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Messages - MarkD

#1
Quote from: Antozilla on March 29, 2013, 09:02:04 PM
No these regional TAs exist because the drivers make way less than WMATA drivers

The primary reason the "satellite" transit agencies [Ride-On, FFC, ART, The Bus, CUE, DASH] exist is that the local governments want to control the costs of administration, and operation of transit within their borders.  The local agencies can respond much faster to route changes, plus if WMATA ran all these lines, many of them would have poor frequencies and many lines would not have 7 days a week service.  The local agencies can literally do the job better and cheaper than WMATA.  They leave WMATA to the long, interjurisdictional routes on major highway,  and the locals can do the neighborhood lines.
#2
Day-to-Day Sightings / Re: December 2012 Photos
January 05, 2013, 04:13:41 PM
How many of these did FC get?
#3
DC Transit Today / RIP Orion 1977-2012
April 25, 2012, 07:29:51 PM
Sad news to report, Orion will be closing their doors at the end of the year.
http://ttmg.org/blog/2012/04/daimler-buses-reconfigures-operations-in-north-america/
From their licensed [by TMC] arrival in 1979 to the new BRT Hybrids being delivered to WMATA today, Orion has been a major presence in the DC transit scene.  It's sad to know that there will be no more Orions gracing the streets of DC, MD, and Va.
RIP Orion 1977-2012
#4
Day-to-Day Sightings / Re: Retired WMATA '97 Orion Vs
January 03, 2012, 08:14:00 PM
You have to remember that a good chunk of those Orion V's that WMATA didn't take ended up in NYC [mostly at Green Lines, about 10 or so went to Queens Surface before finding their way to Green Lines.  These buses are now the 5900 series at MTAB] and a number of them wound up at Fairfax Connector as well.
#5
Quote from: NewFlyer9736BCT on November 04, 2011, 09:54:08 PM
it's still run by almost all Orions, with the exception of some DE42LFAs in West Ox (they have 6301-6309, 6395-6409, 6568-6572)
and i forgot to add...no sign of Xcelsiors in VA yet

Did you account for some 3700's like this one ?:
#6
Remember when...? / Re: Silver Spring in the 70s
November 04, 2011, 11:30:02 PM
How about the boarding area?
#7
Any sightings of WMATA Xcelsiors in VA yet, or is it an almost New Flyer Free zone?
#8
Remember when...? / Re: Silver Spring in the 70s
November 03, 2011, 08:01:07 PM
Anyone have a picture of the old Silver Spring Terminal?
#9
Remember when...? / Re: WMATA Neoplan AN440HF's
September 19, 2011, 11:54:01 PM
I remember riding those 9500's back in '83 and '84 because they reminded me of the similar SEPTA buses back in the day [especially the Neo BD 8435-8584].  Both batches of buses had the same 6v92TA/Allison HT74 combo.
#10
The sticker says so:

#11
Remember when...? / Re: Scrap Yard by Fort Totten
August 18, 2011, 11:36:37 PM
Quote from: Sand Box John on December 08, 2010, 10:17:11 AM
Flxible
Were the 7500-series AMGs (35 footers) ever garaged/run in VA?


I believe the answer to that question is yes. I vaguely recall seeing AM Generals at the Pentagon bus terminal in the years after that metrorail station opened and maybe riding them on the Columbia Pike line.

A lot of the 7500 series [about 40 buses] were based in VA.  When I lived in DC in the early 80's, they were used mostly on the old 12-14-15 lines, the original 26 [Arlington/Alexandria loop], the short route 16 lines [to Shirlington and Skyline City] and some of the old Arlington Garage lines.
#12
Beyond the Beltway / Re: Up and Down the Northeast
August 18, 2011, 11:24:47 PM
I had to suddenly stop work on this post when a thunderstorm came through my area [lightning strikes tend to cause power hiccups which shuts dowm my desktop unexpectedly], so here are some more of my corridor pics:
DARTing around Wilmington, DE:







Last, but not least, my August 1 visit to DC:






#13
Beyond the Beltway / Up and Down the Northeast
August 18, 2011, 08:10:26 PM
So far, as the summer progresses, I have been up and down the Northeast Corridor transit fanning.  Here are some of the photos from my trips:
Boston:







New York City:







Home in NJ:






SEPTA in Philly:







#14
SEPTA is re-using 2000's [formerly PCC Trolleys, now Champion Cutaways 2071-98], 3000's [originally old-look GM's then the now retired Neoplan DK-EI buses 3000-3249.  3250 and up were never used on the old-looks.], the 5000's (originally GM TDH5303 and 5303A [5000-5049 were the '63 5303s with no AC, 5050-99 were the '67 5303's with AC]) now the retiring NABI fleet, and the 8000's [originally the 1980 GM RTS and the 1982/83 Neoplan AN440 ].