CUE's New Hybrid Gilligs

[Tritransit Area]

No pic, sorry.  I think I read this somewhere in the forums, but I'm not sure - I couldn't find the thread

However, they come with a new scheme (looks like arrows with the phrase "Take your CUE" in the middle" - so much for advertising), according to a picture in the latest issue of Passenger Transport (a magazine for industry professionals).  They are also 35 foot (a first!) Gillig BRTs.

The article says that these six buses are replacing 10 year old buses that have outlived their usefulness.  What buses are these?  I thought all of their buses were late model Gillig Phantoms from 2002 (or something like that), not to mention that a Phantom is 12 year Altoona Tested.

CUE also hopes to convert the entire fleet to hybrid operation by 2014.  So, there's something for you transit photographers to photograph in Vienna and Fairfax!

[Scrabbleship]

I love this: CUE is mothballing buses that aren't even 12 years old, yet on the other side of the Potomac there are 15 year old Ride On buses whose brakes are about to give out and there are Metrobuses that could make their 20th birthday.

I think it's time for two things to happen: Me to do a CUE fantrip and for Metro and Ride On to take a CUE regarding certain buses.

[WES]

Gotta remember, that T/As like Cue and DASH can get rid of their buses within 10, 12 years because 1)They don't get Federal money and 2)They are small enough that they can replace their buses when they want to.  With all of the headaches larger T/As have sometimes they can't get rid of buses when they want to, therefore they have to run a bus that is 20 years old.

I am pretty sure with the amount of service those buses see and the fact that other than when GMU is in school, they have pretty light loads, those Gilligs are probably in pretty decent shape and could run another 5 to 10 more years.

[Tristan]

The oldest Gilligs they have are from I believe 1998...and they were *fine*.  Parts for 1998 Phantoms aren't as easy to find in 2009 as they were in 1998 but they are by no means obsolete or "unuseful".

[LandoverDivision]

There ya go.

[Scrabbleship]

The oldest Gilligs they have are from I believe 1998...and they were *fine*.  Parts for 1998 Phantoms aren't as easy to find in 2009 as they were in 1998 but they are by no means obsolete or "unuseful".

In a perfect world, Ride On would buy those 1998 Phantoms and put them on some Nicholson routes,

[79MetroExtraMD]

The oldest Gilligs they have are from I believe 1998...and they were *fine*.  Parts for 1998 Phantoms aren't as easy to find in 2009 as they were in 1998 but they are by no means obsolete or "unuseful".

In a perfect world, Ride On would buy those 1998 Phantoms and put them on some Nicholson routes,

Why would they buy old buses when they are getting new buses?

[Tristan]

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

[Transport]

Ffx Connector is still running 20+ RTSs from either 93 or 94.  Go to Vienna and see the West    Ox routes.

[Scrabbleship]

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

How many Helldorados are left actually? Between that and that the Champions have been MIA for over a week, something really must be going on at Nicholson.

[Tritransit Area]

Thanks for the picture!  Wow, they finally put the full name of the system on the bus - the City University Energysaver!

I guess they are taking the cue from WMATA with those high mount turn signals.  They look great, though!

[Tritransit Area]

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

How many Helldorados are left actually? Between that and that the Champions have been MIA for over a week, something really must be going on at Nicholson.

If the Dorados and Champions out of Nicholson are MIA, what's running on their routes?  I'm sure they don't have THAT many Baby G's yet.

[Tritransit Area]

Ffx Connector is still running 20+ RTSs from either 93 or 94.  Go to Vienna and see the West    Ox routes.

Vienna?  They aren't running out of West Falls Church any longer?  I'd love to ride one of them again.

Of course, I must ask...what exactly are the newest batch of New Flyers replacing?  Are a lot of Orion Vs getting displaced, or are the RTSs retirement being put on hold as the Orion Vs are getting rehabbed?

[Scrabbleship]

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

How many Helldorados are left actually? Between that and that the Champions have been MIA for over a week, something really must be going on at Nicholson.

If the Dorados and Champions out of Nicholson are MIA, what's running on their routes?  I'm sure they don't have THAT many Baby G's yet.

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

How many Helldorados are left actually? Between that and that the Champions have been MIA for over a week, something really must be going on at Nicholson.

If the Dorados and Champions out of Nicholson are MIA, what's running on their routes?  I'm sure they don't have THAT many Baby G's yet.

They got a bunch of the older Gilligs from Silver Spring and I think they may have gotten some Orion V's too. I know that at least one Nicholson route (the 18) has been shifted over to Silver Spring for the time being.

[Tritransit Area]

So they can replace dumpy cutaways at 1/4 the cost

Those 1998 Gilligs - were they rehabbed with LED signs? Anyway, I'm sure those buses would work well with Ride On - they are likely in very good shape. 

Besides, Gillig's still around, parts shouldn't be hard to find, especially since there are so many Phantoms out there, both active and retired.