Not type of bus, bus #
for me its bus 2020, the bus of vision
Its an Orion VI and the number is cool
I think 9492 and 2650, both because of sound - 9492 is the cleanest-sounding Metro-B I think Metro has and 2650 makes a strange whistling-howling sound that the other units don't make.
I don't have one favorite bus...I have many.
Ride On 5706 - This bus is just plain FAST, probably the fastest one in the entire fleet.
Ride On 5802 - Just plain unique.
CityBus 706 - The most powerful and best sounding New Flyer artic we had, sadly it was retired prematurely for some reason.
CityBus 308 - One of the last surviving 1983 Gilligs we have, the old factor is just cool enough by itself. But it is also one of the best sounding and best running 6v92s on property. Also it rides smooth, rock solid, and has this neat looking positive-offset rear wheels.
I used to like 4214 when it was freshly rehabbed and at Arlington Division. That was really the only '97 Orion V I liked. Back in the day I used to try to search out AM General 7313 since that was my address in Hyattsville and Orion V 2171 for my birthday (2/1/71), 8592 was a great Flx New Look and I used to like Metro D 9701. Since I've been away from the DC area for more than a year and hadn't ridden Metrobuses in earnest for a good 3 years or so, I don't really have an opinion on the new stuff. I rode a DE40LF and a D40LFR right before I left, but I don't really remember them.
Ride-On's 5546 is my top favorite bus. It sounds great with my favorite powertrain (a screaming 6v92TA/HT748), it bounces, and it's an "old school" Orion V (back when they were cool buses).
5546 + route 49 + recorder + quiet bus = very happy Brandon grinning from ear to ear.
Quote from: aznboy4305 on December 19, 2008, 05:58:58 PM
I don't have one favorite bus...I have many.
Ride On 5706 - This bus is just plain FAST, probably the fastest one in the entire fleet.
Ride On 5802 - Just plain unique.
CityBus 706 - The most powerful and best sounding New Flyer artic we had, sadly it was retired prematurely for some reason.
CityBus 308 - One of the last surviving 1983 Gilligs we have, the old factor is just cool enough by itself. But it is also one of the best sounding and best running 6v92s on property. Also it rides smooth, rock solid, and has this neat looking positive-offset rear wheels.
5706...a fast 40ft Orion V? nifty, I should look out for it!
Quote from: Tritransit Area on December 20, 2008, 12:54:04 AM
Quote from: aznboy4305 on December 19, 2008, 05:58:58 PM
I don't have one favorite bus...I have many.
Ride On 5706 - This bus is just plain FAST, probably the fastest one in the entire fleet.
Ride On 5802 - Just plain unique.
CityBus 706 - The most powerful and best sounding New Flyer artic we had, sadly it was retired prematurely for some reason.
CityBus 308 - One of the last surviving 1983 Gilligs we have, the old factor is just cool enough by itself. But it is also one of the best sounding and best running 6v92s on property. Also it rides smooth, rock solid, and has this neat looking positive-offset rear wheels.
5706...a fast 40ft Orion V? nifty, I should look out for it!
5708 is also fast. That's one of my favorite buses.
Others include WMATA's 9761, 9823, and 4327 - all because of the whistling sounds.
Ride-On's 5576...I just love everything about this bus, it stands out from the other 5570s, u gotta see for yourself.
Ride-On's 5901...again, whistling and other unique feels to it.
Ride-On's 5706...like aznboy said...this one is fast, it has a WMATA 4300 feel to it in terms of speed and the engine sound
Ride-On's 5720...whistling
EDIT - OK so 4327, 5720, and 5901 don't exactly "whistle" but they make certain nice accelerating sounds.
9731 because for some odd reason, this one accelerates faster than any other Metro-D.
2002 because of the strong engine noise
9701 because of the sound and the lights on the ceiling (the only 9700 series bus to have those kind of lights).
The suburban seated Orion Vs and D40LFRs.
2710- My favorite suburban seated orion vii.
Aw man. This thread. Let's see
Metrobus
9833. Bassy Detroit. Sounds like Ride Ons 96 Gillig Phantoms.
2801 because of the TITAN sign
4101. The only Metro E i've heard whistle
9730. Nice whistle for a Flx Metro D
9370. Has the best acceleration for a Metro B. Rode this bus many times on the J4 heading down E-W and Univ.
Ride On
5545. For obvious reasons
5361. Nicest sounding Gillig. The other ones sound like crap.
5720s-30s. Nicest acceleration of any bus on the fleet. That ISL/Allison combo is nice
5003. I rode this bus on the 75 and it rides pretty nice.
5911. Great sounding Detroit S50G.
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on January 07, 2009, 07:23:32 PM
Ride On
5545. For obvious reasons
I don't get it. I know it's a hammerhead Orion I but so are 5540-5544, what's different about 5545?
Quote from: NewFlyer97BCT on January 07, 2009, 10:38:33 PM
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on January 07, 2009, 07:23:32 PM
Ride On
5545. For obvious reasons
I don't get it. I know it's a hammerhead Orion I but so are 5540-5544, what's different about 5545?
So I'm not the only one wondering that as well.
Having been a passenger on 5545 more times than I would have liked, I can't think of anything special about that bus, except its headsign tended to never work (which is why it was assigned to the blocks I rode on a frequent basis, they didn't interline at all).
Let me also add 2801 like 79MetroExtra said. The sign of course.
Ride On:
C40LFs -- The only Ride On buses worth riding in my opinion, no offense to Ride On fans.
Gillig Advantage (Deisel) Because they look so damn awesome!!
The Bus:
63160 (Gear shift noise)
Orion Vs (Even though these things have no LCD, they sound just like our 4200s/4300s)
I think the reason they sound like WMATA's buses is that they were part of the fleet that were rejected by them years ago. They were bought up by several other properties and then Veolia ended up with a few.
Of course if Flxible did not go belly up in the mid 90's those would most likely have been Flxibles, but I digress....
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on January 07, 2009, 11:11:04 PM
Quote from: NewFlyer97BCT on January 07, 2009, 10:38:33 PM
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on January 07, 2009, 07:23:32 PM
Ride On
5545. For obvious reasons
I don't get it. I know it's a hammerhead Orion I but so are 5540-5544, what's different about 5545?
So I'm not the only one wondering that as well.
Having been a passenger on 5545 more times than I would have liked, I can't think of anything special about that bus, except its headsign tended to never work (which is why it was assigned to the blocks I rode on a frequent basis, they didn't interline at all).
Are we sure he didn't mean 5546? Maybe it was a typo. Then, the reason would be quite obvious, and I would certainly concur.
Quote from: landoverdivision on January 08, 2009, 01:25:30 PM
Let me also add 2801 like 79MetroExtra said. The sign of course.
Ride On:
C40LFs -- The only Ride On buses worth riding in my opinion, no offense to Ride On fans.
Gillig Advantage (Deisel) Because they look so damn awesome!!
The Bus:
63160 (Gear shift noise)
Orion Vs (Even though these things have no LCD, they sound just like our 4200s/4300s)
WOW, of all the buses Ride-On has, you choose the C40LFs to be the only ones worth riding? That's very interesting! I completely disagree (as I come from the land of New Flyers and as those have those Allison/C-Gas Plus powertrains that are so overdone by WMATA), but it's interesting to know your point of view.
I'll just list my favorites by the TA. My list includes buses in service and retired ones.
CTS:
GMC RTS #820 (this bus had the perfect V-730 transmission; tuned just the way I like it. And this was a GMC RTS)
New Flyer D35LF #821 (that bus is nightmarishly fast)
UTS:
Orion I#5337 (that bus had a smooth buzzing exhaust you could hear a mile away)
Gillig Phantom #2736 (acceleration, engine scream from the Series 40, and the fact that it always tends to stay clean regardless of the environment)
GRTC:
Flxible Metro #120 (sounded just New Jersey Transit #3582)
Flxible Metro #312 (perfect take-off)
Gillig Phantom #401
Gillig Low Floor #504
HRT:
All them 700-series Metros, especially when they got the new angled exhaust pipes
Orion V #903 (last time I rode it, it was "ticking", from what I hear, it still is)
WMATA:
Flxible Metro B #8854 (the bus shifted like a ZF when it went into 3rd gear)
Flxible Metro D
Flxible Metro E #4054, 4076, 4098 (those three in particular shift like they have V-730s. Plus, the leans are INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!)
Orion V #2198 (sweet shifting plus a sweet whistling exhaust equal sweetness)
Any Orion VI with the fans that cut on when the bus slows down (cuz I LOVE that S---!!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!)
Any Orion VII (JD Series) with a scream
New Flyer C40LF #2463
Ride On:
Orion V CNG #5914
The low 59s, cuz those them screamers, especially #5909 and #5914.
Orion I #5537
New Flyer C40LF #5826
DASH Orion V #63 (I always seem to get that one and wind up getting some awesome rides afterward)
PAT (Petersburg)
Flxible Metro C #108 (it had that nice, slow, calm takeoff)