)
Actually NYCTA is starting to retire their remaining Orion Vs too. The newest group are '99 models, but they're holding onto their '99 Nova RTS for a now.
Quote from: Flxible on April 22, 2011, 11:17:19 PM
Quote from: WES on April 22, 2011, 08:49:43 AM
It wouldn't make sense in paying that money to repaint them only to get rid of them a few years later.
Now saying that a few of the already rid of Orion Vs have been repainted so I guess maybe those Orion Vs aren't as reliable as the RTSes.
Not always true, Wes. Baltimore MTA had apparently scrapped at least one Flx just days after it left the paint shop in a fresh coat of SFS. Reason? Usually a blown engine or transmission. :( Also, our (Valley Metro) Grumman 870s were retired in 1994, despite the fact they had all been repainted in our then-new paint scheme by 1991.
I just got an Orion V model in stock (two more are on the way as of this writing), and your post has inspired me to paint one of them in the new FFX colors. I may also chop one and do a 3900, so stay tuned.... ;)
it was the same for a few of WMATA's flxibles as well. the two I can think of off the top of my head are 9338 and 9830, they were in pretty new coats of paint before retiring.
Looks like Fairfax got rid of the shorties too. :( Again, these look brand new...especially with the revised paint scheme.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-Orion-V-Commuter-Transit-Bus-Lift-A-C-30ft-30-psg-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3cb96a2baaQQitemZ260808780714QQptZBuses
I hope they are purchased and used elsewhere. Krapf's Transit could stand to get some to replace those aging 1994 Gillig Phantoms...