November 2008 Sightings

[CENTRALSMT]

At least one and possibly two 40 foot Orion Vs on the N6 today (Saturday 11/29).

I used to live on the N routes, its not uncommon for full size vehicles to operate the N6 at weekends.

I've been living close to the N routes for over 15 years and in my experience, it is unusual, though it has become more common as of late since fewer Orion IIs are available.

  Then its quite common then surely?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

At least one and possibly two 40 foot Orion Vs on the N6 today (Saturday 11/29).

I used to live on the N routes, its not uncommon for full size vehicles to operate the N6 at weekends.

I've been living close to the N routes for over 15 years and in my experience, it is unusual, though it has become more common as of late since fewer Orion IIs are available.

  Then its quite common then surely?

I didn't want to come across as overly harsh on the last post.  The N6 has a pretty low bus requirement.  In my experience, the N6 was only Orion IIs from the time they came online in 1999 until fairly recently.  The N6  started getting the 3900 Series Orion Vs once those came to Western on occasion, and they also seemed to change up the blocking so that the 40 footers that did the N2 and N4 during the day remained on the N6 for the evening on weekdays.  However, I can't recall the last time I saw a 40 footer on the N6 on a weekend.

[Tristan]

I concur with Oren's observation, that it was mostly shorties.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Metrobus

2547 D3 WD17 @ N. Capitol & Mass
9338 X3 BX83 @ Georgia/Florida

Ride On
5004 17 @ Langley Park
5727 20 @ Silver Spring
5729 15 @ Langley Park & Silver Spring

[OrionFlyer]

Metrobus

2547 D3 WD17 @ N. Capitol & Mass
9338 X3 BX83 @ Georgia/Florida

So one of the 2500's are being borrowed by Western now? Why?

[79MetroExtraMD]

Metrobus

2547 D3 WD17 @ N. Capitol & Mass
9338 X3 BX83 @ Georgia/Florida

So one of the 2500's are being borrowed by Western now? Why?

It's not that. A BBurg bus was filling in for this block. It was explained before about fill ins and such. Normally, BBurg runs the D3 with Western though I have seen some Western buses on the D6. I thought it was two D3s (one late, one on-time) but when I saw 2547 had WD17 block, that caught my attention.

[rideonrulez]

Ride On
5004 17 @ Langley Park

I can tell you that it was NOT on the 17, try the 18.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Ride On
5004 17 @ Langley Park

I can tell you that it was NOT on the 17, try the 18.

Oops. I meant 18. I just got off the 17 when I saw it.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Ride On
5004 17 @ Langley Park

I can tell you that it was NOT on the 17, try the 18.

Thanks for that update.  The 17 report seemed off when I read it.

Metrobus

2547 D3 WD17 @ N. Capitol & Mass
9338 X3 BX83 @ Georgia/Florida

So one of the 2500's are being borrowed by Western now? Why?

It's not that. A BBurg bus was filling in for this block. It was explained before about fill ins and such. Normally, BBurg runs the D3 with Western though I have seen some Western buses on the D6. I thought it was two D3s (one late, one on-time) but when I saw 2547 had WD17 block, that caught my attention.

I'm pretty sure (and 99% positive) this is the assignment for the D routes:

D1: Bladensburg only
D5: Bladensburg/Western
D6: Bladensburg/Western

As for the D3, I'm not sure it has any blocks scheduled to come out of Western, since only a few of its AM trips make it up to Sibley Hospital and none of its PM trips go there.  Also, the D3s that do make it to Sibley are the first two trips of the morning, so it wouldn't be all that logical for those buses to deadhead from Western to Ivy City, run up to Sibley Hospital, and then stay on as D6s.  The only other possibility I can think of is if there is interlining between the Ds and Es at Ivy City.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I have seen some Western buses on the D3. If they do run in the evening rush, they might interline with the E line at Ivy City. That would seem fit for them. It's only recently that I've started seeing Bladensburg buses on the D3 and Western buses on the D6. It's usually in the evening when I see Western D6 buses. The deadhead from Sibley doesn't seem that long back to Western as opposed to Ivy City to Western.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I have seen some Western buses on the D3. If they do run in the evening rush, they might interline with the E line at Ivy City. That would seem fit for them. It's only recently that I've started seeing Bladensburg buses on the D3 and Western buses on the D6. It's usually in the evening when I see Western D6 buses. The deadhead from Sibley doesn't seem that long back to Western as opposed to Ivy City to Western.

Who said anything about it being a difficult deadhead from Sibley to Western or vice versa?  If the buses are allowed to use the Dalecarlia Parkway (which I doubt they are, I'm pretty sure that road is for cars only), the deadhead from Western to Sibley would take 10 minutes.  If they have to go via Loughborogh Nebraska, and Wisconsin, it should be 15 at most.

I would see Western buses laying over at Stadium-Armory at the D6 bay when walking from the Metro to RFK for Nationals games on multiple occasions.

[OrionFlyer]

Hold on. I thought ALL the 2500's were at Four Mile Run. I thought the only Orion VII 40fts Bladensburg had was some 2600's. Thats why I was asking. Before I saw your post I thought all the 2500's were still at Four Mile Run. You said you saw 2547 on the D3 with a Western block. Well I was still thinking that FMR still had all the 2500's which prompt me to ask if Western was borrowing it from them.

So which 2500's and 2600's does Bladensburg have now?

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

I know Western does the D3, I don't know about Bladensburg though.

Hold on. I thought ALL the 2500's were at Four Mile Run. I thought the only Orion VII 40fts Bladensburg had was some 2600's. Thats why I was asking. Before I saw your post I thought all the 2500's were still at Four Mile Run. You said you saw 2547 on the D3 with a Western block. Well I was still thinking that FMR still had all the 2500's which prompt me to ask if Western was borrowing it from them.

So which 2500's and 2600's does Bladensburg have now?

I believe 2547 was only a loaner for that block. Seeing that the D3 bus had a W block, you can't make assumptions that the bus was borrowed from Bladensburg...some FMR buses do, in fact, fill in for some DC blocks.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I know Western does the D3, I don't know about Bladensburg though.

Hold on. I thought ALL the 2500's were at Four Mile Run. I thought the only Orion VII 40fts Bladensburg had was some 2600's. Thats why I was asking. Before I saw your post I thought all the 2500's were still at Four Mile Run. You said you saw 2547 on the D3 with a Western block. Well I was still thinking that FMR still had all the 2500's which prompt me to ask if Western was borrowing it from them.

So which 2500's and 2600's does Bladensburg have now?

I believe 2547 was only a loaner for that block. Seeing that the D3 bus had a W block, you can't make assumptions that the bus was borrowed from Bladensburg...some FMR buses do, in fact, fill in for some DC blocks.

Crap. I forgot it was a Four Mile bus. I got it confused with the middle 2600s at BBurg.

[OrionFlyer]

^^
Yeah. So my guess is that Western is borrowing it for testing on its routes. Probably because of the new buses they're going to get.