June 2009 Observations

[Tristan]

Definitely sounds like replacement numbering now (to an extent anyway)...

[LandoverDivision]

From yesterday:

3904 on the V14 (Deanwood Station) First time EVER seeing a 30 foot on the V14. That surprised the hell out of me.
9337 on the P12 (Eastover)

From today:
9309 on the F12 (New Carrollton Station)
9328 heading to New Carrollton (couldn't see what route it was)

Is it me or is Royal giving away their Flx-Bs to Landover? Something don't seem right.

[WES]

Passing by Landover tonight yielded a bunch of Flx Bs and Ds parked at the rear of the garage.  The way the Flyers are trickling into service, the Metro Bs might reach their 19th birthdays.  I didn't think that this was possible.  But here is another possible interesting sighting.

2636 on the X2 this evening.

[Tristan]

Saw a PRTC MCI leaving the Pentagon in a new full body paint scheme that is like the new Greyhound blue...same color that's on their schedules, if you have seen them.  I'm bad at catching numbers lately!

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Passing by Landover tonight yielded a bunch of Flx Bs and Ds parked at the rear of the garage.  The way the Flyers are trickling into service, the Metro Bs might reach their 19th birthdays.  I didn't think that this was possible.  But here is another possible interesting sighting.

2636 on the X2 this evening.

When exactly will the Flxibles turn 19?

[Tristan]

Most were built in 1990/1991 - so next year, if not already for some units.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

2625 on the 80 (almost immediately behind a repainted C40LF, I was on my bike coming up Virginia Avenue and was a block away from it so I couldn't see the number on the C40LF, by the time I got to the next light the Orion VII was coming along)
2118 on the 70
I saw 3 New Flyers on the 30s but I'm pretty sure they've all been observed and accounted for by people here so I didn't commit the numbers to memory

I did go by the Holocaust Museum without knowing what had happened there, but didn't really see what sort of impact the street closures as a result of the shooting had on buses (traffic on Constitution Avenue was jammed, I turned south on 15th biking around the police line on the sidewalk, and then headed east on Jefferson, 15th and 14th were closed south of Constitution, not sure about closures on Independence).

[79MetroExtraMD]

I Street was packed. I knew it wasn't normal rush hour traffic when I asked someone why there was so much traffic and she mentioned the shooting at the Museum.

As for the PRTC MCI in the Greyhoundish scheme, I saw one of them at Crystal City on Monday (375).

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

I saw 3 New Flyers on the 30s but I'm pretty sure they've all been observed and accounted for by people here so I didn't commit the numbers to memory

Thank You...

ok people, we get that 6384-6389, 6404, 6421, and 6423-6453 are now in service at Western and Northern...we get it already...so don't act surprised.

Also...saw 2617 on the D6 (just to confirm that that bus is still at Bladensburg)

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I saw 3 New Flyers on the 30s but I'm pretty sure they've all been observed and accounted for by people here so I didn't commit the numbers to memory

Thank You...

ok people, we get that 6384-6389, 6404, 6421, and 6423-6453 are now in service at Western and Northern...we get it already...so don't act surprised.

Also...saw 2617 on the D6 (just to confirm that that bus is still at Bladensburg)

I got a photo of 6396 yesterday on the 30s, and I think I saw it again today.

[WES]

6376 on the 32 this evening.

2618 is still at Bladensburg, doing a G8 this morning

3022 was seen deadheading on northbound I-395 by Seminary Road

9773 and 9413 might have been deadheading back to Montgomery but both were about to enter I-66 westbound this morning, leaving Constitution Avenue.

[WES]

Passing by Landover tonight yielded a bunch of Flx Bs and Ds parked at the rear of the garage.  The way the Flyers are trickling into service, the Metro Bs might reach their 19th birthdays.  I didn't think that this was possible.  But here is another possible interesting sighting.

2636 on the X2 this evening.

When exactly will the Flxibles turn 19?

Those were 1990 units.  Those started to see service in August and I spotted the first of the non wheelchair lift units in early September.  Since the non wheelchair units have long since retired that just leaves the remaining wheelchair lift units.  The first bus I saw was 9363 running on the F14 and then 9368 on the A12 at the old Capital Plaza.

[BladensburgB2]

FROM TODAY

C8 MC53 6190
F6 LF93 9715
C2 MC42 6168
C8 MC83 4102
Z6 MZ79 6210
K6 MK01 6182
C8 MC62 4073
L8 ML53 6103
32 W343 2212
31 W207 6320
31 W208 2203
32 W340 2050
31 W200 2204
38B F746 2588
38B FM23 2601
36 W309 6396
36 W309 6386
32 W325 6350
71 N717 5310
52 N519 4275
54 N531 2139
13A FM01 2701

[Perry]

I guess it was August or sometime summer 1990, I remember riding one when it was really hot out and the a/c was great.  My first B was 9382 on the old C2 that ran from Beltway Plaza to Wheaton via PG Plaza and Riggs Road.  It was nice to get a different type of bus on a Montgomery route at the time because it was just the same old same old until then.  The Flx New Looks were getting to be unreliable and the wheelchair lifts were horrible which made it difficult when we had to pick up someone at Inwood House on Univ. Blvd.

Nice to see PRTC vehicles getting repainted.  Their older scheme was getting a bit tired looking.  I understand they may be getting hybrid vehicles in their next order of 40 foot, non Commuter-type coaches.  Don't know from who though.  I will try to find out more from my contacts that I still have there.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

Wow...first it's 6320 at Western, which makes it odd to have a big break from that and the 6380s...and now we have 6350...

I'm guessing that Western is their "hotel" before moving in to their permanent homes...unless these are their real homes, that would mean that we'll see a big mix-up when the rest of the 63/6400s come into service