December 2008 Obervations

[79MetroExtraMD]

yea lol Landover isnt a CNG division wish we had those nice Orion VII's there i will ride them till i die

Maryland didn't want to build a CNG facility. Only VA and DC.

[Scrabbleship]

And Maryland sucks for doing so and should have been forced to build one by WMATA.

[79MetroExtraMD]

And Maryland sucks for doing so and should have been forced to build one by WMATA.

WMATA can't force Maryland to do anything. Remember, its a tri-jurisdictional authority. Maryland got the hybrids and DC and VA got the CNG ones. Ride On comes close to a CNG facility, but it probably would have been costly to install CNG facilities at Montgomery and Landover alongside the diesel fueling facilities.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

And Maryland sucks for doing so and should have been forced to build one by WMATA.

WMATA can't force Maryland to do anything. Remember, its a tri-jurisdictional authority. Maryland got the hybrids and DC and VA got the CNG ones. Ride On comes close to a CNG facility, but it probably would have been costly to install CNG facilities at Montgomery and Landover alongside the diesel fueling facilities.

Maryland WAS going to build a CNG facility at Montgomery before an Erlich appointed board member said it would be cheaper and just as environmentally friendly to get the hybrids and other clean diesels.  He wasn't very pro transit in general though and is known for making some other strange decisions.

[79MetroExtraMD]

And Maryland sucks for doing so and should have been forced to build one by WMATA.

WMATA can't force Maryland to do anything. Remember, its a tri-jurisdictional authority. Maryland got the hybrids and DC and VA got the CNG ones. Ride On comes close to a CNG facility, but it probably would have been costly to install CNG facilities at Montgomery and Landover alongside the diesel fueling facilities.

Maryland WAS going to build a CNG facility at Montgomery before an Erlich appointed board member said it would be cheaper and just as environmentally friendly to get the hybrids and other clean diesels.  He wasn't very pro transit in general though and is known for making some other strange decisions.

We kinda forgot about Ehrlich. As for the anti-transit standing, GBBI pretty much sums everything up.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Who is we? 

[Tritransit Area]

The suburbans sure were out tonight on WMATA bus routes!  I found 6208 on the C8 "Express" (according to the sign), then saw 6217 on the J2.  I saw 6206 on another route as well.

Finally, I got a comfortable and all too short ride on 4397 on the K6.

Other things to note:

*Ride On 5934 on the 48.  Not unusual, but I'm starting to see why people down here (there) have a general dislike for ZFs.  This bus was rather on the slow side, and had issues taking the hills on Viers Mill Road.  The gears seemed to shift slightly shorter than average (for a ZF) as well, although that's debatable.

*Baby G 5003 arriving at Silver Spring, Not In Service.  The interesting thing is that this bus pulled into the upper Ride-On section at around 8pm and then parked, still out of service.  The 18 doesn't serve Silver Spring that late in the day - what route could it be going on?  Maybe the 5, but didn't residents want cutaways on that route after a certain hour?  This request goes back to the days when Ride-On had nothing larger than 30 ft, if I remember correctly.

The 4300s and 2100s sure are different (tested both of them in DC).  Other than seating arrangments and window opening styles, I feel the 4300s have a stronger engine.  Plus, they seem a bit faster than 2100s as well!  They sound very similar, but the 4300s have a slight hum to it.

[79MetroExtraMD]

The suburbans sure were out tonight on WMATA bus routes!  I found 6208 on the C8 "Express" (according to the sign), then saw 6217 on the J2.  I saw 6206 on another route as well.

Finally, I got a comfortable and all too short ride on 4397 on the K6.

Other things to note:

*Ride On 5934 on the 48.  Not unusual, but I'm starting to see why people down here (there) have a general dislike for ZFs.  This bus was rather on the slow side, and had issues taking the hills on Viers Mill Road.  The gears seemed to shift slightly shorter than average (for a ZF) as well, although that's debatable.

*Baby G 5003 arriving at Silver Spring, Not In Service.  The interesting thing is that this bus pulled into the upper Ride-On section at around 8pm and then parked, still out of service.  The 18 doesn't serve Silver Spring that late in the day - what route could it be going on?  Maybe the 5, but didn't residents want cutaways on that route after a certain hour?  This request goes back to the days when Ride-On had nothing larger than 30 ft, if I remember correctly.

The 4300s and 2100s sure are different (tested both of them in DC).  Other than seating arrangments and window opening styles, I feel the 4300s have a stronger engine.  Plus, they seem a bit faster than 2100s as well!  They sound very similar, but the 4300s have a slight hum to it.

Meh. I'm more ZF and Voith. Allisons just plain suck. As for 5003 at Silver Spring, there is the 8. It could have been coming off the 8. The 5 doesn't go to Nicholson until late night, sometime after 10pm I think.

The 4300s are really nice. I like riding them on the S line heading down 16th Street. Although I haven't been on that line in quite a while (thanks to the 79), I'd still take it on a weekend to get downtown faster than on the 70.

[Antozilla]

Metro has suburbans?  Only one door and all that???

[WayneNYC]

Metro has suburbans?  Only one door and all that???

I grew up in the late 60s/early 70s when true suburbans were going strong.  I'm my mind WMATA hasn't had suburbans since 100 series Flxibles of the late 70s.  After those anything suburban-like (WMATA) has simply been a transit bus with suburban interior.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Metro has suburbans?  Only one door and all that???

I grew up in the late 60s/early 70s when true suburbans were going strong.  I'm my mind WMATA hasn't had suburbans since 100 series Flxibles of the late 70s.  After those anything suburban-like (WMATA) has simply been a transit bus with suburban interior.

Metro doesn't really consider them suburbans. They call them high backs. I have a roster for Montgomery and they do have HB as being high back.

[Tritransit Area]

The 2 NABI 60BRTs are still at Landover - just saw them moments ago, parked in the depot (that IS Landover by the train tracks, right?)  Although I imagine they are still being used to for the B30 (why aren't they running then?), I must wonder how exactly they are fueling these buses.

Is Bladensburg nearby?

[C40LF_2464]

Maybe they are borowing fuel from Blade or transporting those buse from Landover to Blade idk

[WMATAGMOAGH]

The 2 NABI 60BRTs are still at Landover - just saw them moments ago, parked in the depot (that IS Landover by the train tracks, right?)  Although I imagine they are still being used to for the B30 (why aren't they running then?), I must wonder how exactly they are fueling these buses.

Is Bladensburg nearby?

You can see CET from the Orange Line or NEC (I assume those are the tracks you are referring to), but not Landover Division itself.

[WES]

Bladensburg is about a 20 minute ride from Landover.  With Benning Road still undergoing construction and WMATA, trying to keep these buses from sitting in a yard till the Benning Road construction wraps up, don't be surprised if WMATA doesn't test these buses on other routes (other than the B30).

This is WMATA we are talking about, surprises are common.