November 2010 Observations

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
085732 54 (Lakeforest)
085733 54 (Rockville)
085734 34 (Friendship Heights)
085735 34 (Wheaton)
085745 20 (Silver Spring)
095747 20 (Hillandale)

FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
9631 402 (Franconia- Springfield)
9634 401 (Tysons West*Park)
9635 950 (Reston Town Ctr via Herndon-Monroe)
7820 505 (West Falls Church)

PRTC OMNIRIDE:
308 (Manassas)
330 (West Falls Church Metro)
370 (West Falls Church Metro)
147 (Gainesville/ Linton Hall Road)

METROBUS:
6107 NH1
6580 36
6110 NH1
6349 36
4259 R2 (Ft Totten)
4366 28A (King Street Station)
4367 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
2010 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
2074 2B (Ballston Station)
2075 K6 (Ft Totten)
2085 L2 (Chevy Chase Circle)
2093 K6 (White Oak)
2095 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
2115 10A (Hunting Towers)
2133 10B (Hunting Towers)
2149 70 (Archives)
2153 70 (Silver Spring Station)
2174 R3 (Ft Totten)
2176 R2 (Ft Totten)
6014 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
6015 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
6019 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6041 F8 (Cheverly Station)
6133 34
6200 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6201 C2 (Greenbelt Center)
6345 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6346 E4 (Riggs Park)
6364 E4 (Friendship Heights Station)
6365 C2 (Wheaton Station)
6394 Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6395 1B (Ballston Station)
6439 S9
6454 J4 (College Park Station)
6460 J4 (Bethesda Station)
6509 70 (Silver Spring Station)
6510 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6566 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
6567 1A (Ballston Station)
2439 R2 (Ft Totten)
2383 R2 (Calverton)
2454 80 (Kennedy Center)
2178 80 (Ft Totten)

[Scrabbleship]

4301 on the S9 with the Fliptop wrap, broken down at 16th & Park Road.

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
095331 10 (Twinbrook)
015613 10 (Hillandale)

METROBUS:
6139 NH1
6580 36
6110 NH1
6349 36
4020 Q6 (Shady Grove Station)
4100 Q6 (Wheaton Station)
5210 X2 (Lafayette Square)
4256 F4 (New Carrollton) with an L (Landover) block
4257 34
4310 Q4 (Rockville Station)
4319 K6 (White Oak)
4349 Q4 (Silver Spring Station)
4352 K6 (White Oak)
4357 K6 (Ft Totten)
4366 28A (Tysons Corner)
4367 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
4383 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
4384 F8 (Langley Park)
2010 F8 (Cheverly Station)
2112 28A (King Street Station)
6112 34
6200 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6201 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
6214 B30
6364 64 (Ft Totten)
6365 K6 (Ft Totten)
6383 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
6390 C8 (White Flint Station)
6394 Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6395 1A (Ballston Station)
6439 S9
6461 J4 (College Park Station)
6462 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6475 S4 (Federal Triangle)
6479 S4 (Silver Spring Station)
6485 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
6492 52 (L'Enfant Plaza Station)
6494 52 (Takoma Station)
6509 70 (Silver Spring Station)
6510 T18 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
6534 T18 (New Carrollton Station)
6535 C8 (College Park Station)
6564 K6 (Ft Totten)
3020 R4 (Highview)
3021 9A (Pentagon)
3022 9A (Huntington Station North)
2613 38B (Ballston Station)
2675 REX (Fort Belvoir)
2679 REX (Fort Belvoir)
2685 REX (King Street Station)
2504 REX (King Street Station)
2439 X2 (Minnesota Avenue Station)
2822 R2 (Calverton)
2823 80 (Kennedy Center)
2824 80 (Ft Totten)
2414 R2 (Calverton)

[WMAveteran]

Ride On: bus number (05)5834 running the Route 74 service at Great Seneca Highway and Kentlands Boulevard, Gaithersburg.  It is very unusual to observe a 40 foot coach on this route.  I had the privilege of pacing it down Great Seneca Highway at speeds up to 55mph - definitely keeping up with traffic. 

[79MetroExtraMD]

Ride On: bus number (05)5834 running the Route 74 service at Great Seneca Highway and Kentlands Boulevard, Gaithersburg.  It is very unusual to observe a 40 foot coach on this route.  I had the privilege of pacing it down Great Seneca Highway at speeds up to 55mph - definitely keeping up with traffic. 

I love the 74. That's one of my favorite north county routes.

[C40LF_2464]

Around 9:30 this morning i saw 3032 in upper marblo by the courthouse.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Ride On: bus number (05)5834 running the Route 74 service at Great Seneca Highway and Kentlands Boulevard, Gaithersburg.  It is very unusual to observe a 40 foot coach on this route.  I had the privilege of pacing it down Great Seneca Highway at speeds up to 55mph - definitely keeping up with traffic. 

there's actually plenty of 40-ft buses on that route. I don't know if they still do this, but some of the 74 trips are interlined with the 55, which is why you may see some New Flyers and other 40-ft buses. Yeah, the 74 is fun especially on that portion of Great Seneca Hwy between Quince Orchard Rd and Mateny Road, that 1-2 mile stretch of nothingness makes a great opportunity to see a bus going full speed.

[Tritransit Area]

Wow, was the 74 always a Gaithersburg route?  I'm trying to figure out how I missed it all these years.  If it ran cutaways, it's purely understandable!   I see that it's a weekday only route as well .

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Wow, was the 74 always a Gaithersburg route?  I'm trying to figure out how I missed it all these years.  If it ran cutaways, it's purely understandable!   I see that it's a weekday only route as well .

It has been Gaithersburg for as long as I can remember, but it was rush hour only until it got midday service in the first phase of Go Montgomery.  It is a fun route to ride with the long stretches of no stops between Germantown and Kentlands.

[RideOn5905]

Speaking of the 74, I saw 5808 and 5809 on there today. Is it me, or does it seem like Ride-On's running more 40-footers on that route?

Apart from that, here are two more sightings I'd like to report:

This morning, I was riding 5921 on the 100 to Shady Grove, and as we passed over Diamond Avenue, I saw a THE-BUS Gillig Low Floor pass us on the left. The bus was 63199; I wonder what it was doing in Gaithersburg?

Later, I boarded 5595 on the 49 at Rockville; the interior looks like a mess. One of the pull cords was loose, one of the windows in the back kept falling open, and it was missing not only an announcer system, but its original "Stop Requested" indicator as well. On top of that, the engine sounded a bit off. Normally, these buses have a Voith transmission, but this one sounded like a mix between that and an Allison. Maybe it's because I could hear it kick into 4th gear from time to time, I don't know.

[WES]

If you saw that THE BUS 63199 passing you, most likely it was being delivered.  I didn't think their next batch would be coming now.   One question, did it look like a 35 footer or a 40 footer.?

[79MetroExtraMD]

Speaking of the 74, I saw 5808 and 5809 on there today. Is it me, or does it seem like Ride-On's running more 40-footers on that route?

Apart from that, here are two more sightings I'd like to report:

This morning, I was riding 5921 on the 100 to Shady Grove, and as we passed over Diamond Avenue, I saw a THE-BUS Gillig Low Floor pass us on the left. The bus was 63199; I wonder what it was doing in Gaithersburg?

Later, I boarded 5595 on the 49 at Rockville; the interior looks like a mess. One of the pull cords was loose, one of the windows in the back kept falling open, and it was missing not only an announcer system, but its original "Stop Requested" indicator as well. On top of that, the engine sounded a bit off. Normally, these buses have a Voith transmission, but this one sounded like a mix between that and an Allison. Maybe it's because I could hear it kick into 4th gear from time to time, I don't know.

Wait a minute. Now I just realized. I think the 74 interlines with the 61 at GTC (and less likely the 55 and 100).

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Speaking of the 74, I saw 5808 and 5809 on there today. Is it me, or does it seem like Ride-On's running more 40-footers on that route?

Apart from that, here are two more sightings I'd like to report:

This morning, I was riding 5921 on the 100 to Shady Grove, and as we passed over Diamond Avenue, I saw a THE-BUS Gillig Low Floor pass us on the left. The bus was 63199; I wonder what it was doing in Gaithersburg?

Later, I boarded 5595 on the 49 at Rockville; the interior looks like a mess. One of the pull cords was loose, one of the windows in the back kept falling open, and it was missing not only an announcer system, but its original "Stop Requested" indicator as well. On top of that, the engine sounded a bit off. Normally, these buses have a Voith transmission, but this one sounded like a mix between that and an Allison. Maybe it's because I could hear it kick into 4th gear from time to time, I don't know.

Wait a minute. Now I just realized. I think the 74 interlines with the 61 at GTC (and less likely the 55 and 100).

Like I said earlier, some 74 runs do interline with the 55. This also may be the reason why you may see some 35-footers on the 55. And yeah I forgot that it also interlines with the 61, it has been doing that for a while now. As for the 100, I never seen it happen, but I can't say that it's not possible.

[rideonrulez]

If you saw that THE BUS 63199 passing you, most likely it was being delivered.  I didn't think their next batch would be coming now.   One question, did it look like a 35 footer or a 40 footer.?

I guess these new units coming in are going to the new route #35 to National Harbor that is suppose to start in a few weeks.

I forgot to mention on Tuesday that I saw Ride On 5313 driving around Landover (not the garage). Also to note the facility next door to Landover Division had 2 WMATA Flx's and a Howard Transit Blue Bird. 

[WES]

There's actually a third Flx farther in the back.  Brother needs some book sales big time, I will buy all three of them.......just need a place to store them.  I wonder if 5313 was coming from the contractor near there or THE BUS is actually testing a hybrid.  I did see one of the latest batch of hybrids sitting in the contractor lot, didn't see 6608 in there, they might be fixing whatever needed to be fixed.