June 2009 Observations

[79MetroExtraMD]

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.

Anything other than Gillig would be a surpise. I kinda like the new scheme albeit it will probably only go to the Omniride ones for now.

[Perry]

They've had good luck with their Gilligs and I really like driving them too when I was there, particularly the Phantoms.  The Advantages just had a silly driver's area, but it was still ok to drive here and there.  Although when I did my route timings, I preferred an Orion or occasionally for fun, I'd take out an RTS.

I'd love to see photos if anyone has a chance to post.

[Scrabbleship]

Just saw 2223(!) at.  Montgomery. Could this be the return favor for Western using some of Montgomery's 42LFA's?

How long can it take to re-govern an engine (especially since it was over-governed by the manufacturer) and remove some rear wheel covers?

[WES]

WMATA can remove the wheel covers, I don't know, though, how long it takes to regovern a bus.

Some I guess sad but expected news.  Some of the Metro Ds are starting to be retired and this might answer Brandon's question why is Landover getting some Bs.  I assume those Ds being retired are some of the worst off buses, or buses that really wouldn't warrant expensive repairs.  Right now in Carmen E Turner are about 4, don't know the numbers but assume those buses parked at the back of Landover will soon be retired.

[79MetroExtraMD]

The beginning of the end. Such a sad time but was expected. I didn't expect a D to be retired earlier than a B.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

The beginning of the end. Such a sad time but was expected. I didn't expect a D to be retired earlier than a B.

Ironic, ain't it?

Aren't some of the 9300s retired anyways? Obviously 9355 is out due to the accident...

[WayneNYC]

The beginning of the end. Such a sad time but was expected. I didn't expect a D to be retired earlier than a B.

Ironic, ain't it?

Aren't some of the 9300s retired anyways? Obviously 9355 is out due to the accident...

Most of the 9300-9400 are gone.  I'm not suprised that some Ds would be at the end.  They've been all over, but most have been workhorses at Northern, Montgomery and Landover for years. 

[WES]

The beginning of the end. Such a sad time but was expected. I didn't expect a D to be retired earlier than a B.

Well the repowered Orion Vs (9600) were supposed to outlast the Metro Bs................well you know what happened.  There are Bs that are in better shape than some of the Ds, so some Ds being retired isn't a surprise. 

For those who didn't remember there were GM new looks that outlasted, by far the AMGs and also when the RTSs, Gilligs and Flx new looks were retired, so were the last of the GM new looks, so it isn't unusual.

[Scrabbleship]

WMATA can remove the wheel covers, I don't know, though, how long it takes to regovern a bus.

Aren't engines advanced enough at this point that re-governing an engine only takes a laptop to do? Surely if the problem is New Flyer governing all the buses to city speeds it can't take that long, can it?

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
005820 on the 48 (Rockville)
985574 on the 55 (Germantown Transit Ctr)
995708 on the 55 (Rockville)
055954 on the 48 (Wheaton)
055823 on the 48 (Rockville)
995705 on the 48 (Wheaton)
085731 on the 10 (Twinbrook)
075758 on the 10 (Hillandale)
085738 on the 10 (Twinbrook)
075763 on the 10 (Hillandale)
085742 on the 10 (Twinbrook)
025610 on the 10 (Hillandale)

FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
9701 on the 171
9704 on the 401 (Tysons West Park Transit Center)
9705 on the 401 (Franconia/ Springfield Metro)
9757 on the 401 (Franconia/ Springfield Metro)
9764 on the 401 (Tysons West Park Transit Center)
9720 on the 605 (Reston Town Center)
9735 on the 950 (Reston Town Center via Herndon-Monroe P&R)
7771 on the 505 (West Falls Church Metro)

METROBUS:
6139 on the NH1
4020 on the NH1
IS 9310 STILL @ CET?
9302 on the F4 with an L block
9326 on the 83 (Cherry Hill)
9331 on the R1
9345 remains @ Landover.
9704 on the F6 (Silver Spring Station)
9720 on the F8 (Langley Park)
9735 on the F4 (New Carrollton Station)
9757 remains @ Northern.
9764 remains @ Montgomery.
9771 remains @ Montgomery.
9773 remains @ Montgomery.
9777 remains @ Northern.
9802 on the C8 (College Park Station)
9805 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
9820 on the Z2 (Silver Spring Station)
9822 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
9823 on the C2 (Wheaton Station)
4077 on the C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4088 on the C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4089 on the C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4098 on the Z6 (Burtonsville)
4101 on the C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4104 on the Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
5214 on the Y7 (Silver Spring Station)
4299 on the S2 (Federal Triangle)
4328 on the J2 (Montgomery Mall)
4341 on the 28B (Tysons Corner) with an R block
4347 on the 28A (Tysons Corner) with an R block
4349 on the 28A (Tysons Corner) with an R block
4351 on the 28A (King Street Station)
2002 on the F4 (Silver Spring Station)
2029 on the 28T (Tysons Corner Westpark)
2032 on the 1A (Ballston Station)
2143 on the S4 (Silver Spring Station)
2155 on the S2 (Silver Spring Station)
2172 on the E2
2180 on the E4
2610 on the REX (Fort Belvoir)
2615 on the REX (King Street Station)
2677 on the REX (Fort Belvoir)
2683 on the REX (KIng Street Station)
6015 on the K6 (White Oak)
6020 on the Q2 (Silver Spring Station)
6029 on the Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6032 on the K6 (Ft Totten)
6038 on the K6 (White Oak)
6042 on the F8 (Cheverly Station)
6001-6014: LANDOVER
6015-6039: MONTGOMERY
6101 on the Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6105 on the K6 (White Oak)
6106 on the K6 (White Oak)
6143 on the F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6166 on the F4 (Silver Spring Station)
6187 on the Y8 (Montgomery Gen Hospital)
6189 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
6197 on the C8 (College Park Station)
6140-6178: LANDOVER
6179-6217: MONTGOMERY
6350 on the 32
6376 on the 36
6385 on the 32
5409 on the R2 (Calverton)
5410 on the R2 (Calverton & then to Ft Totten)
2332 on the R2 (Calverton)
2377 on the R2 (Ft Totten)
5420 on the R2 (Ft Totten)
2404 on the R2 (Calverton & then to Ft Totten)
2342 on the R2 (Calverton)

[Scrabbleship]

4329 on the J4, missing one of its flip-up seats for a wheelchair position.

4391 on the F4, complete with peeling B30 roof banner.

5222 on the S4

And not necessairly a bus observation, but am I the first person to notice that the Stop Requested sign on the LFA's a) looks like a Lite-Brite and b) looks creepy too?

[Tristan]

One of the Orion VIIs, I forget which one, had this sign as a demo...but I think calling it anything other than a Stop Requested sign might be overthinking it :-p

By the way, saw a MetroAccess vehicle in the new paint scheme..........surprisingly (I guess) in red, not blue or some other color that would differentiate it.  I guess when there's red, white/silver, and blue...there aren't too many choices.  It's still a white base though, like 5311 was at first.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

And not necessairly a bus observation, but am I the first person to notice that the Stop Requested sign on the LFA's a) looks like a Lite-Brite and b) looks creepy too?

I noticed that too, from the first time I rode one of them.

Also, 6104 and 6105 both on the Q2 today

[79MetroExtraMD]

One of the Orion VIIs, I forget which one, had this sign as a demo...but I think calling it anything other than a Stop Requested sign might be overthinking it :-p

By the way, saw a MetroAccess vehicle in the new paint scheme..........surprisingly (I guess) in red, not blue or some other color that would differentiate it.  I guess when there's red, white/silver, and blue...there aren't too many choices.  It's still a white base though, like 5311 was at first.

The new Champions take the same local scheme under the le MetroShuttle brand.

[WES]

4341 seen later on the 10B tonight and 4395 on a late night A12.